Rating: ««« out of ««««

Running Time: 119 minutes

Two years ago, the R-rated superhero flick Deadpool stormed the box office and surprised many movie analysts with a comical, adult-themed (and somewhat crass) take on the Marvel formula. However, it’s always difficult to recapture the same kind of magic with an immediate follow-up. Thankfully, Deadpool 2 is pretty decent as far as sequels go. Yes, it brings more of the same and takes some time to get moving, but it does find its rhythm and incorporates a few new elements that make it distinctive in its own right.

The story begins with Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) describing a series of terrible events that have led...

Rating: «« out of ««««

Running Time: 105 min.

Actress Melissa McCarthy and husband/director Ben Falcone have teamed up a couple of times in the past with the comedies Tammy and The Boss. Personally, neither of them worked for me, but they did well enough at the box office to inspire another feature. Life of the Party is the team’s latest collaboration. It isn’t particularly strong either, but is a slight improvement over their previous films. There are plenty of quiet stretches, but it does eke out a couple of big laughs over its running time thanks to a talented cast.

Deanna (Melissa McCarthy) is proud but slightly saddened to be saying goodbye to daughter Maddie (Molly...

Welcome back, it’s time for a look at new releases coming your way on Blu-ray and DVD.  This time out we have an unusual mix of Hollywood fare, with some independent and documentary features too. 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!

Batman Ninja - This animated effort from DC is a standalone feature about the famous superhero. However, in this film the Gotham City setting has been changed to feudal Japan. After passing through a time displacement machine to the earlier era, Batman becomes an armored ninja. The hero ends up facing off against infamous foes, including Catwoman, Two Face, and the...

Rating: «« out of ««««

Running Time: 96 minutes

Director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody have teamed up twice in the past with the films Juno and Young Adult. Their latest, Tully, is a little more subdued but features many of the same hallmarks of their previous collaborations, including quirky characters and a very specific manner of speaking. This character-based comedy/drama is well acted and draws attention to some of the horrible trials mothers go through. Still, it isn’t as memorable as the aforementioned movies.

Marlo (Charlize Theron) is a woman struggling after the birth of her third child. Worn down by the emotional and behavioral problems one of her children...