DVD Round-Up: "Identity Thief" Starring Melissa McCarthy and "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" Starring Jeremy Renner

Identity Thief (2012)

The Basics: A woman, Diana (Melissa McCarthy), steals the "gender neutral" identity of an upwardly mobile professional, Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman), which turns his life upside down. 

Reasons to Watch: McCarthy and Bateman deliver fine performances and are ably supported by Robert Patrick and Eric Stonestreet, among others.

The Bottom Line: An overly long film that seems more dramatic than comedic. Viewers learn about Diana's unfortunate back story, but can the truth really justify her actions that have caused Sandy and his family so much grief? Not at all, but I may have been open to accepting Diana more if there was something to like about her. Of course, Sandy is not really likable either, so there is no one to root for and without a consistently funny script, Identity Thief turns into a real downer. 

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2012) (DVD available June 11)

The Basics: Action adventure film based on the characters from the fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel, by the Brothers Grimm, starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton.

Reasons to Watch: Fast moving and action packed, with some dark humor to offset the never ending violence. I enjoyed Famke Janssen's performance as Dark Phoenix.....sorry, the witch Muriel. 

The Bottom Line: Writer/director Tommy Wirkola delivers a well paced film that suffers from cringe inducing dialogue and stereotypical characters. For instance, uttering curse words may be amusing the first time around, but when they are used in every other sentence, especially towards the end of the film, it becomes tiresome and sounds lazy. I suspect the target audience may enjoy the endless parade of blood, gore and violence, but everyone else may not.

"The Bourne Legacy" (2012) - Starring Jeremy Renner

The Bourne trilogy, starring Matt Damon, prompted me to once again become a fan of action movies. But the Bourne films were very different from the typical action films that relied on violence, special effects and acts of destruction to entertain the masses, usually at the expense of the acting and the screenplay. Alas, it is possible to make an action movie for adults that is cerebral, well acted and well written and The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum repeatedly proved that. Of course, the success of the series relied on casting a believable and capable lead actor and whoever thought Matt Damon would become an action star? I think it is fair to say that he exceeded everyone's expectations.

After being spoiled with three outstanding efforts, I was disappointed to learn that Damon would not be appearing in The Bourne Legacy. However, I was encouraged to learn that Jeremy Renner would be taking over the lead role, but not as Jason Bourne, but rather another super soldier by the name of Aaron Cross. It would have been a mistake for anyone to try to assume the role of Jason Bourne and the filmmakers clearly understood that. Renner had previously delivered strong work in The Hurt Locker and The Town, so I knew he had the ability to take over for Damon, who is rumored to be considering a return for the fifth installment.

The Bourne Legacy mentions Jason Bourne on a few occasions, for continuity and story purposes, but the plot revolves around Aaron Cross, who is a member of Operation Outcome, along with many other agents. They are all super soldiers, like Bourne, and possess increased physical and mental abilities, thanks to a series of meds that keep them in top form. Early on, Bourne leaks classified information about secret government programs that leaves the Feds scrambling to do damage control. As a result, CIA official Eric Byer (Edward Norton) is enlisted to help contain the fallout and orders all super soldiers, or Outcome agents, to be eliminated. Aaron Cross, who is in Alaska on a training mission, is unaware of what is going on until a cabin that he is sharing with another agent, Number Three (Oscar Isaac), comes under attack from a drone. The cabin is destroyed and Number Three is killed, but Cross left just moments before, so he is spared, but shaken. However, each Outcome agent has a tracking device inserted into his/her body and once Cross realizes that he is still in danger, he removes it and attaches it to an unexpected source, which is then destroyed, thus tricking his superiors into thinking that he is dead.

Later, a scientist responsible for creating the meds that power the agents, Dr. Donald Foite (Željko Ivanek), is brainwashed into murdering his staff and proceeds to go on a killing spree, murdering all but one of them, Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz). Cross somehow finds his way to Shearing, who is holed up in a remote location, and saves her life when government agents arrive to kill her. As a result, Cross and Shearing are forced to run for their lives. Cross also needs Shearing's help to obtain more meds so that he can sustain his abilities. Shearing informs Cross that he has already been genetically modified to sustain his physical abilities, but still needs the so-called "blue pills" to enhance his emotional well being. With few options available to find or manufacture the drugs, they head to the Philippines, where they are produced as needed. Cross also confides that he remembers his back story and understands who he really is and recalls how he and the other agents were manipulated by government officials to keep them compliant and under control. The balance of the film features several exciting action sequences, which were a hallmark of the three previous films, as Cross and Shearing do everything possible to avoid being captured and killed.

Like the previous films, The Bourne Legacy features an intelligent and intricate screenplay, courtesy of Tony Gilroy (who also serves as director) and Dan Gilroy. Continuity is important to the franchise and several characters, including Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), Noah Vosen (David Strathairn) and Dr. Albert Hirsch (Albert Finney) all play significant, albeit small roles, in the film. New characters, such as the aforementioned Dr. Shearing and Eric Byer, as well as Mark Turson (Stacy Keach), are seamlessly added into the mix. In addition, the action sequences are once again expertly choreographed and are the highlight of the film. Furthermore, the performances by all of the previously mentioned cast members are solid.

Like Matt Damon, Jeremy Renner is physically impressive as the lead character. An early scene featuring Aaron Cross fighting for his life in the Alaskan wilderness starts the film off in style. However, in between the action sequences, something appears to be missing and I cannot say for certain what is it. All of the elements are present to make yet another great film, but The Bourne Legacy loses momentum during the "down time." Perhaps the film is a bit too long and maybe a little too detailed, or perhaps the emotional investment in the new characters is lacking. I was also not thrilled with the ending, which did not feel like an ending to me because of its abrupt nature, but it does provide a decent segue into the next installment. I wanted to love The Bourne Legacy, but instead, I ended up liking it a lot. Perhaps the bar was set too high for anyone to try to match or exceed the previous efforts. With that being said, I look forward to the next film and the possible return of Matt Damon.