DVD Review - December 7

By Damon Smith

New to rent on DVD/Blu-ray

DVD of the week

Man Of Steel (Cert 12, 144 mins, Warner Home Video, Action/Sci-Fi/Romance, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £26.99/3D Blu-ray £29.99/3D Blu-ray & DVD Combi-pack £34.99)

Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, Antje Traue, Laurence Fishburne, Ayelet Zurer, Cooper Timberline, Dylan Sprayberry.

Kryptonian General Zod (Michael Shannon) and sadistic right-hand woman Faora-Ul (Antje Traue) stage a coup on their doomed world. Leading scientist Jor-El (Russell Crowe) escapes the melee and dispatches his only son, Kal-El, to Earth with the help of wife Lara (Ayelet Zurer). With the child safe, Zod and his accomplices are captured and banished to the Phantom Zone. Light years away, farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner, Diane Lane) raise the crash-landed infant and christen him Clark. From an early age, Clark (played by Cooper Timberline and Dylan Sprayberry) realises he is different from the other children in Smallville. He leaves home to seek his destiny and many years later, Clark (now played by Henry Cavill) is tracked down by plucky Daily Planet reporter, Lois Lane (Amy Adams), who agrees to keep his secret until war-mongering General Zod escapes the Phantom Zone and descends on Earth. Man Of Steel is cast in the mould of Batman Begins, removing any traces of campness or charm that distinguished the 1970s and 1980s big screen incarnations. Director Zack Snyder spares no expense with the pyrotechnics, including a breathless final showdown lasting around 30 minutes, which leaves us physically spent. Cavill has the rugged good looks and impressive physique but his performance lacks emotion, alternating between chisel-jawed pensiveness and unbridled rage. Thankfully, co-stars Shannon, Adams and Costner are in fine form, particularly the latter as the moral compass for young Clark in his darkest hours. Punctuated by those overblown set pieces, this bombastic and bruising reboot frequently quickens the pulse but only occasionally touches the heart.

Rating: ****

Released

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (Cert 15, 90 mins, Studio Canal, Comedy/Action, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/Steelbook Blu-ray & DVD Combi-pack £27.99)

Starring: Steve Coogan, Colm Meaney, Tim Key, Felicity Montagu, Simon Greenall.

Alan (Steve Coogan) and his trusty sidekick Simon (Tim Key) host the Mid Morning Matters show at the North Norfolk Digital radio station. Vicious rumours circulate that new management are planning to change the name of the station and axe some of the older DJs. Late night presenter Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney) fears he will be one for the chop so he asks Alan to speak to the bosses and avert a cull. Unfortunately, Alan only makes the situation worse so Pat is forced to take his colleagues hostage. By chance, Alan is outside the building when the siege begins so police recruit him as a negotiator to resolve the stand-off with Pat. Alan relishes his moment in the media spotlight, becoming known as the "face of the siege" as he attempts to salve frayed nerves and raise the spirits of his long-suffering personal assistant Lynn (Felicity Montagu) and plucky security guard Michael (Simon Greenall). Written by Coogan, Armando Ianucci, and brothers Neil and Rob Gibbons, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa pays affectionate tribute to Norfolk's most famous, knitwear-clad DJ. Fans of the TV series will be able to second-guess some of the gags as the titular presenter proves toe-curlingly embarrassing as ever, halting the important task at hand of freeing hostages to broadcast a live phone-in about bus drivers. When Coogan isn't delivering punch lines, there's plenty of slapstick humour to tickle viewers including at least one incident of Alan being caught with his trousers down. Aha indeed!

Rating: ***

The Lone Ranger (Cert 12, 149 mins, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Action/Comedy/Western/Romance, also available to buy DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £21.99/Limited Edition Steelbook Blu-ray £29.99)

Starring: Armie Hammer, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson, William Fichtner, James Badge Dale, Mason Cook.

In 1933 San Francisco, a Native American mannequin (Johnny Depp) magically comes to life in order to recount the story of the Lone Ranger to a wide-eyed boy (Mason Cook). In hazy flashback, handsome lawyer John Reid (Armie Hammer) arrives in 1869 Texas on the newly constructed railroad controlled by Latham Cole (Tom Wilkinson). Soon after, outlaw Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner) escapes custody and John's brother, Texas Ranger Dan Reid (James Badge Dale), leads the search party with John in tow. The chase ends in carnage and John wakes from a bullet wound to meet Tonto (Depp), a quixotic Commanche Native American, who also has good reason to want Cavendish dead. The Commanche encourages John to find the hero within by donning a mask and together they hunt the outlaw, taking a small detour via the brothel run by no-nonsense madam, Red Harrington (Helena Bonham Carter). Unfairly lambasted by critics on its cinema release, The Lone Ranger is an entertaining action adventure, distinguished by Depp's theatrics and Bojan Bazelli's stunning cinematography. The West has seldom looked so splendidly wild and rugged. Unquestionably, the 149-minute running time will leave viewers feeling saddle-sore and the film noticeably drags its spurs in the middle section. However, when it comes to action, Gore Verbinski's film delivers at a canter, including two outrageous set pieces aboard moving trains that are a thrilling combination of old-fashioned stunt work and pyrotechnics. The title of the film may be The Lone Ranger, this is Depp's show and once again, he is given carte blanche to conjure a quixotic, comic creation out of the ether.

Rating: ***

Planes (Cert U, 92 mins, Disney DVD, Animation/Family/Comedy, also available to buy DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £22.99/3D Blu-ray £25.99)

Featuring the voices of: Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Priyanka Chopra, John Cleese, Cedric The Entertainer, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, Roger Craig Smith, Carlos Alazraqui.

Dusty Crophopper (voiced by Dane Cook) is a kind-hearted crop duster, who harbours dreams of flying high alongside his heroes in an international race. He enters a qualifying round of the Wings Across The World competition under the moniker Strut Jetstream and overcomes his lack of experience to make the race line-up. "Dusty, you're going up against the best racers in the world," reveals his mentor, reclusive war plane Skipper Riley (Stacy Keach). "Well, he's gonna die," forklift-mechanic friend Dottie (Teri Hatcher) adds helpfully. After Dusty admits he is scared of heights, Skipper trains his protege to make the most of his speed and agility, while Dottie ensures his parts are fine-tuned for optimum performance. "It ain't how fast you fly, it's how you fly it fast. You can fly a whole lot higher than you think," counsels Skipper. Originally intended as a straight-to-DVD release, Planes is a colourful and fast-paced spin-off from Pixar's computer-animated Cars series that doesn't quite reach the dizzy heights to which it aspires. The plot is predictable, swooping across the globe from New York to Iceland, Shanghai and Mexico as Dusty overcomes myriad obstacles and learns the true meaning of friendship. There are some bumpy moments both in the air and on the ground, although the animation throughout, directed by Klay Hall, is extremely slick. A hanger full of laugh-out-loud moments should keep younger viewers engaged, who will gladly soar with Dusty and co and ignore the flight plan littered with cliches and contrivances.

Rating: ***

The Hangover Part III (Cert 15, 100 mins, Warner Home Video, Comedy/Romance/Action, also available to buy DVD £19.99/The Hangover Trilogy DVD Box Set £24.99/Blu-ray £24.99/The Hangover Trilogy Blu-ray Box Set £29.99)

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, John Goodman, Melissa McCarthy, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham.

Alan (Zach Galifianakis) suffers a mental breakdown in the aftermath of his father's death, which prompts best friends Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) to stage an intervention. They intend to accompany Alan to the New Horizons medical facility, where he can seek professional help to overcome his grief. En route, the pals are forced off the road by a thug called Marshall (John Goodman), who holds Doug hostage in exchange for flamboyant criminal Mr Chow (Ken Jeong) and stolen gold bullion worth 21 million dollars. "You don't give me Chow, I blow (Doug's) brains out. You go to the cops, I blow his brains out!" threatens the crime boss. With the clock ticking, Alan, Phil and Stu head to Tijuana and then back to Vegas to capture Chow and save Doug from a shallow grave in the desert. The Hangover Part III tastes as flat as a glass of leftover champagne. Cooper, Galifianakis and Helms ease back into roles as bickering buddies in dire straits, while Jeong camps it up as the catalyst of their manifold misfortunes. A tang of familiarity comes through in every tepid mouthful of Craig Mazin's script, briefly spiced up by a winning new character played by Melissa McCarthy, who milks more laughs in her five minutes of screen time than Phillips shoehorns into the remaining 95. What happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas - more's the pity. A three-disc set comprising the entire trilogy is also available.

Rating: **

The Smurfs 2 (Cert U, 105 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Family/Comedy/Action, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Double Pack DVD £22.99/Blu-ray £24.99/3D Blu-ray £29.99/Double Pack Blu-ray £29.99)

Starring: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Brendan Gleeson, Jacob Tremblay and the voices of Katy Perry, Jonathan Winters, Christina Ricci, JB Smoove, Anton Yelchin, George Lopez, John Oliver, Tom Kane.

Smurfette (voiced by Katy Perry) is feeling blue because all of her friends in Smurf Village have forgotten her birthday. In fact, her friends and neighbours are planning a surprise party. At her lowest ebb, Smurfette meets Vexy (Christina Ricci), a naughty imp created by evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria), who is now a successful magician performing at the famed Opera House in Paris. As commanded by her creator, Vexy transports Smurfette to the French capital, where the snaggle-toothed villain intends to extract enough Smurf essence from Smurfette to keep alive his flourishing show business career. Once Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters) learns of the abduction, he fashions crystals to travel to New York City where old friend Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris) and his wife Grace (Jayma Mays) can spearhead the rescue. Unfortunately, Clumsy (Anton Yelchin), Grouchy (George Lopez) and Vanity (John Oliver) mistakenly swallow the crystals intended for Brainy, Gutsy and Hefty so Papa Smurf must avert total Smurf-a-geddon with a trio of unlikely sidekicks. The Smurfs 2 is a sweet and inoffensive tale of good versus pantomime villainy, which enforces the wholesome message that there's no place like Smurf. An astonishing five screenwriters were enlisted to cobble together the flimsy script, punctuated by groansome puns ("Get a shroom!") and repeated trills of the Smurf's theme tune. The majority of the humour is aimed at young viewers, with occasional concessions to parents. While Harris earnestly delivers the pivotal expository dialogue about unconditional love, Azaria camps it up a treat as the megalomaniacal magician, whose loopy scheme can only end in tears. His tears. A two-disc set comprising The Smurfs and the sequel is also available.

Rating: **

Also released

Grown Ups 2 (Cert 15, 117 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Comedy/Action/Romance, also available to buy DVD £17.99/Double Pack DVD £22.99 - see below)

Looking For Hortense (Cert 12, 100 mins, Arrow Films, Drama, also available to buy DVD £19.99 - see below)

Only God Forgives (Cert 18, 90 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, Thriller/Action, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 - see below)

New to buy on DVD/Blu-ray

Grown Ups 2 (Cert 15, 117 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £17.99/Double Pack DVD £22.99, Comedy/Action/Romance)

The sequel to the 2010 comedy Grown Ups reunites director Dennis Dugan with his ensemble cast for another exploration of the emotional bonds that tie parents to their children. Set three years after the original film, the storyline centres on Lenny Feder (Adam Sandler), who has moved back to Connecticut with his wife Roxie (Salma Hayek) and their brood. A reunion with Lenny's childhood buddies Eric (Kevin James), Kurt (Chris Rock) and Marcus (David Spade) turns sour when a group of bullying high school kids takes over the swimming place the men frequented when they were young. Rivalry between the two posses threatens to spiral out of control. Meanwhile, the fathers have to deal with troublesome kids, each realising they can learn much from the younger generation. A two-disc set comprising the original Grown Ups and the sequel is also available.

Doctor Who: The Day Of The Doctor 50th Anniversary Special (Cert PG, 82 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99, Sci-Fi/Action/Thriller)

Following its broadcast on BBC One and simultaneous screenings in 3D at selected cinemas around the country, this special feature-length episode of the long-running sci-fi drama materialises on the home formats. Directed by Nick Hurran and written by Peter Moffat, The Day Of The Doctor paves the way for the timelord's regeneration as Peter Capaldi, and forces the Doctor (David Tennant and Matt Smith) to confront his dangerous past. Plucky sidekicks Rose (Billie Piper) and Clara (Jenna Coleman) join the adventure, along with a mysterious traveller (John Hurt), as the plot ricochets between a murderous plot in Elizabeth England, a terrible awakening in 2013 London and an ancient battle in deep space.

Class Of '92 (Cert 12, 99 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £19.99, Documentary)

Focusing on the period from 1992 to 1999, this feature-length documentary examines how six 14-year-old working class lads from diverse backgrounds - David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Paul Scholes - rose to prominence and became the backbone of Manchester United, culminating in nail-biting European Cup triumph. With unprecedented access to all six players, the film interweaves interviews with archive footage plus contributions from fans and fellow players including Eric Cantona and Zinedine Zidane.

The Simpsons - The Sixteenth Season (Cert 12, 462 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £39.99, Animation/Comedy)

50 Cent, Jason Bateman, Albert Brooks, James Caan, Kim Cattrall, Stephen Hawking, Eric Idle, Lucy Liu, Liam Neeson, Amy Poehler and Robert Wagner guest star alongside Springfield's favourite family - Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie - in 21 hilarious episodes of the award-winning animation. The series begins with the eagerly anticipated Halloween episode, Treehouse Of Horror XV, in which the titular clan journeys through Mr Burns's body a la Fantastic Voyage. In subsequent instalments, Marge becomes jealous of an old friend's success, Homer takes out a second mortgage without consulting his wife to secure the future of Moe's Tavern and Bart fakes his own kidnapping with predictably dire consequences.

Angry Birds Toons - Season One, Volume One (Cert U, 70 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £12.99, Animation/Children/Comedy)

Based on the popular video game franchise, which remains one of the most downloaded apps across the smartphone platforms, Angry Birds Toons comprises 26 bite-size episodes of the animated series, plus the Christmas special Wreck The Halls, about the bitter rivalry between the pigs of Piggy Island and the colourful birds who flock there. Red and his feathered friends Chuck, Matilda, Bomb, the Blues and Terence fly high and fast to protect their eggs and repel the porcine thieves.

The Following - The First Season (Cert 15, 630 mins, Warner Home Video, DVD £29.99/Blu-ray £39.99, Drama/Thriller)

Four-disc set of 15 episodes of the gripping drama, which pits a retired cop against a manipulative murderer. Serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) escapes from prison and establishes a cult of like-minded individuals to do his heinous bidding. Former FBI Agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) vows to put Carroll behind bars but faces a perilous quest to infiltrate the cult. When Carroll's son Joey (Kyle Catlett) is abducted by cult followers, it becomes clear that the there is a greater scheme at work to destroy Hardy's reputation and also repay Carroll's ex-wife Claire (Natalie Zea) for her disloyalty with death.

Private Practice - The Complete Sixth And Final Season (Cert 12, 536 mins, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, DVD £22.99/The Complete Collection DVD Box Set £65.99, Drama/Romance)

The final 13 episodes of the spin-off from acclaimed medical drama Grey's Anatomy, which concludes the emotional traumas of talented surgeon Dr Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) and her colleagues at the Oceanside Wellness Group medical practice in Los Angeles. This series, Sheldon (Brian Benben) struggles to come to terms with his illness, psychiatrist Violet (Amy Brenneman) adapts to her new way of life and Charlotte (KaDee Strickland) receives some devastating news. A 43-disc box set comprising all six series is also available.

Shrek: The Musical (Cert U, 130 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99, Musical/Comedy/Romance)

Filmed live during its Broadway run, this stage adaptation of the popular children's animation includes 17 new songs with music by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, following the titular hero (Brian d'Arcy James) as he joins forces with his wise-cracking sidekick, Donkey (Daniel Breaker), to win the heart of the beautiful Princess Fiona (Sutton Foster). Unfortunately, dastardly Lord Farquaad (Christopher Sieber), doesn't intend to let Fiona walk down the aisle with a green ogre and will do anything to prevent a happy ever after.

Only God Forgives (Cert 18, 90 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99, Thriller/Action)

Leading man Ryan Gosling reunites with Nicolas Winding Refn, director of Drive, for this brutal and uncompromising thriller, which premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and was booed by some in the audience for its graphic violence. American ex-pat Julian Thompson (Gosling) runs a boxing club in Bangkok, which is a front for a lucrative drug smuggling operation. His older brother Billy (Tom Burke) is beaten to death by Choi Yan Lee (Kovit Wattanakul), the father of a young prostitute, who Billy raped then murdered. When Julian confronts Choi about the retribution killing, he discovers that the head of the Thai police, Lieutenant Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm), who is known locally as the "Angel Of Vengeance", sanctioned the killing. Soon after, Julian's mother Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas) arrives in Thailand to identify her older son's body and when she learns who killed her boy, she demands that Julian unleash hell upon Lieutenant Chang and his associates.

Looking For Hortense (Cert 12, 100 mins, Arrow Films, DVD £19.99, Drama)

Damien Hauser (Jean-Pierre Bacri) is a professor of Chinese civilisation, whose marriage to stage director Iva (Kristin Scott Thomas) is in a rut. Love has almost completely evaporated from the relationship and the couple's son Noe (Marin Orcand Tourres) is the glue that holds them together. Out of the blue, Iva sits down with Damien and relates the sad tale of her friend Zorica, an illegal immigrant who is being threatened with deportation. Iva knows that Damien's father Sebastien (Claude Rich) holds sway on the council and could use his influence to keep Zorica in the country. Unfortunately, Sebastien is estranged from his old man and he must swallow a hefty slice of humble pie to make his wife's dream come true.

Love Tomorrow (Cert PG, 79 mins, Soda Pictures, DVD £17.99, Romance/Drama)

Written and directed by Christopher Payne, Love Tomorrow won Best UK Feature at the 2012 Raindance Film Festival and was also nominated at last year's coveted British Independent Film Awards. Former ballerina Eva (Cindy Jourdain) lives with her fiance Dominic (Max Brown) in present day London. Her life is turned upside down after she receives devastating news about Dominic and Eva wanders around the capital, weighed down by anguish. At this low ebb, she crosses paths with a charismatic Cuban dancer called Oriel (Arionel Vargas), who ignores Eva's engagement ring and suggests she might like to spend time with him to momentarily salve her heartbreak. During the intense encounter that follows, the two strangers inspire each other to face serious dilemmas and find faint glimmers of hope in the darkness of their suffering.

Pandora's Promise (Cert 12, 87 mins, November Films, DVD £12.99, Documentary)

Recent headlines about the Fukushima nuclear plant and spiralling energy prices have reminded us all about dwindling resources and re-opened the debate about nuclear power as the best means to meet our ever increasing energy needs in the future. Oscar nominated director Robert Stone adds fuel to the flames with this provocative film, which interviews environmentalists and energy experts including Stewart Brand, Richard Rhodes, Gwyneth Cravens, Mark Lynas and Michael Shellenberger, who were once defiantly anti-nuclear but have been converted to the benefits of the technology. Pandora's Promise attempts to lay bare the myths and science behind the polarising issue of nuclear power and to ask if nuclear is the only form of energy capable of saving the planet from catastrophic climate change while lifting billions around the developing world out of poverty.

Utopia (Cert E, 110 mins, Network, DVD £14.99, Documentary)

Born in Sydney, John Pilger is an award-winning London-based journalist, who has never been afraid of ruffling feathers in the upper echelons of power with his writings and films. In this latest documentary, he returns to the vast region of Utopia in northern Australia, home to the oldest human presence on earth, who have refused to move with the times and cling onto their rich heritage. Against the background of the country's boom in mineral wealth, Pilger honours the indigenous people of his homeland and explores the possibility that Australia has inherited South African apartheid and everything that entails. The DVD includes additional interviews and sequences that were not included in the cinema version.

DVD retail top 10

1 (-) Despicable Me 2

2 (1) Monsters University

3 (-) Micky Flanagan: Back in the Game Live

4 (2) Downton Abbey - Series 4

5 (-) Wolverine

6 (7) The Great Gatsby

7 (-) Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger!

8 (-) Mrs Brown's Boys Live Tour: Mrs Brown Rides Again

9 (-) The Hunger Games

10 (-) Breaking Bad - The Final Season

Chart supplied by Amazon.co.uk

DVD rental top 10

1 (1) Now You See Me

2 (2) Oblivion

3 (3) World War Z

4 (4) Monster's University

5 (5) Behind The Candelabra

6 (6) Snitch

7 (7) Cloud Atlas

8 (8) Hummingbird

9 (-) Trance

10 (10) After Earth

Chart supplied by www.LOVEFiLM.com

Film streaming top 10

1 (-) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2 (1) Johnny English Reborn

3 (-) Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

4 (2) Green Lantern

5 (4) 16 Blocks

6 (7) Race to Witch Mountain

7 (6) The Smurfs

8 (8) The Kings of Summer

9 (5) Barbie - Princess Charm School

10 (3) Friends With Benefit

Chart supplied by www.LOVEFiLM.com