Ice Age: Collision Course (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
Confession time. I’ve never seen any of the Ice Age films before. The saga began back in 2002 when I was still a wee lad in college. At that age, they looked too kiddie for my refined early 20s taste and certainly weren’t even looking the slightest Pixar-esque. Now, its 14 years since that first film and I have two children. I once tried to put the first film on for them and they seemingly didn’t care much for it (I was doing something else, no paying attention). They claim to have seen one at a cousin’s house and it was all right. So, what I’m trying to convey here going into the review for this fifth excursion into the Ray Romano/Dennis Leary franchise, is that my experience and knowledge on these films is very minimal. If I’m not getting a reference, or for some reason enjoy this too much, then there is my disclaimer as to why. Continue reading ‘Ice Age: Collision Course (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
Jupiter Ascending, quite the despised film that I guess won’t go away thanks to a new home video format. My average film score on the Blu-ray and kind thoughts on the merits it did bring to the table were met with plenty of disdain when I posted the review and shared it to social media. The Wachowski film is returning to our visibility, as its dropping early on here in the 4K UHD format and its easy to see why beyond the film itself. First, they need to make as much money back on the bomb as they can, but also its a recent film that is by a pair of directors who shine in terms of visual spectacle. And this film delivers a lot in terms of action, science fiction and visual effects. Whether it succeeds or not is your own opinion, but it does offer that kinda stuff up. Its the kind of movie a home theater junkie may overlook the film quality itself just for the dose of Atmos sound and stunning picture quality. For me, its time to look back at the film again and see how I feel this time out. 
X-Men (along with Blade) is credited with giving launch to the 2nd wave of comic book superhero movies. Its also, cleverly, still going along within its own continuity. Two years ago, Bryan Singer returned to the franchise he gave life with the fun and exciting Days Of Future Past. That film melded together the original cast with the younger First Class team. The film both worked as a sequel to First Class and sort of a cap off to the original crew. That film sort of ended on a clean slate, allowing this universe to cross old territories and new without worry. They decided to begin with the biggest mutant villain there is, Apocalypse, while re-introducing some of the more popular mutants that had been absent for a few films. 
Back in the days I used to fashion myself as a pretty big Ghostbusters fan. I lost count how many times I seen the original back in the 80’s, but I can honestly attest to only seeing the second film once. We all know how bad that film is so I won’t even go there. Needless to say a third Ghostbusters film has been rumored to be in the works now for decades. Did they need a third Ghostbusters film? Of course they did not, but you can’t keep a good cash cow down forever. Sooner or later it’s going to rear its ugly head, hence this year’s Independence Day: Resurgence. So that’s where things get interesting. I was convinced that this reboot of the “franchise” was going to suck hard based on my animosity towards the film’s first trailer, but a recent visit with the original Ghostbusters on 4K UHD Blu-ray made me think otherwise. This 2016 entry is an absolute blast! 
I have to admit, even with the ridiculous latest entry in the family, X-Men: Apocalypse, I’m ecstatic to be tackling X-Men: First Class here. Ask me why. I dare you! Well, since you asked, I suppose the only nice thing to do would be to divulge. I’m “ultra” excited for this one simply because ever since they did this First Class I haven’t looked back. With the exception of Wolverine’s character, I had some small issues with the original X-Men films, especially the third one. However, First Class came along and totally made me a fan again with it’s reboot characteristics, vintage “freshness” and fantastic young cast. It’s an absolute blast. Needless to say I’m stoked about First Class making its 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray debut this past Tuesday. So let’s get started! 
The Legend of Tarzan feels like a film that was set up to fail from the very start. How much interest is there really with a modern day telling of Tarzan where your leading man sports blonde locks? The trailers were personally satisfying, but something about it just reeked of stay away to me. That’s why I never saw this one theatrically. Now don’t get me wrong. I love me some Alexander Skarsgard. I grew up watching and adoring him as Eric in True Blood and his casting here had absolutely nothing to do with my staying away from this property theatrically. Admittedly so I’m not much of a Tarzan fan. I could care less really. However, that state of mind all changed after seeing Suicide Squad this past August. I realized something about The Legend of Tarzan I failed to initially see. Margot Robbie is in this one! Hello, Jane! Me Tarzan! 
Every summer folks flock to see the giant superhero blockbusters, the big animated features for the family (That a lot of adults get more out of), large scale epics, Purge movies and some of those small films that click along the way. Forgotten among the ranks sometimes are the straight comedies and rom coms with notable casts. You gotta fill that void a couple times a month and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates was one of those movies. It felt like you couldn’t escape that trailer no matter what you went to see from the Spring until it came out. A trailer that felt it was giving away the best the film had to offer. While I kinda looked at it as one I’d wait for home video on, I still was kinda interested based on the cast. The movie was a decent sized hit while being unfavorable with the critics. But, hey, everyone has a different sense of humor. 
Before visiting The Great Gatsby theatrically, I strongly held the opinion that this was either going to be one of those films you’d love or you’d hate with absolutely no middle ground in the equation. I know I found myself seriously conflicted in how I felt about it for months before I saw it. The first trailer did nothing to persuade me that this was a film I must-see. Other than my infinite love for Baz Luhrmann’s 
When my reviewer Gerard Iribe and Aaron Neuwirth (his Comic-Con 2012 coverage 
Central Intelligence is a movie that came and went theatrically that I cared nothing about. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see it, but I just didn’t want to see it theatrically if that makes any sense. I believed Central Intelligence to just be one of those throwaway films that we merely deem mediocre or passable. I guess looking back I was dead wrong. Not only was Central Intelligence favorable with most critics, but it was also very strong in the box office. That’s where it counts anyway, right? Absolutely! A movie’s not made for art. It’s made for one purpose only. Well, okay two! Films are produced like packaged lunch meat to pack those seats in the theaters and make a profit. Money makes the world go around and that’s Hollywood for you. I got a little off topic, eh? So Central Intelligence… 
Make no mistake about it, Everest is not going to win any feel good movie-of-the-year awards on the new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format. It’s a very cold and brutal experience to behold especially now that it’s crystal clear and more pronounced than ever on the new home media format. The extra clarity of the 4K Ultra HD presentation makes it even more-so an agonizing, painful experience to sit through. However, it’s an experience you’ll come back to again and again like an aging boxer once you get a gander at all its majesty on the 4K format. You can take that to the bank and cash it. So come on in, let me be your guide and I’ll show you around Universal’s 4K Ultra HD treatment of 2015’s Everest. 
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment celebrates the 30th anniversary of the generation-defining fantasy: LABYRINTH, newly restored in 4K. Directed by renowned filmmaker Jim Henson, executive produced by George Lucas (Star Wars) and with a screenplay by Monty Python’s Terry Jones, LABYRINTH stars David Bowie (The Prestige) and Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly (Best Supporting Actress, A Beautiful Mind, 2001) in the story of a girl (Connelly) who must save her little brother from the Goblin King (Bowie). LABYRINTH is presented with an all-new 4K restoration and exclusive Dolby Atmos sound on both the Blu-ray and the 4K Ultra HD releases. The film was fully restored from the 35mm original camera negative, thereby utilizing in 4K the full resolution, detail and color depth inherent in the film. 4K Ultra HD brings the full power of this restoration into the home, featuring four times the resolution of high definition, high dynamic range (HDR)–which produces brilliant highlights, vibrant colors and greater contrast on compatible displays–and Dolby Atmos audio, remixed specifically for the home theater environment, delivering captivating sound that places and moves audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. 
Warcraft is a fantasy adventure film that I can honestly say I know next to nothing about going into this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review. Many years ago, in another life, I remember my co-worker talking about the Blizzard video game of the same name. He passionately spoke about it pretty much every day. I honestly had no idea what he was talking about, but I humored him nonetheless in pretending that I cared and was paying attention. I’m nice like that. Now let’s fast forward to 2016 and all I knew from watching the Universal trailers of Warcraft was that it should look really cool on the big screen or in 4K being the case here. However, I could also see it sucking really hard too. What a great way to start a review here, huh? Not really! Ha ha. 
Ever since it was announced way back when that the beautiful, thumb challenged, mother of three Megan Fox would star as April O’Neil in an all-new live action adventure/reincarnation feature film of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I knew things were completely on the right path. Cowabunga! I was so right! While the 2014 outing was rather silly and probably inconsequential to the survival of the TMNT brand as a whole (the Nickelodeon cartoon carries it alone), the end result was helluva lot of fun to be had (see my movie review 
Now You See Me 2 won’t get any points for originality in the title department. There’s also the absence of one of the Fourth Horseman, Isla Fisher’s character, to explain. However, what I was at least hoping for here was some fun magic, deception and illusion tricks. That much the first film managed to provide. So why can’t the sequel? That’s what I hope to find out with my first viewing of Lionsgate’s Now You See Me 2 on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. I’m ready to be deceived and believe in the impossible. I’ll try not to blink. Abracadabra! Poof! Let the heist begin! 
Who out there was a fan of Snow White and the Huntsman? I have to admit, I initially was going into the theatrical screening. It looked dark and broody and I was looking forward to seeing Charlize Theron as the evil queen of the famous fairy tale “Snow White.” However, I just don’t know. In the end, I just could not embrace Kristen Stewart in the role of Snow White, but I digress. There were more issues in that film than just Kristen. So when word broke that there would be a second film, which serves as both a prequel and a sequel to the aforementioned title, and best of all not involve Stewart, I thought win-win. However, my rejoice was short-lived when the reviews for The Huntsman: Winter’s War starting pouring in like this one from our Aaron Neuwirth 
The Angry Birds Movie is not something I woke up on Friday thinking wow I can’t wait to watch this one in 4K Blu-ray. No way! I came home from a hard day of work and found the latest Blu-ray care package on my doorstep that day. I immediately proceeded to rip the Sony Pictures Home Entertainment package open. I knew I was receiving The Angry Birds Movie for my reviewer, Brandon Peters, but what I didn’t know was that it was the 4K Blu-ray Combo Pack that pretty much contains everything under the kitchen sink. I’m not kidding you about that. I’ll talk a little more about everything you’ll find within here down below in the Extras section. 
Lucy was one of those in-home viewing experiences you can’t take back. It was a religious experience, one of the best of my life. After being slightly disappointed by the quality of my sci-fi fave Oblivion on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray (review 
