New on DVD: Politics weigh down ‘Thank You for Your Service’

New on DVD

New DVD releases look at different aspects of what it means to be a hero.

“Thank You for Your Service”: The film focuses on Adam Schumann (Miles Teller), Tausolo Aieti (Beulah Koale) and Will Waller (Joe Cole), whose latest tours of duty include almost a year in the Middle East. Although none of buddies show any physical injuries, they have all been deeply broken by their experiences.

Director Jason Hall’s film ends up being worthy because it does act as a reminder of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who have served with honor and dignity only to return home to be treated with dishonor and not a sliver of the respect they are owed. All Hall had to do was push a little harder and “Thank You for Your Service” would have been more than an impressive public service announcement.

“Geostorm”: From the opening barrage about how in the not-so-distant future the debate over global warming will end because major climatic changes result in a steady stream of natural disasters to a conspiracy that goes all the way to the White House, “Geostorm” continuously finds ways to draw attention away from an interesting use of weather as a weapon by using a cold front of political jabber. A lot less emphasis on government issues and more on the freaky fatal furies of bad weather would have made for a better forecast.

Also coming to DVD on Jan. 23

“Jigsaw”: The Jigsaw Killer is back and taking his signature brand of evil to the next level.

“Earth: One Amazing Day”: BBC film that looks at the wonders of nature during a 24-hour period.

“Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense”: The metamorphosis of jazz is shown through the words, music and spirit of the artists redefining the sound.

“My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea”: Animated tale of high school friendship tested by a disaster.

“Dirk Gently; Season 2”: Self-proclaimed “holistic detective” investigates the death of a community leader.

“10 Cloverfield Lane”: John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead play two survivors of a supposed apocalyptic attack. It is being released in 4K Ultra HD.

“Chasing the Dragon”: Fighting champion must find a way to save his career threatened by the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

“Echotone”: Documentary that looks at Austin, Texas’s music scene though young musicians facing some tough questions.

“The Killing of a Sacred Deer”: Past incident comes back to haunt a doctor who seems to have a perfect life. Colin Farrell stars.

“Cloverfield”: Film that offers first-person video account of an attack in New York by an alien force is available on 4K Ultra HD to mark the 10th anniversary of its theatrical release.

“Roaring Abyss”: Director Quino Piqero’s documentary looks at how the universal language of music is impacting Ethiopia.

Tribune News Service