DVDs
for August 9 by Boo Allen

This
week, we begin on Mars:

Mars
Needs Moms (***)

One
thing we should all be able to agree on: everyone needs a mom. And,
judging by Disney’s new 3-D animated feature Mars Needs Moms,
moms are also needed in outer space. Mars Needs Moms is
produced by the same team behind the earlier performance-capture hits
A Christmas Carol and
The Polar Express. This means the new
film also renders characters that look almost life-like, and they
move more naturally than traditional animated creatures. But, here,
it also means a lack of visual excellence, as “Mars Needs Mom”
takes place mostly on a planet overcast with grays and muted tones
and seemingly devoid of color. Simon Wells (great grandson of H.G.)
directs from the script he co-wrote with Wendy Wells based on the
illustrated book by irreverent yet revered cartoonist Berkeley
Breathed (“Bloom County”). The final product features the
artist’s absurd outer space creatures that would more easily fit into
a science fiction film than into Disney’s traditionally cuddly
repertoire. But Mars Needs Moms mostly stays in safe
territory, with its tale of nine year-old Milo (voiced by Seth
Green), who, in a rebellious tantrum, tells his mother (voice of Joan
Cusack) that he would be better off without her.  Suddenly, Martians
land and scoop her up, while frantic Milo chases after her and finds
himself accidentally along for the ride. Once on Mars, Milo faces the
bigger task of finding his mom and somehow returning to earth. Milo
learns that every 25 years, young Martians hatch, and only
earth-mothers can raise them. So, Martians must abduct earth-moms.
Fortunately for Milo, he falls under the wing of John Candy lookalike
Gribble (Dan Fogler), who claims to be left behind from Ronald
Reagan’s interstellar anti-communist program (“Why do you think
they call it the ‘red’ planet?” he asks). They team together with
sympathetic Martian Ki (Elisabeth Harnois) to fight the multitude of
spectacularly created warriors, natives, and robots. Mars Needs
Moms never overdoes the cultural references or tries too hard
to impress with its smarmy cleverness. And, although the theme
becomes redundant and repeats itself throughout the film, all earthly
audiences already know it by heart: moms are great.

Rated
PG, 88 minutes. The DVD comes in a wide selection: in 3-D, Blu-ray,
various combo packs, and on demand. Various versions contain separate
supplements, so check labels. Included are seven deleted scenes, an
extended opening, an alternate scene, a featurette with Seth Green
and Dan Fogler, a featurette on the Martian “language”  and more.

Lone
Star (***)

On-demand
Warner Archives finally brings to DVD Hollywood’s fanciful 1951
feature about Texas’ trials in becoming a state in 1845. Surrounded
by many of MGM’s biggest stars of the time, Clark Gable plays North
Texas cattleman Dev Burke. He receives a declaration from
ex-President Andrew Jackson (Lionel Barrymore) supporting Texas’
annexation into the United States. But opposing him is Austin power
broker Thomas Craden (Broderick Crawford), who wants to make Texas
into an even larger independent country with himself at the head.
Both sides look to Sam Houston (Moroni Olsen), who has disappeared
into remote Apache territory. Meanwhile, Burke falls for Creden’s
love interest Martha Ronda (Ava Gardner). With virtually no factual
historical basis with which to work, director Vincent Sherman juggles
action, love, and political intrigue for raw entertainment.

Not
rated, 94 minutes.

The
Perfect Game (**1/2)

In this
inspirational yet formulaic family friendly film, a group of
little-league baseball players from Monterrey, Mexico fights against
the odds to become the first international team to win the Little
League World Series. Clifton Collins Jr. plays the disappointed
former professional baseball player who takes off from his
steel-working job to train the boys, who, in good tradition, are
awful but blossom under his eye. Cheech Marin is the local priest.

Rated
PG, 117 minutes. The DVD, also on Blu-ray, offers director
commentary, a 13 minute “behind-the-scenes” featurette, a music
montage, and various “bites” from nine cast and crew.

Super
(*1/2)

This
super-hero satire shows the fine like taken by the similarly themed
Kick-Ass.
Both films focus on a crime-fighting team devoid of super powers, and
they do it partially for laughs to complement the action. Super
instead
is rarely funny, and its action scenes waver between the absurd and
needlessly gruesome (does someone deserve to have his head split open
with a wrench for cutting in line?). Rainn Wilson plays Frank, who
loses his wife (a comatose Liv Tyler) to a sleazy drug dealer
(miscast Kevin Bacon). Frank becomes the Crimson Bolt, a ludicrously
costumed figure eventually joined by Libbie (Ellen Page), who becomes
super side-kick Boltie. Together, they feign fighting crime in a
succession of pointless, humorless and increasingly violent
sequences. Director James Gunn shows no aptitude in handling the
wildly uneven tones and scenes.
Rated R, 96 minutes. The DVD, also on Blu-ray, includes
a 19 minute “behind-the-scenes” featurette, a five minute segment
on the “making of” the main titles, and more.

John
Pinette: Still Hungry (***)
The irreverent but cherubic stand-up comedian delivers
his comedy act at Chicago’s Vic Theater, and, once again, his main
rifts are about food, his love for food, and his unique takes on
food.
Not rated, 90 minutes. The DVD contains more than half a
dozen featurettes, including a tour of Chicago, a segment on
Pinette’s fans, and more.

 
And, finally, for kids this week:

Bob
the Builder: Super Scrambler
Bob joins his buddies from the Can-Do crew, Scratch,
Scrambler, Wendy, and Roley, in four tales focused on the importance
of their tools and on teamwork.
Not rated, 46 minutes. The DVD also includes a music
video.

The
Fox and the Hound and The Fox and the Hound II

Disney
has packaged both editions of their popular, G-rated animated
features about an unlikely friendship between fox Cooper (voice of
Kurt Russell) and hound Tod (voice of Mickey Rooney). Fox and
Hound debuted in 1981, when Disney animation was changing
from its origins that began with Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs to a new generation of animators that would create new
classics, such as Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast.
Fox and Hound also
features the voice talents of Corey Feldman, Pearl Bailey, and
others. In the 2006  Fox and Hound 2, Patrick
Swayze, Reba McEntire, Lucas Grabeel, Trisha Underwood and others
supply voices.

F&H:83
minutes.

F&H2:
69
minutes.
The DVDs come in Blu-ray and in a variety of combo
packs. Check labels for supplements because not all materials are on
all editions: the collection of stories–“Unlikely Friends,”
a”making of” featurette, a Pearl Bailey sing-along, a music
video, a “making of the music” featurette, and more.

Also on
DVD: Jumping the Broom, Last Night, Meek’s Cutoff, Paul.