DVD Review - April 12

By Damon Smith

New to rent on DVD/Blu-ray

DVD of the week

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (Cert 12, 161 mins, Warner Home Video, Fantasy/Action/Adventure/Romance, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99/3D Blu-Ray £29.99/Limited Edition Steelbook 3D Blu-Ray £34.99)

Starring: Martin Freeman, Sir Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt and the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch.

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), wise wizard Gandalf The Grey (Sir Ian McKellen) and the company of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) head towards the Lonely Mountain to reclaim their lost gold from the dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). En route, the travellers encounter a shape-shifter called Beorn (Mikael Persbrandt), who aids them on the quest. When orcs storm Mirkwood, elves led by King Thranduil (Lee Pace), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and fearless Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) repel the invaders, allowing Bilbo and the dwarves to venture onwards. They cross a vast lake with the help of Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans). Meanwhile, Gandalf discovers the identity of the necromancer in Dol Guldur. The Desolation Of Smaug picks up where An Unexpected Journey concluded and fans of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy will experience a nagging sense of deja vu. Director Peter Jackson and his collaborators including cinematographer Andrew Leslie and composer Howard Shore have cast this second film in the mould of The Two Towers, replete with cliff-hanger ending that sees the forces of evil marshalling an army and preparing for war. Freeman fleshes out his role as the ring continues to exert its pernicious control over Bilbo while McKellen is reduced to growling one-liners that state the obvious: "We have been blind and in our blindness our enemy has returned". Jackson is a gifted conductor of action sequences and he orchestrates some breathless rough and tumble as Bilbo and co escape a pack of orcs by travelling downriver in barrels. There is also a skin-crawling encounter with giant spiders, guaranteed to have arachnophobes quivering in their seats.

Rating: ***

Released

Oldboy (Cert 18, 104 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, Thriller/Action, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)

Starring: Josh Brolin, Sharlto Copley, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L Jackson, Hannah Ware, Michael Imperioli.

Self-destructive advertising executive Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) vanishes without trace from outside a bar run by his pal Chucky (Michael Imperioli). Joe wakes in a motel room, which turns out to be a prison cell under the constant surveillance of a shady character called Chaney (Samuel L Jackson). He is held hostage for the next 20 years, watching TV reports which reveal that he is the prime suspect for the murder of his ex-wife (Hannah Ware), and his daughter Mia has been placed in foster care. Without warning, Joe is returned to the land of the living. An enigmatic Stranger (Sharlto Copley) reveals that Mia's life hangs in the balance. To save her, Joe must simply answer two questions: Who is the Stranger and why did he imprison Joe? A plucky social worker called Marie (Elizabeth Olsen) helps the errant father unravel the mystery. Spike Lee's English language remake of Park Chan-wook's exemplary 2003 South Korean thriller, itself loosely based on a Japanese manga, leaves an exceedingly nasty taste in the mouth. This Oldboy is even more giddily violent than its predecessor, cranking up the gore with sadistic glee. Viewers will stagger away from sofas and armchairs knowing exactly how a cranium explodes when hit at speed with a hammer, or how to weaken a neck by cutting out chunks of flesh with a Stanley knife. Brolin and Olsen embolden thinly sketched protagonists as best they can while the tricksy plot uncoils around them. Characters all look dead behind the eyes and it's hard to tether sympathy as they wade through a mire of brutality, torture and attempted rape.

Rating: *

Also released

Almost Married (Cert 15, 96 mins, Abbey Home Media, Comedy/Romance, also available to buy DVD £9.99 - see below)

The Borderlands (Cert 15, 89 mins, Metrodome Distribution, Horror/Thriller, also available to buy DVD £12.99 - see below)

Easy Money II: Hard To Kill (Cert 15, 96 mins, Icon Home Entertainment, Thriller/Action, also available to buy DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £17.99 - see below)

Fonzy (Cert 15, 102 mins, Studio Canal, Comedy/Drama/Romance, also available to buy DVD £19.99 - see below)

Svengali (Cert 15, 92 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, Comedy/Drama/Romance/Musical, also available to buy DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99 - see below)

The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale (Cert PG, 80 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Animation/Family/Romance, also available to buy DVD £9.99 - see below)

New to buy on DVD/Blu-ray

Silk - Series 3 (Cert 12, 348 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £19.99/Series 1-3 DVD Box Set £29.99, Drama/Thriller)

Martha Costello (Maxine Peake) continues to grow her business as Queen's Counsel in six episodes of the popular BBC One courtroom drama, penned by Peter Moffat. This series, charismatic rival Clive Reader (Rupert Penry-Jones) has also taken silk and has been appointed Queen's Counsel, pitting him in direct competition with Martha. He scores an early victory in a high-profile case and Martha realises that she has become complacent without a serious challenger to her position and she will have to raise her legal game to keep Clive in her shadow. A six-disc set comprising all three series is also available.

The Widower (Cert 15, 136 mins, ITV Studios Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99, Drama/Thriller/Romance)

Art imitates chilling real-life in this acclaimed three-part ITV1 drama, which chronicles the exploits of former nurse Malcolm Webster, who was convicted of killing his first wife in a staged car crash in order to fraudulently claim insurance money. On the small screen, Webster (Reece Shearsmith) tries to hide his unpaid bills and credit card debts from his wife Claire (Sheridan Smith). When she becomes suspicious, Webster drugs her, deliberately crashes their car and sets the vehicle on fire with her still inside. Three years later, he marries Felicity Drumm (Kate Fleetwood) in New Zealand and attempts the same heinous plan but she escapes. Webster flees and moves onto a third victim, Simone Banarjee (Archie Panjabi), only now, Detective Inspector Charlie Henry (John Hannah) is on his trail and the evidence is slowly piling up.

Svengali (Cert 15, 92 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99, Comedy/Drama/Romance/Musical)

Dixie (Jonny Owen) is a postman from South Wales, who is passionate about music and has always dreamt of discovering a great band like his heroes Brian Epstein, Malcolm McLaren and Alan McGee. Trawling the internet one night, Dixie stumbles upon homemade videos of a band called The Premature Congratulations aka The Prems and becomes convinced that the talented upstarts are destined to rule the charts. So the postman bids farewell to his home and moves to London with girlfriend Shell (Vicky McClure) in tow to convince The Prems to take him on as their manager. Dixie uses every penny of his savings - and £4000 borrowed from a loan shark - to pique the interest of cut-throat record labels and land the band valuable media coverage. He juggles these responsibilities with a part-time job at a record shop run by a self-confessed Mod called Don (Martin Freeman) and his wife (Maxine Peake). Meanwhile, tensions inside the band between lead singer Jake (Dylan Edwards) and guitarist Tommy (Michael Socha) threaten to ruin all of Dixie's hard work.

Made In Chelsea - Series 6 (Cert 15, 470 mins, 4DVD, DVD £19.99, Drama/Documentary)

Money can't buy happiness in 10 episodes of the E4 reality show, which chronicles the trials and tribulations of privileged twenty-somethings from the wealthy London borough. This series, Spencer copes with the breakdown of his relationship with Lucy by romancing a beautiful blonde from California, Louise cheats on Andy and attempts to win him back, and Jamie fights for the affections of the same girl against old rival Spencer.

Continuum - Season Two (Cert 15, 585 mins, Universal/Playback, DVD £24.99, Sci-Fi/Action/Drama)

Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) discovers who she can trust and who will betray her in this three-disc box set comprising 13 episodes of the Canadian sci-fi drama, which was broadcast on the Syfy channel. This series, futuristic law enforcer Kiera continues to track down time-travelling terrorists from Liber8 and their followers with the help of Vancouver Police Department officer Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster) and 17-year-old technical genius Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen). When the boys in blue suffer a wave of devastating cyber attacks, designed to cripple the police, the finger of suspicion - unthinkably - points at Alec and Kiera must consider if the teenager might be working for the enemy.

My Mad Fat Diary - Series 2 (Cert 15, 329 mins, 4DVD, DVD £19.99/Series 1 & 2 DVD Box Set £29.99, Comedy/Drama/Romance)

Based on My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary written by Rae Earl, this acclaimed E4 comedy drama chronicles the trials and tribulations of an overweight Lincolnshire teenager in the 1990s as she contends with the usual growing pains as well as mental and physical health issues. This series, Rae (Sharon Rooney) discusses losing her virginity with good friend Izzy (Ciara Baxendale); Archie (Dan Cohen) catches one of his mates in a compromising position and must decide if he should keep quiet and protect Chop (Jordan Murphy); and Liam (Turlough Convery) grows closer to Rae during the time they spend together in therapy sessions. A four-disc box set containing both series is also available.

The Borderlands (Cert 15, 89 mins, Metrodome Distribution, DVD £12.99, Horror/Thriller)

Things go bump in the day and the night in writer-director Elliot Goldner's supernatural horror filmed on location in the West Country. When news reaches the Vatican of a supposed miracle in England, paranormal investigator Deacon (Gordon Kennedy) is dispatched with technical assistant Gray (Robin Hill) to gather video evidence to debunk the claim. The duo sets up cameras in a remote, isolated church and at a cottage, where local priest Father Crellick (Luke Neal) and his flock maintain the miracle occurred. At first, Deacon and Gray are deeply sceptical of the outlandish claims but as they extend their stay in the eerily quiet town, the outsiders question their own judgement.

The Office - An American Workplace: Season Eight (Cert 12, 494 mins, Universal/Playback, DVD £29.99, Comedy)

Change beckons for the staff at the Dunder Mifflin paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in another 24 episodes of the comedy inspired by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's award-winning British show. This series, Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) continues to manage the branch but his authority is tested by Robert California (James Spader), the new CEO of Sabre which owns Dunder Mifflin, who intends to implement radical overhauls in time-honoured tradition. California's meddling has a negative effect on staff morale and some of the team travel to Florida to open a new store where they come under the leadership of Nellie Bertram (Catherine Tate).

Full English Breakfast (Cert 18, 114 mins, 101 Films, DVD £15.99, Thriller/Action)

Ruthless drug lord Dave Bishop (Dave Courtney) is looking forward to a retirement free from stress or the unwanted attentions of the police. When Al-Qaeda terrorists plan to take over his criminal empire, Dave comes out of retirement to cut down these merciless rivals. Closer to home, Dave's wife Susan (Lucy Drive) feels unloved and she becomes romantically involved with her husband's new driver Jamie (Jamie Bannerman). Should the affair come to light, poor Jamie would suffer severe consequences for his betrayal.

In The Night Garden: Wake Up Igglepiggle (Cert U, 140 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £9.99, Children)

Upsy Daisy, Igglepiggle, Makka Pakka, the Pontipines, the Tombliboos and the Haahoo teach pre-schoolers valuable lessons about friendship in five episodes of the BAFTA award-winning children's series narrated by Derek Jacobi. The DVD includes Wake Up Igglepiggle, Where Can Igglepiggle Have A Rest, Oh Look It's Wottingers, Dinner In The Ninky Nonk and Tombilboos Clean Their Teeth.

He Who Dares (Cert 15, 78 mins, Studio Canal, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99, Action/Thriller)

Paul Tanter directs this British crime thriller, which is pitched as The Raid meets Die Hard. On Christmas Eve, masked terrorists kidnap the Prime Minister's daughter and seek refuge in a 15-storey underground car park. The abductors rig the building with explosives, determined to kill anyone who dares to mount a rescue attempt. Elite SAS operative Chris Lowe (Tom Benedict Knight) and his team are despatched by 10 Downing Street to infiltrate the car park and secure the building one floor at a time. Booby traps lurk where the rescuers least expect them, testing Lowe and his crack crew to breaking point.

Sparks (Cert 15, 94 mins, Image Entertainment, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99, Action/Thriller)

Based on the 2008 graphic novel by Christopher Folino, Sparks is a superhero action thriller about one man's crusade to rid his home city of crime. At the age of 15, Ian Sparks (Chase Williamson) loses both parents in a car accident. On that fateful day, the teenager resolves to dedicate his life to eradicating evil from the world. Years pass and Sparks has honoured his vow. When a diabolical serial killer starts terrorising the city, the crime-fighter dons his disguise as a masked vigilante to apprehend the perpetrator. It transpires that the killer has a personal connection to his parents' untimely demise so Sparks must quench his raging thirst for vengeance to ensure justice prevails.

Badge Of Fury (Cert 12, 94 mins, Signature Entertainment, DVD £14.99/Blu-ray £17.99, Action/Thriller)

Singaporean martial arts star Jet Li headlines Wong Tsz-ming's fast-paced action crime thriller. Huang Feihong (Li) is a seasoned veteran of Hong Kong's police squad. When three mysterious murders send ripples of terror through the community, Feihong is partnered with ambitious rookie Wang (Zhang Wen) to solve the case. Diligent work finds a connection between the three dead men: they all dated the same woman Liu Jinshui (Shishi Liu). So Wang goes deep undercover to get close to the prime suspect and ascertain her involvement in the slayings. A burgeoning attraction to Liu puts rookie Wang in danger and if she is indeed the serial killer, he could be her next victim.

Almost Married (Cert 15, 96 mins, Abbey Home Media, DVD £9.99, Comedy/Romance)

The route to true love is littered with obstacles in writer-director Ben Cookson's low-budget British romantic comedy. Bridegroom-to-be Kyle (Philip McGinley) goes on his stag-do with his best man and friends shortly before his wedding to beautiful fiancee Lydia (Emily Atack). It's a celebration that Kyle would rather forget and he returns home with a painful secret that will make it impossible for him to satisfy Lydia between the sheets until after their big day. Terrified that the truth will emerge before Lydia says "I do", Kyle goes to any length to conceal this potentially life-shattering indiscretion, promising himself that he will atone for his sins and never stray from the path ever again.

Easy Money II: Hard To Kill (Cert 15, 96 mins, Icon Home Entertainment, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £17.99, Thriller/Action)

Based on the novels by Jens Lapidus, Easy Money II is a gritty Swedish crime thriller which continues the journey of self-discovery of money-oriented business student Johan (Joel Kinnaman). Convicted of drug trafficking, Johan serves three years in Norrtalje Prison and looks forward to his release so he can get his life back on track. The facility welcomes a new inmate, Serbian mafia kingpin Mrado Slovovic (Dragomir Mrsic), who was caught in the crossfire of Johan's botched deal. Mrado is badly out of pocket thanks Johan's friend and local coke dealer Jorge (Matias Varela) so when Johan is granted day-release, he must use his few precious hours of freedom to track down the former associate and demand the return of the mafia's money. Unfortunately, Johan quickly discovers there are other people looking for Jorge and they aren't as forgiving as Mrado.

The Summit (Cert E, 95 mins, Metrodome Distribution, DVD £17.99, Documentary)

Nick Ryan directs this fascinating documentary about an ill-fated mountaineering expedition to the summit of K2 in 2008, which claimed the lives of 11 climbers. The Summit interviews the survivors of the expedition as they recall the ascent of the peak, which is considered more challenging that Mount Everest by virtue of the arduous terrain and unpredictable and violent weather conditions. Ryan intercuts these talking head segments with footage recorded on the mountain to understand the dangers faced by the climbers and honour the memory of those 11 members of the team who never returned to base camp.

The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale (Cert PG, 80 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £9.99, Animation/Family/Romance)

Richard Rich directs the fourth straight-to-DVD sequel to his 1994 animated film inspired by the ballet Swan Lake. In A Royal Family Tale, Queen Uberta (voiced by Jennifer Miller) implores her son Prince Derek (Yuri Lowenthal) and his beautiful wife Princess Odette (Elle Deets) to produce an heir to the throne. As they contemplate the possibility of starting a family, Odette and Derek are attacked by a mysterious power known as the Forbidden Arts. Thankfully, Odette uses her magical abilities to deflect the attack but she inadvertently sets fire to a nearby house. As a result, a girl called Alise (Carly G Fogelson) becomes an orphan and Odette takes the child under her wing. Derek also becomes attached to Alise and he and Odette contemplate adopting the girl. Meanwhile, the Forbidden Arts plot another attack on Odette and the people she loves.

Fonzy (Cert 15, 102 mins, Studio Canal, DVD £19.99, Comedy/Drama/Romance)

Arriving almost at the same time as the Vince Vaughn comedy Delivery Man, Fonzy is a Gallic reworking of the award-winning French-Canadian comedy Starbuck. In Isabelle Doval's film, forty-something slacker Diego (Jose Garcia) is a delivery driver for the fish business run by his Polish immigrant father (Gerard Hernandez). Diego's girlfriend Elsa (Audrey Fleurot) is expecting their first child but he is poorly prepared for the responsibilities of parenthood. Out of the blue, Diego learns that sperm donations made in his youth to a clinic have resulted in 533 children. Of those, 142 have launched a court bid to reveal the name of the biological father they only know as Fonzy. Aided by his best friend and lawyer Quentin (Lucien Jean-Baptiste), Diego tries to keep his identity hidden but he complicates matters by secretly visiting his offspring and intervening in their lives.

Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela (Cert 15, 200 mins, Eros International, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99, Drama/Musical/Romance)

Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone headline Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hindi romance, inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. Ram (Ranveer Singh) is a handsome and charming bachelor, who falls head over heels in love with the beautiful Leela (Deepika Padukone). Unfortunately, their two families have been at odds for more than 500 years and this romance is forbidden. However, Ram and Leela ignore the rivers of blood between their two clans to nurture their romance, hoping that their love might salve old wounds and end the bloodshed. The film co-stars Richa Chadda, Supriya Pathak and Gulshan Devaiah, and includes a special appearance by Priyanka Chopra in the song Ram Chahe Leela.

Top 10 DVD retail

1. (1) Frozen

2. (-) Philomena

3. (-) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

4. (2) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

5. (3) Saving Mr Banks

6. (-) Game of Thrones - Season 3

7. (-) Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred

8. (5) Monsters University

9. (-) Line of Duty Complete Series One & Two

10. (-) Gravity

(Chart supplied by Amazon Prime Instant Video)

Top 10 DVD rental

1. (2) Frozen

2.(1) The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

3. (3) Thor - The Dark World

4. (4) Captain Phillips

5. (10) Saving Mr Banks

6. (-) The Hunger Games

7. (5) Ender's Game

8. (8) Monsters University

9. (7) Rush

10. (6) The Butler

(Chart supplied by Amazon Prime Instant Video)

Top 10 film streaming

1. (1) Tangled

2. (-) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

3. (-) Peter Pan

4.(-) Up

5. (9) Song for Marion

6. (5) The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 2

7. (3) The Impossible

8. (7) Toy Story 3

9. (6) Behind The Candelabra

10. (-) The Princess And The Frog

(Chart supplied by Amazon Prime Instant Video)