ENTERTAINMENT

Home Video: Summer now in full swing

Todd Hill
Reporter

The summer movie season may be long gone, but for those of us who didn’t make it to the cineplex much over the past several months, this week is the equivalent of the Fourth of July. Maybe you’re someone who prefers to see certain movies more than once, or you’re just in to collecting them. There’s plenty to choose from for you as well.

New movies

"Avengers: Age of Ultron." You've seen this sort of thing before, and undoubtedly will again. The superhero sequel is a small step down from its predecessor. This is a glossy, expensive production and it shows. The A-list cast is to die for, the special effects are top of the line. And the result is boilerplate. There's a villain, of course, Ultron (James Spader), and all the superheroes, sour-faced and glum, must defeat him because the fate of the world hangs in the balance, and so forth. Most of the movie consists of chaotic violence and explosions. Part of the Fox Home Entertainment Holiday Collection. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action, violence and destruction, and for some suggestive comments. 141 min.

"Me and Earl and the Dying Girl." Gem-like indies like this one see the light of day much less frequently these days (maybe it's all that money spent on superhero flicks), but of those efforts, this may be the best of the year. It tells a coming-of-age story, so common to the genre, about a teen (Thomas Mann) who doesn't do much except make small films with his mate (RJ Cyler) until he befriends a girl who's dying of cancer (Olivia Cooke). Expect third-act poignancy (yes, this is adapted from a young-adult novel), but the mini-films are hilarious and nothing short of brilliant. Rated PG-13 for sexual content, drug material, language and some thematic elements. Part of the Fox Home Entertainment Holiday Collection. 105 min.

"Magic Mike XXL." It's curious how quickly this would-be franchise about male strippers ran out of gas. The sequel is no worse than the 2012 original, although director Steven Soderbergh didn't return, evidently wisely. Also gone is Matthew McConaughey. But Channing Tatum, a onetime stripper, is back, bumping and grinding again. The movie isn't much more than a party, and everyone seems to be having a good time even if the storyline never goes anywhere. Perhaps "XXL" has a future as the entertainment at bachelorette parties too lame for the real thing. Rated R for strong sexual content, pervasive language, some nudity and drug use. 115 min.

"Escobar: Paradise Lost." There are two movies fighting to get out here. One is an examination of the life and times of Colombian drug lord Pedro Escobar, and Benicio Del Toro is absolutely terrific as the enigmatically benevolent gangster. But "Escobar" ultimately dwells on a mild Canadian surfer type played by an even milder Josh Hutcherson (the "Hunger Games" films). What begins as a character study devolves into a routine man-on-the-run thriller, and it actually works on that level. More than anything, however, the film feels like a missed opportunity. Rated R for violence including grisly images. In Spanish with English subtitles. 120 min.

Television

"Little House on the Prairie: The Complete Series Deluxe Remastered Edition." Wholesome, heartwarming shows such as this abound on TV today, although to find them you have to go to ABC Family, soon to be known as Freeform in an effort to become less wholesome and heartwarming. All 208 episodes of the 1974-83 series are here on 48 discs, with their picture and sound restored. … Also out this week is the 18th season of Comedy Central's "South Park" (220 min. on two discs) as well as the six-hour Spike miniseries "Tut," about the Egyptian king and his closest adviser, played by Ben Kingsley. Backhanded machinations abound.

Top 10

Here are this week's most popular movie rentals as compiled by Rotten Tomatoes: "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Furious 7," "The Divergent Series: Insurgent," "Pitch Perfect 2," "Mad Max: Fury Road," "Cinderella," "Spy," "The Age of Adaline," "Poltergeist" and "Magic Mike XXL."

thill3@nncogannett.com

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Twitter: @ToddHillMNJ