Toy Story and Toy Story 2 Blu-Ray
These computer generated animations were real pioneers in the art form-“Toy Story” being the first full length CGI film and spawned an entire new industry in Hollywood with its success. The films have become classics of the genre, with “Toy Story 2” being just as successful as the original. Now the animation seems a bit dated , with the humans far from realistic and the lacking of some details that are part of the genre today with computer advancements.
Part of their success was the writing of the stories and the talented voice cast of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and other famous celebrities in the toy roles. Joan Cusack makes Jesse the Cowgirl a terrific new character in TS2. John Lasseter, than at Pixar, contributed to the high quality of the production in a number of ways, earning a special Oscar for his work.
These Blu-Ray discs (sold separately) come with a DVD copy but curiously do not come with a digital copy, as in other Disney Blu-Ray releases. Extras include features on the development of each story, interviews with cast members, Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs, and each release also contains a sneak preview of the upcoming Toy Story 3.
If you are a fan of Pixar, celebrate the release of these classics on Blu-Ray.
The Princess and The Frog Blu-Ray Combo
Disney’s classic animation, last seen in “Beauty and The Beast” (just announced on blu-ray) and “The Little Mermaid” is back and it looks and sounds great. In the classic Disney tradition, John Lasseter, who now oversees most of Disney animation, decided to revive the drawn animation department and hired the crew from Mermaid and Beauty to work on this project. The results are some of the best Disney animation we’ve seen in a long time. Continue reading
The Men Who Stare At Goats Blu-Ray
“The Men Who Stare At Goats” is a comedy that is based on an actual military squad from the U.S. Army in the 80’s. The film is very funny in subtle ways, and is a great satire on military programs and their funding. George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey lead the cast but Clooney and McGregor are the main characters. McGregor plays a journalist who hears a story about a unique psychic soldier squad anf soon stumbles across Clooney in Iraq. Through a series of flashbacks, Clooney tells of the squad and its founder (Jeff Bridges), who got funding to develop a non-lethal unit that would use their minds to control the enemy. Part of this training involved drug use, meditation and a general hippie philosophy preached by Bridges. His character is very reminiscent of the “Dude”. As Clooney is telling the story, the two also have an adventure of their own in Iraq, being kidnapped by terrorists and hiding out while street battles erupt around them. Continue reading
Old Dogs Blu-Ray
“Old Dogs” is a family film from Disney with a bit of an edge to it. While the script sometimes gets a bit sugary, it has enough really funny moments to not make it really sappy. Robin Williams and John Travolta, along with Travolta’s wife, Kelly Preston, and their daughter Ella Bleu Travolta star along with Lori Laughlin, Matt Dillon, and Seth Green. Williams and Travolta are old buddies in business together and just when they are about to make the deal of a lifetime, an old girlfriend drops in to tell Wiliams he’s a daddy of twins and that he must take care of them for a couple of weeks while she is away.
The Informant! Blu-Ray
As the cover states, “Matt Damon is The Informant”, a sly comedy with another brilliant performance from Damon. Having conquered the action thriller, Damon turns to witty comedy in this true tale of Mark Whitacre, the highest ranking corporate whistleblower in U.S. history. Whitacre contacts the FBI about price fixing in the corn industry, which sends in FBI agent (Scott Bakula) to investigate. Bakula convinces Whitacre to start recording the deals that are to be made but soon discovers there is a lot more to the story then Whitacre has told him. The comedy of this film builds as we discover bit by bit what Whitacre and others are up to. The comedy is subtle but witty and this film will stand up to more than a few viewings. Continue reading
Law Abiding Citizen Blu-Ray
Jamie Fox and Gerard Butler match wits in this taut drama about one man’s quest for justice after a brutal attack on his family. Butler plays a man who has waited for the justice system to produce results with young, D.A. Jamie Fox, but Fox makes a deal with one of the criminals to further his stature that lets the guy go free after only 5 years. Butler, an electronic genius, takes the law into his own hands to avenge the crimes made against his family. Continue reading
The Simpsons: The Complete Twentieth Season
While it is refreshing to see “The Simpsons” come to Blu-Ray, Fox makes a big mistake by this sets lack of extras. Continue reading
Surrogates Blu-Ray
Stunning blu-ray disc; story is so-so. Continue reading
Pandorum Blu-Ray
“Pandorum” is the scary, edge of your seat type of science fiction, with quick edits and added shock value throughout. Continue reading
Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs Blu-Ray
This computer animated feature , based on a very popular children’s book has a talented cast and is a great family film. Continue reading
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