The release of The Fast and The Furious 6 is coming next month and to celebrate all five previous movies are coming out onto Blu-ray, including our Recommendation of the Week, Fast Five. This Blu-ray release features the extended edition, a director’s commentary, various documentaries and a Digital Copy for portable devices.
First Release
- Hyde Park on Hudson (DVD and Blu-ray)
- One Life (Blu-ray)
- Womb (DVD and Blu-ray)
Re-Release
- Naked Lunch (1991) (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Gates of Hell (1953) (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Fast and The Furious (2001) (Blu-ray)
- 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) (Blu-ray)
- The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) (Blu-ray)
- Fast and Furious (2009) (Blu-ray)
- Fast Five (2011) (Blu-ray)
Fast Five (2011) (Blu-ray) *Recommendation of the Week*
Directed by Justin Lin
Written by Chris Morgan (screenplay), Gary Scott Thompson (characters)
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Sung Kang
It is very surprising that The Fast and The Furious has survived up to five movies (very soon to be six). It is even more surprising that the fifth movie is considered the best of the series, turning the series into a heist film. Set in Rio de Janeiro, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brain O’Conner (Paul Walker) plan to steal $100 Million from a ruthless drug lord they have crossed, Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida, Clear and Present Danger). They have to use every contact and friend they have to make this audacious heist succeed. But on their trial is the best agent the Diplomatic Security Service has to offer, Luke Hobbs, played by the show stealing Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 78% (very good)
Metacritic Rating: 67/100 (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 5.8/10 (read our review)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Digital Copy of Fast Five - Extended Version (expires on 03/13/2012); Second Screen; Deleted Scenes; Gag Reel; The Big Train Heist; Reuniting the Team; A New Set of Wheels; Dom's Journey; Brian O'Conner: From Fed to Con; Enter Federal Agent Hobbs; Dom vs. Hobbs; On Set with Director Justin Lin; Inside the Vault Chase; Tyrese TV; Feature Commentary with Director Justin Lin (Extended Version Only); My Scenes; D-BOX; pocket BLU App
Amazon Price: $19.99 (Blu-ray)
As well as The Fast and The Furious movies being released, also out for your viewing pleasure are the FDR bio-pic Hyde Park on Hudson and two re-releases from the Criterion Collection.
Hyde Park on Hudson (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Roger Michell
Written by Richard Nelson
Starring: Bill Murray, Laura Linney, Samuel West, Olivia Colman
In recent years we have seen a few movies featuring King George VI: those being the Academy Award winning The King’s Speech and Madonna’s W.E..A third movie featuring him is Hyde Park on Hudson. This biographical movie focuses on President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Bill Murray) as he welcomes the King and Queen of Britain (Samuel West, Mr Selfridge and Olivia Colman, Peep Show) to his country estate during the first state visit by the British monarchy. As the British tries to gain support from the Americans as war approaches in Europe, FDR starts to have an affair with his distinct cousin, Margaret Suckley (Laura Linney)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 38% (poor)
Metacritic Rating: 55/100 (average)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Deleted scenes; A look inside Hyde Park On Hudson; First days; Featire commentary with director Roger Michell and producer Kevin Loader
Amazon Price: $17.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 3 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 2 stars, Replay 3.5 stars (out of 5). Rent It.
One Life (Blu-ray)
Written and directed by Michael Gunton, Martha Holmes
Starring: Daniel Craig
One Life is a BBC Earth Nature documentary narrated by Daniel Craig, focusing on the lives and struggle for survival of various animals with youngsters in the wild, using top of the range technology and technique which the BBC is known for.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 95% (excellent)
Metacritic Rating: 68/100 (good)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Director's commentary; Behind the scenes; Making of One Life; Interviews; Mike Gunton on One Life (blu-ray only)
Amazon Price: $14.99 (Blu-ray)
Womb (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Benedek Fliegauf
Written by Benedek Fliegauf, Elizabeth Szasa
Starring: Eva Green, Matt Smith
Womb (or Clone in some territories) is a sci-fi romance starring former Bond girl Eva Green and the current Doctor Matt Smith. Rebecca (Green) and Thomas (Smith) are couple very much in love. But when Thomas suddenly dies Rebecca takes the controversial decision him and she has to wrestle with the moral of raising the clone as her child whilst also being in romantic love with the man.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 35% (poor)
Metacritic Rating: 48 (average)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $24.99 (DVD), $29.99 (Blu-ray)
Naked Lunch (1991) (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by David Cronenberg
Written by David Cronenberg (screenplay), William S. Burrough (novel)
Starring: Peter Weller, Judy Davis, Ian Holm
Loosely based on William S. Burrough’s novel, Naked Lunch is a David Cronenberg movie about Bill Lee (Peter Weller), a man who accidently shoots his wife during a drugs trip, leading to him discovering the nightmarish Interzone.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 69% (good)
Metacritic Rating: 67/100
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: New high-definition digital transfer, approved by director David Cronenberg; Audio commentary by Cronenberg and actor Peter Weller; "Making Naked Lunch" a London Weekend TV documentary; Illustrated essay on the special effects; Film stills gallery; Examples of the marketing campaign, including a featurette, B-roll montage, TV spots, and theatrical trailer; Excerpts from the novel read by author William S. Burroughs; A collection of archival stills of author William S. Burroughs; 32-page booklet with essays
Amazon Price: $23.99 (DVD)
Gate of Hell (1953) (DVD and Blu-ray)
Written and directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa
Starring: Kazuo Hasegawa, Machiko Kyō
The other movie from the Criterion Collection this week is the 1953 Japanese movie, Gate of Hell. Set in 12th Century Japan, a samurai and one of the ladies in waiting cause a distraction during an attempted coup to save the royal family. As a reward the samurai wants to marry the woman, but the woman is already married.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (excellent)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: New high-definition digital restoration; New English subtitle translation; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film historian Stephen Prince
Amazon Price: $13.99 (DVD), $19.86 (Blu-ray)
The Fast and The Furious (2001) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Rob Cohen
Written by Gary Scott Thompson, Erik Bergquist, David Ayer (screenplay), Gary Scott Thompson (story), Ken Li (article “Racer X”)
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster
The movie that started The Fast and The Furious franchise is of course The Fast and The Furious. Directed by Rob Cohen (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, Dragonheart), this was the movie that helped turned Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez into stars.
Set on the streets of Los Angeles, Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) is a cop assigned the mission to go undercover in a group of street racers who use robberies to fund their lifestyle. But O’Connor’s loyalties are tested when he befriends the group’s leader, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and falls for his sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 52% (average)
Metacritic Rating: 58/100 (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Dom's Charger; Quarter-Mile at a time; The Fast And The Furious video mash-up; The making of The Fast And the Furious; Feature commentary with director Rob Cohen; Deleted scenes; And much more!
Amazon Price: $14.96 (Blu-ray)
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) (Blu-ray)
Directed by John Singleton
Written by Michael Brandt, Derek Haas (screenplay), Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Gary Scott Thompson (story)
Starring: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, James Remar
After the surprise success of The Fast and The Furious, Universal quickly commissioned a sequel. Rob Cohen and Vin Diesel both jumped ship to make xXx, so John Singleton (Boyz n the Hood) took over the directing duties.
After letting Dominic Toretto escape, Brian O’Connor is now a wanted criminal and when the police finally catch up to him, they make him go undercover to infiltrate the money laundering operation of a Miami drug lord, Carter Verone (Cole Hauser). To do this he has to team with an ex-con, Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson, The Transformers series), leading to one of most homoerotic relationships in action cinema.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 36% (poor)
Metacritic Rating: 38/100 (poor)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 3.3/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Fast females; Hollywood impact; Inside 2 Fast 2 Furious; Feature commentary with director John Singleton; Deleted scenes and outtakes; Actor driving school; Tricking out a hot import car; And much more!
Amazon Price: $14.99 (Blu-ray)
The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Justin Lin
Written by Chris Morgan (screenplay), Gary Scott Thompson (characters)
Starring: Lucas Black, Sung Kang, Bow Wow, Brian Tee, Nathalie Kelley, Jason Tobin
Following 2 Fast 2 Furious, the series departed even further from its roots, having none of the cast members returns (except for a cameo) and changing the setting completely.
Sean Boswell (Lucas Black) is teenager from Alabama who moves to Tokyo with his military father to avoid serving time in prison after an illegal street race. But in Tokyo he ends up competing in the underground drift racing scene in the Japanese capital.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 35% (poor)
Metacritic Rating: 46/100 (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Deleted scenes; Tricked out to drift - how filmakers customized cars; The Japanese way - on location in Tokyo
Amazon Price: $14.99 (Blu-ray)
Fast and Furious (2009) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Justin Lin
Written by Chris Morgan (screenplay), Gary Scott Thompson (characters)
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster
Fast and Furious’ Tag Line was new model, original parts as it brought back the cast of the original movie for the fourth movie, mainly because their careers had flatline. This sequel sees Brain O’Conner return to the LAPD and he has to go undercover to stop a drug baron who uses underground tunnels to smuggle drugs from Mexico into America. But Toretto also wants to get revenge against the drug baron, forcing the two men to work together.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 27% (bad)
Metacritic Rating: 45/100 (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 5.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Original short film: Los Bandoleros; Under the hood: muscle cars and imports; Getting the gang back together; Driving school with Vin Diesel; Shooting the big rig heist; And much more!
Amazon Price: $14.99 (Blu-ray)
