DVD Corner

Visit www.weekinrewind.com, the archive of BDN film critic Christopher Smith’s movie reviews, which appear each week in the DVD Corner.

“Alias: The Complete Fourth Season”: So, here is where Jennifer Garner rules. After disappointing forays onto the big screen in “Elektra” and “Daredevil” – and a nice turn, it should be noted, in the good-natured “13 Going on 30′-this athletic actress is at her best as Sydney Bristow in “Alias.” The 22 episodes in “Alias: The Complete Fourth Season” aren’t the series at its peak – it loses its way early on before finding it with flare in strong closing episodes. Still, those cons are outweighed by the show’s edgy writing and by Garner herself, a quick-change artist with a vicious kick, a tramp’s wardrobe and a few colorful fright wigs that could get her work on any nighttime dock. Garner herself directs the episode “In Dreams,” which is as solid as anything in the collection. Her talent extends to her performance, which is admirable in how she is able to generate sympathy from a character whose core seems composed of steel. Extras include deleted scenes and a blooper reel, but only the featurette, “Anatomy of a Scene,” comes close to being as compelling as the series itself. Grade: B+

“The Brat Pack Movies & Music Collection”: Tucked within this collection’s imaginative DVD case, a faux denim-wrapped three-ringed binder suitable for old-school tweens impervious to middle-school sniggers, are three DVDs – 1984’s “Sixteen Candles,” 1985’s “The Breakfast Club” and 1985’s “Weird Science.” If you remember those fondly, this might just be the throwback DVD for you. Sure, hardcore Brat Pack fans will bemoan the fact that “St. Elmo’s Fire” isn’t among the offerings, thus cheating them of watching Demi Moore snort rails of cocaine when she was Ashton Kutcher’s age. Still, as corny as the movies were and remain, they nevertheless got the vibe of high school in the 1980s right. For a time, it really was all about Molly Ringwald, her red curls and her impossible pout. Missing here is commentary from cast and crew (just imagine the awkward banter, the sidelong glances, the recognition of what they wrought in their youth), but included is a music CD with eight songs, from Simple Mind’s “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” to Spandau Ballet’s “True” to Oingo Boingo’s “Weird Science,” which pretty sums it up for how these kids stayed afloat for as long as they did. Grade: B-

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”: Dark chocolate. The film has a few ideas about children, none of which are pleasant, most of which hit the mark. It suggests that there are things sweeter than a child, particularly if you’re dealing with a bratty child, a spoiled child, a greedy little sow of a child, or an overbearing, overachieving, gum-chewing monster of a child, as is the case here. The film joins its 1971 predecessor, “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” in that it’s designed to bring out the very worst qualities of children. In the meantime, it also highlights the very worst qualities of their parents, whose responsibility it is to reign in their little darlings lest they become pure forces of evil. The idea here is that if you’re going to make a social satire about kids and their parents, it’s likely best to do so in a world where temptation, pitfalls and danger prevail. Once the groundwork is laid for that, stand back and let the mayhem ensue. Director Tim Burton allows for that, and so does the cast, which includes a terrific performance from Johnny Depp as Wonka, Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket, and Deep Roy playing every one of the film’s Oompa Loompas, a genial bunch who have a taste for insects, a way with sugar, and a nifty gift for channeling Busby Berkeley in several grand musical numbers. Rated PG-13. Grade: A-

“The Emperor’s New Groove: The New Groove Edition”: New groove? Not quite. This re-release of Disney’s “The Emperor’s New Groove” is being called “The New Groove Edition,” but with the exception of a few deleted scenes and a commentary by the filmmakers, there isn’t much new here – save for the packaging. So it’s especially nice that the movie is so good. The film ranks among the studio’s fresher undertakings. Inspired by the looser drawings of Chuck Jones and Tex Avery, the movie exists to be fun and it succeeds, particularly with the excellent voice work by David Spade, John Goodman, Patrick Warburton and Eartha Kitt. The film feels slightly too long even at 78 minutes, but that’s a quibble. With Eartha Kitt’s familiar growl punctuating her manic face, her bony Yzma is one of the best Disney villains to come along in years. Rated G. Grade: A-

“Tarzan: Special Edition”: A technical marvel from Disney that shrewdly compresses and streamlines the Disney formula into a more efficient whole – the script is light on messages and there are fewer song-and-dance numbers to stop the action. The result is a gorgeous-looking film that utilizes computer-generated imagery to give the stunning landscapes and vistas added depth and texture. The story is a bit too pat and lacks a sufficiently evil character to truly stir the emotions, but the film is nevertheless uninhibited, featuring a vibrantly reborn Tarzan who swings through Disney’s roller-coaster of a jungle less like Johnny Weissmuller and more like Peter Pan. What allegedly makes the edition special is that it leans hard on extras, including a weak commentary by the filmmakers, the obligatory deleted scenes, games, and (yawn) music videos by Phil Collins and ‘N Sync. One feature saves it – an alternate beginning, which mirrors the movie itself in being well worth a second look. Grade: B+