The latest from Jackie Chan leads off these new movies on Blu-ray, DVD and video streaming sites this week.
Kung Fu Yoga (Well Go, 2017, not rated/probable PG-13, in Mandarin with English subtitles or dubbed in English, featurettes, bloopers, trailer). Jackie Chan is back in action-comedy mode with this Indiana Jones-style farce filmed in such far-flung locations as Beijing, Iceland and Dubai. And, as this is a Chinese-Indian co-production and co-stars Indian actors Disha Patani and Sonu Sood, quite a bit takes place in India.
Ultimately, the film doesnt so much end as it just abruptly stops then erupts into a lengthy Bollywood-style dance number led by Chan. The result is far from Chans best work, but the martial arts stars boyish charm is in full force, even at age 63. This is the seventh Chan film directed by Stanley Tong, whose rsum includes one of Chans best, 1992s Supercop.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (Warner, 2017, PG-13, featurettes). When young Arthurs father is murdered and his uncle (Jude Law) uses black magic to seize the throne, the child is forced to grow up on the streets of London until he comes across that sword in the stone. It is co-written and directed with a very heavy hand by Guy Ritchie, whose usual over-the-top, convoluted filmmaking style makes the beloved (and oft-filmed) Arthurian legend barely recognizable. Charlie Hunnam stars as the adult Arthur.
The Dinner (Lionsgate, 2017, R for violence and language, audio commentary, photo gallery). A stand-up politician (Richard Gere) and his volatile high school history teacher brother (Steve Coogan) meet for dinner with their wives (Rebecca Hall, Laura Linney) to discuss what to do about their respective sons, who have committed a heinous crime but have not yet been identified. How far would you go to protect your family? Thats the obvious poser in this uneven exploration of family ties and mental illness.
The Exception (Lionsgate, 2017; R for sex, nudity, language, violence; audio commentary, featurette). This unexceptional thriller has a German officer (Jai Courtney) sent to a castle in the Netherlands to protect Emperor Wilhelm II (Christopher Plummer) and ferret out a Dutch spy. But he unexpectedly finds romance with one of the kaisers maids (Lily James) and then discovers she is Jewish.
I Am the Blues (Film Movement, 2017, not rated/probable PG, bonus footage). This Canadian documentary travels through the swamps of the Louisiana Bayou, the church halls of the Mississippi Delta and the juke joints that showcased blues musicians along the legendary Chitlin Circuit. And many of those musicians, now in their 80s, show they still have the chops to give life to their music, including Bobby Rush, Barbara Lynn, Little Freddie King and many others.
Kung Fu Yoga (Well Go, 2017, not rated/probable PG-13, in Mandarin with English subtitles or dubbed in English, featurettes, bloopers, trailer). Jackie Chan is back in action-comedy mode with this Indiana Jones-style farce filmed in such far-flung locations as Beijing, Iceland and Dubai. And, as this is a Chinese-Indian co-production and co-stars Indian actors Disha Patani and Sonu Sood, quite a bit takes place in India.
Ultimately, the film doesnt so much end as it just abruptly stops then erupts into a lengthy Bollywood-style dance number led by Chan. The result is far from Chans best work, but the martial arts stars boyish charm is in full force, even at age 63. This is the seventh Chan film directed by Stanley Tong, whose rsum includes one of Chans best, 1992s Supercop.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (Warner, 2017, PG-13, featurettes). When young Arthurs father is murdered and his uncle (Jude Law) uses black magic to seize the throne, the child is forced to grow up on the streets of London until he comes across that sword in the stone. It is co-written and directed with a very heavy hand by Guy Ritchie, whose usual over-the-top, convoluted filmmaking style makes the beloved (and oft-filmed) Arthurian legend barely recognizable. Charlie Hunnam stars as the adult Arthur.
The Dinner (Lionsgate, 2017, R for violence and language, audio commentary, photo gallery). A stand-up politician (Richard Gere) and his volatile high school history teacher brother (Steve Coogan) meet for dinner with their wives (Rebecca Hall, Laura Linney) to discuss what to do about their respective sons, who have committed a heinous crime but have not yet been identified. How far would you go to protect your family? Thats the obvious poser in this uneven exploration of family ties and mental illness.
The Exception (Lionsgate, 2017; R for sex, nudity, language, violence; audio commentary, featurette). This unexceptional thriller has a German officer (Jai Courtney) sent to a castle in the Netherlands to protect Emperor Wilhelm II (Christopher Plummer) and ferret out a Dutch spy. But he unexpectedly finds romance with one of the kaisers maids (Lily James) and then discovers she is Jewish.
I Am the Blues (Film Movement, 2017, not rated/probable PG, bonus footage). This Canadian documentary travels through the swamps of the Louisiana Bayou, the church halls of the Mississippi Delta and the juke joints that showcased blues musicians along the legendary Chitlin Circuit. And many of those musicians, now in their 80s, show they still have the chops to give life to their music, including Bobby Rush, Barbara Lynn, Little Freddie King and many others.
