Giant creatures and major soccer stars featured in new DVD releases.
• “Pacific Rim Uprising” H: The sequel to the 2013 Guillermo del Toro film, “Pacific Rim,” continues the story of what would happen if gigantic creatures called Kaiju came slithering into our world. The only way to battle the beasts is with gigantic robots known as Jaegers that are so huge it takes two pilots locked at the cerebellum to make it work.
In the first film, the moody and dark Idris Elba was in charge of saving the world. The job has been handed down to his rebellious son, Jake Pentecost (John Boyega). There was a time when Jake was a promising Jaeger pilot, but he gave it up. It’s been 10 years after the war ended when Jake is forced back into the program. The timing is perfect because a new threat has surfaced that could end the world.
“Pacific Rim Uprising” looks like a junior high drama department’s spring production of “Pacific Rim” where the story has been watered down, the actors are a pale imitation of the original team and action scenes come across as leftover bits from better action offerings. There’s a promise at the end of another film. “Pacific Rim Uprising” is such a mess that the chance of another is more of a threat than a promise.
• “Alex & Me” HH: A family-friendly film that looks at what happens when teenager Reagan Willis (Siena Agudong) dreams of playing soccer like her hero, Alex Morgan, but faces huge issues. When Reagan fails to make the cut of the top local soccer club team and is humiliated by her rival, her dream turns into a nightmare. That changes when Reagan accidentally hits her head and the poster of Alex Morgan (playing herself) comes to life.
