The end of the 2010 is upon us. While most are looking back on the year that was, there are still a pair of home video new releases to check out.
The last DVD/Blu-ray Breakdown of the year is a short one that includes two extremely different movies.
One is a big-budget 3D spectacle with a weak story and the other is a low-budget character study set around a retiring hitman.The following titles can be found on DVD and Blu-ray.
Resident Evil: Afterlife - Bad reviews didn’t stop the fourth installment of the Resident Evil franchise from raking in nearly $300 million worldwide. Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich team up again for the zombie-killing saga – but bring top-notch 3D to the table.
The film’s main pitch was its use of the revolutionary 3D technology seen in Avatar. Unfortunately, Afterlife utilized the technology to expose 3D sight gags and enhance some action without ever addressing a worthy plot. Still, the franchise has succeeded on its delivery of zombie action and Afterlife wasn’t a massive letdown. We gave it a 2.5 out of 5 in our review.
Many of the 3D theatrical releases suffer due to the lack of 3D home theaters, but the minds behind Afterlife hope that trend will change. The movie was created with a 3D audience in mind, so like Step Up 3, a 2D viewing experience would likely drastically decrease the entertainment value. If the home video has one strength, it is the extensive collection of bonus features. The entire behind-the-scenes world was accounted for from Outtakes to making-of featurettes.
Filmmaker commentaryUndead Vision: Picture-in-PictureDeleted and extended scenesOuttakesBack Under the Umbrella: Directing AfterlifeBand of Survivors: Casting AfterlifeUndead Dimension: Resident Evil in 3DFighting Back: The Action of AfterlifeVision of the Apocalypse: The Design of AfterlifeNew Blood: The Undead of AfterlifePwning the Undead: Gamers of the AfterlifePS3 Wallpaper Theme
The American – If big-budget action isn’t your thing, George Clooney stars in this week’s more artistic movie, The American. While the film saw enough success with a $64 million worldwide box office on a $20 million budget, it went relatively unnoticed during its 65 days in theaters.
Our 3 out of 5 star review suggested The American is anything but as far as its style. The film is definitely an atmospheric and photographic tale of one man’s experience during a hired hit. Some fell asleep in the theater – while others were mesmerized by the unique tone of the American.
The film itself is a wonderfully peaceful and visual tale, but the special features are practically non-existent. The feature commentary from director Anton Corbijn and a making-of documentary are well worth a look, but that’s about where the buck stops, apart from a few deleted scenes.
Feature commentary with director Anton CorbijnJourney to Redemption: the making of ‘The American’Deleted scenesIf you followed our Top 15 Must-Own Blu-rays of 2010 list, there should be plenty to watch over the New Year. Unfortunately, this week provides few worthy titles.
The first week of 2011 provides a few intriguing picks and plenty to get the year off right. Machete comes out on DVD and Blu-ray next week, but pales in comparison to the hotly anticipated re-release of the Desperado trilogy – an exciting addition to anybody’s Blu-ray collection.
Share your favorite DVDs or Blu-rays from 2010 in the comment section below.
Source: Blu-ray
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