EW review: 'Fockers' outtakes gold
Film isn't much, but Hoffman makes DVD worth a look
By Jeff Lebrecque
Entertainment Weekly
(Entertainment Weekly) -- If you thought Dustin Hoffman was a riot in "Meet the Fockers," the inevitable sequel to "Meet the Parents," wait till you see him acting even less restrained in the outtakes.
The two-time Oscar winner, who ''started acting to do Shakespeare,'' drops trou, proudly announces his arousal, and passes wind with such schoolboy delight that even grim Robert De Niro, who reportedly last laughed in "Cape Fear," can't help but bust up.
Hoffman and Barbra Streisand are dynamic as Ben Stiller's flaky parents, but their chemistry is wasted on a paper-thin script.
Extras: "A Focker Family Portrait," a cast sit-down with Matt Lauer, and a feature on prima donna Mr. Jinx. All yawners. But Hoffman's antics in many of the 65 bloopers and 20 deleted scenes -- especially his Travis Bickle impression -- almost (almost!) make you hope for another Focker family reunion.
EW Grade: B-
EW: More about 'Meet the Fockers'
'House of Flying Daggers'
Reviewed by Vickie An
In the visually stunning Tang Dynasty-centered "House of Flying Daggers," the multitalented Ziyi Zhang (she sings! she dances! she flings daggers with chilling accuracy!) plays Mei, a blind, butt-kicking heroine whose membership in a band of Robin Hood-esque revolutionaries earns her a spot on the government's naughty list.
Now on the lam, Mei and her dashing, secretive guide (Takeshi Kaneshiro) combat more than just bamboo-spear-wielding soldiers: Clashing allegiances cause them to fight against their own inevitably blooming romance.
The Oscar-nominated cinematography certainly captivates, but it's the unfolding tale of doomed love that lifts "House of Flying Daggers" to extraordinary heights.
Extras: Two mediocre making-of featurettes, one lacking explanatory narration and another overridden with fruitless observations like ''Storyboards turn imaginary scenes into reality.'' And you can skip the blah ''Lovers'' video with its pseudo-Sears portrait studio backdrop. But the revealing commentary by Zhang and director Zhang Yimou offers amusing tidbits, like the reason behind Kaneshiro's subtle peanut popping (so that the audience will recognize him both with and without his hat).
EW Grade: B+
EW: More about 'House of Flying Daggers'
'Dynasty: The Complete First Season'
Reviewed by Ari Karpel
The "Dynasty" we know and love -- the one with the weekly catfights and the occasional wedding massacre -- didn't actually start until season 2. In fact, ABC's desperate answer to CBS' powerhouse prime-time soap "Dallas" began more as an "Upstairs, Downstairs" for the shoulder-pad set.
In "Dynasty: The Complete First Season," oil magnate Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) is marrying beneath him, his daughter's sneaking around with the chauffeur, and his butler's secretly threatening the bride.
Ultimately, viewers cared more for over-the-top glamour than class conscience. But season 1 isn't all vamping for Alexis' arrival (and quelle arrivee!). There's juicy family melodrama, homosexual intrigue ... and murderous rage!
Extras: Interviews with only two supporting actors, Pamela Sue Martin and Al Corley (Fallon and Steven Carrington). In her commentary, cocreator Esther Shapiro rambles on for five episodes about the ''subtext'' of each performance and her ambitions for the series. Maybe on season 2 she'll tell us what we really want to know about: the behind-the-scenes catfights!
EW Grade: A-
EW: More about 'Dynasty'
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