STACK #153 Jul 2017

DVD&BD REVIEWS

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Keeping the streets safe–ish. CHIPS

But not as we know it... LIFE

Release Date: 19/07/17

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Release Date: 05/07/17

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Michael Peña and Dax Shepard play mismatched California Highway Patrol officers in this big screen resurrection of the cheesy '70s cop series. Shepard's pro-biker Jon Baker joins the force to win back his estranged wife (Kristen Bell), while Peña's FBI agent Frank 'Ponch' Poncherello goes undercover to bust crooked cops within the CHP ranks. That's pretty much the extent of the plot (written by Shepard, who also directs), which is driven by raunchy gags and crude one- liners rather than the chaste source material. Needless

Life isn't like a box of chocolates, it's like an Alien rip-off of the kind Roger Corman and the Italians were making back in the '80s – albeit with a bigger budget and an A-list cast. The International Space Station retrieves a probe containing martian soil samples, as well as a microorganism that proceeds to grow at a frightening rate until it resembles a facehugger-like creature with a tendency to crawl down people's throats. Following a lot of zero gravity blood, panic and opening of airlocks, the ISS astronauts – including Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan

to say CHIPS doesn't aim high, keeping the action loud and the jokes below the belt – where Peña's face inevitably winds up at one point. This sh–t never happened to Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada! It's all dumb buddy cop fun in the company of two affable stars. SH

Reynolds – must find a way to stop this seemingly indestructible life form from reaching Earth, otherwise it's crew expendable. Alien and Gravity are the obvious touchstones, although Corman's Forbidden World also comes to mind, sans the schlock value. SH

Vengeance is a journey with no return. AFTERMATH

They didn't save her life, they stole it. GHOST IN THE SHELL

Release Date: OUT NOW

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Release Date: 26/07/17

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Following his stint in the governor's mansion, Arnold Schwarzenegger's return to acting has largely been along the career path he forged by brawn – The Expendables 2 & 3 and Terminator Genisys . Notable modestly budgeted exceptions are 2015's Maggie and this offering. In both, Schwarzenegger plays a father whose love for his daughter leads to extremes previously unimagined. Here he's Roman, a blue collar family man whose life is devastated when his wife and daughter are taken in an air disaster. On the other side of this slow burn equation

This live-action iteration of the classic manga stars Scarlett Johansson at her badass best as Major, a unique human-cyborg hybrid whose conciousness has been transplanted into a cybernetic body, or 'Shell', following a near-fatal accident. Skilled in combat, she's a valuable asset in the fight against cyber-terrorism, and when a plot to hack the city's hierarchy is uncovered, it's up to Major to find out who, or what, is responsible. This enhanced addition to the Ghost in the Shell mythos boasts cutting edge visual effects and production design that evokes

is Jake (Scott McNairy), the air traffic controller blamed for the incident. Following death threats, Jake goes into hiding, and Roman becomes obsessed with finding and confronting him. He just wants an apology, but the breathtaking conclusion delivers so much more. AC

The Fifth Element and Blade Runner , while also replicating shots from the 1995 anime version. Scarlett is well-cast (despite concerns) and comes across like the lovechild of Adam Jensen and Natasha Romanoff! It's a grim look at what the future may hold. AK (See page 24)

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JULY 2017

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