Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffud in "The Fantastic Four"
courtesy of Fox Home Video
"A Really Fantastic Movie"

When you have "fantastic" in the title as in "The Fantastic Four," you better give audiences something special to watch. And this new DVD does. This is one comic book franchise that delivers the goods.

Ioan Gruffud, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis are the four who inadvertently gain super powers, and when they do watch out. Gruffud can stretch, Evans is a fireball, Alba creates force shields, and Chiklis is a massive walking piece of granite.

Plus there is a villain to hiss. Julian McMahon plays Dr. Doom, their evil nemesis, and he is fantastically mean. All of these characters have normal human alter egos so watching them make the switch back and forth is more fun for the film.

There will be a sequel next year so go ahead and get in on the ground floor with "The Fantastic Four." This time there is truth in advertising because this movie is "fantastic!"

With the Award season breathing down Hollywood's neck, the makers of "Cinderella Man" are hoping the voters have a long memory. Or they hope they will pick up the DVD and reacquaint themselves with the performances of Russell Crowe, Renee Zellwegger and Paul Giamatti.

This story of James J Braddock (Crowe) and his career as a boxer during the Depression didn't make quite the impression at the box office as most people expected. The movie is directed by Ron Howard and has a sterling cast. Maybe the "hard times" of the movie wasn't a place audiences wanted to go. For whatever reasons the movie went down for the count.

But now it is back and those who stayed away from the theaters have a chance to watch the movie in their own homes. And here maybe it will get a second chance. It is a good film with a "hope in your heart" story. Crowe and Zellwegger create full-bodied characters and Giamatti steals th4e show as Crowe's manager.

So give "Cinderella Man" another chance before midnight strikes and it turns into a pumpkin. Or before Russell Crowe comes after you with a phone.

Few TV shows have gotten the attention of the press and public like "The West Wing." This political drama, from the pen of Aaron Sorkin, made news itself with its timely plots and political maneuverings. Sorkin's involvement ended when Season 5 began but John Wells took on the job of creating the episodes and did a good job with it.

In "The West Wing: The Complete Fifth Season" President Bartlett is faced with personal and political problems involving the kidnapping of his daughter. He steps aside and lets the Speaker of the House (John Goodman) take over for a while. Things get shaky but the forceful though flawed Bartlett (Martin Sheen) comes through.

In the DVD set you get deleted scenes, commentaries, etc which always adds to the viewing pleasure. You also get the chance to watch the season in a continuous viewing with no commercial interruptions. Now that's a selling point.

Also available on DVD is "Project Runway," hosted by the delectable Heidi Klum. The entire first season is available AND the final episode is available in 3-D. How's that for something special.

The show pits up and coming designers against each other for the chance to have their designs highlighted and seen by the world. It is head to head competition with Klum and designer Michael Kors overseeing it all.

The special TV series "Empire" is also available on DVD. This show aired on ABC and showed life in Rome post Caesar. It is full of intrigue and betrayal which shows life back then was pretty much like life is now, at least in the political arena.

Stars of this mini-series include Colm Feore, James Frain, Jonathan Cake, Trudie Styler, Dennis Haysbert and Fiona Shaw. It is a richly filmed, well-acted show that you will enjoy.

Halle Berry didn't have the best year at the movies. "Catwoman" was no award winner. But she did get lucky by being cast in the Oprah Winfrey production "Their Eyes Were Watching God."

This movie is now available on DVD and showcases Berry's performance. She has strong support from her co-stars Michael Ealy and Terrence Howard.

This is the story of one woman's emotional journey through life and the way she handles the hard times fate hands her. At the core of everything is love and it brings great joys and also her greatest despairs.

Berry is at her award winning best and also looks amazingly beautiful. Forget "Catwoman" and let this be what you remember from Halle this year.

Another strong performance you can enjoy on DVD is Brad Garret as Jackie Gleason in "Gleason." This made for TV movie is now available on DVD and Garret's performance is a strong one. The "brother" from "Everybody Loves Raymond" is a man made for the role in this portrayal. Make sure you watch it.

Finally get the kids together and let them have a "Muppet" marathon. Disney has made available all the great muppet movies - 'The Muppet Movie," "The Great Muppet Caper," "The Muppet Christmas Carol," and "Muppet Treasure Island.' All of these shows are kid friendly and will entertain your crew for hours. Get them today!

 

 

 

 

 

©2005 Jackie K. Cooper

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