DVD 1/8/08: 3:10 to Yuma, Shoot ‘Em Up, Eastern Promises, Sunshine, Smiley Face, Rob & Big: S1&2, Joshua
3:10 to Yuma (R, 2007, Lions Gate)
For those unaware, “3:10 to Yuma” is a remake of a 1957 film of the same name, and the premise — a down-on-his-luck rancher (Christian Bale) trying to bring a feared outlaw (Russell Crowe) to justice and collect a massive reward — remains the same. Fortunately, that’s not all the filmmakers left alone. The new “Yuma” certainly looks prettier, and it features shootouts and doses of Old West violence that simply weren’t feasible 50 years ago. The ending sequence is similarly epic, both ridiculously illogical in its execution and a ton of fun to watch for that very reason. All that said, the same character-first approach that powered the first “Yuma” ultimately is what makes this one worth seeing. It’s not simply thanks to Crowe and Bale, either. Their scenes together — and the tail-chasing game they play after their paths cross — provide the film’s brightest highlights. But “Yuma” wouldn’t be nearly the same movie without a supporting cast of extremely well-written characters (Ben Foster, Logan Lerman and Dallas Roberts, among others), each of whom adds a peripheral but integral element of recklessness to what otherwise would be a steadfastly intimate story.
Extras: Director commentary, making-of documentary, “Outlaws, Gangs and Posses” documentary, behind-the-scenes feature, deleted scenes.
Shoot ‘Em Up (R, 2007, New Line)
There’s a rather intricate plot brewing beneath “Shoot ‘Em Up,” but you need not understand it any more than Smith (Clive Owen) does when he sees a lady in danger, gets up from his seat, and starts shooting away simply because he can. That really is the whole point here, and if you don’t believe it, the first time the film completely ignores an entire story transition without bothering to explain what happened should leave you convinced. Some incredibly cheesy dialogue, as delivered by three actors (Owen, Paul Giamatti and Monica Bellucci) who clearly know better, pretty much seals any suspicions. More than anything else, “SEU” wants to give its talented cast unlimited firepower, unlimited death wishes, some laws-of-physics-defying luck, and the chance to play one hell of a fun game of Cops ‘N’ Robbers. That creates a bit of emptiness in the middle once the point’s been hammered home, but it also leads to some of the most impossibly awesome stunts you’ll see in a movie this year. (Never mind that one of the stunt sequences features special effects straight out of a 1980s music video. Maybe it’s intentional, maybe not.)
Extras: Writer/director commentary, making-of feature, animatics, DVD-ROM content.
Eastern Promises (R, 2007, Universal)
“Eastern Promises” is a tale of two flirting storylines, both of which dance around crime family member Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), who simultaneously must protect his rising notoriety while coming to terms with a woman (Naomi Watts) who has his heart in one hand and evidence that could damage the family in the other. The merging of these storylines is a fascinating thing to watch, thanks primarily to some excruciatingly detailed character development that benefits from similarly nuanced plot progression. Just be sure to give it your full attention for maximum effect. “Promises” isn’t terribly difficult to follow, but it tends to lull you into a sense of false comfort with dialogue-laden scenes that stand in sharp contrast to the graphic violence that punctuates them. Get too cozy, and you’ll miss a throwaway line or two that adds some essential context to the story. There’s a lot of mythology at play — both within the separate plotlines and in the real-world history that glues it all together — and the more you can stack on your plate, the more “Promises” will offer.
Extras: Two behind-the-scenes features.
Sunshine (R, 2007, Fox)
A team of astronauts is en route to the sun, attempting to save it (and as such, humanity) from pending death by creating a star within a star. It’s a long, scary mission that already claimed one crew, and as we catch up with crew No. 2 more than a year into the endeavor, some serious unease has set in. No surprise there. What is surprising is just how chaotic “Sunshine” actually gets — so much so that we’re talking more about a psychological thriller by film’s end than the science-fiction piece it originally purports to be. Whether the film goes too far certainly is open for debate: Some will love how freaky things get, while others will view the third act as a huge mess that revolves around a cheap storytelling stunt and undoes much of what preceded it. If the point of a movie is to entertain you first and get you talking afterward, “Sunshine” almost certainly will fulfill at least half of its mission. Your mileage will vary on whether it comes through on the other half.
Extras: Director commentary, professor commentary, deleted scenes, production diaries, two short films (“Dad’s Dead,” “Mole Hills”).
Smiley Face (R, 2007, First Look)
Jane (Anna Faris) is stoned … and that’s pretty much the plot of “Smiley Face.” Oh, there’s a story about why she has to leave the house instead of lie on the couch all day, but it’s merely an excuse for Faris to mosey from one hijink to another until the movie fully runs out of gas. Such a low-concept idea turns out to be a surprisingly tall order, because there seemingly would be no possible way for the stoned girl act to be anything less than unbearable after an hour, much less “Face’s” 85 minutes. Fortunately, Faris is more qualified than most to take the act as far as it can go, and “Face” at least makes a case for her receiving better leading roles with which to demonstrate her talents. As for the movie itself, it falls somewhere in the middle of the pack — nowhere near the funniest film you’ll see this year or even this month, but still considerably more tolerable than a lot of tripe Hollywood pukes out. And even when Jane’s zombie act gets old, the rather shocking barrage of familiar faces who pop up in minor or cameo roles is fun to experience. Should you decide to check this one out, don’t sneak a peek at the cast before watching. You’ll have more fun if you’re surprised.
Extra: Making-of feature.
Rob & Big: Complete Seasons 1 & 2 Uncensored (NR, 2006, MTV)
The “Rob” in “Rob & Big” refers to skateboarder Rob Dyrdek, and the “Big” refers to Rob’s bodyguard and best friend, Christopher “Big Black” Boykin. Together, they enjoy partaking in all sorts of wacky activities, which is enough of a reason for MTV to carve yet another half-hour out of whatever music programming it had left. “Rob & Big” is about as authentic as your typical VH1/MTV reality show, which is to say it more closely resembles an improvised sit-com starring two real-life best friends whose adventures are at least partially the creation of producers and writers. Oh well. It’s easy to digest, it’s lighthearted, and it makes a great case for racial and spatial harmony. Through all the contrivances, Big and Rob’s friendship still manages to ring true, and that, beyond anything else, is what makes the show fun to watch. And when even that isn’t enough, there’s always Meaty the bulldog, whose skateboarding lessons would melt even the stoniest of hearts.
Contents: 16 episodes, plus commentary, deleted scenes, skate tutorials, behind-the-scenes feature, bonus dog and other footage, music video.
Joshua (R, 2007, Fox)
Joshua (Jacob Kogan) is, like a handful of movie children before him, a bit of a psycho. He probably means well, and he can’t help it, but he’s crazy, and he really creeps his family out. That would seem to make “Joshua” an easy film to understand, but there’s a problem: With a family like this, who really cares? Mom (Vera Farmiga) is so ridiculously unlikable, you don’t really care what happens to her. Her mother-in-law (Celia Weston), though less visible, is no more endearing. Then there’s Dad (Sam Rockwell), whom you sense would be happier dead than condemned to another day with any of these people, so it’s hard to worry about him, either. That leaves Joshua, whose dopey haircut, palette of blank expressions and ability to constantly startle his parents by just showing up out of nowhere makes him more a source of unintentional comedy than fear. The whole production is such a mess, there are moments where you might wonder if the filmmakers created a parody of the bad-seed movie and stealthily sold it as the real deal to some clueless studio heads. If that’s the case, then bravo. If not, there’s no telling what anyone was trying to accomplish here, especially when the story’s arc is as predictable as Joshua is nuts.
Extras: Director/writer commentary, interviews, audition footage, music video, deleted scenes, promotional materials.