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‘Mirror Mirror’ now on DVD
Looking good, being bad: Julia Roberts in “Mirror, Mirror.”
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Updated: June 28, 2012 11:34AM
NEW THIS WEEK
MIRROR, MIRROR
★ ★
Rated: PG for some fantasy action and mild rude humor
Stars: Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Nathan Lane
Since it was directed by Tares Singh (“The Fall,” “Immortals”) you can be sure this so-so fairy-tale comedy looks good, especially with costumes designed by his recently deceased secret weapon Elko Shook. But is it funny? Not so much. A pale imitation of the whimsical style of “The Princess Bride,” this faux-witty Snow White update gets a fair amount of traction thanks to Roberts as the evil queen and Lane as her terrified courtier; otherwise it’s slow, predictable and uninspired.
21 JUMP STREET
★ ★ ★1/2
Rated: R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, drug material, teen drinking and some violence
Stars: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum
This at-times-inspired parody of the late-’80s Fox TV show that launched Johnny Depp is considerably better than you might expect despite being rude, crude, foul-mouthed, politically incorrect and insanely violent. The directors of the similarly crazed (but far more wholesome) animated comedy “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” make the most of the surprising chemistry between Hill and Tatum as mismatched undercover partners sent back to high school to track down drug dealers. Extras include cast and crew commentary, behind-the-scenes featurette, four deleted scenes, gag reel.
RECENT RELEASES
MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITE
★ ★ ★
Rating: No MPAA rating
Stars: Gerard Depardieu, Gisele Casadesus
If you don’t have too much of a cynical streak, there’s no reason you shouldn’t enjoy this not-particularly-credible, yet thoroughly charming little non-romantic love story from France. Depardieu and ’30s star Casadesus have delightful chemistry as Germain, a middle-aged, semi-literate workman and Marguerite, a retired professor. She turns Germain (who’s generally considered the village idiot) to Camus and the like. And he? Well, you’ll have to see for yourself what Germain does for Marguerite. Chances are good you’ll be dabbing a tear or two.
WANDERLUST
★ ★ ★
Rated: R for sexual content, graphic nudity, language and drug use
Stars: Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Ken Marino
Producer Judd Apatow’s hard-R rated touch is lightly applied in this surprisingly low-key and consistently entertaining comedy romance. Unemployed and homeless Yuppies George and Linda (Rudd and Aniston, nicely matched) can’t quite get comfortable: Not with George’s piggish ultra-capitalist brother (Marino) or the neo-hippie commune they stumble into on the road. Eventually, they learn what’s most important in life: having a door you can close — and lock.
ALSO NEW THIS WEEK
DR. SEUSS’S GREEN EGGS AND HAM AND OTHER STORIES
This remastered animated TV special from 1973 features “The Sneetches” and “The Zax.”
DELIVERANCE: BLU-RAY DEBUT
John Boorman’s 1972 classic about a canoe trip gone very wrong gets the deluxe Blu-ray treatment. Extras include a 42-page commemorative book, commentary by Boorman, numerous mini-documentaries and the new featurette: “The Cast Remembers.”
ORANGES AND SUNSHINE
An English social worker (Emily Watson) holds the British government responsible for separating now-grown children from their parents and sending them to Australia. British TV director Jim Loach helmed the fact-based drama. Rated R for some strong language.
THE SAMURAI TRILOGY
Toshiro Mifune cemented his Japanese stardom with this 1954-56 samurai trilogy based on the life of 17th-century swordsman Musashi Miyamoto. In addition to new high-definition digital transfers of all three films, this triple-disc Criterion box set include trailers, a booklet of essays and interviews with historian William Scott Wilson about the life of Miyamoto.
THE 39 STEPS
Hitchcock’s classic 1935 romantic thriller about an innocent man (Robert Donat) on the run in the Scottish moors gets the Criterion treatment. In addition to a new high-def digital restoration, extras include audio commentary by Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane, the British TV documentary “Hitchcock: The Early Years,” a complete broadcast of a 1937 Lux Radio Theater adaptation featuring Robert Montgomery and Ida Lupino and original production design drawings.
A THOUSAND WORDS
A literary agent (Eddie Murphy) who has stretched the truth on a deal with a spiritual guru, discovers a tree on his property that dispenses consequences for every word he speaks. Brian Robbins (“Coach Carter”) directed the comedy. Rated PG-13 for sexual situations including dialogue, language and some drug-related humor.
WRATH OF THE TITANS
A decade after his defeat of the sea-monstrous Kraken, the demi-god Perseus (Sam Worthington) ventures into the afterworld to rescue his father Zeus (Liam Neeson). Jonathan Liebesman (“Battle Los Angeles”) directed the sequel to 2010’s “Clash of the Titans.” Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of fantasy violence and action.
AVAILABLE NEXT WEEK:
A very young Jane Fonda gets sexy in outer space in the Blu-ray debut of “Barbarella,” scream queen Elvira unleashes a four-clunker assortment of vintage “Giant Monsters” and distaff “Saturday Night Live” troupers reunite for “The Women of SNL.”
