Jiu Jitsu (2020):

Nicolas Cage shows up in yet another direct-to-video film available on DVD this week, a martial arts action fantasy film about a competition held every six years, which is more than a matter of life or death. The fighters have to face off against a vicious group of alien marauders in a winner – take-all fight to the death. So far, so good, with the humans managing to prevail. Something goes wrong this time when a key human warrior goes down, and it’s clear that without him, the good guys cannot win. Cage isn’t the star here, but rather plays a secondary role – it was originally supposed to be a Bruce Willis part, but he was committed to other projects and couldn’t get free. No matter – out of the six week shoot, whether it was Willis or Cage, the screen time is minimal, as the actor had only three days’ work. This is the first Hollywood film to be shot on the island of Cyprus, and that setting adds an air of realism to the proceedings, which would have made this otherwise low-budget film look even worse. Frank Grillo (“The Purge”) also stars, along with a number of Greek actors, all of whom are bent on saving humanity and in saving our planet. Rated 14A.

The War with Grandpa (2020):

Robert DeNiro is the "Grandpa" of the title, a film based on a children's book of the same name. The movie was supposed to be released to theatres four weeks ago, and now here it is, on demand and on DVD. A young boy named Peter loves his Grandpa, and is delighted to learn that he is coming to live with them. Upset because he has to give his room to Grandpa, and move to the attic to compete with bats and mice, Peter (Oakes Fegley) decides to go to war to get his room back. He recruits friends and relatives to make Grandpa wish he had never gotten that room in the first place, but Grandpa is tougher than he seems. The kind of fun that "Home Alone" offered, but not very memorable. Good cast that includes Rob Riggle, Uma Thurman, Christopher Walken, and Jane Seymour. A comedy with dramatic overtones, rated PG, but it is very lightweight.

The Place of No Words (2019):

Where do we go when we die? That’s the question asked by a three year-old named Bodhi. He wants to know what happens, whether we can still see our mom and dad, and whether there is something different waiting for us. A very sensitive topic for a young actor, the only way it made sense to keep things real and credible, was for Bodhi’s actual mom and dad to co-star with him in the film. Written and directed by Mark Webber, an actor turned director with such projects under his belt as the very spooky movie “Inheritance,” he takes on the role of Bodhi’s dad, easy because that’s who he is really, and he puts his wife, and Bodhi’s real mom Teresa Palmer into her real-life role as well. But now, reality and fantasy part company as Dad takes his son on a journey through realms of fantasy and make-believe that align seamlessly with reality, to make for a very unusual film. Rated PG.

Enola Holmes (2020):

Netflix acquired the distribution rights for this whodunnit after it was decided to stream the movie rather than put it in theatres.  It's a Sherlock Holmes story, but unlike any that have come before.  Enola (Millie Bobby Brown who played "Eleven" on ``Stranger Things") is a much younger sister to Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, but she has the detective genetics that it takes to go looking for a mystery to be solved.  None of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books mention a younger sister, but here she is, and when her mother goes missing, Enola sets off to find her.  Helena Bonham Carter plays Mother Holmes, and Henry Cavill is Sherlock.  When it's discovered that mother is missing, and that there are a number of gifts and trinkets that she has inexplicably left behind, big brother Sherlock continues to insist that Enola leave the matter alone, and head off to boarding school.  Not her ... soon she is searching all of London, looking for clues.  A crime-adventure, rated 14A. 

Country-ish (2020)(TV series):

This Netflix original is a reality series that features country singer and internet star Coffey Anderson and his wife Criscilla.  It walks through their daily lives with the couple, and focuses on their careers - she's a hip-hop artist - their Christian faith, and their desire to provide wholesome entertainment in a world that seems to want things a lot more raunchy.  A former U.S. Marine, and an active participant in the Nashville music scene, Coffey has released nine albums so far, about half of them faith-based and the other half mainstream.  He was a contestant on season 2 of American Idol in 2003 where he made it as far as the Hollywood round.  Rated PG.

Pets United (2020):

A perfect animated film for youngsters, parents, and grandparents, but only if they watch with the kids. The central characters are all pets of one sort or another, and their common thread is that they are spoiled, they are selfish, and they live a life of luxury, because their owners have all the mechanical denizens of Robo City doing the hard work.  But what happens when the robots run amuck and the humans have to flee?  Time for the skate-boarding pug, the self-aggrandizing Siamese, a pet pig, and a smart fox to grow up and take some responsibility.  Good fun for kids of all ages - meaning, much past 13, they will probably think it's lame, but younger ones will relish it.  Rated G.