DVD Review - January 3

DVD OF THE WEEK

The Rover (Cert 15, 103 mins, Entertainment One, Thriller, also available to buy DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Starring: Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy, David Field, Tawanda Manyimo, Gillian Jones, Susan Prior.

In the aftermath of global economic collapse, Eric (Guy Pearce) parks his car by the side of the road and enjoys a drink in a bar. Outside, robbers Henry (Scoot McNairy), Archie (David Field) and Caleb (Tawanda Manyimo) crash their car during a haphazard getaway and steal Eric's motor to continue their flight to freedom. Eric gives chase and when he confronts the trio to demand the return of his property, the fugitives knock him unconscious. Waking some time later beneath the blazing sun, Eric continues his pursuit of the robbers. Thankfully, he crosses paths with Henry's injured brother Rey (Robert Pattinson), a simple and naive soul who was left for dead during the bungled heist. Rey agrees to lead Eric to his sibling's hideout and en route, the two men bond. The Rover is a grimy and involving thriller set in a dystopian outback where every resource and commodity - even sexual favours from the nubile and innocent - are traded for dollars. Australian director David Michod, who dazzled viewers with his debut narrative feature, Animal Kingdom, and earned Jacki Weaver an Oscar nomination as Best Actress In A Supporting Role, steadily cranks up the tension, punctuating the cat-and-mouse pursuit with explosions of violence. Pearce is compelling as a wounded man, who will go to the ends of the earth to reclaim his car, while Pattinson continues to prove his acting mettle in a demanding role that is far cry from brooding Edward Cullen in the Twilight saga.

Rating: ***

RELEASED

Deliver Us From Evil (Cert 15, 118 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Horror/Thriller/Romance, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 or on-demand from various streaming services)

Starring: Eric Bana, Joel McHale, Edgar Ramirez, Sean Harris, Olivia Munn, Lulu Wilson, Olivia Horton, Chris Coy.

Detective Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana) patrols his south Bronx beat with thrill-seeking partner Butler (Joel McHale). In the space of a single night, they answer two calls: a domestic dispute involving Iraq war veteran Tratner (Chris Coy) and an infanticide at the city zoo committed by a disturbed mother (Olivia Horton). CCTV footage reveals she was spurred on by a hooded figure, who turns out to be Tratner's former brother in arms, Santino (Sean Harris). As the cops investigate, they cross paths with Spanish priest Mendoza (Edgar Ramirez), who claims that a demonic presence is responsible for the bloodshed. Sceptical at first, Sarchie witnesses horrific visions, which suggest that Mendoza might be telling the truth. As the detective edges closer to the horrifying truth, he endangers his wife Jen (Olivia Munn) and daughter Christina (Lulu Wilson). Based on the book Beware The Night by retired NYPD police officer Ralph Sarchie, Deliver Us From Evil is a supernatural horror that proves increasingly hard to swallow. Scenes inside the bedroom of Sarchie's cherubic daughter, who becomes a prime target for malevolent retribution, strain credibility. "I think it's ridiculous to blame invisible powers for the things people do," remarks the wary lead character, echoing our concerns. Bana is suitably gruff in a two-dimensional and largely unsympathetic role. He doesn't have sufficient screen time with Munn and Wilson to convince us to invest in the family's wellbeing. Harris is unsettling as the possessed antagonist whose presence lights the fuse on blood-spattered madness. Director Scott Derrickson and co-writer Paul Harris Boardman treat the source material with seriousness and expect us to do the same.

Rating: **

Also released

The Grand Seduction (Cert 12, 113 mins, Entertainment One, Comedy/Drama/Romance, also available to buy DVD £17.99 or on-demand from various streaming services - see below)

Left Behind (Cert 15, 110 mins, Lace DVD, Sci-Fi/Action/Thriller, also available to buy DVD/Blu-ray £15.99 or on-demand from various streaming services - see below)

Life Of Crime (Cert 15, 99 mins, Curzon Film World, Comedy/Drama/Romance, also available to buy DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services - see below)

NEW TO BUY ON DVD/BLU-RAY

Plebs - Series 2 (Cert 15, 176 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £19.99, Comedy/Romance)

Another eight episodes of the popular ITV2 comedy written by Sam Leifer and Tom Basden, which chronicles the misadventures and mishaps of three lowly men in ancient Rome. This series, water-carrier Aurelius (Basden) foolishly asks Marcus (Tom Rosenthal) to be best man at his impending marriage, Stylax (Joel Fry) purchases a new slave (Tim Key), who might harbour psychopathic tendencies, and Grumio (Ryan Sampson) discovers a discarded baby and decides to raise the infant on his own. The DVD includes The Chariot, The Best Men, The Baby, The Patron, The New Slave, The Candidate, The Phallus and The Race.

Atlantis - Series 2, Part 1: A New Dawn (Cert 12, 265 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99, Sci-Fi/Drama)

With the help of mathematician Pythagoras (Robert Emms) and washed-up hero Hercules (Mark Addy), deep-sea diver Jason (Jack Donnelly) continues to make an impression in the mythical city. This series, Pasiphae (Sarah Parish) is determined to seize control of the Palladium with her army following the death of King Minos. Newly crowned Queen Ariadne (Aiysha Hart) vows to defend Atlantis from the invaders and Jason and his friends rally to her noble cause. The two-disc set includes the episodes A New Dawn: Part One, A New Dawn: Part Two, Telemon, The Marriage Of True Minds, The Day Of The Dead and The Grey Sisters.

Left Behind (Cert 15, 110 mins, Lace DVD, DVD/Blu-ray £15.99 or on-demand from various streaming services, Sci-Fi/Action/Thriller)

Millions of people vanish into thin air, leaving behind just their clothes and possessions. Unmanned airplanes fall from the sky and vehicles crash and burn in the streets, plunging mankind into chaos as the survivors of the phenomenon struggle to maintain law and order. Looters and rioters run riot, emergency services are overrun. In the air, pilot Rayford Steele (Nicolas Cage) is at the controls of a flight when many of the crew and passengers suddenly disappear. Unable to make contact with traffic control, he searches for a landing site, oblivious to the fates of his daughter Chloe (Cassi Thomson) and wire Irene (Lea Thompson).

Trollied - Complete Series 4 (Cert 15, 176 mins, Fremantle Home Entertainment, DVD £15.99, Comedy/Drama/Romance)

A new arrival causes ructions at the Warrington branch of Valco supermarket in eight episodes of the Sky1 sitcom. This series, store assistant Colin (Carl Rice) is horrified when he discovers that one of the new staff members is his gran Rose (Miriam Margolyes), sparks fly between long-suffering store manager Gavin (Jason Watkins) and his deputy Daniel (Samuel Anderson), security guard Ian (Victor McGuire) is driven to distraction by an unwelcome visitors and Freddie Flintoff (playing himself) makes a special appearance at the store.

Intruders - Season One (Cert 15, 432 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 or on-demand from various streaming services, Sci-Fi/Drama/Romance)

A former detective stumbles upon a terrifying conspiracy in this sci-fi drama created by Glen Morgan, writer and executive producer of The X Files. Amy Whelan (Mira Sorvino) vanishes without trace and her husband, one-time LAPD detective Jack Whelan (John Simm), investigates. His enquiries touch upon the case of a brilliant scientist, whose family was murdered. Faced with conflicting evidence, Jack bypasses usual channels in search of the truth and he eventually uncovers links to a secret society known as Qui Reverti, who take refuge in other people's bodies. The two-disc set includes the episodes She Was Provisional, And Here... You Must Listen, Time Has Come Today, Ave Verum Corpus, The Shepherds And The Fox, Bound, The Crossing Place and There Is No End.

Mapp & Lucia (Cert PG, 172 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £19.99, Drama/Romance)

The quest for social perfection pits two upper-middle class rivals against one another in this three-part adaptation of the novels by EF Benson. Emmeline Lucas (Anna Chancellor), who is recently widowed, moves to the close-knit community of Tilling. She plans to ingratiate herself to the locals and start afresh. Emmeline instantly clashes with Elizabeth Mapp (Miranda Richardson), the previously unopposed queen bee of Tilling's social whirl, who values her lofty position in the town. The two women vie for the hearts and minds of the locals, engaging in shameless oneupwomanship to curry favour with their neighbours.

The Grand Seduction (Cert 12, 113 mins, Entertainment One, DVD £17.99 or on-demand from various streaming services, Comedy/Drama/Romance)

Don McKellar directs this English language remake of the charming 2003 comedy La Grand Seduction, transplanting the chicanery from a tiny village on the north coast of Quebec to the equally picturesque surroundings of Newfoundland. Tickle Cove is a proud fishing community, which has been in gradual decline since the heydays when every man in the village headed out to sea. Village resident Murray French (Brendan Gleeson) is determined to halt the decline and he hopes to persuade a company to build a factory on the island. However, there is a stumbling block: the factory owners need proof that the island has a resident doctor. So Murray and his neighbours woo disgraced medic Paul Lewis (Taylor Kitsch) to their coastal idyll, with a view to persuading the doctor to stay. The great and the good of Tickle Cove secretly listen to Paul's telephone conversations to glean information about his favourite foods, drink and pastimes. Armed with this insider knowledge, the village folk transform Tickle Cove into Paul's perfect retreat. However, Kathleen (Liane Balaban), who runs the post office, urges caution, fearful of the consequences if Paul discovers their underhand scheme.

Uncle - Series 1 (Cert 12, 162 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services, Comedy/Drama)

Award-winning stand-up Nick Helm plays a suicidal man, who is gifted a second chance of life, in this six-part BBC Three sitcom written and directed by Oliver Refson. Unemployed musician Andy (Helm) contemplates suicide, only to be shunted out the gloom by his sister Sam (Daisy Haggard), who emotionally blackmails Andy into babysitting her 12-year-old son Errol (Elliot Speller-Gillott). Protector and ward bond during their time together but an impending custody hearing casts a dark shadow over the blossoming relationship. The DVD includes the episodes Mind The Cracks, Party Monster, I Like-Like You, Favourites, Last of The Red Hot Uncles and Nephew.

Life Of Crime (Cert 15, 99 mins, Curzon Film World, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services, Comedy/Drama/Romance)

Written and directed by Daniel Schechter, Life Of Crime is a black comedy based on Elmore Leonard's novel The Switch about a bungled kidnapping. Bumbling ex-cons Ordell Robbie (Yasiin Bey) and Louis Gara (John Hawkes) need to make a large amount of money with the minimum of effort. So they hatch a scheme to abduct feisty socialite Mickey Dawson (Jennifer Aniston) and hold her to ransom, which they demand from her obscenely wealthy husband Frank (Tim Robbins). Unbeknownst to the kidnappers, Frank is planning to divorce his wife and start anew with a younger mistress, Melanie Ralston (Isla Fisher), so Mickey's abduction is extremely fortuitous. Frank refuses to pay the ransom, hoping this will seal his spouse's fate. Once Ordell and Louis realise their target is unwilling to come up with the funds and they are stuck with Mickey, the dim-witted pair conceive a new plan to turn the tables on Frank.

The Police Officer's Wife (Cert 15, 176 mins, Soda Pictures, DVD £17.99, Drama/Romance)

With a running time just shy of three hours, Philip Groning's drama about the disintegration of a marriage is not for the faint of heart or the feeble of buttock. While her police officer husband Uwe (David Zimmerschied) is at work, doting mother Christine (Alexandra Finder) spends every minute with her young daughter, Clara (Pia and Chiara Kleeman). She tries to teach Clara that the world is a wondrous and safe place to explore even though Uwe often returns from a hard day and takes out his frustrations with physical and verbal abuse. Trapped in a violent marriage, Christine continues to love Uwe, hoping her feelings for him can weather the punches, kicks and intimidation. Meanwhile, little Clara sees her parents' relationship unravel at the seams.

He Who Dares: Downing Street Siege (Cert 15, 87 mins, Metrodome Distribution, DVD £14.99/Blu-ray £19.99 or on-demand from various streaming services, Action/Thriller)

Paul Tanter directs this sequel to his 2013 film He Who Dares, which followed an elite team of SAS operatives as they rescued the Prime Minister's kidnapped daughter from a terrorist cell. In this follow-up set six months later, SAS Captain Chris Lowe (Tom Benedict Knight) faces an inquiry into the actions of his team during the rescue. During this trial by media, security around 10 Downing Street is compromised and the UK's most wanted criminal, Alexander Holt (Simon Phillips), takes advantage by holding the Prime Minister (Russell Kilmister) hostage inside his own residence. Amid tense negotiations with Holt, Lowe puts together a daring plan of action to minimise the chance of bloodshed.

Dark House (Cert 18, 102 mins, Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment, DVD £15.99, Horror/Thriller)

Nick (Luke Kleintank) visits his mentally ill mother in hospital and learns a shocking secret: the father he was told was dead is alive. Moreover, the long-lost parent can solve the mystery of how Nick can glimpse the manner in which a person will die simply by coming into contact with them. Accompanied by his pregnant girlfriend Eve (Alex McKenna) and best friend Ryan (Anthony Rey Perez), Nick sets out to track down his absent biological father. The quest leads to an abandoned mansion and its diabolical axe-wielding resident (Tobin Bell) in this haunted house horror written and directed by Victor Salva.

TOP 10 DVD RETAIL

1 (-) Downton Abbey: A Moorland Holiday (Christmas Special 2014)

2 (1) Frozen

3 (-) Charlotte Crosby's 3 Minute Belly Blitz

4 (-) Jason Manford: First World Problems

5 (-) Davina: 7 Minute Fit - New for 2015

6 (3) Guardians Of The Galaxy

7 (-) Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

8 (6) Lee Evans: Monsters Live

9 (2) The Inbetweeners 2

10 (-) Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection

(Chart supplied by Amazon.co.uk/DVD)

TOP 10 DVD RENTAL

1 (1) Guardians Of The Galaxy

2 (2) Frozen

3 (5) Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

4 (3) The Inbetweeners 2

5 (8) X-Men: Days Of Future Past

6 (4) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

7 (7) Maleficent

8 (=) Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie

9 (6) How To Train Your Dragon 2

10 (10) Transformers: Age Of Extinction

(Chart supplied by Amazon.co.uk/DVD)

TOP 10 FILM STREAMING

1 (3) Pitch Perfect

2 (1) Horrible Bosses

3 (6) Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger

4 (2) The Dark Knight Rises

5 (4) Monsters Inc.

6 (5) Escape Plan

7 (8) Non-Stop

8 (7) Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas

9 (9) Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows

10 (10) Brave

(Chart supplied by Amazon.co.uk/DVD)