RWBY: VOLUME 4 -- Blu-ray/DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 6/5/17

 

If you're a RWBY fan, then you're already stoked for the next installment in the series as presented in this Blu-ray/DVD combo from Rooster Teeth and Cinedigm.  If not, then RWBY: VOLUME 4 (2017) should be a good introduction to those four color-coordinated heroines Ruby Rose (red), Weiss Schnee (white), Blake Belladonna (black), and Ruby's sister Yang Xiao Long (yellow).

Long story short: after a catastrophic war that almost destroyed everything, the world of Remnant has been divided into four kingdoms dedicated to maintaining peaceful relations.  Also drawing them together is a common enemy, the Grimms, a never-ending army of terrifying supernatural beasts that constantly attack both urban centers and outlying villages, drawn by negative emotions such as fear, panic, and hatred. 

The main line of defense consists of hunters and huntresses, those born with various super-powers who train from a young age at special academies until ready to take on the Grimms.  This is where we first met Team RWBY shortly before their academy was attacked and virtually destroyed by a combination of Grimms and a group of terrorists known as White Fang, made up of human-animal hybrids called Faunus under the command of a secret cabal of sinister villains.

 

Volume 4 opens after the previous season's terrific climactic battle has left all four kingdoms in chaos and the RWBY team scattered.  Weiss has returned to her palatial home where her stepfather runs the family "Dust" business in decidedly shady fashion and all is definitely not well.  Blake has also returned to her parents estate on the Faunus continent accompanied by Sun, a boisterous young fellow with an eye for her.  Ruby's sister Yang is still recovering from the loss of both her right arm in the battle and her self-confidence and resolve, which the girls' father is doing his best to restore. 

The main thrust of the season's story, however, is the cross-country trek of Ruby and her friends Jaune, Ren, and Nora (formerly of team JNPR until the tragic death of the valiant huntress Pyrrha) to reach the kingdom of Mistral.  It's one of those grand, heroic journeys filled with much self-discovery and character revelations, not to mention intense life-or-death battles with some of the largest, fiercest, and most horrific Grimms that we've seen thus far. 

The route takes them through the vast wilderness between populated areas and also through various secluded villages, some of which need their help vanquishing particularly hostile Grimms, and others which have already been utterly destroyed by either Grimms or marauding bandits.  One smoking ruin prompts Ren to recall his history as a boy whose parents were killed before his eyes by a bloodthirsty beast, and how he assumed responsibility for another lost soul, the destitute orphan Nora.

 

 

While Yang struggles to regain her confidence and learn how to use her new robotic arm, Blake and Sun's ocean cruise to the Faunus continent is both incredibly scenic--the show is pictorially intoxicating as usual--but highlighted by a spectacular battle with a flying sea dragon.  Once they've reached their destination, the drama continues with Blake's parents clashing with the socially-awkward Sun as well as two highly-suspicious emissaries from the White Fang group.

As usual, we're left with a cliffhanger ending to keep us on edge until the next season begins, with Ruby's team reaching Mistral but discovering that much is not as they expected.  Meanwhile, the main villains of the saga, led by mysterious white goddess Salem and her evil underlings (including last season's traitorous huntress Cinder) keep a low profile and bide their time for a later, more catastrophic strike, with only the near-invincible madman Tyrian directly engaging our heroes in fierce battle during their journey.

Through it all, RWBY VOL. 4 carries on this sharply-written series' tradition of scintillating dialogue and character interactions that make the less action-packed segments just as riveting as the frentic battles--which, as usual, are both lightning-paced and imaginatively staged, striking just the right balance between humor (especially with the girlishly excitable Nora) and dead seriousness, as when a key member of Ruby's group is critically injured.

Visually, the series is a feast of colorful CGI settings and pleasingly executed motion-capture figures that move well and are exquisitely designed. While I still prefer cel animation in my cartoons, I gladly make an exception when a three-dimensional CGI simulation of old-school anime such as this is rendered to such lavish and eye-pleasing effect. Voice performances and music are outstanding as well.

The "It's Also a Gun" Special Edition Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack contains both a Blu-ray disc and a DVD, along with a collectible Crescent Rose lenticular card featuring Ruby's distinctive scythe-shaped weapon ("It's also a gun").  Also available in Blu-ray/DVD and DVD editions.  Total story running time: 190 minutes.  Widescreen with English Dolby 5.1.  English captions are available.

Bonus featurettes include: "World of Remnant: Kingdoms", "World of Remnant: The Great War", "World of Remnant: Schnee Dust Company", "World of Remnant: Faunus", "World of Remnant: Between Kingdoms", "Behind the Scenes: A Grimm Introduction", and "Behind the Scenes: RWBY 4 Production Diary", plus audio commentaries. 

With RWBY: VOL. 4, this series remains one of my favorite and most eagerly-anticipated of any genre adventures being created today.  While not quite as action-intensive as the previous season, this one more than compensates with a richness of story and character that lends even greater impact to the slam-bang battle sequences.


Buy it from Rooster Teeth

Read our original coverage

Street date: June 6, 2017

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RWBY: VOLUME 4 -- Blu-ray/DVD Review by Porfle

RWBY: BEACON, VOLUMES 1-3 (STEELBOOK) -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

 Originally posted on 10/2/16

 

The creative team at Rooster Teeth and Cinedigm (the creators of RED VS. BLUE) have really outdone themselves with the stunningly beautiful and exciting American anime epic RWBY: BEACON, VOLUMES 1-3, the first major story arc in the ongoing series.  In fact, watching it may have gotten me so spoiled that from now on, few other examples of this k‌ind of animated adventure will live up to its level of wonderfulness. 

If that sounds like an exaggeration, it's because I tend to do that when I'm having a fantastic time.  I reviewed the third volume of this saga on its own earlier this year (which you can read HERE), and even without the first two as backstory it wasn't long before I was caught up in the sweeping tale of a futuristic world called "Remnant" (whose now-peaceful countries are the remains of a cataclysmic world war) in which super-powered teens train at academies to become huntsmen and huntresses who protect the world from evil.

This evil consists mainly of roving packs of huge, vicious animal-monsters known as Grimms.  However, human and semi-human villains plot against the forces of good as well, some of them even posing as students and infiltrating Beacon academy where our favorite superheroes-in-training strive to take their places as guardians of the world.

The main team of wannabe huntresses is known as RWBY (pronounced "ruby") whose color-coded members consist of the childlike, excitable Ruby Rose (red), ice-queen heiress Weiss Schnee (white), mysterious, moody Blake Belladonna (black), and Ruby's outgoing older sister Yang Xiao Long (yellow). Like everyone else at Beacon, each has her own individual super-power and preferred weaponry.  

At first they seem to be the usual girly-girls we find in such series as "K-On"--they're funny and sometimes a little ditzy in addition to being great athletes and warriors, and not above the occasional bout of slapstick comedy--but as the events of the story progress they and their classmates reveal many levels to their characters as the various interpersonal conflicts become progressively deep and emotionally resonant, and often carry over onto the field of battle. 

The sharply-written script is filled with snappy, natural-sounding dialogue that avoids being dumb or stilted. What's more, the large cast is loaded with appealing characters (the voice acting is superb), each of whom is fascinating in his or her own way.

Since this is a story about teens discovering themselves and each other, even the "cooler" and more seemingly invincible students get to reveal their sensitive, vulnerable sides as well as a few insecurities that are helped along by the understanding and empathy of their peers. 

Naturally, all of this teamwork, friendship, and acceptance contributes to a general feelgood ambience that's just pure fun.  There's even an impromptu group dance during the charming ballroom dance sequence that rivals the one in DEAD KIDS for pure uninhibited joy.

In sharp contrast, it's the somber, fiercely dramatic and often action-packed scenes where RWBY really goes into overdrive.  Consistently dazzling displays of imaginative fight choreography, brilliant direction, an excellent musical score, and eye-pleasing design shatter monotony and keep each new battle as fresh, thrilling, and unpredictable as the last.  The gorgeous candy-coated visuals have the look of vibrant cel art that's been brought to life with finely-rendered computer animation and motion-capture. 

Battle sequences come at the viewer at a breakneck pace that's edited rapid-fire but still easy to follow.  The battle between the young heroes and two terrible Grimms--a giant vulture and a monster scorpion--within the ruins of an ancient temple during a training mission is one of the most breathtaking and spectacular displays of animation of ANY kind that I've ever seen. 

Yang's deflating remark at the end ("Well...that was a thing") is just the sort of dead-on attitude of serious fun that permeates this entire collection.   One incredible action sequence follows another, including a furious competition between the different training academies which then becomes a spectacular and sustained battle royale when the villains, led by ultra-bad-girl Cinder and juvenile-delinquent-deluxe Torchwick, launch their final attack on Beacon. 

For me, a giddy feeling of "this is gonna be good!" preceeds each fight, which never disappoints. It's the kind of all-out wonderful genre goodness that makes me glad I became a nerd in the first place.  If I were still a smoker I'd have had to light up when it was over.

As I said in my review of volume three: "I don't often see a story escalate from colorful action-filled fun to catastrophic disaster epic the way RWBY: VOLUME 3 effortlessly does...this is great anime entertainment that left me wanting more."

The 3-disc Blu-ray set from Rooster Teeth and Cinedigm is packaged in a cool limited-edition steelbook case with plastic slipcover.  Total feature running time is 7 hours and 19 minutes.  There are no subtitles for disc one, but discs two and three contain English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. Each disc is generously endowed with commentary tracks, informative behind-the-scenes featurettes, character profiles and other backstory info, trailers, and other goodies.

While some hardcore anime fans tend to be more blase' about it (according to various forum posts), this is some of the best anime I've ever seen.  Heck, it's one of the best things of ANY kind I've ever seen.  Watching it gives me the same feeling of exploring something new and amazing that I had the first time I ever saw AKIRA.  And while that may only be my immediate excitement over it talking, it sorta tells you just how exciting it is.  RWBY: BEACON, VOLUMES 1-3 is spectacular in a way that no other medium could express, and watching it is pure, exhilarating entertainment.

RWBY: BEACON, VOLUMES 1-3 (STEELBOOK) -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

KILL ZONE -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 10/4/09

 

"God is fair--evil deeds must pay a price" is the tagline in the trailer for KILL ZONE, aka "SPL", aka "SAAT PO LONG/SHA PO LANG" (2005), which proves true for both the bad guys and the cops who cross the line trying to bring them down. Another theme of the film is father-son relationships--most of the action takes place on Father's Day, most of the characters are fathers or sons and the events we see in their lives are in many ways influenced by this, right up to the shattering conclusion.

Detective Chan (Simon Yam) runs a task force that is dedicated to taking down the fearsome Triad boss Wong Po (Sammo Hung) by any means possible. The fact that he's about to retire makes a quick resolution to the matter even more urgent, and the tough, rule-breaking cops under his command are equally anxious to see Wong Po behind bars or dead. But Chan is about to be replaced by Inspector Ma Kwan (Donnie Yen), whom the team fears will hamper their efforts with his more by-the-book attitude, although he once deliberately left a bad guy permanently brain-damaged with a single punch. And although Ma doesn't officially start his duties until midnight, he tags along and is shocked by the extent to which Chan's team will go in order to see their own brand of justice done.

When they receive a videotape showing Wong Po assisting in the assassination of an undercover cop, they doctor the tape to suggest that Wong Po did the actual killing. This backfires when the truth comes out and Wong Po is released, swearing that Chan and his men won't leave the station house alive. To make good on his threat, he calls in his chief assassin, a young, weasel-faced martial arts expert named Jack (Jacky Wu) who enjoys killing people in messy ways. Of course, Chan's men all end up leaving the station house for one reason or another, and each has an appointment with Jack that they'll wish they'd missed. With all of this, even Inspector Ma Kwan is finally pushed beyond the limits of the law and decides that Wong Po must be stopped no matter what it takes.

Although there's plenty of action in KILL ZONE, the human drama is essential and well-wrought by director Wilson Yip (THE WHITE DRAGON, JULIET IN LOVE), whose classical style is refreshingly free of the usual MTV-type overuse of shaky camerawork and rapid-fire editing, which he uses only sparingly to evoke disorientation or chaos, and his occasional use of crane shots adds an epic sweep to several scenes. There's no style-for-style's-sake here, and the use of cinematic language (split screens, slow motion, etc.) is only for advancing the plot and not just to show off.

We're given time to get to know and care about the characters: Detective Chan is shown caring for his adopted daughter, whose parents were killed on their way to testify against Wong Po, even though his days are numbered due to a brain tumor; Detective Kwok (Danny Summer) anxiously awaits a Father's Day reunion with his formerly estranged daughter; and Detective Lok (Kai Chi Liu) is seen tearfully attempting a doomed reconciliation with his dying father over the phone. Even the evil Wong Po has a beloved wife and infant daughter to whom he is deeply devoted, which humanizes his character beyond the standard stereotype and makes him all the more interesting. The fact that all of the performances in this movie are excellent doesn't hurt, either.

The first display of martial arts doesn't even take place until half an hour into the film, but there's no shortage of action. We get several demolition derby-style car crashes, an intense police raid on one of Wong Po's crews, and other assorted events that keep things humming along until finally the chop-socky kicks in with Wong Po's initial arrest in the lobby of the hospital where his wife just gave birth. With a large, stuffed Pink Panther under one arm, he proves quite difficult to apprehend, and we get our first incredible display of mixed martial arts fighting as he takes on Donnie Yen's Ma Kwan for the first time in the film.

The fight scenes blend seamlessly with the drama thanks to the cooperation of Wilson Yip and action director Donnie Yen, who knows just what he wants to see on the screen and how to shoot it. Yen's philosophy is that if the fight choreography is performed by experts who know what they're doing, there's no need for quick cuts and flashy, distracting camerawork, and wirework and CGI can be kept to a minimum. This results in several amazing sequences in which the combatants go at it in long, wide-angle takes, with a realism and intensity rarely seen in Hollywood action flicks. The alleyway battle between Ma Kwan and Jack the assassin, one wielding a police baton and the other a long knife, is surely one of the greatest hand-to-hand combat scenes ever filmed, with Donnie Yen and Jacky Wu engaging in one long series of perfectly-choreographed moves after another. It's a thrilling sequence.

But even this is outdone by the final confrontation between Ma Kwan and Wong Po in the bad guy's lair. Using a huge, insanely-ornate real-life nightclub as the backdrop, Donnie Yen has devised a breathtaking free-for-all that takes advantage of Sammo Hung's unique size and skill (it's cool to see such a big guy displaying such dexterity in contrast with Yen's own look and style), to give Hong Kong action fans the match-up they've been waiting for. Again, many of the moves are played out in long takes because these guys know what they're doing and don't require special camerawork or editing to help put it across. Yen has also incorporated mixed fighting styles here, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which is composed mainly of close-quarters grappling moves that add a lot of excitement and visual interest. Wirework is used sparingly and in imaginative ways, but without the unreal look it tends to have in most films. And, of course, lots of stuff gets smashed up in cool ways.

The 2-disc DVD from Dragon Dynasty is a lot of fun. Hong Kong Cinema expert Bey Logan contributes a commentary track that is very informative and enthusiastic, without a single dead spot. The alleyway and nightclub fights are thoroughly examined with commentary from both Logan and Donnie Yen. There's also a "making of" featurette and extensive interviews with Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, Jacky Wu, and Wilson Yip, plus trailers and TV spots. So even when the movie's over, there's a lot of cool stuff to explore.

I can't recommend this movie enough. It's an impressive, thrilling piece of action cinema that fires on all cylinders from start to finish. Both the action and dramatic elements are well-served throughout, and all of it is done with meticulous care and filmmaking skill. And the fact that the story is given such prominence instead of merely serving as a vehicle for the fight scenes results in an ending that should stay with you long after the fade-out.

KILL ZONE -- DVD Review by Porfle

BOY WONDER -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 11/2/11

What if Bruce Wayne was just a poor urban kid?  And instead of justice for his parents' killers, he was fueled by a burning lust for revenge? What if, instead of flinging Bat-a-rangs at the bad guys, he just friggin' shot them? 

I went into BOY WONDER (2010) thinking it was going to be a streetwise-teen superhero flick, but I couldn't have been more wrong.  It isn't even a "cheer the vigilante" story (think DEATH WISH) because, even though Sean Donovan (Caleb Steinmeyer) does put a satisfying hurt on some guys who richly deserve it, he's way too messed up himself for us to consider him a hero.  In fact, in the latter half of the film he starts to lose it much the same way Michael Landon's troubled teen did in I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF (both characters shock their peers by going mental at a party).

After watching his mother (Tracy Middendorf) get murdered during a carjacking as a kid, Sean becomes obsessed with finding the killer.  An indulgent police captain (Chuck Cooper) who was there that night allows him to peruse the mug shot files daily, little suspecting that Sean is taking note of particularly offensive individuals and visiting them after hours.  His training in boxing and martial arts comes in handy against pimps, drug dealers, and other violent scum, as does his automatic pistol.



Pretty soon the trail of bodies attracts the attention of newly-promoted homicide detective Teresa Ames (the lovely Zulay Henao), who follows it straight to Sean.  Meanwhile, a scumbag crime figure named Childs (James Russo) whom she sacrificed two years of her life plus her marriage to put away is cutting a sweet deal with the D.A.  Though this weakens her own faith in the system, she still believes in "due process", a term Sean bitterly scoffs at.  As she gets closer to arresting him, he makes a discovery about his mother's death that will make him more dangerous than ever.

Initially, though, watching Sean get jiggy with the bad guys really satisfied my revenge tooth in a big way.  Having grown up with an alcoholic father (Bill Sage) who abused him and his mother, he's particularly protective of damsels in distress.  He also takes on a huge mental case harassing people on the subway in one of the film's best confrontations (and the only time in which Sean appears in full regalia of black hoodie and streaked-on warpaint).  These are down and dirty clashes that aren't really "fight scenes" per se--BOY WONDER isn't about cool choreography and flashy moves but realistic, gritty violence that does Sean spiritual damage every time he inflicts it.

There's a lot of tension in the scenes between Sean and his recovering alcoholic dad, who wants to make amends for his years of drunken abuse.  This situation will deteriorate further in surprising ways.  The film's only humor comes in the scenes with Teresa and her endearingly insensitive big-lug partner Gary (Daniel Stewart Sherman), while their investigation provides some cockeyed police-procedural flavor as a counterpoint to Sean's nocturnal exploits.  The relationship between Sean and Teresa, at first sympathetic and civil, becomes an interesting battle of wits.  (The Chinese restaurant scene is a real hoot.)



Caleb Steinmeyer gives a powerful performance as Sean, the kind in which every move and facial nuance adds to our fascination with the character.  The rest of the cast are uniformly good as well, and, in the small but pivotal role of Childs, James Russo is as fun to watch as ever.  Writer-director Michael Morrissey directs with a sure hand and adds to the tension of the more frenetic scenes with a jittery editing style that's very effective. 

The DVD from Inception Media Group is in 16x9 widescreen with Dolby 5.1 surround sound.  No subtitles but closed-captioning is available.  Extras consist of a "making of" featurette and the trailer.

With a stunning final twist, BOY WONDER leaves the viewer with conflicting emotions that may take longer than the closing credits to work out.  What if Peter Parker went a little nuts after Uncle Ben died, and he traded in his web cartridges for brass knuckles and bullets?  Would he always take out the right people?  There are no easy answers, but watching this movie pose the questions is a whole lot of fun.

BOY WONDER -- DVD Review by Porfle

FORCED TO FIGHT -- Blu-Ray Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 12/14/12

I haven't seen that many movies featuring kickboxing champion Gary Daniels of THE EXPENDABLES fame, but the ones I have seen (TEKKEN, HUNT TO KILL) were more exciting than FORCED TO FIGHT (2011).  And that's not really saying much.

Daniels plays family guy Shane, a former underground fighter who now owns his own auto shop.  When kid brother Scotty (Arkie Reece, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, JOHN CARTER) tries to flee the fight scene after ripping off ruthless crime boss Danny G. (Peter Weller, ROBOCOP, "Dexter"), he's beaten within an inch of his life.  Shane then finds that he must re-enter the world of underground mixed martial arts in order to pay back Scotty's massive debt to the evil gangster. 

But the fighting life not only causes Shane to revert back to his old, violent self--alienating his wife Connie (Alexandra Weaver) and sensitive son James--but also proves difficult to leave once it has its hooks in him.  As Shane's fights gain massive pay-per-view hits on the internet, Danny G. has no intention of letting him go until he's used him up, even if it means threatening Shane's family so that he'll be...forced to fight.

With a visual style that only occasionally has its moments and a wavering hand-held camera that gets a little old after awhile, director Jonas Quastel and his co-writers have assembled a simple and very familiar plot out of parts we've seen several times before.  Shane's agreement to fight again leads right into the usual training montage, which gives way to the standard fighting-his-way-back-to-the-top montage, which is interspersed with scenes detailing the rapid breakdown of his family life as he reverts to an angry, contemptuous ogre practically overnight.
 
The fights themselves are meat-and-potatoes stuff, not that well choreographed or edited and directed in rather lumbering, unimaginative fashion.  A parade of uninteresting opponents engage Shane in fights with little variety or suspense, even when he must take on the most fearsome fighter of all, Dracul the Killer (Florin Roata). 

Performances are adequate at first but get worse as the story's dramatic requirements increase.  Daniels and Weaver are stiffly unconvincing in their emotional confrontations, while the direction and dialogue are equally awkward. 

As Scotty, Arkie Reece is fairly good in his scenes with Corbin Thomas as nephew James, where the two of them have an appealing chemisty.  Thomas, in fact, gives one of the film's most effective performances, as the insecure James loses one father figure and clings desperately to another.  Main acting honors, however, go to old pro Peter Weller who emotes broadly as the sadistic Danny G. and is a fun villain for us to root against.

The Blu-Ray disc from Image Entertainment is in 1.78:1 widescreen with DTS-HD master audio 5.1 and English subtitles.  Extras consist of the featurettes "Behind the Scenes with Peter Weller" and "Filming the Fights", plus a trailer.

FORCED TO FIGHT trudges along a well-worn path to its inevitable all-or-nothing fight finale.  If you find yourself hard-up for entertainment and in a very undemanding mood some time, you might want to check it out.  As for me, I doubt if I'll ever feel compelled to see it again.  Unless, of course, I'm...forced to watch.

  

FORCED TO FIGHT -- Blu-Ray Review by Porfle