DVD 12/8/09: World’s Greatest Dad, The Cove, Julie & Julia, Public Enemies, Dog Eat Dog, Better Off Ted S1, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Coraline: Limited Edition Gift Set
World’s Greatest Dad (R, 2009, Magnolia)
Spoilers are called spoilers for good reason, and this is a spoiler-free zone. Every now and then, though, something like “World’s Greatest Dad” comes barreling along and thoroughly complicates the moralistic integrity of sending innocent viewers into a film unspoiled. So let’s just put it this way: “Dad” starts off under modest pretenses as a dryly, somewhat darkly funny comedy about poetry teacher Lance Clayton (Robin Williams), whose inability to publish a novel matches well with his respective failures to cultivate enthusiasm from his students and raise a teenage son (Daryl Sabara as Kyle) who isn’t an abrasively poison-mouthed pervert. But then, something pretty major happens, and “Dad” migrates from darkly dry comedy to a pitch-black farce that will doubtlessly be too dark for some to rationalize as comedy at all. Spoiling exactly what brings on that migration absolutely would flatten the impact of “Dad’s” mood shift, and those who like their comedies nice and burnt are best advised to just jump in, because “Dad” is fearless in its mission and fiendishly smart about making fun of the mess into which it has gotten itself. It might be the smartest comedy of 2009, and it ranks up there with Williams’ very best performances. If you’re prone to offense, though, there’s a chance the events that transpire here will have you reaching for the stop button. You’ve been warned, if not spoiled.
Extras: Writer/director commentary, deleted scenes, two behind-the-scenes features, outtakes, music video.
The Cove (PG-13, 2009, Lions Gate)
The insurmountable irony surrounding documentaries that advocate the well-being of endangered animals is the stigmatic burden they present to viewers who don’t already support their intentions in the first place. But here’s the thing about “The Cove,” which lifts the veil on the horrific practice of trapping, capturing and killing dolphins in Taiji, Japan: It isn’t a lecture, and it isn’t designed to make you feel helpless and lousy about the fact that you just bought a box of fish sticks the day before. It can’t really afford a high horse, anyway: The crew tasked with infiltrating Taiji is led by Richard O’Barry, who takes responsibility for popularizing dolphin captivity through his work as a dolphin trainer on the television show “Flipper.” His crisis of confidence, and the resulting scramble to make it right and absolve his guilt, is the linchpin around which “The Cove” tells its story, and the crew’s attempts to duck authorities without any protection whatsoever makes for engrossing drama regardless of message. “The Cove” does its message proud, though: Beyond the good intentions, it empirically shoots down the notion that the practice has practical merit or enjoys any level of cultural significance. More importantly, the film leaves viewers with a sense that it’s part of a larger organism and not some isolated springboard viewers must activate to keep alive. Not everyone who sees “The Cove” has the means to act on it, and the film’s convincing promise of positive change ahead is a very welcome lift for those who only can watch.
Extras: Director/producer commentary, “The Cove: Mercury Rising” documentary short, deleted scenes, two behind-the-scenes features.
Julie & Julia (PG-13, 2009, Sony Pictures)
For those unfamiliar with the book of the same name, the “Julia” in “Julie & Julia” represents world-renowned chef and author Julia Child, who scratched and clawed her way to a book deal that eventually resulted in the atomically successful publication of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” Julie Powell, on the other hand, is a New York City government employee who has never finished a project she started until, one day in 2002, she decides to execute all 524 recipes from Child’s book inside of a single year and blog about the experience. Both women’s respective ventures and all they entail provide the basis for “Julia,” which jumps between timelines and naturally uncovers numerous parallels between the two despite the difference of a few decades and the fact that neither has been in the same room as the other. As biographical studies, it’s perfectly sufficient light entertainment, and fans of either woman’s work might find some enjoyment purely in that regard. But “Julia’s” true light shines in its portrayal of the work more than those doing it. The struggle to create something people will absorb, treasure and remember is something millions have undertaken and few have overcome, and seeing it play out here — in two eras, through two media but on the backs of the same overriding principles — is enough to inspire anyone in a rut to pull a Julie of their own and give it another go. For the right crowd, that’s far more valuable than whatever entertainment value “Julia” otherwise provides everyone else.
Extras: Writer/director commentary, behind-the-scenes feature.
Public Enemies (R, 2009, Universal)
On paper, “Public Enemies” seems like a tired idea — the umpteenth attempt to color the facts of John Dillinger’s (Johnny Depp) life, only this time with a big budget and an A-list cast and director (Michael Mann) in tow. In practice, it doesn’t upset those expectations, but whether that’s a problem or not likely comes down to individual taste. Dillinger’s life has already hit some degree of stride when “Enemies” begins, so the film doesn’t attempt to play the all-encompassing epic card. “Enemies” similarly resists the temptation to recite Dillinger’s story from an unorthodox perspective or with an overly stylish bent, but instead chooses the refreshingly conventional route of telling part of the man’s story in polished but straight-faced detail. It doesn’t necessarily provide an unprecedented education in doing so, and the approach finds the film occasionally dragging a shootout a tiny bit past its welcome to fulfill whatever expectations of sizzle some might have going in. Ultimately, though, all that polish and talent goes to good use: Depp’s portrayal benefits from having room to breathe, and Dillinger’s muse (Marion Cotillard) and primary adversary (Christian Bale) arguably benefit even more for the same reason. “Enemies” breaks no ground whatsoever, but it does entertain, and if a fun story told by actors who clearly are enjoying themselves is good enough, then this more than suffices.
Extras: Director commentary, four behind-the-scenes features, digital copy.
— Conveniently-timed companion material: “Crime Wave: 18 Months of Mayhem” (NR, 2008, History): A 94-minute document of Dillinger’s romp through the 1930s. Also included on the disc: “Biography: Bonnie and Clyde: The Story of Love & Death.”
Dog Eat Dog (NR, 2008, IFC/MPI)
Colombian kingpin El Orejón’s (Blas Jaramillo) power is so vast and his respect for human life so minute that when he wants to demonstrate his gifts to street-level soldier Eusebio (Óscar Borda), he asks Eusebio to point out a random person on the street and immediately orders the person’s execution for no reason beyond his ability to do so. It’s probably best not to cross a guy like that, but what happens when a series of events leaves Eusebio and cohort Victor (Marlon Moreno) without much choice? Quite a lot, as it turns out. Purely on paper, “Dog” regularly trades on familiarity with regard to story conventions and basic character outlines. Victor, Eusebio and their supporting cast mates develop nicely, but they’re pieces of plays we’ve seen before. Fortunately, the story “Dog” tells and the method by which it tells it are different matters entirely. The stiflingly gritty cinematography is dense with ugly images and unflattering portrayals of characters doing awful things under terrible conditions, and yet it’s executed tastefully — conveying the unbridled ugliness of a murder without leaning on gore or even necessarily showing the act as it happens. What “Dog” chooses to show and not show speaks to how carefully the entire production appears to have been assembled, and its ability to exercise restraint without expensing intensity pays off in the form of characters whose fates matter, a story that’s absorbing in spite of its simple scope and an ending that pays off the film’s buildup rather handsomely. In Spanish with English subtitles. No extras.
Better Off Ted: The Complete First Season (NR, 2009, Fox)
The title is apt, because how many of us wouldn’t enjoy being in Ted Crisp’s (Jay Harrington) shoes? He’s witty, easy on the eyes, and has the coolest job in the world as the head of research and development at Veridian Dynamics, which devises and creates everything from weaponized pumpkins to energy bandages using technology, brainpower and product development timetables that exist only in the land of fiction. The capacity to create pretty much anything means “Better Off Ted” can pretty much make whatever rules it needs to do whatever it wants in any given episode, and its comedic style — think “Scrubs” or “Andy Richter Controls the Universe” without the daydreams, or better yet, imagine a modern-day “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose” if you’re familiar with that one — is in perfect lockstep. “Ted’s” first couple of episodes jump into the anything-goes waters a little awkwardly, but once it finds its groove and lets its characters develop over multiple episodes, it’s about as smart and funny as anything else on television today. The exceptionally gifted ensemble cast (Malcolm Barrett, Jonathan Slavin, Portia de Rossi, Andrea Anders and Isabella Acres), of which any member is capable of stealing any given episode, doesn’t exactly hurt matters, either.
Contents: 13 episodes, no extras.
Worth a Mention
— “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Special Edition” (PG, 2009, Warner Bros.): A review copy wasn’t ready as this one went to press, but six movies in, your mind probably is already made up as to whether you’re sticking with it to the finish or not. For whatever it’s worth, the runtime — 153 minutes — hypothetically allows “Half-Prince” a little more wiggle room than the frazzled “Order of the Phoenix” (a 900-plus-page book compressed into a 138-minute movie) received. Extras include deleted scenes, three behind-the-scenes features, a J.K. Rowling “year in the life” feature, a sneak peak at “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” and a digital copy.
— “Coraline: Limited Edition Gift Set” (PG, 2009, Universal): If you somehow passed on “Coraline’s” recent home video debut but love the film enough to splurge on it — or, you know, if you’re gift shopping — this set, which includes the Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy editions of the film, is a beauty from the box on down. With that said, if you lack a Blu-ray player, a good chunk of the bonus content is off-limits to you. Blu-ray-only features include a making-of documentary, picture-in-picture behind-the-scenes material, two other behind-the-scenes features and deleted scenes. The DVD edition includes director/composer commentary. The package also includes four pairs of 3D glasses to watch the optional 3D video track (available on both discs), a companion art booklet and four postcards that are too pretty to actually mail.