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A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
December 2007 DVD Selections
Arctic Tale
This beautifully filmed movie tells the story of a baby polar bear named Nanu and a baby walrus named Seela, who both have to fight for survival in their arctic kingdom. The story of these two adorable little animals is told by Queen Latifah as she describes their lives from their first days on the planet through their important childhoods when their survival is critical. Special features on this DVD include a fabulous feature on the making of the movie. See how they went under water to capture the incredible images. Another bonus is called “Are We There Yet? World Adventure” Polar Bear Spotting” with two children as they take off for the northern region of Canada to find a polar bear. Grab your hats and mittens. It’s cold up there.
The Bourne Ultimatum
Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) returns in this action-packed edge-of-your-seat adventure that has him on the final hunt to decode his past and finally find out who he really is and what happened to him. Bourne, a black-ops operative trained in assassination, has come full circle from the first day he signed up for the job. It’s time for him to realize what his life has been about since joining the team. From Moscow to Paris, London, Madrid, Tangier and finally New York, Bourne puts the pieces together while the CIA is also focused on the pieces – with a shoot to kill order out on him. But his training allows him to outsmart even their best agents. After all, he’s Jason Bourne! Bonus features on this DVD include several deleted scenes, a look at the zip-camera they used to film the exciting rooftop pursuit, a look at the many foreign locations in which they filmed the movie (by the way, in this film they substituted Germany for Russia), a feature on how they planned the fighting sequences and how martial arts influenced the moves, another feature on the New York chase sequences, and an inside look at Matt Damon learning to drive for some of the car chase scenes.
Curious George Takes a Job, and More Monkey Business!
That delightful monkey from the PBS KIDS series brings eight episodes to this DVD, all filled with the charm of the little furry guy. See how George helps create a delicious meal while experimenting in Chef Pisghetti’s kitchen. He learns that even though when hard spaghetti goes into a pot and comes out soft and bendy, that’s not true for everything he puts in the pot. And he does try to make things bendy like the spaghetti. Only eggs and spoons just don’t come out of the pot the same way the spaghetti does. In another episode George tries to recreate a special burger, but mistakes the recipes and winds up with something really disgusting. There are six more episodes as well as some bonus features that include a memory game and a shape identifying game. The DVD-ROM features printable coloring pages kids will enjoy.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – 2-Disc Special Edition
It’s the fifth year at Hogwarts and is more dangerous than the previous years. This year sets up the consummate battle between good and evil. Harry is the target of the Minister of Magic who does not believe his story of the return of The Dark Lord Voldemort. The Minister of Magic installs his own “eyes” in Hogwarts. Professor Umbridge is part of the ministry and gradually changes all aspects of the school, with “Ministry-approved” courses and all new rules. Meanwhile, Harry and his friends worry that the new school courses will not prepare them to defend themselves against Voldemort, so they form their own secret resistance force, “Dumbledore’s Army,” with Harry instructing them on the many aspects of wizardry and magic. New characters are introduced in this story that has Harry haunted by nightmares and finally understanding his connection to Voldemort, who now has the ability to get inside Potter’s mind. This has Harry worried that he is more like the Dark Lord than he would like to be, but soon discovers that he has “something worth fighting for,” unlike Voldemort.
The two-disc special edition includes not only the original widescreen version of the film but also a digital copy which, when inserted into a PC allows viewers to watch the movie on portable media devices. Additional bonus features include deleted scenes,“Trailing Tonks” in which viewers get a tour of the set, the props department, the model shop, and a look at a wand training class, “Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing” where Director David Yates and Editor Mark Day explain about editing and music, and “The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter” which is a look at all the films with clues to Harry’s magic and destiny.
Love’s Unending Legacy
In this fifth installment of the Love Comes series, Missie LaHaye (Erin Cottrell) returns home with her young son after her husband is killed. Missie takes the job of schoolteacher and some additional responsibilities. She adopts an orphan girl who is intent on rescuing her brother from his abusive adoptive parents. Missie is also holding onto her grief over the deaths of her husband and baby daughter. Her work and her family are all she lives for, but just as her father discovered in the original film that started this series, there is always a second chance at love.
The films are based on the books by Janette Oke and focus on one family in the old west. Family dynamics come into play in this film, and good old-fashioned values. As with all of these stories, they are wholesome and heartwarming.
The Mod Squad – Season 1, Volume 1
In 1968 Aaron Spelling gathered together a trio of young, hip, actors and cast them in a history-making series. The Mod Squad starred Michael Cole as Pete, Peggy Lipton as Julie, and Clarence Williams III as Linc - three young people who were recruited by Captain Greer (Tige Andrews) to be undercover police officers and help bridge the generation gap, going where other officers could not go. Using the language of the day, the trio was more “mod” than “squad,” however in time they honed their talents and became a major crime-fighting unit in the department, helping kids out of trouble and solving crimes. And they influenced a generation of future police officers.
The wardrobes, hairstyles, and lingo were representative of the day. If you watched this show when it aired, you most likely went around saying “solid” just like Linc. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, watch the DVD.)
Bonus features include interviews with Peggy Lipton and Michael Cole as they describe their experiences filming the series and how they were cast. There is also a piece about “The Woody,” the wood paneled car the trio drove which became part of their signature. 1968 was a time of change in the country, and the show reflected that. By casting one black man with a white man and a white woman, this show brought some anger to many, and there was outrage that the trio was so close. Today it is normal, but in those days it was unique. Another bonus feature is “Friends of the Mod Squad” with guest stars reminiscing about the show.
The Kingdom
After a terrorist bombing of an American compound in Saudi Arabia, a group of four FBI agents have five days to get into the country and figure out who was responsible. Led by Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx), Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), and Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman) find working with the Saudi’s difficult, but the team manages to find an ally in the head of the police force. They put the pieces together – literally – and discover who the mastermind of the bombing was. With some very explosive scenes in the last third of the film, this is something that will keep viewers wide-eyed until the final credits roll.
Bonus features include some deleted scenes, a look at the characters one by one, creating The Kingdom in the US and the Middle East with locations and actors, an interactive timeline so viewers can learn the history of the region and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and an in-depth look at how the explosive freeway sequence was constructed. This amazing scene took years of preparation from the initial idea to a mock-up with toy cars, to the final shooting. For all fans of action films, this feature is one they will really enjoy. A lot of work went into this one sequence, and it showed in the final product.
Underdog
What do you get when you combine Snoopy with Superman? Underdog, of course. This movie shows how one little beagle became the famous crime fighter with the super powers. With his sweet face and innocence, this little dog will steal your heart. And when he is turned from a plain dog into a superhero, he’s even more adorable. He adapts well to his new powers including flying, however he does have a bit of problem with the landings. The DVD contains some bloopers and deleted scenes, a music video, a diary of a dog actor, and an original cartoon episode. Never fear, Underdog is here.
© 2007 Francine Brokaw
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