Strong male characters dominate the DVD releases out Jan. 10.
• “Deepwater Horizon” HHH: Director Peter Berg gets past the familiarity problem of the film being based on a real story with his “Deepwater Horizon” by playing up the human element of the major players. By the time the explosion on the oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico unfolds in massively grand style, there is real reason to be concerned about the people facing a hell on Earth.
• “The Birth of a Nation” HHH: Nate Parker took on the massive task of not only writing and directing his version of “The Birth of a Nation,” but he also stars in the film that recounts the largest slave revolt in United States history. Parker’s passion for the project based on a true story spurred him to create a production that resonates through the ages, but it also blinded him to a few creative flaws.
• “The Accountant” H: Take a lifeless performance by Ben Affleck. Add an unimaginative script and confusing direction by Gavin O’Connor. The result for “The Accountant” is a movie where the math just doesn’t work. The film about an accountant who has been diagnosed as having a high-functioning form of autism misses so badly that what is supposed to be an action film ends up being more comic than thrilling. And there are so many people to blame.
Also on DVD
• “Max Steel”: Teenager learns his body can generate powerful energy.
