George Lucas brings his Star Wars prequels trilogy to a close on a high note with Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. Easily the strongest of the three films, Revenge of the Sith takes a slightly darker, more mature tone giving it’s lead actors a lot more to do and better material to do it with. I especially enjoyed the last half of the film as Anakin rolls unavoidably towards his date with the dark helmet and the breathing respirator. Whatever one may think of the previous two films, Lucas deserves a healthy round of applause for his massive contributions to the adventure movie genre.

Speaking of the actors, Revenge of the Sith stars, Natalie Portman and Hayden Christianson, shine in Garden State and Shattered Glass respectively. Working on a slightly smaller budget, both actors deliver their best work to date in these high quality films.

Bob out

New this week on DVD is the Blue Sky animated feature Robots. While not the slam dunk that Ice Age was, Robots still offers a compelling cast of characters, a moving story about finding out what you’re really made of, and, in this DVD blogger’s opinion, the coolest animated world I’ve seen on screen. Another big plus is the fascinating behind the scenes features about the creating of the world of Rivet Town and the developing of the characters. As family entertainment goes, I highly recommend Robots.

Speaking of Ice Age, if you haven’t seen it definitely check it out. And as my second animated recommendation I’ll put a shout out to Disney’s musical Beauty and the Beast. The movie still makes me weepy�

Bob out

Hello all. New to DVD this week comes Ridley Scott’s vastly overlooked crusader epic Kingdom of Heaven. I’m not sure why the studio released the film to theaters in May to kick of the summer season. This is definitely a fall movie. Ambitious in intent, complicated in themes and plot, and rich in detail and character, Kingdom of Heaven is a must see for fans of the middle ages, and definitely recommended for everyone else.

Speaking of Ridley Scott and historical epics, go have a look at… no, not Gladiator. I’m assuming everyone who’s found this blog has already seen that. I’m talking about 1492, Scott’s gorgeous retelling of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the new world.

Bob out

Last week I promised some lighter fare, and to show you I am a man of my word, this week’s DVD spotlight gets turned on The Farrelly Borther’s Fever Pitch. Maybe it’s because it’s September and the baseball playoff races are heating up, maybe it’s because I like sports movies, or maybe it’s because Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore have more onscreen chemistry than I’ve seen in a long time. Whatever the reason, Fever Pitch, is a charming, low key, romantic comedy hit all the right notes for me. Whether you’re a baseball fan or not, I think you’ll really get a kick out of it. Or should I say a “throw� or a “catch�? Either way, check it out.

For other lighter fare as we head into fall check out two quintessential back to school movies: Old School, Starring Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell, and the 1986 Rodney Dangerfield classic Back to School.

Bob out

A Batman movie emphasizing character, story and emotional reality? Say it ain’t so. Well, fortunately for us, it’s very so. Christopher Nolan’s thoughtfully directed Batman Begins is a super-hero movie for adults. And by adults I don’t mean old people. I mean people who enjoy smart, well-acted, sharply directed movies. Now don’t get the wrong idea, the film has more than its share of fights, action scenes and derring-do, including a terrific, pulse-pounding climax, but it’s the emotional story stuff that makes it a must see.

I’m not sure whether it was Cillian Murphy’s creepy turn as the Scarecrow, the fact that Batman Begins is directed by a Brit, or that Halloween is just around the corner… but for some reason, writing about Batman Begins made me think of the fantastic 2002 release 28 Days Later. If you haven’t seen this landmark cautionary tale/horror fest definitely get a copy for Halloween. And if you have, give it another look. The film gets better and better upon repeat viewing.

Gotta go grab my costume. Happy Halloween.

Bob out

Hey there DVD fans, just released in stores for the first time ever on DVD is The Sound of Music: 40th Anniversary Edition and, I gotta say, I’m still a sucker for this classic. Yeah, there are some moments that haven’t stood the test of time particularly well, but those bits just seem to add to the ridiculously high enjoyment factor. And the good parts, including terrific performances by Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer as well as that legendary score by Rogers and Hammerstein are what makes this film a classic. A must for any serious DVD collector.

While we’re on the subject of musicals, definitely check out Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, and another Rogers and Hammerstein classic Oklahoma. Something new and something old as we come into Thanksgiving

Enjoy your holiday. Bob out!