Johnny Depp’s career has been erratic lately, but he keeps plugging away with pictures, working to entertain himself between “Pirates of the Caribbean” sequels. “Mortdecai” is his most indulgent effort since his unexpected surge in global box office popularity, gifting himself an opportunity to make a Peter Sellers movie, or perhaps a long lost “Austin Powers” sequel. Based on the novels by Kyril Bonfiglioli, “Mortdecai” is thoroughly silly business, requiring Depp transform himself once again into a wobbly British boob. Shades of Jack Sparrow are difficult to brush away, but the film stands as its own creation, finding director David Koepp busying himself with slapstick set-pieces that mostly work, if one can find the proper mood for the feature’s limited but unexpectedly available charms. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Before George Lucas reached out and collected billions by selling his own studio to the Walt Disney Corporation in 2012, there was one last movie in production. “Strange Magic” is a CG-animated endeavor conceived by Lucas and directed by Gary Rydstrom (famed sound man who worked on the “Star Wars” films), and it plays up many of the themes and visuals Lucasfilm has used to help build an empire over the last 45 years of smash hits and interesting failures. Unfortunately, “Strange Magic” falls somewhere between the two extremes, emerging as an ambitious but overstuffed take on Shakespeare by way of a jukebox musical. Living up to its title, the feature is wildly bizarre, but it’s also more fatiguing than it should be, asking audiences to be patient with a picture that hangs around log after its initial charms wear off. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After screaming, punching, and wisecracking her way through multiple live-action endeavors, it’s about time that Madea is finally turned into a cartoon. Tyler Perry’s cash machine returns to life in “Madea’s Tough Love,” which transforms an already animated character into actual animation, electing the cheapy Korean-produced route to visualize a brand-new adventure for everyone’s favorite felon, allowing Perry to put in the least amount of effort as he ages out of the role. It’s a fitting transition for Madea, who’s completely at home as a rubberized cartoon personality, making an appropriate ruckus with this broad but easily digestible family film. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The curious career of director Rob Cohen takes another predictably disastrous turn with “The Boy Next Door.” An attempt to fashion his own “Fatal Attraction,” Cohen once again arrives with his shoelaces tied together, unable to pull a single moment of suspense or even basic drama out of an exhaustively moronic screenplay by Barbara Curry, who’s equally to blame for this insufferable motion picture. Laughably inept, appallingly performed, and riddled with enough gaps in logic to qualify it as a sci-fi endeavor, “The Boy Next Door” isn’t even approachable as junk food, failing to turn flatlining material into deliciously sinful escapism. And here I thought Cohen couldn’t get any worse than 2012’s “Alex Cross.” I stand corrected. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A few years ago, writer/director Tomm Moore made a dent in the notoriously competitive animation marketplace with “The Secret of Kells,” a charming adventure that eventually worked its way to an Academy Award nomination. Not too shabby for a modestly budget effort from Ireland. Eschewing a bold follow-up to play into industry trends, Moore returns with “Song of a Sea,” another delightfully modest picture that trusts in the power of imagery and amplifies a spectacularly successful sense of emotion. A gorgeously crafted take on Celtic myths and sibling bonds, “Song of the Sea” is a soulful smash, with Moore absolutely nailing the needs the heart to go along with his now expected finesse with traditional animation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Still Alice” is likely to be the most daunting filmgoing experience of the year, asking viewers to view the mental deterioration of brilliant woman. An adaptation of a 2007 book by Lisa Genova, “Still Alice” takes on the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease, with writer/directors Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer working to make a palatable picture out of a harrowing subject. The effort is largely successful, with the feature compassionate, honest, and superbly articulated by the cast, with special emphasis on Julianne Moore’s striking lead performance, which provides a direct identification of decay and the fight to preserve the memories that remain. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Putin’s Russia gets a thorough workout in “Leviathan,” a potent look at the state of political and personal corruption in rural areas. Its substantial run time (140 minutes) is eased along by its exceptional tech credits and bruising performances, funneled into an intimate story that keeps vital emotions within reach as cultural concepts take some time to work through. It’s strong work that’s not always satisfying, but its silent power registers as intended, creating a hypnotic atmosphere of unrest that fuels several sensational scenes and a decidedly unsettling conclusion. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Credit must be paid to writer/director Kate Barker-Froyland for even attempting to make something as still as “Song One.” It’s a film filled with musical performances, but the picture is largely made up of quiet reflection, with character interactions limited to knowing looks and painful understandings. It doesn’t entirely work, especially to those who might find the live performance angle of the feature rough on the ears, but “Song One” is encouragingly earnest, providing hope that with a more refined approach, Barker-Froyland will one day be able to tap into intimate emotions while securing a stronger narrative. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Here’s a film that deals with immense pain, both physical and mental. It has a rare opportunity to address the struggle of those who cannot work past their agony, one step away from giving up on life altogether. It opens a door to a fascinating study of depression, yet “Cake” would rather be a basic cable movie than a gritty cinematic dissection of behavior. While the lead performance from Jennifer Aniston is credible and the one element of the production that works in full, the rest of “Cake” feels like a series of pulled punches, with director Daniel Barnz trying desperately to keep his feature approachable despite a devastating subject matter. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Simon Helberg is best known as a cast member on the hit television show “The Big Bang Theory,” allowing his personal touch with comedy to connect with millions of viewers in the comfort of their own homes. On the big screen, Helberg hasn’t enjoyed much luck. Attempting to alter his cinematic fortunes, Helberg and wife Jocelyn Towne have teamed up to issue “We’ll Never Have Paris,” which puts the actor front and center in a tale of bent relationships and obsessive behavior. Helberg is venturing into Woody Allen territory with the picture, and he’s a lot like Allen, minus the sense of humor, comedic timing, likability, masculinity, and directorial skill. Looking to secure his position as a viable leading man for multiplexes everywhere, “We’ll Never Have Paris” is a great reason to root for “The Big Bang Theory” to stick around for ten more seasons. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Vice” has been marketed as an update of “Westworld,” and one with sexier qualities, giving the premise a fresh spin for a modern audience. However, there’s very little of “Westworld” in the picture, which plays more like a rip-off of “RoboCop.” Marking the return of schlockmeister filmmaker Brian A. Miller (helmer of such Redbox filler as “The Prince” and “The Outsider”), “Vice” is yet another muddle of clichés from the director, who seems determined to turn everything he touches into a blue-tinted firestorm of shoot-outs, chases, and unenthused performances. While the effort holds initial promise, hope doesn’t last for very long, with budget-minded mayhem making the movie feel noisy and hollow. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Paddington Bear has been a beloved fixture of children’s literature since his debut in 1959. His legacy has endured through numerous books (written by Michael Bond), a few animated television series, and now his first feature film, which gives the character a CG-animated makeover to help him compete in the marketplace. Directed and co-scripted by Paul King, “Paddington” is a largely successful translation of Bond’s world to the big screen, though prone to formulaic plotting and routine kid-pleasing mischief. Launched with a British sensibility, “Paddington” is engaging and gentle, and while it won’t win any awards for originality, it manages a few laughs and a surprising amount of warmth. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com