Hugh Jackman and Taylor Kitsch in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"
courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment
“Even Better On DVD”

When “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” came out earlier this year I enjoyed it. When I watched it recently on DVD I really enjoyed it. I think being able to re-watch parts made me appreciate it more. I know it made the story more understandable to me. Then there are also movies that are just better the second time around and “Wolverine” proved to be one of those.

It is a movie for those of you out there who have been hungering to know how “Wolverine” became “Wolverine.” This film gives the rest of the story. In “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” we learn the beginnings of the X-Men character that Hugh Jackman has so terrifically brought to life on the big screen. If you are one of those who didn’t really care where he came from, well it is still a good action packed movie for you.

We first see James Howlett as a young boy suffering from an illness. He adores his father who basically takes care of him. Then one night Howlett’s father is killed by his friend Victor’s father. Victor’s father claims that he is actually James’ father and James’ mother confirms this. Victor and James take off into the night as two brothers on the run.

Next we see them as adults fighting in the Civil War, World War I, World War II and Vietnam. They don’t seem to age after they get to be adults. James aka Logan (Jackman) and Victor (Liv Schreiber) have each other’s backs but Logan constantly has to tamp down Victor’s more sadistic ways.

Eventually Logan and Victor have a falling out and Logan goes off on his own, but Victor is always looming in the shadows waiting to do harm to Logan or those he loves. Even when Logan becomes Wolverine and Victor becomes Sabretooth the enmity between them is extreme.

The film has lots of explosions, lots of battles, lots of amazing mutants and an okay storyline. You don’t really care why Wolverine is who he is, you just care that he is who he is. Especially when that means he flashes those shiny claws and does battle in great locales – such as Three Mile Island.

Schreiber’s Victor is a worthy foe for Jackman’s character. He isn’t as buff as Wolverine but he is much more evil and he almost drools when he gets to flash his teeth and act depraved. I could watch an entire movie about “Sabretooth” and be entertained.

Ryan Reynolds, Dominic Monaghan, Taylor Kitsch and Will i Am are also in the cast as various mutants but if you expect to see much of them, well think again. Danny Huston plays the evil military mastermind and he is fun to watch. His character figures prominently in Logan becoming the indestructible Wolverine. Still he seemed pretty indestructible before his transformation.

Hugh Jackman certainly got into great shape for this role. With his physique and the explosions and other action events this seems like an excellent “Wolverine” episode. Watching it on DVD you get a better view of the plot and you have a lot of fun and rousing entertainment. 

If you wait around long enough every sport in the universe and anything that can possibly be thought of as a sport will have a movie made about it. This is proven by the fact there is a new movie out on DVD about the sport of (drum roll please) water skiing. Yes “H2O Extreme” is all about a guy competing in the sport of water skiing.

Little did I know when I was on a pair of skis being drawn around good old Lake Greenwood during my teen years that I was participating in a sport. Why didn’t they give school letters for that? Okay, I digress. The movie stars Chris Carmack and John Schneider and is a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. Plus we all can pull for someone who makes water skiing look easy.

So get “H2O Extreme” and see how competitive water skiing can be. It will give you a new appreciation for the “sport.”

Ben Barnes and Jessica Biehl play a couple in the new film on DVD, “Easy Virtue.” This movie is based on a Noel Coward play and is set in the 20’s. When John (Barnes) brings his wife Larita (Biehl) to the family estate to meet mum and dad things don’t go smoothly. Mum (Kristin Scott Thomas) and dad (Colin Firth) have opposite reactions. Mum is horrified and dad is intrigued.

This is all done up in comic style with the Coward imprint. Director Stephan Elliott knows exactly how to make each snap and sneer work to best effect. Plus the actors are all good, with Firth and Thomas outdoing themselves. It is all jolly good fun and will entertain you royally.

“Blood and Bones” is less comedy and a lot more action but that is because it is a look at extreme martial arts. Michael Jai White and Eamonn Walker star in this action packed movie about the underground world of fierce fighting where a life is not worth more than a chance to win. You lose, you die, so what!

The DVD also has a featurette about the making of the movie as well as commentary on the film, its actors and the action. Get it all and see the total story.

Getting the DVD of “The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Second Season” was like having Christmas come early. Somehow I had managed not to see a single episode this past year, and I really like the show. This required me to participate in a “BBT” marathon and I watched all twenty-three episodes and had a blast.

This is a funny, funny show and Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco and especially Jim Parsons are perfect for their roles. The show could easily be called “Revenge of the Nerds” because these guys are top dogs in their fields and Galecki’s Leonard even seems to be attracting the beautiful Penny played by Cuoco. So get this DVD and settle down for some of the funniest episodes that have ever been shown on TV. I loved it all!
 

 

 

 

 

©2009 Jackie K. Cooper

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