New DVD Releases This Week – 3/5/13

We’ve got a limited amount of releases this week, but don’t forget that the 20th anniversary Blu-Ray for Schindler’s List is also coming out today. This is the calm before the storm of Oscar releases.

The Intouchables

An international box office sensation and a movie that took French movie awards by storm, this film is finally hitting the DVD shelves after failing to make much of an impact in American cinemas. Based on a true story, this is a film that follows a rich quadriplegic who hires a young and troubled man to be his personal bodyman, a job that requires everything from escorting to bathing. This could have very easily been an over dramatic piece that would fit right into television programming, but writer and director combo at the helm of this thing held back and delivered some hearty laughter to go along with the sweetness of the story. Is is a movie that I’ve sat down at least ten times to write a review for, but simply can’t find the words to describe how fantastic this movie is. I would have no qualms with somebody claiming that this was the best movie of 2012, and a movie that just about anybody could enjoy.

Verdict: Must Watch

Wreck-It Ralph

Nominated for Best Animated Film at the Oscars (not to mention the one that most people expected/wanted to win), this dynamic abode to video games of yesteryear was one of the best surprises of the year. Not only was the voice casting spot on (and I’m not usually a big John C. Reilly fan), but the extravagant animation was beautifully crafted. This is one of those films where you can clearly see that the writer/director absolutely loves his job and was having the time of his life making the movie. Think along the lines of Joss Whedon doing an animate film, minus the unexpected killing of characters.  This was by far the best animated film I watched last year, and after more people give it a try, I expect much of the same from other.

Verdict: Must Watch

Red Dawn

Did any of you end up seeing this? There were moments where I thought about popping into the theaters and giving it a try, but the reviews from our fellow bloggers didn’t exactly help its cause. A re-make of a beloved (but admittedly horrendous) 80s film that was made clear back in 2009, only to be put on the shelves for several reasons, one of them being that the producers wanted to change the villains from being Chinese to North Korean. But without changing any of the actors who portrayed the bad guys. Truth be told, if Chris Hemsworth wasn’t in this film (he did this before Thor, that’s how old this is), I probably wouldn’t even be talking about it.

Verdict: Watch It If You Dare

Playing for Keeps

Pass. I absolutely refused to even give this one a try, which doesn’t happen all too often. I don’t mind Gerard Butler doing rom-coms, but only if they have that extra bit of drama like P.S. I Love You has(yes, I enjoy that movie). The only positive thing this movie has going for it is that Katherine Heigl wasn’t brought in, despite her basically owning the copyright to such films. That picture above? Yeah, that’s an official photo for the movie. The studio wasn’t even trying here.

Verdict: Skip It

Which of these movies have you watched already? Which ones are you planning to watch?