Dvd Reviews

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday July 9, 2007

Michael Idato

ROCKY BALBOA

20th Century Fox, 102 mins, drama A DD 5.1 surround R 1.85 widescreen, 16:9 enhanced S

"It ain't over 'til it's over," boasts the tagline of this film, the sixth in the Rocky series. Here's the newsflash: it's over. It's been 30 years since Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) made his cinema debut but he looks about 300, dragging his wrinkly ass back into the ring for one final bout. Writer-director-star Stallone deserves kudos for the series as a whole but this final chapter - and surely, this is the final chapter - milks the well one too many times. Stallone's Rocky is older, and an old man's dream of rekindling his boxing career as an amateur is hijacked into plans for a final confrontation between the legendary Rocky and rival Mason Dixon.

Extras Commentary by Stallone, a blooper reel, a package of deleted scenes, an alternative ending and two featurettes.

THE HARDY BOYS/NANCY DREW MYSTERIES

Universal, 650 mins, PG, mystery A DD 2.0 mono R 1.33:1 fullscreen

From the pens of Franklin W.Dixon and Carolyn Keene - pseudonyms for a writing factory known as the Stratemeyer Syndicate - come the definitive incarnations of three of the most famous sleuths in teenage literature. Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy, teen idols of the 1970s, are Frank and Joe Hardy, the inquisitive sons of private eye Fenton Hardy, while Pamela Sue Martin is the headstrong Nancy Drew, girl detective. The titles and stories are writ large from the books but the presentation is pure 1970s: cheesy and gloriously simple. Cassidy, at the time a pop star, also belts out a few tunes including his No. 1 hit Da Doo Ron Ron. Really.

Extras None.

FLUSHED AWAY

Paramount, 81 mins, G, family A DD 5.1 surround R 1.85:1 widescreen, 16:9 enhanced S

Animated romps are cranked out with such regularity it is easy to let cynicism stain the palate. The elements here are assembled straight from the template - cute animal characters, celebrity voices and a story in which the displaced hero beats the odds - but as with the best in the genre, there's an engaging whimsy that makes you forgive sins you might otherwise punish. Here we have the elegant gentlemouse Roddy (Hugh Jackman) who is flushed down the loo and dumped in the sewers of London. Cue a cast of supporting characters: the scavenging Rita (Kate Winslet), the villainous Toad (Ian McKellen) and his hench-mice, Spike and Whitey (Andy Serkis and Bill Nighy).

Extras Featurettes, a Flushed Away jukebox, three set-top games (Maze of Pipes, Slug Singers and Saving the Slugs), plus DVD-ROM features including weblinks, music and artwork.

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

All Saints - Season 5, Eurovision Song Contest: Helsinki 2007, Police Rescue - Season 4, Miss Potter, Lexx - Season 1, The 4400 - Season 3, Frasier - Season 7, The King of Queens - Season 2

DVD KEY A Audio (DD = Dolby Digital) R Aspect ratio S English subtitles

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

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