Driving Madeleine Blu-ray Review

 

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• Director ‏ : ‎ Christian Carion
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Line Renaud, Dany Boon, Alice Isaaz
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Cohen Media Group
• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 2.35:1
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ France
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ March 19, 2024

 

        There is something distinctly European about movies where two strangers cross paths and form a deep connection over a brief period of time. These narratives exist in other cultures as well, but the French are particularly adept at these slice-of-life narratives. Or perhaps it is less about the nationality of the filmmakers and more about the approach to life, because American filmmaker Richard Linklater built Before Sunrise (1995) and each of its sequels upon this premise, setting each installment in a different European city. Driving Madeleine is a distinctly French film about the bond formed between an elderly woman and her taxi driver on cross-town journey to a nursing home, warmheartedly depicting the ways in which strangers can have a deep impact on our lives however brief the encounter.

 

Polar Rescue Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Lo Chi Leung
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Donnie Yen, Cecilia Han, Jia Bing, Tang Xu
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
• Language ‏ : ‎ Mandarin Chinese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Mandarin Chinese (Stereo)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ China
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 43 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ March 26, 2024

        There seems to be a consistent pattern with martial arts action stars in Hong Kong and China, where they inevitably reach an age where their physicality is in decline and choose that time to make a purely dramatic film. Jackie Chan had the historical drama, 1911 (2011). Jet Li made Ocean Heaven (2010). And Donnie Yen has followed suit with Polar Rescue (previously titled Come Back Home), a film steeped in melodrama surrounding a child gone missing in a mountain snowstorm. Melodrama often works best when paired with other elements like action and suspense, but even these sequences are not enough to distract from the contrived and emotionally manipulative plot points of Polar Rescue.

 

Born to Fly Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Liu Xiaoshi
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Wang Yibo, Hu Jun, Yu Shi, Zhou Dong Yu
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
• Language ‏ : ‎ Mandarin Chinese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Mandarin Chinese (Stereo)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ China
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 8 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ March 26, 2024

        The impact of a successful blockbuster can be felt around the world, especially when they come from Hollywood. Because of this, these successes also often end up affecting films released in foreign film markets. Given the timing of the Chinese aircraft action drama, Born to Fly, it seems highly unlikely that the success of Top Gun: Maverick did not play a large role in the film’s development. Unfortunately, the filmmakers seem to have learned the wrong lessons from the Tom Cruise film, imitating similar story elements while completely dismissing the approach to filmmaking. The awe-inspiring practical effects of Top Gun are traded in for CGI that is often less than believable, making this feel more like a cash-grab imitation than a sincere effort to tell a good story.

 

Migration 4K Ultra HD Review

 

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• Directors: Benjamin Renner, Guylo Homsy
• Actors ‏ : ‎Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Dannhy DeVito
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Studio Distribution Services
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ 4K
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 23 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ February 27, 2024

 

        Given the number of highly acclaimed, allegorically significant, and creatively imagined animated films there were released in 2023, Migration may seem underwhelming by comparison. At the same time, sometimes it is enough to have a colorful (in more than one way) and heartwarming tale with universally relatable themes. While Migration may not have broken the mold, it does provide spectacle and humor more than fitting for an enjoyable viewing experience for all ages.

 

One-Percent Warrior Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Yudai Yamaguchi
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Tak Sakaguchi, Kohei Fukuyama, Kanon Narumi, Rumika Fukuda
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ English
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
• Language ‏ : ‎ Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), English (Stereo)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ Japan
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 25 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ March 12, 2024

        I love action movies. It’s my guilty pleasure and the genre I would likely choose above all others when in need of escapist entertainment, but that doesn’t mean I watch them with an uncritical eye. The biggest misconception I come across when proclaiming my unadulterated love of the genre is the films I am referring to, with many automatically lumping the fantasy narratives of the superhero films in the genre merely because they contain sequences of action spectacle. The reason this false assumption bothers me so much is because superhero films often rely heavily on CGI in place of practical stunt work and fight choreography. This is mostly due to the fact that the casting priority of these blockbusters is movie stars rather than skilled martial artists, but the opposite is true of the impressively ambitious One-Percent Warrior.

 

Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Kim Seong-Sik
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Gang Dong-Won, Huh Joon-Ho, Esom, Lee Dong-Hwi, Kim Jong-Soo
• Language ‏ : ‎ Korean (DTS 5.1)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 38 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ February 27, 2024

        Although the plot of Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman borrows heavily from the horror genre, dealing with an exorcist who is cynical about the existence of evil spirits until finally encountering something that can’t be explained, the execution feels more influenced by the superhero genre. The spectacle is absurd and leans heavily on computer generated effects, while the horror elements all take the backseat to action and humor. While some of the MCU films like Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness have leaned into horror elements, this horror film has adopted the tone of most superhero films, with equally disappointing results.

 

The Moon Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Kim Yong Hwa
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Sul Kyung-gu, Doh Kyung-soo, Kim Hee-ae, Park Byung Eun, Cho Han Cheul
• Language ‏ : ‎ Korean (DTS 5.1)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 9 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ February 27, 2024

        The plot of the South Korean space drama, The Moon, sounds like something created in response to the success of Hollywood blockbusters like The Martian or Gravity, grounding the spectacle in relatively realistic scenarios and the human responses to them. While this sounds great on paper, the execution of the narrative falls short due to sloppy filmmaking and sub-par visual effects. Little about The Moon feels complete, from the rudimentary effects to the underdeveloped plot that leans too heavily on a few melodramatic twists.

 

A Creature Was Stirring Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Damien LeVeck
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Chrissy Metz, Annalise Basso, Scout Taylor-Compton, Connor Paolo
• Language ‏ : ‎ English (DTS 5.1)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 36 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ February 13, 2024

        I’ll just come right out and admit that reviewing A Creature Was Stirring feels like a near-impossible task. While it resembles multiple other established narratives, each twist subverts expectations while pivoting to different ones, leaving this poor reviewer uncertain how much can or should be revealed. At the same time, I couldn’t help but notice how many structures within the home invasion sub-genre serve as inspiration for the various narrative directions, in part because it has become my official field of study in recent years.

 

Gotcha! Review

 

         Despite a longstanding tradition of using horror films to tackle social issues involving race, among other things, in films like White Zombie (1932), The Night of the Living Dead (1968), Candyman (1992), or The People Under the Stairs (1991), the genre simultaneously often been criticized for the way in which it handles the representation of minority groups. This was the source of comedy in last year’s satirical slasher, The Blackening, which played with the tropes of the genre and its treatment of black characters. Gotcha! is also a slasher with an all-black cast, though it approaches the narrative in a straightforward manner rather than poking fun at the genre’s historical shortcomings.

 

Wolf Pack Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Michael Chiang
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Max Zhang, Aarif Lee, Jiang Luxia, Mark Luu, Liu Ye
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 45 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ January 23, 2024

         I have long encouraged anyone willing to listen to expand their film viewing experiences beyond national borders, despite the common misconception that foreign films are slow and boring. If each year’s Academy Awards nominees for Best Foreign Language Film are often misleadingly self-serious, but there is a world of trashy genre filmmaking in a language other than English. In other words, Hollywood is not the only industry aware of the value in pure spectacle and mindless entertainment, and Wolf Pack is a perfect example coming from China.

 

The Childe Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Park Hoon-Jung
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Kim Seon-ho, Kang Tae-ju, Kim Kang-woo, Go A-ra, Heo Joon Seok
• Language ‏ : ‎ Korean (DTS 5.1)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 58 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ January 16, 2024

         One of my favorite things to do is to watch movies I know nothing about. This is the purest way to enjoy a film, especially for someone who watches as many as I do. Often even just the theatrical trailer is enough to potentially spoil any narrative twists, so there is something refreshing about allowing the filmmaker to reveal each plot point in their own time. Unfortunately, even though The Childe has several secrets that it slowly reveals throughout the run-time, I was easily able to guess what they were, even without the assistance of promotional materials. While I was still able to enjoy the spectacle contained within the plot, I wish the direction of the narrative had been less obvious.

 

Journey to Bethlehem Blu-ray Review

 

• Director: Adam Anders
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Fiona Palomo, Milo Manheim, Antonio Banderas
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ Spanish
• Studio ‏ : ‎ SONY
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Digital_copy, Blu-ray, Subtitled
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 98 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ January 16, 2024

 

         We may have had four Spider-Man franchises in the last two decades, but that is nothing compared to the number of times the nativity story has been revisited on film. Whether it is a sincere dramatic retelling like The Nativity Story (2006), an animated revision like The Star (2017), or a docudrama like Why the Nativity? (2022), there always seems to be a new approach to the familiar old story. Journey to Bethlehem is no exception, revising the story of Christ’s birth with a popular young cast and the structure of a lighthearted musical. Although the film is live action, it carries the tone and sensibility of an animated children’s film, shoehorning in silly comedic elements to go with the goofy over-acting and mildly catchy songs.

 

Your Lucky Day Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Dan Brown
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Angus Cloud, Elliot Knight, Jessica Garza, Sterling Beaumon, Mousa Hussein Kraish
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen, Subtitled
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 29 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ January 23, 2024

         If believability is something you look for in your gritty crime thrillers, it is best to avoid Your Lucky Day. Despite the story being grounded with real-world problems and believably cynical characters, the plotting simultaneously demands far too much suspension of disbelief from the audience. But if you are willing to dismiss absurd sequences with a pregnant woman able to physically overpower large men with weapons, it isn’t a film without glimpses of inspiration. Just don’t go in expect Angus Cloud to be treated with reverence, even if the film is dedicated to him and unjustly gives him top billing due to the actor’s untimely death.

 

The Flying Swordsman DVD Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Qiao Lei
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Zhao Huawei, Chen Yusi, Wu Yijiang, Zheng Haonan, Lu Liangwei
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 44 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ January 9, 2024

         It took a bit of searching online for information about the Chinese martial arts epic, The Flying Swordsman, before I realized the reason that I was finding little was because the title has been changed from the original translation, The Hidden Fox. The Hidden Fox may be a better name for the film’s narrative, though The Flying Swordsman is likely a choice intended to signal to audiences what genre this film falls into. Unfortunately, the storytelling is unnecessarily convoluted regardless of what it is called.

 

The Ghost Station Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Jeong Yong-ki
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Kim Bo-ra, Kim Jae-Hyun, Shin So-Yul
• Language ‏ : ‎ Korean (DTS 5.1)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go USA
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 21 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ December 19, 2023

         The Ghost Station fits in perfectly with the type of supernatural horror coming from multiple Asian countries (though primarily Japan, so common it became referred to as J-horror) at the beginning of the twenty-first century, which only increased when Hollywood began remaking many of the more successful films. There are even elements of The Ghost Station that feel as if they have been lifted directly from some of the most successful of these, including a well that plays a part in the hauntings and a curse that can be passed on, just like The Ring. Even without these derivative elements, The Ghost Station is still several decades too late to feel relevant.

 

The Wandering Earth II Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Frant Gwo
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Andy Lau, Wu Jing, Li Xuejian, Ning Li, Wang Zhi
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ English
• Language ‏ : ‎ English (DTS 5.1)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen, Subtitled
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 53 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ December 19, 2023

         When the epic Chinese blockbuster The Wandering Earth was released in 2019, it felt like a response to mindless Hollywood disaster films like Armageddon or Moonfall, complete with an emphasis on visual effects and goofy comedic relief. While the storyline seemed primed for a sequel, The Wandering Earth II made the questionable decision to focus on the events before the first film, making it a prequel despite the confusion of the title.