Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Cameron Seely, Angela Lansbury
• Directors: Scott Mosier, Yarrow Cheney
• Writers: Michael LeSieur, Tommy Swerdlow
• Producers: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy
• Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   PG 
   Parental Guidance Suggested
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: February 5, 2019
• Run Time: 86 minutes

        Maybe I’m the real Grinch, because I was instantly annoyed by the news that Illumination Entertainment had decided to adapt the classic holiday cartoon into a feature-length animated film. The material had already been stretched out before, for Ron Howard’s live-action version, which I was also an adamant critic of. Only the news of Benedict Cumberbatch providing the voice gave me hope that the film might have a deep English accent to remind me of Boris Karloff’s iconic narration. From the moment I heard Cumberbatch’s annoying American accent for the Grinch, I knew I was destined to hate the film. Equally disappointing was Pharrell Williams as the narrator, who sounds like a dad reading a book to his kids with the purpose of getting them to fall asleep.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web DVD Review

• Actors: Claire Foy, Sverrir Gudnason, Lakeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks, Stephen Merchant
• Director: Fede Alvarez
• Producers: Amy Pascal, Scott Rudin, Berna Levin, Elizabeth Cantillon, Ole Søndberg
• Disc Format: Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Malay, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Thai, English, Khmer, Spanish
• Dubbed: French, Portuguese, Thai, Spanish, English
• Audio Description: English
• Region: Region 1 
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: February 5, 2019
• Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2020 
• Run Time: 115 minutes

        Some films demand a second viewing, because they are extremely complex or because they are simply that good. The Girl in the Spider’s Web is neither of these. It is a film that demanded a second viewing, because it is that forgettable. Despite having seen it in theaters mere months ago, I found myself struggling to remember even basic plot elements. The one thing I had a distinct recollection of, even before repeat viewings, was the drastic changes to the narrative from the original Swedish films. This is likely because this is based on the fourth book in the series, which was not written by creator Stieg Larsson. Also, as per usual, Hollywood has neutered and boxed in what was once an innovative franchise. Even more pointless than the first American installment, and lacking the distinct visual flair of David Fincher, The Girl in the Spider’s Web simply turns the dark series into a generic espionage action film.