TV DVD Reviews
Reviews Archive
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| Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season    |
Eastbound & Down: The Complete First Season |
Burn Notice: Season Two |
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| Parker Lewis Can't Lose: The Complete First Season |
Everwood: The Complete Second Season |
The Cleaner: The First Season |
The Hunger: The Complete First Season
Open All Hours: The Complete Series
Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Season Two
True Blood: The Complete First Season
DVD QuickTakes
QuickTakes Archive / QuickTakes Archive (pre-May 2008)
Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn / Wrath of the Dragon
If you’re one of many people who feel that “Dragon Ball GT” hurt the integrity of the “Dragon Ball” franchise more than it helped it, you probably also consider the final episode of “Dragon Ball Z” as the official ending point of Akira Toriyama’s beloved anime. Of course, you’d be wrong to think that. While “Dragon Ball GT” is quite the abomination, Toriyama and Co. released two more “Dragon Ball Z” films that take place after the end of the series, and believe it or not, they’re actually quite good. The plot of “Fusion Reborn” will probably sound familiar to fans (something about the inhabitants of Hell wreaking havoc on Earth while Goku fends off the latest, greatest evil supervillain), but thanks to a nice mix of action and comedy, not to mention the first appearance of Gogeta, it’s actually pretty entertaining. (Bonus points for Hitler’s comment about Trunks and Gohan: “Blonde hair, blue eyes, super strength. I should be recruiting them.”) “Wrath of the Dragon,” meanwhile, is perhaps the best “DBZ” movie of the lot because it actually feels like the writers put some thought into creating an original story. This one involves the unleashing of an ancient monster, and though the monster itself is defeated rather easily, it’s the relationship between Trunks and Taipon (the hero in charge of trapping the monster) that really makes the film feel like it’s more than just one, long 40-minute fight sequence. It’s too bad the other movies don’t adhere to the same set of rules, because while “Fusion Reborn” and “Wrath of the Dragon” feature a similar checklist (action, comedy, and more action), they go the extra mile in making the actual stories satisfying as well.
Click to buy “Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn / Wrath of the Dragon”
Jason Zingale
6/17/2009
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Russell Brand in New York City
There are hundreds of genuinely funny people that positively suck at stand-up comedy, which is why the DVD for “Russell Brand Live in New York” sat unopened on this writer’s desk for a couple weeks. Mind you, I found Brand quite funny in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” and he pretty much stole “Bedtime Stories” from Adam Sandler. But is he stand-up funny? As it turns out, yes, he is. His approach is extremely British, in both language and timing, but his routine, which originally aired on Comedy Central in March, is wisely focused on all things America, beginning with his disastrous stint as the host of the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards (the opening monologue from the VMAs is included in the bonus features). He even shares the death threats he received afterwards, one of which declares that his monologue proves that he’s a Muslim-loving terrorist (”Bit of a leap,” Brand replies). One of the funniest bits in his routine is relegated to the bonus features, where he has some fun with an overly excited admirer, but soon loses his patience when she won’t keep her mouth shut. A genuinely amusing routine overall, but a quick note to Comedy Central: lose the grainy hand-held camera shots. They’re annoying.
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David Medsker
6/11/2009
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Baccano!: Volume Three
The third volume of “Baccano!” is decidedly less plot-heavy than the two that came before it, but what it lacks in exposition, it more than makes up for with a relentless supply of bloody, bloody violence. Though the series has certainly featured its share of bullets, knives and soul-sucking immortals in the past, Volume Three goes into overdrive as the Flying Pussyfoot literally transforms into death on wheels. The bloodbath isn’t just the work of the Rail Tracer, either, but he does figure heavily into the story this time around due in part to the fact that he’s finally properly introduced. As it turns out, the Rail Tracer isn’t much of a demon at all (at least, not in the traditional sense), but rather Claire Stanfield (now going by the name Vino), who’s adopted the persona of the Rail Tracer for his own amusement. Meanwhile, Ladd gets into a fight with Chane on top of the Flying Pussyfoot; Rachel (the mysterious woman seen on the outside of the train in Volume Two) is revealed to be working as a spy for the Daily Days; and Czeslaw is killed several times, only to be revived by the powers of the elixir. This might just be the craziest batch of episodes yet, but with tensions at an all-time high and plenty of questions still left unanswered, the fourth and final volume should easily trump that.
Click to buy “Baccano!: Volume Three”
Jason Zingale
6/9/2009
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