Rating: «« out of ««««

Running Time: 104 minutes

It’s probably not the best of signs when a critic begins a review stating sometimes the best of intentions can go wrong. Miss Bala is an attempt at a gritty crime thriller and boasts an unusual role for its star, best known for her work on a comedy/drama TV series.

This tale is actually a remake of a well-regarded 2011 Mexican film about a beauty pageant contestant turned hardened criminal. But like most Hollywood redos, this effort softens out all the rough edges and adds a shiny gleam to proceedings. In the process, it appears to have lost whatever might have made it distinctive.

Gloria (Gina Rodriguez) is a sweet-natured...

Time for another look at new releases arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s another busy week, with discs in a wide variety of genres. So if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!

Big New Releases!

Blood Brother - An ex-con decides to take revenge on a group of childhood friends that he believes set him up and sent him to prison. Naturally, this is very upsetting to those being targeted, one of whom has grown up to become a police officer. The group does their best to survive the ordeal. This independent action picture got a mixed reception. One or two thought the lead (R&B singer Trey Songz) showed some promise, but more stated...

Rating: ««« out of ««««

Running Time: 120 minutes

January is often a month for misfit films that, for one reason or another, studios don’t have a lot of confidence in. However, there are always a few exceptions to the rule.

This week sees the release of The Kid Who Would Be King, a children’s film and loose, modern adaptation of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. This unlikely amalgamation of Excalibur and Goosebumps ends up working much better than anticipated. In fact, it can be crowned an enjoyable and entertaining family film.

An impressive animated intro gives a brief history of King Arthur and tells viewers that when civility and honor are replaced in...

It’s time for another look at new releases arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. There’s plenty of variety, from goofy comedies to awards contenders and even some foreign-language entries. So if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure and give one of these titles a try!

Big New Releases!

American Renegades - A group of Navy Seals serving in a warring district of Bosnia discover gold worth hundreds of millions of dollars at the bottom of a local lake. They decide to go rogue and return the goods to the locals by staging a heist. Of course, in the process they become targets of an invading enemy force. This action picture got panned by critics. One or two...