Among today’s most eagerly awaited home video releases are DreamWorks Animation’s CG-animated family film, Bee Movie, and Warner Home Entertainment’s anime sequel Appleseed Ex Machina from producer John Woo. Each has a deluxe, two-disc edition complete with commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes and other juicy bonus materials. Also arriving at retail is Hitman, 20 Century Fox’s big-screen take on the Eidos video game.
Bee Movie is the story of Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld), a recent college graduate who ventures outside the hive and gets educated on the world of humans. With the help of a florist named Vanessa (Rene Zellweger), Barry sets out to sue the human race for stealing bee honey. Also lending their voices to the film are Alan Arkin, Kathy Bates, Robert Duvall, Eric Idle, Larry King, William H. Macy, Tim Blake Nelson, Uma Thurman, Patrick Warburton, Oprah Winfrey and Matthew Broderick.
The movie is available as a single-disc release and as a special two-disc special edition boasting ‘More Jerry Seinfeld.’ Extras include the featurettes Tech of Bee Movie, Inside the Hive: The Cast of Bee Movie and Meet Barry B. Benson. There’s also commentary and trivia tracks, lost scenes, alternate endings, video of Seinfeld’s perilous promotional flight over Cannes, a ‘We Got the Bee’ music video, DreamWorks Animation Video Juke Box previews, DVD ROM games and DreamWorks Kids activities including ‘Be a Bee’ and ‘Pollination Practice.’
Based on the manga by Shirow Masamune, the latest installment in the Appleseed animated franchise finds ESWAT officers Deunan, Briareos and Tereus charged with preserving the peace of the city-state of Olympus as the hi-tech sanctuary comes under attack by cyborg terrorists, deadly nanotech zealots and rioting citizens. Directed by Shinji Aramaki, who helmed the first two installments, the movie is available in a two-disc collectors edition packaged in a collectible tin. Bonus features include the behind-the-scenes featurettes Team Up: John Woo and Shinji Aramaki and Revoluton: Animating Ex Machina. There’s also filmmaker commentary and the documentaries The Appleseed Chronicles: The Definitive History of This Anime Phenomenon and East Meets West: Similarities and Variations in How Different Cultures Enjoy the Art Form.
Hitman stars Deadwood‘s Timothy Olyphant as a man who was bred to be an elite assassin. On assignment in Eastern Europe, he finds himself ensnared in political controversy and pursued by Interpol and the Russian Military. The two-disc unrated version from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment offers an alternate ending, ten featurettes and a gag reel, plus a digital copy and portable digital copy of the film.
