Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - (Page 16)

REVIEWS I STEP BROTHERS Street 12/2 Sony Pictures, Comedy, B.O. $100.5 million, $28.96 DVD, $34.95 two-DVD set, $39.95 Blu-ray, $24.94 UMD, Available in ‘R’-rated and unrated versions. Stars Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins, Adam Scott. Edited by John Latchem nly the minds of Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, director Adam McKay and producer Judd Apatow could conceive of a home video presentation this wild. Beyond all the usual bells and whistles associated with a loaded special edition DVD/Blu-ray, the trio have decided to sing a good portion of their commentary. Composer Jon Brion provides the trio’s musical accompaniment, and even special guests such as NBA star Baron Davis pop in for a few laughs. Joss Whedon had announced a musical commentary for his forthcoming Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog DVD, but Step Brothers has beat him to the punch. O www.homemediamagazine.com www.homemediamagazine.com While the concept is amusing, the actual attempt gets annoying after about five minutes, so when they actually start speaking at a normal tone about the film, it is a welcome respite. The film itself could only have sprung from the creative forces behind Anchorman and Talladega Nights. In the making-of featurette, McKay says the idea to do Step Brothers stemmed from some of the improvisation of Talladega Nights, which also paired Ferrell and Reilly. The idea was to create a loose framework and let the talent do their thing, which is probably why Step Brothers seems so random. Basically, it’s just a series of sketches in which two fortysomethings act like teenagers. There’s a hint of a plot about learning responsibility, but who cares? The movie’s main strength is in how it mines comedy from the juxtaposition of the child/adult dynamic. At its core, the movie is a reminder that we are all still children at heart, even when dealing with grown-up issues. The DVD has everything fans of the Apatow comedy franchise could possibly want. The single-disc version is loaded in its own right, and the second disc just piles on with more deleted scenes and a digital copy of the film. The comedy isn’t as sharp as previous efforts from the team, but it’s entertaining enough, and the hardcore fans should be satisfied. – John Latchem I 24: REDEMPTION Street 11/25 Fox, Action, $26.98 DVD, NR. Stars Kiefer Sutherland, Cherry Jones, Robert Carlyle, Gil Bellows, Tony Todd, Jon Voight, Powers Boothe. he show “24” hasn’t been seen on TV since mid-2007, when a lackluster sixth season wrapped. The show’s scheduled return in early 2008 was interrupted by the writers strike, and the Fox network decided to delay season seven to 2009. To fill the void (somewhat), the show’s producers put together this TV movie to set up some of the new storylines. The movie presents two parallel storylines, keeping the show’s gimmick of presenting the plot in real time. The main plot, which drives the action scenes, involves Jack Bauer (Sutherland) in exile following years of fighting terrorism for an ungrateful government. He’s living in the fictional African country of Sangala, helping a former special-forces colleague (Carlyle) run a school. When the children are targeted by a military coup, Jack must lead them to the safety of the U.S. embassy, where an ambassador is waiting to serve Jack with a congressional subpoena and drag him back to the United States. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., is preparing for the inauguration of America’s first female president (Jones), who must work with the outgoing president (Boothe) to decide how to help Sangala’s legitimate government. The new president’s family also is involved in some intrigue related to funding of the coup by a rogue businessman, played by Voight. The political scenes provide some of the best moments of the movie, especially the early moments depicting the transition of power, played with subtle tension by Boothe and Jones. The inclusion of some of these scenes is especially timely considering the recent historic significance of actual presidential politics. Ultimately some of the plots are resolved, but the bulk of the movie serves as filler to set up the new season, slated to begin in January. – John Latchem T I A COLBERT CHRISTMAS: THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL Street 11/25 Paramount/Comedy Central, Comedy, $19.99 DVD, NR. Stars Stephen Colbert, Elvis Costello, Toby Keith, John Legend, Willie Nelson, Feist, Jon Stewart. A fter carefully cultivating his ego on “The Colbert Report,” satirical pundit Stephen Colbert has expanded his reach with this holiday special styled after an old-school Christmas-themed variety show. All the usual Colbert refinements are here, with sets filled with subtle touches that add to the hilarity. This is a celebration of all things Colbert. The story begins with Colbert wrapping up his vacation at a remote cabin to return to his New York studio to record his Christmas episode. But as he leaves, he finds a dreaded 16 Home Media Magazine November 23–29, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com

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Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 Contents News High-Def News Electronic Delivery News Commentary Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced

Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008

Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Contents (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Contents (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - News (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - News (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - High-Def News (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - High-Def News (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Electronic Delivery News (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Electronic Delivery News (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Commentary (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Commentary (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Reviews (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Reviews (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - November 23-29, 2008 - 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