Now Available to Own: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Into the Woods, Unbroken, and More

Brace your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available to Own for the week of March 24, 2015. Every Tuesday we run down new movie and television Blu-ray and DVD releases as well as new video game offerings that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home. We’ve also compiled some slick deals that can save you some coin. New on shelves this week are The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Into the Woods, Unbroken, and more.

Movies on Blu-Ray

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Peter Jackson) Rated PG-13 [144 min] – The Company of Thorin has reached Smaug’s lair; but can Bilbo and the Dwarves reclaim Erebor and the treasure? And, if so, can they hold on to it? Starring Martin Freeman, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage, and Evangeline Lilly

Remember in The Fellowship of the Ring when Gandalf exclaimed to the group, “run you fools!”? I believe he was prophesying about the production of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, which happens to be the worst of all six Middle-earth films. A glorious display of CGI vomit, there are more visual effects shots than there are actors and crew involved in its production. And aside from vestige of real people on screen, the story is stretched so paper thin that there is hardly any story to follow at all, making it feel like everything you’re watching is amounting to nothing. There is no soul or reasonable plot to hold on to and resonate with. SKIP IT. Special features included are:

Recruiting the Five Armies
Completing Middle-earth
The Last Goodbye: Behind the Scenes
The Last Goodbye Music Video
New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth, Part 3

Into the Woods (Rob Marshall) Rated PG [124 min] – A witch tasks a childless baker and his wife with procuring magical items from classic fairy tales to reverse the curse put on their family tree. Starring Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine, James Corden, and Emily Blunt

For such a wonderful cast, Into the Woods is fairly dull and lifeless. There isn’t anything really memorable about any of the iconic Grimm fairytale character. Not only that, the movie just doesn’t have enough fun with the concept of its shared universe to really make good on its promise. The actors sing well, but all the songs sound the same and none of them stand out either. And in the end, the film becomes a real mess at the end. RENT IT. Special features included are:

Never-Before-Seen Sondheim Original Song: “She’ll Be Back”
There’s Something About The Woods
The Cast As Good As Gold
Deeper Into The Woods
Filmmaker Commentary
Music & Lyrics
5 Golden Eggs (Easter Eggs)

Unbroken (Angelina Jolie) Rated PG-13 [137 min] – After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis Zamperini spends a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he’s caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. Starring Jack O’Connell, Takamasa Ishihara, Domhnall Gleeson, and Garrett Hedlund

I was not able to catch Unbroken in theaters because by the time it hit during the holiday season. There were so many movies out during Christmas and Unbroken had many bad reviews, so I chose to avoid watching the overly long biopic that seemed way too cookie cutter for me. It’s a story that we’ve seen a thousand times and I couldn’t find anything new about the story it was telling to pique my interest. RENT IT! Special features included are:

Inside Unbroken: Fifty Years in the Making
Inside Unbroken: The Fight of a Storyteller – Director Angelina Jolie
Inside Unbroken: The Hardiest Generation
The Real Louis Zamperini
Cast and Crew Concert Featuring Miyavi
Prison Camp Theater: Cinderella
Louis’ Path to Forgiveness

Video Games

Bloodborne (From Software) [Available for PlayStation 4] Introducing Bloodborne, the latest Action RPG from renowned Japanese developer FromSoftware, makers of the hit Dark Souls series, coming exclusively to the PlayStation®4 system. Face your fears as you search for answers in the ancient city of Yharnam, now cursed with a strange endemic illness spreading through the streets like wildfire. Danger, death and madness lurk around every corner of this dark and horrific world, and you must discover its darkest secrets in order to survive.

From what I can tell, Bloodborne has this Van Helsing like vibe. It scored very well across the board from critics. To me, it just seems like there’s a slew of horror games out there and this doesn’t have too much to differentiate itself from the pack. Key features included are:

A Terrifying New World – Journey to a horror-filled gothic city where deranged mobs and nightmarish creatures lurk around every corner.
Strategic Action Combat – Armed with a unique arsenal of weaponry, including guns and saw cleavers, you’ll need wits, strategy and reflexes to take down the agile and intelligent enemies that guard the city’s dark secrets.
A New Generation of Action RPG – Stunningly detailed gothic environments, atmospheric lighting, and advanced new online experiences showcase the power and prowess of the PlayStation 4 system.
Ever-changing Chalice Dungeons to Explore – Use holy chalices to gain entrance to a network of vast underground ruins, filled with traps, beasts, and rewards, to explore and conquer alone or with others. These procedurally generated dungeons offer brand new challenges to master, and can be uploaded or shared with friends.