Megamind, Harry Potter, The Tourist etc: April DVD & Blu-ray Round Up

April 4th

Megamind was a fun and frothy bit of comedy, that was a bit of a pleasant surprise when it came out in the cinemas. It benefits greatly from an impressive cast of voice actors headed by Will Ferrell, who is ably supported by Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross and Brad Pitt, who I always forget is a great comedy actor until I see (or in this case hear) him.

The central conceit of the film is that the eponymous Megamind (Ferrell) is a supervillain who has defeated his superhero Metro Man. After the initial glory of one of his fiendish plans finally working out for him, he finds that life isn't as much fun without a nemesis, so decides to create a new one. But then there's the other thing, despite seeing himself that way since childhood, Megamind isn't actually all that villainous at heart. So when his new 'Hero' Tighten (Titan, geddit?) turns into a threat to Metro City, he has to switch roles and play the hero for a change.

80s Movies: TRON (1982)

TRON didn't really need a sequel - the first film was so iconic that it still stands the test of time. A blend of live action, CGI and Disney animation gives it a look all of its own and has helped to make sure that, although it looks very 1980s, TRON doesn't look dated - it just looks like that's when it was set.

Having mentioned the sequel, though, it's probably worth pointing out that TRON: Legacy has a fairly similar storyline, look, sound and feel to the original, yet that's just fine. Any Jeff Bridges is good, and any return to the TRON universe is welcome here. I just really hope some people who've never seen TRON are inspired to give it a go, having seen the 2010 version.

TRON: Legacy

TRON: Legacy needs little introduction; if you didn't see the original TRON movie, you must have picked up on the hysteria surrounding this one. I'm not always one to buy into sequels, especially after a long delay, but recent years have delivered Terminator: Salvation, Predators, and now TRON: Legacy - and all have done justice to their lineage.

It's great to see Jeff Bridges back as Kevin Flynn - rest assured this is more than a cameo appearance and Bridges hasn't lost it, 30 years on from the first film. But Garrett Hedlund also does a fine job of taking the mantle as this instalment's lead character, Flynn's son Sam. An almost unrecognisable Olivia Wilde adds the main female presence as Quora, with Beau Garrett appearing as Jem - both characters providing beauty and strength in equal measures in a film where nobody is there purely to look at.

Advent Calendar - Dec 16th - TRON: Legacy iTunes download

If you're planning to go see TRON: Legacy, you could do worse than to book your seat with Cineworld. Right now they're offering a free iTunes download of a track from the TRON: Legacy soundtrack when you book online or at one of their box offices. It's not totally free, admittedly - you still have to pay to see the movie - but if you're a fan it's a nice perk.


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Advent Calendar - Dec 14th - Tron Legacy Trailer, and ride the light cycle

If you're anything like us at Popsiculture, you're probably a nervous, babbling wreck by now, in anticipation of the release of Tron Legacy in cinemas this Friday. You've seen the beautiful Razer gaming peripherals, you've heard the great Daft Punk soundtrack...well, to keep you going until Friday then we've got the latest official trailer for your perusal.


And if that's not enough, I recommend a quick visit to the official site, where amongst other things you can take a ride on a light cycle in a fun mini-game. Go on, you know you want to.

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Razer TRON Gaming Peripherals

I was born in the early 1980s. Computers were new and the internet was something nobody understood and few people had heard of - the Matthew Broderick movie WarGames is a fine example of how things worked back then. All we knew was what we saw in the movies - that the inside of a computer contains lots of skyscrapers laid out like city blocks and information flies around between them like an emergency response helicopter.

But TRON, the 1982 Jeff Bridges movie, actually goes one step further than that and suggests computer programs are almost sentient beings, with their own personalities and ambitions. It's probably no coincidence that I've always named my computers - and even given separate names to separate hard drives - working on those kinds of influences. And it's probably not surprising to anyone who knows me that I'm pretty thrilled to see Razer's TRON: LEGACY Light Cycle mouse, matching mouse pad and keyboard go on sale after being announced back in the summer. The countdown to the release of TRON: LEGACY in the cinemas is well and truly on.