NOT THE MESSIAH (HE’S A VERY NAUGHTY BOY) (Blu-Ray and DVD)

For those who have seen the wildly successful “Spamalot”, Monty Python member Eric Idle’s musical stage version of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”, the suggestion that he was doing the same for their movie “Life of Brian” was enough to cause more than a few spaz-outs. Trust me, I caught one first hand. I hate to disappoint those of you already preparing to go into full-grand-mal-spaz-mode, but what we’ve got here is what you call an oratorio. That’s not a musical comedy, it’s a orchestra, choir, and soloists just singing the songs in more of an opera style. Idle tries his best to cram in as much humor and surprises as he can anyway, from PDQ Bach-style musical-fusion jokes, to other Python members making guest appearances, to incessant references to the famous transvestite Lumberjack sketch, that the whole thing inexplicably wraps up with. Perhaps it comes from watching it at home instead of live at the Royal Albert Hall in London, but the whole thing feels uneven and of variable quality especially when it tries to get sentimental and even romantic. Even so, Python fanatics are certain to get a kick out of it, especially the stuff taken more directly from the original film, songs like “What Have the Romans Ever Done For Us” or the one they’ll be waiting for, the credits-long version of “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”.
EXTRAS: “The Road to Albert Hall” - 31 minute doc about how it got made; “Showtime!” - backstage footage; “Bright Side” - rehearsing a song; Karaoke versions of six songs
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POWER KIDS (Blu-Ray and DVD)

“From the producers of Ong Bak and Chocolate comes the fight of a lifetime in Power Kids”....Oh, the producers, you say? Well, who am I to deny the creative contributions of the guys who wrote the checks. It still baffles me that anyone ever thinks that means a damn thing, and surely “Power Kids” bears little resemblance to those two much better martial arts films out of Thailand. But this IS from the director of “Ong Bak” (which you’d think would make a better blurb) and for what this movie is trying to be, these kids aren’t half bad. The story follows a group of pre-teens who take Muy-Thai boxing classes while running around being precocious scamps and occasionally taking a vicious whipping from their thieving instructor, who manages to get through the whole film without the beating that should be coming to him for being such a douche. Things turn dramatic when the youngest of their number is hospitalized after over-exertion and requires a new heart. It's on the way from a nearby donor when the hospital it’s being transported from is seized by terrorists. Certainly the kids can’t let this stand! It’s miniature muy-thai minors to the rescue which, I must admit, they do rather impressively. One kid against a grown up isn’t much of a threat, but when you’ve got three or more of these rug-rats repeatedly bashing you with knees and elbows from all sides....boom. Bad guy fall down. There’s just enough good stuff here to make little kids who dig action swoon, but it’ll probably seem pretty tedious to the non-martial arts fan grown-up who might also notice how bloody and possibly inappropriate for the kids who all this is aimed at as well. But they’re lame anyway, who needs ‘em? Watch it over at your friend's house with more permissive adult units.
EXTRAS: ‘Making of’ featurette; ‘Behind the Scenes’ footage
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SHINJUKU INCIDENT (DVD)

While the new "Karate Kid" movie doesn’t offer much of the Jackie Chan action we’ve come to expect (ONE Chan fight scene, natch) perhaps this 2009 Hong Kong crime movie starring the living legend himself will provide more of his trademark crazy fighting skills? Well, no, not really. As Chan himself described it, “maybe one percent action. Heavy drama.” I’m all for actors who’ve paid their dues as thoroughly as Chan has being able to move onto other things. I mean, the guy is 56 and can’t exactly pull off the same wacky stunts the way he used to. I’m only 40 and totally can’t beat up a room full of ninjas the way I used to. The word on this crime drama is pretty good though, with Jackie playing a Chinese immigrant worker in Japan who ends up becoming a crime boss. Expect to see a full review of this one from me in the near future.
EXTRAS: Commentary with Chan; “Say Hello to the Bad Guy: Up Close with Jackie Chan” featurette
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SHUTTER ISLAND (Blu-Ray and DVD)

Say what you will about director Martin Scorsese (but you should probably prepare to get beaten up by someone nearby if it's too negative), he’s had one of the most remarkable and varied runs of about anybody in the business. He’s made so many fantastic and unforgettable films, it’s hard to even know where to start when talking about his work. “Shutter Island” may not be one of those movies, but it’s good fun nonetheless. I couldn’t help but think while watching the over-the-top haunted house atmosphere and theatrics in his adaptation of author Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel, that fun was all he was going for this time. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a U.S. Marshall who, along with his partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), are going to essentially Arkham Asylum on a island to investigate the disappearance of a patient there who managed to go missing from a locked room. While the head doctor (Ben Kingsley) seems to be bending over backwards to help the detectives, something is definitely off about the whole place, and Leo knows it. So does the more movie-savvy audience, who probably won’t have much trouble deciphering the secret of Shutter Island, but it’s creepy and fun nonetheless.
EXTRAS: “Behind the Shutters” featurette - Discussion of the novel and the reflection of McCarthyism in it; “Into the Lighthouse” featurette - Scorsese and the actors working with a well known doctor who specializes in violent psychotics.
CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL SPILL.COM REVIEW

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THE A-TEAM: THE COMPLETE SERIES (LIMITED EDITION BOX SET) (DVD)

Having not seen the new film version of the popular 80’s TV show yet, I’m not sure whether or not I’d be struck with the nostalgia fever quite enough to want to invest in this collection of all five seasons on 25 discs. Sure, as a teenager, I adored this show about four ex-special forces soldiers who were framed for a crime and had to work as mercenaries, helping only the oppressed and innocent, as, we all know, mercenaries are wont to do. They are just the most cuddly folks imaginable. As best as I could remember, despite the ruthlessly episodic nature of the program, the antics of the main characters and the excessive (yet bloodless) violence kept me tuning in week after week. You can’t deny it’s impact, as more than 20 years after it’s cancellation, phrases like “I love it when a plan comes together” are still firmly rooted in our cultural zeitgeist. Even if I thought this might bore me to tears trying to watch it now (which admittedly, I do fear to be true), this might be worth picking up JUST FOR THAT AWESOME CASE! Jebus Crisco, look at that damn thing! It’s the gorram A-Team van! I want to put that thing on a pedestal, put a spotlight on it, and gloat. And probably never, ever, even open the damn thing. At least, not until the re-release it on Blu-Ray.
EXTRAS: Hell, I don’t know. They certainly didn’t offer to send me a copy of it. Or, near as I can tell, anyone else online either. *grumble, bitch, moan*
CLICK HERE TO BUY The A-Team: The Complete Series (Limited Edition Box Set)

CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE OF CYRUS'S NEW RELEASE REVIEWS