CRANK 2 NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Crank 2 from imdb

Chev Chelios (Jason Statham), has survived the fall from a helicopter that occurred at the end of the first movie. Immediately after his fall, he is abducted off the ground by a group of Chinese medics, who take to farm his organs. However, Chev wakes up mid-surgery and sees them take out his heart and replace it with a mechanical one. He then wakes up and kills the operators, but must chase after his heart which has been stolen. He then runs into his old girlfriend Eve Lydon (Amy Smart) who believed him to be dead. [D-Man2010] The uber-assassin Chev Chelios (Statham), having survived his death fall at the end of the first movie, finds himself still alive, but a Chinese mobster has replaced his heart with a battery-operated ticker. As Chelios tries to hunt down his enemy, he must also occasionally "recharge" his mechanical heart with jolts of electricity to keep himself alive. [D-Man2010]

Here is a review for the movie Crank 2 from dvdtalk


Voltage, but I wasn't quite sure where it was going (silly question, right?). Then, at about the 75 minute mark, something is unveiled that sold me on the entire experience. You can complain all you want about the movie's abrasively hyperkinetic editing and cinematography, its rampant racism, violence, and nudity, its awful dialogue and ludicrous plot, but Crank 2 has absolutely no qualms going as far over the top as it possibly can, and I defy anyone to correctly guess how the movie ends. Either the concluding moments of Crank 2 signal some sort of unhinged psychotic genius, or they're an omen for death of cinema. I'm leaning towards the former.

Clearly, the best explanation for how Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) survives his fall from a helicopter at the end of Crank is no explanation whatsoever, and thus, the minute he hits the pavement, a bunch of Asian gangsters show up, scoop him off the street with a snow shovel and drag him to a seedy laboratory where they yank out his seemingly indestructible heart and replace it with a battery-powered ticker that Chev needs to constantly zap with electricity to stay alive. Angry and looking to reclaim what's rightfully his, Chev goes on another city-wide rampage while trying to avoid not one but (at least) three different villains looking to put Chev out of his misery for a multitude of unsavory reasons.

I'm blown away to say it, but Crank 2 actually makes the original look like a safe, studio-friendly venture. Lionsgate apparently didn't set any restrictions on directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (or Neveldine/Taylor, as they're credited) for this sequel, and boy, do they go all-out. I've never seen a guy's elbow chopped off in a movie before, but now I have. Still, the same ideas from the original remain: the notion that these films are a cinematic video game is pushed even harder, especially by Mike Patton's 8-bit-inspired score, and ridiculous on-screen subtitles and captions pop up to literally spell things out for the viewer. And once again, the movie really rests on the shoulders of Jason Statham and Amy Smart, who are apparently game for any form of ridiculous, jaw-dropping debauchery the writing/directing duo can cook up (Smart especially, whose character has become more sexually adventurous during the three months Chev's been missing).

This is also not a sequel you should see without another viewing of the original. A whole mess of characters return (played by Dwight Yoakam, Keone Young, Reno Wilson, "It's Always Sunny"'s Glenn Howerton, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington and Efren Ramirez, sort of) and the movie constantly references events from the first movie. Ramirez is particularly inspired, hampered by a ridiculous condition I'm not going to reveal, and he's got a perfect counterpart in a new character played by Bai Ling. She plays a hooker who thinks Chelios is her "Kevin Costner", and while she's certainly a ridiculous stereotype, I can't say I have any sympathy for anyone who walks into Crank 2 and doesn't want to be offended.

All of these elements build up over the movie's 96 minutes, but that one last reveal really kicked things into high gear. The moment in question is almost so jaw-droppingly ridiculous, the movie's actual ending feels a little lacking (David Carradine is completely wasted). It's so rare that a sequel can really go somewhere that an audience, jaded in a way by the original, finds completely unexpected, but Crank 2 manages that feat. In that one moment, I realized that the filmmakers really had no boundaries, and they were willing to break any rule to jolt the audience with a Chev Chelios-sized burst of electricity. Neveldine/Taylor have said that if Crank 2 is a hit, they'll make a concluding chapter in 3D, and although I feel like the ending of Crank 2 might have been cannibalized in advance for a third movie, I can't wait to see it: my brain may turn to mush, but I'm confident that I couldn't guess what happens in Crank 3 in a million years, and like it or not, that's exactly the kind of movie I'd pay $10 more to see.

Here is the direct download for the movie Crank 2.

WWE ROYAL RUMBLE 2009 NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for Royal Rumble 2009 from Amazon

Product Description: It's the dream of every superstar--to headline WrestleMania. For one man out of 30, the dream becomes reality at the Royal Rumble. Whoever outlasts 29 other competitors earns himself a championship match at WrestleMania 24. The superstars of Raw, Smackdown, and ECW, including past winners John Cena, Undertaker, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, and Batista, and superstars looking to add this impressive goal to their resume, including Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Edge, Kane, Mr. Kennedy, Randy Orton, CM Punk, MVP and more will do everything in their power to overpower and outlast the competition.

Here is a review for Royal Rumble 2009 from Amazon


This was the beginning of the road to WrestleMania 25 & the first stop is the Royal Rumble. Just a side note, I am doing this on memory since I saw this event online the night it aired. ECW Champion Jack Swagger vs Matt Hardy. Swagger has been impressing me lately with his wrestling skills & he puts on a solid opener with Matt Hardy that was actually given plenty of time to tell a story in itself. Womens' Champion Beth Phoenix vs Melina. Normally, these two would have good to great matches together but this one seemed off to me as there were some botch spots & I remember the crowd not being into it at all, except for Santino. Its watchable but nothing special. World Heavyweight Champion John Cena vs J.B.L. Well you can't expect justice when these two get it on but I will give credit where it is due as this was the best "wrestling" match that these two had with Shawn Michaels being the center of attention & playing a part in this match as well. No DQ: WWE Champion Jeff Hardy vs Edge. Chavo Guerrero was in Edge's corner for this match & Vickie Guerrero made it a No DQ match. These two mesh well together in eyes & while I think this match could have been a little bit better, these two don't have a bad match together. Highlights include Hardy leaping off a ladder onto Chavo through a table & Matt Hardy's shocking heel turn to the point that the crowd was chanting "We Want Christian". Royal Rumble Match. This heavily made up for the previous Rumble as I felt there were more highlights in this one but at the same time, we had some of the best performances from superstars that we had not seen in quite some time. Various highlights include the opening minutes with the young talents getting the spotlight for a while, Cryme Tyme's coin flip, how Mysterio re-entered the ring after being tossed out along with his lasting performance with Triple H coming a close second, the "Rhodes Family Reunion", "Re-union" of the Brothers Of Destruction, Rob Van Dam's appearance including one awesome looking double team move he did with Mysterio at one point, Santino's Rumble performance, Dolph Ziggler's "moment", seeing the 400 pound Big Show "skin the cat" at one point along with his interaction with Undertaker, and the dominance of Randy Orton's Legacy. Overall, just a great & fun Rumble to watch even though I heavily predicted the winner. Overall, this event picked up where 2008 left off as the WWE has been on a roll with delivering nice events month in & out. I recommend this one to any WWE fan.

Here is the direct download for WWE Royal Rumble 2009.

007 QUANTUM OF SOLACE NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie 007 Quantum of Solace from imdb

'Quantum of Solace' continues the high octane adventures of James Bond from 'Casino Royale'. Picking up literally days where the previous film left off, after being betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Having captured Mr. White, and in pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and 'M' interrogate Mr. White who reveals the organisation which blackmailed Vesper to steal Bond's casino winnings is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined. Forensic intelligence links an MI6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti where a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to the beautiful but feisty Camille, a woman who has her own vendetta. Camille leads Bond straight to Dominic Greene, a ruthless businessman and major force within the mysterious criminal organisation known only as 'Quantum'. On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world's most important natural resources, is forging a deal with the exiled General Medrano. Using his associates in the organisation, and manipulating his powerful contacts within the CIA and the British government, Greene promises to overthrow the existing regime in Bolivia, giving General Medrano control of the country in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of land which is, however, a main source of the South American water supply. In a minefield of treachery, murder and deceit, Bond allies with old friends in a battle to uncover the truth. As he gets closer to finding the man responsible for the betrayal of Vesper, 007 must keep one step ahead of the CIA, the terrorists, and even 'M' herself, to unravel Greene's sinister plan and stop Quantum from getting its way.

Here is a review for the movie Quantum of Solace from dvdtalk

The Film:

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Photos in this Review by Karen Ballard

Quick admission: I'm not much of a classic James Bond guy. Sure, some of Sean Connery's 007 films have tickled my fancy -- From Russia With Love and Goldfinger especially, along with moments from Thunderball and Dr. No -- but the entire rhythm of gadgets, girls, and gratuitous one-liners has never completely satisfied my palette.

That is, until Martin Campbell rebooted the series with Casino Royale, crafting a James Bond that was free to make mistakes and act out with braying ferocity through his coy, martini-sipping demeanor. It's probably Daniel Craig's departure from the archetype that drew me in, along with an entrancing performance from Eva Green as a different spice of female accompaniment for the spy in Vesper Lynd. This puts me in a unique position, since it'd be reasonable to assume that a film that steps even further from the formula -- Quantum of Solace, directed by Marc Forster of Monster's Ball and Finding Neverland fame -- should satisfy me even more. I was wholeheartedly poised to do so, even psyched at seeing an even more gadget-free, "authentic" James Bond instead of the debonair Double-0.

But, as mentioned in my review of Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief, every great director has a departure from their pre-established formula that just doesn't quite work the way it should. It's a daunting task to cradle this beloved franchise as an alternative project, but his capacity to rustle up emotionality within high-profile star power appears to be an appropriate, if odd, choice. And he does a respectful job at staying true to this sleek, nerve-searing 007 -- you know, aside for a smorgasbord of spasm-inducing action sequences that encompass roughly a third of this brief but breathless play at breakneck espionage.

Quantum of Solace follows the events directly after Casino Royale, capturing James Bond (Daniel Craig) as he's caught up in an out-of-character revenge mentality. After the death of his first real love, a woman that nearly pulled him into retirement from MI6, he goes on a vengeance-fueled bender against an organization entitled "Quantum" that, coincidentally, nearly claimed the life of the organization's head, "M" (Judi Dench), by way of assassination. With Bond blinded by rage and gunning for the threat, it's hard to make heads or tails of this trained killing machine with a motive -- and whether he'll be able to keep his posture long enough to successfully mix vengeance with his work.

MI6's new threat interconnecting with "Quantum" is "Greene Planet", a faux-environmental group lead by slippery entrepreneur Dominic Greene (Mathieu Almaric) that centers on an effort to ensnare a stretch of potentially oil-rich land in Bolivia. As a villain, Dominic Greene isn't nearly as iconic as some of the rest -- even the recent, fairly successful Le Chiffre. Instead, Forster molds him into a more "realistic" snake-like villain that pulls strings in a high-dollar environmental climate, one who worms his way around all the corners without lifting much of a finger. But his place in the narrative feels slight and unfocused, though his more realistic roots are compelling enough to hold our interest. Mathieu Almaric builds Dominic into a sneering, cunning little weasel, but he doesn't offer up a grand sense of antagonistic energy to fuel Bond's vengeful push to "solace".

Forster's work in shaping the transitioning James Bond is certain to go largely underappreciated, especially since it diverts so heavily from his iconic archetype by giving fans very little satisfaction in character indulgence. But, plain and simple, Quantum of Solace is a buffer zone for Bond post-heartbreak, one that intentionally swerves out of the way of the rebooted architecture that Martin Campbell structured for the series. Instead of slyly wedging in grin-worthy quips and giving him a chest of toys to play with, it zeroes in completely on him as an angry, love-thwarted secret agent with a taste for vengeance and a mission that happens to intersect with his whims. This is a serious and bloodthirsty Bond, one that shares little chemistry with Dominic's feisty trophy girl Camille, our primary Bond girl played poised and punchy enough by Olga Kurylenko, while chewing up and spitting out a semi-innocent errand girl for the British government, Strawberry Fields (Gemma Arterton).

It's reasonable to look at the events turning within Quantum of Solace as a gun-wielding rogue's shot at closure in a fallen relationship, a volatile time period where he's desensitizing to the effects of emotion and breaking his ever-present jumpiness from Casino Royale into the cool-as-a-cucumber agent that makes woman swoon and villains shiver. Darkness feels proper following the events at the end of Casino Royale, especially in Forster's hands, but it also tries extremely hard not to be a Jason Bourne knockoff. It's hit-and-miss in that regard; while taking on the signature Bond-like infiltration into the "Greene Planet" organization, we're persistently reminded that he's a loose cannon, or "damaged goods" in Dominic Greene's words, that could fly off the handle at any moment due to his scrambled identity issues involving his love life.

As much as it might rub 007 aficionados the wrong way, it's a graspable changeover in plot that helps substantiate the suaveness of Bond's character as it develops leading into successive entries. When it comes to James' moments of red-eyed reflection and the embittered conversations with "M", Marc Forster shows why he was cherry-picked for this entry in the franchise. He carries the few socio-upmanship scenes in the film with his signature drama-based electricity, giving us some pointed moments with Bond scattered throughout.

But that coldness and emotional turmoil isn't exactly what most come to see in a kinetic James Bond film, even fans of the more "grounded" Casino Royale. While Forster nails the stiff vigor present in all the nail-biting banter, he folds under the pressure whenever he steps into the action arena. As the adrenaline picks up, the jerky editing becomes the film's chief blight. Forster's inexperience in this realm shows: most action sequences -- from chases on asphalt, on the sea, and in the air, to the cluster of hand-to-hand fights -- showcase the fact that Forster has two, three, even four cameras rolling by flipping and slicing to death between them. These quick flashes aren't as seamless as he'd like them to be, instead turning into a scissored-up collage of images from the Bond film that we'd really like to see.

A dilemma arises that largely mirrors Christopher Nolan's issues with fight sequences in Batman Begins, being that the drama-minded Forster isn't aware that he needs to pull back a bit to let his audience soak in the action and, in essence, let them make heads or tails of what's going on, all instead of jamming frame after frame into their vision in hopes that it'll knock the result into their minds. Consequently, the rapid cuts and darting movements feel like the nauseous aftereffects of a spasm-inducing rollercoaster that looks like it'd be a hell of a lot more fun that it ends up being. It's all still gratifying in a very top-loaded, popcorn-munching kind of way, yet they don't showcase the same kind of addictive endurance that the rafter chase and the Venice scramble ensnare in Casino Royale.

It's obvious that Forster and regular cinematographer Roberto Schaefer shot well-designed and engaging sequences at their numerous locales in Italy, Bolivia, and Austria, which almost makes me wish that Quantum of Solace was about twenty minutes longer so that they'd have the chance to let this striking camerawork linger enough for us to really absorb it. Somewhere in these all-to-brief slivers of well-composed action is a strong espionage film filled with raw vengeance, containing the same grasp on interactive tension that Forster nails within his 100-minute dash through the Bond franchise. It's a quick sprint, too, one that could've easily benefited from more deliberate pacing and an emphatic, slower focus.

In this form, however, Quantum of Solace rarely steps above being an average, erratic cloak-and-dagger film. It oozes with lush style and slick performances, especially the ever-solidifying Daniel Craig as our new James Bond, but it can't help but fall short from the high expectations left at the end of Casino Royale. It's largely because of Forster's half-successful attempt to mold his directorial style to something out of his element, which shines a spotlight directly on his strengths and weaknesses. This is one of the rare times, maybe the first, where I wished that a piece of cinema did a few things more like a James Bond flick.


The Blu-ray:

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Quantum of Solace comes to us from MGM in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with semi-glossy artwork sporting silver-ish highlights on the front and back artwork. Inside, there's a $5 coupon for other James Bond films on Blu-ray. When placed in the player and fired up, the disc's menus take on a slick, artistic "map" graphic that resembles the one splash of tech in the film -- the interactive table -- in very attractive and fairly navigable graphics.


Video and Audio:

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When Casino Royale came out in high-definition, it was at the top of many tech enthusiasts' demo disc roster -- and likely still is, being as it sports a phenomenal image and, more importantly, an outstanding audio track. Quantum of Solace doesn't satisfy in quite the same ways that its predecessor, but it's still a very fine outing from MGM. Presented in a 1080p AVC encode that preserves the 2.35:1 theatrical framing, this disc largely relies on three key elements to make it a success: the relatively-subdued blue/tan palette, strong contrast work, and properly rendered details -- all of which look excellent, though the image carries an overall softer feel than expected. Throughout the lush Roberto Schaefer cinematography, the sleek architectural capturing, and the on-the-fly action choreography, Quantum of Solace looks pretty damn good.

Bright blues and subtle tans pop from the screen, from the dirty atmosphere drenching the interrogation scene at the forefront of the film to the crystal clear blues rolling through the water-based scenes. At the concert in Austria, we're treated to a fluent exercise in contrast work that encapsulates the disc's overall competency int he area, showcasing its classy rendering of inky blacks and suitable shadows. In each, some ravishing detail pops out in facial textures and set design, as well as the sharply-assembled costume work. But there are a few speedbumps, namely the flatness of a few wide-stretching visuals in the image and the lack of solidity that crops up in some flesh tones. Grain gets a little heavier than it should in a few spots, which coats over skin tones to give them a less-than-stable property -- though that occurs infrequently. These trepidations don't keep Quantum of Solace's image from shining, however, all of which comes out unblemished by any glaring hints of edge enhancement or noise reduction.

Where the visuals might have lost a little ground in the James Bond era of demo worthy material, this DTS HD Master Audio track delivers punch-for-punch with Casino Royale's Dolby TrueHD/PCM offerings. Sweeping back into the rear channels frequently, this sound presentation attacks all levels and frequencies with a blistering level of clarity and tonal competence. The whirring from Bond's Aston Martin DBS at the front of the film screech our nerves into high gear out of the starting gate, followed shortly by a robust car collision that showcases the track's punchy nature and capacity at rendering minutiae sound effects with the shattered glass. Gunfire rattles both the lower-frequency channel and the mid-ranges with plenty of firepower, while boisterous flames fill the room with the expected "billowing" robustness. Verbal clarity is also top-shelf, keeping the dialogue scenes with Daniel Craig and Judi Dench well-balanced and audible, all while handling David Arnold's scoring quite well. Furthermore, any scenes that really punch the energy -- from explosions to the piercing vocals from an opera singer -- remain distortion free across the board. It's a phenomenal Master Audio track that delivers quite the right hook in expansiveness. Optional subtitles, which appear within the film's image itself, are available in an array of languages -- English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese, Korean, and Mandarin -- while Spanish, French, and Portuguese Dolby 5.1 tracks are also available.


Special Features:

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Bond on Location (24:45, HD AVC):
Covering the numerous locations where Forster shot Quantum of Solace, this mini-doc actually works as a general assembly piece at the start. It begins with discussions about Casino Royale and connecting with Bond as a human, but then it starts to cover the intrigue in traveling with Bond to exotic locations in the films. It discusses Forster's desire for the real style from actual locations while blending interview time with his cast members as they discuss the process. Though the pictures a little over 100 minutes, Quantum of Solace travels to an ungoldly number of locations -- London, Panama, Bolivia, Austria, Spain, and others -- which are covered in elaborate depth here.

Start of Shooting (2:45, HD AVC):
This small featurette cherry picks material from the first piece and mixes it with some different behind-the-scenes material and interview time with the filmmakers and actors. Though it rarely captures material from the first day of shooting, it does sprawl out to strong stunt rehearsal footage and other behind the scenes tidbits.

On Location (3:14, AVC):
While also taking interview time from the first supplement, this featurette talks about the metaphorical "characters" present in the locations and equipment used. Largely redundant, it dives just a wee bit deeper into the shooting process at a few of the locales.

Olga Kurylenko and the Boat Chase (2:14, HD AVC):
This one is probably the most intriguing of the mini-featurettes, as it follows our Bond girl as she gets accustomed to the stunts and to being in an action film. It mixes interview time with the actress and with Forster and Craig, discussing nervousness about filming her action-packed sequence on the boat. Simple, but decent.

Director Marc Forster (2:45, HD AVC):
Director Marc Forster, as well as the pressure that he's fallen under with this sequel to Casino Royale, falls under focus in this featurette as it covers his tone and vision for Quantum of Solace. It glazes over his storytelling ability, all the while containing backslapping lines from the cast.

The Music (2:36, HD AVC):
Composer David Arnold takes the spotlight here, covering his feelings about how the score should sound. His interview time is accompanied by footage of both his orchestra and of Arnold in the studio piecing together the final product.

Crew Files -- aka Web Blog Videos (45:30, HD AVC):
As a collection of webisodes, entitled "Crew Files", several of the crew members take some time out to discuss their jobs into detail. These pieces are easily the most elaborative and in-depth of them all, covering the difficulties and pleasures inside each of their jobs. Scheduling difficulties, production foibles, and many other elements receive their own 2+ minute segment. They're separated into 20+ categories, spread across a total time of forty-five (45) minutes as they cover direction, production design, hair/make-up, sound mixing, aerial filming, and general photography.

Also included are two Theatrical Teaser Trailers (HD, AVC) and the "Another Way To Die" Music Video (HD, AVC) with Alicia Keyes and Jack White that mirrors the film's opening credits.


Final Thoughts:

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Quantum of Solace in unquestionably entertaining, as it would be near impossible for a competent director like Marc Forster to shake off the momentum carried over from Casino Royale. It takes James Bond into a darker, more primal state, one where revenge clouds his character as he tries to unfurl a nefarious plot rife with corruption both inside and out of government control. But it's that darkness -- as well as a shoddy grasp on piecing together the action sequences -- that pull Quantum of Solace down a peg or two from its predecessor. Still, Craig's outstanding once again as Bond, the rest of the cast delivers on all fronts, and the globe-hopping energy inherent within 007 pictures is alive and breathing in Forster's sharp turn behind the wheel.

As with Casino Royale, it's almost expected for a second "Special Edition" of Quantum of Solace to street right around the release of the yet-to-be-concrete "Bond 23". However, MGM's standard release of Quantum of Solace offers a decent package for both Blu-ray enthusiasts and less-fervent fans of the film. This high-definition package looks great and sounds phenomenal, which almost makes up for the "heavy in numbers, light on content" supplements on this disc. If you enjoyed the picture, then I'd highly recommend just picking up this edition and not worrying with whatever subsequent disc might be released -- even though the extras are a little on the pithy side. However, if you're uncertain whether the darker and more bloodthirsty James Bond sounds like your style of flick, then Quantum of Solace comes with a generally firm Recommendation for its strong aesthetic properties and its balls-out adrenal film-making.

Here is the direct download for the movie 007 Quantum of Solace 1 of 2.

Here is the direct download for the movie 007 Quantum of Solace 2 of 2.

INTO THE BLUE 2 NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Into the Blue 2 from imdb

A pair of professional divers are hired to find Columbus' hidden treasure.

Here is a review for the movie Into the Blue 2 from dvdtalk

I was surprised to find that I enjoyed the first Into the Blue. It made good use of its beautiful beaches and underwater scenery, featured an entertaining cast, and packed in some surprisingly intense action (the final explosion pushes the movie's PG-13 rating). Logic dictates that if I wanted to watch Into the Blue again, I'd rent Into the Blue, but the producers of Into the Blue 2: The Reef are clearly hoping I'll watch this sequel instead, which is almost identical to the original, only dumber, without the Hollywood megastars and visibly cheaper.

Sebastian (Chris Carmack, less brick-brained than he looks on the DVD cover) and Dani (Laura Vandervoort, poor man's Charlize Theron) are personal diving instructors in one of those beachy, sunny places you see in movies, and although they look like models, have a rock-solid relationship, own their own business and have a comfortable home in said beachy, sunny place, they're unsatisfied -- they need something more. "More" means money and a bigger boat, so when a rich entrepreneur (David Anders, looking like a British Neil Patrick Harris) and his martial artist girlfriend Azra (Marsha Thomason) show up asking to hire them for a week, they jump at the chance. Unfortunately, while they claim to be looking for the same, nearly-mythical sunken ship Sebastian's been hunting his whole life, they're really looking for two mysterious boxes dumped by a dim lackey during a Coast Guard search, and if they don't find it soon, everyone will end up sleeping with the fishes. "It's that plain and simple," they explain, "except it's not so plain, nor so simple, is it?"

Right away, I noticed something unique about Into the Blue 2: the complete and utter shamelessness with which it rips off the original. Around 80% of the film is almost completely indistinguishable from the first movie: I'm guessing if anyone can detect a noticeable difference between the main characters in the two films other than their names and actors playing them, MGM will send them a special medal. Surprisingly, this DTV rehash was helmed by Stephen Herek, director of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (a personal favorite), and the Mark Wahlberg movie Rock Star. John Stockwell, director of the first picture, was the screenwriter of Rock Star, so maybe he recommended Herek for the job, but all Herek does is try to ape the first movie's cinematography, and despite the emerald oceans and underwater action, he doesn't have the personal connection that Stockwell (also the director of Blue Crush) seems to have to the ocean. Herek's compositions lack scope and style, his current idea of comedy is awful (an angry girlfriend yells faster and faster until she's literally fast-forwarded) and the rest of his directorial arsenal consists of beach volleyball shaky-cam and useless split-screen photography.

If you can look past the unoriginality, the movie's next problem isn't that the script or acting are particularly or outstandingly awful, but the combination of the two is an exercise in personal aggravation. I always hate it when radio voice over actors pretend to be on-the-street interviewees by attempting to recreate conversational imperfections, and Into the Blue 2 is painfully similar. The screenplay is packed with Generic Movie Dialogue, right down to the annoyingly "perfect" touches of cuteness and sarcasm, and Carmack and Vandervoort plow through it with sitcom efficiency. The result is a horrible, tone-deaf attempt to reverse-engineer energetic life and spontaneity where none has ever existed, and it grated on me from beginning to end.

The film is also populated by useless characters. The film wants to be date-friendly, so we meet Mace and Kimi (Michael Graziadei and Mircea Monroe, respectively). They're the comic relief couple: Mace keeps getting caught flirting, and Kimi throws his stuff out and challenges the flirters to catty volleyball games (hilarious!), and each time they fight or get in a wacky mishap, we get separate girl-talk/guy-talk bonding scenes with one of the main characters. Worse, rival diver Avery (Rand Holdren) seems to serve the same purpose as both of them, acting like a meathead and having girlfriend problems whenever he pops up, not to mention a secondary villain (Geoff Heise) who's got barely six minutes of screen time. The way these characters are all tied into the third act is extremely strained, and most of them could have been condensed or written out. I also learned while searching the net for the DVD back cover that Audrina Partridge, Parvati Shallow and Amanda Kimmel are actually stars of shows like "The Hills" and "Survivor" making useless cameo appearances. I didn't notice watching the movie, and now I'm stuck knowing it forever.

At least during the third act, things start to become unintentionally funny. There's a scene where it turns out that not one but four people are apparently hiding away on Sebastian's tiny boat (it's like a clown car!), the world's quickest hypothermia recovery ever, a thug foiled by his inability to swim (clearly meant to be serious) and it's hard to keep a straight face during some slow-motion, collapse-to-the-knees melodrama. The villainous plot is also ridiculous. There was a time when the "hired gun" bad guy mentality was interesting because it made them unpredictable. These days, it's a sign of screenwriter laziness: the filmmakers don't know why someone would want to nuke Hawaii, but neither does the character! People who like movies that proclaim themselves to be Unrated will also enjoy the pointless nudity and occasional language.

Watching Into the Blue 2, I had the sinking suspicion that I wasn't viewing a movie at all, but a movie-like paste ground up from the remains of an actual motion picture. This is a DVD designed to appear on Amazon, IMDb and Netflix as a movie You Might Like because you saw the original. Who knows, maybe someone out there will actually enjoy the movie for the nearly nonexistent qualities it has to offer, but you can probably hold off until they've got it in pill form; movies are so much easier to digest that way!

The DVD, Video and Audio
20th Century Fox sent over one of their customary screener discs, so instead of the case, which should have white and blue artwork, I got a white paper sleeve. The upside is I don't have to be excruciatingly aggravated by the fact that they've placed the wrong names over the wrong people, which would be easily fixed by flipping the image, but people who design DVD cover artwork don't think like that.

Since I've got a screener, I also have no grade available for the video, because I don't think Fox wants me to grade the pixelated, watermarked image presented on this disc. The audio might be okay, and I've got lots to say about the terrible, terrible pop music peppering the soundtrack, but all the same, I'll hold off. The retail disc will feature a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, 5.1 English audio and English subtitles. The menu is simple, but it makes the movie look like it's for three-year-olds. Not every menu can make you feel immature...

The Extras
"Get Wet" (11:42) is the first of two featurettes, and I was shocked to find they were actually kind of entertaining. Maybe my brain was just numbed by the feature film, but it's actually kind of fun watching the actors learn how to scuba-dive, talk about the challenges of filming underwater and interacting with the marine life. It's also surprising to see that the cast is fairly charismatic when they're not acting in a bad movie. The other featurette, "Run For Your Life" (6:42) focuses on the movie's foot chase, and is equally likable, although Herek reveals he was trying to pay homage to Run Lola Run. Uh huh.

Lastly, "Back to the Beach" (1:40) is billed as a music video, but it's actually a short montage of B-roll from the beach volleyball scene. There is also a gallery of trailers, including The Betrayed, Dead Like Me: Life After Death (also by Herek) and Hit and Run. No theatrical trailer is included, nor do you get any subtitles or captions.

Conclusion
"Call me crazy, but this doesn't suck!" proclaims Sebastian. I disagree. Until someone invents a Sci-Fi (er, excuse me, SyFy) Channel counterpart that plays bad beach thrillers instead of bad mutant bug movies, you can definitely skip taking a dip in Into the Blue 2's low-budget waters.

Here is the direct download for the movie Into the Blue 2.

17 AGAIN NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie 17 Again from imdb

Popular high school senior Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) seemingly has it all. He is a star athlete headed straight for a college scholarship when he decides to give it up to settle down with his high school girlfriend Scarlet is pregnant. Twenty years later, an adult Mike (played by Matthew Perry) finds his life is not exactly what he expected. He is separated from his wife, Scarlett (Leslie Mann) and living with his wealthy software genius nerd and best friend Ned Freedman (Thomas Lennon), his career at a pharmaceutical company is at a stand still, and his relationships with his teenage children are nonexistent. After getting passed up for yet another promotion at work, he returns to his high school to reminisce over his basketball awards and the life he could have had. While he is reliving his glory days, he is approached by a janitor and shares with him how things were so much better when he was 17. As Mike is driving home from the high school, he sees the mysterious janitor standing on the ledge preparing to jump into the Los Angeles River. Mike rushes out of his car to rescue him, but when he gets there, the janitor has vanished. What Mike doesn't realize is that he is about to fall into the river and turn into his 17 year old self. Young Mike (Zac Efron) returns to Ned's house, where he has the difficult task of convincing Ned that he is in fact Mike. At a loss of what to do, Ned pretends to be Mike's father and they register Mike back in high school to finish the life he never had the chance to live. High school presents a lot of new challenges for Mike, such as dressing cool, keeping up with the latest gadgets and making new friends. But nothing compares to being in high school with his own children. He discovers that his daughter, Maggie (Michelle Trachtenberg), is not nearly as innocent as he thought she was and his son, Alex (Sterling Knight), is the brunt of the star athlete's jokes. But Mike's most difficult realization is that he hasn't been a very good father or husband. Mike befriends Alex and tries to instill him with enough confidence to join the basketball team. He gets close to Maggie's obnoxious boyfriend and does everything in his power to break them up. Most importantly, he visits an unsuspecting Scarlet and rediscovers all the things that initially made him fall in love with her. You don't know what you have until you lose it. Through his experiences, Mike realizes that he had chosen the perfect life he just never appreciated it. Now, he must figure out a way to transform back into his older self and win back his wife and kids.

Here is a review for the movie 17 Again from dvdtalk

Forget all about the age-reversing hocus-pocus that's going on during "17 Again." The real fantasy at play in this picture is the concept that Zac Efron is supposed to be the younger version of Matthew Perry. Sure. If you can hurdle that whopper, "17 Again" is a generously spirited comedy that's more victorious as a debutant ball for Efron's big screen career than a true gut-buster. The picture charms easily and makes a decent pass at a heart. Considering the director and the iffy premise, I think the idea of "17 Again" being anything other than migraine-inducing is worth a few minutes of applause and smiley reflection.

Frustrated with the failure of his life and his marriage to high school sweetheart Scarlett (Leslie Mann), Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry, in a brief cameo) makes an audible wish to be young again, desperate for a chance to reboot his life. The wish is magically granted by a spirit guide (a Santa-like Brian Doyle-Murray), turning Mike back into a teenager (Zac Efron). Seeking the help of geeky friend Ned (Thomas Lennon), Mike elects to enroll in the same high school as his children (Sterling Knight and Michelle Trachtenberg) to keep an eye on his family. Looking to instill his son with confidence and keep his daughter away from a lothario, Mike starts to insinuate himself back into his own house, eventually hoping to reconnect with Scarlett; however, his efforts strike the family as particularly strange, leaving Mike unable to comprehend why his wish was granted in the first place if he was destined to fail all over again.

While the temptation is there to label the feature as a body switching comedy along the likes of a backwards "Big," "17 Again" isn't aiming for a whimsical handle to the laughs. Under the direction of Burr Steers (the odious "Igby Goes Down"), "17 Again" is more at home within a sitcom arena, featuring a broad plot of cockeyed redemption to underscore the flashy comedic fireworks display. Steers mutes all his tendencies to smother the actors in stillborn affectations and lets the cast roll with the punches, permitting a harmless screenplay to be executed safely and often winningly. In the seven years it took Steers to follow-up "Igby," he's learned to trust his ensemble, allowing for generous spurts of glee to escape what is honestly an eye-rolling concept.

The plot concentrates on Mike's foggy, befuddled path to salvation, but the film appears more infatuated with Efron and his performance elasticity. As bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as Efron was in the "High School Musical" pictures, his work in "17 Again" reveals a dazzling comedic presence and an overall ability to command a scene. Backed wonderfully by Mann, Lennon, and Melora Hardin (here stealing scenes as Mike's principal and Ned's nerdly object of affection), the film gives Efron a wide berth to just do his thing. And that thing seems to be the capacity to make a dusty screenplay shine with his gusto and silly portrayal of man-boy bewilderment, while throwing a few well-timed reactions around to beef up the laughs.

Efron keeps the film upbeat and eager to please, but it's comforting to see "17 Again" not entirely turn its back on the inherent creepiness of a teen father spying on his teen kids. While dealing with bullies, basketball tryouts, and abundant caloric intake, Mike also has to confront burgeoning affection from his own daughter, a thorny consequence of his renewed attention to their romantic activities. Steers keeps the subplot nicely distanced and humorous, but the very appearance of such a twist demonstrates that "17 Again" has a delightful sense of mischief to share. Eventually the film devolves into third-act sniffles to ease the premise back onto solid ground, but a generous helping of actorly vitality and a dash of troublemaking elevates the picture away from its skim milk origin.

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