Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston in "The Breakup"
courtesy of Universal Entertainment
"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" 

You read about it every day in the newspapers and on the Internet. Are Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn a couple or not? Are they broken up or not? Well that kind of questioning about their personal lives and about their relationship status feeds right into the release of the DVD of their film "The Break Up." 

This movie was a big hit on the big screen and the DVD release will also be big. The question is, does it deserve to be? My answer is no. Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn co star in "The Break-Up." The actors are at their best but the movie has one of the worst endings ever. For three fourths of the movie it is a laugh-fest but towards the end the drama begins and it doesn't fit with the flow of the film. People watching the DVD will be shaking their heads and wondering what went wrong. 

The movie is advertised to be a lightweight comedy but it ends up being more "War of the Roses" than "Wedding Crashers." There is fun to be had, but at a cost. You get the silliness of the first scenes that are torpedoed by the agony of the last few. And when the smoke has cleared the impression that lingers is of a movie that just wasn't the fun it was supposed to be.

So as Aniston and Vaughn still continue on their merry way in real life, the memory of their movie is about a flick that ended badly. That is what will stick in your brain.

Another headline we read daily is about the "Immigration Crisis in America." It seems like everybody is talking about the illegal immigration situation in the United States but no one has an answer for it. The documentary "Border War" studies the various sides of this quandary and raises some interesting questions.

"Border War" doesn't lay out any answers but it does trigger our mind as to what some of the possible solutions could be. If you want to be informed and challenged by a wide display of information about a national problem, watch the DVD of "Border Wars."

"The Little Mermaid" is one of the best animated movies the Disney Studio has ever created. It has become a classic and rightfully so. The story was based on one of Hans Christian Anderson's beloved tales and it fit perfectly into the animated scheme of the Disney craftsmen. Then when Jodie Benson's lyrical voice was added to the character of Ariel, it was pure perfection.

The movie has it all from romance to action, from music to memories. This is a film for all ages and one that will entertain and enchant each new generation of film watchers. It has been seventeen years since the movie was created but it is timeless. And now with the special DVD edition there are more thrills and excitement than ever before in the "add ons" that are included in the package.

Make your children and make yourself blissfully happy by getting the new "Little Mermaid 2-Disc Platinum Edition."

Ashton Kutcher starred in the original "Butterfly Effect." In "The Butterfly Effect 2" Eric Lively is the star. He is a welcome addition/replacement, as I could never quite take Kutcher seriously enough to enjoy the first film.

In this sequel of sorts Lively plays a man who loses the love of his life, played by Erica Durrance. He can't live with the fact of her death so when he learns he can alter the past he does so. But that ripple effect of butterfly wings fluttering in the breeze works its way through the days and impacts the present from the past.

This sequel is better than the original, which suffered from overacting and plot silliness. This one seems more logical and even believable in a time travel sort of way. So get your copy of the DVD of "The Butterfly Effect 2." You might be surprised at how enjoyable it is.

In "Once In A Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos" we get the story of the soccer team that rose to glory and fell flat. The players excelled on the soccer field but off the field they were also "players" and this rowdy lifestyle led to the team's demise.

This documentary gives a true picture of how quickly they rose to fame and how quickly the greats fell to earth. These were men who were gods on the soccer field but off the field they were much too human. For a true picture of life in the fast lane for athletes, this is a documentary to watch.

There are also great bonus features such as a look at Pele's farewell game, 1980 and 81 Soccer Bowl, and other major sports events and episodes.

One of the most dramatic movies out on DVD this week is "12 and Holding." This movie explores the "coming of age" of three children who are forced into maturity by tragic circumstances. This film explores a variety of issues and shows actions and reactions that ensue.

The children are played by Jesse Camacho, Zoe Wiesenbaum and Conor Donovan. Some of the adults are played by Annabella Sciorra, Jayne Atkinson and Linus Roache. Every actor in the film is good and each contributes to the weight of the movie.

One of the most popular shows on the Cartoon Network is "Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs." This is a show aimed for children that entertains and teaches life lessons. Now we have "Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs" on DVD and this disc includes five episodes of the popular TV series.

The shows are suitable for preschoolers and will hold them entranced. So get your copy and give your kids a chance to watch five episodes back to back of "Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs."

 

 

 

 

 

©2006 Jackie K. Cooper

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