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Drew Barrymore in Big Miracle. (POSTMEDIA)

Big Miracle

THERE'S no harm in trying to bring a little environmental awareness to a piece of family entertainment, but there is something slightly irritating about a movie that rides on the back of cliché.

A by-the-numbers animal rescue saga based on the real life story of grey whales trapped under Alaskan ice in 1988, Big Miracle stars John Krasinski and Drew Barrymore as well-intentioned humans struggling to help the cetaceans back to open water. When the local newsman (Krasinski) discovers the stranded family, and sends out reports of the looming tragedy, news media from all over the world descend on Point Barrow, Alaska. As the whales grow weaker, the human effort grows more intense.

While it's always nice to get a reminder of our capacity to do good and rally around the underdogs, Big Miracle feels a little thin as it reduces characters to competing ideologies, and turns vulnerable sea creatures into symbols of human redemption. Then again, there's something charming about reliving 1988 and our collective obsession with Axl Rose. Special features include "A Big Miracle in Alaska" featurette, BD Live, and Pocketblu app. 'Ö'Ö1/2

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

AS the central character in Mark and Jay Duplass's Sundance comedy, Jeff (Jason Segel) appears to be your standard variety flameout. He hasn't dated since high school, he has no job, he lights up bowl after bong, and he -- as the title suggests -- lives at home.

When the movie opens, his mother (Susan Sarandon) asks him to do one simple little thing: Go to Home Depot and buy wood glue so he can fix the wood shutter on the closet door. He resists, because once you're sitting on the couch, the force of inertia takes hold and keeps you there -- until some other force proves potent enough to make you move. For Jeff, the prime mover in life is his deep faith in destiny. He believes if you act with a pure heart, a benevolent fate will unfold before you, and over the course of a single day, that's what happens to Jeff.

Despite some forced moments and the palpable tentacles of contrivance, this low-budget comedy finds endless humanity, some sweet surprises and a lovable performance from Segel. Special features include Dolby Digital, subtitles, and Ultraviolet. 'Ö'Ö'Ö1/2

Project X

EVERYONE'S heard of a house party gone awry, but a true multi-kegger foundation breaker is what Project X is all about. Thomas (Thomas Mann) throws a party, social media increases the invite list exponentially, and suddenly, what started as a fun way to spend an evening devolves into all-out bacchanal.

Devised as a "Who left this camcorder on?" kind of premise, we're forced to watch bad video of unabashed destruction at the hands of entitled, unlikable kids. Times like these make you want to scream "Bueller!" because he not only did it first, he did it best -- with a little class, to boot. Special features include Declassified, Tallying the Damage, Pasadena Three featurettes. 'Ö'Ö'Ö

Romeo Onze

WE'VE seen stories of outsider teens before, but Rami (Ali Ammar) is different. He's not just shy and introverted, he's suffering from cerebral palsy. Making the situation even more desperate is the presence of his father, a traditional Lebanese man, who wants Rami to go to business school.

Rami's only outlet is through the Internet, where he takes on the able-bodied persona of Romeo Eleven in a virtual environment. It's in this faux coded garden that he meets his romantic flame, another outsider, Malaury26.

While much of the plot features familiar rite-of-passage moments, writer-director Ivan Grbovic finds a gentle touch that gives the material fresh texture. Special features include digital transfer and more. 'Ö'Ö'Ö

-- Postmedia News

MTS Video On Demand Movies

1. Safe House

2. Goon

3. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

4. Man on a Ledge

5. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

6. This Means War

7. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

8. The Grey

9. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked

10. The Vow

-- MTS TV, week ending June 17

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 21, 2012 E4