BluTuesday - July 15, 2014
What’s going on, ProFans? I’m taking a break from recuperating from my 37th birthday yesterday to bring you the latest in home media releases for July 15, 2014. In this week’s episode, we discuss… well, a lot of stuff. So, let’s not rest on preamble, because we have two weeks worth of goodness to get into. Let’s get into it, shall we?
The Legend of Korra - Book Two: Spirits
- Available July 1st
The beautifully animated The Legend of Korra series kicks off our list with Book Two: Spirits. In this Book, Korra and her friends travel to the Southern Water World to continue their adventures, as well as going to the Spirit World to meet the Avatars before her, including the very first Avatar in the reincarnation cycle. This series comes in both a two-disc Blu-ray version and a two-disc DVD version. This series is very well written and wonderfully acted .This is certainly a show for people of all ages.
Helix: Season 1
- Available July 1st
Nothing good can ever come out of tinkering with nature. This is basically what happens in the first season of Helix; a group of scientists from the CDC travel to the Arctic to investigate a disease outbreak. What ends up happening is that outbreak could either lead to humanity’s salvation or its annihilation. This series is available on both a three-disc Blu-ray version and a three-disc DVD version. This looks completely and utterly terrifying, and it may be the perfect show for you. As for me, I’m out.
Bad Words
- Available July 8th
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 64%
Get ready to see Jason Bateman as you’ve never seen him: a complete and total jerk. The gist of the story is that Jason Bateman plays a 40-year-old guy who finds a loophole in a local spelling bee contest. Armed with that knowledge, he sets out to not only troll the competition, but utterly humiliate anyone around him. This film is available in both a two-disc Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy version and a single-disc DVD version. I’ve been a fan of Jason Bateman’s since he was in Hogan’s Family (yes, I really do go that far back). This seems to be a stretch for him - as well as it being his directorial debut, and I can’t recommend it any higher than that.
The Raid 2
- Available July 8th
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 79%
I’m gonna make this one short and sweet: if you’ve seen The Raid: Redemption, then you know what you’re getting into here. People are going to die in brutal ways, it’s gonna be a lot of fun, and you’ll enjoy it. The movie itself is available in both a single-disc Bluray version and a single-disc DVD version. Go watch it; I can’t make it any clearer than that.
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 46%
The cast from 2011’s smash hit Rio are back to make you go…”meh.” Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and Jewel (Anne Hathaway) find their way back to the Amazon, where they get to meet Jewel’s family, including her father (Andy Garcia). Hilarity ensues… sorta. This movie is available in a three-disc 3D Blu-ray/Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy version, a two-disc Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy version, and a single-disc DVD version. Their heart is in the right place with this one, but I just couldn’t seem to enjoy this one like the last one.
RELATED: Review: The Art of Rio
DYNAMITE! DYNAMITE! Based on the movie of the same name, this animated series continues the story of the eponymous character (voiced by Michael Jai White) as he continues on his adventures as the kung-fu kicking, lady killing, soul brother. Here, he’s assisted by his crew: the hilarious Cream Corn (Tommy Davidson) and the knockout Honey Pot (Kym Whitley). This season is available in both a single-disc Blu-ray version and a two-disc DVD version. I loved the movie, and I love the series; nothing more I can add to that except for… DYNAMITE! DYNAMITE!
Okay. Hell on Wheels continues the story of former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannan as he sets across the country with a thirst for revenge and… that’s about it. He’s… he’s full of anger, this guy. He wants vengeance on the people who killed his family, and in this season, he wants revenge on the Natives who destroyed the railroad settlement he lived in. Yeah… full of anger. This series is available in both a three-disc Blu-ray version and a three-disc DVD version. Another plus for this show? It’s kept Common employed. So, it’s got that going for it… which is nice.
The fantastic BBC series Orphan Black rounds out our list of new releases. Tatiana Maslany continues on her trek to play every character on her show and still not get an Emmy nomination, as the one of the clones searches for her daughter, another of the clones searches for the truth, and we begin our trek for the attack of the clones. The series is available in a two-disc Blu-ray version and a three-disc DVD version. This is a great series, Maslany deserves more credit than she’s being given, and this is my pick of the week.
Well, that’s all I got for this week. Got any questions or comments? Did I manage to miss something you wanted to discuss? Feel free to hit me up in the comments section below.
Until next time…
