On DVD This Week: Summer leftovers

By Christian DiMartino

Here are some of the movies coming out on DVD today:

• Central Intelligence: Central Intelligence came out the same day as Finding Dory, and magically still made a lot of money. And even more magical: it didn’t totally suck. That being said though, it’s a film that didn’t completely sell me. Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart make a fine duo, and there’s a good laugh every so often. But it’s really nothing new. (2 stars)
• Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates: I think I was surprised as you were whenever I gave Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates a thumbs up, and in all honesty, the shock is still there. I wanted to hate this movie. I hated the trailer, especially after seeing it a thousand times. But you know what? I had fun. Sure some of it was cliche and stupid, but it was also funny and fairly entertaining, anchored by totally game performances from Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Aubrey Plaza, and Anna Kendrick. (3 stars)
• The Neon Demon: I’m not sure if there was a film more divisive this summer than Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon. It’s strange: it reminded me a lot of his last film, Only God Forgives, but I hated that film, and liked this one. I never really knew where The Neon Demon was going, but this was one of those rare cases where I let style wash over the substance. Plus, how often do you find cannibalism and lesbian necrophilia in ONE MOVIE? (3 stars)
• The Shallows: Here is yet ANOTHER pleasant surprise. Well, I’m not that surprised, because I feel like Jaume Collett-Serra (Orphan, Unknown) can really craft a helluva thriller, and he does so once again here. The scenes on shore don’t work, and it doesn’t really offer much new. But let’s be honest here: it’s good fun. Easy, breezy, thrilling fun. What Blake Lively does here isn’t easy. Nothing Oscar worthy necessarily, but yet she has to carry a film on her shoulders, and I’d say she does it.  This isn’t Jaws we’re talking about here, but it just might be the best of its kind since. (3 stars)
• Warcraft: Oh, how I loathe thee. My friend Zach dragged me off to see Duncan Jones’ Warcraft, and all I can really say is that I found it insufferable. Now in it’s defense, I will say that I have never even come close to playing the game it’s based off of. But yet is that really an excuse? A film like this should at least try to convert non-believers. But Warcraft just lies there like white girl that’s had too much to drink. It’s visually impressive, but it’s deadly dull, horribly written, acted and directed. It’s almost like a nearly two hour trailer for a film that doesn’t happen. Alright I’m done. (1/2 star)