Batkid Begins DVD Review

**SYNOPSIS**


Batkid Begins takes audiences back to November 15th, 2013 - the day San Francisco became Gotham City and an intense outpouring of spontaneous support reverberated around the world. On one day, in one city, the world came together to grant one 5-year-old his wish. That little boy was Miles Scott, who is recovering from leukemia, and dreamed of becoming Batkid. A simple wish, which started with the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation, grew into people around the world actively cheering Miles on including President Obama and on-screen superhereos. This wish and this little caped crusader resonated so deeply, filmmaker Dana Nachman was inspired to explore what happens when a small scale event aiming to fulfill one wish goes unintentionally viral, ultimately revealing surprising truths about what happens when someone inspires our society in a digital age.





**MOVIE REVIEW**


Batkid Begins is a heart warming documentary that had even this stone cold reviewer get a bit choked up. It shows how the world embraced the Make-A-Wish of little Miles Scott. His wish was to be Batman for a day and the show of support and work that went into making this sweet boy's wish come true is beautiful. The documentary runs at a brisk 88 minutes. Pick this up and enjoy it with the whole family. 9/10


**VIDEO QUALITY**


Batkid Begins has a natural color palette that is just right for this documentary. There are some animation sequences that have some deeper saturated primaries. Black levels were solid. Fine detail was quite good in large crowd shots as well as close ups. 8/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. - This is a front heavy presentation that features crisp and prioritized dialogue. Surrounds are subtly used for crowd din. 7.5/10

He's A Bully, Charlie Brown DVD Review

**SYNOPSIS**


With school out for summer, Charlie Brown and his pals set out for camp. Rerun van Pelt, Lucy’s youngest brother, brings his prized collection of marbles, which once belonged to his grandfather, Felix, an award-winning marbles champ. Rerun is determined to become a marble master just like his grandpa but first, he must find someone who will teach him how to play the game.

At camp, Rerun meets Joe Agate, a tough-talking and disrespectful older boy who takes advantage of Rerun’s naiveté and cons him out of all his grandpa Felix’s marbles. A devastated Rerun confides in Charlie Brown, who is so disgusted by Joe’s behavior that he decides to stand up to him, with the help of Snoopy as Joe Cool, of course. Will Charlie Brown summon the courage to face the awful Joe Agate and win back Rerun’s beloved marbles?

In It was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown, which is also featured on this release, it’s a hilarious battle of boys against girls, with Snoopy having to get in the middle of it all. At summer camp, the Peanuts gang put up with poor food and the girls winning all the sports competitions. To get even, the boys challenge them to an arm-wrestling contest between Lucy and “The Masked Marvel” – aka Snoopy in disguise. Will the boys triumph or stay defeated?

He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown also features an episode of The Charlie Brown & Snoopy Show, which includes four delightful segments, including Shoveling, Rerun, Lost Blanket and The Manager.





**SERIES REVIEW**


This collection focuses on the issue of bullying which is just as prevalent in modern times as it was when these were made in 1969 and the 80's. Charlie Brown and his friends feel like a warm blanket giving you a big hug when you watch these classic animated titles. Young ones should be just as happy to watch this collection that will teach them some good life lessons as well as entertain. 9/10


**VIDEO QUALITY**


These newly remastered in 4k episodes look great. Colors are well balanced. Clarity in the image was good with crisp animation lines. The only shame is that these and the recently released Peanuts Emmy Honored Collection weren't released on Blu-ray to take full advantage of the fine remastering job. 8.5/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Dialogue was front and center. Crisp and clear voices throughout the episodes. Music has decent fidelity considering the vintage. No pops or cracks. 7.5/10

Sesame Street: Elmo Can Do It! DVD Review

**SYNOPSIS**


What can Elmo do? Elmo can do it all!

"Elmo can dance!": - Elmo wants to learn Zoe's dance for Friendship Day, but Zoe also needs to learn to be a good friend.

"Elmo can write his name!": - With Chris's help, Elmo composes a letter for Abby, and he signs it with the one word he can write: his name.

"Elmo can help!": - Elmo, Telly, and Rosita turn into Help-O-Bots and use their powers to try to help Chris!

"Elmo can stay calm!": - Guy Smiley is on Sesame Street with a game called "Calm Down and Think!" Can Elmo calm down and focus to win a bicycle horn?

Over 2 hours of can-do fun, with special guest Bruno Mars.





**SERIES REVIEW**


Warner Bros. keeps these fun and educational sets coming at brisk clip with everyone's favorite little red and adorable monster Elmo. Even though I've long outgrown sitting at the tv every morning watching Sesame Street I had a great time watching this latest collection. Pick it up for the little ones or even for yourself. 9/10


**VIDEO QUALITY**


Sesame Street: Elmo Can Do It! has a bright and very colorful palette, primaries had perfect saturation. Black levels were solid. Overall clarity was good and details in the puppets fur textures were easily seen. 8/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital 2.0 track. - The voices of the Sesame Street puppets and their human friends and guests voices were consistently crisp and clear. The two channel presentation had decent stereo separation. Music clarity was good. 7.5/10


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Bonus Episode "Elmo's World:Helping"

* "Bye Bye Pacifier" Full Length Video

We Are Your Friends DVD November 17th

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially announced they will be releasing We Are Your Friends to DVD on November 17, 2015. Below are the official details:





Burbank, CA, October 5, 2015 – From Warner Bros. Pictures and Studiocanal comes the romantic drama “We Are Your Friends,” arriving onto DVD and Digital HD. The film marks Max Joseph’s (MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show”) feature film directorial debut, and stars Zac Efron (“Neighbors”), Emily Ratajkowski (“Entourage,” “Gone Girl”) and Wes Bentley (“Interstellar,” “The Hunger Games”).

“We Are Your Friends” also stars Johnny Weston (“Insurgent,” “Taken 3”), Shiloh Fernandez (“Evil Dead”) and Alex Shaffer (“Win Win”).

Joseph directed from a screenplay he wrote with Meaghan Oppenheimer, from a story by Richard Silverman. The producers are Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Liza Chasin, with Silverman, Oliver Courson, Ron Halpern and Nathan Kelly as executive producers.

Own We Are Your Friends on DVD November 17 or Own It Early on Digital HD on October 27!

**SYNOPSIS**


“We Are Your Friends” is about what it takes to find your voice. Set in the world of electronic music and Hollywood nightlife, an aspiring 23-year-old DJ named Cole (Efron) spends his days scheming with his childhood friends and his nights working on the one track that will set the world on fire. All of this changes when he meets a charismatic but damaged older DJ named James (Bentley), who takes him under his wing. Things get complicated, however, when Cole starts falling for James’ much younger girlfriend, Sophie (Ratajkowski). With Cole’s forbidden relationship intensifying and his friendships unraveling, he must choose between love, loyalty, and the future he is destined for.


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* How Zac Efron Learned to DJ

Magic Mike XXL Blu-ray Review

**SYNOPSIS**


Picking up the story three years after Mike (played by Channing Tatum) bowed out of the stripper life at the top of his game, “Magic Mike XXL” finds the remaining Kings of Tampa likewise ready to throw in the towel. But they want to do it their way: burning down the house in one last blow-out performance in Myrtle Beach, and with legendary headliner Magic Mike sharing the spotlight with them.

On the road to their final show, with whistle stops in Jacksonville and Savannah to renew old acquaintances and make new friends, Mike and the guys learn some new moves and shake off the past in surprising ways.





**MOVIE REVIEW**


Magic Mike XXL is a sequel that wasn't necessary as there is a thin story that doesn't provide enough interest to carry the near two hour film. Channing Tatum is a likable presence but there just isn't a great deal of material for him to work with here. The main attraction for women who watch this film is the cast of oiled and buffed stars stripping. I'm honestly just not the target audience for this film. 6/10


**VIDEO QUALITY**


Magic Mike XXL arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 2.40:1 - The elaborate stripping sequences pop with a lot of bright and bold hues. The sunny setting of Myrtle Beach makes for bright blue skys and crisp white clouds. Black levels were deep and shadow delineation was excellent in club scenes. The image is sharp with details on close ups and the wardrobe looking crisp and well defined. 8.5/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. - Dialogue reproduction was crisp and crystal clear. Surround channels help open up the soundfield a bit with good environmental effects. The most aggressive moments come from the dance/strip club moments with tight, deep bass adding to the music. 8/10


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* The Moves of Magic Mike XXL (HD, 8:35) - Shows the process in Channing Tatum trying to up his stripper game with new dance moves. Then rest of the cast is shown coming up with the big dances and how they were made to match each characters style and personality.

* Extended Malik Dance Scene (HD, 3:42)

* Georgia (HD, 2:09) - Cast and crew discuss how great it was to shoot in Georgia on location. It had all the looks that the production was seeking.

Jane the Virgin: The Complete First Season DVD Review

**SYNOPSIS**


Based off of the Venezuelan telenovela Juana La Virgen, the series stars Golden Globe Winner Gina Rodriguez (Filly Brown, Go for It! Our Family Wedding), Andrea Navedo (Remember Me, Washington Heights), Yael Grobglas (Reign), Justin Baldoni (Everwood, Spring Break Shark Attack), Ivonne Coll (Teen Wolf, Switched At Birth) Brett Dier (Ravenswood), and Jaime Camil (Qué Pobres Tan Ricos). The 5-disc

Set in Miami, Jane The Virgin follows the surprising and unforeseen events that take place in the life of Jane Villanueva. Jane (Rodriguez) is a 23 year old hard-working, religious Latina woman, whose family tradition and vow to save her virginity until marriage to a long time boyfriend and detective, is shattered when her doctor mistakenly artificially inseminates her during a checkup. And to make matters worse, the biological donor is a married man, a former playboy, and cancer survivor who is not only the new owner of the hotel where Jane works, but was also her former teenage crush.





**VIDEO QUALITY**


Jane the Virgin: The Complete First Season arrives on DVD with a transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1 - The show has a warm color palette with deeply saturated primaries. Flesh tones exhibited a natural appearance. Black levels were deep. Contrast levels were a bit hot at times but otherwise looked good. Overall clarity and detail was above average. There are some minor compression artifacts. 8/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. - The tracks are mostly front heavy with dialogue placed front and center. Mixing English and Spanish languages, voices were crisp and clear. The music bleeds to the surrounds and it's supported by decent LFE performance. No cracks or pops to report.9/10


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Jane the Virgin: Immaculate Creation - Looking at how the show was conceived, produced and brought to the CW.

* Getting to Know the Cast of Jane the Virgin - A cute Q&A with the cast asking each other questions, fun and informative.

* Gag Reel

* Deleted Scenes