New DVD releases: December 2014

Reviews of the latest DVD and Blu-ray releases, plus box sets and movie downloads
Aussie antics: The Inbetweeners 2
Steve Morrissey28 November 2014

Released on Mon Dec 1

The Inbetweeners 2

(4DVD, cert 15, Blu-ray/DVD/digital)

The four social misfits go to Australia for a comedy sequel repeating the formula of hot girls, holiday romance and knob jokes. Funny, but that’s enough, thanks.

A Spell to Ward off the Darkness

(Soda, cert 15, Blu-ray/DVD)

Ben Rivers (Two Years at Sea) and Ben Russell’s structured reality drama about commune dwellers and death metallers. Like an intensely meditative TOWIE.

Hercules

(Paramount, cert 12, Blu-ray/DVD/digital)

Brisk, broad-brush and with a hint of panto, Brett Ratner’s Hercules reminds us that he directed Rush Hour, and Dwayne Johnson is perfect as the muscly hero.

Patema Inverted

(Anime, cert PG, Blu-ray/DVD)

A Japanese anime about a tunnel-dwelling girl in a post-apocalyptic world where gravity is reversed. Gentle, idealistic, beautifully but simply drawn, it’s Miyazaki-lite.

The Possibilities Are Endless

(Pulse, cert E, DVD/digital)

This documentary about the singer Edwyn Collins, his brain haemorrhage, loss of powers and road to recovery is, at 90 minutes, too long. But it’s terribly sweet.

A Hard Day

(StudioCanal, cert 15, DVD/digital)

A South Korean bad cop has a very bad day in a cat-and-mouse thriller let down by over-acting but packed with ingenuity and standout moments. Hollywood should remake.

Pulp Fiction 20th Anniversary

(Lionsgate, cert 18, Blu-ray)

Quentin Tarantino’s classic, which gave us Christopher Walken’s speech on the correct storage of a timepiece, has been remastered and comes with tons of great extras.

Box Sets

Luca Zingaretti Collection

(Odyssey, cert 15, DVD)

If Inspector Montalbano isn’t delivering a big enough Zingaretti hit, these five TV films starring him in various heroic roles should deliver a belt of sensitive manliness.

Step Up 1-5 All In

(Universal, cert 12, DVD)

The series that made Channing Tatum took a bit of a dive when he left after number two, but even in the execrable number five the dancing is still electric.

Blade Runner 30th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition

(Warner, cert 15, Blu-ray)

Five different versions of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterpiece (Final, Director’s, Domestic Theatrical, International Theatrical, Workprint). So which is the replicant?

This week's new film releases

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