Library

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: The cinematic equivalent of a half case of Red Bull chased with donuts, Kick-Ass is a giddy, violent experience--and not your average superhero movie. Based on the comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., it offers a set of heroes who are decidedly without superpowers: Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) decides he'll be just like a comic-book character, and puts on a ridiculous green suit to fight crime as the mysterious Kick-Ass. Luckily, somebody else had the same idea and comes along to rescue the incompetent crusader: Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his daughter Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz), who also happen to be running around town wearing masks and vanquishing evil. And here we have the movie's masterstroke: Hit Girl, a pint-sized preteen who slaughters bad guys and swears like a sailor on leave (and was the focus of a measure of controversy when the movie was released). The main target of our heroes is a gangster (Mark Strong, Sherlock Holmes), whose neglected son (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, McLovin from Superbad) figures he might just pull on a costume himself and become… Red Mist! (One of the many funny things about Kick-Ass is that the superhero names are hopelessly lame.) Director Matthew Vaughn is operating at the same glib level as his Layer Cake, with cutesy song cues galore and a freewheeling appetite for cartoon violence. This means the movie's high wears off quickly, but it does get high--a crazy, hilarious (and by the way: decidedly R-rated) kick. All that, plus Nicolas Cage executes a deadly Adam West imitation when he pulls on his cape and cowl. That's entertainment. --Robert Horton

Stills from Kick-Ass (Click for larger image)

Languages: English

Subtitles: Englisch

Sound: Dolby Digital

Summary: After Kick-Ass' insane bravery inspires a new wave of self-made masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes, our hero joins them on patrol. When these amateur superheroes are hunted down by Red Mist -- reborn as The Mother F%&*^r -- only the blade-wielding Hit Girl can prevent their annihilation. When we last saw junior assassin Hit Girl and young vigilante Kick-Ass, they were trying to live as normal teenagers Mindy and Dave. With graduation looming and uncertain what to do, Dave decides to start the world's first superhero team with Mindy. Unfortunately, when Mindy is busted for sneaking out as Hit Girl, she's forced to retire-leaving her to navigate the terrifying world of high-school mean girls on her own. With no one left to turn to, Dave joins forces with Justice Forever, run by a born-again ex-mobster named Colonel Stars and Stripes. Just as they start to make a real difference on the streets, the world's first super villain, The Mother F%&*^r, assembles his ...

Languages: English, Persian

Sound: Dolby Digital

Summary: In Seattle, Det. Sarah Linden is on what is supposed to be her last day on the job. She and her son Jack are supposed to leave that evening to join her fiancé in Sonoma. Her replacement, Det. Stephen Holder, is ready to take over but they answer a call from a patrol car who have found a bloodied sweater in a field. When the missing girl, Rosie Larsen, is found in the trunk of a car at the bottom of a lake it turns out the car is registered to the campaign committee for councilman Darren Richmond, who is running for mayor. Linden delays her departure for what she hopes will be only a few days.

Comments: Box set, Special Edition

Summary: Movies don't come any bigger than Peter Jackson's "King Kong", a three-hour remake of the 1933 classic that marries breathtaking visual prowess with a surprising emotional depth. Expanding on the original story of the blonde beauty and the beast who falls for her, Jackson creates a movie spectacle that matches his Lord of the Rings films and even at times evokes their fantasy world while celebrating the glory of '30s Hollywood. Naomi Watts stars as Ann Darrow, a vaudeville actress down on her luck in Depression-era New York until manic filmmaker Carl Denham (a game but miscast Jack Black) entices her with a lead role. Dazzled by the genius of screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), Ann boards the tramp steamer S.S. Venture, which she--and most of the wary crew--believes is headed for Singapore. Denham, however, is in search of the mythic Skull Island, hoping to capture its wonders on film and make a fortune. What he didn't count on were some scary natives who find that the comely Darrow looks like prime sacrifice material for a mysterious giant creature....

There's no point in rehashing the entire plot, as every movie aficionado is more than familiar with the trajectory of "King Kong"; the challenge facing Jackson, his screenwriters, and the phenomenal visual-effects team was to breathe new life into an old, familiar story. To that degree, they achieve what could be best called a qualified success. Though they've assembled a crackerjack supporting cast, including Thomas Kretschmann as the Venture's hard-bitten captain and young Jamie Bell as a plucky crewman, the first third of the movie is rather labored, with too much minute detail given over to sumptuous re-creations of '30s New York and the unexciting initial leg of the Venture's sea voyage. However, once the film finds its way to Skull Island (which bears more than a passing resemblance to LOTR's Mordor), Kong turns into a dazzling movie triumph, by turns terrifying and awe-inspiring. The choreography and execution of the action set pieces--including one involving Kong and a trio of Tyrannosaurus Rexes, as well as another that could be charitably described as a bug-phobic's nightmare--is nothing short of landmark filmmaking, and a certain Mr. Spielberg should watch his back, as Kong trumps most anything that has come before it.
Despite the visual challenges of "King Kong", the movie's most difficult hurdle is the budding romance between Ann and her simian soulmate. Happily, this is where Jackson unqualifiedly triumphs, as this unorthodox love story is tenderly and humorously drawn, by turns sympathetic and wondrous. Watts, whose accessibility balances out her almost otherworldly loveliness, works wonders with mere glances, and Andy Serkis, who digitally embodies Kong here much as he did Gollum in the LOTR films, breathes vibrant life into the giant star of the film without ever overplaying any emotions. The final, tragic act of the film, set mostly atop the Empire State Building, is where Kong earns its place in movie history as a work that celebrates both the technical and emotional heights that film can reach. "--Mark Englehart, Amazon.com"

Languages: French, Spanish, English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Based upon the acclaimed comic book and directed by Matthew Vaughn, Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

Summary: In "Kiss of the Dragon", Chinese undercover agent Jet Li chops his way through Paris after he's framed in some sketchily defined drug sting operation. The fight sequences are tough and quite brutal, and the over-the-top finale is arguably worth the price of admission, wherein an implacable Li takes on the entire Paris Police Bureau, working his way up toward police chief Tchéky Karyo's office through cops, a pair of peroxide-blond twin henchmen, and a whole class of kung fu cadets. Coscreenwriter Luc Besson ("La Femme Nikita") should know by now what makes for a nifty genre piece, but the woeful dialogue is a shame, and there aren't nearly enough action sequences to get your blood boiling. Poor Bridget Fonda gives it the old-school try in a thankless role as an ex-junkie prostitute from the Midwest whose young daughter is being held captive by duplicitous police chief/drug lord/pimp Karyo (who fairly inhales the scenery). Director Chris Nolan might have pushed further the strangers-in-a-strange-land camaraderie between Li and Fonda, but the script still would've sunk him. --"Steve Wiecking"
On the DVD: "Kiss of the Dragon" is a film that relies on its superbly choreographed fight scenes, so luckily the anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 widescreen presentation is spotless. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track positively shakes the room in the action sequences and atmospheric music by Craig Armstrong perfectly underscores the highs and lulls in the drama. Extras are plentiful: the audio commentary from Director Chris Nahon with Jet Li and Bridget Fonda is informative. "Jet Li--Fighting Philosophy" is a 12-minute bluffer's guide to Li and his life on and off-screen. "Cory Yuen--Action Academy" is about the work of long-time Li collaborator Yuen and details his fighting methodology. The "Police Gymnasium Fight: Martial Arts Demo" follows Yuen and fellow stuntmen blocking the stunning battle sequence. There are also a number of production stills and trailers for other Fox releases. --"Kristen Bowditch"

Summary: There's no rule against rock anthems from the 1970s in the soundtrack for a movie about a medieval jousting champion, but if you're going to attempt such jarring anachronisms, you'd better establish acceptable ground rules. Writer-director Brian Helgeland does precisely that in "A Knight's Tale" and pulls off this trick with such giddy aplomb that you can't help but play along. Upon witnessing a crowd of peasants at a jousting match, singing and clapping to the beat of Queen's "We Will Rock You", you're either going to love this movie or dismiss it altogether. Other vintage rock hits will follow, but Helgeland--the Oscar-winning co-writer of "LA Confidential"--handles this ploy with judicious goodwill, in what is an otherwise honest period piece about a peasant named William (Heath Ledger) who rises by grit and determination to the hallowed status of knighthood. As if the soundtrack weren't audacious enough, Helgeland (recovering from the sour experience of his directorial debut, "Payback") casts none other than Geoffrey Chaucer (wonderfully played by Paul Bettany) as William's cohort and match announcer, along with William's pals Roland (Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk), and feisty blacksmith Kate (Laura Fraser). Of course there must be a fair maiden, and she is Jocelyn (newcomer Shannyn Sossamon), with whom William falls in love while battling the nefarious Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell) on the European jousting circuit. Add to this an inspiring father-son reunion, Ledger's undeniable charisma, a perfect supporting cast, and enough joyful energy to rejuvenate the film's formulaic plot, and "A Knight's Tale" becomes that most pleasant of movie surprises--an unlikely winner that rises up, like its hero, to exceed all expectations. --"Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com"

On the DVD: From "The Rock Music Scene in 1370" to "You Never Know What You'll Find in a Czech Prop House", this disc doesn't scrimp on the special features. Offering a wealth of information regarding the making of this $41million film, from the jousting (which many of the actors actually performed) to justification for the rock soundtrack and Audrey Hepburn-esque dresses in Medieval Europe. Along with these mini-documentaries, (most lasting for only five minutes) there's a mini interview with the new heartthrob of Hollywood, Heath Ledger and a great selection of deleted scenes. The commentary--by director Brian Helgeland and Paul Bettany (who plays Chaucer in the film)--is a lively and enjoyable romp that makes it clear that the cast and crew bonded on set. The disc comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack to improve the "raucous rock" and an anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect ratio to bring the "modernised medieval mood" to life. --"Nikki Disney"

Languages: English

Summary: In a year that otherwise struggled to deliver where comedies were concerned, "Knocked Up" proved to be a very welcome treasure trove of laughs. It's from Judd Apatow, the man behind "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and the excellent TV show "Freaks and Geeks", and sits easily as an equal to both. It's also a long-awaited showcase for the talents of Seth Rogen, who proves with some conviction that he can headline a movie.
The premise of "Knocked Up" is simple. Seth Rogen and Kathryn Heigl share, for differing reasons, a one-night stand, and several weeks later, the latter discovers she's pregnant. Given that Rogen's character has been jobless for years, and that Heigl is trying to build a TV career, the two don't prove to be a logical match, yet as the pregnancy progresses, they try valiantly to get to know one another.
The narrative itself is quite straightforward, but it's the execution and characters that lift it significantly. Apatow knows how to direct comedy, and with a script peppered with plenty of guffaw-out-loud moments and situations, he wrings very hearty laughs from the material. Plus, while its Rogen and Heigl who power the film, the supporting cast is simply superb, particularly the collection of people that Rogen's character surrounds himself with.
It's perhaps guilty of running ten minutes too long, and there's little to surprise in the story itself, yet "Knocked Up" is nonetheless a terrific, earthy and grounded comedy, with so much to enjoy. It's hard to single out individual moments, and instead it simply seems more appropriate to declare "Knocked Up" as one of the best, and most rewatchable, comedies of the last few years. Don't miss it.--"Simon Brew"

Summary: Movie-kinetics genius. "Kung Fu Hustle" takes the gleeful mayhem of Hong Kong action movies, the deadpan physical humor of silent comedies, and the sheer elasticity of Wile E. Coyote cartoons and fuses them into a spectacle that is simple in its joys and mind-boggling in its orchestration. A run-down slum has been poor but peaceful until a bunch of black-suited gangsters called the Axe Gang show up to cause trouble--and discover that, hidden among the humble poor, are three kung fu masters trying to live an ordinary life. But after these martial artists repulse the gang with their flying fists and feet, the gang leader hires a pair of assassins, whose arrival leads to the unveiling of more secrets, until both the screen and the audience are dizzy with hyperbolic fight artistry (choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping, who also choreographed "The Matrix"). Weaving through this escalating fury is a loudmouthed loser (writer/director/actor Stephen Chow) who suddenly finds himself having to live up to his bragging. "Kung Fu Hustle" more than lives up to the promise of Chow's previous film, "Shaolin Soccer": it's a movie made by an imagination unfettered by the laws of physics. Hugely entertaining. "--Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com"