Out tomorrow, November 12, on home video is Man of Steel, this summer’s Superman remake. I saw it for the first time this weekend on Blu-ray, and my first impression was that it looked very much like a modern superhero movie. Like many other films this summer, it had big-budget effects, a big plot with world-shattering potential impact, computer-generated fantasy environments, and big, noisy battles — but I was left with little sense of what made *this* story special. The […]

Marvel Studios has released a new trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier that shows how the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) will play more of a role in the story, a development I’m excited to see. (Love the banter here!) The plot description is as follows: After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C., and trying […]

The Marvel Comics branch of the Disney empire has had its issues in the past welcoming women, but the movie arm seems to realize that you don’t get great success without reaching out to everyone. Specifically, to promote Thor: The Dark World, opening November 8, they’re encouraging girls to think about careers in science and technology. As a tie-in with the Thor movie character of Jane Foster (who, as played by Natalie Portman, has been updated from a nurse to […]

Warner has announced the release date of Man of Steel, this summer’s Superman movie, on home video as November 12. You have your options for purchase: Blu-ray 3-D combo pack (list price $44.95), Blu-ray combo pack ($35.99), two-disc DVD special edition ($28.98), a Limited Collector’s Edition ($59.99), or (if you just want to see the movie), digital download (in either HD or standard definition) from such vendors as iTunes, Xbox, PlayStation, Amazon, and Vudu. All of the physical disc versions […]

What I liked most about the comic book version of The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec by Jacques Tardi was the sheer number of imaginative concepts carried in its pages. I’m thrilled that the movie has the same approach. This is an overstuffed jewel box of a movie, with new characters and discoveries and visions every scene. The visuals are amazing, beginning with a full theater and can-can girls (to establish this is Paris in 1912) and moving on to […]

Iron Man 3 will be coming to home video on September 24, with a variety of package options. There’s the Blu-ray combo pack, with a DVD and a list price of $40. For $5 more, you can get the same pack with digital copy. For $5 over that, add the 3-D Blu-ray (list price $50). Or for $30, there’s the simple DVD and digital copy. Bonus features are going to include a commentary with director/co-writer Shane Black and co-writer Drew […]

I don’t normally rush right out to see movies on opening weekend, but the original Red movie was such a pleasant surprise that Red 2 seemed like it would be a fun summer diversion. And it was. They’ve expanded the cast. It seemed like every time the scene changed, there was another old buddy or villain introduced, but the film doesn’t feel overstuffed. Bruce Willis is back as Frank, former CIA agent who’s Retired and Extremely Dangerous. Also returning is […]

Marvel/Disney has released the first teaser poster for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger will be in theaters on April 4, 2014, nine months from now. So get ready to hear about it until then! It’s a distinctive poster, evoking the hero while making it clear that things are not happy. The shield is battered, with all the color worn away, some replaced with what looks like blood. I hope this doesn’t mean […]