This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.
KANSAS CITY, MO —
HOME VIDEO
END OF WATCH (R)
RUSS: I don’t think that the police will use “End of Watch” as a recruitment video any time soon.
SHAWN: Not at all. But “End of Watch” being so real is what makes it so good.
RUSS: If you liked the gritty, profane and violent cop drama “Training Day,” then screenwriter David Ayer’s follow-up is for you.
SHAWN; Well david Ayer just wrote the screenplay for “Training Day.” As a director he seriously lacks the skill of Antoine Fuqua so “End of Watch” isn’t nearly as cinematically intense or riveting but in many ways is a much better film at examining the real lives of cops on the job and at home.
RUSS: Jake Gyllenhall and Michael Peña are strong as partners patrolling the barrios of LA in this very episodic drama. Some of it seems overcooked, but thanks to the believable camaraderie between the actors, “End of Watch” is a competent police procedural.
SHAWN: Yes, Jake Gyllenhall and Michael Pena are strong. loved their verbal give and take. Also loved Anna Kendrick. I agree it is a bit overcooked but the streets is real. Extras will include commentary with Writer and Director David Ayer, several featurettes and deleted scenes. The Blu-ray/DVD Combo will also include a digital copy of the film.
RUSS: 3 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 4 Popcorn Bags
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN (PG-13)
RUSS: The Oscar-nominated documentary “Searching for Sugar Man” is one of the best films of the year, profiling a rock singer/songwriter named Rodriguez who recorded a couple of unsuccessful albums in the early 1970s. After his rumored suicide, bootleg versions of his records become hits in South Africa. Two South African fans try to find out what really happened to Rodriguez and the movie shows the remarkable truth they uncover.
SHAWN: This is the rare documentary that actually doesn’t seem like a documentary. Fascinating to say the very least.
RUSS: What the filmmakers discovered in this real-life mystery is stranger than fiction.
SHAWN: That is so true. Not the best documentary I screened last year. But a totally interesting watch and one of the more fascinating biographies I’ve seen in a while.
RUSS: 4 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 3 Popcorn Bags
Follow Russ Simmons on twitter: @RussSimmons1
Follow Shawn Edwards on twitter: @sedwardskc
