Mortdecai
(2015/Lionsgate Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B+ Extras: B Film: B
Johnny
Depp delivers another zany performance in the critically
panned-yet-quite-enjoyable Mortdecai.
Directed by infamous Spielberg screenwriter David Koepp, who also
directed Depp in the psychological thriller Secret
Window
a few years ago, delivers a British comedy with an all star cast and
incredible production valley that mimics the works of Peter Sellers
and is adapted from the book anthology written by Kyril Bonfiglioli.
The
impressive cast includes Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor,
Olivia Munn, Paul Bettany, and Jeff Goldblum to name a few. If you
are a fan of off beat humor and silliness, then I would highly
suggest giving this film a watch! Thanks to Lionsgate, it looks
great on Blu-ray disc.
Simultaneously
handling some angry Russians, the British Mi5, his impossibly leggy
wife and an international terrorist, debonair art dealer and part
time rogue, Charlie Mortdecai (Johnny Depp) must traverse the globe
armed only with his good looks and special charm. The MacGuffin is a
race to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain the code to a
lost bank account filled with Nazi gold.
It
seems to me that Wes Anderson could have directed this film and maybe
delivered more of an artistic style that could have worked in its
favor. In many ways, it reminded me of Terry Gilliam's Baron
Munchhausen,
especially in Depp's performance and his Pink Panther-esque character
and fake British accent.
Presented
in high definition in 1080p with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.4 X 1
and boasting a terrific, lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 7.1 track,
the film has never played better than it does here on Blu-ray disc!
Lionsgate has really done a fantastic job here. There's also a
Digital HD copy of the film if you have a smart phone or tablet if
you enjoy watching movies on the go.
Extras
are minimal but include Stolen
Moments: On the Set of Mortdecai
Featurette, The
Art of Noise: Making Music for Mortdecai
featurette. Unfortunately, a rumored Un-rated version of the film
was not included, but hopefully it will be available in a future
release. Here's looking towards you, Lionsgate!
In
this reviewer's opinion, Mortdecai
is better than all of the harsh criticism that it gotten. It was
stuck with a terrible January release date, which also didn't help
gets butts in theater seats. It's undeniable that the film has an
incredible cast and has some pretty funny moments to make it worth a
watch. Is it destined to be a classic? No. But it will at least
make you chuckle a few times, and in this dark age of crappy
comedies, what more can one expect?
-
James Harland Lockhart V
www.facebook.com/jhl5films
