Welcome to December and the official start of holiday shopping madness. Last week’s featured Blu-Ray, Men In Black 3, is still making a showing on the Blu-Ray sales charts. If the promise of Josh Brolin impersonating Tommy Lee Jones didn’t make you run out to buy it, then check out our Blu-Ray review of the film. Brave is still going strong too, and I predict it’ll have enough salespower to stay at the top of the charts until after the holidays.
This week, all Blu-Rays everywhere will cower as The Dark Knight Rises, Finding Nemo will change the way you look at your goldfish and Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s second season boldly goes on every nerd’s holiday wish list.
Ready for this week’s top releases? Then engage.
Release Date: December 4th, 2012
Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Morgan Freeman.
Director: Christopher Nolan
The film trilogy that made us forget about director Tim Burton comes to end. Great acting, immersive storytelling, and fantastic action proves that a sequel can, and will if Christopher Nolan is behind it, top its predecessors.
Plot: Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, the terrorist leader Bane arrives in Gotham City, pushing it and its police force to their limits, forcing its former hero Batman to resurface after taking the fall for Harvey Dent’s crimes.
My Thoughts: I was tempted to just type a bunch of OMGs and string them all together, but I realized that we have a standard to keep. Truly, it’s an incredibly well-made movie, and one of the few out there that I’m unable to criticize. Buy a copy for someone as a gift, and buy one for yourself too while you’re at it.
Check out our review of The Dark Knight Rises over in our movie reviews section.
Release Date: December 4th, 2012
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Heath Ledger, and Tom Hardy.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Own the whole Dark Knight trilogy on Blu-Ray and marvel how good it looks compared to that old Batman Forever VHS tape you still keep under your TV cabinet.
Plot: A reboot for a less-campy generation, The Dark Knight Trilogy chronicles the legacy of Batman; from his birth to his rise as the Dark Knight of Gotham City.
My Thoughts: I’m one of those people who have actually watched the whole trilogy from start to finish recently, and if you love the films but haven’t done so, then buy this set and watch them all ASAP. It truly demonstrates how intricate and detailed the storytelling really is, and makes you see each film a little differently.
Release Date: December 4th, 2012
Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, and Allison Janney.
Directors: Lee Unkrich and Andrew Stanton.
This Pixar animated film made a huge showing at the box office and for nearly ten years has surprised us with its longevity. It’s absolutely beautiful and fun for all ages.
Plot: After his son is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney, a timid clownfish sets out on a journey to bring him home.
My Thoughts: I love this film for so many different reasons, but mainly because it makes you become invested in the characters without being obvious about it. Every character is portrayed perfectly and this film is a great example of how ‘animated’ does not have to mean ‘childish’.
Release Date: December 4th, 2012
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, and Amy Adams.
Director: Steven Spielberg
A biographical crime film based on the life of con artist Frank W. Abagnale. It features a great cast, including a young Leonardo DiCaprio, and was a financial and critical success.
Plot: Based on a true story, Frank W. Abagnale (DiCaprio) was employed as a doctor, a lawyer, and as a co-pilot for a major airline company-all before reaching his 21st birthday. A successful con artist and master of deception, Frank is also a brilliant forger, whose skill at check fraud has netted him millions of dollars in stolen funds–much to the chagrin of the authorities. FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Hanks) has made it his prime mission to capture him and bring him to justice, however Frank is always one step ahead of Carl, baiting him to continue the chase.
My Thoughts: I’m ashamed to say that I had no idea Steven Spielberg directed this film. It really is a fine piece of work, and the relationship between Tom Hanks’ Carl Hanratty and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Frank Abagnale is portrayed exceptionally.
Ninja Scroll
Release Date: December 4th, 2012
Starring: Koichi Yamadera, Emi Shinghara, and Wendee Lee
Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
This 1993 Japanese animated action thriller film, set in feudal Japan, features plenty of gore and violence that reaches near-exploitative levels.
Plot: A ninja-for-hire is forced into fighting an old nemesis who is bent on overthrowing the Japanese government. His nemesis is also the leader of a group of demons each with superhuman powers.
My Thoughts: This film is considered a ‘must-watch’ among anime fans for a reason; it’s violently epic and the fight scenes were one-of-a-kind back in the 90s. If you’re looking for a gift for that special anime-loving someone in your life, then pick this up for them and they’ll love you forever. Little known fact: the BBFC cut the UK version by approximately 52 seconds to remove a violent rape scene.
Francis Ford Coppola: 5-Film Collection Blu-Ray
Release Date: December 4th, 2012
Starring: Various
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
From Francis Ford Coppola, undeniably one of the most innovative and influential film directors of all time, comes this sweet Blu-Ray set comprised of Apocalypse Now, Apocalypse Now Redux, The Conversation, One From the Heart, and Tetro.
Plot: Unfortunately, I have only have so much space to work with. All I can say is that, while the plots of these films are very different from each other, they are all a truly unique piece of storytelling.
My Thoughts: This set is definitely worth your consideration. Coppola is a cinematic icon, and even if you haven’t seen any of the movies in this Blu-Ray set, you’ve definitely seen the results of their influence. He gave birth to the ‘New Hollywood’ filmmakers and contributed to the future careers of many directors such as Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, and George Lucas. For your useless-information pile: Francis Ford Coppola’s nephew is Nicolas Cage, who changed his name when he started acting because other actors would haze him about it on set.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 2)
Release Date: December 4th, 2012
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Marina Sirtis, Diana Muldaur, and Wil Wheaton.
Director: Various
The television series that breathed new life into the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: The Next Generation won multiple awards throughout its seven year run, and spawned three sequel series and numerous films.
Plot: One hundred years after the missions of James T. Kirk and the original Enterprise, Star Trek: The Next Generation follows the adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D and her crew, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
My Thoughts: I’m a big Star Trek fan. In fact, this section of the article has been the easiest to write since I didn’t even have to look up any names. A sure-fire purchase for any science-fiction fan, this show has a great ensemble cast and isn’t afraid to experiment with different genres on a by-episode basis. In this season, Whoopi Goldberg makes her first appearance of the series as the mysterious bartender/adviser Guinan, the Borg are mentioned for the first time ever in the franchise, and the Romulans make their first television appearance since the original television series. Information to impress your geeky Star Trek-loving friend: the opening episode, The Child, was based on a script originally written for the failed Star Trek original series’ sequel, Star Trek: Phase II.
Ken Follett’s World Without End (Miniseries)
Release Date: December 4th, 2012
Starring: Ben Chaplin, Charlotte Riley, Cynthia Nixon, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Rupert Evans, and Tom Weston-Jones.
Director: Michael Caton-Jones
Based on the novel of the same name by critically acclaimed author Ken Follett, this eight episode television miniseries is an indirect follow-up to the 2010 miniseries The Pillars of the Earth.
Plot: The English town of Kingsbridge works to survive as the King leads the nation into the Hundred Years’ War with France while Europe deals with the outbreak of the Black Death.
My Thoughts: I haven’t seen one minute of it, but I’ve heard good things. Don’t worry if you haven’t seen Pillars of the Earth, as this series is set 150 years later, and is only loosely related. I’ve read several of Ken Follett’s novels and they’re brilliant pieces of writing, so this is on my ‘must-watch’ list.
That’s all for this week, but be sure to check back next week for more of our Blu-Ray picks. Hopefully by reading this article you’ve gotten a few holiday gift ideas, or maybe you’ve added one or two items to your own holiday wish list (I know I have).
Are you a fan of any of this week’s releases? Let us know in the comments below.