March 28, 2024

Preston Barta // Editor


ZOOTOPIA | 108 min | G
Director: Byron Howard and Rich Moore
Co-director: Jared Bush
Cast: Ginnifer GoodwinJason BatemanIdris Elba and Jenny Slate

Set in a world where animals have evolved and live much like we do, ZOOTOPIA puts us in the paws of a rookie bunny cop (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and a cynical con artist fox (Jason Bateman) who must work together to uncover a conspiracy.

Disney is known for incorporating social values and commentary into their fun story lines. It’s a mystery itself that a movie aimed at children could be so thrilling, while also providing audiences with an authentic look at what happens when different people and cultures find themselves in the same space. When it happens, it’s not always peaceful and perfect: Bias and prejudice exist in the film’s titular city, much like our own world.

The film presents this notion in a smart and subtle way, never overstepping its bounds or becoming too heavy-handed. Kudos to directing duo Bryon Howard (TANGLED) and Rich Moore (WRECK-IT RALPH) on that front.

If you’re in desperate need of some cinematic Tylenol in a sea of headache-inducing children’s movies, look no further than ZOOTOPIA. It’s a wondrous example of how Disney can mix the classic with the new, and arrive at something that’ll hop straight into your heart.

Read Bill Graham’s review of the film here.

Extras: Candid conversations with the filmmakers and artists behind the film, an alternate opening, deleted scenes, and a sneak peek at some of the hidden Easter eggs that make reference to Disney’s most beloved films and characters.


13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI | 144 min | R
Director: Michael Bay
Cast: John Krasinski, Pablo Schreiber and James Badge Dale

The most recent conflicts in the Middle East have resulted in a new wave of war movies that depict the harrowing realities of these engagements. Some films, such as Lone Survivor, may focus more on the action than the politics, but almost all have a message of some variety about war. The same can be said of Michael Bay’s new film, 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI.

Starring John Krasinski (THE OFFICE) and James Badge Dale (THE DEPARTED), the film avoids the expected trappings by focusing on the true story of the soldiers who took action during the 2012 attacks on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Bay (TRANSFORMERS) sells every gunshot with kinetic style. Each explosive scene engrosses you in the moment of each battle. However, where the film falls short is its human drama and characters. Without real characters, interpersonal conflict or even the slightest hint of personality, the effect is no different than watching a buddy play CALL OF DUTY.

Read my full review here.

Extras: A featurette on the story behind the film and a making-of.


HAIL, CAESAR! |  106 min  | PG-13
Directed by: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
Starring: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Scarlett JohanssonChanning TatumRalph Fiennes, and Jonah Hill

Led by George Clooney and Josh Brolin, this 1950s satire follows a group of Hollywood something-or-others who are tasked with finding one of their own after he’s been kidnapped.

The Coens are no strangers to narratives involving kidnappings, the key ones being RAISING ARIZONA, FARGO and THE BIG LEBOWSKI It’s one of their favorite cinematic explorations and a perfect setup for characters to bum around and make idiotic decisions.

While the Coens engage in the familiar, they have always proved they have more muscle underneath the hood. HAIL, CAESAR! is an eccentric farce about the silliness of early Hollywood productions.

Read Courtney Howard’s review here.

Extras: Featurettes on recreating the Golden Era, capturing the time period with the actors, costume design and directing the musical scenes.


ANOMALISA | 90 min | R
Director: Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman
Cast: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tom Noonan

ANOMALISA is geared towards a very specific crowd. You are either an arthouse film lover or a devoted fan of filmmaker Charlie Kaufman (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND). If you’ve seen the film’s trailer, you may know it spins together a human story with stop-motion animation. So if its narrative of a man (David Thewlis) crippled by his ordinary life doesn’t grab you, its first-rate visuals will.

The story is a bit whiny and complain-heavy, but you can’t help but admire the sort of different filmmaking Kaufman pushes. Everyone of his films are unlike the usual crop we’re used to, and that in itself is something worth commending. While his latest, ANOMALISA, may divide its audience, one thing is for sure: they’ll never forget it.

Also available on DVD and streaming: THE ABANDONED, THE CONFIRMATION, EVERY THING WILL BE FINE, JARHEAD 3: THE SIEGE, JOURNEY TO SPACE, KILL YOUR FRIENDS, LE AMICHE (1955): Criterion Collection, THE MARTIAN: Extended Edition, MR. RIGHT, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR, ROOTS (1977): The Complete Original Series, STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN – Director’s Cut, TOUCHED WITH FIRE, A WAR, and VINYL: Season 1.

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