Category: Home Video Releases

The Great Ghost Rescue, A Movie Review

Despite the hiccups that The Great Ghost Rescue has for pace, this product can be an enjoyable light-hearted Halloween treat for the entire family.

The Great Ghost RescueHumphrey was once an ordinary boy with an ordinary life. Well, that is, until he died—quite by accident, really. But just do not tell his best friend, Barnabas, that. His death literally sets in motion The Great Ghost Rescue, a tongue-in-cheek horror comedy from the UK about dislocated spirits looking for a new home.

This movie made a quiet releaseThe Great Ghost Rescue on this side of the pond with very little fanfare during a Halloween season. Also, this film is by no means a faithful adaptation of Eva Ibbotson’s original novelThe Great Ghost Rescue of the same name, published 1975. And the message it makes about how one particular family can stay strong during a moment of crisis cannot go unnoticed.

While children may not get all of the jokes, older audiences can easily chuckle at the hilarious sight gags and crazy societal dysfunction going on. This production is a blend of the humour from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the grisly silliness from The Addams Family. Even though the laughs are cheap and the acting over the top, this film can be enjoyed when everyone is sharing that same sugar rush after trick or treating.

Continue reading “The Great Ghost Rescue, A Movie Review”

Superman Unbound DVD Review

With Superman Unbound, the characterizations are on par with what some people would expect before or after seeing the live action movie. The DVD release comes packaged with a good set of bonus material to get fans up to speed with what goes in Supes’ world.

Superman UnboundThe animated movies in the DC Animated Universe have often been consistently good. Some are better than others, namely the Batman films, and for Superman, some viewers may have to wonder why Tim Daly cannot reprise the role? For the people who grew up watching Superman: The Animated Series cartoon and Justice League (Unlimited), he was the seminal voice. But for every generation, this character gets reinvented anyways.

With Superman: Unbound, the characterizations are on par with what some people would expect before or after seeing the live action movie. The DVD release comes packaged with a good set of bonus material to get fans up to speed with what goes in Supes’ world. Without a doubt, Warner Bros Animation was hoping one product would ride the popularity wave of another, namely the release of Man of Steel. When a primer is needed to acquaint newcomers to who Superman is, both products do a good job to get newcomers acquainted to knowing who from Krypton survived.

While Supes’ home planet was destroyed quite literally from within, the city of Kandor was spared by being miniaturized by Brainiac, a cyborg not of Kryptonian origin. Unlike previous continuities which defined him as a product of Kryptonian science, this version is from another world. Just like Superman who protects Metropolis, Brainiac thinks he can do the same, but in more controlled if not sinister circumstances. But as Supes observes, he’s not in control of every single environmental variable–namely in what Mother Nature can toss at him.

Continue reading “Superman Unbound DVD Review”

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Series Analysis and DVD Review

The plots were simple and the latest series, Scooby-Doo, Mystery Incorporated, takes the concept further. Nearly all the cases the Scooby gang investigates are linked in some way.

Scooby Doo Mystery IncorporatedThe concept of having a talking Great Dane as a mascot to a gang of paranormal mystery solving enthusiasts was introduced in September of 1969, and the cartoon Scooby-Doo Where Are You! became a resounding success. The television show underwent many incarnations throughout the years and many kids watched a version of the show before going to school or as part of the Saturday morning routine. The plots were simple and the latest series, Scooby-Doo, Mystery Inc, takes the concept further. Nearly all the cases the Scooby gang investigates are linked in some way. And now it can be enjoyed with the series fully available on DVD. The last set was released in June.

Part of season one dealt with the Scooby gang discovering that they are part of an exclusive club. Apparently there was another group before them who created Mystery Incorporated, and both fellowships shared similar goals. To have this series slowly reveal details about this older group is intriguing and when the current gang discovers a legend about cursed treasure akin to what existed in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, the stage has been set. The gang slowly finds pieces of an astrolabe known as the Planispheric Disk, and they have to put it together before the coming of Nibiru, aka Planet X.

Continue reading “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Series Analysis and DVD Review”

Escape from Planet Earth and; Hidden Messages, a Blu-Ray Review

Had Escape from Planet Earth have been more diligent with its message of mending fences then this movie might have fared better

Escape from Planet EarthFans of Brendan Fraser’s work will most likely find enjoyment with Escape from Planet Earth. He is the perfect fit to voice Scorch Supernova, a not-so bright hero from the planet Baab. This astronaut thinks might makes right when defending his world from mysterious forces from beyond his solar system. Most of the vocal talent like Jessica Alba,  George Lopez and Ricky Gervais fit in rather well to the character archetypes they are portraying in this film but this talent does not help save it from certain production problems. There is no clear target audience for Rainmaker Entertainment’s first foray into feature film development.

Continue reading “Escape from Planet Earth and; Hidden Messages, a Blu-Ray Review”

It’s Showtime! With Beetlejuice, the Animated Series DVD Review

People who buy Beetlejuice the animated series will love the packaging and design, and have some merry laughs when watching.

Beetlejuice DVDRekindling certain flavors of 80’s cartoon-dom requires certain key characters to enter the video library. At the tail end of this decade came Beetlejuice, the animated series. This ghost with the most’s violent tendencies were toned down and for some unknown reason, both him and Lydia Deets are best-pals.

Fans of Tim Burton’s movie will have to wonder what happened in between since the two were unlikely allies; even at the end of the film, these two parted ways and Beetlejuice was “awaiting reassignment.” Despite the differences between the film and cartoon, the series lasted for a good four seasons—a rarity for any cartoon.

It’s tough to resist a character who reeks of mischief. This miscreant of the supernatural world gets into more trouble than he realizes, and to see him worm his way out of situations is one of the charms this series has. With Shout! Factory’s bare bones video release, viewers do not have to scout the internet or television stations to find where this ghost is hiding. If he pops out at the wrong time, then maybe someone will lose their funny bone. Stephen Ouimette does a great job in voicing this character and emulating Keaton’s style. Even the editorial staff of Patsy Cameron and Tedd Anasti certainly know their product to ensure consistency.

Continue reading “It’s Showtime! With Beetlejuice, the Animated Series DVD Review”