Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - (Page 18) REVIEWS BLU-RAY SPOTLIGHT I STARSHIP TROOPERS 3: MARAUDER Sony Pictures, Sci-Fi, $27.96 DVD, $38.96 Blu-ray, $24.94 UMD, ‘R’ for violence, language and some nudity. Stars Casper Van Dien, Jolene Blalock, Amanda Donohoe, Marnette Patterson, Stephen Hogan, Boris Kodjoe. Edited by John Latchem www.homemediamagazine.com S ony Pictures has finally released Starship Troopers and its two straight-to-video sequels on Blu-ray Disc. For those diehard fans who have stuck with the franchise, there’s a boxed set ($89.95 Blu-ray, $39.95 DVD). The latest sequel, Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, basically ignores the second film (which didn’t feature any of the actors from the original) and focuses on Casper Van Dien’s Johnny Rico character 10 years after the events of the first film. This low-budget movie’s shortcomings are especially evident in the CGI department. The Blu-ray 1080p transfer looks too good. It brings every shoddy South African set and sub-par special-effects flaw front and center. Viewers will be able to see every pore in Van Dien’s skin. On the audio side, the lossless 5.1 Dolby TrueHD has a similar impact, accentuating the flaws of this low-budget movie rather than enhancing the overall viewer experience. At least this Blu-ray delivers in the extras department. There are two exclusive BD features. “Marauder Mode” is a picture-in-picture feature that places a border around the screen, replicating a monitor from the film. While viewing the movie, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and trivia facts pop up in small windows. Making cool use of BD Live, the “Put Yourself in the Film” feature allows connected PlayStation 3s and BD players to upload a headshot to scenes from the movie. The BD version also includes HD versions of featurettes found on the DVD edition, which is refreshing. When it comes to “Starship Troopers,” the original film ($28.95 separately) is the one worthy of any Blu-ray library. This is one of the best-looking HD movies I’ve seen. The 1080p transfer brings every stitch of clothing from those Federation grays to life. It’s a huge upgrade over previous DVD versions. Fans of the film’s violence actually will find new details in HD. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack is also excellent. Blu-Wizard allows viewers to integrate any of the extras into the viewing experience. This second film, which doesn’t have any direct connection to the first or third films, looks solid in 1080p, but doesn’t include any extras that take advantage of the Blu-ray format. – John Gaudiosi I TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES — THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON Street 8/19 Warner, Sci-Fi, $29.98 three-DVD set, $39.99 Blu-ray, NR. Stars Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau, Richard T. Jones, Brian Austin Green, Garret Dillahunt. W hen Terminator 3 hit theaters in 2003, many fans found the film enjoyable enough, but a far cry from the first two films, which are now considered classics of the sci-fi/action genre. The writer and director of the first two films, James Cameron, had nothing to do with the third film, and protagonist Sarah Connor was unceremoniously killed off prior to T3. So producers of this TV show, looking to further examine Sarah Connor’s story, crafted the series as an alternate follow-up to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which ended with the apparent destruction of all traces of the Terminator robots that came from the future to wipe out Sarah and her son, John, who grows up to lead the human resistance against the machines. “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” picks up shortly after T2, with Sarah (Headey of 300) still trying to protect her son (Dekker), uncertain how much of the future they were able to change. Any connection to T3 is quickly wiped out in the first episode, which introduces a new Terminator protector (Glau of “Firefly”), who takes advantage of the franchise’s time travel device to bring Sarah and John from the mid-1990s to 2008, an ingenious plot device that contemporizes the storyline and eliminates the need to keep track of anachronisms. Producers wanted to stay as close to the tone of Cameron’s original films, and they more or less succeed. The well-plotted show includes several references to the films, including a nod to Sarah’s cancer death from T3. The first nine episodes of the first season focus on Sarah’s attempts to track down an advanced chess computer that may be a predecessor to the Skynet computer that will declare war on humanity. In the meantime, Sarah must stay hidden from not only an FBI agent (Jones), but also a new Terminator (Dillahunt) hunting for John. A number of “terminated” scenes shine some light on unused subplots, including a high-school storyline discussed by an enthusiastic Dekker in one of the commentaries. There’s also an extended version of one episode. Most fascinating for franchise fans is probably a threepart documentary about the creation of the show, and how designers subtly updated the Terminators while remaining true to Cameron’s original concept. – John Latchem I WOW! WOW! WUBBZY! — A TALE OF TAILS Prebook 8/21; Street 9/23 found on this first DVD release. While most 10-year-olds might glaze over at the idea of a cuddly character proAnchor Bay, Animated, $16.98 DVD, NR. moting tolerance, friendship, responsibility and honesty, younger kids will surely fall for ubbzy lives in a tree. He likes the catchy, kooky pop songs, as well to play, play, play! He’s got a as each character, all the way down to bendy tail, and he likes it that Wubbzy’s kickety kickball. way! With more than 30 episodes airSo goes the theme to “Wow! Wow! Wubing on Nick Jr. each week, this DVD bzy!,” Nick Jr.’s cuddly cartoon — but what should have a built-in audience of the heck is Wubbzy, anyway? Whether he’s eager preschoolers. This single disc a pig, a bear, a dog, or a mix of all three, it includes eight previously aired epidoesn’t matter. Little ones will be wowed sodes, including Wubbzy’s debut, “A by the multicolored, musical adventures Tale of Tails.” of Wubbzy and his friends, Widget and Other features include a music vidWalden. eo, a DVD-ROM game, and more. Bob Boyle created Wubbzy as a story for Look for plenty of toy tie-ins as well, his then-10-year-old niece. Of course, he’s gone through including a set of Wubbzy-inspired Ty Beanie Babies. a few tweaks, and his first six TV appearances can be – Rachel Cericola W 18 Home Media Magazine August 17–23, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 Contents News News High-Def News Electronic Delivery News TV DVD Kidvid Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Contents (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Contents (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - News (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - News (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - High-Def News (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - High-Def News (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Electronic Delivery News (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Electronic Delivery News (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Kidvid (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Kidvid (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Reviews (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Reviews (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Reviews (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Reviews (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Reviews (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Reviews (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 25) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 26) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 27) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 28) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 29) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 30) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 31) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 32) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - August 17, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover4)
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