Top Ten DVD List for 7-5-16
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Film
Review by Kam Williams
Alexander
Skarsgard Stars as Legendary King of the Jungle
Tarzan became a sensation soon after his initial introduction
to the world via pulp magazines published in 1912. Created by Edgar
Rice Burroughs, the character proved to be such an enduring cultural
icon that he would become the subject of a series of best-selling
novels, 200+ movies and a long line of consumer products.
According
to the lore spun by Burroughs, Tarzan, aka John Clayton, was the son
of a couple of British aristocrats who perished in Africa while the
boy was still an infant. The baby was subsequently raised by apes in
the wild where he became so in tune with nature that he learned to
speak the language of all the beasts residing there.
Moreover,
as the legendary "Lord of the Jungle," he not only
exercised dominion over the animal kingdom but over cannibalistic
tribes eager to rape white women and to boil missionaries in a big
pot. Such insensitive portrayals of Africans as evil and uncivilized
eventually became controversial in more enlightened times. And after
decades of uncritical appeal, Tarzan finally witnessed a sharp
decline in popularity.
Now,
for the first time this millennium, he's been brought back to the big
screen. Directed by David Yates (Harry Potter 5, 6, 7 and 8), The
Legend of Tarzan features a more politically-correct version of the
controversial character.
Set
in 1884, the film stars Alexander Skarsgard in the title role as well
as Samuel L. Jackson as his sophisticated sidekick, Dr. George
Washington Williams. The American doctor was ostensibly shoehorned
into the story to offset the relatively-primitive image of the
indigenous black folks.
At
the point of departure, we find Tarzan and wife Jane (Margot Robbie)
living in the lap of luxury in London as Lord and Lady Greystoke.
It's apparently been ages since Tarzan has even set foot on the dark
continent.
He
leaps at the chance to return to the Congo, when invited by
Parliament to serve as a trade emissary. What Tarzan doesn't know is
that he is merely a pawn in a plot masterminded by Leon Rom
(Christoph Waltz), a diabolical villain dealing in blood diamonds.
Upon arriving, it doesn't take long for Tarzan to revert from a
proper gent to a feral vine swinger who can summon a thundering herd
of elephants with that distinctive yell. Aaaaaaaargh...
Aaaaaaaaarghaaaah... Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!
Very
Good (3 stars)
Rated PG-13 for
action, violence, sensuality and brief crude dialogue
Running time: 109
minutes
Distributor: Warner
Brothers Pictures
To see a trailer for
The Legend of Tarzan, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj7ty6sViiU
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Film
Review
by Kam Williams
Civil War
Saga Chronicles Exploits of Confederate Soldier-Turned-Slave Revolt
Leader
While the
slave raids led by Nat Turner and John Brown have been well
documented in the annals of American history, the
relatively-successful exploits of another notorious abolitionist
insurrectionist have somehow slipped through the cracks. At least
until now.
Newton
Knight (Matthew McConaughey) was born and raised in Jones County,
Mississippi, the grandson of a slave owner, making him, at first
blush, a very unlikely figure to mount a revolt. He even served as a
medic in the Confederate army during the Civil War, but was
disheartened to learn how the sons of large plantation owners had
been exempted from the military draft. And he was further demoralized
the day a fresh young recruit (Jacob Lofland) from his hometown who
had just joined his unit perished in battle upon reaching the front
lines.
No longer
seeing any sense in poor people fighting to preserve the privileges
of the very rich, Newt impulsively went AWOL, the dead boy's body in
tow. He returned to Jones where he is quickly identified as a
deserter. After being abandoned by his wife (Keri Russell) and having
his farm confiscated by the Confederacy, he flees for his life,
finding sanctuary in a swamp deep in the woods inhabited by a handful
of escaped slaves.
There, he
befriends Moses (Mahershala Ali), a runaway bothered by an iron
collar that had been soldered around his neck by a sadistic slave
master. Newt, a blacksmith by trade, gains the group's trust by
freeing the beleaguered black man from the torturous contraption.
He soon
emerges as its very charismatic, spiritual leader, founding the Free
State of Jones on a quartet of core principles promoting racial
equality. Gradually,
its ranks swell to over 250, with both ex-slaves and disaffected
Rebels joining.
In this
oasis of racial harmony, Newt proceeds to fall in love with Rachel
(Gugu Mbatha-Raw), a beautiful black woman who bears him a son. Thus
unfolds Free State of Jones, a reverential biopic written and
directed by four-time Oscar-nominee Gary Ross.
Matthew
McConaughey shines from beginning to end in a star vehicle where the
virtuous protagonist is never allowed to exhibit a flaw. This costume
drama proves compelling enough, primarily because nobody knew such a
scenario could possibly have unfolded in a Southern state
like Mississippi supposedly marked by segregation and intolerance.
An overdue
history lesson about an important chapter in America's long march to
freedom.
Very Good (3
stars)
Rated R for brutal battle scenes,
an ethnic slur and disturbing images
Running time: 139 minutes
Distributor: STX Entertainment
To see a trailer for Free State of
Jones, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_38WdArR20
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Film
Review
by Kam Williams
It's Surfer
vs. Shark in Harrowing Tale of Survival Offshore
Nancy Adams
(Blake Lively) was so shaken by her mother's (Janelle Bailey)
untimely death that she's dropped out of med school. In order to feel
closer to her dearly departed mom, she's decided to vacation at the
same exotic Mexican retreat where she was reportedly conceived back
in 1991. An avid surfer, she also plans to search for the stretch for
her mom's favorite beach.
Upon
arriving, Nancy is so impatient to find that idyllic, uncharted spot,
that she impulsively heads for the ocean with her surfboard, handbag
and smartphone, abandoning her bushed traveling companion at the
hotel. Instead, she accepts a ride to the shore from the very
obliging Carlos (Oscar Jaenada), an affable local yokel who is more
than happy to serve as the bikini-clad hitchhiker's chauffeur and
navigator.
He drives
away right after depositing her at the secluded cove, yet Nancy has
no qualms about being left alone, since she does have cell service.
Next thing you know, she's blissfully paddling out to deep water
where she's surrounded by a pod of playful dolphins as she starts
riding the mammoth waves.
The plot
thickens soon after she spots the bobbing carcass of a humpback
whale. What Nancy doesn't recognize until it's too late is that she's
inadvertently entered the feeding grounds of a still-hungry shark
who'd rather dine on human flesh than cetacean.
She
subsequently suffers a nasty gash from the initial attack but is
somehow able to swim to a tiny, low-lying island nearby. Her medical
training comes in handy as she quickly fashions a tourniquet from
part of her outfit.
Still, with
high tide coming in a matter of hours, she knows that she's got to
figure out how to survive once this temporary sanctuary sinks below
sea level. The shore is 200 yards away, which is way to far to swim
with a determined predator steadily circling as her blood drips into
the water.
A couple of
potential rescuers (Jose Manuel Trujillo Salas and Angelo Josue
Lozano Corzo) show up, but hope fades fast when the dopey duo simply
starts swimming without noticing the damsel-in-distress. The next
beachgoer (Diego Espejel) does see that Nancy's in need, but he
seizes the opportunity to steal her phone and other personal effects
left on the sand.
This means
spunky Nancy must survive by her wits, a daunting challenge given her
dire straits. Thus unfolds The Shallows, an engaging,
edge-of-the-seat thriller expertly directed by Jaume Collett-Serra
(Non-Stop) to ratchet up the tension.
The movie
borrows elements from Jaws (headstrong, maniacal shark), Castaway
(this stranded heroine bonds with a seagull instead of a volleyball),
Blue Crush (oodles of gratuitous titillation) and MacGyver (a
brilliant tinkerer exhibits endless ingenuity). The good news is that
it all has been sewn together quite seamlessly yielding a thoroughly
enjoyable screamfest reminding us that it's still not safe to swim in
the ocean.
Excellent (4
stars)
Rated PG-13 for bloody images,
intense scenes of peril and brief profanity
Running time: 87 minutes
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
To see a trailer for The Shallows,
visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgdxIlSuB70
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