Welcome to this month's DVD reviews & video
reviews. Home video is exploding these days because of one thing: Digital
Video Discs, or DVD. DVD brings more than just an enhanced version of popular movies,
the additional features they often include, such as deleted scenes and interviews with
the directors and actors, mean that DVDs have much more value than simple VHS home video.
And with DVD players now available for under $30.00, there's no stopping them. Nearly
80% of American homes now own a DVD player. We hope you enjoy our DVD reviews.
NOTE: Television will be undergoing a
major change in 2009. By Federal law, broadcast stations will cease transmitting in traditional analog on
February 17, 2009 and switch exclusively to digital. This is a separate issue from whether or
not you have a new High Definition television. If you receive your television signal over the air via an antenna, you should
check out the US Government's Digital Television Information site at http://www.dtv2009.gov/
which details the upcoming changes and will tell you how you can get a coupon worth $40.00 toward a settop
converter box for older televisions. If you get your signal by cable or satellite, you should check with
your service provider.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld stars as the voice of Barry the young bee who faces the decision of his life when it comes time to choose his place in the hive. Barry just can't bring himself to accept having to do the same job for the rest of his life, so he (pardon the expression) worms his way in with the pollen jocks who gather pollen the hive uses to make honey. But Barry's first trip outside the hive takes a dangerous turn when he accidentally flies into the apartment of a human named Vanessa (voiced by Renee Zellweger). Barry breaks a bee law by talking to Vanessa in order to thank her for saving his life.
However, the story gets complicated as Barry learns that humans take honey from bees. He sees this as a gross injustice and sues the human race for stealing the honey from the bees. This being a comedy, of course he wins. The upshot is that since they no longer have to produce so much honey to keep the humans happy, bees stop working. So suddenly plants aren't getting pollinated and the whole world seems doomed because of Barry.
Its a simple story with very gentle and fairly predictable gags. Its aimed at the grade school audience, and Dreamworks has yet to master being funny without being gross or offensive as its rivals at Disney/Pixar have, so it won't entertain adults nearly as much as movies like Toy Story or Ratatouille. Still, its a perfect choice for family movie night.
Talented British actor Tom Wilkinson plays Arthur Edens, the lead attorney on the case who
goes off his anti-psychotic meds and starts a chain of events that lead to the chaos. Its up
to the law firm's fixer, Michael Clayton (George Clooney), to clean up the mess and get the
trial back on track because its been dragging on for years and the firm's financial health
depends on a successful conclusion in the near future - whatever the final verdict ends up
coming from the jury. But our boy Michael has something of a gambling problem, which has
basically destroyed his personal life and when he tries to save his brother from the loan
sharks, he turns to his boss to get a large loan from the firm. Clayton's been the go-to guy
when it comes to saving clients from everything from DUI arrests to even shadier deals, so he
knows "where all of the bodies are buried", as the saying goes. So, one the one hand he's
invaluable to the firm, but on the other hand when he comes asking for money, his boss
suspects a shake-down is brewing.
Meanwhile, Tilda Swinton plays Karen Crowden, the chief counsel for uNorth, the
corporation that makes the pesticide. Having recently moved up the food chain to her current
lofty position, thanks to her boss getting promoted to the board of directores, Crowden is
nearly buckling under the pressure herself. She knows that there's a smoking gun lurking in
the files because Arthur Edens is threatening to disclose everything to the plaintiffs. Its
a case of do or die for her, and she's not above making people disappear to save herself.
Its a very slow-starter, but your pulse does start to pick up near the middle of the movie
when all of the little sub-plots start to mesh. George Clooney shows his underappreciated
talents here with a very low-key portrayal of this complicated character. Tilda Swinton is
outstanding as she shows Karen Crowden shivering in fear as she prepares for the board
meeting, then collects herself enough to make it through her presentation. Its a movie
for movie-lovers. Extras on the DVD include commentary by director Tony Gilroy and film
editor John Gilroy, and additional scenes.
Mr. Magorium's is unlike other toy stores. This one is truly magical. Weird and wonderful
things happen there every day. Kids love to come to the store just to play, especially the
unusual boy named Eric Applebaum (Zach Mills) who comes to the store each day wearing a different hat from
his collection. Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman)
loves to help and watch the kids enjoy themselves. 23 year-old Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman), a child prodigy
on the piano, has worked at Mr. Magorium's since she was 15. She's been trying to compose
a masterpiece for years, but she's "stuck" on the fourth bar, so she fills her days helping
Mr. Magorium. But Magorium is 243 years old and believes his time is near, so to prepare for
giving the store to Mahoney, he hires an accountant Henry Weston (Justin Bateman) whom he
immediately nicknames "Mutant" because an accountant is a combination of "counting" and "mutant".
When Magorium does finally leave, the store goes into a funk and refuses to be magical anymore.
It takes the help of the boy and the mutant to help Mahoney find her "sparkle" and to realize
her true potential.
Released in theaters for Christmas 2007, this charming children's movie was not well-received
by critics, and its a shame because its truly a sweet movie with great performances by stars
Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Justin Bateman, and especially child actor Zach Mills. You'll
enjoy it at least as much as your kids will - perhaps more.
Be sure to visit us again next month when we'll have more
great DVD Reviews! Our home video DVD reviews are written by our
Editor, Richard L. Trethewey.
Rainbo Reviews' DVD reviews are published monthly. Back issues of our DVD reviews are available from the Rainbo Book Reviews Archive.
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