Home Market Releases for December 15th, 2015

December 14, 2015

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

It is a strange week on the home market, as there are four first-run releases coming out, all of which were sequels. That's a lot. However, only one of them wasn't a box office disappointment, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. Additionally, there's very little depth here. On the plus side, it did give me an excuse to talk about some good releases that might otherwise have fallen between the cracks, like the Top Spin DVD. That said, the Rogue Nation Blu-ray Combo Pack is the Pick of the Week.

The Car - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This is not a good movie, but a lot of people find it entertainingly bad. Also, the titular car looks awesome.

Count Dracula - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Christopher Lee stars as Dracula. That should be a major selling point, but the film is mostly forgotten for a reason. It's faithful to the original material, but not very engaging

CSI: The Finale - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The series finale. One two-hour episode for $18. Nope.

Extant: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This show was canceled after just two seasons. It is better than its ratings would indicate. Meanwhile, Halle Berry is already working on a new show.

Fantastic Four - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
Once of the worst wide releases of the year. It was only made to prevent Walt Disney from getting the franchise. There are a lot of good reasons to make a movie and a lot of bad reasons. Contractual obligation is in the latter camp. The extras are not bad, but the Tomatometer Score is low enough that it doesn't matter.

He Named Me Malala - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This film earned good reviews, not not great reviews. The main complaint was the film didn't go in-depth enough about Malala Yousafzai, which is a valid complaint. Although at her age, there might not be much to say beyond her activism.

The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
The second installment of this franchise didn't live up to the first, not in terms of its reviews, nor at the box office. It still made money, but if this decline accelerates, the final installments might not be as lucky. There are enough extras to be worth picking up, if you liked the movie, but that's not high praise.


Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
The fifth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise. It is also the first film in the franchise to top $700 million worldwide. I was hoping to get a screener, but that's not going to happen. The reviews are amazing, but the extras on the DVD are light. If you are only interested in renting, then its fine, so call it a rental. The Blu-ray does have a lot more and it is a Pick of the Week contender. You can also buy a Franchise Boxset, but considering they are already working on a new installment, there's really no reason to do so.

Nickelodoen Blu-ray Releases: Buy from Amazon: House of Anubis: Season One, Jinxed, and Swindle
These three releases might be coming out this week, or they might have came out last week. I'm getting mixed signals. I've actually seen Jinxed and for a TV movie, it is really good. Also, the casting is really well done, as Keegan Connor Tracy and Ciara Bravo look like mother and daughter. I haven't seen the other two, but House of Anubis has really good reviews, while Swindle is better than most Nickelodoen movies.

One Piece: Season 7: Voyage Four - Buy from Amazon: DVD
12 episodes for $35. That might seem like a lot for TV on DVD, but that's half as much of a lot of other Anime releases cost. It helps that this is one of the most popular Anime titles around.

Roger Waters The Wall Special Edition - Amazon Exclusive - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The non-special edition came out two weeks ago.

Ted 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film made less than half of what the first film managed, while the reviews were decidedly mixed. There are not a lot of substantial extras, mostly short bits that do add up. Call it a rental.

Teen Wolf: Season 5 - Part 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The show's reviews have fluctuated enough that it's a serious warning sign. Do you want to spend $20 on half a season when it is hit or miss?

Tokyo Fiancée - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A film so small, it doesn't even have a page on Rotten Tomatoes. I did get an offer for a screener, but the offer arrived too late to get a copy in time. Maybe I can get one and do a late review. It does look charming.


Top Spin - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A documentary about the competitive world of ping pong. Normally this film would slip between the cracks, but it is a slow week and there's not much else to talk about. The film's reviews are 100% positive, so if you like documentaries, it is worth picking up.

Triumph of the Will - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
One of the best propaganda films ever made and it is historically important. Leni Riefenstahl should be remembered for helping change film history through her numerous ground-breaking techniques. If only she was working with the Allies instead of Nazi Germany.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon: Anguish, Dragon Blade, Fatal Flip, Heist, Meet the Patels, Pan, and Wolf Totem
Pan is by far the biggest VOD release this week, but it isn't even close to being the best. Meet the Patels is the best. It is at the very least worth a rental, but buying it is the better option.

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Fantastic Four, Ted 2, Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation, Pan, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, He Named Me Malala, Top Spin, The Car, Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht, Tokyo Fiancée, Mission: Impossible, The Maze Runner, Halle Berry, Christopher Lee, Keegan Connor Tracy, Malala Yousafzai, Ciara Bravo