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Animated films not always for the kids

‘Sausage Party’ lowbrow comedy that’s for adults only

By Rick Bentley, The Fresno Bee
Published: November 11, 2016, 6:05am

A very adult animated film about talking food is among the releases for this week.

• “Sausage Party” 3 stars: This is comedy’s version of a huge special effects movie. Movies that bank on big special effects don’t worry about being subtle with the action. In the case of “Sausage Party,” the writers don’t just bank on jokes but push the envelope with every sentence to the point of near-vulgar explosion.

This is not a movie for everyone. If you go, you should be ready for a tale where characters of a Native American variety go by the offensive name of Firewater (Bill Hader) and Mexican food items are referred to in a very politically incorrect manner as illegals.

It’s the delivery system that saves the film. Jokes that would get a live-action movie banned take on a different spin when it is a horny taco (Salma Hayek) or a bagel who sounds like Woody Allen.

“Sausage Party” has plenty of funny moments, especially for fans of lowbrow humor. But what tends to be a flaw in these kind of offerings is that the continuous flood of sexual conversation becomes so relentless that the lines often lose their shock value. The same goes for the unrelenting barrage of adult language.

• “Capital” 3 stars: The BBC One three-part TV series works both as a mystery and as an examination of the human condition. This is all played out against a London street where a mix of new rich and longtime residents find themselves in an unusual situation.

The growing price of property has made each of their homes worth millions. Someone has noticed as each has received a postcard with the phrase, “We want what you have.” The letters continue to come, making the residents more concerned for their safety.

And those residents are a compelling lot because of their diversity. Each of their tales is as interesting as the mysterious postcards.

Toby Jones, Gemma Jones and Rachael Stirling star.

Also on DVD

• “Kickboxer: Vengeance”: Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in the update of the 1989 classic film.

• “Bubba Ho-Tep”: Blu-ray version of the 2002 cult classic starring Bruce Campbell.

• “Into the Badlands: Season 1”: Teacher and student face what lies beyond the Badlands.

• “L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables”: Conservative head of an orphanage has a major affect on Anne Shirley.

• “14 Minutes from Earth”: Story of one man’s efforts to go higher into the stratosphere than anyone without a rocket.

• “Alpha and Omega: The Big Freeze”: Wolf pups face blizzard to save their parents.

• “Morris From America”: Teen believes he’s the next big rap star.

• “Indignation”: Jewish student has his faith tested.

• “Showtime!”: Kids in a small village decide to have a massive snowball fight.

• “Stick Man”: Stick Man is taken from his family tree by a mischievous dog.

• “Billions: The First Season”: Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis star in this drama about power politics in the world of high finance.

• “Five Nights in Maine”: Man seeks help from his estranged mother-in-law after a tragic death.

• “Fire Song”: Young man is forced to make a life-changing decision.

• “The Making of the Mob: Chicago”: Miniseries that looks at the rise of organized crime in Middle America.

• “Turn: Washington’s Spies: The Complete Third Season”: Farmer bands with a group of childhood friends to form the Culper Ring.

On digital HD

• “Hell or High Water”: Two men rob Texas banks to pay their mortgage.

• “Kubo and the Two Strings”: A young boy must use magic to save himself and his village.

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