DVD Picks & Pans: More Stocking Stuffers

Military.com - Tom Miller

Okay, so you passed on Black Friday.  I don't blame you.  Those people are crazy. 

But, now that it's deep into the Holiday shopping season, maybe it's time to start making your list and checking it twice.  Pretty soon, the light at the end of the Christmas tunnel is going to be Rudolph's nose. 

There's still plenty of time left -- especially if you're shopping for some Hollywood magic.  And, why not?   Almost everybody loves movies, and there's a movie for everybody.  The studios -- mindful of the opportunity -- are bringing out a sleigh full of new titles just in time for the season of giving.  And, getting. 

To help with your selections, we've been viewing the new releases and have some suggestions.  No need to thank us.  Just meet us under the mistletoe.   And, bring the egg nog.
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"Mamma Mia! The Movie --Two-Disc Special Edition," DVD-2008 ($34.98, Universal Studios Home Entertainment) Also available in single-disc and Blu-ray editions.

If you don't like Abba, the 1970's Swedish rock group, you probably won't like "Mamma Mia."  But, who doesn't like Abba? 

Based on the long-running, fantastically-successful Broadway musical that wraps Abba's greatest hits around a love story set in paradise, "Mamma Mia! The Movie" is toe-tapping, sing-a-long fun.

The risk here is that all the singing -- twenty-two Abba hits including "Dancing Queen," "Take a Chance on Me," and "S.O.S" -- and dancing will overwhelm the rather thin plot.  But, as it turns out, the risk was well worth taking. 

The story revolves around single mom Donna (Meryl Streep) and her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried).   Sophie is getting married -- to boyfriend Sky (Dominic Cooper) -- and has secretly invited her father to the wedding.

Sounds innocuous enough, right?  Wrong.  You see, her mom was a mite promiscuous the summer Sophie was conceived, and any of three suitors might be the father: Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth), and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard). 

That's about it.  The three "fathers" arrive on the Greek island where Donna runs a ramshackle hotel, and Sophie tries to keep their presence from her mom while trying to decide which is her real father. 

What elevates "Mamma Mia!" is the almost-seamless way the music and story mesh.   The singing and dancing seem to flow naturally from the action, and the lyrics are surprisingly germane.  It helps that the principal actors -- with one exception -- have surprisingly good voices.  The exception is Mr. Brosnan, who obviously didn't get much practice as a certain British spy. 

"Mamma Mia! The Movie" will put smiles on the faces of those who love musical comedy in general and Abba in particular.  Take a chance on it! 

Military.com Rating: *** ½

(DVD extras include deleted scenes, outtakes, a digital copy of the film, a music video for "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!", a sing along feature, feature commentary with director Phyllida Lloyd, and several featurettes including: "The Making of Mamma Mia!", "Anatomy of a Musical Number: Lay All Your Love on Me," "Becoming a Singer," "Behind the Scenes with Amanda," "On Location in Greece," and "A Look Inside Mamma Mia!")
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"Hannah Montana: The Complete First Season," DVD-2008 ($39.99, Walt Disney)

Is there a more famous 16-year-old anywhere than Miley Cyrus?  She's everywhere and she's always under a microscope of media attention.  And, it's not always Disney-friendly attention:  Exhibit A being the now-infamous racy photos snapped by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. 

But, her fans -- and they include millions of tween and teen girls -- can't get enough.  Miley, in fact, has become a conglomerate.  In addition to her music, television series, and movies, there are books, a clothing line, jewelry, and dolls. 

So, for those tween and teen girls on your list, you probably can't go wrong with this 4-disc collector's set that includes all 26 episodes of Miley's hit Disney series along with some special features.

For those who have spent the past couple of years in a coma, the series stars Miley as a teenage rock star who assumes a double identity in order to live a normal life.  As Hannah Montana, she's a famous pop star.  But, as Miley Stewart, she's an ordinary schoolgirl and deals with ordinary teen problems like zits and bullies.  Only her closest friends and family know her secret.

The series also stars Miley's real dad, country star Billy Ray Cyrus, as her father; Jason Earles as her dorky brother; and Emily Osment and Mitchel Musso as her best friends.  Guest stars in Season One include Corbin Bleu, Ashley Tisdale, and Cody Linley.

"Hannah Montana" has quickly become a popular phenomenon and a critical success, garnering an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Children's Program, Teen Choice Awards for Miley as Best Actress and the show as Best Comedy, and a Kid's Choice Award for Miley as Favorite Television Actress. 

Military.com Rating: ***

(DVD extras include "Hannah's Highlights," "Back Home Again with Miley" -- a visit to Miley's hometown -- and a performance by Miley at the 2008 Disney Channel Games.)
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"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Two-Disc Deluxe Edition," DVD-2008 ($34.98, Universal Studios Home Entertainment) Also available in single-disc and Blu-ray editions.

The third installment of this popular franchise finds our husband and wife adventurers, Rick and Evelyn O'Connell (Brendan Fraser and Maria Bello, replacing Rachel Weisz) on the tracks of China's Dragon Emperor (Jet Li) who's been awakened from a 2000-year-old curse and is hell-bent on conquest. 

Helping the O'Connell's is their son Alex (Luke Ford) who unwittingly helps awaken the Dragon Emperor and his 10,000 Terracotta warriors.  There's also Evelyn's brother, who owns a Shanghai-based nightclub (John Hannah); the witch (Michelle Yeoh) who put the curse on the Dragon Emperor; and the witch's foxy daughter (Isabella Leong) who strikes up a romance with young Alex. 

Unfortunately, it looks like this franchise is running out of steam.  The story here is derivative and the action is episodic.  To director Rob Cohen's credit, the chases and battles -- when they come -- are fast-paced and exciting and include an extended, adrenaline-laced chase through the streets of Shanghai and a stunning race to reach Shangri-La in the Himalayas.  The acting is only adequate. 

If not memorable, "Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" is entertaining enough.  A good choice for the stockings of Mummy fans. 

Military.com Rating: ** ½

(DVD extras include deleted and extended scenes, feature commentary with director Rob Cohen, and featurettes: "Preparing for Battle with Brendan Fraser and Jet Li," "The Making of Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," "Jet Li: Crafting the Emperor Mummy," "Creating New and Supernatural Worlds," "Legacy of the Terra Cotta," and "A Call to Action: The Casting Process.")
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"Gunsmoke: The Third Season, Volume 1," DVD-2008 ($39.99, CBS Paramount)

Television doesn't do westerns anymore.  Hasn't, with few exceptions, for decades.  But, there was a time in the 1950s and 1960s when cowboys were a fixture on the small screen.  Arguably the best -- and certainly the longest running at twenty years -- was "Gunsmoke," the iconic adult western that spawned a couple dozen imitators. 

Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon, the straight-shooting, no-nonsense sheriff of Dodge City, Kansas, Gunsmoke premiered on CBS in 1955 and was finally cancelled in 1975 after twenty years and 635 episodes. 

The show centers around life (and death) in a rowdy frontier town on the western frontier, circa 1875.  Sheriff Dillon, the strong, silent type, relentlessly pushes back against a tide of lawlessness as he tries to protect the weak and establish the rule of law. 

Dillon has the help of gimpy deputy Chester Goode (Dennis Weaver), the moral support of "Doc" Adams (Milburn Stone), and the affection -- however sublimated -- of Miss Kitty Russell, who runs the Long Branch Saloon. 

While there is plenty of action, "Gunsmoke" is primarily character-driven story-telling -- a formula that helps explain its unprecedented success.  A perennial Nielsen favorite, the show ranked No. 1 from 1957 to 1961 and was in the top 10 as late as 1974.  It snared fourteen Emmy nominations and four wins, including for Best Drama Series (1958).

CBS DVD released the complete first season in 2007 and the second season in two installments in 2008.  "The Third Season, Vol. 1" includes the first nineteen episodes of Season Three on three discs.  This is a good choice for the Baby Boomers on your list who grew up with Marshall Dillon on Saturday night. 

Military.com Rating: ***

(DVD extras include sponsor spots.) 
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"Happy Days: The Fourth Season," DVD-2008 ($39.99, CBS Paramount)

Opie Taylor grows up.  Now answering to Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard), he's living in suburban Milwaukee in the 1950s.  His new family includes father Howard (Tom Bosley), mother Marion (Marion Ross), and little sister Joanie (Erin Moran).  A typical teen of the era, Richie spends lots of time at the local hangout, Arnold's, with friends Potsie Weber (Anson Williams) and Ralph Malph (Donny Most) where they are often tutored by local dropout Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler) who is as cool as they are clueless. 

This idealized version of teen life in 1950's America aired for eleven seasons from 1974 to 1984.  A fixture in the Nielsen top ten, it also won Emmy and Golden Globe awards.  Over its run, the program spawned a number of spin-offs including "Laverne & Shirley," "Mork & Mindy," and "Joanie Loves Chachi." 

In "The Fourth Season," Al Delvecchio (Al Molinaro) debuts as the new owner of Arnold's, Fonzi reunites with his old flame Pinky Tuscadero (Roz Kelly), and Richie becomes a basketball hero by sinking a lucky shot.  The three-disc set includes all 23 Season Four episodes.  Another television classic for the stockings of Baby Boomers. 

Military.com Rating: ***

(DVD includes special feature: "Happy Days: 3rd Anniversary Show.")
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"Saturday Night Live: The Complete Fourth Season," DVD-2008 ($69.98, Universal Studios Home Entertainment)

The complete fourth season of one of television's landmark programs is available for the first time on DVD.  All 22 episodes in their 90-minute length plus interview footage from the original cast are available in this 7-disc set.

"Saturday Night Live" premiered on October 11, 1975, and though originally conceived as a ninety-minute variety show evolved over the course of its first season into a sketch comedy format featuring a cast of relatively unknown young comics.  The diverse group included John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and Dan Aykroyd. 

Following a breakout second season, Chase left the show for Hollywood -- the first of many cast members to do so.  Meanwhile Bill Murray signed on for Season 2.  The cast remained intact for its third season and fourth seasons.  

"Fourth Season" hosts include Carrie Fisher, Kate Jackson, Milton Berle, Frank Zappa, and Walter Matthau.  Musical guests include the legendary Rolling Stones, the Doobie Brothers, Van Morrison, Grateful Dead, and James Taylor. 

For "Saturday Night Live" fans looking to relive the original incarnation of characters like the Coneheads (Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin), the Blues Brothers (John Belushi and Aykroyd) and the Wild and Crazy Festrunk Brothers (Aykroyd and guest Steve Martin), "Saturday Night Live: The Complete Fourth Season" is a genuine treat. 

Military.com Rating: ***

(Bonus features include archival interview footage from the original cast.)
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Military.com Picks & Pans Rating Scale
* Pan -- Save your time
** Borderline Pick -- Okay but only as a last resort
*** Pick -- Worthwhile & enjoyable
****Enthusiastic Pick -- Excellent 
*****Not to Be Missed -- A Classic

Copyright 2009 by Tom Miller