Susan Granger’s dvd update for week of Friday, July 4th:
Dennis Quaid, William Hurt, Matthew Fox and Sigourney Weaver star in “Vantage Point,” a terrorism thriller with a terrific premise about a Presidential assassination plot. Problem is: it fizzles into a far-fetched, forgettable formula.
In “Drillbit Taylor,” genial Owen Wilson plays an AWOL Army vagrant living on a Santa Monica beach, who is hired as a bodyguard by three stereotypical dorks who have been targeted by a bully during their freshman year in high school.
Michel Gondry’s “Be Kind, Rewind” is a surprisingly sweet, if slight comedy about two Passaic, New Jersey, slackers (Jack Black, Mos Def) who accidentally erase every tape in the video store in which they work. With angry customers lining up, they agree to remake any request, from “King Kong” to “Ghostbusters” to “Driving Miss Daisy.”
Propelled by sheer talent of Angela Bassett, “Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns” continues that prolific writer/director’s fun-loving exploration of the sense and sensibility of the African-American community.
Actor/writer/producer John Cusack’s political views skew his common sense in “War, Inc.,” a mind-bogglingly awful satire set in a mythical Middle Eastern country that’s been invaded and occupied by a Halliburton-like corporation run by a former U.S. vice-president (Dan Aykroyd).
Fun-time for kids: “Bob the Builder: Let’s Build the Beach” shows the power of positive thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and follow-through, while “Fireman Sam: To the Rescue” is based on the UK television series set in the Welsh village of PontyPandy, where the Fire Brigade helps children out of all sorts of perilous situations.
PICK OF THE WEEK: Freddie Highmore discovers a world filled with goblins, fairies and other fantastical creatures in “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” based on the best-selling book series. The two-disc special edition’s features take you further into the magical Spiderwick world.