Capsule reviews of the next week’s video releases on DVD and Blu-ray

  • Thursday, July 23, 2015 8:08pm
  • Life

July 28

“Home”

PG, 94 minutes, Dreamworks Animated

Evoking ‘The Wizard of Oz,”’ “Annie” and “E.T.,” this kiddie sci-fi adaptation is about the yearning for the comforts of family. Based on Adam Rex’s best-selling children’s book ‘The True Meaning of Smekday,” “Home” also is a road-trip buddy comedy about a little girl looking for her mom and a lonely alien looking for a friend. When the Boov, a color-changing alien species that’s perpetually on the run from the evil Gorg, invade Earth, leader Capt. Smek (voiced by Steve Martin) renames Earth “Smekland,” relocating all humans to amusement-park compounds in Australia. The 12-year-old heroine, Gratuity “Tip” Tucci (singer Rihanna), is accidentally left behind as her mother (Jennifer Lopez) is whisked away. Alone with her feisty pet cat, Tip sets out in the family car in hopes of finding her mom, teaming up along the way with Oh (Jim Parsons), a misfit Boov who’s a wanted criminal after sending a party invite to every creature in the universe. That includes the Gorg, who could arrive and destroy the planet. Rihanna holds the film’s biggest appeal, not only contributing her cultural background and voice acting to the project, but also her music. Several of the songs on the soundtrack are Rihanna’s, with Lopez belting out a ballad as well. A brilliant mechanic who can’t read social cues, Oh is basically an alien version of Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory.” The odd-couple chemistry between Tip and Oh will win over younger audiences, just like Lilo and Stitch’s did a decade ago. Contains mild action and some rude humor.

“White God”

R, 119 minutes, in Hungarian and English with subtitles, Magnolia Home Entertainment

Thirteen-year-old Lili (Zsofia Psotta) and her dog, Hagen, have a typical relationship of mutual devotion. But in the world created by Hungarian filmmaker Kornel Mundruczo in this provocative social parable, Hagen isn’t the wise, loyal, magnificent creature Lili sees. Rather, as a mixed breed, he’s marginalized and despised – a four-legged symbol of all groups oppressed by nativist movements and rigid orthodoxies. Lili’s unfeeling father, a punctilious meat inspector, throws Hagen onto the streets, unwilling to pay the tax charged by the state for keeping mutts. Undocumented and unloved, Hagen becomes embroiled in misadventures including a high-stakes chase by animal control officials and a brief, brutalizing dogfighting stint. Scenes of abuse that make up the heart of “White God” will prove disquieting for animal lovers, who are assured that no dogs were harmed during filming. Lili undergoes her own coming-of-age trials, culminating in a third act awash in equal parts potent metaphor, dazzling genre exercise and inspired lunacy. Even those who don’t buy in completely to Mundruczo’s parable will be impressed by his canine crowd, staged with ambition, skill and genuinely original vision. Contains violent content, including bloody images, and profanity. Extras include a behind-the- scenes featurette and interviews with Mundruczo and animal coordinator/technical advisor Teresa Ann Miller.

“3 Hearts”

PG-13, 106 minutes, in French with subtitles, Cohen Media Group

The gently perfumed air of impending doom suffuses this tasteful, mildly intriguing romantic drama from writer-director Benoît Jacquot. In subject matter, this atmospheric bagatelle is the stuff of either melodrama or screwball comedy, with its twists, turns, coincidences and domestic disasters. Jacquot adds a tense, menacing tone that gives an already somber morality tale the taut dynamics of a thriller.”3 Hearts” opens as Marc (Benoît Poelvoorde), a rumpled tax inspector, misses his train back to Paris from an unnamed town. At a nearby cafe, he spies Sylvie (Charlotte Gainsbourg). Later, on the street, he bumps into her again, and they spend the night walking and talking, vowing to meet a week later at a designated spot in Paris. Fans of the “Before Sunrise” cycle may think they know how this ends. But Jacquot takes “3 Hearts” in a decidedly less lyrical direction, sending Marc and Sylvie down unexpected paths that will result either in blissful true love or thwarted desire. Adding complications to the mix are Sylvie’s mother and sister, played by real-life mother and daughter Catherine Deneuve and Chiara Mastroianni. Contains adult themes, smoking and brief profanity.

Also: “Comet” (romance, with Justin Long and Emmy Rossum, IFC Films), “Mr. Right” (with Anna Kendrick and Sam Rockwell), “Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXXIII,” “Justice League: Gods and Monsters” (animated),”The Milky Way” (documentary on breastfeeding), “Descendants” (Disney made-for-TV movie), “Homefront” (PBS documentary on the sacrifices of military families)”Our Daily Poison” (documentary on the environmental and public impact of chemicals in food, air and water), “Four Blood Moons” (docudrama connects certain celestial events to biblical prophecy), “Life on the Reef” (PBS) and “Ghost Town” (1988, horror).

Television series: “Helix: Season 2” and “Mama’s Family: Mama’s Favorites, Season Six” (1989-90).

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.