Recap
Review
You can always tell when the holiday season is upon us because the home video releases go into overdrive. This is one of the biggest review weeks I’ve seen all year, as the studios rush to get their premium titles out for all those upcoming Black Friday sales. Dig in to see how many great titles are available this week!
The Nun II
The Movie: I’ve never been overly impressed by any of the movies in The Conjuring universe. They’re all pretty formulaic, and the first The Nun was no different. It was pretty much “scary nun, jump scare, scary nun, jump scare, scary nun, jump scare.” So I wasn’t expecting much from The Nun II and, well, it sort of defied my expectations. To be clear, it’s not a great movie, but I did enjoy it more than the first one, which I think is pretty rare for horror sequels these days. The film picks up not long after the first movie, with Sister Irene (played by Taissa Farmiga) called upon by the church to investigate a series of horrific events befalling the clergy across Europe. This leads her and her novitiate, Debra (played by Storm Reid), to a boarding school where Frenchie/Maurice from the first movie is working as a caretaker and has formed a bond with a schoolteacher and her young daughter. And then, you know, “scary nun, jump scare, etc.” But the film is put together better than the first outing, with a stronger script, some neat visual moments, and better characters (although Demian Bechir’s Father Burke is missed), and in the end I found it a better outing overall. This isn’t a franchise I particularly need to see continue, but if you like these movies, you will probably enjoy this one.
The 4K Audio/Video: The 4K Ultra HD presentation helps out here because this is a movie with a lot of darker or nighttime scenes, and the improved shadow delineation allows us to see all of the onscreen action with no pixelation or blocking. Blacks are deep and color saturation is solid, although it’s a more tempered color palette to begin with. The surround soundtrack offers up some nice ambience, allowing the creepy sound effects to work their magic throughout the various speakers. All in all, it’s a well-done effort.
The Special Features: Nothing special, but you do get two making-of featurettes. There is also a digital copy included.
The Wrap-Up: The Nun II isn’t great cinema, but it’s a decent enough horror flick for what’s coming out of The Conjuring Universe these days, which is more than I was expecting. It’s worth a watch if you like the franchise, but probably won’t convert you if you’re not.
Saw X
The Movie: Man, I just don’t get the Saw movies. Aside from the first one, which was actually a great psychological horror film, they’ve basically just been torture porn wrapped up in this forced morality storyline where John Kramer/Jigsaw only does horrible things to people who are “bad” in his eyes. Sure, most times they are bad, but the films have devolved into just one torture device after another being shown in more and more grisly detail. Saw X is, unfortunately, no different. This entry takes place between Saw 2 and 3, apparently, and it sees John Kramer – dying of cancer – get scammed by a fake clinic offering a life-changing treatment. When he realizes he’s been duped, he sets out to torture/get revenge on everyone involved. The film plays out exactly like the rest of the previous entries, and it’s so filled with bloody, disgusting gore that I had to turn away from the screen during a few scenes. I know there are people who like that kind of thing, but I’m not one of them. Since the movie made over $100 million worldwide, however, I’m guessing it’s only a matter of time before we get another offering. Hooray.
The 4K Audio/Video: Interestingly, the film uses such strong color gel lighting that it’s hard to get a sense of the color saturation that comes from the 4K Ultra HD upgrade. Almost all of the scenes are bathed in orange, blue, or red, giving the entire movie an almost monochromatic feel at times. Image clarity is razor sharp (no pun intended), however, and black levels are deep and solid. The surround soundtrack doesn’t have a lot to work with, but the various machinery coming to life (to end people’s lives) do fill in the surround channels when called for. It’s a solid enough representation of how the filmmakers intended the film to look and sound, I would suspect.
The Special Features: You get an audio commentary with the filmmakers, a making-of documentary, two additional featurettes, deleted scenes, and the film’s trailer. There is also a digital copy included.
The Wrap-Up: If you’ve enjoyed the previous Saw films, I see no reason you won’t like this one. If you like a little more substance and a little less gore to your movies, I would skip this one.
Clerks: Complete Movie Collection
The Movie: I’m as big a Kevin Smith fan as you’ll find; I’ve been watching his movies since I rented Clerks the day it came out on home video back in the ‘90s, and I’ve religiously watched every movie he’s made since. But even though Chasing Amy remains my favorite film of his, the Clerks trilogy is really at the heart of the View Askewniverse, and those films are celebrated in a gorgeous new Collector’s Edition Box Set this month. Housed in a box that’s about a foot wide and shaped like a replica of the Quik Stop convenience store, this set includes Clerks, Clerks II, and Clerks III, each on Blu-ray and Digital Copy. For my money, Clerks is still one of the funniest movies of all time. I’ve seen it endless times and I’ll watch it endless more. I quote it relentlessly, even after almost 30 years. Clerks II goes bigger and broader, and while it’s not quite the comedy masterpiece that Clerks is, it’s still a heck of a lot of fun and expands the universe nicely. I mean, for a movie that never should have had a sequel in the first place, it’s hard to argue with it. And then we have last year’s Clerks III, which I enjoyed it quite a bit, although I have to admit it’s definitely the weakest entry in the series. That said, it also has some really strong moments. It’s basically Randall and Dante making Clerks, the original film, which leads to some wonderfully meta moments. My main critique of the film is that the jokes just don’t always land as well as you’ve come to expect from a Smith movie. Occasionally it feels like the script is trying a little too hard. That said, there are some great emotional moments in the film; it’s easily the most sentimental of the trilogy and I think the deeper moments actually work quite well. And I loved the film’s ending, which wears its heart on its sleeve. Clerks III isn’t a perfect film, but for fans of the View Askewniverse, I think they’ll still really enjoy it. Really, this is a pretty amazing collection of three fantastic comedies that probably aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but certainly are mine.
The Special Features: All of the extras from the previous releases are included, and honestly, that’s more than I can even list here. On Clerks, you get an additional “First Cut” of the film, an audio commentary with Smith, a feature-length documentary, an additional feature length documentary about the main of Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Outtakes, a Q&A, and several shorter features. Clerks II offers up three audio commentaries, deleted scenes, a handful of featurettes, and a making-of documentary. Finally, Clerks III includes an intro, an audio commentary, two feature-length documentaries, and more. Phew! In addition to the extras on the discs, you get the set housed in the aforementioned box that’s shaped like the Quik Stop convenience store and RST Video Store, complete with a working video store drop box slot that houses the actual discs. There’s also a sheet of vinyl clings you can decorate the Quik Stop box with as well as a certificate of authenticity stating that the set is limited to only 5,150 editions. There is also a digital copy of each film included.
The Wrap-Up: I know people like to claim that physical media is dying, but as long as companies like Lionsgate keep producing terrific collector’s sets like this, I think us die-hard cinephiles will never let physical media go away. If you’re a Clerks fan and you don’t already have all three movies on home video, I would track down this set ASAP.
The Twilight Saga: 15th Anniversary 4K Steelbook Collection
The Movie: Well, if this doesn’t make you feel old, I don’t know what will: it’s officially been fifteen years since the first Twilight movie came out. (Of course, if you’re an eternally ageless teenage vampire, that probably won’t make you feel old!) To celebrate, we have a brand new box set that sees all five films in one box set on 4K Ultra HD for the first time. And to top that off, each film is housed in a gorgeous new Steelbook case. I’ll say this honestly: it doesn’t matter whether you’re a Twilight fan or not, there’s no denying this is a gorgeous collection. Me personally, I really like the Twilight films. I know that’s not a popular take amongst adult male film critics, but I honestly don’t care. I’ve always enjoyed the films quite a bit. Sure, each one has a few clunky moments and a few cringey dialogue bits; I get that they’re not cinematic masterpieces. But they’re strong adaptations of the source books and they play to their target audience well, and I dig that. I think the third film, Eclipse, is still my favorite, probably because it’s directed by David Slade (30 Days of Night), but the first film still has a lot of great moments in it as well. Now, there’s been no shortage of Twilight home video releases over the past 15 years, but I can easily say that this new box set is the best and most comprehensive by far.
The 4K Audio/Video: The 4K Ultra HD presentation for each film is similar to a lot of other catalogue titles, in that you get a slight upgrade in terms of visual quality. You know, these movies aren’t 50 years old, so they already looked pretty great on Blu-ray. Now, you get improvements such as better shadow delineation, resulting in the numerous dark. nighttime scenes being much more visible, which is nice. Image clarity is also improved and color saturation also sees a nice bump. There’s not much difference in the surround soundtracks to my ear.
The Special Features: Again, there are too many extra features to list here, but each of the five films comes with audio commentaries, making-of documentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, music videos, and more. Each film comes housed in its own Steelbook case, and the artwork on the cases is gorgeous. There is also a digital copy included for each of the five films.
The Wrap-Up: I know there are people out there who love to bash the Twilight movies, but I’m not one of them. I like the movies plenty for what they are, and this impressive box set will make any Twilight fan a happy camper.
Farscape: The Complete Series
The Movie: Some television shows are cult classics that spawn entire franchises, and then there are other shows that are just cult classics. Farscape is one of the latter. Premiering on the SciFi Channel (now SyFy) in 1999, the show focused on human pilot John Crichton, who finds himself thrown across the universe and ending up in a galaxy very different than our own. Hooking up with the crew of the living ship Moya, Crichton helps fight injustice in the spaceways as he also tries to simply survive his new reality. The show only lasted four seasons, but thanks to its blend of great characters, decent special effects, puppet wizardry (courtesy of the Jim Henson Company), and some great sci-fi storylines, the show gained a devoted fan following. A few years after it was cancelled, we were treated to The Peacekeeper Wars, a miniseries that wrapped up the show (while teasing potential future storylines), but nothing else has ever come from the world of Farscape. Now, because it has got such a strong fan following, it’s been released on home video several times before, but this new collection is the best one yet. First of all, it includes the entire series on Blu-ray. There’s been one previous Blu-ray collection, but everything before that was DVD only. This also marks the first time that you can own the entire series PLUS The Peacekeeper Wars miniseries on Blu-ray in one collection; that’s never been available before. (In fact, I don’t think Peacekeeper Wars has ever been available on Blu-ray, but I could be wrong.) With a robust collection of extra features (including some new ones), this seems to be the definitive, ultimate Farscape set.
The Special Features: First off, there is a brand new retrospective documentary about the show featuring show creator writer Rockne S. O’Bannon and producer Brian Henson. There’s also another retrospective doc from a few years back featuring the cast, as well as another several shorter featurettes and documentary features about the creation of the show. 30 of the episodes feature audio commentaries, and you also get a ton of deleted scenes. Finally, look for episode promos and character profiles. It’s a jam-packed box set!
The Wrap-Up: I always loved Farscape, and I’m always glad when any new release brings it back into the public consciousness. It’s been a long time since I watched the show, and I really enjoyed digging back into it. If you’re a fan and you want to have the entire series in one great place, this is the way to do it. If you’re not already a fan, definitely consider checking it out. It’s a great science fiction show that was never big on budget but was always big on heart!
The Police Academy Collection
The Movie: If there is one comedy franchise that perfectly sums up the 1980s, the Police Academy series might be it. Broad comedies all, the first film was a pretty standard raunchy comedy about a group of misfit police cadets at a somewhat dysfunctional police academy. The film made a star out of Steve Guttenberg and gave a lot of the supporting cast careers in future supporting roles in other films. Of course, a sequel followed, and then five more sequels followed. Now, in the ‘80s, sequels were pretty formulaic, with the budget – and quality – shrinking on subsequent releases as box office grosses were expected to shrink as well. So the entire series isn’t all gems, but this new Blu-ray collection from Shout Factory finally collects all seven films in one place on Blu-ray for the first time, and that’s pretty awesome. Include here are: Police Academy, Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, Police Academy 3: Back in Training, Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol, Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach, Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (which all came out from 1984-1989) and finally, Police Academy: Mission to Moscow, a last ditch attempt to revive the franchise from 1994. I’d say the first four films are all pretty enjoyable, but when Steve Guttenberg left the franchise with the fifth film, they started to go downhill. Still, it’s hard to watch any of these films and be mad at them, as they’re all silly romps with some easy, cheap humor. You won’t feel better about yourself after watching these movies, but you will be entertained!
The Special Features: There are new interview featurettes with a number of the original cast and crew, audio commentaries on Police Academy and Police Academy 4 (including Steve Guttenberg and Michael Winslow on the first film!), a few archival featurettes, deleted scenes, and trailers for the films.
The Wrap-Up: Police Academy was a defining movie franchise of its era, with one film a year for six years straight. While they may not all be genius, getting all seven movies in one five-disc Blu-ray box set for the first time makes this a great collection for fans. Watching these movies will take a lot of people right back to one of their favorite decades.
The Fugitive (4K Ultra HD)
The Movie: Is it just me, or does The Fugitive sometimes seem like an underrated action movie from the 90s? I mean, I know it was a massive box office hit and it received good critical acclaim; hell, Tommy Lee Jones even won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for it. Still, it seems like it’s a movie that doesn’t come up in the pop culture conversation much these days. Which is odd to me, because every time I rewatch it, I’m reminded of just what a great film it is. Based on the TV show from the 1960s, the film follows Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. Escaping from a prison transport, Kimble goes on the hunt for the one-armed man who actually killed his wife, all while on the run from Tommy Lee Jones’ dogged U.S. Marshal, Sam Gerard. It’s a terrific cat-and-mouse chase combined with a murder mystery that features some exciting action set pieces and an emotional heft at the heart of it. Plus, Ford and Jones are absolutely terrific, even though they hardly share any screen time together. I absolutely love The Fugitive, and I’m glad that Warner Bros. has decided to include it in their 100th Anniversary celebration, which has seen the studio releasing new versions of some of their most beloved and successful movies. For this one, we are treated to The Fugitive on 4K Ultra HD for the first time, and it’s a welcome addition to my collection.
The 4K Audio/Video: The Fugitive looks and sounds terrific in 4K. Colors saturation is deep and rich, and you also get impeccably sharp imagery, and deep, rich black levels. The print, of course, is devoid of any blemishes or debris. The surround soundtrack has a lot to work with and it doesn’t waste any opportunities to fill your living room with constant surround activity. There’s also a nice low end bass channel that gives many of the scenes an effective rumble that you’ll feel in your chest. It’s a terrific technical effort.
The Special Features: There are a number of bonus features, including an introduction with Harrison Ford and director Andrew Davis, three making-of documentaries, an audio commentary with Davis and Tommy Lee Jones, and the film’s trailer. There is also a digital copy included.
The Wrap-Up: It’s probably been quite a few years since you last watched The Fugitive. If you want to see Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones at high points in their careers and watch a terrific action film at the same time, the new The Fugitive 4K Ultra HD release is the way to do it.
American Graffiti (4K Ultra HD)
The Movie: Before Star Wars made him a household name and a science fiction icon, George Lucas was just a movie director who happened to hit it out of the park on one of his earliest films. 1973’s American Graffiti, which would launch seemingly a dozen actors to stardom, was a comedy about teenagers killing off one last weekend before summer ends after their high school graduation. It grossed over $100 million at the box office, which was a staggering amount in 1973. Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Charles Martin Smith, Candy Clark, Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford, and many others, the film is an ensemble piece featuring characters cruising in hot rods, trying to make romantic connections, crash a high school dance, and the like. It’s not the kind of movie we think of when we think of teen comedies nowadays (it’s still got crass moments, but nothing like in the American Pie movies, say), but it resonated with audiences and became a smash hit at the box office, helping to pave the way for Lucas to make Star Wars. Now, as part of Warner Bros.’ 100th Anniversary celebration, which has seen the studio releasing new versions of some of their most popular and enduring movies, we get American Graffiti on 4K Ultra HD for the first time.
The 4K Audio/Video: I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much of an upgrade in the A/V department, mostly because the film is 50 years old at this point. Yet somehow, this new 4K transfer surprised me quite a bit. Colors take on new definition while image clarity is extremely sharp and the print is largely clear of any blemishes or scratches. Blacks are deep and rich and there’s a lifelike, natural feel to everything. Meanwhile, the surround soundtrack is a solid affair, if not as exciting as the picture quality. There are some surround effects, but it’s not a constant barrage of directional effects. Music and dialogue both sound good though, so there’s not too much to complain about.
The Special Features: You get a making-of documentary, an audio commentary with George Lucas himself, screen tests, and the film’s original trailer. There is also a digital copy of the movie included.
The Wrap-Up: American Graffiti is one of those classic comedies that is somehow still highly watchable and yet still also a product of its time. While it was released in 1973, it’s set in 1962 (which coincides with Lucas’s own misspent teenage years), and it has a dated-yet-timeless quality to it. Even after all these years, it’s still a great film and this is a great way to watch it.
Rudy (4K Ultra HD Steelbook)
The Movie: It’s hard to believe that Sean Astin’s aspirational football movie came out 30 years ago, but it must be true because this week we have a brand new 30th Anniversary Edition of Rudy on 4K Ultra HD. Housed in a smart-looking Steelbook Case, Rudy makes its debut on 4K at the perfect time, with football season in full swing and the world in need of a positive-vibes movie. Rudy tells the true story of the titular character, a kid who grew up in a steel-mining town but who dreamed of playing football at Notre Dame. But while his subpar athletic skills and diminutive size worked against him, his passion, drive, and spirit inspired everyone around him. And it’s funny, while the film wasn’t a massive box office success (it only grossed $22 million), it became a hit on video and really resonated with audiences. At this point, the name Rudy is synonymous with anybody who may not be the best at something but gives it their all, and that kind of impact is hard to measure. It’s been quite a while since I’d watched the film, so this new 4K Ultra HD Steelbook release was a great chance to revisit the movie and fall in love with it all over again.
The 4K Audio/Video: 4K Ultra HD releases of older movie can often be a bit of a mixed bag. The format offers up improvements over Blu-ray, obviously, but it’s not like you can magically transform the source elements from a movie that’s 30 years old. However, Rudy does look and sound quite nice in 4K. Image clarity is razor sharp, colors pop nicely, and there’s enough film grain to retain the cinematic feel of the film. The surround soundtrack is a little front-channel heavy, but since the driving force of the film is the dialogue and the music, that makes sense. That said, both the dialogue and music sound terrific, but don’t expect too much from the rear surround channels outside of the sports action sequences.
The Special Features: This release gives you both the theatrical cut and the Director’s Cut of the film. In addition, you get deleted scenes, three making-of features, an audio commentary, and the film’s trailer. A digital copy of the movie is also included.
The Wrap-Up: Rudy is a feel-good film with a terrific central performance by Sean Astin and a great supporting cast. If now’s not the time for a movie that will warm your heart and make you feel good, I don’t know when is.
Violent Night (4K Ultra HD)
The Movie: Well, it’s happened. The generation of kids who grew up brainwashed by the internet into thinking that Die Hard is a Christmas movie has started making their own movies. And the result is Violent Night, which basically takes Die Hard, Die Hard 2, and Home Alone and throws them into a blender. Unfortunately, what comes out is a largely unenjoyable film. To be clear, I really wanted to like Violent Night. You give me Santa Claus fighting against a bunch of criminals who are trying to rob a rich family on Christmas Eve, and that sounds like something I’m going to have a lot of fun with. Unfortunately, the film is populated by unlikable characters, making it hard to root for anyone. Hell, even Santa Claus himself is incredibly unlikable; I mean, how do you screw that up? There are a few solid action sequences, but they also get surprisingly bloody and gory at times, which I felt was an odd choice. Then I realized the film is directed by Tommy Wirkola, who gave us the cult hit Nazi zombie film Dead Snow, and it all clicked into place. That was another movie with a great concept that I didn’t really like all that much.
The 4K Audio/Video: Violent Night comes to home video on 4K Ultra HD (as well as Blu-ray and DVD), and it looks and sounds quite good in the premium format. The color saturation is quite vibrant, image clarity is sharp, and shadow delineation is very strong, helpful in a film that takes place almost entirely at night. The surround soundtrack has a lot to work with, and it does a great job of giving your speakers a full workout.
The Special Features: Three making-of featurettes are under the Christmas tree, as well as an audio commentary with the filmmakers and a collection of deleted and extended scenes. A digital copy of the movie is also included.
The Wrap-Up: I’m sure there’s an audience out there for Violent Night as I suspect a lot of people will like it more than I did, but I found it to be a huge letdown. The Christmas theme will probably ensure that it gets annual viewings in some households, but mine won’t be one of them.
Blue Steel
The Movie: I love when movies like this get new home video releases. Blue Steel was a little seen 1980s cop thriller starring a young Jamie Lee Curtis and Ron Silver, and it’s not a movie a ton of people are familiar with, But it’s a great little thriller, and this new Blu-ray release from Lionsgate’s Vestron Video Collector’s Series will allow a lot more people to discover (or rediscover) it. In the film, Jamie Lee Curtis plays a young police officer who responds to a convenience store hold-up and shoots the robber, only to come under suspicion when his gun is nowhere to be found. While there, one of the witnesses becomes obsessed with her and works his way into a relationship with her. Unbeknownst to her, however, he’s also become obsessed with killing people with the gun he stole from the crime scene. It’s a taut little film with a few good twists and turns that doesn’t follow a cookie-cutter formula. Curtis is strong in the lead role, while Silver (always one of my favorites) is absolutely delightful as the movie’s villain. This was a terrific pick for the Vestron Video series.
The Special Features: While this could easily have been a release with minimal or no extra features, the Vestron Video series knows how to treat its fans. This two-disc set includes an audio commentary, two interview featurettes with crew members, an additional critical analysis featurette, a video essay, a promo featurette, a stills gallery, and trailers and TV spots. A digital copy of the movie is also included.
The Wrap-Up: Blue Steel is that perfect kind of film that needs home video releases to remain alive in the public consciousness. Streaming services focus too much on new films instead of catalog titles, yet this movie is definitely worth watching, and this is a great Blu-ray offering. Check it out.
A Very Merry Movie Collection: Volumes 5 and 6
The Movie: As I’ve stated in many, many reviews over the years, I love me some Lifetime/Hallmark Christmas romance movies. I know people like to joke about them, but I love a movie that features attractive casts, romance, feel-good stories, holiday cheer, and a predictably happy outcome. I recognize that none of these movies are masterpieces, but I find them highly enjoyable. This year, once again Lifetime has two massive new collections (both packaged in a single DVD-sized case) that will keep you busy for days. Following up on last year’s popular sets, we have two new releases this week: Lifetime 12-Movie Set: A Very Merry Christmas Collection Volumes 5 & 6. As the titles indicate, each of these Wal-Mart exclusive releases includes a dozen holiday romances, giving you about 18 hours of entertainment each. Volume 5 includes Cloudy With a Chance of Christmas, A Show-Stopping Christmas, Sweet Navidad, Merry Textmas, Serving Up the Holidays, A New Orleans Noel, Merry Swissmas, Scentsational Christmas, Well Suited for Christmas, A Country Christmas Harmony, The Holiday Dating Guide, and Merry Liddle Christmas. Meanwhile, Volume 6 features Six Degrees of Santa, Single and Ready to Jingle, Baking All The Way, Steppin’ Into the Holiday, The Dog Days of Christmas, A Recipe for Joy, Kirk Franklin’s The Night Before Christmas, Christmas on Mistletoe Lake, A Christmas to Treasure, Wrapped Up in Love, Record Breaking Christmas, and Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding. Whew! That’s a lot of holiday romance, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
The Special Features: There are no extra features on these collections, but that’s to be expected. No complaints here with the amount of content you’re getting.
The Wrap-Up: Since we’ve seen two of these mega-collections per year for the past three years, I won’t be surprised when we see Volumes 7 and 8 next holiday season. In the meantime, however, these two sets literally offer up days of entertainment, so dig in and enjoy the holiday romance!
Crocodile Island
The Movie: I wish I had the power to retain a clear head whenever a giant-animal-eating-people movies cross my desk, but I’m a sucker for them and I keep watching them. Crocodile Island is a Chinese creature feature from 2020 that’s making its home video debut in western countries this week. The story is pretty simple: a plane crashes on an island in The Devil’s Sea (basically the Asian world’s Bermuda Triangle), and it’s one populated by the likes of a dinosaur-sized crocodile, man-sized spiders, and the like. The film features cookie-cutter characters getting taken out one by one in predictable fashion, as you’d expect, and normally that’s okay as that’s what I watch these films for. But the writing here is pretty awful – characters make stupid choices way too often – and the special effects legit look like something out of a Playstation video game from 1997. I understand that movies sometimes have low budgets, but it’s hard to get past the cheesy special effects in this one.
The Special Features: There are no extra features on this DVD release.
The Wrap-Up: Crocodile Island is on par with the typical SyFy low-budget offering that airs late on a Saturday night. There’s nothing original or interesting about it, and the poor special effects remove any of the fun you might have from watching people get eaten by giant crocs and spiders. You can easily skip this one, despite some pretty kick-ass cover art that will try to suck you in.
