In this sequel to Disney’s beloved family classic Escape To Witch Mountain, Tia and Tony return from Witch Mountain to find a duo of criminals who are determined to manipulate Tony’s powers and unleash a diabolical plan. With the help of a gang of kids and Tia’s supernatural powers, they must find a way of stopping Tony from using his powers for evil.

Return From Witch Mountain contributes to the many unwanted Disney sequels by being entirely uninspired and mundane. As the original amused audiences with its cheesy effects and foolish dialog, the sequel can’t even embrace a solid moment of entertainment. Return has the same director and same leads as Escape, but lacks in the lively buoyancy and shabby chuckles of the original.

Not only is the magic entirely gone thanks to a hackneyed script and uninspired acting, but it’s an all around poorly made flick. The directing is off-key, the special effects even less exciting than those of its predecessor, and it falls just short of scraping the bottom of the barrel. Even veteran actors Bette Davis and Christopher Lee, though decidedly relevant villains, seem bored by the concept. It’s disheartening, tiresome, and fails to resonate as a classic.

Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann do improve their line-reading, but still fail to charm and their chemistry is nearly absent thanks to being separated through almost the entire film. In the end, it’s a DVD that prevails only in its worthy special features.

Included in the DVD’s impressive special features section is a new trivia bonus track, “Making The Return Trip” that recaps on the cast’s favorite scenes and memories of making the film, “The Gang’s Back In Town” which interviews a trio from the Earthquake Gang and what has become of them, “Disney Kids With Powers,” which plays like a miscellaneous collection of Disney’s special effects and marvels, a hilarious animated short from 1945 entitled “The Eyes Have It”, “Lost Treasure: Christopher Lee, The Lost Interview” which is an interview with Lee in Spanish about Return From Witch Mountain and his filmography, “1978 Disney Studio Album” which is a down memory lane collection of Disney favorites from ’78, and an audio commentary. 1/5 stars

The original 1975 Walt Disney classic Escape To Witch Mountain is, unfortunately, dated, and it doesn’t fully provide the magic it would have needed to make it more than just another run-of-the-mill Disney affair. It is occasionally fun and diverting, but otherwise mundane, and the special effects are of decidedly inferior quality even for its time. In addition to the cheap imagery, the high-flying finale lacks of visual marvel. It starts off on level ground and never takes off, thanks partly to cast members Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann, who give a vibe much too creepy for a family film.

Escape To Witch Mountain definitely has some of the qualities of a classic, but they’re basic and fundamental rather than qualities of style and interest.  Nevertheless, though the film looks inexpensive, and most of its cast is inadequate at line-reading, Escape To Witch Mountain does have the ability to keep viewers mostly amused through its 97-minute running time.

John Hough, director of the 1974 cult classic Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, here switches his apparatus to much less action with nearly no authenticity. Rent it for its curiously large quantity of cheesy moments that tickle, and some enjoyable quotes. It’s pleasant enough to warrant a one-time viewing, especially if you grew up in the 70s. But from the perspective of 30 years later, Escape To Witch Mountain is lacking in emotional sonority.

This new special edition DVD has some of the most detailed special features of any Disney DVD. For Disney enthusiasts and those fond of the film, the special features may be a nostalgic and even overwhelmingly enjoyable experience.

The special features include “Making The Escape,” which mostly explores the special effects and features interviews with the cast about the making of the film; “Conversations with Director John Hough”; “Disney Sci-Fi,” a montage of some of Disney’s best Sci-Fi films; an animated short from 1940 entitled Pluto’s Dream House; a “1975 Disney Studio Album” that highlights Disney’s greatest pictures from that year; and “Disney Effects - Something Special,” which explores the importance of matte painting in the Disney Studio.  The release also includes “Pop-Up Fun Facts” and “Audio Commentary.” 1.5/5 stars

I’m giving Happy-Go-Lucky one star on the silly, controversial rating scale and tossing my hands in the air. It is a ridiculous film. My not being fond of British humor, nor glorified stupidity, Happy-Go-Lucky lacks any sort of appeal and meanders on for two hours.

The story revolves around Poppy, a childish and slap-happy 30 year-old woman who refuses to live life soberly and tries to make the best out of everything she encounters. However, there are many people around her who don’t exactly live life to the fullest, including her cranky driving instructor and heated ballet instructor. Even when encountering these deadbeats and her own life issues, Poppy maintains to embrace life like gold.

Though Sally Hawkins gives an enthusiastic performance, her character Poppy is naïve, arrogant, and overly-enthusiastic, leaving viewers more or less bothered by her headstrong antics.  Her character proves that watching someone routinely happy becomes simultaneously irksome and depressing. Unfunny, overrated, and entirely random, director Mike Leigh’s moderately improvised tale of Poppy is unbearably aggravating and one of the most over-promoted films of 2008.

Nominated for an Oscar for best writing, the only thing I found worth celebrating here are the rolling of the credits once the film ends. It feels like and looks like a mess, unable to please those not fond of British banter.

This British comedy is something that one must acquire a taste for. While others may find it to be intelligent and quick-witted, most of the humor struck me as half-baked, and solely based on adolescent behavior. If there is a meaning, I missed out on it. Sure the character Poppy is admirably optimistic, but that’s not a message (at least delivered this way) to carry the film’s runtime. It becomes exhausting and leaves one with the impression that it could  be enjoyable in very small doses, likely working better as a comedy sketch rather than a full-length feature film.

Mike Leigh gives Sally Hawkins the green light to let loose and improvise the majority of the time. It’s too bad that her skills at improvising might not appeal to those who find her character Poppy to be exasperating. Happy-Go-Lucky becomes a fatigue-inducing two hour moment in British cinema.  One accompanied by a half-witted and repugnant character whose only desire is to be exceedingly blissful and entirely disruptive.

Included in the bonus features are an audio commentary by Mike Leigh; “Happy-In-Character,” which explores the film’s characters in depth and detail; and “Behind The Wheel Of Happy-Go-Lucky,” which explores the ability to correctly and accurately display camera angles in a miniature car. 1/5 stars

Walt Disney Pictures resurrects the Academy Award-winning masterpiece Pinocchio, for the first time issued in Blu-ray and standard DVD in one package. Digitally restored to perfection with brilliant animation, inspiring music, and a danger-filled story as charming as it is intrepid, this “70th Anniversary 2-Disc Platinum Edition” of Pinocchio is, simply put, one of Disney’s most cherished releases. This review will concern itself with the standard DVD rather than the Blu-ray version.

As a carpenter, Geppetto is a man with the talent to provide more than enough clocks for a single household and make puppets out of wood. His favorite puppet happens to be Pinocchio, a puppet he one day hopes will become a real boy. As silly as it sounds, the night he wishes upon a star, Pinocchio is brought to life still in puppet form.  Pinocchio must go through many challenges including a trip to Pleasure Island where bad is good, peer pressure is tempting, and danger is inevitable, while learning that growing up, and being human, is hard.

The well-known character first appeared in the 1883 novel titled The Adventures of Pinocchio written by Carlo Collodi and was adapted to film in 1940 by Ted Sears and a host of others, who together made what is regarded as one of the greatest Disney films of all time.

Perhaps what makes Pinocchio so idolized is its lovable characters, handcrafted animation, highly moral fairy tale, and catchy, award-winning music. Taking the Oscars for best original score and original song for “When You Wish Upon a Star,” Pinocchio has more than enough charm to please anyone looking to bring out the child within.

The film is a milestone in animation and a daring piece of work. It’s one of Disney’s most daring stories – exploring underage drinking, smoking, and gambling. While all that may sound more intimidating than entertaining, it uses the story to teach a lesson without sending the wrong message. It’s solid entertainment for the young and the old.

The vocals are pitch perfect, the sound is more than magnificent, and the animation more detailed than ever. This new edition of the Disney classic happens to be a very appealing package, but only if you have a Blu-ray player. Included is a standard DVD of the movie, which is convenient and greatly appreciated. However, all of the magnificent special features are on the Blu-ray disc. So if you happen to be unfortunate enough not to have a Blu-ray player or a PS3, you are going to miss out on all of the bonus features that you were possibly dying to see.

Included on the Blu-ray bonus disc are Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes, Never Before Seen Alternate Ending, Disney View-Expanded Viewing Experience, Cine-Explore Experience, Pinocchio Knows Trivia Challenge, Pleasure Island Carnival Games, “No Strings Attached: The Making of Pinocchio,” “Geppettos Then and Now,” and a commentary track with Leonard Maltin, Eric Goldberg, and J.B. Kaufman.

In a time when foul-mouthed cinematic comedy is at a high point and crossing the line is considered an achievement, Role Models is raunchy comedy done right. Offensive and touching, rude and meaningful, Role Models is uneven yet gratifying and deep down has a big heart.

After an accident with their company’s energy drink vehicle, Danny (Paul Rudd) and Wheeler (Seann William Scott) are sentenced to choose between fifteen years in jail or 150 hours of community service. Taking the only logical choice there is, the two must straighten out their act and are forced to volunteer at the Sturdy Wings youth center to mentor a couple of troubled kids. During their time spent at Sturdy Wings, Danny and Wheeler do their best to manage their two “littles” and soon begin to realize these kids are merely misunderstood.

Nominated for a 2008 Critics Choice Award for best comedy, Role Models is a film praised for its raunchy charm and clever jokes. To my surprise, it exceeds expectations by being dead funny and irreverently smart.

Role Models is an occasionally crude, mildly offensive, and always entertaining romp with another deadpan performance from Jane Lynch (The 40 Year Old Virgin) who knocks it out of the park. The young cast includes Christopher Mintz-Plasse as the teen with an overactive imagination and Bobb’e J. Thompson as the unmanageable fifth grader with a gutter mouth. While Mintz-Plasse is all-around fantastic, Thompson can quickly become irritating.

Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott execute a number of hilarious one-liners with precision timing. It scores not only a few good laughs, but also a handful of meaningful messages while fulfilling the desire for lewdness. This makes Role Models an enjoyable R-rated comedy with a family-friendly message — something wholly original in this genre of comedy. This Apatow-esque comedy team manages to cram a load of tender lessons into a package of filth without ever swamping the importance of those lessons.

Ably directed by David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, The Ten) and intelligently scripted by Paul Rudd, David Wain, Ken Marino, and Timothy Dowling, Role Models‘ ending may be a bit soggy and tame, but everything beforehand is outrageous fun.

The bonus features are jammed with nearly 25 minutes of deleted and alternate takes and bloopers. “On The Set of Role Models” gives you an inside look at the making of the film. “Game On: Creating A Role Playing World” shows the importance of costumes, fight choreography, and many behind-the-scenes bits and extras. “In-Character and Off-Script” is where you learn about some of the improvisational actors, and there’s an audio commentary track with director/co-writer David Wain.

Included on the DVD released by Universal Studios are both rated and unrated versions of the film. The unrated version contains three more minutes of additional jokes and extended scenes that were unseen by the MPAA. Although this footage wasn’t examined by the MPAA, it never exceeds being a hard R.

Also, if you’re interested, there is an interactive online game, Babe Watcher, found at the film’s official website in which you can help Wheeler, Danny, Augie, and Ronnie spot babes to hang out with, but be careful who you check out: if it’s your buddy, you lose a life! 4/5 stars

There once was a time when you could count on nearly any film made by Walt Disney Pictures to be a sure thing for solid family entertainment, back in the day when Lady and the Tramp and Fox and the Hound came to life. Now Disney produces nearly any project regardless of how contrived, dull, and unclever the script may be. Beverly Hills Chihuahua welcomes itself to the list of disposable talking dog Disney films that include Underdog and The Shaggy Dog remake.

After being left in the hands of her owner Viv’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) niece, a snooty Beverly Hills Chihuahua by the name of Chloe (Drew Berrymore) gets lost while on vacation to Mexico and in the process becomes dognapped for ransom. Papi (George Lopez), a determined Chihuahua in love with Chloe, decides to trace the steps of his love and hopefully rescue her from the dognapper and a secluded German shepherd (Andy Garcia) he is concerned about.

Kids might enjoy the talking dogs (let’s face it, they can be easy to please), but even dog lovers are snubbed of their high hopes that cuteness is amidst. Unfortunately, what was once cute becomes sappy in this fish out of water tale involving an over-pampered, stuck-up, light-skinned Beverly Hills Chihuahua who gets lost in suburban Mexico.

In short supply of character development and character interaction, Beverly Hills Chihuahua is very superficial. First time feature film screenwriters Analisa LaBianco and Jeffrey Bushell’s lackluster script and Raja Gosnell’s horrible execution leaves Beverly Hills Chihuahua a mere notch above its atrocious trailer.

Among the nearly nonexistent supply of amusement Beverly Hills Chihuahua dishes out in its 91 minute run time are Drew Barrymore’s innocent voice and Latino vocals by George Lopez, Luis Guzmán, Andy Garcia, and Paul Rodriguez. Aside from providing a first fifteen minutes that seem almost tolerable, you’re given nothing more than cut-rate CGI lip-assisting laced with a downpour of inoffensive stereotypes.

Sure, it’s harmless, but also entirely unnecessary. You don’t come to expect much from a film entitled Beverly Hills Chihuahua — it’s obviously not out for any awards. But the formulaic route and lack of creativity makes it just another Disney stinker and more than likely it will be forgotten in the process of viewing.

Included in the special features section of the DVD are three deleted scenes with introductions by director Raja Gosnell, a blooper reel titled “Blooper Scooper,” a silly yet mildly informative animated short titled “Legend of the Chihuahua,” and an audio commentary track by director Gosnell.

Very seldom does a direct-to-DVD horror film make an impression and unfortunately Red Mist is no different. Internationally titled Freakdog, there’s little that separates Red Mist from the usual garbage shown late night on the Sci-Fi Channel. Aside from a decent budget and some standard performances, it’s uninteresting, unoriginal, and uneventful.

After a cruel prank on a medical facility janitor named Kenneth goes haywire and puts him in a deep coma, the medical students responsible for the act drop him off outside of the hospital. One student (Arielle Kebbel), feeling deep guilt about the incident, injects the janitor with a wonder drug in hopes of keeping him alive that inadvertently peaks his brainwaves, allowing him to take control of others while in the coma. Now Kenneth is getting his revenge on his abusers, one by one.

With some familiar faces with some acting chops aboard, Red Mist is just a notch above the director Paddy Breathnach’s previous film, Shrooms. Unfortunately that’s not saying much. The cast of familiar faces include Arielle Kebbel (The Uninvited), Sarah Carter (Skinwalkers), Martin Compston (Doomsday), and MyAnna Buring (The Decent).

This psychological thriller does little to distinguish itself from any other films of its low-caliber ilk. Perhaps with less dialog, more blood to justify the film’s title, and more innovation, something could have been made out of this feature that unfortunately flatlines too early. It’s an overwrought film lacking in poetic deaths and professionalism behind the camera, leaving the viewers with practically nothing noteworthy. And it’s just not scary.

The bleak viewpoint of director Paddy Breathnach lacks visionary accomplishment. It is becoming discernible that Breathnach is a director with a cut-rate sense of style. Red Mist is not a complete waste though, thanks to a dramatic performance by Arielle Kebbel, a creepy cameo appearance from MyAnna Buring, and a single worthy death scene. But ultimately Red Mist is an uninteresting, dialog-ridden affair about as imaginative as an Ivy League haircut.

Screenwriter Spence Wright lacks ingenuity in his first screenplay and suffers from a hefty amount of hot air. But this isn’t the only thing keeping Red Mist from finding fair grounds. Nothing particularly memorable occurs and it maintains a sluggish pace. It’s a long 85 minute countdown to the final frame, which is profoundly uninspired and arbitrarily composed.

Included in the film’s special features is “The Making of Red Mist,” an “Extended Interview with Arielle Kebbel,” and “The Red Mist Cast in Northern Ireland.” Although these special features aren’t anything extensively informative, it’s interesting to hear the casts’ reasons for taking the parts and thoughts toward the director and writer.