By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Feb. 5, unless otherwise noted: The Girl in the Spider’s Web (DVD + digital) Details: 2018, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Rated: R, violence, language, nudity, sexual content The lowdown: At the outset of “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,” Lisbeth Salander (Claire Foy), remains the supreme hacker and righter of wrongs — a vigilante who specializes in punishing men who abuse women. But this latest movie seems tentative and lost, grabbing threads here and there without forming a cohesive whole. The movie’s main problem is that it is too conventional — an action thriller with chases and explosions you have seen in dozens of other features. The main plot is more suited for a James Bond adventure than one involving Salander. While the film offers some flashbacks and explanations about Salander and her family, it is not enough to compensate for the shortcomings that plague this feature. The film includes some rather outlandish and preposterous situations, such as Salander’s warehouse apartment being blown up, while she survives by diving into a water-filled bathtub. Transforming Salander into a stereotypical action hero makes her much less interesting, even though Foy does very fine work in the dramatic sequences, while displaying her action chops in other scenes. “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” changes Salander from a hacker, who also uses her computer skills as an investigator, to a pseudo-secret agent-type operative battling a global conspiracy. But that is not who Salander is. It’s like stripping her of her all-black wardrobe and putting her in a ball gown. The two simply do not go together. Technical aspects: 2.39:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English Dolby stereo audio description track; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus features include a featurette on Foy’s transformation into Salander, a behind-the-scenes look at the Salander sisters and a commentary track.
The Guilty (Blu-ray) Details: 2018, Magnolia Home Entertainment Rated: R, language The lowdown: This highly-acclaimed Danish thriller centers on a police officer who is demoted to desk work. The officer expects a routine, dull shift, but that changes when he receives a frantic phone call from a kidnapped woman who is then abruptly disconnected. Stuck behind a desk, the officer is forced to use his fellow officers as his eyes and ears to help locate the woman. As the situation seems to become more dire, the officer must rely on his intuition and skill, all the while, fighting his personal inner demons. This tension-filled feature uses a single location as director Gustav Moller ratchets up the suspense and twists as secrets are revealed and the race against the clock to find the woman continues. The movie was highly praised by critics who gave it an impressive 99 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English and Danish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH English and Spanish subtitles.
The Golem (DVD + VOD) Details: 2018, Epic Pictures Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This retelling of the fabled Jewish legend takes place during an outbreak of a deadly plague in which a mystical woman must save her Jewish community from invaders. The savior she conjures to protect her people turns out to be a greater evil than she imagined. The movie, set in 17th century Lithuania, features some inventive sequences and offers a some scary looks into certain aspects of the Jewish community and its folklore. The film is part horror outing and part fairy tale and sometimes cannot reconcile the two into a cohesive whole. It captures an era in which Jews — as they have throughout history — are persecuted for simply existing and because they make easy scapegoats. Technical aspects: Widescreen picture; English Dolby digital.
Charly (Blu-ray) Details: 1968, Kino Lorber Rated: PG The lowdown: Cliff Robertson won a best actor Academy Award for his portrayal of a mentally challenged man who undergoes experimental brain surgery that frees his mind and raises his IQ to genius level. The movie is based on Daniel Keyes’ book, “Flowers for Algernon,” is, unfortunately, dated today. It’s part science fiction and part romantic thriller. Robertson’s performance is strong and sincere, especially in the latter sequences when the effects of his operation begins to fade, and he must use his now-fading intellect to halt his regression. Claire Bloom and Dick Van Patten costar. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (Blu-ray + DVD) Details: 2018, Shout! Factory-Eleven Arts Anime Studio Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A family-friendly animated fantasy about a race called the lorph, who, hidden from mankind, live peaceful lives that span centuries. Plus, they never age beyond adolescence. The lorph’s peaceful lives are shattered when the kingdom of Mezarte invades. They Mezarte want the secret to the lorph’s longevity. Maquia, a lorph torn from her people and her home, is devastated. She soon finds and adopts Ariel, a boy as lonely and grief-stricken as herself. Together, they enter a strange new world that will test Maquia’s resolve and strength as a mother as well as challenge the mother-son bond Maquia and Ariel have formed. The movie mixes fantasy with coming-of-age situations, but also retains its power to emotionally affect you. Critics believed so, giving the movie a 100 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; Japanese and English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; DVD: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; Japanese and English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: The major extra is a making of featurette.
Gunsmoke: The Fourteenth Season, Volumes One & Two Details: 1968-69, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: The latest release of this venerable and classic TV Western finds Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) continuing to keep the peace in Dodge City, aided by Deputy Festus Haggen (Ken Curtis), and supported by friends Doc Adams (Milburn Stone) and Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake). Dillon faces many challenges in the seven-disc, 26-episode set contained in these two volumes, including dealing with trigger-happy bounty hunters, a vengeful ex-lawman, a 103-year-olld horse thief and a psychopathic gunfighter who is out to kill the marshal. Among the guest stars are future Oscar-winner Jon Voight, Leslie Nielsen and “Brady Bunch” kids Eve Plumb, Christopher Knight and Susan Olsen. Technical aspects: 4:3 full-screen picture; English Dolby digital monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Lu Over the Wall (Blu-ray + DVD) Details: 2017, Shout Factory!-GKids Rated: PG, thematic elements, some danger The lowdown: Director Masaaki Yuasa’s fantasy anime tells the story of teenage Kai, whose family moves from Tokyo to a small fishing village. Unhappy with the move, Kai spends much of his time sulking. Soon, though, some of his classmates invite him to join their rock band as their keyboard player. During their jam sessions, they receive an unexpected guest, Lu, a mermaid whose fins turn to feet when she hears the beats. Her singing has the effect of making people dance. When an ancient curse threatens Lu and her village, Kai and his friends must use their talents to help save the day. This is a move that kids can embrace and enjoy. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.77:1 widescreen picture; English and Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English and French subtitles; DVD: 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English, Japanese and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English and French subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus components include an interview with Yuasa and a commentary track.
Double Dragon (Blu-ray + DVD) Details: 1994, MVD Rewind Collection Rated: PG-13, violence The lowdown: This movie, set in “New Angeles” — the remains of Los Angeles after the city was nearly destroyed by a massive earthquake — is based on a video game and is aimed at a younger audience despite its PG-13 rating. The movie centers on teenage brothers Jimmy and Billy Lee, who have half of a talisman known as “Double Dragon.” The evil Koga Shuka, who has the other half, wants the whole amulet and, with his gang, goes after the brothers to get it. The brothers are helped by a young woman, Maria, and her vigilante group, “The Power Corps.” The movie is filled with action and humor, but is undercut by bad acting and a lack of imagination. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital stereo; English, French and Spanish subtitles: DVD: l.85:1 widescreen picture; English and German 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a making of featurette that includes interviews with cast members and filmmakers, a profile of the movie’s producer, an archival making of featurette, a behind-the-scenes featurette, the pilot episode of 1995 “Double Dragon” TV animated series, a VHS home video trailer and a collectible mini-poster.
Mermaid Lake of the Dead (Blu-ray) Details: 2018, Scream Factory Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A Russian horror movie about a young woman who met a tragic and watery death. The woman was cursed to swim the waters in which she died as a mermaid. Though an unholy creation, the wraithlike figure desperately seeks love and has set her sights on a young man named Roman, who has a fiancée, Marina. Their strong and true bond does not stop the mermaid from going after Roman. And because Roman has spurned her, the creature vows to take from Roman what he loves and values most. To survive, Marina must overcome her fear of the dark water to save her man from a terrifying fate. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Russian and English dubbed 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and stereo; English subtitles.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: Aircraft Carriers: Guardian of the Seas (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + digital) All the Devil’s Men (Blu-ray & DVD & digital & VOD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) The Fifth Cord (Blu-ray) (Arrow Video) Fighting the Sky (DVD + digital) (High Octane Pictures) The Gospel of Eureka (Kino Lorber) Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer (GVN Releasing) The Possessed (Blu-ray) (Arrow Video)
FOR KIDS Blaze and the Monster Machines: Robot Riders (Nickelodeon-Paramount Home Entertainment) Paw Patrol: Pawsome Collection (Nickelodeon-Paramount Home Entertainment) Peter Rabbit Springtime Collection 2-Pack (Nickelodeon-Paramount Home Entertainment) Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost (Warner Home Video) Sesame Street: Celebrate Family (Shout! Factory)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Fox Home Entertainment) Crossbreed (Uncork’d Entertainment) Electric Love (Social House Films) Ray Romano: Right Here, Around the Corner (Netflix) Robin Hood (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Berlin, I Love You (digital & VOD (Saban Films, Feb. 8) The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants: Season Two (Netflix, Feb. 8) The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then Bigfoot (RLJE Films, Feb. 8) Delicious, Series 3 (Acorn TV, Feb. 11) The Detectives, Series 1 & 2 (Acorn TV, Feb. 11) Murdoch Mysteries: Series 12, Episode 9 (Acorn TV, Feb. 11) Murphy’s Law, Series 3 (Acorn TV, Feb. 11)
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. My movie reviews also can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.