Steve Geise

Sweden’s most famous fictional police investigator is back on the beat in this new film penned by his creator, Henning Mankell.

Ingmar Bergman’s simple and predictable tale is highlighted by an ethereal middle third.

Great performances by the two leads outweigh the questionable plot shift.

Benedict Cumberbatch is completely effective in the lead role of this modern take on the classic sleuth.

Miyazaki doesn’t direct this time around, but you’ll never be able to tell the difference.

Solid writing makes the show worth watching in spite of its dusty historical setting.

Joss Whedon delivers an epic superhero team-up full of action and laughs.

Alec Guinness fully inhabits the famed role of retired spy George Smiley in this 1979 BBC miniseries.

Director Yasujiro Ozu paints a heartbreaking portrait of a modern woman trapped by tradition.

The singular focus on polar nature wears thin, but the HD photography is spellbinding.

Whedon proves to be a master in Marvel’s mutant universe, but the motion effects are subpar in the early stages.

A fascinating look at a winning creative partnership predating Lean’s later widescreen epics.

A sampler of unrelated and unspectacular but offbeat Asian films.

A fascinating portrait of a caring man who refuses to be limited by his disability.

The loopy ending still detracts from the rest of the fairly conventional film.

Slackers team up to save the world from an evil book of spells.

Louis Malle’s final film captures a performance that was never intended to be public.

Plenty of action, but not much in the way of story or character development.

While the plot is obvious, the film’s cerebral take on sci fi and impressive ’70s cinematography make it well worth its lengthy running time.

A funny return to form for this generation’s Cheech and Chong.

A serviceable samurai yarn spotlighted by a rewarding underdog story and above average fight scenes.

Schaeffer revisits his character from 15 years ago and develops another ill-fated romance.

The kids put on an entertaining show but are hampered by fan interviews interspersed between songs.

Jam-packed with more than enough visual artistry to compensate for its lightweight story.

The choreography and music dazzle in HD, but the story still falls flat.

A richly illustrated full-length film based on the Nintendo DS puzzle game series.

While the film is somewhat bloated and slow, its accompanying documentary is revelatory.

Surprisingly faithful to the source material but hampered by lackluster casting and mediocre direction.

Sparkling new Blu-ray release with newly discovered deleted scenes proves you can go home again.

Pixar’s first misstep fails to capture the heart of the original.

So similar to the original comic book it might as well be a motion comic.

Creates some spooky atmosphere but fails to drive a compelling narrative.

Jack Sparrow’s fourth outing isn’t his best, but it is leagues better than the previous one.

A masterful indictment of the morally bankrupt samurai system.

Has its charming moments, but fails to develop into a meaningful whole.

So similar to Mesrine in content and execution that there’s little to distinguish it.

Crime and punishment in a beachside paradise.

If you’re still on the fence about the Blu-ray collection, these may be the comics you’re looking for.

Well-crafted effects and a timeless tale make for a fine Swedish silent film.

Brash young director Wuershan fails to impress with his modern take on martial arts cinema.

A hilarious star-making turn for writer/lead actress Kristen Wiig.

Charming songs and a promising start can’t overcome bloated and meandering road trip.

A mind-blowing trip through a bizarre afterlife filled with fetish gear and nightmarish creatures.

An accomplished film that upholds and expands the tradition of the original.

Actress Do-Yeon Jeon delivers a powerhouse performance in director Chang-Dong Lee’s moving drama.

A competent heist film that provides an early glimpse of Kubrick’s emerging talent.

Marriage of feature film with direct-to-video sequel is worthwhile thanks to the decent quality of both projects.

Director Simon Wells fails to translate the charm of the source book to film.