DVD/VIDEO REVIEWS week of March 23, 2009

This week's DVD and Blu-ray releases

The following are capsule reviews of new and recent DVD and Blu-ray releases from the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Theatrical movies have a USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification and Motion Picture Association of America rating. These classifications refer only to the theatrical version of the films below, and do not take into account the discs' extra content.

Goldfinger (Ultimate Edition)

British superagent James Bond (Sean Connery) is on the trail of international smuggler Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) and his chief henchman, Oddjob (Harold Sakata), and with a little help from the ladies (Shirley Easton and Honor Blackman), he thwarts their plan to rob Fort Knox. Directed by Guy Hamilton, the fast-paced plot contains the usual assortment of gimmicky action and tongue-in-cheek sexual references but adults who enjoy escapist entertainment will find it harmless campy fun. Spanish titles option. A-III -- adults. (PG) (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; also available on Blu-ray)
1964

Lilo & Stitch (2-Disc Set)

Sassy animated comedy in which a lonely orphaned Hawaiian girl (voiced by Daveigh Chase) who lives with her older sister and guardian (voiced by Tia Carrere) adopts what she thinks is a dog (voiced by Christopher Michael Sanders), but turns out to be an alien genetic experiment gone wrong whose only instinct is to destroy. Lessons on the importance of family and caring about others are lightly woven into writer-director Chris Sanders' bold story with offbeat characters, but the cheeky dialogue, rambunctious behavior and discussion of genetics seem inappropriate for the younger set at which the film is aimed. Several scary moments and some slightly irreverent expressions. The DVD contains commentary by Sanders and co-director Dean DeBlois; five deleted scenes and a couple of earlier versions of others; music videos; a making-of documentary; games and more. Spanish titles option. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) (Walt Disney Pictures Home Entertainment) 2002

The Odd Couple (Centennial Collection)

Two men separated from their wives and sharing an apartment discover what incompatibility is all about. One is obsessively neat (Jack Lemmon) and the other is a compulsive slob (Walter Matthau). The story -- which went on to become a classic TV series -- was a twist on the adjustments people have to make in life as well as marriage, and both principals take good advantage of the comic potential of teaming a disparate pair. Director Gene Saks relies on Neil Simon's adaptation of his own stage play and the result is often hilarious comedy. Some sexual references. The DVD includes new commentary by the stars' sons, Charlie Matthau and Chris Lemmon; as well as new featurettes on Matthau and Lemmon, the production and its theatrical origins; and new interviews with Saks and cast members. Spanish language and titles options. A-III --adults. (G) (Paramount Home Entertainment) 1968

Quantum of Solace

Rapid-fire spy thriller in which iconic British intelligence agent James Bond (Daniel Craig) battles a seemingly respectable businessman (Mathieu Amalric) intent on monopolizing worldwide natural resources. Bond is aided by the executive's girlfriend (Olga Kurylenko) but hampered at times by his own boss (Judi Dench). Director Marc Forster's globe-trotting addition to the franchise features more chases and gunfights than real drama, though a high level of violence and Bond's sexual pleasure-seeking are somewhat offset by a story line contrasting vengeance with forgiveness. Strong action violence, a nongraphic scene of rape, brief graphic nonmarital sexual activity, partial upper-female and rear nudity, occasional crude and crass language, a couple of uses of profanity and a few sexual references. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; also available on Blu-ray) 2008

Testimony: The Untold Story of Pope John Paul II

Moving and uplifting 90-minute documentary profile of the Polish pontiff based on a memoir written by his personal secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, now Pope John Paul's successor as archbishop of Krakow, Poland, who appears throughout the film. As penned for the screen by Msgr. Pawel Ptasznik, head of the Polish Section of the Vatican's Secretariat of State, director Pawel Pitera's biography -- elegantly narrated by actor Michael York and featuring atmospheric music by Vangelis -- uses archival footage and stunning shots of Poland and the Vatican to reveal its subject's lifelong devotion to the Holy Spirit, the origin of his custom of kissing the earth on foreign journeys, his incognito getaways to the Italian countryside and his role in establishing a homeless shelter in the shadow of St. Peter's, all the while emphasizing his exercise of fortitude. The widescreen DVD features a 10-minute making-of featurette. (Eclectic Film Sales; testimonythedvd.com) 2008

To Catch a Thief (Centennial Collection)

Fluffy romantic thriller set on the French Riviera where a string of jewel thefts have the local gendarmes chasing a one-time cat burglar (Cary Grant) who uses an heiress (Grace Kelly) to catch the real crook. Alfred Hitchcock directs the chic proceedings with his usual flair for the eccentric and offbeat, but there's more romance than suspense. Some stylized violence and veiled sexual references. The DVD includes commentary by film historian Drew Casper, some holdover features from earlier editions such as a look at the stars, Hitchcock himself and costumer Edith Head, as well as new features on film censorship in America, the writing and casting process, and a present-day Hitchcock film class with Hitchcock's daughter and granddaughter. Spanish language and titles option. A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Paramount Home Entertainment) 1955