Lots of romance movies and a half-naked Jake Gyllenhaal hit retail shelves.
This week, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time finally becomes available on home video. The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Dastan, an adopted prince who must prove his innocence when his father is murdered. Using all kinds of aerobatic maneuvers and of course, the Dagger of Time, Gyllenhaal fights off evil (while mostly shirtless the entire time) and in this mediocre adventure movie.
The movie isn't half bad, and while it wasn't a huge hit here in the United States, it certainly was overseas. If you don't mind shutting off your brain and enjoying some very reasonable action scenes, then you should definitely give Prince of Persia a rent.
For the more romantic types out there, Queen Latifah and rapper Common star in Just Wright, the story about a physical therapist treating a basketball player, whom she falls in love with. The movie found moderate success at the box office when it released, and will certainly be a hit on home video.
Romantics also see the release of Letters to Juliet, the romantic comedy starring Amanda Seyfried. In the movie, Seyfried stars as a girl vacationing in Italy who finds a love letter from 1957 addressed to the famous Juliet Capulet. Seyfried embarks on a journey to reunite the writer of the love letter with her past love, a journey which leads to romance for both Seyfried and the woman she's helping. Due to the decent storyline, Letters to Juliet succeeds as more than just a 'rom-com', and a rental will prove to be a decent way to spend your evening.
Releasing in a very classy and amazing Special Edition on Blu-Ray this week is the David Fincher classic, Seven (or Se7en, depending on how big of a movie buff you are). The story is a classic, and the movie itself is classic Fincher. While Fincher and Brad Pitt went on to re-team on Fight Club, Seven could be argued as David Fincher's best work. The movie is haunting and disturbing on several levels, and has Morgan Freeman playing his best cop role to date (and there's been a lot of those...). Fans of the movie and of the Blu-Ray format won't want to hesitate to pick it up.
The Best
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Buy/Rent/Skip: Rent
Ubisoft's popular video-game series of the same name gets adapted for the big screen in this sweeping fantasy adventure starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton. The setting is sixth century Persia. A nefarious nobleman covets the Sands of Time, a legendary gift from the gods that allows its possessor to turn back time. Whoever owns the Sands of Time has the power to rule the world, and this villainous lord would use that power to enslave all of humanity. The only person capable of defeating this tyrant and saving the world is Dastan (Gyllenhaal), a youthful prince. Now, with plucky princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) by his side, Dastan will attempt to prevent the Sands of Time from falling into the wrong hands. Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) directs a script penned by Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro, Jordan Mechner, and Boaz Yakin. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Director: Mike Newell
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action.
Official Website: http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/princeofpersia/
(Click poster for movie trailer, full cast, plot summary, and more..)
Just Wright
Buy/Rent/Skip: Rent
When NBA All-Star Scott McKnight (Common) suffers a debilitating injury, tough-talking physical therapist Leslie Wright (Queen Latifah) pulls out all the stops to get him back on his game. But their professional relationship turns personal when Leslie finds herself falling for Scott, and discovers the feeling may be mutual. Paula Patton co-stars in a romantic comedy penned by Michael Elliot and directed by Sanaa Hamri. ~ Jason Buchanan
Director: Sanaa Hamri
Starring: Queen Latifah, Common
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for some suggestive material and brief language.
Official Website: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/justwright/
(Click poster for movie trailer, full cast, plot summary, and more..)
Letters to Juliet
Buy/Rent/Skip: Rent - Read the Review
Amanda Seyfried talks an older lovelorn woman (Vanessa Redgrave) into seeking out an old forgotten pen pal in this Summit Entertainment romantic comedy. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Director: Gary Winick
Starring: Michael Douglas
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for brief rude behavior, some language and incidental smoking.
Official Website: http://www.letterstojuliet-movie.com/
(Click poster for movie trailer, full cast, plot summary, and more..)
The Rest
Se7en
Director David Fincher's dark, stylish thriller ranks as one of the decade's most influential box-office successes. Set in a hellish vision of a New York-like city, where it is always raining and the air crackles with impending death, the film concerns Det. William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a homicide specialist just one week from a well-deserved retirement. Every minute of his 32 years on the job is evident in Somerset's worn, exhausted face, and his soul aches with the pain that can only come from having seen and felt far too much. But Somerset's retirement must wait for one last case, for which he is teamed with young hotshot David Mills...(Read Full Synopsis)
(Click poster for movie trailer, full cast, plot summary, and more..)
Recent DVD and Blu-ray Releases
September 7th - MacGruber and more...
August 31st - Harry Brown and more...
August 24th - The Back-up Plan and more...
August 17th - The Last Song and more...
August 10th - Date Night and more...
August 3rd - Kick-Ass and more...
July 27th - Clash of the Titans and more...
