November 14, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 19 Latest Blu-ray/DVD releases include ‘The Watch’ by Dennis Seuling “The Watch” (20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment) is the story of Costco manager and community go-getter Evan (Ben Stiller), who decides the town needs a civilian patrol. He starts a Neighborhood Watch, enlisting Bob (Vince Vaughn), who just wants to get out of the house; Franklin (Jonah Hill), a rejected applicant for the local police force; and Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade), a frizzy-haired guy of vague ethnicity. “The Watch” fails in its predictable, awkward attempt to blend assorted genres into a laugh riot. The script by Seth Rogen, Jared Stern, and Evan Goldberg is a fruitless attempt to milk gags from an idea that might have looked better on paper than it does on screen. Director Akiva Schaffer is adrift in trying to bring that script to comic life, and many scenes look amateurish. Stiller’s blank look is supposed to get laughs, but he comes off as rigid and unamusing. A subplot involving his sexual difficulties with his wife, Abby (Rosemarie DeWitt), might account for his disengaged demeanor, but hardly generates laughter. Hill recycles his nerdy schnook character from many earlier films and struggles to be funny, but he is fighting the sub-par script. Ayoade attempts to get laughs from describing his character’s sexual fantasies. Vaughn carries most of the weight in turettes. The film is also available as a single-disc DVD. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” (HBO Home Entertainment) still holds the record as highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time. Based on the autobiographical onewoman show written by Nia Vardalos, the film has been released in a 10th Anniversary special edition. Toula Portokalos (Vardalos) is the 30year-old single daughter of Greek immigrants who is expected to marry a Greek man and conform to the traditional wishes of her family. However, Toula wants more for herself. She enrolls in a computer course at college and gains the self-confidence to change her appearance and her whole attitude. Her change attracts the attention of handsome Ian Miller (John Corbett), who wins Toula despite her anxieties and her family’s shocked opposition. After all, he is not Greek. Ian’s marriage proposal throws the family into chaos and Toula wonders if she will ever survive the planning of her big day. The movie benefits from an ensemble of great character actors, including Lainie Kazan and Michael Constantine as Toula’s parents and Andrea Martin as her colorful aunt. The script moves briskly and is filled with both visual and verbal gags that land soundly. Vardalos does an effective job in her Cinderella-like transformation from (continued on Crossword page) Richard Ayoade, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Jonah Hill in ‘The Watch.’ this film. His rapid-fire delivery, childlike suggestions, and innocent desire to have fun with the boys are honest and believable. Even when the script is not there to support him, he manages to forge ahead, substituting body language, facial expression, and that rat-tat-tat delivery for clever dialogue. The final third of the movie is filled with CGI special effects. These days, viewers take for granted the marvels of computergenerated imagery, so creepy, slimy, fastmoving ETs that ooze green blood are not enough to salvage this pedestrian effort. The three-disc combo pack contains Blu-ray and DVD versions, deleted scenes, a gag reel, a digital copy, and several fea-