WONDER WOMAN (2017) (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Review )

WONDER WOMAN (2017)

Label: Warner Bros. 
Region Code: A
Rating: PG-13
Duration: 141 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 with Optional English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.40:1) 
Director: Patty Jenkins
Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen, Lucy Davis

Synopsis: Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, Princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.

It's been a long time coming but we finally have a Wonder Woman movie on the big screen, and what a fun adventure and origin story is is! We have Gal Godot as Diana, Princess of the Amazons, born on the mythic and hidden island of Themascira, home to a race of warrior women created by Zeus to protect mankind. Diana's mother, Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen, Rushmore) does not wish for her daughter to learn the ways of a warrior, shielding her from something, from some sort of fate. We learn of how in an ancient war wherein the jealous God of War Ares warred against Zeus, jealous of his love of mankind, Ares was defeated, and Zeus left the Amazons in charge of a weapon known as the "Godkiller", a mythical sword to be used to defeat ares should he ever return. 

Despite her mother's hesitation to train her to fight Diana secretly trains with her bad ass aunt Antiope (Robin Wright, The Princess Bride), who trains her to be a fierce warrior. A training that is put to the test when WWI American pilot Captain Steve Trevor's (Chris Pine, Star Trek)plane is shot down by German forces, the pane piercing the thick stormy veil that hides the island from mankind. Diana witnesses the crash and rescues Steve from drowning in the wreck, she brings him to the island against the wishes of her mother, and soon the island beach is overrun with Germans storming the beach, in pursuit of Trevor. In the ensuing battle Antope dies, and Diana leaves Themyscira with the Godkiller in hand, believing that the God of war Ares has returned to cause the war. 

Director Patty Jenkins gives this origin story a grand scale, shot in scope, with gorgeous, vibrant visuals of Themyscira - a true paradise untouched by the outside worlds. There's a good amount of world building happening there, establishing the woman-centric order of things on the island and the mythology around it, it's appropriately grand and wonderful. It's not spoiled until man step foots on the island, and when Diana embarks on her adventure with Steve Trevor to London the tone shifts appropriately to a dour, smoke-filled, war-torn place,  best represented by the nightmare that is No Man's Land, trench warfare won and lost momentarily by mere inches of ground gained. 

The main plot line has Diana in search of the God of War, theorizing that if she can find and kill him the horrific war will end, to that end she ends up joining a secret mission to seek out a Spanish  chemist named Isabel Maru (Elena Anaya, The Skin I Live In) and General Erich Ludendorff (Danny Huston, X-Men Origin: Wolverine) whom are creating a new form of deadly mustard gas, which will turn the tide of war in favor of the waning Germans. Diana joins in on the mission believing it will bring her closer to Ares, believing it to be the German General Ludendorff, and thus saving the day for all humanity. 

 I think this is the first DC movie to fire on all six cylinders, Jenkins has crafted an epic origin story with loads of action; that epic beach battle scene on Themascira is one I could watch on a loop and love hours, then there's the scene where Diana takes out a entire Church steeple where a German sniper is camping out. Who hasn't wanted to do this when they play Call of Duty, right? They do a fantastic job of showing Diana's naivety about mankind and how things in the work work, she has a simplistic view of right and wrong, and part of her arc is realizing the inhumanity of humanity. They also do an impressive job of showcasing just how powerful she is, the action sequences are thrilling, as she flings vehicles with ease and rushing the German front line, using her shield and bracelets to deflect weaponry - it's all powerful stuff.   

There's always gonna be some small something you can nitpick, and Wonder Woman is no different. While not ruinous there were a few small things that gave me pause, the one that sticks out was (SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD)a reveal that Ares does not reside within whom Diana thought he would, she had an idea that stopping a certain someone would halt the horrors of war, and it goes a different direction, culminating in a big boss battle at the end. For me this felt like  just more of the same, and I felt that for the most part this movie was above the usual superhero stuff. I would have liked another option which I think is hinted at for a moment, and I would have been good had it ended right there, that there's no evil God of War in the wings pulling the strings of mankind, that humanity has a dark heart, that we need no help from Gods to destroy ourselves. I might be in the minority on this thought, superhero film fans love their good vs. evil battles, it might be expected but everyone seems to have enjoyed the battle, myself included, but I think it could have been something deeper and less fought with the usual big battle stuff we see in every other superhero movie. 

A few small qualms aside I was blown away by Wonder Woman, the visuals are inspired, it didn't all feel like an origin-story  retread, and it holds up to repeat viewings. In my opinion this is the best cinematic superhero origin story since Richard Donner's original Superman (1978) - yeah, it's that good. 

Special Features: 
– Epilogue: Etta’s Mission – Etta Candy gets the boys back together for a secret mission that could impact humanity’s future. (3 min) HD 
– Crafting the Wonder – Wonder Woman finally comes to life in her first, breathtaking solo film. Explore the journey to create an adventure worthy of DC’s greatest warrior.(16 min) HD 
– A Director’s Vision: Themascira: The Hidden Island (5 min) HD 
– A Director’s Vision: Beach Battle (5 min) HD 
– A Director’s Vision: Wonder Woman at War (5 min) HD 
– A Director’s Vision: A Photograph Through Time (5 min) HD 
– A Director’s Vision: Diana in the Modern World (5 min) HD 
– Warriors of Wonder Woman – Witness the creation of the Amazon army as the women of “Wonder Woman” transform emotionally and physically into the world’s most powerful and heroic warriors. 910 min) HD 
– The Trinity – Filmmakers and comic book creators explore the legend of Wonder Woman and how she stands shoulder to shoulder with Superman and Batman to create the pillars of the DC Universe. (16 min) HD 
– The Wonder Behind the Camera – Meet the women behind the wonder as they welcome a group of aspiring filmmakers on set for an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experience. (16 min) HD 
– Finding the Wonder Woman Within – Feel the power of Wonder Woman as award-winning poets and inspiring public figures reveal the impact and importance of DC’s greatest heroine. (23 min) 
- Extended Scene: Boat Conversation (4 min) HD 
- Extended Scene: Selfridges Shopping (2 min) HD
- Extended Scene: Parliament Steps (1 min) HD 
- Extended Scene: Morning At The Train Station (1 min) HD 
- Extended Scene: Charlie Never Sleeps (1 min) HD 
– Blooper Reel (6 min) HD 

Wonder Woman (2017)is the best superhero movie of 2017 and the best of the new millennial DC films, the scope and circa 1918 visuals are breathtaking, the action is awesome and the story arc makes for a great origin tale for Wonder Woman. I cannot wait to see what director Patty Jenkins brings to the sequel which she has signed up to direct! 

DISCLAIMER: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray for the purposes of this review. 

DVD Review: SOME GUY WHO KILLS PEOPLE (2011)

SOME GUY WHO KILLS PEOPLE (2011) 

Label: Anchor Bay Entertainment

Region Code: 1 NTSC

Rating: R
Duration: 97 Min.Video: 16:9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 

Director: Jack Perez

Cast: Kevin Corrigan, Barry Bostwick, Karen Black, Ariel Glade, Lucy Davis


Synopsis: At first glance, Ken Boyd (Kevin Corrigan, TV's Fringe) may seem like an average comic enthusiast, living with his mother (Karen Black, Trilogy of Terror) and working to make ends meet as an underpaid, underappreciated ice cream parlor attendant. But Ken has a dirty little secret: he fantasizes about killing people. After being released from a stay in the loony bin, for severe mental trauma suffered when he was beaten and tortured by a gang of high school thugs, Ken’s repressed anger suddenly reaches a boiling point. With gleeful enthusiasm Ken hunts down his tormentors, one by one, and exacts his bloody revenge.

The Film: I love me some Kevin Corrigan, from Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990) on thru to TV's Grounded for Life and dark-comedies like Superbad (2007) and Pineapple Express (2007), the guy just adds value to any endeavor and I was just as pleased as punch to see him in a starring role. In Jack Perez's indie-slasher Some Guy Who Kills People (2011) Corrigan plays an awkward outsider employed at anl ice cream parlor alongside his loyal friend friend Irv whom is played by Leo Fitzpatrick whom you may recall as "Telly" from the still  super-disturbing film Kids (1995). Ken's just been released from the loony-bin and is trying to get back on his feet, unfortunately he lives with his mother Ruth (Karen Black, Burnt Offerings) who's more than just a little bit nagging. It's not too hard to see where some of  Ken's  insanity might have come from. Not helping with his mental well-being is a ridiculous ice cream costume he wears during catered events - if I was forced to wear that monstrosity I might think about killing a few folks too.


It turns out Ken is a pretty gifted comic artists. When he isn't laying in bed staring intently at the ceiling he spends his time scrawling macabre images of death into a sketchbook. Throughout the film we get flashback to Ken being bullied in high-school - it's more than bullying though - it's torture at the hands of kids back in high-school. Obviously this trauma has left an indelible mark on his fragile psyche. In fact it seems he's knocking off this former tormentors and displaying their corpses in bizarrely staged poses. The deaths aren't particularly elaborate or ingenuous but they're effective nonetheless - we get a hatchet to the head, a machete decapitation, a throat slashed and a brutal stabbing - not too gory but bloody as Hell. 

There's an unexpected introduction of Ken's estranged daughter coming into his life - a child even his own mother was unaware of until she shows up on the doorstep. Amy (Ariel Gade, Dark Water) is a precocious 11-year old who decides to spend time with her father against her mother's wishes after arguing with her and her Jesus-freak boyfriend. It's an awkward transition for the socially inept Ken but he tries his best. There are a surprising number of tender moments between the damaged father and daughter - they're good for reach other but when she observes daddy's night-time activities it strains the relationship to say the least. Also figuring into the film are a quirky sheriff (Barry Bostwick, The Rocky Horror Picture Show) who's dating Ken's nutty mom and Lucy Davis (Shaun of the Dead) as a not-too-annoying a love interest.


The films has a great cast too with solid performances from start to finish, it's a bit quirky from time to time but appropriate for the material which goes right back to the script which is spot-on witty and darkly comedic -  a great blend of genre film-making. The gore leaves a bit to be desired but it's  definitely an entertaining character study of a wounded psyche laced with some sharp dark humor. 

Special features on the disc include the short The Fifth (2007) which inspired the film and stars Sam Lloyd of TV's Scrubs as a an unemployed serial-killer whose nighttime activities put the damper on poker night, fun stuff. We also get a theatrical trailer, an audio commentary and a 'Making of' featurette which includes a brief video interview with executive producer John Landis (American Werewolf in London) who was originally slated to direct the film before dropping it to direct his passion-project Burke and Hare (2010) starring Andy Serkis and Simon Pegg.


Special Features: 

- Audio commentary with co-producer/director Jack Perez and writer/producer Ryan Levine

- Short Film, "The Fifth," That Inspired The Feature (12:36) 16:9
- Making Of Featurette (13:06) 16:9
- Trailer


Verdict: This was quite a fun watch, it's not necessarily what I was expecting but that's not a bad thing either- the unexpected is nice from time to time and especially when it stars the awesome Kevin Corrigan, this is a rental at the very least. 3.5 Outta 5