Review: New on DVD for May 31 (Includes first-hand account)

Set (Gerard Butler) and Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) are locked in a war to rule the universe. To defeat the merciless Set, Horus joins forces with Bek (Brenton Thwaites), a brave mortal, for a journey that will take them across Egypt, through the heavens, and into the afterlife in a quest to save mankind.

This movie boils down to a cross between Clash of the Titans, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Horus and Bek attempt a series of trials so the former can regain the throne, which brings them face-to-face with a series of myths and other gods including Ra (Geoffrey Rush) and Thoth (Chadwick Boseman). The action elements of the film include a glowing swordfight and flying through a narrow passage. And Bek encounters a number of traps upon entering Set’s vaults, including moving floors and spring-loaded spears. The rich colour schemes are dominated by opulent golds, leathery browns and pure whites, which create some very attractive scenes. But even though some aspects of the film were produced via practical effects, the CGI is so prevalent it’s difficult to tell the difference and causes these efforts to be somewhat negated.

Special features include: deleted storyboards; “A Divine Vision: Creating a Cinematic Action Fantasy”; “Of Gods and Mortals: The Cast”; “Transformation: Costume, Make-up & Hair”; “On Location: Shooting in Australia”; “The Battle for Eternity: Stunts”; and “A Window into Another World: Visual Effects.” (Lionsgate)

Jane Got a Gun (Blu-ray)

Jane Hammond (Natalie Portman) has built a new life with her husband Bill “Ham” Hammond (Noah Emmerich) after being tormented by the ultra-violent Bishop Boys outlaw gang. But she finds herself in the gang’s cross-hairs once again when Ham stumbles home riddled with bullets after dueling with the Boys and their relentless leader, John (Ewan McGregor). With the vengeful crew hot on Ham’s trail, Jane has nowhere to turn but to her former fiancé Dan Frost (Joel Edgerton) for help in defending her family against certain destruction.

The main plot point seems simple enough — a gang of hooligans are going to invade the Hammond’s homestead and they’re preparing to defend themselves. However, their collective history with the Bishop Boys is what makes things more interesting. As they try to fortify the house, the narrative repeatedly flashes back to significant moments over the last seven years. It’s not difficult to predict the gist of their history together, though the minutiae of their interactions with each other are far more terrible than most may imagine. These quiet, brooding roles are nothing new for Emmerich and Edgerton who are convincing cowboys, while Portman gets to dance between being self-sufficient and a damsel in distress. McGregor, however, is almost unrecognizable save for his voice. The dark hair and mustache really lend themselves to his villainy.

There are no special features. (VVS Films)

The Last Panthers (Blu-ray)

When several diamonds are stolen from a jewelry store in Marseilles, the heist bears the hallmarks of the supposedly retired Pink Panther gang. After a child is accidentally killed in their getaway, the thieves resort to desperate measures to fence the jewels. This sparks a series of events that set a British insurance-loss adjuster (Samantha Morton), a French-Algerian cop (Tahar Rahim) and a Serbian soldier-turned-diamond thief (Goran Bogdan) on a dramatic and dangerous collision course.

This six-part miniseries is inspired by the real-life Pink Panthers gang and the criminal evolution into white collar corruption. In spite of appearing to have nothing in common, as the narrative progresses it reveals the main characters’ connections and similarities in the past and present. Morton’s character may seem the strangest as one wouldn’t expect an insurance adjuster to go to the lengths she does to recover the diamonds, often mirroring and interfering with the police investigation. Their stories become increasingly complex, but are still easy to follow as they travel the continent in an attempt to sell or find the jewels. The series was filmed in an astounding seven countries across Europe and includes five languages, which adds to the picture’s authenticity.

Special features include: behind-the-scenes featurette; and photo gallery. (Acorn)

Triple 9 (Blu-ray)

When a bank-robbing crew of corrupt cops and ex-Special Forces soldiers is forced to attempt a nearly impossible heist for a ruthless mobster, they decide their only hope of survival is to distract the entire Atlanta police force with a “999” — cop code for “officer down.”

There arguably hasn’t been a heist movie this gritty and thrilling since Michael Mann’s Heat, released more than 20 years ago. In spite of their partnership, trust and likeability are coming to be in short supply as the complexity of their roles increase. While the robberies are expectedly gripping, one of the most intense and memorable sequences only involves two of the main characters and a raid. A newly promoted police officer (Casey Affleck) leads a unit to clear an apartment of armed gang members. With his partner (Anthony Mackie) and another officer walking in line behind the bulletproof shield, they search for the men that were just shooting at them moments earlier. The cast is unequivocally superb and also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Norman Reedus, Aaron Paul, Woody Harrelson, Clifton Collins, Jr. and Kate Winslet. Director John Hillcoat takes the thrilling script and top notch cast, and skillfully applies his experience with dark and intense narratives to produce a compelling and uncompromising crime drama that seizes viewers’ attentions for the full two hours.

Special features include: deleted scenes; “Under the Gun”; and “An Authentic World.” (Elevation Pictures)