ROTTEN TOMATOES: RT on DVD: Into the Wild, Things We Lost In The Fire, My Kid Could Paint That Arrive

RT on DVD: Into the Wild, Things We Lost In The Fire, My Kid Could Paint That Arrive

Emile Hirsch's Alaskan backpacker joined by an art prodigy, Halle Berry, and Natalie Portman.

by Jen Yamato | March 03, 2008

Into the Wild, Sean Penn's lyrical adventure about a young idealist on a cross-country trek, leads new DVDs this week. A controversial child artist (My Kid Could Paint That) and Halle Berry's latest drama (Things We Lost in the Fire) round out the fresh releases, but it just goes downhill from there (Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium).

Into the Wild

Tomatometer: 83%

For those of us who've ever thought about just picking up and leaving the world behind, there is the real-life story about 24-year-old Christopher McCandless, who in 1990 donated his life savings to charity and set off on a cross-country odyssey to find himself. If you've read Jon Krakauer's best-selling non-fiction book of the same name, then you know how it all turned out for McCandless, but here director Sean Penn crafts an epic, time-jumping adventure set against some of the most stunning landscapes in America. Emile Hirsch captures the hero's restless spirit well as he tumbles in and out of the lives of strangers (including Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, and Hal Holbrook in an Oscar-nominated performance); Eddie Vedder provides original songs, including the Golden Globe-winning "Guaranteed."

My Kid Could Paint That

Tomatometer: 93%

Art is always subjective, but especially so when it's abstract -- so how difficult is it to evaluate the random splatterings of a 4-year-old Picasso? Such is the debate within this acclaimed (and controversial) documentary by Amir Bar Lev, who gains intimate access with child prodigy Marla Olmstead and her family as Marla's first works are sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Were Marla's celebrated paintings true pieces of art? Did she even paint them herself? A commentary track and featurette appear in the bonus menu, but the highlight may be a 35-minute documentary on the notorious falling out between the Olmsteads and filmmaker Lev following the release of the film itself.

Things We Lost In The Fire

Tomatometer: 65%

When her husband is killed, a woman (Halle Berry) invites his drug-addled best friend (Benicio del Toro) to stay with her family in this English-language debut from Danish director Suzanne Bier. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker, trained in the experimental school of the Dogme95 clan, injects a European sensibility into her story of loss; don't let shaky camera and jump-cuts dissuade you from taking in a pair of brave performances by the two leads.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

Tomatometer: 35%

Despite the star power of its two leads, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, about a 243-year-old toy shop owner (Dustin Hoffman) passing the reins over to his doubtful assistant (Natalie Portman), failed to charm most critics. While perhaps a visually whimsical treat suitable for children, adults unfortunate enough to sit through director Zach Helm's flight of fancy might find themselves longing for other, better toy story fare. A spattering of behind-the-scenes featurettes and a paper airplane tutorial DVD-ROM round out the release.

Until next week, happy renting!

Related Items

Movie:	Things We Lost in the Fire
	My Kid Could Paint That
	Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
	Into the Wild
Celeb:	Dustin Hoffman
	Natalie Portman
	Benicio Del Toro
	Halle Berry
	Susanne Bier
	Cate Blanchett
	Emile Hirsch

(1-20 of 23 posts) | Reply

Mcpeer3 writes:
on Mar 03 2008 04:54 PM

I"m not there isn't coming out on DVD tomorrow... check on amazon, bestbuy, or any other online site.

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Mar 03 2008 05:18 PM

Im not THERE comes out in MAY. Im definately getting INTO THE WILD tomorrow. March and april are the best dvd months. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, I AM LEGEND (GO WATCH THE ALTERNATE ENDING ON YOUTUBE), SOUTHLAND TALES (I HOPE THEY RELEASE A DIRECTOR'S CUT FOR SOUTHLAND AND I AM LEGEND), THE MIST, SWEENEY TODD, ATONEMENT, WALK HARD, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, JUNO, and BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD. Damn I better start saving cash....alot of cash.

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jeremyd4 writes:
on Mar 03 2008 09:20 PM

Whilst the alternate ending to I AM LEGEND is an improvement, it doesn't redeem the film. Not that it's a bad movie (it certainly has its moments) ...it's just when considering the source material, you can't help but think what a wasted opportunity. It could've been something epic and something great. Sure, they went one step closer to getting it right, as opposed to the previous films that've tackled the book BUT why if they were going to make it "almost" like the book, didn't they just add those other elements (and ending) that makes it a classic.

There's a reason the story is called I AM "LEGEND" ...the movie hinted at it but didn't quite seem to grasp just why Neville is a legend in the context of what has happened.

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CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe writes:
on Mar 03 2008 10:09 PM

Hey, I just can't figure why there is so much criticism of I am

Legend, it was a good movie and that's all i was expecting. Guys, i know

the story probably deserved better but take a moment and think.. how many

best selling books truely get an epic and justified film adaptation,hmm ?

I know you can name more than a few BUT more than most stories don't get

justified treatment and are left in the middle of very good and ordinary. so,

i tink all things considered the book got a barely justified adaptation hey

it could be worse y'know.

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vaodsi writes:
on Mar 03 2008 10:15 PM

into the wild was awesome. i really (REALLLLLLY) liked that movie. and hal holbrook should have one the oscar (NOT to say that Javier Bardem didn't deserve it...... i just thought holbrook deserved it more! but.... i'm not the academy ;)

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Mar 03 2008 10:17 PM

In reply to this comment (#1615375)
Yeah I thought I AM LEGEND was good, but with this different ending it makes it pretty good. We all know there will be a DIRECTOR'S CUT, considering the DVD has like no special feature, and does not include that whole other hour of footage they cutted out. They need more footage of SMITH walking around NEW YORK in the begining; the infected were shown way to early, it needs more info on the virus, they need to improve the look of the infected, and put some more blood in it. Thats what would make the movie great, also the DVD should have a bunch of bonus features.

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Mar 03 2008 10:19 PM

I AM LEGEN was really choppy, and you could tell the editor cut a bunch of scenes short.

(Reply to this)

jeremyd4 writes:
on Mar 03 2008 11:27 PM

they need to make Will Smith more terrifying to the monsters... they need to lose those two characters that pop in at the end, which ruin the whole point of the movie.

(Reply to this)

jeremyd4 writes:
on Mar 03 2008 11:39 PM

CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe, there are two ways of looking at it.... You can take a book and put it on screen exactly how it reads. 2 recent examples being Lord of the Rings, and, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. This way, fans aren't usually disappointed because you covered it all, and haven't messed around with the "formula".

Or.... you can do like Fight Club or Trainspotting, essentially cover the story in the book, but do so in a stylized way. The end result being something that can stand it's own ground as unique piece of artwork I guess.

With I AM LEGEND (starring Will Smith), they basically tried to cover the story in the book (the first option as above) but unfortunately removed bits which make it so much better. They also altered things like how Neville got the dog, so as to make it more "Hollywood" and heartwarming... Read the synopsis of the book on Wikipedia if you haven't got the time to actually read the book, and you'll immediately see why the altering of the film completely dumbed down the story. It's not like budget could be a reasonable excuse though, I think just laziness on the director's part.

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simplekindoflovely writes:
on Mar 04 2008 05:22 AM

Yeah, what's up with reporting "I'm Not There." is out today? Everywhere else I checked says May 6.

False hopes, man. False hopes :o(

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Product_of_You writes:
on Mar 04 2008 05:54 AM

The reason why I Am Legend takes so much crap is because it wasn't very good. Especially considering the novel. Basically the only thing the two had in common was the name of the main character and the idea that he was alon in New York. Yet he was alone for a completely different reason, and the vampires weren't really vampires, they were basically zombies. And once the badly cgi'd zombies were revealed the whole movie lost its sense of fear. The thing that really made the book great was its characterization of the zampires, and this was completely void from the film. I wish that someone would make an I Am Legend movie one day; it could be great.

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Gimy writes:
on Mar 04 2008 08:23 AM

oh dude thats just shady...the only release i wanted to see was I'm Not There. yet its NOT comin out?? now i got like dvd blue balls...so much anticipation...yet, i'm gettin' nothin!

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FLYmeatwad writes:
on Mar 04 2008 08:49 AM

I've been waiting since November to see I'm NOt There again and when I saw this I nearly flipped out. Now I check around and I, once again, hear May. Rotten Tomatoes, you have just crushed my dreams.

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DiscoDan writes:
on Mar 04 2008 09:16 AM

ugh you got me so excited about "I'm Not There" and it doesn't come out till may!!!!

(Reply to this)

nathanpoitras writes:
on Mar 04 2008 09:26 AM

I checked Amazon for I'm Not There and guess what, It's Not There.

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dracus writes:
on Mar 04 2008 09:40 AM

Don't say much for this week's DVD releases when the one that's getting most of the attention isn't coming until May.

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Jen Yamato writes:
on Mar 04 2008 10:11 AM

Sorry guys, our mistake. Correction made.

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samlane writes:
on Mar 04 2008 12:24 PM

In reply to this comment (#1615440)
Sorry Jeremy but i would not consider Lord of the Rings a movie that plays exactly how it reads. The adaptation of the books was the major reason i was dissapointed in the movies. I thought they did a pretty bad adaptation. They just took out way to much stuff and made way to many unnessary changes.

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jokerboy1991 writes:
on Mar 04 2008 03:08 PM

In reply to this comment (#1616063)
Dont you dare call THE LORD OF THE RINGS a bad series!...dont you dare!

(Reply to this)

jeremyd4 writes:
on Mar 04 2008 05:34 PM

LOTR was pretty spot on, especially with the "Extended Editions". In contrast to I AM LEGEND too, it's quite obvious which director understood and respected his source material more.

(Reply to this)