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A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
A Variety of December DVD Releases
From family films to Sci-fi to Drama to Comedy, this selection has it all.
The Land Before Time: Journey to Big Water
This is the ninth installment in the popular series, which features Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike, five adorable little dinosaurs who always find adventure and sometimes danger.
After the "sky water" floods the area creating "new water," the gang discovers Mo, a dolphin-like character who has become separated from his family in the "big water." Mo is playful and enjoys jumping, blowing bubbles and spraying water on Littlefoot.
Living in prehistoric times was definitely eventful, and when the kids are deciding how to get Mo back to his home, an earthquake - or earth shake - occurs separating them from their families. The only thing they can think of is to return Mo to the "big water" and from there they should be able to find their way home. Along the way they meet up with a bad sharp-tooth swimmer, discover new critters (starfish, aka star swimmers, and crabs) and realize they are always going to be best friends.
Before their adventure began, Littlefoot wanted to play but the others were too busy, so he wandered off alone. What he learned from his grandfather is that "none of us are ever really alone." And "you're only as alone as you chose to be." There are always things around us and as long as we have our imagination we are never alone. Donny Osmond sings the ending song "No One Has To Be Alone."
Included in the DVD are some sing-alongs, coloring sheets, and a fun comparison between real dinosaurs and the animated characters in this movie. There are also some games to play in "Littlefoot's Playhouse." The Land Before Time: Journey To Big Water is rated "G" and runs 71 minutes.
The Land Before Time series is a poplar franchise, with over 50 million copies sold. This direct to video film is the ninth in the series, and will most likely be followed by a tenth.
Wise Girls
Mira Sorvino, Mariah Carey and Melora Walters serve up more than just food in an Italian restaurant. Meg, while trying to forget an awful incident in her past, leaves medical school, moves in with her grandmother and takes a job at the restaurant. Little did she know when she was hired that she would soon be up to her head with the Mafia. Her only solace is her new friendship with her co-workers Raychel and Kate. Raychel is the tough girl, has a little more to do with the restaurant business than simply serving drinks and dinners. And Kate has a side to her no one knows about.
Surviving in this tough world involves more than just keeping their mouths shut. From the beginning Meg is drawn into the underground when she saves the life of one of the "customers." From then on she is "taken care of" by the owner and his son, who is attracted to her. She is reliable, tough, and can hold her own among the crowd, and soon she is making enough money to get her own apartment and start her life anew. Unfortunately it isn't the life she dreamed of.
Raychel is a tough New York gal who will do almost anything if the pay is good. And Kate seems meek, but harbors an inner strength. Together the three women form a bond that in the end is their only link to their own survival in the dangerous world of gun shooting, drug dealing crooks.
Wise Girls will keep your interest through its 96 minutes. It's an interesting look into the tough dark underground world, but be warned there is a lot of blood and guts involved in the story. The film is rated "R."
Happy Accidents
Marisa Tomei and Vincent D'Onofrio star in this offbeat sci-fi romance story about love, trust, and commitment.
Marisa Tomei plays Ruby, a woman who can't get a break when it comes to men. Every relationship she gets into ends with her broken heart. She wants to fix everyone's problems, but she realizes she cannot. She and her friend have a box of pictures of their former boyfriends called the "Ex-Files."
Vincent plays Sam, a man who insists he is from the year 2470. He says he is a "back traveler" who traveled back in time over 400 years because he fell in love with a woman in the picture. That woman is Ruby. For a while she goes along with the story. After all, she really likes this man. And what harm can come from playing a fantasy? Soon, Ruby is caught up in the fantasy. She gets confused and wonders what is real. How can she get him to stop playing this game? Or is he sick? She confesses everything to her therapist (Holland Taylor) who insists he is suffering from an illness.
When Sam confronts Ruby and tells her she is going to die this week and he wants to prevent her death, she decides to put an end to this whole thing once and for all. Will Sam convince her he is telling the truth, or will Ruby convince Sam he is ill and needs help?
This is a different spin on romance. Take a little Kate and Leopold, add some K-Pax and a bit of The Twilight Zone and you get Happy Accidents, which is rated "R" for language. It runs 1Hr. 50 Min.
Men in Black II
They're back! Those alien fighters join together again to hunt down and destroy the evil aliens who are intent on destruction. Remember, not all aliens are evil. Some are living amongst us in complete harmony. Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones (Will and Tommy Lee, that is) took the country by storm in their first foray together as Agents Kay and Jay, and now they are doing it again. You never know what lurks in the storm drains and behind the walls. It could be Jeff the worm, who is a little tired of staying underground and decides to attack a subway train. But the public remains completely unaware of any alien activity on earth thanks to the ever-present neutralizer which erases any memories of out-of-this-world comings and goings.
Tommy Lee Jones reprises his role as the no-nonsense, and humorless agent playing against Will Smith's easy-going character who, for some reason - could it be an attraction? -cannot bring himself to neutralize a witness to an alien murder. She is brought into their investigation as they hunt down the murderer.
If you saw Men in Black and enjoyed it, you'll most likely enjoy this sequel because they are basically the same. Just some faces and events have changed. However, Frank (a talking pug) is the bright spot in the movie. He's a wise cracking, wanting-to-please canine who expands his role in the sequel.
From the tiny critters in the locker to the worms who like to play Twister, the aliens make the show. Lara Flynn Boyle plays the evil Serleena who will stop at nothing to get what she came for, no matter who gets in her way. And Rosario Dawson is Laura, the witness who accepts everything that is going on around her without any hesitation. Go figure!
This is a 2-disc DVD set that includes commentaries, a Men in Black Training Video, Blooper Reel, production and creature featurettes, Will Smith's music video, a photo gallery, DVD-ROM activities, and an alternate ending to the film. All in all, there's a lot to this set other than just the movie.
Men In Black II is rated "PG" and runs 84 minutes.
K-19: The Widowmaker
In 1961 the Cold War was at its peak. But even in the middle of the cold war, each side knew that if there were to be a nuclear war, no one would win.
K-19 was the first Soviet nuclear powered submarine. In order to send a clear message to the U.S. that the Soviet Union had nuclear powered capabilities, it was rushed out of dry dock before it was completely ready. Only after the Berlin Wall was torn down, did stories like this emerge. Of course Hollywood takes liberties when making a film based on actual events, but the filmmakers went to great lengths to make things as authentic as possible, even going so far as to film in Moscow.
The sub was under the command of Captain Mikhail Polenim (played by Liam Neeson). The Party thought the Captain was too slow in getting the boat and the crew ready for sea trials, so they replaced him with Captain Alexei Vostrikov (played by Harrison Ford) and demoted him to Executive Officer. When the boat left port, it was not fully stocked with necessary supplies or with all the backup systems in place. Vostrikov was a dedicated Party member, and put the crew and the boat through drill after drill, and took the boat to the absolute lowest depth it could stand before it would be crushed, to the objection of Polenim, who had the complete trust and admiration of the crew.
It looked like K-19 was on it's way to being the shining star of the Soviet fleet until disaster occurred when the core began to overheat. If the temperature reached 1000 degrees, it would cause a meltdown and an explosion greater than that in Hiroshima.
The story is about these brave men (some of whom did not survive the radiation), and particularly the two captains who, when all is said and done, might have averted World War III.
The film is rated "PG-13" for Disturbing Images. The running time is 2 Hrs. 9 Mins. The DVD contains commentaries, a "Making of" feature, and 3 featurettes: Exploring the Craft, Breaching the Hull, It's in the Details. They give the viewers insight into the film, the times, and the submarine.
Sunshine State
If you like soap operas, this is the film for you. When a development company starts making offers in a small Florida beach community, the residents know change is on the way.
An all-star cast provides the fiber in this little soap opera. Tim Hutton, Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, Jane Alexander, Miguel Ferrer and Mary Steenburgen give the residents and the developers their backbones and tenacity. The characters are like a patchwork quilt and one by one, little bits about them are revealed. By the end of the film, the patchwork fits together providing a pretty good picture of the life these people lead. To some, their lives are boring, but others cherish their heritage on the little island.
This movie is a little slow paced, much like the people's lives in the town. But it's a little addicting, much like General Hospital or The Guiding Light. It runs 141 minutes and is rated PG-13 for brief strong language, a sexual reference, and thematic elements.
Minority Report
This futuristic crime drama is set in the year 2054, where murder has been eliminated in the District of Columbia, thanks to the six-year reign of the Pre-Crime unit. Tom Cruise stars as the Pre-Crime Chief John Anderton, who is haunted by the death of his son six years earlier. Pre-Crime uses the talents of three psychic beings who see the future, called Pre-Cogs. They are wired together and kept in a pool of liquid in a quiet room called "The Temple." Their dreams are broadcast to the screens where the future murders are viewed. While watching, the cops must determine where the crime is to be committed, then get to that location before the murder and arrest the would-be criminals.
Unlike many other futuristic crime dramas, Minority Report is not a dark and depressing film. It will keep you watching and waiting to see what will happen next. Plus there are some fun things happening throughout the film that will have you chuckling now and then. Keep your eyes out for some product placements within the film. The visual effects are fantastic. All in all, it's a first-rate sci-fi crime drama.
Minority Report is rated "PG-13" for Violence, Brief Language, Some Sexuality and Drug Content.
The 2-disc DVD set includes several features. "The Digital World of Minority Report" explains the visual effects, "Final Report" is basically a discussion with Spielberg and Cruise about the film, "The Stunts of Minority Report" which explains how the bold and imaginative stunts were created, "Deconstructing Minority Report" shows how the filmmakers brought together several talented people to conceive and create the world of the future, "Minority Report: From Story to Screen" where Spielberg discusses how he created the story and characters, and Minority Report Archives with storyboards, photos, bios, etc. The bonus features alone are incredible.
The Country Bears
Little 11-year-old Beary Barrington is confused. He feels different. He doesn't fit in. His brother pushes his buttons, antagonizing him every chance he gets. So Beary decides to run away and heads to Country Bear Hall where "you can be different and still fit in."
When he arrives, he learns the Hall is about to be demolished because of years of back payments due. Beary can't let that happen and suggests the Country Bears Band reunite to save the Hall. The Country Bears are his favorite group, even though they split up years ago. He idolizes them. Beary's insistence pays off and soon the guys are traveling around in search of all the old members. If they can get everyone together and put on a concert, they'll raise the money to save the Hall.
This movie is live action, not animation, with costumed bears. And it is a little corny. But the salvation is cute little Beary, whose innocence and kindness stands out among the others. This is definitely a kids movie, but the music will even have adults tapping their toes.
The film is filled with music of all kinds, with country singer Bonnie Raitt, pop singer Krystal Marie Harris and singer/songwriter John Hiatt adding their talents. The DVD includes a featurette called "The Country Bears: Out of the Woods," The Country Bears Concert for America, a music video, and more. The movie runs 88 minutes and is rated "G."
Stuart Little 2
The furry little guy is back in his second feature film. This time, Stuart feels too coddled by his family, who want to keep him safe from harm. But he wants to get out there and play soccer, drive his car and fly his plane. Yes, the mouse has a plane. What he really needs is a friend, which is what he finds in Margalo, a little bird who falls into his car after being attacked by a falcon. Good natured Stuart never sees the bad in anyone. He's a friendly, innocent mouse. He takes Margalo home only to discover later that she is not as innocent as he is.
The DVD includes several featurettes. "A Touch of Evil - Creating the Perfect Villain" shows how the animators decided on a falcon and how they created the falcon in the film. "Show and Tell" goes behind the scenes with the cast. "A Life in the Fast Lane" is an ingenious feature that zooms through the entire process of creating the characters and making the film from start to finish. This has to be seen to be appreciated. There is also an interactive game, music video by Celine Dion, a Read-Along, and much more.
Michael J. Fox voices the brave little mouse, Melanie Griffith voices Margalo and James Woods is the voice of the evil Falcon.
© 2002 Francine Brokaw
Country Bears picture is ©Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.
Minority Report picture is ©2oth Century Fox and DreamWorks LLC. All rights reserved.
K-19: The Widowmaker picture is ©2002 by PARAMOUNT PICTURES and IMF INTERNATIONALE MEDIEN UND FILM GMBH & CO. 2 PRODUKTIONS KG. All Rights Reserved.
Men In Black II and Sunshine State pictures are ©Sony Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Happy Accident picture is ©2001 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights reserved
Land Before Time:Journey To Big Water picture is ©Universal Pictures. All Rights reserved
Wise Girls picture is ©Lions Gate Entertainment. All Rights reserved
Stuart Little 2 picture is ©Columbia TriStar. All Rights reserved
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