Blu-Ray Tuesday- August 2, 2011

This is a new feature where we check out the new Blu-Ray releases. This week, we have animated birds in love, an inspirational surfer, and two Schwarzenegger classics. So, let's get to it.

                                                     Rio (Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack)

This is the first of three films this year that's set in the beautiful Rio de Janiero. Jesse Eisenberg voices Blu, a domesicated macaw living in Minnesota who believes that he is the last of his kind. That is, until he's flown off to Brazil and meets Jewel (Anne Hathaway) and falls in love. However, things take a turn for the worse when they're both captured by bird smugglers and soon go on a fantastic adventure in order to escape. The film is very colorful and it looks great in 3-D (Blu-Ray 3-D combo pack also avaliable). It's not the best animated film I've seen this year, but it's a safe bet, considering how a lot of animated films haven't been that impressive. This scored 72% on Rotten Tomatoes' "Tomatometer"


Soul Surfer (Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack)

I didn't see this movie, to be completely honest with you. Like I need to see another true story turned into a Hollywood cheesefest. But of course, since I'm talking about it right now, I'll try and watch it. I don't when, but I'll try. Anyway, the movie tells the story of real-life surfer Bethany Hamilton, whose left arm was nearly bitten off by a shark at the age of 13. The movie dramatizes this event and how Bethany (AnnaSophia Robb) overcame the odds, went back to surfing and inspired millons. This scored 50% (surprisingly) on the Tomatometer, so you may or may not like it.




Conan the Barbarian/Conan the Destroyer (Blu-Ray)

In a couple of weeks, Jason Momoa is set to sit in Arnold's shoes in the new Conan, so it's not surprising that Universal is releasing both the 1982 original and its 1984 sequel "Conan the Destroyer" for those who may be unfamiliar. The character was created in 1932 by Robert E. Howard through a series of stories that led to many incarnations in books, comics and film. Arnold Schwarzenegger's portrayal, though, remains the most popular and most iconic. The original is one Schwarzenegger's best films. The other... not so much.