I have to admit, I’ve really been dreading this review.  It’s not easy for me to admit that I don’t understand something, and unfortunately, that’s the situation I find myself in now.  Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet, recently released on Blu-Ray, is probably an epic masterpiece.  I mean, this is the first time that Shakespeare’s text has been filmed in its entirety.  The story is legend, the characters infamous, and the dialogue classic.  But after over four hours (!) of watching, I couldn’t even begin to recount what happened.  Brilliant as it all may be, I just couldn’t follow it.

That’s not to say that I couldn’t appreciate what I was seeing.  Shot in 70MM, the film is a gorgeous visual expierence.  This is a lavish production; Shakespeare on a grand scale.  After seeing Hamlet presented this way, I couldn’t imagine watching it scaled back to the stage.  Branagh does a masterful job directing, placing the audience into the psyche of these characters.  Although the Bard could have never comprehended his material being presented this way, the material almost feels as if it’s tailor-made for the cinema.

Although I never understood “what” was happening, I always felt as if I had a grasp on the emotional resonance of each moment.  It’s obvious that Brannagh has an exceptional grasp on the material.  I mean, as a director, he’d have to.  But he never resorts to the “point and shoot” method of filmmaking.  It feels as if every move of the camera is calculated, and every edit designed for maximum impact.  This is pure cinema, perfectly suited to his talents.

I’ve always found it impressive when a director stars in their own film. As Hamlet, Brannagh did seem occasionally over-the-top, but I’m sure that’s the way the character is designed to be played.  It’s a very theatrical performance, one that might work better on the stage.  And yet, it still works here.  It’s not the type of performance that I’m used to, but then again, this isn’t the type of film that I’m used to seeing.

Especially surprising is the ensemble he managed to put together.  It’s quite the eclectic cast, with everyone from Robin Williams to Charlton Heston showing up.  I was genuinely surprised to see some of the performances he got from people who I’ve never associated with Shakespeare.  The only actor I didn’t care for was Jack Lemmon.  Above all others, his acting felt recited rather than performed.  But again, considering the material, even simple recitation seems impressive.

It’s apparent that there was a passion for the material from those involved.  This enthusiasm comes through quite heavily in the bonus features.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that there is any new material, but rather, recycled features from previous releases.  However, I still enjoyed seeing those involved elaborate on the thrill it was for them to make this movie.  I found myself getting jealous of their enthusiasm for the project.  It’s as if there’s a great story out there that I’ll never know thanks to my own inability to comprehend the nature in which the story is told.

The features include an introduction by Branagh, a feature on the history of Hamlet, and the theatrical trailer.  There is also a commentary with Branagh and Russell Jackson, editor of “The Cambridge Guide to Shakespeare on Film” as well as the professor of drama and theatre arts at the University of Birmingham.  When writing these articles, I almost always watch the commentary tracks; however, after four hours of watching the actual movie, I just couldn’t bring myself to watch this one.  I’m sure it’s a fascinating listen for those interested.  Unfortunately, that isn’t me.

Overall, I’m glad I had the opportunity to watch the film.  I found it fascinating more than entertaining, and would highly recommend it to those who are already fans of the story.  However, if you are like me, and struggle with Shakespeare to begin with, I can’t really recommend this film.  Honestly, this is the first time that I’ve reviewed a film that felt like homework.  And if it was, I’m afraid I would have failed.

Elvis on Tour, considered to be Presley’s last film before his death in 1977, was described by Variety in their review as “a bright, entertaining pop music documentary detailing episodes in the later professional life of Elvis Presley, the pioneer Pied Piper of rock music.”  The film was written and directed by Robert Abel and Pierre Adidge, and the cinematographer was Lucien Ballard.

The documentary features 25 musical numbers and backstage rehearsals. Songs include: See See Rider, Proud Mary, Burning Love, Don’t Be Cruel, Teddy Bear, Hound Dog, Can’t Help Falling in Love with You, Love Me Tender, All Shook Up, Suspicious Minds, Heartbreak Hotel, Are You Lonesome Tonight, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Sweet Sweet Spirt, the famous An American Trilogy. Burning Love  appears in its first-ever performance by Elvis; the song was so new that Elvis referred to the lyric sheet during his performance. Also included are Elvis’ Ed Sullivan Show performance, and a montage sequence (supervised by Martin Scorsese) showcasing Elvis’ early career and movies.

Some of the highlights include:
· Remastered in High Definition with 16 x 9 2.40 letterboxed image, as seen in the theatrical release.
· Blu-ray audio will be DTS-HD Master Audio (5.1 Surround); DVD audio will be Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround.
· Packaged as a Blu-ray book filled with Elvis photos, quotes, trivia, a tour itinerary, set lists, costumes, and background information about the filming techniques used.
· 25 musical numbers spotlight Elvis Presley’s talent, range and showmanship in captivating on-stage performances and intimate backstage rehearsals with his band.
· Contains Elvis’ first performance of “Burning Love,” which was so new, Elvis referred to the lyric sheet during his performance.
· Elvis’ Ed Sullivan Show performance is included, in which the charm, personality and musical ability that made him an icon is so evident.
· Montage sequences (supervised by Martin Scorsese) showcasing Elvis’ early career and movies
· Elvis on Tour will also be available day and date on Video on Demand from cable and satellite providers and for electronic download from online retailers including iTunes, Microsoft Xbox LIVE, Zune marketplace and Amazon Video on Demand.
 
Jailhouse Rock
In this 1957 box-office hit, “Presley’s best film” according to Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide, the king plays Vince Everett, a man jailed for manslaughter after a bar fight. While in prison, Vince learns to belt out tunes. After being paroled, he then follows a bumpy road to music and movie success. Six Presley songs by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller spike the story, including “Treat Me Nice,” “I Wanna Be Free” and the classic shimmy-shakin’ title tune that was Presley’s favorite of all his films’ production numbers.
 
DVD Special Features:
· Commentary by Steve Pond, music journalist
· Restored and Digitally-Remastered in a 16×9 master, enhanced for widescreen televisions
· New Featurette: The Scene That Stole Jailhouse Rock
· Soundtrack Remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 from original production elements
· Theatrical Trailer
· Subtitles: English & Français (Feature Film Only)
 
Viva Las Vegas
In one of his most popular movies, Elvis Presley shared the screen with Ann-Margret in Las Vegas, easily creating the most electrifying teaming Elvis had on-screen. He’s Lucky Jackson, a Grand Prix race driver working at a casino to raise cash for a new engine; she’s a hotel swimming instructor. The romantic action revs up from their first meeting. Veteran director George Sidney, who guided Ann-Margret in the prior year’s Bye Bye Birdie, combines the hormonal heat wave with fascinating sights of 1960s Las Vegas. Songs include the high-roller title track, the stars’ duet on “The Lady Loves Me,” her sultry “Appreciation” and the king’s version of Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say.”
 
Special Features:
· Commentary by Steve Pond, rock journalist and author of “Elvis in Hollywood”
· Restored and Digitally-Remastered in a 16×9 master, enhanced for widescreen televisions.
· New featurette: Kingdom: Elvis in Vegas
· Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 from original production elements
· Theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English & Français (feature film only)

I’ve always been a sucker for the worlds depicted in Greek mythology.  Because of this, I would find myself as a child watching the original Clash of the Titans over and over again, imagining what it would be like to live in that world with those incredible creatures and locations.  It’s been many years since then, and I found myself settling in to watch this remake with a combination of hope and fear.  Would they have contemporized it to such a degree that all sense of wonder was removed?  Or would they be able to replicate that sense of awe and transport me back to that state of mind I had as a kid?

Well, as it turns out, the answer is a little bit of both.  This version of the story doesn’t have that same sense of child-like whimsy to it.  Rather, it is a much grittier and darker take on the story.  However, I was still amazed by the sheer imagination and depth of detail on display.  I love it when a film creates an entire world unlike our own.  Here, the filmmakers have crafted a place where men and Gods are at war.  Where enormous scorpions and sea-creatures seem expected, and journeys to the underworld not that far-fetched.  The film is a technical marvel.  Unfortunately, I didn’t find the script worthy of the artistry on display.

It is very obvious that all of the work on this film went into the special-effects eye-candy, and not so much into dialogue or characterizations.  Sam Worthington (Avatar, Terminator: Salvation) play Perseus, a Demi-God not only at war with the Gods, but with himself.  He is the son of a mortal woman and the God of lightning, Zeus.  However, Zeus’ brother Hades (God of the Underworld) killed those Perseus had come to call his family, leading Perseus on a rampage against all of the Gods.  Denying his own Godly heritage, Perseus takes a team (including a Djinn and a woman who doesn’t age) on an epic mythological quest to destroy the Gods.

His story-line is simultaneously simplistic and convoluted.  The narrative makes sense, but the motivations aren’t always clear.  Even more confusing are the actions of Zeus.  As played by Laim Neeson, he seems to be a needy dictator along with being a kindly father-figure.  Throughout the film, he flip-flops between wanting to destroy man, and wanting to save them.  He provides tools for Perseus along his journey (a flying horse, a coin to pay for passage in the underworld, etc), and yet is the one who set the events in motion that Perseus is trying to stop.

I ended up watching the film twice, and I still can’t entirely understand why Zeus and Hades do what they do throughout the film.  Having said that, none of that really matters in a film like this.  What matters is how “cool” Medusa looks, how they depict the voyage to the Underworld, what Mount Olympus looks like, etc.  In this regard, the film is a huge success.  And this is why I loved Warner Bros. treatment of the recently released Blu-Ray.

In putting this set together, they understood the appeal of the film.  As such, there is a ton of great material exploring set design and construction, the evolution of the creatures, the special effects, etc.  By the time I got through all of the extras, I had a definitive understanding of what went into each major set-piece.  They show the filming of most of the key sequences, as well as a lot of concept art, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage.

A lot of this material is presented in a feature Warner Bros. calls “Maximum Movie Mode.”  This is a really neat concept where you can watch the behind-the-scenes footage while watching the movie.  I really enjoy watching the features this way, rather than just going through a list of extras after the fact.  They also have several moments where you can leave the film to watch a feature on a specific segment.  These are accessible through the main menu as well, but I found myself appreciating them a lot more in conjunction with “Maximum Movie Mode.”

I don’t know if I would have enjoyed this as much as the original when I was a child.  What I do know is that I really enjoyed the movie as an adult.  It obviously could have been better, but as pure eye-candy, the filmmakers did a great job.

Before I begin discussing why I enjoyed The Losers so much, I have to make it very clear that nobody would ever consider this to be “a good movie.”  The plot is convoluted, the action sequences preposterous, and there is no substance to be found.  It’s just that sometimes an action movie is so over-the-top, it becomes easy to buy into the false reality of the situation.  It doesn’t hurt that the ensemble cast all seem to be having the time of their lives.

For those who don’t know, The Losers is based on a very popular graphic novel.  Personally, I’ve never read it, so I don’t know how strictly the filmmakers have adhered to the source material.  What I do know is that stylistically, the film feels very much like a comic come to life.  Every action beat and every conversation seem to come from a hyper-kinetic frame of reference.  The story, as much as there is one, revolves around a team of Special Forces Operatives who are framed by a man named Max for the deaths of several children.  Several years later, a woman named Aisha presents them with an opportunity for revenge.  Their hunt for Max ends up taking the expected twists and turns, featuring all the doublecrosses and betrayals the genre is known for.

We’ve seen this plot a thousand times.  We’ve even seen it done in the over-the-top comic book style that director Sylvain White shoots the film.  However, this film stands out among the rest because of it’s extremely enthusiastic cast.  Every character is memorable, and the actors seem to relish the opportunity to just have fun.  While the action never stops, the actors help bring a degree of humor to everything that is happening.  This keeps anything from ever becoming too serious.

Standing out among the cast is Chris Evans as Jensen.  For example, he has a sequence where he tries to convince a room full of armed men that he has the power to shoot bullets out of his fingers.  The scene is dumb, but his enthusiasm is infectious.  I found myself really drawn into these little moments.  As Aisha, Zoe Saldana also does a great job.  She’s been having a terrific year, coming off of Star Trek and Avatar.  This film might not have as much exposure as those two, but I found her performance just as compelling this time around.  She’s made some really smart moves in her career, and I think that we’re going to be seeing a lot more of her.  Rounding out the cast are Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Idris Elba, and Jason Patric as the villainous Max.  He really hams it up in his performance, but I enjoyed his schtick.  Nobody will be winning any awards this time around, but sometimes all a movie needs to be is fun.

For the most part, the film isn’t very well known.  It came and went from the theaters pretty quickly, and as such, the Blu-Ray release isn’t all that great.  In fact, the longest feature is a “first look” at an upcoming animated Batman film.  Other than that, there’s just a sampling of short documentaries.  My favorite was called “The Losers: Action Style Storytelling.”  This feature analyzed the film from the perspective of those who created the original graphic novel.  As I said, I’ve never read any of the material myself.  Still, it was really interesting to learn about the adaption process and how the two mediums lend themselves to each other.  There are a lot of comparisons of the original comic to the film adaption, and it’s pretty amazing how the filmmakers didn’t simply recreate the images, but captured the tone as well.

The other features were all pretty short (most running just over 5 minutes).  I enjoyed the feature showcasing how they recreated locations from around the world all within Puerto Rico.  However, I found the feature about how Zoe Saldana interacted with the cast to be a complete waste of time.  There is also a feature about the Special Ops influence within the film as well as a very short and pointless deleted scene.

I admit that this isn’t a film for everybody.  You have to be willing to suspend disbelief as well as logic when watching a movie like this.  If you aren’t somebody who can do that, then this definitely isn’t a movie for you.  However, if you are looking for a highly stylized, instantly disposable action film with a lot of fun characters and situations, then The Losers is definitely a winner.