Category: Review

Code of Honor – Blu-ray Review

Code of Honor

Ah, the revenge story. From Greek mythology to a Shakespearean tragedy, from Charles Bronson in Death Wish (1974) to Marvel’s The Punisher, stories depicting individuals enacting vengeance on those who have wronged them or their loved ones have been a staple of storytelling for generations. Audiences love the thrill of living vicariously through characters who take matters into their own hands and seek justice when no one else will make things right. Such is the case in the latest Steven Seagal flick, Code of Honor.

Seagal has been an action movie icon for nearly three decades. And while most know him from films like Under Siege (1992), he has been in dozens and dozens of action flicks since his first film, Above the Law in 1988. In Code of Honor, Seagal once again takes on the corrupt, the unjust, and the unlawful with his own brand of kick-ass action complete with gunfire, explosions, and plenty of martial arts action.

Mr. Seagal plays Colonel Robert Sikes, a retired Special Ops operative who has taken it upon himself to rid his city of the dregs of criminal society. No scumbag or thug is off limits as Sikes enacts his own brand of justice on the evildoers that plague his world. His vigilante actions make him a target of law enforcement that are on a mission to stop him while he does his best to stop the criminals he has vows to eradicate. Will Sikes avoid the law and complete his mission, or will his vengeful action be thwarted before he reaches his goal?

With plenty of action and thrills, Code of Honor is an enjoyable revenge flick. Seagal is at his stoic best, and the solid supporting cast is a nice balance to his character’s larger-than-life presence. If you like big action, gunfights, and explosions, Code of Honor will not disappoint.

I do wish there was a behind-the-scenes featurette, but we only get the film’s trailer and other trailers for upcoming films in the Special Features section.

I recommend Code of Honor to Seagal fans and action movie fans alike. It’s action-packed entertainment!

Code of Honor is available now on Blu-ray and DVD.

What’s your favorite Seagal movie? Leave a comment and let us know!

Cohen Media Group: Going Away – DVD Review

Going Away

Sometimes love can find you even when you’re not looking for it. It can be an awesome force that drives two people together, that merges their hearts, souls, and minds; love can endure despite the odds stacked against it. The journey of Baptiste and Sandra in Going Away, an enjoyable French romantic drama, is one fraught with many roadblocks and barriers that they traverse despite the odds.

When Baptiste (Pierre Rochefort), a young teacher suddenly finds himself having to take care of one of his students, Mathias (Mathias Brezot), over a holiday weekend, he and the Mathias end up traveling to a beach resort where Mathias’s mother, Sandra (Louise Bourgoin) works. But all is not well with Sandra’s or Baptiste’s pasts, and Baptiste and Sandra soon discover that in order for them to have a future together they must find closure in pasts they’ve struggled so long to forget.

I really got drawn into Going Away rather quickly. I liked the three primary characters – Baptiste, Sandra, and Mathias – and I was intrigued by their journey as a makeshift family unit. While it may seem like a by-the-numbers romantic film at first, there are plenty of twists that I did not see coming that made the film all the more compelling as a dramatic narrative.

Director and co-screenwriter Nicole Garcia has created a multi-faceted environment in which her characters and their problems seem real and their journey together is realistic and evokes empathy from viewers.

I highly recommend Going Away, which is available now on DVD.

Terrordactyl – Movie Review

Terrordactyl

Ah, the beloved B-movie. A genre that gave filmmakers like Roger Corman a lifetime career and created fodder for over a decade of Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes. After all, not every film that Hollywood churns out every year is guaranteed to be a box office smash. There have to be films that still get made that are there strictly to entertain audiences even if the budget isn’t upwards of $200 million.

B-movies have been around since the advent of cinema, and networks like syfy have capitalized on this off the beaten path style of filmmaking to deliver countless creature features that include the Sharknado series (a fourth is on the way!). With this concept of monster movie in mind, we come to a little film called Terrordactyl.

As the name implies, the film is about a Pterodactyl invasion in modern day Los Angeles. A group of regular folks must work together to stop the massive horde before they destroy the city and eat all its inhabitants. Will this unlikely team be able to stop the threat before it spreads?

Terrordactyl is a solid B-movie with decent special effects and a cast that is aware that they are in a campy, cheesy movie. I feel that self-awareness in films like this is a strength rather than a hindrance to the film’s execution as a whole. It’s the same self-awareness that makes The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and Van Helsing such enjoyable films. Yeah, the cast knows that what’s going on is ridiculous and they happily take you along for the ride.

So, if you like B-movies and have a couple hours to spare, check out Terrordactyl. It’s escapist entertainment for the Sharknado fan in all of us.

Terrordactyl is available now via iTunes and Amazon Video.

What’s your favorite B-movie? Leave a comment and let us know!

Roots: 40th Anniversary – Blu-ray Review

Roots: 40th Anniversary

Gripping. Heart-wrenching. Intense. Dramatic. These and many other words can be used to describe the emotional journey taken while watching the 1977 mini-series, Roots. This special 40th Anniversary Edition takes viewers behind-the-scenes of what was once the most-watched show in TV history.

In 1977, Roots consumed audiences with its story of a young African man, Kunta Kinte (LeVar Buron), who is ripped away from his peaceful home and loving family only to be brought the United States and thrown into the vile and deplorable bonds of slavery. The mini-series follows Kunta Kinte and his family through generations of enslavement, and the lessons learned through his experiences offer a sobering look at a past a mere century-and-a-half old.

Roots dominated in the ratings with an estimated audience between 130 million and 140 million viewers. In 1977, with the U.S. population at 221 million, this meant that between 66% and 80% on TVs were tuned the eight-part series when it originally aired between January 23 and January 30, 1977. It’s no wonder that Roots is a definite classic and a must-watch.

This special edition blu-ray is packed with excellent special features, which include:

Roots: The American Story Continues

A discussion of the impact the mini-series had on American culture in 1977.

Roots: The Cast Looks Back

The cast reminisces about making the mini-series and how it affected them personally both during production and over the decades since Roots initially premiered.

Crossing Over: How Roots Captivated an Entire Nation

A look at the social and cultural impact that Roots had on nationwide audiences in 1977 and how it led to new perspectives on race and genealogy.

Connecting with the Past

An in-depth analysis about the importance of knowing where your ancestors came from and how that can have an impact on your present and your future.

The Struggle to Make Roots

Take a look behind-the-scenes of how this amazing mini-series went from script to screen and the challenges that were faced and surpassed along the way.

LeVar Burton: Original Screen Test

Alex Haley Interview by David Frost

Roots: One Year Later

A documentary aired one year after the initial airing of Roots that discusses the impact the mini-series. Hosted by Louis Gossett, Jr.

This special anniversary edition also includes a supplemental booklet with info about each episode and a list of the mini-series’ cast members.

My one issue with the set is the color choices for the Menu buttons. The basic color and the one used when selecting are so similar it’s hard to see if you have selected what you want. Other than that, this is an excellent box set.

Roots left a lasting impression on audiences that continues to have an impact to this day. Now that I have read Alex Haley’s remarkable novel and seen the adaptation of his work I strongly, strongly recommend that you read and watch both. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget.

Roots: 40th Anniversary is available now on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Download.

Jarhead 3: The Siege – Blu-ray Review

Jarhead 3: The Siege

With plenty of action, gunfire, and a high body count, Jarhead 3: The Siege is a decent action flick that delivers. When a Middle East-based U.S. embassy is attacked by a group of ISIS fighters, an elite squad of Marines stationed there battle to keep the U.S. Ambassador and other civilians safe while everyone’s lives hang in the balance.

It’s a bloody battle to the finish line complete with explosions, body armor, thousands of rounds or ammunition, and dozens of intense action sequences. Once it gets going, Jarhead 3 becomes a continuous maze of bullets, blood, and backbone as out Marine heroes fight for their lives and the lives of others caught in the crossfire of those who wish to destroy them.

Starring a young, energetic cast the includes Charlie Weber (How to Get Away with Murder), Erik Valdez (Graceland, General Hospital), and Sasha Jackson (Fuller House, One Tree Hill), along with Dennis Haysbert (24, The Unit, the spokesperson for All-State Insurance), and Scott Adkins (Zero Dark Thirty, The Expendables 2, Criminal), Jarhead 3: The Siege offers plenty of kick-ass action and excitement!

The Blu-ray includes both the rated (R) and unrated versions of the film, along with the Bonus Feature: Making Jarhead 3: The Siege. This featurette is about five minutes long and gives you some cool insight into the cast and the making of a action flick of this nature.

I recommend Jarhead 3: The Siege to fans of modern military movies or action films in general.

Jarhead 3: The Siege is available June 7, 2016 on DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Download!

What’s your favorite military-themed movie? Leave a comment and let us know!