TRANSFORMERS
Directed by Michael Bay
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel
Distributed by Berjaya HVN

PERHAPS one of the most anticipated movies of the decade, Transformers brought to the big screen the fixation of a generation of kids growing up in the 1980s.

According to the movie's director Michael Bay, their art server had 39,000 attempted hacks by fans; if you loved robots as a child, you'll probably love computers by a young adult. And these young people just couldn't wait to see what their favourite characters would look like.

The answer, as we discovered last year, was out of this world. We had known Optimus Prime and Megatron as mere comic book drawings and animated figures and many of us would have wondered about the depiction of nine metre-tall robots on the big screen.

It doesn't matter if it's the good guys or the bad guys, these transforming robots — from cars, helicopters, construction vehicles — are awesome.
The story, of course, is basic. Decepticons are out to bring about the end of the world and the Autobots are out to stop them. And in the midst of it all, humans become heroes.

Now that it's on DVD, you can watch and re-watch all the bits with the Transformers in them, especially the oh-too-short battle between Prime and Megatron, and not have to sit through all that stuff they call "plot".

Bonus features: Just one, and it isn't very good, which makes you wonder what's the point of getting the single disc DVD. Michael Bay's running commentary only seems to focus on the action onscreen about 20 per cent of the time as he instead spends time talking about how he was roped into the project and anecdotes on production and background marketing stuff.

All great over a round of drinks but not when you're trying to figure out how they pulled this or that particular scene off. — By Shannon Teoh

Rating: ***

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom
Distributed by Berjaya HVN

While the trilogy steadily got less amusing and more predictable, the scale of the adventure just got bigger and bigger and upped the ante on the "wow" factor.

From saving Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) from Davy Jones' Locker to preserving the pirates' way of life, At World's End plays out like a satisfying end to a series of movies should. Its momentum builds towards an Armageddon-esque end, which ties together pretty much the essence of the adventure so far in a epic final sequence.

There's plenty of pirate-y scheming to stretch the movie nearly past the three-hour mark. For those who watch this with glee and yet dread the end in what must be the best pirate adventure in the history of pop culture, this is a welcome element, as At World's End is the longest of the three Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Still there is a sense of slight disappointment here as it lacks some of the comic hijinks of before. This time, we engage in a mess of a narrative, where missing any five-minute sequence will leave you totally adrift of the plot.

Thank goodness for this DVD then.

Bonus features: New Bloopers of the The Caribbean is a five-minute plus out-take of behind-the-scenes gaffes. Nice, but nothing spectacular. The real draw of getting this disc is really to dissect the levels of plot that are ladled on too thickly for one-time viewing. — By Shannon Teoh

Rating: ***

HEARTBREAK KID
Directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly
Starring Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan, Malin Akerman
Distributed by Berjaya HVN

A rip-roaring gross comedy with less body fluid references (as compared to There's Something About Mary), the film is another winner by the Farrelly brothers.

It has heart, although bruised and battered, having gone through a series of misfortunes and much twisted humour. It is sweet at times, and Stiller, as usual, manages to bring much tenderness to comic routines.

Stiller is Eddie, who ties the knot with Lila (Akerman) after a short romance. On their honeymoon, his seemingly perfect wife turns out to be a "nutcase". Michelle Monaghan is Miranda, a guest at the resort where the couple is staying, who teaches Eddie a valuable lesson about love.

Some scenes which are missing from the film version due to the twisted nature of the humour are restored here – and they're quite ridiculously funny.

Bonus features: The Farrelly brothers provide the commentary for the movie, from the choice of soundtrack to the extras for a particular scene. They even agree that Malin Akerman looks and sounds like Cameron Diaz ("she killed the role"), which we all agree.

The French Tradition features an interview with the siblings, which has little to do with the movie – their dad's dark humour to their gross practical jokes as children. One thing you'll learn from this – they are quite boring people. What's hilarious is Heartbreak Halloween, with the cast and crew goofing around during filming around Halloween, including Peter as Jennifer Beals in Flashdance, complete with leg warmers and cut-off oversized shirt. The Egg Toss is just a mindless game to "gel the crew" in Los Angeles where they toss eggs at each other. Gag Reel is not that great, while the Deleted Scenes don't really have anything meaty in them. — By Faridul Anwar Farinordin

Rating: ***

WORLD TRADE CENTER
Directed by Oliver Stone
Starring Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello
Distributed by Berjaya HVN

Renowned director Oliver Stone retells the tragedy of the Sept 11 from the perspectives of the men who are trapped underneath the collapsed building. The intense drama has plenty of tender moments as we follow the victims' family members whose lives are put on hold until they hear news of their loved ones.

Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena star as New York city Port Authority policemen John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, who take the viewers into gripping hours of hope, loss, forgiveness, redemption and survival. It is both heroic and traumatic, and the true story is harrowingly scary in the sense that tragedy strikes when you least expect it.

Bonus features: Jimeno, as well as other survivors Scott Strauss, John Busching and Paddy McGee, give insights into the events that unfold through the Commentary feature.

Listening to the real survivors reliving the first-hand experiences makes this DVD worth every ringgit. Details of the gruelling hours as the men braced themselves for the devastation convey a new experience to the disaster and the movie-watching experience.

Some parts of the movie are very disturbing to these survivors and you will understand why. Some of the Deleted/Extended Scenes (with an option of commentary by director Oliver Stone — with subtitles please, because he mumbles) sets a new tone to the film, but were removed because they were "too intense too early". And some are really gory. — By Faridul Anwar Farinordin

Rating: ***