DVD Releases for January 19th

Gamer – C (Wait for It)

Gamer should not be watched for its story or its acting, but instead for its non-stop, full throttle action. Its style is very similar to that of Crank, in that there isn’t really an understandable or well thought out story. It relies purely on the crazy amount of action and the lengths in which it will go. The story itself is basically the same as Death Race or The Condemned, where inmates must play a game of life or death in order to earn their freedom. The twist with this movie is that it’s much more futuristic and technologically based; with fans controlling their favorite inmate and playing them just like a character in a video game. The movie could also be viewed as an upcoming path for our own society, seeing as how dependant we have become on technology, and just how advanced it is. Gerard Butler brings out the Spartan in him and Michael C. Hall (Dexter) brings out yet another side to his acting repertoire as the mastermind of the game itself. Hardcore fans of either video games or insane action movies will likely thoroughly enjoy this film.

Whiteout - B- (Wait for It)

Whiteout is a very promising and interesting concept about a U.S. Marshal being stuck in some of the worst environmental conditions imaginable with a cold-blood killer on the loose. Kate Beckinsale stars as the Marshal posted in Antarctica trying to solve the continent’s first murder before she gets stuck there for 6 months. Having to deal with both a killer environment as well as an ice-pick wielding murderer poses should be an intense and suspenseful thriller. However, the director executes this very poorly, ruining even the most suspenseful of moments. Its climactic and dramatic scenes are ruined by the characters being tethered to a rope and chasing one another at a snail’s pace. I actually liked its ultimate twist, although once again the way it was revealed was quite disappointing. Overall it’s an alright movie, but its potential is wasted with a poor director.

Pandorum - B+ (Gotta Rent)

This mix between a sci-fi and a horror flick creates both an intense and chilling feeling despite an incoherent story. The overall feeling and setting is a kind of mix of no less than 6 movies including Aliens, The Descent and the first Resident Evil. The aliens, or monsters, or whatever the evil creatures are supposed to be aren’t all the scary and frankly are about as lame as the “zombies” from I Am Legend. The story itself is either not clear enough to be really understood, or not interesting enough to be fully understood. However, the eeriness and sometimes frightening atmosphere that the movie creates through its dark pathways, startling noises and evil tone more than makes up for its flaws. Overall if you want a modern day scary movie then this is a good choice, especially if you “enjoyed” watching the other sci-fi horrors of recent years.

Invention of Lying - A- (Gotta Own)

This has to be one of the most hilarious concepts for a comedy in the last decade. Imagine a world where no one could tell a lie. You don’t realize just how much our society relies on lies until you’ve seen this movie. Invention cracks some hysterical jokes on everything from religion, to dating to the difference between Coke and Pepsi (here’s a hint, Coke is better). Ricky Gervais plays the first man who realizes what a lie is, and uses it quite hilariously to his advantage. The movie really accomplishes its goal when it pokes fun of our society, especially in the first half of the movie. The second half gets a little more serious and follows the same flow that your typical romantic comedy follows. At that point it becomes predictable and loses a little bit of its uniqueness that made the first half so great. Fans of Ricky Gervais will not be disappointed as he brings his same sarcastic wit as he has in Ghost Town and The Office. Everyone should watch this comedy if only for its great premise and laugh-out-loud first half.