This week on DVD - November 3, 2009

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is headlining DVD and Blu-ray releases for this week.

For me, G.I. Joe was surprisingly good -as in, it didn't suck. There was all sorts of hype leading up to the release of this film about contention between the studios and the director and that test audiences were saying it was the worst movie they had ever seen. By it's release there was so much here-say about it I went in with low expectations, and then was pleasantly surprised. The action was fun, there were a few funny moments, and the cast is easy on the eyes. Did they do everything right with this movie? Definitely not, but it was a fun summer popcorn flick and I would most certainly check out a sequel.

The DVD release is going to include some pretty cool special features that fans of the movie will probably want to check out:

The G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra two-disc Blu-ray and DVD include a digital copy of the film, commentary by director Stephen Sommers and producer Bob Ducsay, “The Big Bang Theory: The Making of G.I. JOE”, which takes viewers behind-the-scenes for a look at how the filmmakers turned the perennially popular action figures into a summer blockbuster and “Next-Gen Action: The Amazing Visual FX and Design of G.I. JOE”, which showcases the incredible work that went into creating over 1,650 visual effect shots and the challenges the filmmakers faced in bringing the world of G.I. JOE and COBRA to life. The film also will be available on a single disc DVD, which includes the commentary.

The two-disc DVD and Blu-ray packages will also feature augmented reality technology that will allow owners to participate in an exclusive 3D holographic G.I. JOE combat experience, utilizing their webcams and a special website. Fans will be able to choose between SNAKE EYES and STORM SHADOW, two of the most popular G.I. JOE and COBRA characters, and battle against their enemies one-on-one in an immersive 3D video game.

Two-Disc DVD & Blu-ray:
The G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra two-disc and single-disc DVDs are presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles. The two-disc Blu-ray is presented in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital with English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. The following special features are in standard definition:

Disc 1:

Feature commentary by director Stephen Sommers and producer Bob Ducsay

Disc 2:

Digital Copy
The Big Bang Theory: The Making of G.I. JOE— Join the G.I. JOE team as they set out to "Sommer-size" the summer action epic and bring G.I. JOE to the big screen.

Next-Gen Action: The Amazing Visual FX and Design of G.I. JOE— With over 1,650 visual effect shots, G.I. JOE was a truly massive endeavor. Showcasing the hard work and creativity of the film’s effects and design team, this piece looks at the unique challenges of bringing the world of G.I. JOE and COBRA to life, while immersing viewers in the incredible thrills and various FX challenges of the film’s major action sequences.

-Paramount Press Release

We have another big superhero genre release this week with another (and hopefully final) release of Watchmen with Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut. This ultimate cut of the film features the integration of the animated "Tales of the Black Freighter" film, which makes the adaptation that much closer to the source material. In the original Watchmen Graphic Novel, Tales of the Black Freighter was a comic-within-a-comic that served as a foil to the main story, intermittently told throughout as the plot progresses. In the film version, this animated tale will be told in parts during the movie as well giving viewers a more complete and true version that's closer to the original graphic novel.

From the director of Watchmen and 300 come two tales from the celebrated graphic novel that do not appear in the extraordinary Watchmen Theatrical Feature. Tales of the Black Freighter (featuring the voice of 300's Gerard Butler) brings to strikingly animated life the novels richly layered story-within-a-story, a daring pirate saga whose turbulent events may mirror those in the Watchmen's world.

Along with this updated version of the film, Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut, will also include two all new commentaries by Director Zack Snyder and Illustrator Dave Gibbons and over 3 hours of special features (see specs below), along with the complete collection of the Watchmen motion comics. While this film was previously released in it's theatrical version and a director's cut, this ultimate cut is most likely going to be the most comprehensive version of the film so far (or, ever?) and may be the best way to view it... if you can sit through the long run time.

Special Features are to Include:

2 all-new audio commentaries with director Zack Snyder and illustrator Dave Gibbons

3 hours of special features:

• The Phenomenon: The Comic that Changed Comics
• Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes
• Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World
• Watchmen: Video Journals
• My Chemical Romance Desolation Row
• Under The Hood
• Story Within A Story: The Books of Watchmen

Digital copy of the theatrical version

Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comics

Keeping with the theme this week, Warner Bros. is releasing the 1988 Ruby-Spears Superman on DVD. This two-disc, thirteen-episode collection features all the episodes from the series. Warner Bros. was kind enough to send me a copy of this collection, so watch for my review in the coming days.

Official Warner Bros. Press Release

Debuting in 1988, the Ruby-Spears Superman series brought back some familiar foes and new unfriendly faces for battles against our favorite hero. In addition to the thrills of Superman's weekly adventures, each episode also includes a mini-segment - a continuing series called Superman Family Album. These featurettes tell the real story of what it was like to grow up as the most powerful boy in Smallville. Watch young Clark Kent deal with not only the normal trials and tribulations of youth and adolescence, but learn to balance them with his newfound super powers.

Ruby-Spears Productions was founded in 1977 by veteran writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears. Ruby and Spears started as sound editors at Hanna-Barbera, branched out into writing, and eventually went on to create "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" In total, Ruby-Spears Productions produced 36 different TV series including the hit, "Alvin and the Chipmunks."

"These celebratory episodes not only take fans through the expected, yet exhilarating, adventures of Superman, but they share the untold story of his youth," said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Sports Marketing. "Warner Home Video is absolutely thrilled to release Ruby-Spears Superman just in time for the holiday season."

Ruby-Spears Superman will include the special feature:

• Corruption of the Corrupt: The Rise of LexCorp: A fascinating glimpse into the Decade of Greed, when Americans were growing more and more distrustful of corporate leadership. From the headlines of the day to the pages of Superman arose a new vision of an old villain, Lex Luthor and his conglomerate, LexCorp.

  Episodes:

• Disc 1
  1. Destroy The Defendroids/ The Adoption
  2. Fugitive From Space/ The Supermarket
  3. By The Skin of the Dragon's Teeth/At The Babysitter's
  4. Cybron Strikes/ The First Day of School
  5. The Big Scoop/ Overnight with the Scouts
  6. Triple-Play/ The Circus
  7. The Hunter/ Little Runaway
• Disc 2
  1. Superman and Wonder Woman vs. The Sorcerer of Time/ The Birthday Party
  2. Bonechill/ The Driver's License
  3. The Beast Beneath These Streets/ First Date
  4. Wildshark/ To Play or Not to Play
  5. Night of the Living Shadows/ Graduation
  6. The Last Time I Saw Earth/ It's Superman

 

 

Next up, we have the great Star Wars cartoon currently airing on Cartoon Network, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, releasing its first season on DVD and Blu-ray today.

The set will include 22 episodes including 7 director's cut episodes, 22 behind the scenes featurettes with director and crew interviews, a sneak peak at season 2, and an exclusive 68-page production journal with original sketches and artist notes. The Blu-ray release will include all of that, plus an exclusive Jedi Temple Archives feature which contains an extensive database of early test animation, concept art, and 3-D turnarounds.

This is a great series for Star Wars fans young and old and I highly recommend checking it out. Be sure to check out episode previews and reviews of Star Wars: The Clone Wars weekly at Big Shiny Robot (.com)!

Wrapping up this week's DVD and Blu-ray release highlights, we have the Blu-ray collection of all the Rocky films with Rocky: The Undisputed Collection. This collection will include Rocky I-VI along with several special features (see specs below).

I for one am a fan of Rocky I and II, and then kind of checked out of the series until the final -and what I consider to be the best right after the original- installment of Rocky Balboa. This is obviously a collection of all the films, so I guess it comes down to how much you liked all the films as a whole as to whether or not you'll be picking this collection up.

Specs and Special Features:

Audio: English: 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio / Spanish: 5.1 Dolby Digital / French: 51DTS
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 1.85:1

• Disc 1: Rocky Blu-ray
• Disc 2: Rocky 2 Blu-ray
• Disc 3: Rocky 3 Blu-ray
• Disc 4: Rocky 4 Blu-ray
• Disc 5: Rocky 5 Blu-ray
• Disc 6: Rocky Balboa Blu-ray
• Disc 7: Rocky Anthology Bonus Disc
• Feeling Strong Now! Game
• Rocky Featurettes:
• Three Rounds with Legendary Trainer Lou Duva
• Interview with a Legend - Bert Sugar: Author/Commentator and Historian
• The Opponents
• In the Ring: Three-Part Making-Of Documentary
• Steadicam: Then and Now with Garrett Brown
• Make Up! The Art and Form with Michael Westmore
• Staccato: A Composer’s Notebook with Bill Conti
• The Ring of Truth
• Behind the Scenes with John Avildsen
• Tribute to Burgess Meredith
• Tribute to James Crabe
• Video Commentary with Sylvester Stallone
• Sylvester Stallone on Dinah! (1976)
• Stallone Meets Rocky
• Rocky Anthology Trailers: Rocky Theatrical Trailer, Rocky Teaser Trailer, Rocky II Theatrical Trailer, Rocky III Theatrical Trailer, Rocky IV Theatrical Trailer, Rocky V Theatrical Trailer, Rocky Balboa Theatrical Trailer
• Rocky TV Spots: Introducing Sylvester Stallone Critical Acclaim #1 Critical Acclaim #2