‘Argo’ causes anxiety, ‘Package’ misses delivery and ‘Undefeated’ fumbles on DVD

Among the movies that became available Tuesday, Feb. 19 on Blu-ray and DVD at retail stores and rental outlets throughout the Valley are a historical thriller starring and directed by Ben Affleck, an actioner pitting Steve Austin against Dolph Lundgren and a documentary about a high school football team’s inspirational journey.

'Anna Karenina'

Keira Knightley plays a woman who, while questioning her happiness and marriage, experiences change coming to all around her. Adapted from Leo Tolstoy's novel, which explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart. (R – 130 minutes)

“Anna Karenina” is essentially a breathtakingly beautiful and intricately choreographed dance. That is to say that director Joe Wright's third collaboration with actress Keira Knightley – a cinematic adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel as penned by screenwriter Tom Stoppard – is aesthetically amazing. However, the remarkably refined style wears out its welcome after only a few brief minutes, leaving viewers too distracted by the romanticized theatricality of it all to truly absorb the grand passion of Tolstoy's tale. The entire experience ends up feeling like some sort of satire of a soap opera, with Knightley and company exaggerating every emotion. (Grade: D)

'Argo'

Ben Affleck plays a CIA exfiltration specialist who comes up with a risky plan – one so incredible that it could only happen in the movies – to get six Americans who taken refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador safely out Tehran. (R – 120 minutes)

The final act of “Argo” is tremendously tense, causing viewers to bite their fingernails down to their cuticles before digging whatever is left into their seats' armrests. And while the first act sets the stage rather well, the second act is – unfortunately – a tonal mess. While trying to make the movie more palatable to the masses, screenwriter Chris Terrio and director Ben Affleck, weave comedy into an otherwise drastically dramatic story, cheapening the overall effect in the process. Having said that, though, it is still a strong motion picture that feels as important as it is entertaining. (Grade: B)

'Fun Size'

Victoria Justice plays a high school senior who gets distracted by an invitation to a Halloween party and loses her little brother in a sea of trick-or-treaters. She and three of her friends embark on an all-night adventure to find the boy, crossing paths with outrageous characters every step of the way. (PG-13 – 100 minutes)

“Fun Size” is, at the very least, an entertaining film thanks to its high-energy spirit – in particular, its high-energy Halloween spirit. However, the directorial debut from Josh Schwartz – co-creator of the late/great television series “Chuck” - cannot decide between dual demographics. Its themes are too mature for children yet its jokes are often too juvenile for older teens, the audience to which this flick should have catered most. Moreover, several of its supporting characters are totally detestable – especially the ones portrayed by Osric Chau and Jane Levy, who always seems to play some shallow, slutty and angst-ridden egotist. (Grade: D)

‘The Package’

Steve Austin plays a nightclub bouncer who is instructed to hand-deliver a secret package to a mysterious international crime lord (Dolph Lundgren). Word of the clandestine delivery spreads and soon “the package” – and those who carry it – becomes the target of a small army of hit men, mercenaries, assassins and sadists. (R - 95 minutes)

It almost seems as though action flick plots do not get any more cliche than that of the aptly titled “The Package.” After all, the film features a fairly simple setup. Fortunately, there are plenty of twists and turns along the way to the proverbial package’s final destination that are even more surprising as a result of that misleading simplicity. Having said that, the movie suffers from action overload as the smarter-than-expected story plays second-fiddle to run-of-the-mill shootouts and fist-fights. For most viewers, that counts as a damaged delivery. But for others, the mere pairing of stars Steve Austin and Dolph Lundgren may be more than enough. (Grade: D)

'Sinister'

Ethan Hawke plays a true crime novelist who discovers a box of mysterious, disturbing home movies that plunge his family into a nightmarish experience of supernatural horror. (R – 109 minutes)

“Sinister” is fantastically frightening and one of the rare horror flicks that is actually capable of scaring the living daylights out of its viewers – even those hardcore horrorholics who have grown immune to the genre's terrifying tricks. Writer/director Scott Derrickson's new thriller succeeds by pulling viewers into its menacing mystery, drawing them toward the screen only to suddenly shock them so spectacularly that they jerk back into their seats in hair-raising horror. Had it not relied so heavily on the tired cliché of creepy kids and focused more on its super-spooky ghoul, it could have been a macabre masterpiece. (Grade: B)

'Undefeated'

Filmmakers Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin chronicle the Manassas Tigers' 2009 football season, on and off-the-field, as they strive to win the first playoff game in the high school's 110-year history. (PG-13 – 113 minutes)

“Undefeated” barely even crosses the 50-yard line much less manages a touchdown. Granted, it crafts a fair reflection of inspiring the uninspired but we have been here and done this before. And at least those times we were not forced to endure the ridiculous ramblings of Coach Bill Courtney. His philosophizing is bound to get on the nerves of anyone who does not live and breathe football as if it were their solitary reason for existence. There is no doubt that the sport has a favorable effect on the development of youth but it does not carry nearly the spiritual significance that this flick suggests it does. (Grade: F)