The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)

Ah... there's nothing quite like sitting back and spending an afternoon watching a series of sophomoric jokes, uproarious site gags, and ample naked breasts to make just make the time fly by. The team of Zucker/Abrahms(sp?), that wacky team that done brung (poor grammar is intentional here) you great films like "Airplane" first cut their teeth on a sketch comedy forum they called "The Kentucky Fried Theater". By having the audacity to go places that Saturday Night Live and their censors could only dream about, the Brothers Zucker and Jim Abrahms were able to create raunchy, racy, and hilarious sketchy comedy. In the late 1970's they finally made the big leap and took their `talents' the big screen with the cult hit "The Kentucky Fried Movie".

"...Movie" is a somewhat uneven compilation of sketch comedy that is crafted in the Monty Python mold. Don't let the uneven aspect deter you, though. When "Kentucky Fried Movie" hits its targets, it makes for some of the funniest and most titillating comedy on film. One of the raunchiest skits is a `promo' for an upcoming movie called "Catholic High School Girls in Trouble". The shameless display of naked females, graphic (but, humorous) sex, and crude humor make this sketch one of the all-time classics. Even people who have never seen "The Kentucky Fried Movie" know about this famous sketch. There are some other fairly inspired bits in this film, including another extremely raunchy skit called "Eyewitness News (Nudes?)" where a young couple gets quite amorous while watching the evening news. "Cleopatra Schwartz" which pairs a Hassidic rabbi with a Pam Grier-type as a crime fighting couple seems just plain wrong, but is just plain funny. Other skits like the `Feel-O-Rama' movie theater and `Big Jim Slade's love record' are quite funny.

However, the true crown jewel of this movie is an inspired spoof of the old Bruce Lee movies called "Fistful of Yen". By far the longest sketch, it also packs the most comedic punch per square inch. The Bruce Lee type character must break into an evil criminal mastermind's palace and rescue a damsel in distress. This mastermind has a secret weapon, a prosthetic arm that looks like it was made by Snap-On Tools. Nothing is spared in this set. Shots are taken ridiculously sexual names that are given to Asian characters in these movies; the easy duping of an `expert' bodyguard is spoofed; and, even Detroit is spared no punches. For me, the most hilarious aspect is the criminal mastermind's palace `alarm system'. When you see it, you will know what I mean. This one sketch, alone, makes the movie worthwhile. The shameless amount of raunchiness doesn't hurt, either. If you're curious about how the deranged minds that created "Airplane" got their start, or just enjoy a good film that seems to have been the inspiration for every sex comedy to come along since, then "The Kentucky Fried Movie" will be time well spent.

This midnight movie staple is a great example of (dirty) skit comedy. Another in the great line of quotable movies, there are some skits that are extraoridinarily funny. The "Fist Full of Yen" is so good you will find that you will want to build a Martial Arts Army of Extra-Ordinary Magnitude.

Some of the humor is not for everybody, as it is very sexually explicit. There is a great deal of nudity, so it is definitely not appropriate for the kiddies. But if you find early Saturday Night Live or Monty Python funny, you will definitely get a kick out of this picture. You will certainly never see the Evening News the same again. There are parts of this movie that do not hold up to time and some of the humor falls flat, but most of the skits are timeless and the slow parts are few and far between. Plus, the 70's wardrobe and music are funny, in and of itself.

People from Big Jim Slade the former tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs to all the Catholic High School Girls in Trouble recommend this movie, and so do I. It is very funny.

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Wildly unevenly funny spoof of movies and TV from the team of John Landis and Zucker-Abrams-Zucker, who went on to do Airplane and the Naked Gun franchises.

KFM is notable for its crass humor, celebrity cameos and several unrelated bits. Most of the bits are short and some aren't very funny anymore (Bill Bixby's Headache Clinic and Henry Gibson's United Appeal for the Dead are notable in the aspect, although it is great to see the former "alive again"). Working better are the movie spoofs from "Samuel L. Bronkowitz". The classic is "Catholic High School Girls in Trouble", with its gratuitous nudity and inane jokes. "That's Armageddon" (with Donald Suterhland as the clumsy waiter" )is a great parody of and would probably be better than the future movie of a similar title. ZAZ also use the Bronkowitz name in their later movies.

The centerpiece of the movie is Evan Kim in "A Fistful of Yen", which is part Kung Fu Movie, part adventure movie and part Wizard of Oz (this begins with Dr. Klon melting a la the Wicked Witch of the West and ends with Kim as Dorothy, complete with Auntie Em, Toto, and a very familiar figure from Klon's Mountain.) This sketch comes complete with the evil villain ( Klon, who has a number of attachments such as a hair dryer to an artifical hand), a damsel in distress (Anna) and Kim as the hero. Of course, Kim gets to use his kung fu skills to kill about 50 or 60 men. Pay attention to the end, when Kim returns to Kansas. Some of his dialgoue finds its way into the credits of a future ZAZ movie. Also used in in the future Airplane is the basketball bit, only this time it is martial arts fighters playing basketball instead of aborigines.)

Another longer form sketch is "Courtroom" a black and white parody of the 1950's court shows (and better than the ones on TV today). This is replete with Tony Dow and Jerry Zucker as Wally and Beaver Cleaver, a morph into "What's My Line", and Steven Stucker as a gay court reporter, a role he would revise twice in the Airplane films. Colin Male, who was the reporter on the old Divorce Court, appears as the reporter in this spoof. Incidentally, Male's character is named "Steven McCrosky", a name that ZAZ would later use in Airplane. Also used again in Airplane is the character named "Rex Kramer".

Paying their usual homage to sports, the two opposing attorneys in Courtroom are named "Hornug" and "Taylor". No doubt inspired by Green Bay Packers greats Paul Hornug and Jim Taylor.

Some of the other bits include "Eyewitness News" where a news team watches a couple having sex, a spoof of the Today show (with Academy Award winning makeup artist Rick Baker as a gorilla) and a science film showing that zinc oxide is in everything.

ZAZ and Landis were just warming up for their future endeavors and while KFM is very uneven, it gives us a glimpse of the genius that was yet to come.

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From the guys who brought you the hilarious "Airplane" and the unintentionally funny "Ghost" and "First Knight" and John Landis, director of "Animal House" and "Blues Brothers," this is one hilarious movie. It's crude, it's sloppy, it's rude and wildly inconsistent, but when it's rolling it will actually injure you with laughter.

"KFM" is the evil mutant lovechild of Mad Magazine and the underground video movement that also spawned the original "Saturday Night Live." It features parodies of everything from commercials to those incredibly boring films your teachers made you watch in class when they felt too downtrodden by their crappy pay to actually make a lesson plan. The film's centerpiece is a pitch-perfect Bruce Lee/"Enter the Dragon" parody called "A Fistful of Yen" that devolves into a "Wizard of Oz" parody.

Features no budget, no stars (although Donald Sutherland makes a non sequitor cameo) and about 5 million laughs. Buy it, rent it, own it, dream it. Dare to live it.

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THE KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE is a series of sketches that lampoon various venues of its day: industrial training films, television commercials, news shows, martial arts flicks, and talk shows--in fact, it is very much like the original SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. But while being on the big screen means the film can go a lot further than SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE ever could on television, KFM doesn't have the same level of talent behind it. When you add in the dated quality of the humor, the result is very hit or miss indeed.

The film originated when two brothers and their best friend--David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams--created a live show called "Kentucky Fried Theatre," and it proved such a hit that the three took the show to Los Angeles, where they managed to interest director John Landis and producer Robert Weiss in turning the whole thing into a low-budget film. Filmed with a no-name cast interspersed with cameos by Bill Bixby, Donald Sutherland, and Henry Gibson, KFM became the surprise hit of 1977.

Some of it holds up extremely well, most notably the "movie trailers" for such imaginary no-class explotation films as CATHOLIC HIGHSCHOOL GIRLS IN TROUBLE and CLEOPATRA SCHWARTZ, both of which will probably have film buffs screaming with laughter. And then there is a sketch which has a couple making love according to directions issued by a phonograph record, an instructional film on the uses of zinc oxide, a wicked take-off on "Point/Counterpoint," and a still darker take-off on television public service announcement--all of them a hoot and half.

But when the film falters, it falls with a thud. Fans of Bruce Lee will probably appreciate the film's centerpiece more than I did, a twenty-minute take-off on martial arts films called "A Fistful of Yen;" I myself thought it would be more amusing if it were half as long. The "Feel-Around" selection was a clever idea that never actually took off, and really much the same can be said for most of the sketches. Some of it is a matter of datedness: what was topical in 1977 doesn't necessarily have a great deal of relevance for a contemporary viewer. Some of it is shock-humor that doesn't shock any more because it has been done so often and so much better. But even so, and while the film as a whole is perhaps best approached as a cultural artifact, it's still worth a look--particularly if you like such films as AIRPLANE, THE NAKED GUN, ANIMAL HOUSE, and THE BLUES BROTHERS, all of which were created by various members of the crew that originally created KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE.

As for the DVD, the film quality is as good as it gets (and you should remember it wasn't great to begin with), and it offers the option of viewing the film in either widescreen or pan-and-scan--but the bonuses that seem so intriguing are actually less interesting than you might expect. The "behind the scenes" home movies and stills are actually rather dull, and as for the commentary... well, it sounds like the DVD package producers got the Zuckers, Abrahams, Landis, and Weiss together, gave them a couple of beers, and turned on the movie. They clearly haven't seen the film in quite a long time, spend a great deal of time trying to remember the names of the actors, and generally yuk it up. Now and then it is amusing and even informative, but on the whole it isn't greatly memorable one way or another. On the whole, I do recommend the DVD as a curiosity--and it would be a great party film--but this isn't one that you're likely to replay a great deal.

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The Warrior's Way (2010)

"The Warrior's Way" is a fun, light hearted action flick with a very stylized sense of art. Some people complain about "bad special effects" but given its relatively low budget and the fact that it was going for a very stylized and anime-esque approach to the world I would say the effects are spot on.

The plot is a bit silly and some of the acting does get a bit wooden but overall the cast puts on a good show. Despite being a bit silly at times the plot stays just serious enough to keep the viewer's attenion in between the over the top action sequences.

The climax of the movie in particlar has to be one of the more entertaining action scenes I've seen in a long time.

If you are looking for a deep romantic film or a gripping drama you may want to skip "The Warrior's Way" But if you're looking for a fun light hearted action flick with over the top action and a very "graphic novel" style of art and special effects I would definately recommend checking out "The Warrior's Way".

A man is raised to be the strongest warrior in the history of worldever. He is a member of the Sad Flutes clan, which gets its name from the sound of a throat being cut. He has killed all the members of a rival clan, except one, an infant girl. He cares for her and in doing so becomes the enemy of his clan, who try to kill him (and her.) Our warrior flees to American and ends up in a surreal looking town, located in the desert, occupied by circus people. They adopt him as one of their own. He is befriended by a black midget who reminded me a little of Captain Spaulding. A redheaded girl helps our warrior and becomes his student.

After the movie establishes some characters and ties up some plot points, the town is attacked by a band of outlaws. Our warrior who has given up his life of killing, once again must kill. Oh yea, about this time his clan shows up as we end up in a three way fight.

We have seen these movies a dozen times before. This one boasts some colorful characters that could have been better developed. The CG background with the magnificent colors was great. The acting and script was about what we expect for ninja westerns. No sex or nudity. There is killing and blood, a few dismembered body parts, not much in the way of gore. A good flick for those who enjoyed Kill Bill.

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This movie is awesome. I love the style. The feel. The artistry. I loved the action, but wished that there was a lot more, especially at the beginning of the movie... some of the fighting was too short... but, not that I didn't like them. The acting was decent, but not bad. It was good. The movie has a very different feel to it than what I think some people were expecting. It seems kind of cheesy at first, but when you understand it more (or at least from my experience) you come to realize that its not cheesy after-all. The story was really interesting. The whole Ninja plot is not the most interesting plot-line in the story the ninjas are after him to kill him for his betrayal.

Anyways... It was a great movie... lots of fun. But I will say that it is simply a sit down and enjoy movie with some popcorn and a snack.

I only have a few complaints though, two in fact.First, the effects in general were really good, but... what I had a problem with was some of the proportions... for instance. When the drunken man was up in the farris wheel sniping the bad guys... when you get an angle from the top looking down... it gives you the perspective that the farris wheel is really high (because many of the large tents and objects on the ground seem really small and far away from the top of the farris wheel) this bugs me because in other scenes, you are given the perspective that the farris wheel is no more than a 200 feet tall. This really bugged me!!!

The second thing was, if you go back and watch the trailer for the movie, you will notice that there are a few short clips where the hero is in this room with dark wooden floors, it looks like he's slicing his sword through the flooring or something, and another clip in the same setting two ninjas pop out of the ground. These parts were not in the movie. It looked like some more cool fight scenes that should have been left in the movie but taken out for some reason... I don't like it when they put something in the commercial you really want to see, but don't actually put it in the theactrical release. I hope that someday there will be and uncut release (most unlikely... which is saddening) or that there are some deleted scenes and extras on the DVD that contain this missing action scene.

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Writer /Director Sngmoo Lee has created a brilliant homage to the films of Sergio Leone, Run Run Shaw, and Director Buichi Sato's 'LONE WOLF AND CUB/BABY CART' series with this excellent rouser 'THE WARRIOR'S WAY' , never copying the story lines but creating a scenic nostalgia for them. Narrated mystically by British actor Geoffrey Rush, it tells the story of the greatest warrior in the world who massacres a rival warrior clan but spares a female baby, the lone survivor,which sparks the ire of his father causing the warrior to set sail for the old west to start a new life. Coming upon a deserted, wasted village, he decides to take refuge and becomes entwined in the populace there. The film then resembles Director Burt Kennedy's western 'WELCOME TO HARD TIMES'-1970 as the outlaws responsible for the decimation of the town return yearly to wreck havoc once again. Since the warrior lives there, samurai warriors including his father are on a big time revenge spree and the outlaws are caught by surprise. Besides Rush, feisty Kate Bosworth and great villainy by the brilliant Danny Huston impress with their in-your-face emoting and the warrior is played by Martial Arts pop star Jang Dong Gun performing some sensational moves and sword work. The film was shot in New Zealand by Woo Yong Kim but it seems that the special visual digital effects were created by an international ensemble from New Zealand, California, Korea, and India giving the circus populace in the village a Fellini-esque visual feel. Maestro Ennio Morricone is also given a homage by composer Javier Navarrete in a sweeping score with operatic undercurrents. The film is released by 20th Century Fox's Rogue Movie series in a nice 2.35 digital 5.1 transfer and has deleted scenes and a behind the scenes montage as sole extras. So if your looking for a unique blend of genre filmmaking, look no further and click the add to cart button for a film which emerges as a cult classic ready to explode.

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First off let me say, this is not a movie for everyone...it is quite violent and has a unique visual style that may not appeal to certain people. This is not a "serious" movie-"The Warrior's Way" is a movie for people looking to sit down and enjoy a sleek-looking, fast-paced action flick. The movie is almost matrix-like in some of the sword fight scenes. The Warrior's Way is filled to the brim with crazy action and fight scenes filled with CG effects that make the film look like a live action anime. It's very cool-even if you don't like anime.

"The Warrior's Way" takes place partly in the world of Asian assassians & then switches to a stylized version of an old west town. The main character is an Asian assassian-turned good guy looking for a quiet life in this old west town he comes across. He meets several interesting people, including a collection of sideshow freaks, the town drunk, and of course, a spunky young woman that it the main character's love interest. Soon after the main character comes in to town, he sees that violence will follow him whereever he goes...

Yes, I admit that the plot of the movie is not very complex...(Killer swordmaster runs away from his clan to find a deeper/more meaningful life. Swordmaster must protect his new home from bad guys! Cue fight scenes!) However! Despite the plot being a bit thin,the characters in the movie are all very likeable, (Especially the character played by Geoffrey Rush!) and I think that the likeability of the characters makes up for the weaker storyline.

Bottom line=A movie that is pure action and entertainment!

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Sweet Karma

If you are looking for a movie with strippers that also has a good story and good acting, Sweet Karma is for you. I also recommend this movie to people that are tired of the same old Hollywood movies. Sweet Karma is like a blend of the movies Eyes Wide Shut and Taken.

This movie is excellent movie enjoy but you need a strong stomic to watch so be a wear of the movie it is very sexuality not for kids at all do not bring kids only adults you need a good head to focus enjoy no girl friend recommended enjoy if girls watch it remember its only a movie not real life . Very power full

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YES I WOULD THIS MOVIE HAD A LITTLE PIECE OF EVERYTHING IN IT IF YOU LIKE A STORY OF A GIRL IN THE SEARCH TO FIND WHAT HAPPEND TO HERE SISTER.

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Sweet Karma is one of those movies that has a certain ambiance; it sets the mood for the viewer as soon as it comes on. This movies takes you all the way through Karma's killing spree and search to find out about her sister and who was responsible for her sister's death. The movie does an excellent job showing how close the two sisters were and how much they loved each other. This movie was not predicable to me. It served up the best twist in the end.

I always find that independent films and lower budget films have the best story lines and they know how to execute them well. If you like action and a little bit of mystery along with your suspense Sweet Karma is provocative eye candy that won't let you down.

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I found the movie highly entertaining and engaging. I think the poor camera quality (whether intentional or not) ADDS to the realism. As a matter of fact, it was the overall realism of the movie that attracted me to it. The acting by the lead was amazing even though she didn't say a single word. The plot was not at all predictable. Sure, she is taking revenge, but how she goes about it and how not everything turns out perfectly is what made it unpredictable. Some say that this plot has been done to death that is probably true, but since I haven't watched that many movies of this type, then it is new to me. The look into the sex slave trade is also quite important. The movie is VERY graphic and raw. It has a well deserved R rating. Not only for the rape scenes but for the blood and violence this is not a movie I would recommend for the faint of heart.

Star Trek VIII: First Contact (Remastered) (2010)

This two Disk DVD Set is extraordinary. The Picture and Sound quality are so very good that you feel as though you are watching it in a theater. Because it's a widescreen picture the closed captioning doesn't interfere with the picture. It's jam packed with all sorts of extra bonus special features. Everything you ever wanted to know about First Contact and weren't afraid to be told. Let's not forget what a wonderful job Jonathan Frakes did directing. He truly proved himself a more than qualified director for feature films. We all know what a great job he did behind the cameras on the T.V. show. My boyfriend and I watched it together and he was really impressed. He asked me how much it cost. When I told him how inexpensive it was he bought two copies. One for a gift to another Treky fan. I highly recommend this two disk set and suggest you buy it right away before they run out. If you're not satisfied with it, I'll pay you for it. That's how much confidence I have that you'll absolutely LOVE it. Believe me when I tell you this is one purchase that you will never regret. ORDER NOW!!! In response to your comment first of all thank you for reading my review and please feel free to check them all out. You are correct I didn't leave enough information on my personal feelings. I thought the film was terrific. It lived up to the quality that we are used to getting when we see anything that starts out with the heading Star Trek. The storyline was very entertaining, it was as usual well acted, written, directed, great effects. I agree I could have done a better job on the body of the review itself. I'm busy writing another review as we speak. Thank you for taking the time to read my comments and I will strive to do better in the future!

I'm not going to review the movie itself as it's clearly been out long enough I'm just going to give a quick review for those curious as to the bluray transfer. I picked up the disc yesterday and watched it last night. The quality of this bluray disc is stunning! The clarity is top quality and the color vibrance is amazing, without looking fake or hyped. I didn't notice any unusual artifacts like edge enhancement nor any noise reduction I watched it on my 52" Samsung LCD but didn't get right up at the screen to examine for these things. But from where I was sitting it looked flawless. The sound is also fanstic and what I noticed the most is that the movie doesn't suffer from the irritating dramatic volume changes. Yes, during action scenes things get louder as they normally should but it wasn't so much that I had to ride the volume control, which is hugely irritating and becoming more common in today's new releases. If you still don't get what I mean I'm referring to the dialog being much lower in volume to the tremendously loud action scenes. Anyhow, this disc doesn't suffer from that, yet there is still a good amount of bass to put you into the feel of the action scenes.

I highly recommend this disc!

*EDIT forgot to mention there are several extras listed on the back of the box and all of them are listed as being in HD as well. Being that I don't have the case in front of me though I can't list the extra's titles.

Buy Star Trek VIII: First Contact (Remastered) (2010) Now

Even though Star Trek: Generations was a good first entry in The Next Generation era of feature films, it wasn't until Rick Berman, Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga wrote Star Trek: First Contact's story and screenplay that Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew proved that they could carry a Trek film without help from The Original Series' cast.

It also helped that the film was more action-oriented than Star Trek VII. Sure, the last battle of the NCC-1701 D was impressive and the brief meeting of Captains James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Picard did provide Trek fans with some exciting and moving moments, but what fans really wanted was a muscular...action movie with a mission (and antagonists) worthy of the Next Generation crew and the new, top-of-the line Enterprise E.

Star Trek: First Contact brings back the Borg, a race of half-organic, half cybernetic beings whose goal is to destroy other races by assimilating their technology and transforming the survivors by injecting microscopic nanoprobes that turn humans, Vulcans, El-Aurians -anyone, really -into unfeeling, relentless drones. As fans of the 1987-1994 syndicated series know, Capt. Picard was once captured by the Borg and transformed into Locutus, a Borg strategist/spokesdrone whose intimate knowledge of Starfleet technology,its tactics and its officers nearly spelled certain defeat for the Federation at the Battle of Wolf 359.

Now, several years later, the Borg are back and meaner than ever. Having been thwarted more than once in the 24th Century by Picard and his crew, the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) leads a single-cubeship invasion force into Federation space, hoping to defeat the Federation by either conquering Earth in a battle against Starfleet...or tinkering with the timeline and going back to the 21st Century to prevent humanity's first contact with another spacefaring race.

Actor Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. Will Riker) makes his feature film directing debut in this eighth installment of the Star Trek movie series, and although he would only direct the weaker Star Trek: Insurrection, he does a great job at helming a very high-octane action flick that involves time travel, space battles, a strong Picard/Data storyline and elements from The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and the then-still new Voyager.

Guest stars James Cromwell (The Sum of All Fears, Babe) and Alfre Woodward join the cast of TNG as warp-drive inventor Zefram Cochrane and his friend and assistant Lily, who add a certain mixture of edginess and wit to the film. Cromwell fares particularly well as Cochrane, a character first seen in The Original Series episode Metamorphosis. While Cromwell doesn't remotely look like the then-30 or 40-something Glen Corbett, he portrays the legendary "father of warp drive" as a very human and flawed genius -he is cranky, cynical and drinks way too much -who is bemused by the hero-worship he receives from the Enterprise crew. He also gets some of the best lines. (My favorite: "You're astronauts...on some kind of star trek?")

Also contributing to the excitement is Jerry Goldsmith's score, a mixture of a lovely new main theme and such familiar touchstones as Alexander Courage's fanfare for the Original Series theme and Goldsmith's own "Main Theme" for Star Trek's first feature film (and later adapted as The Next Generation's main title).

Although First Contact does require some familiarity with the Star Trek universe and its history, it's clearly among the best of the 10 in the series.

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While "Star Trek: First Contact" rewrites too much of the original TV series' history--a debilitating addiction the current production people can't seem to shake--it delivers a rollicking adventure that is more in keeping with Captain Kirk's episodes than any other "TNG" film. That's really good because on TV, talky Captain Picard and crew often seemed better suited for Monday morning board meetings than the intergalactic perils of space opera. In this one, a race of cybernauts called the Borg decide to revise Earth history by stopping the first human excursion with warp drive. Picard and crew follow the aliens back in time, meeting with a cynical, drunken inventor (a laconic James Cromwell) who revises their assessment of his place in history. Unlike the other TNG films, this one's plotted more like a film than a TV show, meaning that the pace is less likely to put you to sleep, even if Star Trek still can't quite escape cornball humor or pure cheese. (How many times does Data have to discover his humanity or Worf be told he's a warrior worthy of respect? Why do characters rely so often on a pregnant pause and one last line before exiting? Just how much technobabble can we really take?) The regular cast is as good as it's always been--which is to say, adequate--but Alice Krige stands out as the creepily sexy Borg queen and though she's frequently bug-eyed with excitement, Alfre Woodard deserves more screen time as Picard's potential love interest. The real stars here, though, are Jonathan Frakes as director, who seems to actually understand and respect the material he's working with, and Jerry Goldsmith, whose score is among the better in the series. When the humans meet up with a surprise alien race at the end, the moment might actually give you goosebumps.

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The only reason why I'm giving the DVD 4 stars is because Paramount did not go the extra mile for die-hard fans by putting in some of the interactive content and added bonuses that DVDs were made for... "The Matrix" is a prime example of how a DVD should be presented. The DVD widescreen format is sweet and the DVD does include 2 theatrical trailers, but that's it. :-)

Now that I'm off my soap box, I must say that this is the best Star Trek movie made to date. Sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat movie watching experience.

The Borg are back and now they're out to destroy Earth. Former assimilated Borg himself, Jean-Luc Picard is off to the rescue in this extremely entertaining sci-fi adventure. What could be more romantic that the captain of the best ship in the fleet off to rescue mother earth from the most evil force in the Galaxy!

Alfre Woodard really adds a lot to this film and to the development of Picard's character. You don't have to be a Star Trek fanatic or even a regular watcher of the film to enjoy it... a lot is explained to the ST neophyte in the opening sequences... but this movie will be most enjoyed by fans of the tv series.

The best ST captain yet vs. the worst enemy the Federation has ever met... an enemy with no soul like a virus, they just spread and consume and do it without mercy. I had this movie on VHS but I watched it so many times, the tape broke, so I got it on DVD. Just a great flick emotionally thrilling and lots of eye candy and SFX thrills.

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Above the Law / Under Siege / Under Siege 2 (Triple-Feature) (2012)

I am an action movie fan, through and through, and am always looking for good deals on blu-ray action movies. Well, look no further than this trio of action movies on blu-ray starring none other than a true 90s action hero, Steven Seagal. In all three of these action-packed movies (Above the Law, Under Siege and Under Siege 2: Dark Territory), the Aikido Black Belt and all-around action star is in top form, using both his martial arts expertise and a plethora of guns to take down armies of bad guys in classic Seagal form.

The visuals are well-done and truly showcase what blu-ray should look like, the sound is crisp and with surround sound truly immerses you in the experience, and the movies themselves are phenomenal in story and scope.

You can't go wrong with this trio of movies especially so well-done on blu-ray. Truly a great deal.

These are 3 of stevens best movie's and were a great addition to my collection. I really enjoyed watching them with my kids

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It is great value for money as there are 3 movies in 3 discs. I like Under Siege the most as it is one of the best Steven Seagal movies besides the other two movies. The story may be a bit hard to accept but it is entertaining. As Steven Seagal does most of the stunts in the three movies. It is still enjoyable after repeated viewing time after time. This is of the reason why people like to buy and keep movies.

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Okay, first of all, Steven Seagal? Not a great actor... actually I wouldn't even consider him a good actor!! However, I do believe that Undersiege and Undersiege 2 are two of his better movies. Soo... this three-pack of movies on blu-ray for roughly $10? How can you honestly go wrong?

If you like these movies, buy them. They look good, it's just the movies without any frills, but honestly, these movies didn't have any additions originally that I can remember!! For the price, it's hard to pass up.

Thanks!

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Hey guys, you have a great opportunity to get that. I just wish a combo included HARD TO KILL, by far Steven Seagal the best movie ever for me

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District 13: Ultimatum (2009)

The first District 13 was so much better. The dubbing was amazing and the action was hardcore. The movie just flew right through and before you knew it, the film as over.

This one had real bad dubbing and just wasn't as exciting as the first. I enjoyed it but not enough to rush out and buy it.The action was still good but the feel of the movie was just not there this time.

I know some people think that French movies are-well, boring and unremarkable.

But THIS is a movie about fighting, kicking ass, and beautiful women fighting and kicking ass.

Eat that.

Buy District 13: Ultimatum (2009) Now

For those of us who unfortunately have not seen the original BANLIEUE 13 aka DISTRICT 13 (made in 2004 with the same crew except for the director Pierre Morel), some of the background information that usually follows in a sequel is missing and according to many, the sequel here BANLIEUE 13:ULTIMATUM aka DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM is not as strong a film. And perhaps that allows the viewer to appreciate fine French film making without the comparison!

Luc Besson (of the Trasnporter series et al) wrote this script (or rather, this plan of choreography, as there is not a lot of spoken dialogue in this fast-paced thriller) and Patrick Allessandrin directs a story of a region of Paris (District 13) that is cordoned off the rest of Paris by a group of five warlords who manage to control the drug ridden violent region. Basically the tale is that of two men Captain Damien Tomaso (Cyril Raffaelli) and undercover cop of the 'good' police and Leïto (David Belle), an ex-thug who in the previous film infiltrated a gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb. That was supposedly in 2010. The film opens some years later when District 13 is now in control of power over the government and the 'bad police' are attempting to destroy the area and rebuild according to their greedy plans. The action is the story and the action is immensely exciting! David Belle invented a discipline known as Parkour, which consists of moving quickly and efficiently in any environment, using only the abilities of the human body, and though his acting credits are minimal, he is stupefying in his live action role. Belle and Raffaelli are the reasons to watch this thriller as their screen chemistry is magnetic. Other standout performances in the film include the much tattooed Elodie Yung as Tao (the principal gang queen), Philippe Torreton as the much oppressed President, and the evil appearing Daniel Duval as the nemesis who turns the keys of the plot.

The cinematography is superb, the musical score is French rap music that while it suits the mood of the film becomes irritating in its repetitiveness. In all this is an escape film that is high on excitement is not very high on intelligent dialogue. But put Bell and Raffaelli together and the combustion is authentically credible. Grady Harp, March 10

Read Best Reviews of District 13: Ultimatum (2009) Here

In watching DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM, you're subjected to the tired political subtext and also the sometimes ridiculous plot. Writer/producer Luc Besson, historically, hasn't sold heaps of movie tickets by virtue of his having been the voice of social conscience, and his attempts here are awkward. Doesn't matter, though. The first movie rocked it. This sequel rocks it equally. The two stars, David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli, are back for another bone-bruising round of no-wires, no-CG stunts and fight scenes. "C'est magnifique!" and also "Le chat est sur le tableau." And that's my French.

Three years after what went down in the first film, and the government has changed hands, and yet things remain the same. That barbed wall still stands tall and menacing, still isolates the lawless territory known as District 13 from the more civilized parts of Paris. In the dystopian near future of 2016, an uneasy sort of peace exists between law enforcement and the ruling gangs of District 13. But now corrupt cops are intent on stirring things up, on enticing riots, the end game being the razing of these bleak tenements and thus raking in the resulting rewards of suddenly available real estate.

When Leito (Belle), District 13's well-meaning rogue, ends up with evidence incriminating the police, it's only a matter of time before he joins forces again with his old friend Damien Tomasso, the formidable and baldy-domed Army Captain assigned to the police Special Forces. On his end, Damien (Raffaelli) has found himself framed and locked up by his fellow police officers. This tends to happen when you're an honest cop. Leito springs Damien, and away they go, striving to save the barricaded slums and their unsavory populace from extinction.

It's gratifying that Belle and Raffaelli obviously get along and share this sort of macho chemistry, and I really enjoy their interactions. But, really, the story is a vessel for their astounding physicality and athleticism. David Belle demonstrates his skills at parkour, and parkour, by the way, is the art of navigating from point A to point B as expeditiously as possible. And Belle's chase scenes are physically taxing and make for absolutely jaw-dropping stuff. Cyril Raffaelli, who looks like Vin Diesel chopped off at the knees, is himself versed in parkour but he's also a practitioner of Shotokan karate and several wushu styles, and he handles the brunt of the martial arts and he's dynamic. What he does here, in beating down waves of goons, hearkens back to when Jackie Chan was really tearing $#!% up in his heyday. Like Jackie, Cyril incorporates whatever props are handy into his explosive fight scenes. In one sequence, he even fends off a group of thugs with a priceless Van Gogh painting.

As mentioned, plenty of the plotlines go the preposterous route. And maybe the silliest, most "What the f---?!" moment is when Cyril Raffaelli, during an undercover ops, disguises himself as a lithe girl dancer, never mind that there's an obvious discrepancy in body types. And, speaking of body types, supporting actress Elodie Yung has got a slender bod and she is memorable as "Tao," head of the Chinese gang and sporting a murderous ponytail. Tao kicks serious behind (but only in two scenes, dammit one in the actual film and a brief segment in the deleted scenes bonus feature).

DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM, like its predecessor, exhibits great energy and a pounding, hip-hop laced soundtrack. It presents a grungy, gritty atmosphere reminiscent of films like ROAD WARRIOR and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, and there's particular attention paid to depicting that mean urban sprawl. The battered-down edifices (some of which are skyscrapers) provide Belle the ideal venue to show off his crazy leaping, hurdling, scaling abilities. No trickeration, Belle really does his own stunts. As does Cyril Raffaelli. And so does that one poor guy whom Raffaelli drags thru the air one floor down and then slams viciously thru a table. I'll go ahead and speak for that poor guy and say that the pain was worth it. The action sequences are that dizzying and breathtaking.

The DVD's bonus material includes the Making Of featurette (00:26:33 minutes long, with English sub-titles); a production video diary which chronicles the many days of on-location filming (00:34:31); Alonzo's music video "Déterminé"; Deleted/Extended Scenes include: an extended jailbreak sequence as Leito searches for evidence while Damien holds off the police; even more fight scenes as Leito, Damien, and the gang lords storm the Secret Services stronghold (00:09:22, with English sub-titles); and HDNET: A Look at DISCTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM (00:04:43).

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omg this movie is bad ass!! you almost forget its entirely in french its, Le Bad Asss!!! you need to watch this yes you =D

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Hang Em High (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1968)

Surprisingly enough, I'd never seen this Clint Eastwood masterpiece before. This was a regrettable mistake as it is a great western. Hang `em High is Clint Eastwood's first American "spaghetti" western and undoubtedly the one that furthered his launch into mega stardom. Upon excitedly opening the DVD case and placing the DVD into the player, one discovers that the only special feature is a theatrical trailer. This is fine, as one doesn't truly purchase these DVD's for special features as much as they do for the movie. While watching the theatrical trailer, I got the impression that this movie seemed as though it might lack the "true grit" style of his previous spaghetti westerns; this impression couldn't have been farther off though. Hang `em High has a truly well written script and is played perfectly by all involved.

The premise:

Clint Eastwood plays Jed Cooper, a former law man from St. Louis, MO. As the movie begins, we see him herding cattle past a river and he's approached by nine riders. We soon learn that Jed thought he'd purchased these cattle honestly, but the person he bought them from was a criminal and now Jed's going to pay for it because these nine riders are a lynch mob and they intend to hang Jed.

Fortunately for Jed, a law man comes by and cuts him down from the tree before he dies and throws him in the wagon with a bunch of other criminals headed towards the only court in the Oklahoma territory and run by the "Hanging Judge." As luck would have it though, his story checks out and the judge offers him a job as a Federal Marshal. What follows is a great western filled with Clint Eastwood's "true grit" western hero style as he sets out for vengeance upon those who attempted but failed to hang him.

I would highly recommend this outstanding western for those who favor this genre heavily or casually and especially for those who are Eastwood fans! {ssintrepid}

Along with the Sergio Leone trilogy, this movie helped make the Clint Eastwood legend. It is the simplest story line (after love) revenge. Eastwood is an everyman, just a rancher. He buys some cattle from a passing drive, only to learn they are stolen. The true owners come along, and hang him before the truth can be ascertained. A passing lawman finds him swinging from a tree, saves his life and puts him in a jail wagon until his story can be figured out. The rest of the movie is Eastwood's tracking down those bad guys (not relevant is the fact that for the most part they are "good and true citizens") and bringing them to justice; either at the jailhouse or by his bullets. And Eastwood revenge is something else he even shoots the dog!

Eastwood's character, Marshall Cooper is another strong and silent type, just like "The Man With No Name" whom we have come to expect in the Leone westerns. Unlike the spaghetti westerns, though, this time while he is again basically a good guy, he is now on the establishment side.

Eastwood is joined by a positively fabulous supporting cast: Western veterans Ben Johnson and Ed Begley, Pat Hingle as a true hangin' judge, Dennis Hopper (who is such a psycho even then, we are glad to see that he is the first guy killed in the film), Bruce Dern, L.Q. Jones. Surprising appearances are entered by Gilligan's Skipper, Alan Hale and Steve McGarrett's Five-0 sidekick "Dano", James McArthur. And for the true Star Trek cognoscenti, we have an appearance by Mark Leonard, who gave up his job as Oklahoma Territory Prosecuting Attorney to become Sarek, a/k/a Father of Spock.

Unlike some other reviewers, I found the more polished (as opposed to the Leone western trilogy) soundtrack superior to the movies which had preceded it. I also thought the cinematography supeerior here, with some breathtaking vistas.

Lots of reviewers dog this one out for not being up to the standards of the Leone trilogy. However, I think it is their equal, because the characters have more depth. Maybe I am just not the fan of minimalist genre of S. Leone. Nonetheless, I particularly find the bad guys are more complex than any in the spaghetti westerns, and I find this more pleasing.

It is one of my very favorite shoot-em-ups. As reviewer L.S.W. says, western fans need this movie.

Buy Hang Em High (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1968) Now

This review refers to the MGM DVD edition of "Hang Em High"....

So..What's our boy Clint up to in this great western? Well, he gets beat up, strung up, fed up, shot up(all very tough to take for the Eastwood fan), and then hung up on the beautiful Inger Stevens.

Eastwood plays Jed Cooper, an ex-lawman, now looking to get into the cattle business.After purchasing his cattle, he is mistaken for a rustler and murderer by nine very angry men. They take the law into their own hands,they lynch him and then leave him for dead.(No spoilers here folks, this all happens in the first 5 minutes!)Their actions will come back to haunt them though...

A lawman finds Cooper in the nick of time, cuts him down and brings him before a tough judge. After being found innocent,he puts the badge back on and goes after these vigilantes with a vengance.He is to bring these guys back alive(Yeah Right!) so they can recieve the justice due to them.There are lots of great western action and tension filled moments as he hunts them down and of course some romance, as Cooper falls for Rachel(Stevens),another who is hunting her own ghosts.

This was Eastwood's first American made western. Although you may see shades of the "Fistful of Dollars" trilogy in Clint's character, this is a great western story in itself. His costars in this one are legendary western actors themselves. To name a few there's Ben Johnson, Ed Begley, Bruce Dern and Pat Hingle.Some other notables to watch for are Alan Hale Jr., LQ Jones, Dennis Hopper, James MacArthur and Arlene Golonka.It was directed by Ted Post,and has a great score by Dominic Frontiere.

The film made in 1968 is a decent transfer to this DVD. The Picture is presented in widescreen, which shows off the nice western cinematography(or standard if you prefer). It's a nice clear picture and the colors are very good for a film of this age.The sound, although not bad, was a bit disapointing. It's in Dolby, but in mono(this was my only reason for 4 stars),and so many of the films of this era are at least in stereo now.Even with that it was still a good transfer and enjoyable to watch.There are no special features to speak of, but it does come with an informative booklet, the film may be viewed in French and has subtitles in French, English and Spanish. It also has the original theatrical trailer.

"We all have our ghosts...." Rachel to Jed....enjoy..Laurie

also recommended:

Absolute Power

Clint Eastwood Selection: Dirty Harry/The Outlaw Josey Wales/Unforgiven

Mannaja A Man Called Blade

Read Best Reviews of Hang Em High (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1968) Here

"Hang 'Em High" (1968) is directed by Ted Post (Magnum Force, The Harrad Experiment, Beneath the Panet of the Apes). Clint Eastwood stars as Jed Cooper, a man who is lynched by a gang even though he was innocent of the accusations of murder and cattle rustling. When Jed manages to survive the hanging and is subsequently freed of any crimes he enlists as a US Marshal and hunts down the gang that lynched him. The film itself pits Jed's moral views of justice and fairness against the backdrop of the harsh morality as served by Judge Adam Fenton (Pat HIngle) at Fort Grant.

The film entertains us even as it tells us a story about courage and varying opinions about morality.

The blu-ray has not been remastered, and has many instances of dust. Also, the clarity of the images are not much better than a dvd, and sometimes the color is off and lacks saturation, but overall the film is quite watchable.

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I love the film but... We get a two sides dvd, labeled "standard" and "widescreen". Standard has 640x480 pixels video, 4:3 aspect ratio, and widescreen 853x480 pixels, 16:9 aspect ratio. This is great, but the problem is both versions are truncated versions of the original. The widescreen is even more truncated ! If you compare two images, Clint has some blue sky above is hat in standard, and you see only half of his hat in widescreen ! I say it this way to makes things clear, but I'm a tech oriented guy, I checked twice what really was on this dvd before writing this review.

The 16:9 version is cropped from the 4:3 ! This means both versions are missing the sides of the original wide image, but you see more of the original on the 4:3 ! It's a pity to see such classics so poorly transfered to DVD. We need a new edition with all the original image.

The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

After attending the release of "The Count of Monte Cristo," a friend made the remark that he believed the movie could benefit from additional fight sequences. Immediately my mind shot back to last year's "The Musketeer," also based (rather loosely, I might add) on another of Alexandre Dumas' famous classics. In that film, character development, story, and tone were sacrificed for the sake of creating yet another movie in which a choreographer of Chinese descent was allowed to make an impression on action aficionados by dazzling them with techniques reminiscent of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

What a relief that this latest adaptation of a Dumas novel strays from the usual clichés and redundancy of bringing a classic work of literature to the screen, coming out as a sturdy, well-guided costume drama that combines action, intensity, passion, and most importantly, revenge. With a script that keeps much of the novel's intricacies intact, a cast befitting of their roles, and a director who keeps things interesting at all times, this is one swashbuckling adventure that pleases in all fields.

The story centers around Edmund Dantes (Jim Caviezel), a sailor from a middle class upbringing in the town of Marseilles. He has a friend, Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce), whose father is a wealthy aristocrat; despite his rich lifestyle, Mondego still harbors a slight jealousy for Dantes, who has just been promoted to captain of his vessel, allowing him the opportunity to marry his longtime love, Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk). Overcome by envy, Mondego concocts a vicious plan with the equally jealous first mate of Dantes' boat that lands a wrongfully accused Dantes in the Chateau d'If for more than a decade.

During his years of imprisonment, Dantes' resolve is strengthened by brutal beatings, and by his friendship with fellow prisoner Faria (Richard Harris), who teaches Dantes to read and write, the articulate moves of swordplay, and offers him the location of a long-lost treasure that would give him the means to exact his revenge on those who have wronged him. Faria's death provides Dantes the method of escape he needs, and once out, he begins his quest.

The second half of the movie takes the movie to new heights of interest, as Dantes makes his big entrance in Paris as the Count of Monte Cristo, bent on exacting his revenge on Mondego, now married to a repressed, sullen Mercedes, and on Villefort, the police chief who played a role in his wrongful incarceration. Anyone familiar with revenge plots is well aware that this is a dish best served cold, and many will delight in the cooly calculated revelations and confrontations that arise as Dantes's master plan begins to unfold.

Accompanying this feeling of satisfaction is the movie's wondrous appearance and execution. The look and feel of the film drips with the quality of the swashbuckling adventures of yesteryear, with its themes of vengeance and nobility, it's glorious costumes and set design, and a final showdown that provides a slam-bang finish complete with suspense and fist-clenching thrills. Reynolds, and screenwriter Jay Wolpert, have realized the novel for the screen in a manner that is pleasing to the eye and the mind, keeping in touch with everything that has immortalized Dumas' work without reworking key moments to make room for modern artistic influences.

If this weren't enough to please popcorn audiences and literary buffs, the cast is completely remarkable. Jim Caviezel plays Dantes with the conviction of a man wrongfully accused; by the time he escapes prison, we are all for him and his brilliantly conceived plan. His chemistry with leading lady Dagmara Dominczyk is a welcome slice of old-fashioned romance, while his scenes with Guy Pearce provide a nice contrast of nobility and jealousy, which Pearce perfects in his performance as Mondego. Also worthy of noting are the appearances of Richard Harris and Lius Guzman, who provide humorous touches throughout.

More than anything else, this latest big-screen version of "The Count of Monte Cristo" is a wonderful popcorn adventure replete with everything you could possibly ask for in a film of this sort. Overall, it remains faithful enough to its source, and keeps us enlightened and entertained throughout its well-acted, well-directed, well-executed duration. Count on revenge, and then some.

If you have never discovered the wonderful world of Alexandre Dumas, I urge you to run, not walk to the local library or bookstore and obtain a copy of "Le Comte de Monte Christo." I also recommend reading the unabridged version of this classic tale about a man who takes revenge on his enemies. One thing is certain: do not attempt to take the lazy way out by watching this adaptation of Dumas's novel. Two hours will never be enough time to adequately express the majestic beauty of this novel written by a phenomenal storyteller. Having said that, I enjoyed immensely this version of the story starring Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, and Richard Harris. Period pieces are often fun to watch, and this one is no exception. With a few problematic exceptions, "The Count of Monte Christo" is an entertaining film.

The tale, if you are not familiar with it, focuses on a French sailor named Edmond Dantes. On a trading trip back to Marseilles, Dantes had the misfortune to stop at the island of Elba, the home of the exiled emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. With his captain dead, Dantes arrives in port and is promptly promoted to become the new captain. This step up in status angers several people around Dantes, specifically Danglars, Villefort, and Mondego. The three conspire to have Edmond arrested on charges of treason and thrown into a political prison called the Chateau D'If. Dantes spends years suffering in solitary confinement, although he eventually meets an elderly prisoner named Faria who educates him while they plan their escape. Moreover, this prisoner tells Edmond about a fabulous treasure that could be his for the taking. Eventually, Dantes escapes and embarks on a series of adventures that finds him returning to seek revenge against his enemies under the name "Le Comte de Monte Christo."

This very short description of Dumas's novel obviously leaves out much of the plot. It also highlights the inherent difficulties in translating "The Count of Monte Christo" into a two-hour film. There is just too much detail, characters, and sub-plots in the novel to work with. The revenge plots Dantes formulates against his enemies alone are of such length and complexity that it would take hours to encapsulate them on the silver screen. Throw in the sub-plot of the Italian bandit Luigi Vampa (who does appear in the film), which is of immense importance in the novel, and it is impossible to adequately convey the full majesty of this classic on celluloid. Fortunately, this film manages to entertain while retaining key elements of the written story.

The first part of the movie hews closely to the novel with a few notable exceptions. The film begins with Edmond and his friend Mondego landing on Elba, where they have a shoot out with British security forces before personally meeting the deposed emperor. Back in Marseilles, we meet Mercedes, Dantes girlfriend and a character who plays a big role in the written story. The filmmakers do insert a warden for Chateau D'If, played by actor Michael Wincott, who does not appear in the book. If you are familiar with Wincott, you will remember his voice and his presence. He makes a great addition here and has the best lines in the film.

By the time Dantes returns to society as the Count, the film diverges wildly from the story. The revenge Edmond seeks here is too pat and too easily resolved. In the book, his vengeance is intricately planned and executed slowly over many, many pages. By shortening this sequence, the filmmakers sacrifice the suspense of the novel to time constraints and a waning attention span common in today's moviegoers. To be fair, the movie never tries to be a literal interpretation of the book (or so says screenwriter Jay Wolpert in an interview on the disc). In some ways, deviating from the book does make the story more compelling. The sword fights are great fun to watch, especially the final showdown between Dantes and Mondego. The scene where Dantes provides a way out for Villefort and then pulls back at the last second is a nice touch as well. Overall, although I think more elements of the book should have been kept in the story, the movie succeeds.

Many extras on the disc make this well worth picking up. There is a short documentary about Alexandre Dumas, a location documentary, four deleted scenes with commentary, a film commentary from director Kevin Reynolds, a detailed explanation on how the sword fights were shot and choreographed, and an interview with writer Jay Wolpert. The picture quality and sound is top notch. I recall that this film disappeared from the theaters quickly, perhaps due to an aversion for period pieces or competition from one of those effects laden clunkers they foist on us every few months. I found "The Count of Monte Christo" entertaining and technically well done, and would certainly view it again.

Buy The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) Now

In this time of fire and explosion oriented blockbuster movies it is indeed refreshing to find a remake of a classic novel of the quality of The Count of Monte Cristo currently available. I happened to nonchalantly choose this film at the DVD outlet as a source of viewing background for an evening of desk work. WRONG! This superbly made film of the Dumas' novel is excellent and gripping on every level. The quality of the film, shot in Ireland and Malta, is visually stunning, the story remains true to the original, and the cast is outstanding. James Caviezel makes a star turn in the title role, aided by the always excellent Guy Pearce, the veteran Richard Harris, the here venomous James Frain, a fine and very different role for Luis Guzman, and the elegantly beautiful Dagmara Domincyzk. The movie is beautifully paced, the long prison scenes allow Caviezel and Harris to create tremendous rapport, and the age old theme of REVENGE has rarely been played out so well. This is a beautiful period piece, finely photographed and scored and edited and directed. For a taste of just how exciting the old tales can be visually, treat yourself to an evening with The Count!

Read Best Reviews of The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) Here

This most recent adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic novel isn't going to please all the fans, particularly those who demand rigorous adherence to the source material (I never did understand such people's way of thinking; a movie is never bad just because it strays from the source) but it most certainly will please moviegoers in the mood for a period piece adventure, and as such a film, The Count of Monte Cristo never fails to entertain for every bit of its running time.

Jim Caviezel stars as Edmond Dantes, a rather poor and uneducated man who has a life that his rich friend, Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce) envies. Dantes has just been promoted to captain of his ship after he and his crew returned from a brief, unanticipated stop in Elba, where Napoleon had given Dantes a letter to give to a "friend." Mondego is particularly jealous that Dantes' fiancee is Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk), their childhood friend who has grown into an utterly beautiful woman.

Mondego sets out to destroy Dantes life by telling French officials of the letter, which leads to Dantes' arrest. He is banished in a prison located on an island rather far from the mainland. As the years pass, another prisoner, Faria (Richard Harris), actually tunnels his way into Dantes cell. With his help, Faria believes they can dig to the outer wall, and in return, he will teach Dantes how to read, write, and fight with a sword. As soon as he makes his escape, Dantes plans his vengeance against those who betrayed him.

There's actually a LOT more plot than what I've stated, which probably already sounds hefty, but there are a lot of things I'd rather not give away. While not without some flaws, The Count of Monte Cristo is rousing entertainment and is probably the best period piece adventure in recent years (personally, I found it more enjoyable than The Patriot, Rob Roy, and The Last of the Mohicans).

The film's first seventy minutes represent marvelous entertainment, consistently gaining momentum with every scene that goes by as we grow more and more compelled by the story. The film stumbles only slightly in the third act, when Dantes eventually encounters all those who destroyed his life so many years ago, and sets in motion a plan for his own vengeance. It's in this lengthy segment that a few moments drag (but only a few) and some scenes feel a little hard to swallow (that Pearce's Mondego wouldn't recognize Dantes). The climax feels a little silly, in that seemingly all the lead characters pop out from nowhere to either fight or reveal long-held secrets.

But thankfully, such flaws are only mild and hardly detrimental. This is a well-acted, well-written, and surprisingly well-directed tale of revenge. As Dantes, Caviezel excels, making a believable transformation from a kind-hearted, innocent man to one whose heart has been hardened through so many years. Guy Pearce chews the scenery quite well as Mondego; he seems to be having a great time playing the greedy antagonist. It's nice to see that Pearce, who usually plays likable characters (as in L.A. Confidential and The Time Machine), is up to the task of giving us a villain to hiss at.

The other performances aren't quite as vital, though Richard Harris is good as Faria, and Luis Guzman is often hilarious as Dantes' right-hand man (the scene where Guzman tells Dantes how to handle the massive amounts of gold they just found is the biggest laugh I've had all year). Dagmara Dominczyk is pretty decent, though her acting is mostly overshadowed by her beauty, a back-handed compliment, I suppose.

The Count of Monte Cristo actually doesn't feature that much in the way of adrenaline-pumping action. Despite all the claims this is a swashbuckler, there are only three swordfights (and one knifefight), and each of these scenes last no longer than maybe two minutes. But the appeal of this film isn't in the action, it's watching a plot that unfolds with little twists and turns that, though often expected, engaged me because I cared about the situation and the fate of the characters.

There was obviously a lot of work put into the way this film looks. The cinematography is gorgeous and the sets are magnificent, with splendor I have rarely seen rendered so well in period pieces. The film was directed by Kevin Reynolds, who may yet have a career again after his critical disaster, Waterworld (which actually wasn't half-bad). Highly recommended, The Count of Monte Cristo is great fun all the way.

**** 1/2 out of *****

Want The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) Discount?

Not since Mask Of Zorro have we had an old fashioned revenge movie that played on classic cinema rather than tendency of movies today to be loud and bloody. I was fortunate to see this movie with a sneak preview audience.

James Caviezel is fantastic in the role of the Count. He is very believeable as a simple, humble man in the beginning and then the torn, angry, revenge seeking Count later on. The movie has many similar elements to the aforementioned Mask Of Zorro, but has enough of its own identity for you to note the similarities, but not be distracted by them. The beautiful actress Dagmara Domincyzk plays the love interest. There are many closeups of her face and she is stunningly beautiful and convincing. Guy Pearce is a more than able bad guy, successfully creating a character that you come to despise thoroughly by the end.

The audience that I viewed this with absolutely loved it. There are sprinkles of light comedic lines throughout the film and the audience was delighted with them all. The scenes where the Count is exacting his revenge registered the loudest response from the audience, as many were very vocal in their approval of the revenge being dished out.

It had been a while since I viewed a movie where the audience broke into a loud ovation at the end. This one received such an ovation and I concur.

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The Big Year (2011)

I love birds, and thanks to my mom, my family has no less than a half dozen pairs of binoculars and bird books; we subscribe to Birds &Blooms, Wild Bird, etc. I saw a grand total of two previews for this movie, and got the book from the library after the first. It was a great book. The movie was better: a few details changed for a perfect ending, almost as many shots of the birds as the cast, who were wonderful in this film. My children enjoyed it, and I can hardly wait for my husband to see it. Had it stayed in theaters long enough, I would have gone to see it on a weekly basis. It is sad that there was so little buzz about this movie, because it was absolutely perfect in every way! The whole family can watch together, unlike so many movies released these days, and it is the perfect encouragement for backyard birders.

LOVED IT! LAUGHED! Admittedly I feed backyard birds year-round. That does not deter the facts that this is a beautifully documented birding film with enough outdoor vistas to fill anyone's nest. Great music too, even from a couple of those old Beetles guys. The story ("true story, only the facts were changed") is birds, and how many can one count in a year, i.e. A Big Year. It turns into an avid confrontational race between Brad (Jack Black) a nuclear power plant techie, Kenny (Owen Wilson) reining champ, & Stu (Steve Martin) corporate head who's trying to retire from success. Brad needs financial help from parents (Dianne Wiest & Brian Dennehy) since this quest is ultra expensive. Brad also, along the trail, gets the hots for peacock gorgeous Ellie (Rashida Jones). So did I.

Other family matters become sub-plots and drama in this comic race for the feather count. Kenny's wife Jessica (Rosamund Pike) makes any guy look the fool with her beautiful display as the beautiful birdhouse mate. Kenny dumbly leaves her home alone. Kenny tells her he's the "Mozart" of birders. Stu gets a bit more moral support from wife Edith (Jo Beth Williams) and he does have a consciousness about business and family and occasionally falls from the hunt. There are some slapstick adventures in the rugged areas of North America due to the gung-ho style of the trio on their "Big Year" quests. Also enjoy the in-your-face bird tour boat captain, Annie Auklet (Angelica Huston) in a rare performance of a different specie. Plenty of other stars too. Not to mention hundreds of beautiful birds.

This is a FOWL film, but not fouled with lots of bad language, nudity, or other lower intellect modes often used to get comedy to work. Expect humor in wholesomeness, and the great outdoors. John Audubon would have loved to serve as an extra in this film. It is society endorsed. Makes one want to eat sunflower seeds with a grin.

There is some ending philosophy to the story. What is a win? Win at what cost? Even though 2 men lost, they seem to feel they were the ultimate winners. Biggest winner of The Big Year is birding fans. Raise those binoculars high, like a trophy.

At first I considered 4 ½ stars, because the last 2 films I theater viewed was "The Help" and "Courageous", both being 5 ½. The Big Year is not as deep in theme as those two, but just as entertaining, thus my 5 stars. Enjoy with a ticket or DVD. My plan is to do both.

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First of all, I enjoyed the other two reviews, they've got it right on. My wife and I saw this on the big screen and loved it. The matinee we attended only had about 2 other couples in it, which was terribly disappointing. We enjoyed this film and the DVD is already purchased, awaiting arrival on release.

It is refreshing to go to a movie and not have your ears assaulted by too loud music or special effects. This film doesn't need either, it's a good story on it's own. I think anyone that gives it a viewing will say it was worth it.

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A friend of mine rented this movie, and, as soon as the credits were done rolling, I purchased my own copy. It is simply a delight! One of the best movies I've seen this year. If you enjoy movies about personal growth and/or that have any of the following: birding, nature, traveling, laughter, competitions, or if you just want to be entertained then give this a chance. I won't go more into detail here about it as plenty of other reviewers have done that already, just watch it!

I do want to highly recommend the bluray 2-disc set as it includes the extended version narrated slightly differently by John Cleese (on the bluray disc in the extras section), which is as enjoyable if not moreso than the theatrical version narrated by Jack Black. The extended version also has a gag reel and some other fun behind-the-scenes extras about the locations to which the production crew and cast traveled, and there is one more very small character's story woven in to the extended version of the movie...that of a ruby-throated hummingbird. The ruby's story is laced throughout the movie, and I think it adds a little extra bit of birding fun and fullness to the overall feel of the film. It's just really sweet.

Overall, see this movie, theatrical or extended version both are great!

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Three great actors, fresh subject matter (what other movie plot features a birding competition?), and touching sub-plots make this movie a winner. I even managed to learn a bit about birds! Great wholesome movie.

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2011)

2008 was a very big year for films adapted from books, with several reaching the high acclaim of Academy Award nominations. One adapted film that didn't get much recognition, however, is The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, based on the novel by John Boyne.

The film opens with the following quote emblazoned on the screen: "Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows." As the quote suggests, this is a sort of coming of age film, and over the course of 94 minutes,those in the audience slowly watch the innocence of children unravel before their eyes as the reality of what is taking place becomes more and more illuminated.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is the story of a family living in Berlin during World War II. The main character, an eight-year-old boy named Bruno (Asa Butterfield), spends his time in Berlin playing with his friends and reading adventure novels. His father, brilliantly played by David Thewlis (most will recognize him as Professor Lupin from the Harry Potter franchise), soon gets a promotion, however, and Bruno, his parents, and his sister move to the German countryside where his father will take up his new position. Unlike their time in Berlin, Bruno's parents are careful to keep their son close to home, and Bruno, an explorer and adventurer at heart, is confined to the small fenced area surrounding their house.

From his bedroom window, Bruno can see what he thinks is a strange farm off in the distance. He notices that the "farmers" act strangely and wear strange "pajamas" while they work. Later, he notices that the smokestacks on the farm give off an absolutely wretched stench when they are burning. By now, of course, the audience knows that what Bruno has seen is not a farm at all, and that his father's new position is Commandant of the nearby concentration camp.

The naive Bruno manages to escape from the grounds of his home and is finally free to explore the woods behind the house. Not paying much attention to where he is going, he happens upon a remote part of the camp where he meets another eight-year-old boy, Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), confined by a different kind of fence. The two become friends, and Bruno sneaks away every chance he gets to go and visit the only playmate he has found since moving away from Berlin.

This is an interesting film on many accounts, the most fascinating being the changes that each member of Bruno's family undergoes. His father, a seemingly reluctant, "political only" Nazi at the beginning, devolves into a hardened, harsh man. Bruno's sister Gretel (Amber Beattie), encouraged by a handsome lieutenant working with her father, falls victim to the Aryan propaganda so much that her room is soon filled with posters of the Fuhrer, much like young girls today would adorn their walls with images of the Jonas Brothers. Finally, there's Bruno's mother (Vera Farmiga), who is the antithesis to the growing Nazism in her family. At first she is happy for her husband and the success he has as a soldier in the German army. However, as she learns more about her husband's new charge, and the truth is revealed about the camp, she becomes bitter and angry.

And then there's Bruno. All the signs are there. Bruno comes across every hint he possibly could as to the truth behind the "farm" where his friend Shmuel lives and works. Yet he remains utterly oblivious. Caught between the two stages of "sounds and smells and sights" and "the dark hour of reason," the filmmakers show the great price of failing to deal with the world around us.

Much of the criticism that I've read regarding this film deals with the supposed overextension of innocence to both child characters. Many critics cannot grasp the idea of an eight-year-old child not understanding that the "farm" is really a horrible work camp, that the "pajamas" are prison clothes, that the mysterious disappearances that Shmuel tells of and the smoke from the chimneys are the results of the systematic slaughter of the camp's inhabitants. That may be a fair criticism, but I think it misses the greater point that the filmmakers seem to be making.

Bigger than a child's loss of innocence, Bruno seems to be a representation of Germany, perhaps even humanity, itself, and the failure to deal with the evil right before one's very eyes. So many Germans claimed the innocence that we see in Bruno, saying they had no knowledge of the Final Solution to the Jewish Problem that Hitler and his SS were carrying out across the European continent. Even today, despite all the existing evidence, there are still those that deny the Holocaust happened, not wanting to acknowledge the great evil of which humanity, perhaps even their neighbors and family members, is capable. More than anything else, this film shows the great price humanity pays for such utter naivete.

All in all, this is a very well done film. The story, though slow in the beginning, is engaging, thought-provoking, and, in the end, heart-wrenching. It is well-acted, especially in the performances of the young boys, and the bright colors and airy score provide a sort of bizarre juxtaposition to what is happening on screen.

The DVD includes the typical bonus features of deleted scenes and a feature-length commentary, as well as a featurette entitled "Friendship Beyond the Fence."

After I read the novel by John Boyne and heard the news that a movie adaption was currently in theatres, I was slightly scared that the film would be too extreme and dramatic for me, because I don't do well at all with films that scare me or make me sadand thinking about the plot of the book, I knew watching a movie version would tear me to pieces.

But, as it happened, my school went on a field trip to see the movie a few weeks after I finished the book, and I ended up having to watch the whole movie through and write a report comparing and contrasting it from the novel. And guess what?I sobbed like a baby in front of all my friends.

Although the last parts of the movie are very sad and deeply patronizing, it is overall a very good adaption of the book that caused so much controversy among young readers like me(I'm 15 by the way).

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I know that many movie critics bombed this movie, but you really need to decide for yourself.

I thought this movie was very well made, the acting was excellent, and the story was very intriguing. I have read the book the movie is based from, and the movie follows the book very closely.

I have to say my favorite part of the movie is the music the soundtrack is amazing! It was made by the same composer that did the soundtrack for Titanic and Braveheart, to name a few.

Be prepared for a shocking ending some don't like it, but I did. I think it's a realistic approach to the Holocaust not every story has a happy ending.

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I'm teaching The Boy in the Striped Pajamas to my lower level students this year. I absolutely loved the fable and thought it would be a great way to teach the students the literary term theme. I purchased this film to cover my state's media standards. I'm so glad that a classroom edition was available. It has bonus material that will be great to show the kids to discuss propaganda (also a state standard). I'm usually a die-hard believer in "the book is better," however, this film adaptation is incredible. I know it will spark a great discussion on the differences between print versus non-print. I'm excited to begin this unit with my students. I highly recommend using the film in your classroom. Plus, there are great teaching sources on the film available on the Internet (like a discussion guide).

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The movie's subject matter, first and foremost is very HEAVY.

The story follows a boy in a particular German military family. He is your average adventurous and innocent/ naïve eight-year-old boy. His family is a very ordinary German family, for that time, except his father had just been promoted to a high position within the military, causing the family, much to the children's chagrin, to move out to the country (discovered in the first five minutes of the film).

In this movie, you will see a wide range of acceptance and emotion for the German political agenda. You'll see the happenings of this family from the boy's perspective, including his introduction to the Jewish people.

In my opinion, this movie is very well made, intelligent, and powerful. The messages that are being conveyed are wonderful conversation pieces. It's time to expand horizons and stimulate the brain with this very strong film. Grab some family or friends, or someone from the office and see what this movie is all about.

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Africa's Elephant Kingdom (2002)

The documentary isn't the only great thing on this DVD... you should see the "Making off"... Great images (I don't think someone will ever get on film an elephant charging as the one on this documentary I saw this film in a theatre in Cape Town and I'm still holding my breath). The story is Ok...

If you love elephants or Africa... this is a must have !!!!!

This wonderful documentary follows a small herd of elephants through a dry season. The series is narrated in first-person "by" an elephant (Avery Brooks)

The blu-ray quality is first rate with crystal clear images. Easily some of the best blues and greens I have seen on DVD. There are some great shots, including footage of a matriarch charging the camera. There were also several sad scenes in which the herd attempted to literally prop up a dead or dying elephant, showing the strength of emotional bonds between elephants.

My only complaint is that the documentary is pretty short (40 minutes), especially for the price. I would recommend renting it, unless you are a true elephant fanatic.

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Beautiful photography. A charming look into the lives of these African leviathans. A disc the whole family will enjoy.

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i've watched this dvd 4 or 5 times already and am convinced that this beautiful animal is the wisest animal in creation, there ability to remember so many trails to better grazing areas astounds me,there friendliness to each is wonderful to see, why cant people be likewise. i particularly loved watching the baby ones, what fun and joy they show you. we are very fortunate having these amazing cameramen creating these fabulous series for us all. make sure you purchase a copy , you won't be sorry

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I saw this in the theater and, being a lover of African elephants, enjoyed. ALL made-for-IMAX flicks follow pretty much the same formula: do not exceed 35-45 minutes, keep the family with young children in mind and therefore keep learning level light, include conservation message when applicable as well as visually engaging images. . . When a baby elephant collapses from exhaustion, for example from thirst, the mama takes her leg and tries to push and encourage her baby to get up. Be advised that there is an intensely tear-jerking scene in which the mama tries but the baby is dead. It's a really tough scene and I can't take it although an adult; I would not want a young child to see it.

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Away We Go (2009)

Like all road pictures, AWAY WE GO is about a couple in their early thirties trying to discover themselves (and what kind of home and family they want to create for themselves) through a round of visits in the sixth month of the pregnancy. I've never been a huge fan of Dave Eggers, but the script that he wrote with Vendela Vida is a brilliant one. The structure of the film is simple: Burt (THE OFFICE's Jim Krasinski) and Verona (SNL's Maya Rudolph) have moved to a small, cold house entirely so that they can live near Burt's parents. But after learning that they will be moving to Antwerp a month before their baby is due, they realize that they don't need to live any longer in a town where they have no friends and, now, no relatives. They plan a long trip that will see them visiting friends and relatives in a number of locations, including Scottsdale, Tucson, Montreal, and Miami. They see people whose lives they would like to emulate and those they would not.

And along the way hilarity ensues. The scenes between Burt and Verona are frequently hysterical, though when they are meeting their friends or relatives they tend to become "straight men" and the humor shifts over to the others. Although several people are absolutely outstanding, two actors deserve special mention. First, Allison Janney is absolutely hysterical as Verona's former boss in Chicago (more about Chicago in a second). She is, putting it simply, a nightmare of a mother. But in the most hysterical of ways. (Now on Chicago. Verona mentions working in Chicago and she is shown to be a medical illustrator. This is not unconnected with Chicago; in fact, there is a direct correlation between medical illustration and Chicago, since the most important medical illustration program is at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical School. Odds are that if someone has studied medical illustration, they did it there.) The second actor who stands out is Maggie Gyllenhaal, who plays a college professor and old friend of Burt who and the embracer of more fringe and nutzoid ideas than one can imagine. Her ideas, and those of her husband, are so absurd that given gentle, placid Burt can take no more.

But the major kudos have to go to Krasinski and Rudolph, who manage to create two characters we come to like a great deal and who we very much hope will come to understand precisely what they and where they want to have it. This is an especially enjoyable film given the overwhelming amount of special effects fare at this time of the year. This is an intelligent film that also manages to be very, very funny. It is currently in somewhat limited release, but when you get a chance to see it, do so.

This movie was a charming look at a couple that is struggling to define themselves and to find their place in the world. The comedy was perfectly placed and well written. The story lines were honest and believable glimpses into various peoples very different lives. The main couple visits friends and family around North America trying to find where they would fit. What they find out is that they don't really fit any of those places and they have to make their own way in the world. Excellent movie, one of the best of 2009.

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My husband and I really liked this movie. We were laughing and laughing until the couple got to Montreal, their fourth stop, and then we were in tears: "She had a miscarriage on Thursday. Her fifth."

Bert and Verona seem like us late to have a child, still living in a cluttered rented house, asking, "Are we F--K Ups?" They arrive at the beautiful door of old friends and say, "Wow, they seem so grown up." Those were my exact feelings on reconnecting with a childhood friend last winter who is FAR more established than us. Our furniture is hand-me downs, unpainted pine shelves and dusty milk crates stuffed with reference books. Every room in my friend's house looked decorated and cared for (but did she have books? I don't recall). Seeing it made me realize that I was still inhabiting this fantasy that I was still a graduate student...but then I realized that I am the age my mother was when I happened to be in middle school, so thus I am not young, just too poor to have a pretty decorated house with art on the walls. At least the spines on my texts are colorful.

Bert and Verona have no roots Verona's parents are dead, her sister lives in a different city, and Bert's parents are about to embark on their own journey abroad, in Belgium. It is curious to me now to see that the concept of growing up and going away to college, leaving your family and your hometown behind, often leaves you with no roots at all if you keep traveling, after college, as I have. It is an interesting idea, then, to decide in the sixth month of pregnancy to go visit one's old friends, as Bert and Verona do, to see if they'd like to settle near them. It is a question I often ask myself...should I move back to California? What about Portland? What if we just moved back somewhere on the I-5 corridor, which would be more civilized than here? How deep are my roots here after all, now that I have taught seven cohorts of 7th graders and my daughter is now four?

I really liked Bert and Verona and the way they made each other laugh, the way they comforted each other, and their subtle communication when they are guests in their friends' houses. If they were real people, I would have no doubt that once their child was born, they would slowly gather back a community of other new parents.

This movie makes me remember the last days of my marriage before we became parents, and what people said to us. Both ridiculous and moving.

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At the butt-end of last year Sam Mendes directed a film called Revolutionary Road. This was a masterpiece, truly deserving of that title. It's his best film hands down! His previous films American Beauty and Road To Perdition weren't too shabby either. They all have a sense of darkness and foreboading. The dark foreboading element is missing from his current film Away We Go, and that is not a bad thing.

The basic set-up is simple and understandable in that movie universe sort of way, but two winning performances from leads Mya Rudolph and Chris Krisinski really help this thing over some of the comedy set-up trappings. Rudolph is an actress that I've known from SNL and that's it, I've not seen here in anything else. Surprisingly, she ends up playing straight-man to Krisinski. And you she gives a very touching and honest performance, and I see a great career outside anything resembling comedy in her future. Krisinski is an actor I've never seen in anything. I've been informed that he is one of the stars of the American version of The Office, and he, like Rudolph, is someone I want to see more of. He plays affable in this film like a pro. He's an optimist and a realist all in one heartwarming stroke. He's the goofier of the couple but it comes off more like it's part of his character and his personality and less like comedy schtick. Together I would watch any film premise about this pairing.

This is a real couple, not a made up movie couple. This is my favorite part of this film. The plot is cute and similar to that of the great film Flirting With Disaster, but the unmarried leads make this film above average. They don't have silly, pointless and melodramatic arguments to up the conflict factor most these type of films contrive for the sheer 'entertainment' value. Sorry, folks, this is about real people not the cyphers that make up the world of most sitcoms and Rom-Coms.

The first and one of the best examples I can conjur up in regard to this point is an early scene of the couple driving to Krisinski's parents' house(played hysterically but briefly by Jeff Daneiels and Catherine O'Hara). Krisinski, who sells insurance by phone, gets a call from a client and puts on an obnoxious 'offcial business' voice that irritates Rudolph. She pulls over the car and gently steps out. He catches up to her and they flirt. There's no silly argument of the two complaining about themselves. They know each other so well and truly love each other to the point that they know each others' faults, quirks and everything in between. This is what it is like to truly know, understand and love each other. Little touches like this really make this film rise abvove the rest.

This is a road movie so we meet various other side characters that help emphasise and illustrate versions of family life and modern couplings. We get some great cameo by Maggie Gyllenhal as a very liber4al new-agey type who supplies some o the film's funniest situational comedy. Most of the humor comes from an honest place and not joke set-ups. Not all of the humor, but most. The constant change in locale is a comedy contrivance in itself but we forgive it because the characters are so engaging and real.

The film is not without its flaws. The premise is a bit obvious and basically negligiable. The final emotional conclusions are obvious long before they arrive, but they are executed and performed so flawlessly it's easy to forgive this flaw.

I'm happy to see Mendes broaden inot this territory. It's not as dark, and it's not about miserable people, but rather real people. They are self-proclaimed "F@#$CK ups". It's a story of late bloomers. They're just making it and fitting the pieces together a little slower then the rest of us. No big career destinations, no big dreams, they're just living their lives and loving each other honestly. It's quite lovely. Starting their unexpected family is as natural to them as never becoming a wedded couple. This is life, but rather contrived in a more entertaining movie way.

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AWAY WE GO isn't a great movie but it is certainly entertaining. The story revolves around a thirty-something couple who are about to have their first child. When things don't go as planned, they decide to pull stakes and look for a new home. In its own way, AWAY WE GO reminded me of the Little Prince, who went from planet to planet, meeting strange new people. This couple's search unearths the odd, kind, bizarre, tragic, and confused, who unknowingly show the couple how normal they really are.

There are moments in AWAY WE GO that are very funny, and a few that are sad or touching. Most of the dialog is above average. All of the actors are credible and competent. Maya Rudolph, of SNL fame, is actually very good. The only other feature I've seen her in was Idiocracy, where she seemed to be playing a character more suited to Saturday Night Live. Here, she shows that she can play real characters instead of just caricatures.

The overall pacing of AWAY WE GO is a little slow, but it is still worth watching. I'd be reluctant to watch it twice, but I would if I had to. Three times is probably out of the question. RECOMMENDED.

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