Two blasts from the past and a film with singing animals are available on DVD this week.
Sing: A toe-tapping film that’s Zootopia meets American Idol. It’s charming and entertaining as long as the music is playing.
The quieter bits between the songs come across as being slightly out of rhythm. The good thing is that there are barely any moments when a gorilla, porcupine, pig, or camel isn’t belting out a tune.
Seeing a crass menagerie of singing animals belting out pop tunes is when the film is at its zany best. There’s a trio of frogs performing Van Halen’s “Jump,” a snail belting out the Christopher Cross tune “Ride Like the Wind,” three provocative bunnies performing Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda,” and a sheep bleating Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose.” (Really? Not a seal?)
Overall, Sing is fun and energetic, has positive story elements, and is beautifully crafted. All of this means Sing will be a hit with creatures great and small.
Robocop 2 and Robocop 3: Both sequels to the 1987 film starring Peter Weller as the half man/half robot fail to generate the same action and dry humor.
Part two is slightly better as Weller reprises his role as Officer Alex J. Murphy. He must deal with even more problems in Detroit when a new designer drug called “nuke” hits the streets.
The film hits a major bump when Robocop must face an evil version of himself.
Part 3 slips even more off the table as the focus becomes how Robocop must deal with corporate greed. Robert John Burke takes over the role and just can’t give the character the kind of authority and pathos Weller brought to the part.
Both are still worth a look.
Also new this week
■ Miss Sloane: Powerful lobbyist shakes up Washington. Jessica Chastain stars.
■ Assassin’s Creed: Search for meaning in memories of ancestors leads to special skills.
■ Lion: After being separated from his family for 25 years, a young man searches for his home.
■ Office Christmas Party: What happens at an office Christmas party doesn’t often stay at the party.
■ The Delinquents: Robert Altman’s 1957 film about a young man who gets involved with a juvenile gang.
■ Live By Night: Man climbs the ladder in organized crime world. Ben Affleck stars.
■ Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Super Shredder: Turtles face their biggest enemy — Super Shredder.
■ When Calls the Heart: The Heart of Faith: Romantic adventure from author Janette Oke.
■ Blast-Off: The 1967 film by Don Sharp is now available on Blu-ray.
■ The Brokenwood Mysteries, Series 3: Detective tries to deal with crime in a small town. Neill Rea stars.
■ Split: A look at the traumas women face and the struggle to overcome them.
■ Wolf Creek: Season One: American college student vows to bring serial killer Mick Taylor to justice.
■ Phaedra: Jules Dassin’s tale of a powerful shipowner and his impending marriage.
■ Ali & Nino: Hopes that their strong bond of love will be enough begins to fade for a couple dealing with religious prejudice.
■ Julieta: Mother faces mystery of her long alienation from her daughter. Emma Suarez stars.
■ Won Ton Ton, The Dog That Saved Hollywood: A dog becomes a star in Hollywood.
■ House: Two Stories Limited Edition: Includes House and House II: the Second Story.
■ Death Passage: Backpackers in Australia must deal with a ghost on a motorcyclist.
■ Insecure: The Complete First Season: Issa Rae’s HBO series that looks at the challenges facing a modern-day African-American woman.
First Published March 23, 2017, 4:00 a.m.
