New On Video: 'Daredevil,' 'Piglet's Big Movie'
Also New: An Underappreciated Mockumentary Classic
POSTED: 11:11 a.m. EDT August 1, 2003
UPDATED: 11:17 a.m. EDT August 1, 2003
'Daredevil' (PG-13): Ben Affleck does a super job, for the lack of a better word, playing the title role in "Daredevil" -- the first of three impressive Marvel Comics adaptations (before "X2" and "The Hulk") hit the big screen this year.
Adapted from the Marvel comic book by Stan Lee and Bill Everett, Affleck stars as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer whose enhanced remaining senses allow him to fight crime as Daredevil -- "the man without fear" -- at night in New York's Hell's Kitchen.
But while Murdock clearly has an advantage when it comes to disposing of the bad guys, there's a batch of new people that are starting to complicate things. For starters, he has a developing relationship with the mysterious Elektra ("Alias" star Jennifer Garner), whose father (Erick Avari) is a target of the crime boss Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan) and his chief assassin Bullseye (Colin Farrell). In addition, he has a curious reporter (Joe Pantaliano) on his trail, anxious to reveal the true identity of the "rumored" superhero to the masses.
The great part about "Daredevil" is that it's more about the actions of an ensemble cast than it is about one character. Instead of making the film a star vehicle for Affleck, writer-director Mark Steven Johnson delves deep into Murdock's past and present, starting with the pivotal relationship between the young Matt (an impressive Scott Terra) his father (David Keith) and the events that led to his blindness.
The studio made a smart move to employ the talents of Johnson, who clearly has a keen sense for the source material, yet doesn't make it foreign to viewers new to the character. Having the films "Grumpy Old Men" and "Grumpier Old Men" to his credit, there's no question that Johnson has a handle on developing great dialogue. But while "Daredevil" has its share of comedic moments, it's surprising how dark the film is.
That's because Daredevil is hardly your typical superhero: he's hardly immune to pain, and he's far from being above tragedy in his personal life. He's not exactly a flawed character, just very vulnerable.
Because of that, he's easily relatable to us despite the extraordinary circumstances he finds himself in. And, forgoing the typical superhero formula, there are people out there that have actually put 2-and-2 together to figure out that there's a correlation between Murdock and his high-flying alter ego.
In addition, Affleck, Garner, Duncan and Farrell master their roles. Apart from displaying great physical capabilities, Garner brings multiple dimensions to Elektra, playing her as smart and sleek, yet vulnerable. Duncan and Farrell's roles aren't quite as deep however, but they both have ample opportunity to chew some scenery with scenes that bubble with intensity. Sure, the roles are limiting, but they're hardly one-note bad guys.
Amply providing the comic relief are Jon Favreau as Murdock's law partner and Affleck pal/raucous filmmaker Kevin Smith, who cameos as a lab technician.
From a visual standpoint, "Daredevil" is a spectacular achievement. The high-flying kicks and free-falls are breathtaking, and the way Johnson presents Murdock's remaining, super-energized senses are sharp and original. It's a great movie.
DVD Features: The 2-DVD set includes commentary with Johnson and producer Gary Foster; an on-screen trivia track and a visually impaired track. DVD features about the movie include "Beyond Hell's Kitchen: Making Daredevil" documentary with optional enhanced viewing mode; Garner's screen test; six multi-angle scene studies; a Kingpin featurette; HBO's "First Look" special; "Moving Through Space: A Day with Tom Sullivan" and three music videos: "Won't Back Down" by Fuel, "For You" by the Calling and "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence.
Also included are features about the comic book, including the documentary "Men Without Fear: Creating Daredevil"; "Shadow World Tour": an in-depth look at "Daredevil's sight"; modeling sheets and DVD-ROM content, including a virtual comic book version of "Daredevil" issue No. 1. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
'Piglet's Big Movie' (G): While there's nothing strikingly original about "Piglet's Big Movie," the latest "Winnie the Pooh" adventure to become a feature film is charming and effective, nonetheless.
In this new adventure, our familiar cast of characters -- Pooh, Eeyore, Rabbit, Tigger and Roo -- embarks on a search mission for their friend Piglet, who goes missing in the Hundred Acre Wood. Using Piglet's memory book as guide to finding him, the friends realize just how big of an impact the little Piglet has had on all of their lives.
"Piglet's Big Movie" plays no different than an episode of "Winnie the Pooh" on television, with the exception that Pooh's choral narrator, singer Carly Simon, drops in songs throughout the film to amplify the narrative.
Although the animation is basic compared to other Disney features, it would seem odd to upgrade "Pooh" to today's animation standards. Keeping it simple maintains the classic atmosphere of the show.
Which brings us to the main point: there's really no reason for dramatic change with the Pooh series, as the lesson of the movie -- this time about friendship and loyalty -- has just as much heart as its television and film predecessors.
In fact, "Piglet's Big Movie" is a great representation of why the characters have endured for so many years. Jim Cummings' magical vocalizations of Pooh and Tigger are as engaging as ever, as are the voice roles of Piglet (John Fiedler), Rabbit (Ken Samson) and the lovably lackadaisical Eeyore (Peter Cullen).
Obviously, "Piglet's Big Movie" is aimed at the toddler and kindergarten set, but anybody who has grown up with Pooh will find the film entertaining and enlightening. It's a solid family movie.
DVD Features: Piglet's Big Book of Memories game; "The World According to Piglet" featurettes; a sing along section and DVD-ROM activities. (Walt Disney Home Entertainment)
'(The Making Of) And God Spoke' (R): A spoof about a couple of pretentious B-movie filmmakers (Michael Riley and Steven Rappaport) who find nothing but disaster while attempting to make a movie about the Bible, "(The Making Of) And God Spoke" is simply one of the greatest mockumentary stories never told in a national theatrical run.
A diamond-in-the-rough that has gotten no more notices than an occasional run on the Independent Film Channel, "And God Spoke" easily ranks up with mockumentary classics "This is Spinal Tap," "Waiting for Guffman," "Best in Show" and "A Mighty Wind." Don't worry, the film isn't mocking the Bible, just the morons who are forced to cast people like a self-deprecating Soupy Sales as Moses when they can't get the likes of Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro to commit to their "epic."
A 1993 film that's finally making its debut on DVD, "And God Spoke" might be tough to locate on rental shelves, but if you can, rent this movie -- or simply seek it out and buy it. It writes the book on high comedy.
DVD Features: There was a small budget on this film, so needless to say, there are no bonus features on the DVD. The disc is available in both widescreen and pan-and-scan format. (Artisan Home Entertainment)
TV On DVD: It's taken a few years, but finally, the first season of the hit animated series "King of the Hill" has made its way to DVD. The delightfully witty three-disc set features audio commentary, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurette about first 13 episodes of the show, which debuted in 1997.
The humor featured on the show is dramatically different in comparison to creator Mike Judge's breakthrough animated series, the scorching MTV show "Beavis and Butt-head." Judge, naturally, brings the central character to life as the voice of the family's propane salesman patriarch, Hank Hill. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
Adapted from the Marvel comic book by Stan Lee and Bill Everett, Affleck stars as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer whose enhanced remaining senses allow him to fight crime as Daredevil -- "the man without fear" -- at night in New York's Hell's Kitchen.
But while Murdock clearly has an advantage when it comes to disposing of the bad guys, there's a batch of new people that are starting to complicate things. For starters, he has a developing relationship with the mysterious Elektra ("Alias" star Jennifer Garner), whose father (Erick Avari) is a target of the crime boss Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan) and his chief assassin Bullseye (Colin Farrell). In addition, he has a curious reporter (Joe Pantaliano) on his trail, anxious to reveal the true identity of the "rumored" superhero to the masses.
The great part about "Daredevil" is that it's more about the actions of an ensemble cast than it is about one character. Instead of making the film a star vehicle for Affleck, writer-director Mark Steven Johnson delves deep into Murdock's past and present, starting with the pivotal relationship between the young Matt (an impressive Scott Terra) his father (David Keith) and the events that led to his blindness.
The studio made a smart move to employ the talents of Johnson, who clearly has a keen sense for the source material, yet doesn't make it foreign to viewers new to the character. Having the films "Grumpy Old Men" and "Grumpier Old Men" to his credit, there's no question that Johnson has a handle on developing great dialogue. But while "Daredevil" has its share of comedic moments, it's surprising how dark the film is.
That's because Daredevil is hardly your typical superhero: he's hardly immune to pain, and he's far from being above tragedy in his personal life. He's not exactly a flawed character, just very vulnerable.
Because of that, he's easily relatable to us despite the extraordinary circumstances he finds himself in. And, forgoing the typical superhero formula, there are people out there that have actually put 2-and-2 together to figure out that there's a correlation between Murdock and his high-flying alter ego.
In addition, Affleck, Garner, Duncan and Farrell master their roles. Apart from displaying great physical capabilities, Garner brings multiple dimensions to Elektra, playing her as smart and sleek, yet vulnerable. Duncan and Farrell's roles aren't quite as deep however, but they both have ample opportunity to chew some scenery with scenes that bubble with intensity. Sure, the roles are limiting, but they're hardly one-note bad guys.
Amply providing the comic relief are Jon Favreau as Murdock's law partner and Affleck pal/raucous filmmaker Kevin Smith, who cameos as a lab technician.
From a visual standpoint, "Daredevil" is a spectacular achievement. The high-flying kicks and free-falls are breathtaking, and the way Johnson presents Murdock's remaining, super-energized senses are sharp and original. It's a great movie.
DVD Features: The 2-DVD set includes commentary with Johnson and producer Gary Foster; an on-screen trivia track and a visually impaired track. DVD features about the movie include "Beyond Hell's Kitchen: Making Daredevil" documentary with optional enhanced viewing mode; Garner's screen test; six multi-angle scene studies; a Kingpin featurette; HBO's "First Look" special; "Moving Through Space: A Day with Tom Sullivan" and three music videos: "Won't Back Down" by Fuel, "For You" by the Calling and "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence.
Also included are features about the comic book, including the documentary "Men Without Fear: Creating Daredevil"; "Shadow World Tour": an in-depth look at "Daredevil's sight"; modeling sheets and DVD-ROM content, including a virtual comic book version of "Daredevil" issue No. 1. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
'Piglet's Big Movie' (G): While there's nothing strikingly original about "Piglet's Big Movie," the latest "Winnie the Pooh" adventure to become a feature film is charming and effective, nonetheless.
In this new adventure, our familiar cast of characters -- Pooh, Eeyore, Rabbit, Tigger and Roo -- embarks on a search mission for their friend Piglet, who goes missing in the Hundred Acre Wood. Using Piglet's memory book as guide to finding him, the friends realize just how big of an impact the little Piglet has had on all of their lives.
"Piglet's Big Movie" plays no different than an episode of "Winnie the Pooh" on television, with the exception that Pooh's choral narrator, singer Carly Simon, drops in songs throughout the film to amplify the narrative.
Although the animation is basic compared to other Disney features, it would seem odd to upgrade "Pooh" to today's animation standards. Keeping it simple maintains the classic atmosphere of the show.
Which brings us to the main point: there's really no reason for dramatic change with the Pooh series, as the lesson of the movie -- this time about friendship and loyalty -- has just as much heart as its television and film predecessors.
In fact, "Piglet's Big Movie" is a great representation of why the characters have endured for so many years. Jim Cummings' magical vocalizations of Pooh and Tigger are as engaging as ever, as are the voice roles of Piglet (John Fiedler), Rabbit (Ken Samson) and the lovably lackadaisical Eeyore (Peter Cullen).
Obviously, "Piglet's Big Movie" is aimed at the toddler and kindergarten set, but anybody who has grown up with Pooh will find the film entertaining and enlightening. It's a solid family movie.
DVD Features: Piglet's Big Book of Memories game; "The World According to Piglet" featurettes; a sing along section and DVD-ROM activities. (Walt Disney Home Entertainment)
'(The Making Of) And God Spoke' (R): A spoof about a couple of pretentious B-movie filmmakers (Michael Riley and Steven Rappaport) who find nothing but disaster while attempting to make a movie about the Bible, "(The Making Of) And God Spoke" is simply one of the greatest mockumentary stories never told in a national theatrical run.
A diamond-in-the-rough that has gotten no more notices than an occasional run on the Independent Film Channel, "And God Spoke" easily ranks up with mockumentary classics "This is Spinal Tap," "Waiting for Guffman," "Best in Show" and "A Mighty Wind." Don't worry, the film isn't mocking the Bible, just the morons who are forced to cast people like a self-deprecating Soupy Sales as Moses when they can't get the likes of Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro to commit to their "epic."
A 1993 film that's finally making its debut on DVD, "And God Spoke" might be tough to locate on rental shelves, but if you can, rent this movie -- or simply seek it out and buy it. It writes the book on high comedy.
DVD Features: There was a small budget on this film, so needless to say, there are no bonus features on the DVD. The disc is available in both widescreen and pan-and-scan format. (Artisan Home Entertainment)
TV On DVD: It's taken a few years, but finally, the first season of the hit animated series "King of the Hill" has made its way to DVD. The delightfully witty three-disc set features audio commentary, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurette about first 13 episodes of the show, which debuted in 1997.
The humor featured on the show is dramatically different in comparison to creator Mike Judge's breakthrough animated series, the scorching MTV show "Beavis and Butt-head." Judge, naturally, brings the central character to life as the voice of the family's propane salesman patriarch, Hank Hill. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)Copyright 2003 by Lifewhile.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
