In movies we have a very interesting historical epic, 1911, staring Jackie Chan, Bingbing Li, and Joan Chen, amongst others. It tells the story of the defeat of the warlord fueled empire and the near-unification of China (there were still pockets owned by the British, Japanese, etc.) just after the turn of the last century. Jackie Chan is also the director for this film, bringing yet another slice of history to the world in the form of a story you can care about, as he has done so often of late. I think in the long term these productions will stand out as his legacy, and I find it ironic that the slapstick kung-fu comedies that we all know and love has been what has given him the financial backing he needed to create this series.
And then there is The Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption, which would be a direct to video release, except it looks like it will also be in a few theaters the week after the DVD is released. The cast does include Billy Zane and Ron Perlman, who between them probably account for a noticeable percentage of the 6 million dollar budget. This is a sequel of a prequel to a sequel of a remake, and I will not be holding my breath in hopes it will be watchable. Three guesses which movie will be coming home with me this week.
The winner in TV this time around hands down is Primeval: Volume Three. The title is a bit confusing, since most folks (and even Amazon, it appears) might think it meant season 3. But volume 1 was season 1 and 2, volume 2 was season 3, and volume 3 brings us season 4 and 5. There is also a quality documentary available, Nova: Finding Life Beyond Earth, from my favorite PBS science show. We may be on the verge of finding out if we are alone or not, and this episode gives you all the latest updates.
One amusing release for western animation in the form of Penguins of Madagascar: Operation Blowhole, doing a great animated James Bond parody.
For true anime, Akikan! – Complete Collection fits the bill, with a unique Japanese concept; inanimate objects as characters. This time around the soda cans are also people, and there is a bit of a war on between the Iron and Aluminum Can tribes. I am sure it will be no surprise to discover the cans become beautiful girls in their anthropomorphic form. Finally, Tweeny Witches – Complete Collection explores how an un-magical human and her two magical best friends team up to take control of their lives.