Blu-Ray Review: Safe Haven Dan Koelsch, May 7, 2013 Safe Haven is the latest Nicholas Sparks romance novel to be adapted into a feature film. It opened in theaters this past Valentine’s Day, and it is available today on Blu-ray. Read my review after the break. Julianne Hough plays Katie, who is on the run from the police after stabbing…someone (we find out who later on). She ends up in the small town of Southport, North Carolina where she inexplicably is able to afford a house. She meets Alex Wheatley, played by Josh Duhamel, who is raising his two kids after his wife passed away from cancer. While there’s obviously an attraction, Katie is very guarded because of her circumstances. Her new neighbor Jo (Cobie Smulders) helps convince her to take a chance, and over the course of the film, we see Alex and Katie fall in love. Unfortunately, Detective Kevin Tierney (Revolution‘s David Lyons) is obsessed with finding Katie, which leads to an intense climax.I’m not a big Nicholas Sparks fan, but I was impressed that this film at least tries to break away from the mold of his previous films. The addition of the thriller aspect helps push along the narrative a bit, though it still meanders in the second act. Still, as you can tell from my synopsis above, some of the plot-points in the film aren’t really thought out. I’m sure this isn’t a concern for the intended audience, but it was distracting for me.Duhamel and Hough definitely have chemistry, and overall the performances were fine. Mimi Kirkland and Noah Lomax were cute as Alex’s kids, but Red West was completely underused as Alex’s uncle Roger. The character of Tierney was way over the top, but Lyons did a good job controlling him.My biggest nod to the film has to be its twists. There’s an important reveal that kickstarts the third act that explains what really happened back in Boston with Katie. Then, there’s a completely random twist at the end that was unnecessary but heartwarming.The special features for the Blu-ray are limited to the regular deleted/extended scenes, a barely alternate ending, and a few small featurettes.As someone outside the intended demographic, the film was better than I expected, but still not something I’d spend money on. However, if you’re a Sparks fan, this movie will be right up your alley, with the added bonus of a few extra twists.Rating: 2.5/5 Reviews DVD ReviewSafe Haven
Movie Review: Hugo November 24, 2011Martin Scorsese’s latest film Hugo, which opened yesterday in theaters, is indeed a “family film”, but do not let that dissuade you from seeing this amazing work from, arguably, our greatest living director. The movie tells the story of a young orphan who lives in the walls of a 1930’s… Read More
Movie Review: Prometheus June 8, 2012It’s not an Alien prequel, they said. It’s just set in the same universe, they said. Whatever the warnings, Prometheus is still a film that shouldn’t disappoint. It explores the universe of Alien, and if you are exploring the universe of something it could ruin how you view the original…. Read More
Blu-ray Review: Cleopatra (50th Anniversary Edition) May 28, 2013May 28, 2013Are you in the mood for over 4 hours of large set pieces and an array of bare legs? Then you might be interested in today’s release of the 50th Anniversary 2-Disc Edition Blu-ray of Cleopatra. Read our full review after the break. Read More