DVD goodies can't save mediocre flick

John Q. -- PG-13
Starring: Denzel Washington, James Woods
Directed by: Nick Cassevetes The "John Q." Infinifilm DVD is packed full of thick and juicy bonus material. Infinifilm once again nails solid the extra features section of the medium with commentaries, deleted scenes, documentaries and fact lines (they're displayed at the bottom while the movie plays). But no matter how tight the bonus section of a DVD is made, it stands for nothing if the movie isn't what it's cracked-up to be. The Hurricane comes to the ring as John Quincy Archibald -- your typical hard-working nice guy just trying to raise a family. His son becomes deathly ill, and (after many run-arounds with insurance agents and financial aid agencies) Johnny Q. finds out he won't be able to afford the heart transplant needed to save his boy's life. Seeing the end of the line, John Q. decides to take matters into his own hands by holding an emergency room hostage. When the hostages realize why John has been pushed to this measure they realize how good of a guy he is and begin to sympathize with his situation. While waiting for a conclusion, John and the hostages discuss how screwed-up America and the health care system has become and touch a handful of other topics like spousal abuse, gun control and personal morals. The worst part about "John Q." is the barrage of clichéd characters and their typical conversations. Extreme opposites are placed together so issues and arguments can be resolved in a quick and satisfying manner. Most of "John Q." is just okay, but a few scenes manage to propel you into the movie. Unfortunately, these scenes don't last long enough to compel you to stay with it. Infinifilm successfully puts together another stocked DVD package for "Q." The commentary was pretty boring, but most of the other material was more exciting. If commentaries want to be successful, they need to put big names on them. Writers and no-name directors aren't enough to lure people into listening to commentaries. "John Q." is a decent overall package, but nothing from the movie will compel many people to venture into the bonus sections of the disc unless health care issues are an important part of their lives.