Writer/director Adam McKay teased frustration with the American banking system in 2010’s “The Other Guys,” but now he’s fully outraged. Adapting a book by Michael Lewis, McKay (who co-scripts with Charles Randolph) attempts to provide a broad education on corruption with “The Big Short,” which intricately details the events leading up to the 2008 Financial Crisis. Calling up an army of star power and attacking the sobering material with a fleeting sense of humor, McKay aims for the impossible, taking on the most “eat your veggies” story of the film year. He almost pulls it off too, as “The Big Short” has a funny way of being completely illuminating between suffocating stretches of exposition and overacting. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

On a hot streak of pictures that celebrate damaged lives with underdog stories, writer/director David O. Russell cools his manic approach with “Joy.” Dramatizing the true story of Joy Mangano, the inventor of the Miracle Mop, Russell appears baffled by the task at hand, unsure if he’s making a bio-pic or an inspirational story, leaving the feature confused at times, with an unsatisfying amount of detail trickling in. But this is why Jennifer Lawrence is around, delivering a mature and deeply felt performance as Joy, helping Russell achieve a grander sense of life in motion the rest of the movie surprisingly lacks. Missing the punch of “The Fighter,” the sugar rush of “Silver Linings Playbook,” and the strut of “American Hustle,” “Joy” comes across undercooked and unfocused, exposing a fatigued Russell. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Mustang” is a movie that’s designed to be uncomfortable. It’s not an easy sit, but it’s a remarkably realized picture from co-writer/director Deniz Gamze Erguven, who delivers a fully emotional experience with a story that reaches for a grader condemnation of Turkish culture. Mixing domestic horrors with pained reflection, “Mustang” does a terrific job getting inside character headspace, finding an exhausting but informative psychological viewpoint that develops throughout the story, amplified by exceptional performances from the largely untested cast. It may seem like medicine, but the feature has important ideas to share about the ways of the world, winding its way through surprises and heartbreak with fresh energy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Bruce Willis was once one of the biggest movies stars in the world, and now he’s playing second banana to Kellan Lutz. “Extraction” is the latest in a growing number of paycheck roles for Willis, who simply doesn’t care about his professional reputation anymore, content to sleepwalk through VOD actioners. Thankfully, Lutz is a little more animated in the picture, which is as routine as they come, watching secret agents battle through nondescript locations, with director Steven C. Miller more interested in the fight sequences than building any type of story. “Extraction” is an exhaustively paint-by-numbers affair, and nobody is more bored with it than Willis. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s been a decade since the release of the last “Star Wars” film (2005’s “Revenge of the Sith”), but the “The Force Awakens” isn’t very interested in the George Lucas prequels. Instead, the new picture is a continuation of the Original Trilogy, attempting to pick up where 1983’s “Return of the Jedi” left off, hoping to rekindle a bit of the old big screen magic with familiar characters and dramatic situations. Co-writer/director J.J. Abrams embarks on a daunting challenge of nostalgia and world-building with the feature, and he’s wildly successful with his revival efforts, triumphantly jump-starting the franchise for a fresh round of sequels and spin-offs that hope to play to all ages and degrees of fandom. As a series starter pistol, “The Force Awakens” packs substantial firepower. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s the pairing of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler that’s immensely appealing about “Sisters.” There doesn’t even really need to be a movie to support the co-stars, as the very idea of shenanigans hosted by two of the top comedians working today is enough to satisfy. However, there is a feature to go along with the billing, and “Sisters” is a modestly successful one, dedicated to showcasing various levels of silliness from Fey and Poehler, who were last seen together in 2007’s “Baby Mama.” While it ends up overstaying its welcome, perhaps mirroring the house party crisis at the center of the story, the film is entertaining, often content to sit back and let the actresses weave their special brand of absurdity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

If you think it’s crazy that we’re up to four “Alvin and the Chipmunk” movies, imagine being Jason Lee, who probably signed on for the original 2007 picture as a lark, doing one for the kids while collecting an easy paycheck. Eight years later, and he’s still scolding CGI critters. “The Road Chip” returns the famous singing rodents to the screen after a four year break, and the act hasn’t changed since 2011’s “Chipwrecked,” with the latest adventure covering all the family film basics, including heartwarming brotherly bonding, mild thrills, and bathroom humor. “The Road Chip” is a drag, just like the rest of the franchise, but director Walt Becker at least attempts to liven up the PG-rated banality with oddity, looking to entertain all ages with this unnecessary sequel. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A seasonal mood attempts to survive “Christmas Eve,” a strange multi-character dramedy that’s interested in dissecting the meaning of faith while also providing fart jokes. Writer/director Mitch Davis (who adapts a screenplay by Tyler McKeller) has his heart in the right place with the effort, which strives to put personalities first, enjoying the combustibility of strangers forced into a pressurized situation. If only “Christmas Eve” were funnier, faster, and more profound, with the results playing like an anemic television movie that’s more concerned with filling the time period than extracting the ideal amount of tension. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The life and times of Dalton Trumbo is a sufficient start for any cinematic exploration, but “Trumbo” focuses on the writer’s professional fight during the 1950s, where the proud Communist and successful screenwriter watched as his life was shredded by politics and betrayal, robbing him of his identity during his prime creative years. “Trumbo” isn’t interested is anything beyond the wreckage, while director Jay Roach slips into melodramatic mode once too often. The feature is professionally acted and compelling in bite-sized portions, but the overall arc of suffering is treated like a cartoon in Roach’s hands. He isn’t making a picture about a period, he’s making a period picture, diluting key moments of emotional devastation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com