This Week: Breaking out the GoPro for Hardcore Henry, back to the Barbershop, and Melissa McCarthy's big Boss lady.
► Already released here in Canada, the GoPro-shot, headache-inducing HARDCORE HENRY has the audience seeing everything from the vantage point of a guy who wakes up in an airship lab with no memories. After he's told there was an accident and he now has a bionic arm and leg, things proceed to batshit crazy when mercenaries invade the ship. From there, Henry goes all Winter Soldier across Moscow. Gimmicky action flick had a lot of buzz at the Toronto Film Fest two years ago, but did little once it finally hit theatres in April. Blu-ray includes deleted scenes and commentary from executive producer Sharlto Copley.
► Twelve years after the last sequel, the gang at Calvin’s Barbershop return for BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT. With the shop now co-ed, Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer deal with lady problems led by newcomers Regina Hall and Nicki Minaj. But the bigger concern is the gang members taking over the community. Extras include a gag reel, deleted scenes with Malcolm D. Lee and a ‘Barbershop Bootcamp’ featurette.
► The ‘JFK’ trio of Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Oldman hook up again for Ariel Vromen’s CRIMINAL, a sci-fi action flick which probably would have cleaned up at the box office 25 years ago. Costner stars as a convict who is implanted with the memories of a dead CIA agent in order to finish an assignment involving open access to the world’s nuclear codes. Loaded cast includes Gia Gadot, Alice Eve, Ryan Reynolds and Robert Davi. For all the lumps Costner has taken lately, at least the dude is still making interesting choices.
► Melissa McCarthy has had better years. Before the ‘Ghostbusters’ circus, THE BOSS ended up her lowest-grossing flick as star, to go with some of her roughest reviews. She plays a CEO sent to prison for insider trading, and tries to repair her image once released. It doesn’t go as planned, and she’s forced to move in with her former assistant (Kristen Bell). Blu-ray includes an alternate ending, extended scenes, and the usual McCarthy gag reel.
► The Criterion Collection and Terrence Malick were made for each other. The company gives the prestige treatment to 2005’s THE NEW WORLD, including all three cuts (the 172-minute version gets a 4K digital restoration). Bonus stuff includes a new interview with Colin Farrell, features about the massive production – more than a million feet of film was used – and a look at what went into editing it into three different versions. This re-imagining of the Pocahontas story wasn’t given Malick’s usual glowing reception, however, especially coming off his previous classic, ‘The Thin Red Line.’
► Unlike the grim, intelligent first film, 1982’s hopeless DEATH WISH II – released eight years later – turns vigilante Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) into a generic hero hunting down the L.A. gang members who rape and kill his daughter. The social commentary of the first is long gone – this is just Bronson playing the vengeful dad instead of the guy warped by his city’s violent soul (a theme explored much deeper in the book). Completely forgettable, but the Jimmy Page soundtrack is a big deal for Zeppelin completists. Special Edition blu-ray includes theatrical and unrated cuts.
► Four years ago, I AM WRATH was going to be directed by William Friedkin, starring Nicolas Cage. By the time it finally arrived it starred John Travolta and was directed by Chuck Russell (‘The Mask’). Arrived meaning today – straight to blu-ray/DVD. Travolta is an out-of-work engineer who turns to an old friend (Chris Meloni) to help nail the gang that killed his wife, a government employee, after police let the killers walk.
► Jon Carney – he of the ‘Keira Knightley can’t act’ rant – goes back to ‘80s Dublin for SING STREET. Ferdia Walsh-Peelo is a young teen whose struggling family takes him out of his expensive private school. Trying to adjust to his new inner city school, he falls for a girl and tries impressing her by inviting her to appear in his band’s video. Except, he doesn’t have a band, and must hastily create one. A lot of Carney’s upbringing went into this one. Much like his previous ‘Once’ and ‘Begin Again,’ Carney’s dialogue and use of music is near perfect.
Also out this week:
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