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Puss in Boots (DreamWorks)
Release Date: Oct 28, 2011
Director: Chris Miller
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis,Billy Bob Thornton, Amy Sedaris. Full cast + crew
Verdict: Buy Me
Available On: 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD
Special Features: The Animator's Corner, Purrfest Pairing: The Voices Behind the Legends, Puss' Paw-Pouncing Challenge, Kitten to Cat: The Progression of Puss in Boots
Additional Thoughts: If you, like I, grew tired of the Shrek franchise and assumed Puss in Boots would be just as uninspired as the last few sequels, you will be pleasantly surprised to see that this is more than just an animated pop-culture mashup. Puss in Boots is a legitimately good film with a strong sense of humor, several stand-out action sequences, a fun story and plenty of material for adults and children alike. Do check it out.
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Tower Heist (Universal)
Release Date: Nov 04, 2011
Director: Brett Ratner
Cast: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda,Matthew Broderick. Full cast + crew
Verdict: Forget Me
Available On: Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD
Special Features: Two alternate endings, deleted scenes, gag reel, video diary, director and writer's commentary
Additional Thoughts: One would think that a movie with the word "Heist" in the title would actually spend at least half of its runtime planning for said heist. Sure, Tower Heist is a comedy, and no one is expecting it to be the next Heat, but if you're going to make a film about a bunch of broke guys planning on robbing a rich scumbag, at least don't treat the actual heist like an afterthought. Of course, Brett Ratner's latest film isn't terrible because it has a poor talk-to-heist ratio, but because it's just not very funny or interesting or well-made. There's no energy to it, no spark in its story, and only barely squeaks by on a likeable cast.
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J. Edgar (Warner Bros.)
Release Date: Nov 09, 2011
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer,Josh Lucas, Judi Dench. Full cast + crew
Verdict: Forget Me
Available On: Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray, DVD
Special Features: The Most Powerful Man in the World, an 18-minute featurette on Hoover's life, career and what exactly the cast and crew think about the controversial political figure.
Additional Thoughts: J. Edgar is an unfortunate movie. There's obviously an interesting story to tell about the founder of the FBI, but unfortunately screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and director Clint Eastwood are just unable to crack the story in any kind of a compelling way. It's a flat film, one that anachronistically wanders its way through Hoover's life, bumping into poor old age make-up and stilted performances along the way. There's no passion here, it's very much so paint by numbers, and that's just, well, unfortunate.
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