Other notable Blu-ray releases this week. Include Fox’s amazing new Hit Man DVD. The DVD includes Fox’s way cool new Digital Copy technology. So not only do you get the Blu-ray disk, but you can also rip a copy of it for your portable digital media player. I honestly haven’t tried this yet, I’ve been busy switching over to a Mac (more on my woes later this week). I’ll give it a try and let you all know how well it works. I love the idea of it though and hope more disks incorporate this tech.
I generally love Will Smith, he managed to make me like the awful Wild, Wild, West, but I don’t think his natural charisma can save I.Robot. It’s too serious and dower of a film with a really boring robot at the center. I didn’t hate the film or like it, it was just there. The Blu-ray disk is packed. It includes full 1080P picture, Fox’s Smart Menu technology, and a boatload of Commentary tracks (3 full ones), neat little tutorials that show you how they did some VFX How-to clips, deleted scenes, alternate ending, trivia track and more. I would give the film a C, but the overall Blu-ray presentation an B+.
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium [Blu-ray]
Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman) owns and runs the most magical store in the universe, where all of the toys for sale are alive. But, when the aging shopkeeper decides to retire and sell the business to his faithful cashier (Natalie Portman), he hires an uptight accountant (Jason Bateman) to get his affairs in order. Haven’t seen the film so I can’t really comment on it yet. But, Fox, what the hell? Love you guys, but you really dropped the ball here. This DVD includes no extra features. No commentary tracks, no featurettes, not even trailers! They do promote the fact that it has “Smart Menu Technology,” but why? It isn’t like there’s anything to navigate to. Yet Fox has the gall to have a MSRP of $39.99 for this? I guess having subtitles and a nice picture is supposed to be enough.