Home Media Magazine - March 30 - April 5, 2008 - (Page 22)

REVIEWS I P2 Street 4/8 Summit, Horror, B.O. $4 million, $26.99 DVD, ‘R’ for strong violence/gore, terror and language. Stars Rachel Nichols, Wes Bentley. C Die-Cut Packaging features Gold Foil Galaxy Rangers Badge KOC-DV-6522 • UPC: 7-41952-65229-8 • ISBN: 1-4172-3041-X • SRP: $39.98 4 DVD Set • Genre: Childrens/Animated • Dolby Digital • Aspect Ratio: 4x3 Running Time: 704 minutes • Production Year: 1986 THE FIRST 32 EPISODES OF THE ACTION-PACKED 1980s NATIONALLY SYNDICATED SERIES AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER Combining elements of classic westerns and space operas, Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers pushed the boundaries of children’s programming and continues to capture the imagination of fans around the world. hristmas stockings are traded for a stalking in this psychological thriller about a deranged and lonely security guard who takes a young woman hostage in her office parking garage on Christmas Eve. Angela (Nichols) is the last person to leave her New York City office for the holiday. Late for her family dinner, she enlists the aid of the parking security officer, Thomas (Bentley), when her car won’t start. Little does Angela know that Thomas has his own plans. P2 sounds a lot scarier than it turns out to be. More than once I found myself thinking “this looks suspenseful,” but the imagery never makes it past casual observation to actual feeling. Strangely, the most sympathetic character in the film is the villain, due largely to the stellar performance of Bentley. In the beginning, Thomas seems like just a lonely and mentally unstable guy who has a crush on a pretty girl. Slowly we see him unravel into madness as the girl rebuffs his twisted and ill-conceived plans to win her affection. He is clearly crazy, but in a sad buffoonish way, instead of a diabolical Hannibal Lecter way. It is his ineptness as a captor that makes her idiocy as an escapee all the more annoying. I spent the majority of the film sighing and wondering how Angela got a high-powered corporate job when she apparently has the mental acuity of a lab rat. Nichols is not to blame here; her performance as the toothless heroine is fine. It is the writing that left me cold. There are some amusing moments of dialogue (mostly from Bentley) clearly placed for humorous effect, and the soundtrack of light pop Christmas tunes seems to have been chosen to juxtapose the darker intent of the action. It almost works, but mostly comes across as obvious. Which arguably sums up P2 in its entirety. It is the little Christmas thriller that could, but didn’t. – Kyra Kudick I RUNNING DEEP Street 4/8 Ariztical, Drama, $29.95 DVD, NR. Stars Geoff Wilner, Mike Williams, Douglas A. Hary, Ron Lincoln, Lisa Adams. VOLUME 2 COMING Q3 2008 OVER 11 HOURS ON 4 DVDS BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE • 36-page collectible booklet with original illustrations and character profiles • never-before-released pilot demo-reel • selected audio commentary with series creator Robert Mandell • original music tracks and new music video • recreated audio/image slideshow of the talking story book “Tortuna the Outlaw Planet” T OUT-OF-THIS-W0RLD MARKETING SUPPORT • Including screenings and street team presence at I-CON Science Fiction Convention, New York Comic Con, Animenext and New York City Animefest • Enormous exposure and pre-promotion on The Galaxy Rangers Official website including fan-based contests and viral initiatives • Print advertising in Wizard, Anime Insider, Comics Buyers Guide and more here’s nothing so demanding as a contrivance from beyond the grave. You can’t really argue against a request from the deceased. In Running Deep, a man and his sons are given a willed request from the dead mother to spend time together at the beach house where they used to vacation. Tensions run high among the trio. Matt (Lincoln) is a hotshot stockbroker with a cocaine problem who’s headed for divorce. Kevin (Williams) is gay and forever living in his brother’s shadow and under his father’s homophobic disapproval. And dear old dad (Wilner) is a philandering womanizer who guiltily relives moments with his deceased (and apparently saintly) wife. The creators and actors of Running Deep collectively have barely a dozen credits to their names and it’s unfortunate that it shows. Director Mark Kokkoros has a steady hand with the camera and tasteful style, but the script, which he co-wrote with Wilner, leans heavily to the melodramatic. If there were a male version of a Lifetime film, this would surely be it, even down to the ham-fisted danger element of Kevin’s unstable ex-boyfriend. Nary a note rings true, from Kevin’s unbelievable accusation that Matt, who is black and adopted, doesn’t understand what it’s like to be an outsider, to the father’s secret reason for being such a homophobe. What’s worse is each revelation and fight is accompanied by an onslaught of overwrought music, as if Kokkoros just didn’t trust his actors or script to bring the drama. The score itself isn’t bad — it’s the loudness and abruptness in how Kokkoros uses the music. As an actor, Wilner has the lean, weathered handsomeness of David or Keith Carradine — even after age 60, it’s easy to see that he could still pick up an attractive woman in a bar — and he’s well-suited to head up this family drama. Williams and Lincoln are less dynamic, but adequate in their roles. They do the best with what they’ve got, but unfortunately, that’s not much. Wilner and Kokkoros can be admired for trying to give voice to an allmale family drama — so many films of this sort tend to be chick flicks — and perhaps their next outing will be more successful. – Laura Tiffany PRE-BOOK DATE: 4/15/08 • STREET DATE: 5/13/08 Watch GALAXY RANGERS clips at www.kochclips.com For more information visit www.kochb2b.com 22 Home Media Magazine March 30–April 5, 2008 http://www.kochclips.com http://www.kochb2b.com

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Home Media Magazine - March 30 - April 5, 2008

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