Entertainment, Movies - Navy Times

New on DVD for Aug. 5

A childhood adventure, a foreign film Oscar-winner and the life of a legend arrive on DVD on Tuesday (Aug. 5).

“The Counterfeiters”

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment ($28.96)

The lowdown: This winner of the best foreign language film Oscar tells the true story of a group of Jewish concentration camp prisoners who were brought together to make counterfeit British pounds for the Nazis in order to wreck their economy.

The movie is a harrowing tale of courage in the face of overwhelming terror.

Released in the U.S. on Feb. 22, the movie earned $5.4 million at the box office and took in another $12.9 million overseas.

Critically, it received an impressive 94 percent positive rating at Rottentomatoes, where Kerry Lengel of The Arizona Republic wrote, “The film does shed light on another facet of Nazi history, and it does it with an attention to the complexity of human nature that makes it worthy of its Oscar win.”

The DVD features a very strong digital transfer.

Don’t miss: A featurette on the making of the film, an interview with the real life Adolf Burger, deleted scenes and a commentary track.

Rated: R, strong language, sexual situations, nudity, violence

Critic’s rating: 3½ stars (Good-to-Excellent)

“Nim’s Island”

Fox Home Entertainment ($29.98)

The lowdown: Another offering from Walden Media that is aimed at family audiences.

Child star du jour Abigail Breslin and former child star and two-time Oscar-winner Jodie Foster team up in this story of a young girl who lives on a remote island with her father and needs the help of a fictional hero to make it through the crisis.

“Nim’s Island” cost $37 million to produce and was released on April 4. It earned $47.8 million domestically and $28.5 million more overseas.

Critics at Rottentomatoes.com were equally divided on the movie as it earned a 49 percent positive rating. Chief GNS film critic Bill Goodykoontz was on the positive side, writing, “Nim’s Island is an old-fashioned kids’ movie. Parents might find flaws, but the 12-and-younger set will find characters and a movie worth rooting for.”

The DVD features a very sharp audio and visual digital transfer.

Don’t miss: A featurette on the making of the movie, a look at working with Nim’s animal friends, deleted scenes and a nice commentary track with Breslin and Foster.

Rated: PG, mild action violence

Critic’s rating: 2½ stars (Fair-to-Good)

“Pete Seeger: The Power of Song”

Genius Products ($24.95)

The lowdown: This documentary looks at the life and career of one of America’s finest singer-songwriters, Pete Seeger.

As the film demonstrates, Seeger is much more. He uses songs to battle injustice and for social change, often at a high cost to his career.

Released last Oct. 26, the movie earned a paltry $88,312 at the box office.

The movie fared much better with critics, earning a whopping 95 percent positive rating at Rottentomatoes. Terry Lawson, former movie critic at the Detroit Free Press, wrote that Seeger “traversed decades, styles, even continents to bring the people’s music to the people. This distinction is made with suitable and skillful ... appreciation by director Jim Brown. ...”

The DVD features a very fine digital transfer.

Don’t miss: Additional footage, five short films made by the Seeger family and a double-disc CD with Bruce Springsteen entitled, “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions.”

Rated: PG

Critic’s rating: 3½ stars (Good-to-Excellent)