Joe Dante's Small Soldiers comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. An English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while Spanish and French soundtracks have been recorded in Dolby Digital Surround. Spanish and French subtitles are accessible, and the English soundtrack is closed-captioned. Supplemental materials include deleted scenes, the theatrical trailer, biographies of the cast, and a demonstration of an interactive game based on the film. This is a solid release from Dreamworks that boasts excellent sound and picture quality.
The X-Men DVD provides an impressive 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and THX sound, but the supplementary material feels rushed. While the viewer has the option of watching ten minutes of extra footage reinserted into the film through "extended branching," the transition is not seamless; most of the scenes are from an unfinished working print and are not anamorphic like the rest of the film. The featurette "Mutant Watch" is a television "making of" special that is at least creative in its execution, if not very substantial. Segments from a Charlie Rose interview with director Bryan Singer are also included, but it would have been nice to see the interview in its entirety, while the Hugh Jackman screen test is a feature better placed in the context of a more expansive documentary about the production. The art and animatics galleries feature remarkable concept designs and computer animated storyboards, as well as two hidden "Easter eggs." Highlighting the rose in the trailer menu shows a brief on-set gag involving Spiderman, while Wolverine's dog tags in the art gallery provide concept art for two characters cut from the film. While X-Men has the appearance of a special edition DVD, it will certainly be supplanted by a more authoritative version in the future.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
In Season 2 of the superhero saga, the nascent heroes learn more about their similarly superpowered families and ancestors. Indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) and her family are forced to go into hiding in California in order to escape the clutches of the Company, an organization that tracks and captures superheroes. While her father, Noah (Jack Coleman), a former employee of the Company, insists she not do anything to attract attention, Claire finds herself attracted to a fellow student (Nicholas D'Agosto) with a superpowered secret of his own. After barely managing to avert a nuclear explosion in Season 1's finale, Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) is presumed dead by his grieving family, only to awaken in Ireland with no idea who he is or how he got there. Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) accidentally time travels to 17th-century feudal Japan, where he encounters his childhood hero, the legendary swordsman Takezo Kensei. But Hiro's joy is short-lived: He discovers that not only is Kensei a white foreigner (David Anders) living in Japan, but he's also a drunken coward who needs Hiro's help in order to achieve his destiny. Hiro eventually returns to the present and learns his father (George Takei) has been killed, the first in a series of murders of superheroes who had been active a generation ago. As the murders continue, it becomes clear that this killing spree is an act of revenge connected to a deadly virus that could spell disaster for humanity. In addition to this threat, the heroes must also deal with the return of superpowered serial killer Sylar (Zachary Quinto) and the arrival of a new villain (Kristen Bell), a mentally unstable agent of the Company with the ability to control lightning and electricity.
The NBC series' first season begins with the origin stories of several lonely, disconnected people who learn they're destined to become superheroes. At the center of the unfolding tale is Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia), a nurse haunted by cryptic dreams who believes he's meant to do great things with his life. Peter tries to convince his politico brother Nathan (Adrian Pasdar), who is running for the U.S. Senate, that something strange is happening to both of them, but Nathan is adamant about maintaining a low profile and keeping his personal life out of the press. Meanwhile, a Texas cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere) discovers she's completely indestructible, but she's in for an even bigger shock when she realizes her family is hiding a dark secret. Over in Los Angeles, a beat cop (Greg Grunberg) develops the ability to read minds, and an Internet stripper (Ali Larter) begins to manifest a murderous alternate personality. And in Tokyo, bored cubicle drone Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) is desperate for the kind of adventures found in comic books and Star Trek. (In a sly in-joke, Hiro's father shows up later in the season and is portrayed by Star Trek alum George Takei.) Hiro's wish is miraculously granted when he develops the ability to travel through time and space, teleporting himself instantly from a Tokyo subway to Times Square. But Hiro's elation quickly turns to fear when he witnesses a nuclear explosion lay waste to New York City. Upon teleporting home, he realizes he's just seen a glimpse of a catastrophe that will happen in a few weeks unless he can stop it. Heroes from across the globe gradually meet up and form alliances as they try to prevent the nuclear attack and fight back against a shadowy, superpowered serial killer known as Sylar (Zachary Quinto), who is able to murder the would-be superheroes and steal their abilities in the process.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy 20th Century Masters Cd is great for anybody who likes the big band era. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is one of the best big band band's ever.Great songs and beats
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Steve Barron's big-screen treatment of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comes to DVD with a pair of transfers. The widescreen image preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and is preferable to the standard full-frame transfer. An English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Stereo. English, French, and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include the original theatrical trailer, character biographies, and an interactive game that is played by using the DVD remote control. This is a fine disc from New Line that should entertain Turtles enthusiasts.