Land Ho

PLOT:
Retired doctor Mitch (played by Earl Lynn Nelson) has decided that he's going to go on a trip and he's not only invited his ex-brother-in-law Colin (played by Paul Eenhoorn) but he's paying for the trip. Colin is at first reluctant to go along on the trip but after some talking and after Mitch explains he's paying, Colin gives in to going to Iceland. The two attempt to reclaim some semblance of youth as they have an adventure through the Iceland.

THE TELLING OF THIS AGE OLD STORY:
Land Ho! is a tale that has been told and is lived in just about every human being around. It's one we know and don't want to experience ourselves but we all know that old age will get us anyways and when it does will we accept it or will we try to act out in some manner to grasp youth again? Well, that's what this movie is supposed to be about, two men that are in their senior years that have a history but have not as close as they once where and now they attempt to be young again or at least remember what it was like to be young. Now I say supposed to be about because this movie doesn't do much in explaining the details that would make it interesting as well as not giving a story in the plot between the two characters. By the description of this movie I first thought that it was going to be about these older men going on a trip where they will rediscover the joys of life while having fun acting out some.

That's kind of what happens in this movie but only for a small part. First off the movie starts too quickly with these two men having a conversation where they kind of catch up with each other. In this span we get a broad knowledge of why they have stopped talking to each other and that they are ex-brother-in-laws, but it's just a broad stroke with no real detail. Did they like each other in their younger years, where they close or did the two just get along because of the connection through marriage? Did they have a close relationship and then fall out or maybe they wasn't close but then after the death they became close but like with everyone else, time let them slip apart? I don't know any answer to any real knowledge of their past lives, how good or bad it might have been, just that they where once brother-in-laws. This information is vital to the whole progression of the story because without knowing how close or how much they disliked each other in the past I can't judge fairly how they are in the current time frame. All I get is what is shown, which is two men that seem complete opposites going on a trip together where one seems to have to force the other to do anything while he seems to put up with the other.

Not only is this movie filled with no explanation as to what's going on but the characters just don't mesh with each other. I don't get how they get along or why they get along. Mitch is overbearing, has no filter between brain and mouth, and seems not to care about anyone else. While Colin seems more reserved, controlled over what he says and does, and a bit timid in his actions. My first reaction is that even with the trip being free, going on such a long trip with having to be dependent on Mitch so much, Colin would not have went. Within the first 30 minutes of the movie I was already tired of Mitch's actions and his behavior. Ok, fine he wants to try to have some fun moments in his old age that is about reclaiming some younger days but does he have to be such an callous and crude man about it? The whole interaction between Mitch and his younger female cousin and her friend was downright creepy.

There are moments in this movie where the script is witty but it's not enough to do anything for the overall movie. I was expecting a good independent movie that would capture what it was to be older going on a trip with a lost friend where they become friends again and find that life can still be fun and new like when young. What I get though is a movie that has two characters that just ramble around where one is overbearing and the other timid with some moments that should have been a growing moment but just end up being a been there, done that moment. The only good thing about this movie is that the actors do a decent job in making their characters believable. Sure the movie stinks, there's no real depth to it even though they try to make it such, but the acting is good. It's not stellar and won't be getting awards for best acting but they do give a good performance. I would have liked more done with some of the locations, though that seems to be the end result of this whole movie, I would have liked more done with everything, script, dialog, background, and locations.

BLU RAY:
Not the best of the Blu Ray movies I've seen when it comes to quality. Colors are nicely used with the grays, blues, and cold tones that give a good impression that the locations and scenes are cold. However, the detail in the picture is not that great at times. This looks more like a good DVD movie than a Blu Ray when it comes to the quality. Details at one moment are fine where we seen the age in the men but then in another scene I don't see much detail at all. Like the script the quality of the Blu Ray seems to be needing a little more attention paid to it to make it better.