Basket Case Trilogy 'Limited Edition Steelbook | Basket Case / Basket Case 2 / Basket Case 3: The P

This is a beautiful set from top to bottom. My friend found it and bought it from Kim's for $70 (and I would have done the same had they had 2). The next day, I ordered this set from amazon.co.uk, because, after conversion rates and shipping, it came out to just under $36 dollars. I suggest you all do that as well, because this set is worth it, and it's worth the 2 weeks wait to save $20.

Seriously, go out and buy this now. You won't regret it.

Well, here it is the ultimate "Basket Case" collectible. All three films on region free Blu-ray discs looking and sounding the best they ever have, plus a comprehensive documentary (almost 80 mins), a suite of extras collected from previous DVD releases of the first film (commentary, outtakes, trailers, photos), a look at UK horror movie posters and an Easter egg featuring an FX workshop tour all wrapped up in metal box with great new cover art. Wow-factor: 11 out of 10. The first movie is a genuine low-budget horror classic, and the glossier sequels make for cheerfully demented viewing. Plus, Belial fans should note that a potential "Basket 4" is hinted at in the documentary, so buy this now and stay tuned for more mayhem.

Buy Basket Case Trilogy 'Limited Edition Steelbook | Basket Case / Basket Case 2 / Basket Case 3: The P Now

Yojimbo & Sanjuro (The Criterion Collection) (1962)

Yojimbo and Sanjuro are great movies for diverse reasons.

Yojimbo (The Bodyguard) is a samurai movie based in the detective novels of Dashiell Hammett particularly Red Harvest. Akira Kurosawa wanted to bring the best of literature and interpret it into Japanese cinema. Its interesting that the two main influences in this process were Hammett's hard-boiled detective fiction and William Shakespeare (Ran, Throne of Blood). The always-excellent Toshiro Mifune plays the nameless title character who schemes and plots of take down an entire town of gamblers and gansters. I won't recap the story, suffice to say that his plans lead into several battles and some beautifully choreographed sword fights. Yojimbo was later made (nearly scene-for-scene) into A Fistfull of Dollars by Sergio Leone with Clint Eastwood as "The Man with No Name." Bruce Willis brought the character back to it's ganster/detective roots with the not-so-good "Last Man Standing." Yojimbo is awash with cinematic violence, but the charm infused into the movie by the cynical, yet obstinately principled, hero surprised me when I first saw it. The performances of the supporting cast, as usual with Kurosawa's films, add depth and wit to each scene. For what its worth, Yojimbo has gradually become one of my favorite movies.

If you end up enjoying Yojimbo, check out The Seven Samurai, Sword of Doom, Miller's Crossing, The Maltese Falcon, and The Thin Man.

The sequel, Sanjuro, is a departure of sorts from Yojimbo. Kurosawa and Mifune return as we find our nameless hero assisting some naive samurai who have been backed into a corner by corrupt officials in their clan. Played more for laughs but still brimming with cynicism and wonderfully orchestrated fights (the final scene will leave you afraid to blink), Sanjuro is a worthy but unusual follow-up to the cynical Yojimbo.

Criterion did an excellent job with their recent re-release of Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai, and it appears that they are giving the same treatment to Yojimbo & Sanjuro. A new (and improved) translation, commentary from Steven Price, as well as documentary film focusing on Kurosawa during the time he was making these great movies, and a booklet with info about the two movies, sadly nothing from Mifune (he did have an essay in the Seven Samurai DVD re-release). I can't wait to get ahold of it should be well worth the purchase!

MOVIES:

Introduction:

When you talk about an Akira Kurosawa film there is very little to say because his films speak way more than what any reviewer can write. Any filmmaker or film enthusiast can tell you that Kurosawa is one of the greatest directors to have ever made films. Not only is he able to tell grand and epic stories but he is able to keep his characters intimate with the audience. He is probably the single most influential director to have ever lived. Now the good folks over at Criterion have blessed us with remastered editions of Yojimbo and Sanjuro, two classic samurai masterpieces by the great director. Criterion wowed us last year with their remastered release of Seven Samurai, which was my favorite DVD of the year. This release, while not as extensive as the Seven Samurai three disc set, is still something to jump over. Since Sergio Leone is my favorite director you can assume that Akira Kurosawa is close behind in my taste in film, especially these two films. The two films can be purchased separately, but I highly recommend buying this box set as it will not only save you money but save you shame when you tell people that you own one but not the other.

Yojimbo:

The thing that surprises me the most about Yojimbo was that it was a film that was inspired by American westerns yet was even a bigger inspiration for the genre after it was made. The story is about a masterless samurai who wanders into an old town looking for food and shelter, maybe a job if he can find one. He notices that the entire town is deserted and the first thing he sees is a small dog happily trotting down the dirt street with a severed human hand in its mouth. That image right there sets the entire tone for this fun adventure film with a slight comedic side to it. The masterless samurai who is known as Sanjuro then realizes that the town is in the middle of a gang war with two feuding sides. He takes refuge with an old shopkeeper and decides to use this feud to his advantage. He plays both sides and manipulates each of the gangs in hopes of ridding the town of both groups and making a little profit during the process.

Even though the film was made in 1961 it's still as accessible today as any other film would be. Kurosawa was ahead of his time when it came to pacing films and structuring them. His characters were also so boldly developed that they became unforgettable. His visual style is probably the most unique of any director. The reason why Sergio Leone is my favorite director is because of his appreciation for cinematography and Akira Kurosawa had the same appreciation. While Leone may have been inspired by Kurosawa it was Leone who pushed the limits of the widescreen frame in terms of composition. Kurosawa was never as extreme as Leone was, but his films were nonetheless interesting to watch due to the brilliant cinematography. The final showdown at the end of the film is breathtaking all due to what is captured within the frame. Truly impossible to describe, it must be seen.

When you talk about iconic actors you always come across Toshiro Mifune who embodied the role of the masterless samurai to perfection. Just the mannerisms he uses in the film are entertaining to watch. He'll scratch his beard leisurely in the tensest situations, or even roll his shoulders around as he walks about. While Clint Eastwood without a doubt created his own icon in the Leone westerns, it is without a doubt heavily inspired by Toshiro Mifune.

Sanjuro:

With the immediate success of Yojimbo in Japanese cinema it was inevitable that a sequel was wanted by the studio. When Akira Kurosawa was approached to do a sequel he assured them that he didn't want to do any old sequel, and he didn't. Sanjuro has no relation to the previous film except for the main character. The first scene of the film finds a group of nine samurai in a small abandoned house waiting to be contacted and all the while discussing the state of their clan. Of course our "hero" is sleeping in the closet and ends up hearing their situation. Sanjuro emerges from the closet and tells them they are about to be betrayed and since they are blind to the world he decides to help them weed out the evil and corrupt members of their clan. Sanjuro is slower paced than Yojimbo, and I suppose there are less swordfights. However, just because there are less swordfights in the film does not mean the film has less action. Kurosawa cranked up the intensity of the battling and it makes the scenes all the more exciting. The film also keeps up with the comical side that we saw in Yojimbo. In the end it all dials down to one final samurai duel that will leave you breathless.

Kurosawa paced this film a little differently than Yojimbo. We are almost thrown right into the action with no detailed introductions to our characters. We already know our main hero well, so there is no need to introduce him again. The nine young warriors almost act as one character so just explaining their situation was enough. Sanjuro teaches these young warriors the way of honor and to be weary of their surroundings. It's truly a magnificent film. By the end of the film you will know exactly where Tarantino got his inspiration for Kill Bill and for the style of blood used in the film.

VIDEO: The highlights of these brand new sets are definitely the new high definition transfers, absolutely flawless in every sense of the word. The image could not get any better. Grain and dirt are practically non existent and no signs of any digital flaws. The image itself is not faded and textures come through crisp and clear. I never knew black and white could look so good. Both films are presented in their full 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratios.

AUDIO: Sound is almost as perfect as the picture. We have included the original mono track in Japanese as well as a little bonus. Criterion knows that more and more homes are getting bigger and badder surround systems, but mono tracks on such a big screen may feel uninvolving for today's audience. So, we have an optional 3.0 Dolby track that was created to preserve the original Perspecta simulated stereo effects.

Perspecta was a technology that embedded three separate audio tones into a mono track. It was a cheap alternative at the time since projectors did not need a new sound head. So the DVD is basically using 3 speakers to simulate this early technology that was used during the films' theatrical distribution. Bravo Criterion. Bravo. I'd also like to applaud the effort to provide newly translated and more accurate subtitles for both films.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Yojimbo's Special Features:

Commentary by Film Historian and Kurosawa Scholar Stephen Prince:

The audio commentary is chock full of important facts and great analysis behind certain techniques used in the film. A must listen for film students and film enthusiasts because I bet anywhere else you'd pay lots of money to hear a professional speak at a seminar or a class to get information like this.

The Making of Yojimbo:

A 45-minute in depth documentary that goes behind the scenes of Yojimbo. There are plenty of interviews with crew members. They speak so much about Kurosawa that by the end you may feel like he was interviewed too. Lots of info such as using a telephoto lens for most of the film to get the look that Kurosawa wanted. Plenty of fun stories from crew members, an especially interesting one from the focus puller.

Theatrical Trailer & Teaser:

The original theatrical and teaser are included. They are nothing like what we know now as the theatrical trailer. It's fun little extra.

Stills Gallery:

Lots of pictures from the set of Yojimbo.

Booklet:

Includes an essay written by critic Alexander Sesonske and some notes from Kurosawa and his cast and crew.

Sanjuro's Special Features:

Commentary by Film Historian and Kurosawa Scholar Stephen Prince:

The audio commentary is chock full of important facts and great analysis behind certain techniques used in the film. A must listen for film students and film enthusiasts because I bet anywhere else you'd pay lots of money to hear a professional speak at a seminar or a class to get information like this.

The Making of Sanjuro:

A 35-minute in depth documentary that goes behind the scenes of Sanjuro. There are plenty of interviews with crew members. They speak so much about Kurosawa that by the end you may feel like he was interviewed too. Lots of info such as using a telephoto lens for most of the film to get the look that Kurosawa wanted. Plenty of fun stories from crew members, especially one story about painting flowers for the highly demanding Kurosawa.

Theatrical Trailer & Teaser:

The original theatrical and teaser are included. They are nothing like what we know now as the theatrical trailer. It's fun little extra.

Stills Gallery:

Lots of pictures from the set of Sanjuro.

Booklet:

Includes an essay written by critic Michael Sragow and some notes from Kurosawa and his cast and crew.

BOTTOM LINE: As a filmmaker and a film critic, I am simply floored by this set. I love Kurosawa's work, but these films especially since they went on to inspire my favorite director. Sergio Leone remade Yojimbo as A Fistful Of Dollars and added a whole new element to the story to make is just as great as the original. Leone used elements of Sanjuro for For A Few Dollars More and then he created his personal masterpiece with The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. Walter Hill remade Yojimbo with Bruce Willis taking the lead role in Last Man Standing. So, you can see that Kurosawa is simply one of the best filmmakers to have ever lived. Criterion continues to raise the bar in terms of home video distribution of important classic and contemporary films. This set is a must buy.

Buy Yojimbo & Sanjuro (The Criterion Collection) (1962) Now

Got my pre-order a day early!

The HD treatment on these classics can be described in one word...WOW! Exceeded my expectations in every way! Great contrast and lighting with a 3 dimensional pop. Facial detail and expressions are thrilling to watch. Criterion's previous re-release was an excellent DVD translation but this blu-ray version is phenomenal. 99% of the film is gorgeous but there are a few scenes where detail seems low rez. It doesn't feel like a movie made nearly 50 yrs ago but one filmed recently due to the HD restoration.

I have both a 1080p screen and a 720p screen and I honestly can't tell which has better picture quality. There are 2 audio options, the original mono and a new HD DTS 3.0 perspecta and both are very good but I prefer the original. I've watched these films many times and this is the first time I'm noticing details I've not seen before such as fine details on actor's faces, clothes, props, and actor's facial expressions and backgrounds.

The extra features are slim and is probably the only thing that's lacking. Kurosawa's "It is wonderful to create" featurettes as well as an excellent commentary by Stephen Prince is very informative yet his tonal quality can be dry at times.

The set comes in a box exactly like the DVD version but smaller in size and included booklets of 19 pages.

I found Yojimbo to have better picture quality than Sanjuro which has an overall softer look.

I commend Criterion for an excellent job on these films and can't wait for Seven Samurai on blu-ray which was supposed to be ready in march but will be delayed till end of this year due to the magnitude of the HD treatment.

Even if you have the DVD version, this HD version seems like a whole new experience. Must have!

Blu-ray restoration wish list:

All Kurosawa films

The Sword of Doom

Harakiri

Samurai Rebellion

Samurai Trilogy Musashi Miyamoto

Read Best Reviews of Yojimbo & Sanjuro (The Criterion Collection) (1962) Here

I'm going to work under the assumption that you have already seen these movies (if not, there are plenty of reviews about how great the movies themselves are, so I won't belabor the point). I bought these movies as an upgrade to the 1998 Criterion release that I still have, and I think it was a worthwhile investment.

Although the differences between 1998 and 2007 pressing are not as great as the differences between the 1998 and 2007 pressing of Seven Samurai, these two movies did get a significant upgrade. While they are not flawless, they are closer than I would have ever expected to see them. I actually watched the first few chapters of each pressing of both movies, and the differences are amazing. The graininess has been cleared up, almost all the scratches have been removed, and there are very few blemishes (you pretty much have to be looking for them to even notice them).

Although these aren't cheap by an stretch of the imagination, if you love these movies and would like to see and hear them at their best, then the pricetag is well worth the cost. If, on the other hand, you haven't seen these movies (of you're just not insane about AV quality, like me) keep in mind that you can pick up the older pressing for half as much.

Want Yojimbo & Sanjuro (The Criterion Collection) (1962) Discount?

I'll admit up front I consider myself a Kurosawa fanboy so writing this is hard as I'm constantly trying to keep myself from degenerating into a fanboy rant. I'll just say with the nice price and the remastered video updating the problems with their original releases, this is a great release for those looking to get into Kurosawa films, or chanbara in general. Both films have a lighter tone and are shorter and funner than Seven Samurai and Ran and I loved the films plots over The Hidden Fortress.

First up Yojimbo, like Seven Samurai one of the most copied of Kurosawa's films. This is fun film, that has a streak of black humor that the two remakes A Fistfull of Dollars and Last Man Standing lack. Mifune had a humorous quality to his acting that came up greatly in his role of Sanjuro the wandering ronin who strolls into town after hearing about it from a farmer quarreling with his son. With Mifunes performance, intelligent writing, Kurosawa as usual makes full use of panavision. The opening where Mifune walks into town where all the residents peek out from behind windows and doors is just awesome with the way the camera captures all the small actions. Theres not much more I wanna say except with the opening listen to the confrontation between Mifune and compare it to a certain scene in Star Wars A New Hope. Lucas not only copied many of Kurosawas movies but cribbed scenes from this one and others as well.

Sanjuro is viewed by some like all sequels as inferior to the original. Personally its not a Matrix/Matrix Reloaded situation. Sure it doesn't feature a deep story like the previous film, but it does have the writing that I always like from Kurosawa and the humor in scenes that are great and add depth to the characters. Plus just one of the best endings ever. I've seen the film five times and I've always been suprised by it.

Anyway this whole thing is a great package with excellent video, the usual essays that come from Criterion and the usual documentaries from the Its Wonderful to Create series produced by Toho that have been on other Kurosawa releases, and a cracking commentary from Stephen Prince who gives a in depth commentary definitely worht a listen. Its a great package well worth the price.

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The Mechanic (2011)

Although this is a remake of the 1970's film by the same name The Mechanic which starred Charles Bronson and Jan Michael Vincent, there are only a few similarities between the two and a lot more differences. This movie has a lot more special effects and action sequences, but seems to lack considerably in the character development of Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) and Steve McKenna (Ben Foster) and the relationship between the two men. I was also a bit disappointed in the instructional and training period that should have taken place between the master hitman and his protege. I felt that this should have been developed more than it was, and what was shown seemed to be lacking in substance.

The plot runs pretty much the same as the original, but there are some notable difference, which I won't go into here so as not to ruin the movie for those of you who still haven't seen it yet. However, for those of you who have watched the original pay particular attention to the end of the film, where things aren't always what they seem.

Statham did a pretty good job reprising Charles Bronson's role of Arthur Bishop. However, I really couldn't believe Foster's portrayal of his character as much. I am not quite sure why, as I think Foster is a fine actor, but his performance just didn't seem to have the same ring to it as Jan Michael Vincent had in the original version. And although Donald Sutherland has a small part in this film, he played his role just fine.

One thing that I did really like in this film was the way the portrayed the various gunfight scenes with empty handed combat skills. Very believable and some of it would actually be very effective. This made the movie much more enjoyable for those of us that are tired of all the Hollywood fight scenes that have no basis in reality.

One particular plot point that I found very disturbing in the movie, which I won't detail here for fear of having a spoiler, but I will generalize in the fact that for Bishop to be a master hitman, he ends up making a very crucial error in judgment concerning evidence of a previous hit that ends up causing him difficulties in the end. In a nutshell, why would you go through all the trouble to commit a perfect murder and then take a picture of you with the dead body and then leave it lying around for someone to find. Not very smart!

Overall I think this is a movie that is worth seeing, but for all of us Charles Bronson fans out there, you just can't beat the original!

Shawn Kovacich

Creator of numerous books and DVD's.

I was hoping for more on the supplement angle and picture quality for being a Sony title (and part of a known franchise now) but this will have to do.

The story follows an elite mechanic/hitman as he weaves through deception and retribution while mentoring the son (played excellently by Foster) of his former friend and boss (Sutherland). Foster was the reason I watched this and have been a fan of his since 11:14; itself an overlooked but good film. Above all of the usual Statham faces, inept bad guys, great stunts and token eye candy, Foster actually carries this film for me and proves himself again.

The picture quality was average at times, with a great deal of exteriors having that grainy look, but other times the clarity was above par. The DTS is as expected from Sony and it rocks nicely with the various explosions and gunfights. I was disappointed with the lack of extras, but they include:

* movieIQ. The standard IMDB-on-your-screen-while-watching. The best trivia was in the making-of.

* Alternate opening, deleted scenes, 10:46 minutes. The alternate opening made no sense but the deleted scenes definitely removed some character development for the Sutherland/Statham friendship. The long scene of Foster/Statham at his truck towards the beginning has nothing different except that they had to muddy the rear-view mirror (in the film) because it showed the entire crew accidentally.

* Making of, 7:47 minutes. Too short, but still had some decent background on filming, including Foster's injury which then makes sense (what I thought before seeing this was a significant writing error) as to why they filmed Foster having to kill left-handed; especially since he says he is not a lefty in the film. Good stunt info also.

Region coded A, English and Spanish subs only. Try not to compare this to the original, or against other Statham action pieces, and you might get some decent entertainment out of it. 3.5 for the film and sound, .5 for the supplements.

Buy The Mechanic (2011) Now

Lacking originality and surprise, The Mechanic is nonetheless enjoyable for the action sequences alone. Awards it will not win, and there is quite a bit for a viewer to dislike, but the fast pace keeps the parts shiny despite the lack of polish.

Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a hitman who does everything perfectly, lives in a secluded multimillion dollar house, and gets his jobs via a hitman's version of Craigslist. Not quite as hyper or entertaining as his roles in the Crank movies, Statham nonetheless toes the brooding, meticulous line of someone in that line of work. It's believable, I suppose. His mentor and confidant Harry Foster (Donald Sutherland) worries less about the next target than he does his own son Steve (Ben Foster), an aimless troublemaker itching to find his niche. As the assassination business goes, complications lead to Harry fostering a relationship with Steve, who wants to emulate the Spy vs. Spy routines of which his father spoke so highly. Probably a bad idea since Steve is a drunk.

While I probably liked this movie more than most, there were numerous problems that will relegate this film to a future in the Walmart $5 bin. First and foremost, the tension in the action is great, and there are several white-knuckle scenes, but if I had a nickel for every millisecond cut I would have been able to watch several better movies the night I watched this. That is my new pet peeve. The cuts during several spots were so fast they were nearly subliminal. It's a shame, too, because the gunplay and stunt-work in the movie are superb. The headshots fly through with force and gusto; someone really wanted to ensure there was no doubt with a quite a few deaths.

Regarding the story and the plot, that's clearly not the point of this movie. Well, maybe it is, but originality surely isn't. I don't mind brainless movies happens to be one of my favorite genres but please make at least one aspect of the movie unpredictable. This may as well have been a silent film with a caption that read, "Hitman goes through training," before showing Statham and Foster in their machine gun montage. Speaking of that, you'd think there would be more to being an elite hitman than a few random medical books and assorted time in the backyard range.

The moment that ruined the movie for me, however, was Ben Foster's ridiculous reenactment of Kevin Bacon's infamous "so mad I have to dance" scene from Footloose. Thankfully there was less angst and grand mal seizure in Foster's rendition.

I expected much more for cast like this remaking of such a good movie. Director Simon West continues to be hit-or-miss.

Jason Elin

Read Best Reviews of The Mechanic (2011) Here

I knew this was going to be a good movie when Jason Statham got naked within the first 5 minutes.

I saw this movie after a really rough day at work, so I zoned out during some of the dialogue in the beginning and missed some plot explanations. Luckily, there wasn't much dialogue after that and a lot of Jason Statham kicking ass so it was still fully enjoyable. This is such a dude movie violence, blood, sex, explosions and I loved every minute of it. The greatest thing about this movie is that there's no romantic relationship getting in the way. No pretty girl to distract or reform Arthur Bishop he's a badass and remains a badass without any unnecessary complications.

And can I just say that I absolutely love a badass who listens to classical music and is extremely organized and methodical. Who wears soft grey knits.

Sadly, I'm realizing that I've become quite squeamish in my old age. I used to be a longtime lover of horror flicks, the gorier the better. Now I find myself cringing and shutting my eyes with just the anticipation of possible bloodshed. Though I don't know what kind of person who wouldn't cringe at the sight of a harpoon being stabbed through someone's calf.

Also, I'm pretty sure that this is what Jason Statham actually does in real life.

This movie is fun and exciting to watch, with lots of action and cool fight scenes. This review is completely erratic and I apologize Jason Statham always makes me lose my bearings. Go see this movie!

Want The Mechanic (2011) Discount?

I was not familiar with the original Charles Bronson film The Mechanic from 1972, but that may have actually been to my benefit with this movie. The Mechanic is definately for those who enjoy hard-hitting action films with a lot of blood that has a lot of vulgarities than you can count with a small bit of nudity along the way. The Mechanic definitely falls into the awesome category in my book. Jason Statham is back in top form with this one since it was able to deliver a pretty good story to compliment Statham's fight sequences that he is famous for. Despite the fact that the dialogue is filled with F-bombs left and right, it fit the overall tone of the film very well so it isn't too distacting. Ben Foster wasn't disappointing either, Foster is one of those good talents in his thirties that a lot of people overlook as having potential. Donald Sutherland makes a few memorable scenes but isn't really a factor in the movie besides being the main story. The Mechanic is actually really entertaining and is very much the definition of a guy film but my wife did put up with it. It's packed with explosions, bloody headshots, broken limbs, and even a hefty and destructive car chase sequence. Overall, The Mechanic is dark, gritty, bloody, and just awesome overall.

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The Company (2007)

Robert Littell's The Company is a massive novel that follows the history of the CIA from post WWII to the end of the cold war. As long as three books, this novel is rich and full of characterization. So it's obvious that any such book would be hard to bring to the screen, large or small. The TNT TV version, at around 4 1/2 hours, tried hard, but didn't do justice to the book. It sometimes seems like an outline of the book, and so much is left out, that the action moves too quickly, changing locations and characters, making it hard to follow. This is more so in the early part of the series; the last 1/3 focuses on a more limited situation, the attempt to find a CIA mole.

Suffering from overbearing music that is way too loud in the early parts (which makes you wonder why the music was toned down so much in the last third), and characters who are supposed to age about thirty years, but look only a few years older, The Company is, nevertheless, good TV. It will keep your attention, and the intrigue is interesting, but be prepared to give it a chance; it's hard to follow at the beginning. The acting is good, the sets and locations interesting, and the plot good vs evil works well, especially since we already know who won the cold war.

But if you like this mini-series, do read the book it is probably the best spy novel I've ever read, and is so much more interesting than this over-short TV version. No film could do it justice, but I can't help but think that a couple more hours could have saved this from its weaknesses.

Years ago I gave up the spy novel for the crime novel, so I was hesitant to spend six hours in front of the tube to watch this miniseries. I was pleasantly suprised. Addicted, actually! Hyped for more! Great acting, photography and directing. Michael Keaton was AMAZING in his depiction of James Angleton.

Sign me up for the DVD.

Buy The Company (2007) Now

Sometimes it's all about the competition. If you have read The Company, you probably agree that it is a wonderful book. To say that a book that is almost 900 pages long ends too soon is saying a lot. But there is a lot good to say about The Company. And a lot in the 900 page book that is not going to make it to the screen in four and a half hours of run time.

So, if you compare the mini-series to the book, this probably gets three stars, notably for a few key changes to the plot, several omissions due to run time limits, and the problem of portraying characters who age by 40 years visually. (Yes, the music is annoying in the first episode, but it isn't that bad.)

However, if you compare to most other mini-series, this is close to five stars. After all, it starts off with a tremendous plot line and story. It does a great job of shooting realistically in foreign locales (Berlin and Budapest are done really well). And Molina and Keaton do a superb job with their characters. Keaton in particular goes to a whole new level in his portrayal of James Jesus Angelton, the real-life head of counter-intelligence in the CIA. The performances of these two actors alone make this DVD worth watching.

Sadly, Chris O'Donnell playing the main character is not up to what his two peers deliver. He just a great job as the 'Hail, fellow, well met!' Yalie, but just does not seem to ever grow or learn as he gets older. Having watched first hand the US betray their promises to the Hungarian freedom fighters in their 1956 revolt, he seems utterly surprised (first hand again) 5 years later that the US leadership does it again to the Cuban rebels on the Bay of Pigs. Some of this is the fault of the script writer, who otherwise has done a good job, but some of it is O'Donnell himself. I completely forgot that Keaton once played Batman in a movie. I was reminded often that O'Donnell played Robin. Keaton's growth as an actor over almost 30 years is remarkable. O'Donnell has stuck to what he does. Nothing wrong with that, but it means he is miscast.

But, if you like mini-series, or want to learn about the CIA and can't face up to 900 pages, The Company is recommended strongly. And if you really like the book and would like to see it visualized for you, it is a real treat.

Read Best Reviews of The Company (2007) Here

First of all, I actually enjoyed this mini-series, which, as has been noted, is elegantly produced and, on the whole, well acted. The costumes and settings are also excellent and evocative of the period. Michael Keaton is especially good in the role of chain-smoking James J. Angleton. And Tom Hollander, who seems to be making a career playing various Cambridge spies (He still has to play Maclean, Cairncross, and Blunt [which will require a real suspension of disbelief].), is brilliant (as usual) in the role of Philby (whom the writers have coyly called by one of his middle names, Adrian, so that viewers who may be only vaguely familiar with the early history of CIA will not guess he is Kim, the British Soviet Mole). Hollander plays the spy with understated charm, and his suggestion of Philby's stammer never slips into parody.

Good points being acknowledged, I now come to various aspects that have been already stated in other reviews: the overproduced music (which sometimes drowns out crucial dialogue); the handsome but rather wooden hero, who ages twenty years only in the steel color of his hair; and the confusing flashbacks, which cloud the narrative. As one who is fairly familiar with the historical background, I was also annoyed by details, which I admit are picky: if the heroes graduated in the Yale class of 1954 (as has been indicated), Philby, along with Burgess, had vacated Washington in 1951; by 1954, Burgess was in Moscow and Philby was being interrogated in London, cleared, and rehired by SIS and sent to Beirut under cover as a foreign correspondant, so there is no way that the young Yalies would have been in on the Philby debacle (One of them is depicted as delivering whisky and other goodies to him in Washington.). I think I prefer the "Good Shepherd's" solution of giving real people false names [We still knew that Matt Damon was Angleton!]. Then, none of these plot points would make the slightest bit of difference.

Again, I enjoyed the mini-series, which, under the aegis of Ridley Scott, sticks to standards that are much higher than the usual U.S. television fare. I did not think the series was as bad as some reviewers have judged it, but then, I think it could have been far better with a little more planning and a lot more editing.

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The Company is an epic mini-series, and if that sounds like an oxymoron, like jumbo shrimp, or military intelligence, then that is a fitting tribute to its subject: The Central Intelligence Agency. The Company is about the CIA and it covers a span of 40 years -focusing mainly on the Cold War, and three men who meet on a rowing team while attending Yale: Jack McCauliffe (Chris O'Donnell) and Leo Kritzky (Alessandro Nivola) go to work for the CIA, while Yevgeny Tsipin (Rory Cochrane) is recruited by the Soviets as a spy.

Jack is assigned to the Berlin office under Harvey Torriti (Alfred Molina), known as The Sorcerer. Jack falls for the first asset he handles, a ballerina with the code name Rainbow. My favorite line is when the Soviet agent threatens him with the revelation that they've seen the two together at the opera, he responds with "It was the ballet" before opening fire. Her cover was blown by a mole and she shoots herself to avoid capture. He is shattered by her death and haunted by wondering if her identity had been given up by The Sorcerer as a "barium meal" to flush out a mole. Just as barium is used as an X-ray radiocontrast agent for imaging the human gastrointestinal tract, information is released that a mole, or a double agent, will act on, and if so, then the identity of the mole is revealed. Did The Sorcerer use the ballerina, Rainbow, as a Barium Meal? Jack goes on to other adventures, notably the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 and The Bay of Pigs.

Meanwhile, Yevgeny Tsipin leads an outwardly quiet life as a liquor delivery man, but in actuality, he is passing secrets to the Soviets. He listens to a radio broadcast, and whenever he hears a quote from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, or Through the Looking-Glass, he knows to pay attention to the winning lottery numbers. He subtracts the lottery numbers from the serial number of a bill, revealing a phone number. Rory Cochrane does a good job as Yevgeny.

The Company covers quite a bit of territory, but there is so much to tell in a history of the CIA. There is almost "an embarrassment of riches" -too much to tell even for a 6 hour + mini-series. Since the decision of what to leave in and what to leave out will almost certainly reveal the biases of the director and the editor, and when you are talking about a controversial subject like the history of the CIA it is impossible not to have biases, I think they have put out a fairly objective, though dramatized, version of the truth. Lefties will think it is too right wing nutty, and conservatives will say it is too leftist. It does question a lot of actions that were taken, but you might also come away with a new respect for the CIA, knowing what they were up against.

Jack, Harvey, Leo, and Yevgeny are all fictional characters, but James Angleton, played very well by Michael Keaton, was a real person, and quite a colorful one. Keaton even had to tone him down a bit, as he was such an unusual and complicated creature. Like the fictional characters from the rowing team Angleton also went to Yale, but instead of rowing he was a poet and, as a Yale undergraduate, editor of the literary magazine Furioso, which published William Carlos Williams, e.e. cummings and Ezra Pound. While at Yale he was trained in The New Criticism and influenced by William Empson, author of 7 Types of Ambiguity. One of his teachers was Norman Holmes Pearson, a founder of American Studies.

During the Second World War Angleton served under Pearson in the counter-intelligence branch (X-2) of the Office of Strategic Services, in London, where he met the famous double agent H.A.R. ("Kim") Philby. Later, they would work particularly closely in Washington as Kim Philby, being groomed to head MI-6, was also in Washington, and Angleton was the head of Counterintelligence Staff at the CIA. They had regular lunches together until Philby was exposed as a spy for the Soviets.

Michael Keaton puts in a brilliant performance, covering all 7 Types of Ambiguity. As Angleton searches for "Sasha," a second mole described by a Soviet defector, you are never sure if he is paranoid, brilliant, or both. There is a very good scene where he talks to Jack McCauliffe about deception while tending his orchids. Orchids, you see, practice deception in order to get bees to pollinate them. Orchids also require infinite patience to cultivate, something Angleton has in abundance.

"Deception is a state of mind and the mind of the State."

~ James Jesus Angleton (1917-1987)

As he searched for more moles, he gleaned from the defector that the KGB was not only gathering information from the moles, but also planting false information manipulating the CIA to unwittingly assist the KGB in its objectives.

Angleton extrapolated from this his theory of a "wilderness of mirrors," (a reference to line 65 of T. S. Eliot's poem "Gerontion"), which proposed that the KGB was capable of manipulating the CIA to believe what it desired, and that the CIA could neither identify nor defend itself from this manipulation.

How should I use them for your closer contact?

These with a thousand small deliberations

Protract the profit of their chilled delirium,

Excite the membrane, when the sense has cooled,

With pungent sauces, multiply variety

In a wilderness of mirrors. What will the spider do,

Suspend its operations, will the weevil

Delay? De Bailhache, Fresca, Mrs. Cammel, whirled

Beyond the circuit of the shuddering Bear

In fractured atoms. Gull against the wind, in the windy straits

Of Belle Isle, or running on the Horn,

White feathers in the snow, the Gulf claims,

And an old man driven by the Trades

To a sleepy corner.

~ Excerpt from Gerontion, Poems. 1920. by T.S. Eliot (1888-1965)

The 2006 film The Good Shepherd is loosely based on Angleton's life and his role in the formation of the CIA.

The term Angletonian is an adjective used to describe something conspiratorial, overly paranoid, bizarre, eerie or arcane.

A Scanner Darkly (2006) .... Rory Cochrane was Charles Freck

Spider-Man 2 (Widescreen Special Edition) (2004) .... Alfred Molina was Doc Ock / Dr. Otto Octavius

Frida (2002) .... Alfred Molina was Diego Rivera

Chocolat (2000) .... Alfred Molina was Comte Paul de Reynaud

Batman & Robin (1997) .... Chris O'Donnell was Robin / Dick Grayson

Dazed & Confused (Widescreen Flashback Edition) (1993) .... Rory Cochrane was Ron Slater

Scent of a Woman (1992) .... Chris O'Donnell was Charlie Simms

Batman (Two-Disc Special Edition) (1989) .... Michael Keaton was Batman / Bruce Wayne

Beetlejuice (1988) .... Michael Keaton was Beetlejuice

Night Shift (Keep Case) (1982) .... Michael Keaton was Bill Blazejowski

"Who am I then? Tell me that first, and then,

if I like being that person, I'll come up: if not, I'll stay down here

till I'm somebody else"

~ Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

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Disneynature: Chimpanzee (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (2012)

Just got back from seeing "Chimpanzee" with my girlfriend and our two young boys. They loved it, and so did I. The first viewing in a long while that received a standing O. I cannot wait till the Blu-Ray transfer.

This is the story(narrated by Tim Allen, "Toy Story", "Home Improvement")of a newly born chimp named Oscar. We watch him grow up with his Mother and the other Chimps among the clan. Freddy, the Grandfather-leader is my favorite.

You cannot watch this without thinking of how unbelievably human they are. Look at their eyes, their communication and feelings; its all on caught on film and wonderfully done. I loved the footage of their tool and decision making, so, so human. Though the story of Oscar is its focus, other stories such as Scar and his clan who are at a territorial war over food sources and the communication and the execution of hunting their prey is genius.

Wonderfully told by Tim Allen as he takes us through the story of the chimps with his comedic style.

My kids loved it and so did I. Its nice to watch something real and educational for a change, making this a perfect family film.

Short film but very sweet and well worth it.

This review is based on the Instant View version of the film. . I don't know if it differs from the DVD sets which are available for purchase.

Please note that I DO give away some of the plot details, although this info is also included in nearly every advertisement or trailer for the film. If you haven't seen those, you may not want to read the rest of this review but I think those with young children might want to have enough information to decide if their children are ready for the film.

Before getting into the basics of this movie, I do want to note that it is probably best suited for older children since it does have some sections that could be frightening to younger ones, including the death of a baby chimp's mother (although this is not shown but rather narrated by Tim Allen).

There are also other events which involve violence, including attacks by rival groups of chimpanzees, but as with the death of the mother chimp most of the details are left to the imagination. Still, I certainly wouldn't take a young child to this movie. Just my take.

Shown in documentary form, this is the tale of a very young and adorable baby chimp named Oscar. The earlier parts of the movie revolve around Oscar's close bond with Isha, his mother. Both kids and adults who watched this with me found the early scenes to the slower part of the film. As one kid put it " There is too much talking" and I have to agree that the narration could have been edited for better impact.

Still, there was plenty of interesting info about how chimps use tools to open fruit and poke sticks in old branches on the ground to find termites and other bugs. Scenes of baby chimps playing or pretend fighting with each other brought smiles to our faces.

It takes awhile before the crucial event in this movie occurs....and Oscar's mother dies. This info has been broadly advertised in the promos for this movie but I'll leave out more explicit descriptions here. Young children probably couldn't handle even the narration of these events. I have to admit that I found it difficult to watch Oscar's mournful search for his mother and the challenges he faced without her.

In true Disney form, there is a nice abd comforting resolution and one that is likely to surprise and amaze viewers. I certainly wouldn't have predicted it.

There is also a bonus bit at the end of the film which reveals how the film was made and some of the humorous as well as frustrating experiences faced by the documentary's creators. I do wish there had been some different and more engaging music throughout the film, similar to that used during the ending scenes.

If you are the sort who detests movies or books where chimpanzees or other creatures are given human names and their feelings are described, you will probably want to avoid the film. After all, who really knows the exact details of another's mind, including human minds? But naming the baby chimp Oscar as well as imagining his possible feelings may make the film more accessible to children and perhaps help spur a lasting enthusiasm for nature. I can certainly see the advantage of this, even though I am ambivalent about it. However, the movie does have the blessing of noted chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall and part of the proceeds from the opening week went to the Jane Goodall Institute, designated to help protect chimpanzees and their habitats.

After watching the film, perhaps viewers will also consider how they might help ensure the future of chimpanzees.

Buy Disneynature: Chimpanzee (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (2012) Now

This was really a great movie! I got it for my 6 year old (he loves nature documentary type movies) and we both loved it. It was a little sad, but it was really neat to see what happens and how Oscar perceivers. I would recommend this to anyone who likes nature movies. I've read reviews putting the narration down, but I honestly liked it.

Read Best Reviews of Disneynature: Chimpanzee (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (2012) Here

When the filmmakers who brought the Disneynature feature film Chimpanzee to the movie screen, they may have expected some hazards (wait until you see the eye-popping bonus feature in which they're constantly tormented by bees), but they never expected a rare and amazing story to tell itself right before their cameras.

A young chimp, named Oscar for the film, suffers a difficult loss and a astonishing gain. Sorry if that's too much of a spoiler, but that is only one of the experiences you will share in this, perhaps the most remarkable of the Disneynature film series. Tim Allen narrates with a fine blend of warmth, concern and humor as this chimpanzee troup lives through various challenges, searches for food and has fun -like most families.

The film is so engrossing, the 78 minutes seem to fly by. Generous bonus sequences that chronicle the creation of the film, though not as plentiful for DVD users, are almost as fascinating as the film itself. If you see this on Blu-ray, prepare for a breathtaking ride. Some of the scenes are so lush and painterly, they look as if they came from a classic Disney animated feature -particularly a stunning long upward pan resembling a fantastic mulit-plane Disney sequence.

Young children may be unnerved by some of the material, and there is a disclaimer about the bee sequence -it's that intense.

it's nice to be able to watch this from a comfy chair in a climate-controlled room and be grateful to the filmmakers for going to such extreme lengths to capture all of this for all of us to experience.

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If you love animals, you'll LOVE this story about an orphaned chimpanzee. It's enough that the little guy is absolutely cuter than anything, but then the story will completely warm your heart. And if that isn't enough, you have Tim Allen giving his classic wit and cheeky narration. He makes you laugh with his inimitable style and you are sure to be entertained. And the cinematography is right on par with IMAX's Planet Earth. This is a must-watch!

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Rob Roy (2011)

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)Scotland is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and Rob Roy takes full advantage of this. The scenery is appropriately breathtaking and epic, with the camera making huge sweeps of the landscape. A romantic setting for a very romantic figure.

The truth of Rob Roy, like that of any folk hero, is a matter of speculation and debate. Those looking for an adaptation of Sir Walter Scott's book (also fictional) will be disappointed. Scott's book takes place long after the events described in this film with Mary and Rob at the head of an outlaw band. It also stands apart from Braveheart, which takes place about four hundred years earlier, and is an entirely different period of Scottish history.

That being said, Rob Roy is a lovely film with a quiet feel and a personal story. Liam Neeson is perfectly cast as the large, honorable highlander. Tim Roth is every bit his opposite, small and dangerously deceitful. Jessica Lange, Rob's wife Mary, is stoic and strong. All the supporting players give excellent performances, both English and Scottish. The Scottish music is lovely, and the Gaelic song sung at the gathering is captivating.

The duel at the end is one of the best I have seen.

'I could not love thee (Deare) so much,

Lov'd I not Honour more.'

Honor is what this one is all about. When people say 'They don't make movies like that any more', _Rob Roy_ is the kind of movie they have in mind. There are good guys and bad guys; the good guys have honor and the bad guys don't; in the end, honor wins the day, but not without a costly fight.

More concretely: Robert Roy MacGregor, clan leader and cattle herdsman, has borrowed a substantial sum of money from the Marquess of Montrose; Archibald Cunningham, a young acquaintance of the Marquess, has plotted to steal it; the Marquess will take the clan's lands if the debt can't be repaid. The MacGregor is offered a (duplicitous) way out but refuses to compromise his honor.

If that sounds like every Western you've ever seen, that's not a coincidence; director Michael Caton-Jones deliberately approached this film as a Western set in the Scottish Highlands. The story is based on a historical figure who became legendary in eighteenth-century Scotland, but this screen treatment plays very fast and loose with the actual history.

Liam Neeson is imposing and magnificent as the MacGregor, and Jessica Lange is surprisingly effective as his wife Mary (despite some inconsistency of accent). John Hurt and Tim Roth are deliciously malevolent as the pair of effeminate Sassenachs who have it in for our Rob; a more lethal pair of fops has never been seen on the silver screen. The protean Brian Cox appears as the cowardly and treacherous Killearn. And music fans, watch for Karen Matheson, who makes a brief cameo as a singer. (Capercaillie performed much of the soundtrack; that beautiful voice you hear is Matheson's. And by the way, Carter Burwell's soaring score is as gorgeous as the Scottish scenery.)

I don't know anything about swordfighting, but the blade-to-blade stuff in this film is surely some of the best (in a dramatic sense) ever committed to film. All this swashbuckling beats the heck out of the usual Western gunfights.

Unfairly eclipsed by _Braveheart_ (which was released in the same year), _Rob Roy_ is to my tastes a much better movie. This is filmmaking in the grand style.

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Rob Roy, based loosely on the real life Highlander Rob Roy Macgregor, had the bad mistake of Hollywood timing. There must be a lot spy vs spy in Hollywood, industrial secrets being passed around for a price! Ever notice how if one movie company does some genre, then suddenly they all are? Well, someone whispered Mel as doing in man in a skirt drama (Kilt to you Sasunnach!) and suddenly they rushes to do another. With Rob Roy coming out at the same time, it hurt by comparison. Braveheart was a powerhouse tale of one man's fight for Scottish Freedom. Off the bat, you have a difference. Rob Roy was the story of one man's personal fight against wrongs done to him and his family. So the personal tale automatically feels "smaller". Not big battle scenes for Rob Roy. No King for an enemy, just a Scottish Noble, John Graham, Marquis of Montrose (brilliantly played by John Hurt, Ian McShane old RADA roommate!).

Still, despite the automatic comparisons between the two films (both with problems of historical inaccuracies), Rob Roy should be given a stronger look. The acting is without fault. Neeson as Rob is great (who da thunk an Irisher could do such a good Scot!). Eric Stolz, Jessica Lange, Tim Roth (so utterly despicable!) Andrew Keir (5 Million Years to Earth) and Brian Cox (the first Hannibal Lector in Manhunter, a REAL Scot mind you! He did double duty by playing Mel's Uncle in Bravenheart), gives performances that are flawless. The Highland's are filmed in breathtaking beauty, the writing is gritty, sharp with a good idea for detail. Frankly, any film that has Liam "Calling down the Gregor" commends itself to my Scot heart!

Read Best Reviews of Rob Roy (2011) Here

Popular heroes make for great movies this adage has held true since the days of Douglas Fairbanks's "Mark of Zorro" (1920) and "Robin Hood" (1922), and Errol Flynn's representation of the legendary Robin of Locksley 16 years later ("The Adventures of Robin Hood," 1938), and it has been reinforced again and again throughout the years. And whenever we go to see yet another screen version of the life of such a hero, regardless whether based on historic fact or popular lore, we carry certain almost instinctive expectations: the hero is to be honorable and his true love virtuous, there is to be a truly evil villain, and an abundance of sword play and other action. "Rob Roy" delivers on all of these counts; yet, it manages to be much more than a colorful costume piece with a storyline in black and white, and it differs considerably from the type of movie coined ever since the adventures of history's great heroes were first brought to the silver screen.

To begin with, Liam Neeson, in the title role, is not the slim, agile hero with lightning-quick, supple movements we have come to expect after having seen leading men such as Fairbanks, Flynn, Robert Taylor ("Ivanhoe," 1952) and, for that matter, Richard Todd, who portrayed Robert Roy McGregor in the 1953 movie version of this story, after having played the lead in Disney's version of "Robin Hood" a year earlier. No: here, the part of the dazzling and deadly fencing champion goes to Tim Roth, who has the calculating, conceited, blonde-wigged henchman Archibald Cunningham down to absolute perfection you just love to hate him; yet, he never becomes the embodiment of an ueber villain, and it is his utter fallibility as a human being which makes him all the more evil and despicable. The face-offs between Roth and Neeson (particularly their final duel) almost have something of an inverse David vs. Goliath feeling; making Neeson's much taller McGregor look occasionally more than just a bit disadvantaged vis-a-vis the cat-like Cunningham. Here is a hero whose greatest asset, in fencing as in other encounters with an enemy, is not his speed but his intelligence, his strength, and most of all, his undying tenacity.

Similarly, the love story between McGregor and wife Mary (Jessica Lange) is not one between two young lovers: the movie finds the couple well-settled into their marriage with several young sons. Yet, they are deeply in love, a feeling which is only reinforced by the trials and tribulations they have to overcome. The portrayal of proud Mary McGregor, unbending even in utter disgrace, is one of Jessica Lange's strongest performances careerwide, a match to Neeson's McGregor in acting skill as much as in tone, emotion and courage. And filming on location in Scotland brought an authenticity to the movie which even the best cinematography and "Rob Roy" had excellent cinematographers in Karl Walter Lindenlaub and Roger Deakins and costume design (Sandy Powell) alone could not have achieved. Musically, the Scottish highlands' rugged, windswept mountains and cliffs, deep lochs, and endless grey skies are matched perfectly by Carter Burwell's score and Karen Matheson's mournful ceilidhs. Strong supporting performances by John Hurt (Montrose), Andrew Keir (Argyll), Brian Cox (Killearn) and Eric Stoltz (MacDonald) round out an altogether remarkable production.

The movie takes poetic license with a number of key details; for example, the disappearance of the 1000 pounds lent to McGregor by the Marquis of Montrose (in essence, a historic fact; McGregor and the Marquis had dealt with each other in this way several times before) was probably due to the fact that McGregor's agent really did abscond with the money; not due to Killearn's and Cunningham's scheming. But the major elements of McGregor's personal story, as well as the story's historical framework are represented truthfully, taking us back into a Scotland caught between English rule, Jacobites (Scottish loyalists supporting the Stewarts' claim to the throne, like the McGregors and the Duke of Argyll) and rivaling feudal lords. And Liam Neeson, director Michael Caton-Jones and script writer Alan Sharp do an excellent job in portraying the implications of Robert McGregor's personal sense of honor, which not only required him to keep his word once it was given, be it as part of a contract or otherwise, but also forbade him to bear false witness, even at great peril to himself and his family. Because the loss of the money borrowed from Montrose meant much more to the McGregors than a business deal gone bad: as Robert had given his land as security for the money, in 18th century feudal Scotland the loss of the land not only entailed the loss of the family's economic but also that of their tenuous personal freedom, forcing them right back into the outlaw life which their clan had known only too well throughout centuries of rivalry with a powerful clan aligned with the English kings.

1995 was not only the year when Hollywood discovered Scotland's popular heroes this movie and "Braveheart" were released in the same year, much to "Rob Roy"'s undeserved disadvantage it was a year of extremely strong movies overall. Between the in-your-face (or rather, in-your-gut) portrayal of Scotland's 13th century hero William Wallace on the one hand and such stunners as "The Usual Suspects," "Dead Man Walking," "Leaving Las Vegas," "Sense and Sensibility" and "Casino" on the other hand, and despite all critical acclaim, "Rob Roy" was not even nominated in most Oscar categories and other awards. Yet, this rustic, lyrical version of the story of Scotland's Robin Hood (like the outlaw of Sherwood Forest, McGregor hit Montrose where he knew he would hurt him most, by going after his money) has found an undying fan base over the course of the years. I hope it will continue to grow even stronger as the years go by.

Also recommended:

Rob Roy (Oxford World's Classics)

Michael Collins

Braveheart (Special Collector's Edition)

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs in History and Legend

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"Rob Roy", released around the same time as the epic "Braveheart", was in a similar vein to the latter, and was eclipsed by it.

If you liked "Braveheart", you should enjoy this movie it doesn't have large gory battle sequences or as many humorous moments, but it has stellar character performances from Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange and Eric Stoltz as the good guys, and equally stellar performances from John Hurt, Brian Cox and especially Tim Roth as the bad guys. Actually, the Archie Cunningham character in "Rob Roy" is probably Tim Roth's best turn as villain ever.

Anyway, my review is for the Blu ray transfer, which is a big improvement over the original DVD release. The opening static splash shot is ominously grainy, but the movie itself looks fine.

For me, the acid test was the dank "castle" (?) scene where we first encounter Roth's character. The original DVD of that dark scene was awash in film noise and looked pretty bad. It is much improved on the Blu release.

Though not as good overall as the Blu release of "Braveheart" (which looks awesome in high def), for the money, "Rob Roy" on Blu is worth the upgrade if you are a fan.

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Bodyguards & Assassins

Not just another martial arts film, this is a real human drama...it's misnamed. More of a look at what motivates people. GREAT film, outstanding acting.

Bodyguards and Assassins, despite having a bit of a wonky name, is a stunning picture. An all-star cast brings to life the story of revolutionaries and imperialists planning for the brief return to Hong Kong of an exile from Japan who, in one hour, is going to set in motion the wheels of an all out rebellion on mainland China.

The first half of the movie is a pure drama, introducing a lot of characters and fully fleshing out their motivations and relationships with each other. The story of the movie is not especially meaty, but by turning it into such a character piece it more than makes up for it. It was completely involving and a joy to watch.

Near the end of the first half of the movie, my adrenaline was already up for the second half. The pace was perfect, and it built up wonderfully to what I thought was the film's climax.

Instead, it turned out that it wasn't the climax, but that the entire second of the movie is brutally action packed. Having become successfully invested in the characters during the first half, this was some truly gripping stuff. The action direction is top-notch as well, absolutely pulse-pounding.

For a solid period epic, Bodyguards and Assassins certainly stands out as a great film that fans will appreciate.

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I do not yet have the blu-ray in hand, but I have had this on my DVR for a few weeks now.

I was a little sorry to see the story is largely fictionalized because the story is so very good. The title is a tad misleading: this is a story about an important period in Chinese history, condensed down to 5 days. Some of the figures are historical, but the actual occurrences (except for the summary of the following few years) are not. Please correct me if I'm wrong about this.

This is a beautiful film. Wonderful performances from an ensemble cast. If you are deeply affected by self-sacrifice, the desire of a parent to protect his or her children, redemption and painful irony, you will deeply affected by this film. Besides the performances, the film is visually beautiful (not on the level of Hero, but getting there).

Strongly recommended.

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Sword of the Stranger (2007)

This movie made a one day appearance at the theaters and thanks to a killer trailer I made a point of not missing it. Despite the movie being relatively new, there's a strange nostalgia I felt while watching it. For one, most or all of the art is hand drawn. On the big screen, the line quality is very noticeable, especially since the past decade most animation has been exempt from any line quality at all en lieu of 3D. So seeing the hand of the artist in motion was a feeling I had missed from the old days of watching Charlie Brown :-) How I manage to put Charlie Brown and a Master Samurai in the same sentence...I don't know.

But anyway...

The other thing that grabbed me was that this movie actually spends time developing both story and its characters, and it does an incredible job at that. Granted, the plot itself is a bit cliche: The bad guys are after an immortality potion that requires a young boy, Kotaro, to be sacrificed in order for the potion to work. But the cliche is padded with a strong historical back drop that gives the story a surprising gritty realism. While so many movies chop away at a good story and evolving character elements, this one slows down just enough to make you actually care about the fate of the Nameless Samurai, Kotaro and even his dog.

The steady pacing was a good way to build up to an ending so loaded with tension that I could actually feel my muscles locked up. As the Nameless character does battle with his enemies, you can't help but to feel that he may be in way over his head. In a lot of way, the movie reminded me of "Ninja Scroll": there are a host of foes that the Nameless Saurai must confront and you'll have your doubts about his skills being matched to each one. Such doubts are the hallmark of a gripping story.

I have always had a fondness for anime that explored the Bushido period; noteworthy hits such as the anime series "Basilisk" and the anime film "Ninja Scroll" have garnered a powerful following. Most recently the almost Okamoto/Kobayashi inspired "Shigurui Death Frenzy" has left me in awe. Director Masahiro Ando with screenplay by Fumihiko Takayama has adapted a tale from the original story by "Bones". "SWORD OF THE STRANGER" (aka. Sutorenjia Muko Hadan) is an animated film with fantastic action that uses the Sengoku period (a period of warring states) as its backdrop. It is a story of faith, ambition and survival.

The film was a nominee for Best animated Feature at the 81st Academy of film awards.

A young boy named Kotaro (voiced by Yuri Chinen) and his dog are wandering the lands of Japan; fleeing the Ming forces led by Lord Bai-Luan. They come across a nameless Ronin (Nanashi, voiced by Tomoya Nagase) who is haunted by the memories of his past and who has vowed to keep his blade sheathed. Chinese mercenaries are dispatched to claim the small boy for a twisted ritual for immortality. Seeing the remnants of his past within the boy, the nameless samurai chooses to act as his protector but does he have the necessary skills to keep him from the clutches of the Ming and their blood thirsty, gold-haired swordsman named Luo-Lang (Kouichi Yamadera)?

The film uses this chaotic period in feudal Japan; the Sengoku period or the era of the Warring States is a period after the decline of the second shogun. The film ponders the question: What makes a man good or evil? Is it the corruption of the amount of political power or the ambition to rise to such powers? Is it the skill of swordsmanship or the manner he serves his Lord? "Sword of the Stranger" does flesh out these questions in the spirit of its characters. Itadori is a general whose skills as a swordsman allowed him to rise above the ranks. He is ambitious and power hungry and he serves a corrupt feudal lord in the persona of Akaike; who in turn is driven by greed and lust for more power. Bai-Luan is an aide to the Emperor and seeks immortality to prolong his dwindling life. Luo-Lang is a warrior who serves the Ming Emperor but he is flawed in a way that he is longing for a worthy opponent. He is loyal, but only as that loyalty serves him. The nameless swordsman is a man exhausted, he has killed and served his Lord in the past--such actions have made his soul empty. He has tied a knot on his sword to keep him from drawing his blade, but his skills are good enough to fell highly trained opponents.

The film captures certain interpretations of the evils that men would do, for ambition, greed and loyalty. Kotaro represents the innocence and purity of youth, and as such he is the key to the Xian drug, believed to be the key to immortality. Kotaro's dog, Tobimaru also plays a significant role in the film, as he proves to be the catalyst for Nanashi and Kotaro's allegiance. The film has some touching and humorous moments, as we see the dog practice generosity and sacrifice. After all, if an animal can learn compassion, why can't us human beings? The nameless swordsman's past in shown in the form of dreams and flashbacks. (Also, there is a short film in the DVD's features that further develops his character)

It is easy to ignore the film's subtle meanings, as the film does have amazing action sequences that rival Ryuhei Kitamura's "AZUMI". The action scenes contain a good amount of gore and loads of blood. But not too bloody that the film should be rated `R'. I loved the way Nanashi defends himself without even drawing his sword, it is a true testament to his skills which provokes Luo-Lang's obsession in facing him in single combat. The fights are long, stylish and brutally violent at times. Chinese Wuxia meets Japanese swordsmanship in the encounters. I liked the manner in which Luo-Lang and Nanashi were developed through their separate fights, it allows them to be further developed and allows for build-up in the inevitable final encounter. One flaw the film has is that Kotaro's past wasn't fully fleshed out and the reasons for him being special weren't really fully explored.

The action is well animated and the moves are fluid and soft. The set designs have that minor touch of CGI, and the backgrounds almost look very photo-realistic. The mood is cleverly expressed through its effects in the form of blowing wind, ominous snowfall and the darkening of clouds. The character designs may look simple and may not be as elaborate as other anime films of this kind, but it was still pretty good. The music track perfectly complements the film's mood and attitude; I found the music quite rousing in its own right.

"Sword of the Stranger" is one good piece of animated feature. I am still rather impressed how the Japanese can keep adult themes in the form of animation, whereas here in the U.S. animation is often associated with "kiddie-flicks". The film is full of very cool action, violence that pushes the PG-13 envelope with a strong humanity that can let the film stand on its own. The viewer has to look beyond the action otherwise; he may lose some of the subtle details and may make him think the plot is a little contrived. It may not approach the classic status of other acclaimed anime hits but it is entertaining enough to keep the experienced anime fan enthralled and to attract those unfamiliar with Japanimation.

Highly Recommended! [4Stars]

Video/Audio: 1.78 ratio anamorphic widescreen. Nice, clean transfer with some muted colors on some scenes. The 5.1 Japanese Language track is powerful and clear with excellent Subtitles. There is also the option of an English Language 5.1 track.

Extras: Pretty bare bones, there are trailers and commercials but the pilot film called "Muko Hadan" is worth a look. There are also character interviews.

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I can't speak for the special features, since I haven't checked them out just yet.

PLOT (no spoilers):

Pretty standard fare. A nameless swordsman must protect an innocent boy against the hostile battlefield of two warring factions. The main antagonist group consists of an elite bunch of highly-skilled Chinese warriors who feel no pain, at the head of which is a mysterious blonde swordsman ailing at his inability to find a worthy adversary. Lacking somewhat in the originality department, the story nonetheless draws you in by the sheer charisma of its characters. The characters themselves convey their archetypes well, without being overly obvious. The cliche factor is evident, but luckily it doesn't detract from your enjoyment of the film.

ANIMATION:

Though at times inconsistent (read: some of the battle clips appear noticably choppy, while others are smooth as silk), this feature is still head and shoulders over many of its contemporary counterparts. The characters' movements are believably natural, and their facial subtext succeeds in making you actually care about what they're thinking. At times, CGI is used for set pieces and background work, but it's so well-integrated that it complements without distracting, and is often unnoticable. Most memorable of all is the climactic battle between the swordsmen No-Name and Luo Lang: this is far and away the single most visually arresting swordfight I have ever seen in an animated feature. Ever. It invokes a tangible feeling of suspense and wonder, the choreography is brilliant, the scope is incredible, the pacing is thrilling, and their movements are positively GORGEOUS. It'll make the hairs on your neck stand up, mark my words.

SOUND:

I usually prefer subtitled anime over dubbed, as English voice-overs can be spotty, and often omit certain important nuances. However, Sword of the Stranger's English voice actors are all very talented, and they mesh perfectly with the setting and their respective characters. The sound effects are particularly well-done; at the moment when No-Name strikes the killing blow against his first Chinese opponent, the explosive crack of wood beams shattering and the brutal gnashing of bone pound straight through to your core. It gives every action scene a very visceral and immersive feel.

BOTTOM LINE:

Sword of the Stranger simply must not be missed. It's certainly not the most original thing out there, but its tried-and-true story formula can be appreciated by most anyone, and the action is definitely top-tier material. This isn't a film you can watch only once.

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What can I say the only reason I gave this one a shot was because it got 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com. However, I notice now that it's down to 4.5 stars. Guess there are some people out there who can't be pleased. Where do I begin? This movie was gorgeous in scope and in style. The sun and moon lighted landscapes were awe-inspiring. The plot while familiar in some ways doesn't fail to intrigue. Finally the thing that really won me over was the music. Such an important part in most films this one nailed the bullseye.

The story opens with a young boy and his loyal dog being sent away from a burning temple to escape an sinister conspiracy. His trusted master assures him that he will be given sanctuary in another location. However, not all is as it seems. The boy and his dog travel and seek shelter in an abandoned hut where they rest. As luck would have it an wandering vagrant discovers the boy and asks if he to can bunk in the hut. The boy extremely reluctant to allow a stranger into his personal space rejects the man's plea. The vagabond's good nature is obvious from the begining ,but the boy doesn't budge.

This is where the story hits a great twist. I won't reveal anymore, but I will say that this movie should be seen by all who have a love for action and wandering no name type movies. Heck it should be seen by everyone who wants an excellent movie experience. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen as things unfolded and the climax was extremely satisfying. I don't feel an urge to clap at any movie, but this movie took care of that. Five stars all the way!

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This is a masterpiece, It is so vivid and in depth. The Animation alone will leave you saying WOW!

As for the story, They do not get much better than this, this is a must see movie for anyone.

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Pierce Brosnan 007 Ultimate Edition James Bond Collection (Goldeneye, The World Is Not Enough, Die

While it's really hard to say who is the best James Bond ever, I know who my favorite is. While I freaking love Sean Connery and Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan is my favorite James Bond mostly because he was the one I grew up with. His movies exposed me to the 007 movies and I've been a fan since. So I owe Pierce (and my Dad who's a huge bond fan) for introducing me to the series. Ever since MGM came out with the Sean Connery 007 collection. There was no doubt they would come out with a collection of the Pierce Brosnan films. It's great that they finally came out with it, but the only include three of his four films. The film that is missing from this collection is "Tomarrow Never Dies" which was a great movie. Still, the three movies that are in this set are great movies and they are worth it.

Goldeneye (1995)Possibly the best movie of this set. Goldeneye was Pierce's first time as Bond and he does a great job stepping out of the shadow of both Connery and Moore. This film was also directed by Martin Campbell who would later direct Casino Royale which ironically would be Daniel Craig's first Bond movie. This was the first Bond movie I saw in theaters and it holds a good place in my love for the bond films. From the begining of the film where 007 and 006 infiltrate the Soviet chemical weapons facility to the climax where James and Alec fight on the hidden satellite dish, this film is a BLAST!!! The action scenes are fantasic and creative. The characters do things you wouldn't count one like Bond driving a tank in a great car chase scene. All the actors do a fine job as well. Sean Bean was great as Alec Trevlyan, the 00 agent gone bad. He was like a mere shadow of Bond and Alec gives you the impression of what it could be like if Bond worked for the terroists. It was rare to see a Bond villain end up being an old friend of James Bond and this film pulls it off well. Of course we have the Bond girls as well. Izabella Scorupco as Natalya Simonova was really good. She was a strong woman who knew how to follow her instincts and she made a good par to go along with Bond. Famke Janssen as the sadist Xenia Onatopp was darn crazy in a good way. She was a character who enjoyed pain in that werid sort of way. She may rank as one of the best evil Bond girls along with Caroline Munro's Naomi (The Spy who Loved me) to name a few. But my favorite character was Boris Grishenko played by Alan Cumming. A crazy and slezy hacker who was a a former co-worker of Natalya and now works for Alec. His line "I AM INVINCIBLE!" always caught on to me and I always found myself saying that line anytime I beat a hard game.

The World is Not Enough (1999)This was actually the third James Bond film to star Pierce Brosnan. This film was also unfortunately the final time Desmond Llewelyn would play Q before his death. After this film, John Cleese (who appears in this film as well as R) would fill in the role in the next flick. This films had a really great revenge story to it with the main villains trying to take down MI6 after previous unseen mission. Sophie Marceau was fantasic as Elektra King, young woman who was once innocent but is now twisted thanks to her former captors and MI6's previous use of her. She has that innocent look in her eyes that make you want to hug her, but holds a dark secret behind those eyes. Robert Carlyle was also great as Renard, the main villain. He plays a man on the verge of death trying to give the world one last punch to the face before he dies with the bulliet that's stuck in his brain. Denise Richards was decent as bond girl Dr. Jones (Not Indiana Jones). She was a character that was able to hold her own in certain events, but I couldn't really see Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist. Hey, it's more believeible than Tara Reid as a scientist in "Alone in the Dark." Once again, the action scenes are fantastic. The begining boat chase was possibly my favorite action scene in the movie with Bond pretty much destroying everything with Q's boat. I also loved the action scene in the nuclear plant with Bond barly esacping an expoltion in the tunnel.

Die Another Day (2002)This film seems to get a very bad rep by many critics and fans. I'll admit, it's possibly the cheeseist of the Pierce Brosnan films and it has some silly moments like the main villain who changed his appearance from a Korean to a British man and it's over use of CGI. But personally, I actually enjoyed this film for some of that stuff. It was almost like a throwback to the classic Bond films. Most notibly the laser torture scene was a tribute to Golderfinger. The opening scene was also very shocking to me because I've never seen James Bond get caught and tortured the way he was in this film. It's also crazy how that was all at the start. But othe main attraction in this film (and was the most marketed) was Hallie Berry as the led Bond girl, Jinx. She was a spanky and smart woman who truly knew how to handle herself without Bond. Hallie Berry was great in the role (great looking too) and I think she should go down as one of the best Bond girls. Rosamund Pike as also fine as evil Bond girl Miranda Frost, but the twist of her character wasn't shocking since it almost became a tradtion at this point with the Brosnan films. Two Bond girls, one good and one bad. Toby Stephens was fine as the led villain, but he was possibly the most cartoony of the Brosnan films with a cartoonish method of his plans. The action scenes are always worth it alone with the car chase in the middle of the ice lake being the main highlight.

Overall, this is a must buy collection for those who don't own any of the Pierce Brosnan 007 films. The only real downside is the fact that they didn't include "Tomarrow Never Dies" which was the 2nd film of this series. If you are a fan of Pierce Brosnan's 007 films like I am, ths is for you. I also recommend getting both of the Sean Connery and Roger Moore 007 collections if you don't already.

How can this be Pierce Brosnan ULTIMATE if it doesn't have all the movies? It's missing TOMORROW NEVER DIES. Someone didn't do their homework.

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Brosnan's Bond is credited for saving the franchise from the malaise that the series suffered from "Moonraker" through "Licence to Kill". Welcomed enthusiastically by the public and widely mourned when he departed the series, "The Billion Dollar Bond" brought fun, menace and presence to the all-but-dead series in the form of four (yep, that's FOUR) terrific movies. As good as "Goldeneye is (and it is very good), it was the second Brosnan film, "Tomorrow Never Dies", that returned the series fully to its former glory. A crazy villain, evil henchman, some of the best chases in the series, fun rapport between Bond, Moneypenny and Q, a more fully realized relationship between Bond and M, an ultra-cool bad guy lair, noirish segments, a great score and real Bond girls in Teri Hatcher and Michelle Yeoh. So, why is this movie missing from the set? This is no "ultimate" set at all, but a slap in the face to Brosnan's considerable Bond legacy.

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Awsome to have these movies packaged together and the quality is very good on High Def even though it is not BluRay. Great sound. My only beef is why leave out a film? The other Bond collections are in order with one missing on the end, but this set is missing one in between movie one and two. Strange to do it this way. Other than that, great item.

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This edition of James Bond favorites follows in the fine footsteps of previous releases in the "Ultimate" series.

Picture quality has been enhanced digitally and the sound quality of this series is superb.

For those of you who have Blue Ray players, good sound systems and are watching these "Ultimate" Bond films, your

experience will be comparable to the Blue Ray format.

The first Sean Connery set of three films in this series does have an additional disc for each of the titles in the set that

explains more fully all of the work that has been done to enhance the viewer's experience when watching this new "Ultimate"

series. More supplemental material would have been a nice bonus, but the films are fabulous!

Columbus Circle (2012)

After watching Columbus Circle I have to say I suspect that the early good reviews posted on this site might be from people who are involved with the film. Story about an agoraphobic young woman (Selma Blair) whose elderly neighbor is killed is one of those twisty thrillers where all the twists are ridiculously predictable--I figured out everything that was going on in this movie about 10 minutes in. There are some good performances by Selma Blair, Giovoni Ribisi and Kevin Pollack that keep the movie watchable, and there are a few amusing lines, probably courtesy of co-writer Pollack but as a thriller this thing is a complete dud--it's too slow and too predicable and it generates absolutely no suspense.

Outstanding! Great acting. Keep you on the edge of your seat all the way to the end. Money well spend.

Really good movie about an agoraphobic woman living in New York who is very rich. Good plot and the cinematography is really intense.

Totally unpredictable ending and somehow complicated plot, but we are getting it as we go along. The moral of the movie is that people with some deficiencies are not necessarily stupid.

A must see!

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I loved this movie. I had low expectations, thinking this would be just another B-movie. It wasn't. I was surprised with the plot and they way the story unfolded. Great acting as well. DO NOT watch the trailer though, too many spoilers!

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Movie was OK but not what I expected from watching the trailer. Purchased movie same week it came out on Netflix. should have waited.

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Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King (2012)

I'm going to start this review with a bit of backstory. This may be a long read but this is Berserk so I'm going to take my time and get this right.

The original Berserk anime is infamous for its massive cliffhanger ending. I was never into manga until I watched Berserk, then I simply HAD to read the manga, because I literally could not live with not knowing what happened next. The fact that Berserk is one of the most well drawn and well written (if poorly updated) manga series ever made.

For years the fans clamored for season 2, even after it became clear that it wasn't going to happen there were still some hold outs, but eventually even they died out as well. Then the past few years we have started to see a lot of old uncompleted anime series get reboots. Some like Ultimate Hellsing were just what the fans were waiting for, others like Inuyasha: Final Act were rushed and kind of disappointing. But if any anime deserved a reboot, it was Berserk. And now here it is, the long rumored Berserk reboot that we have waited for all this time.

Now I'm going to review the actual series itself of Berserk (be patient the movie review is coming).

I don't really look at Berserk like a manga, to me it's more like a great work of art, and it reads more like a classic novel that will survive the ages. It's also easily one of the best drawn series I've ever read. The detail Miura puts into his work is spectacular, and his stories are breathtaking. As we follow Guts on his journey we see him go from an aimless wanderer, to a soldier and a friend struggling to find his place in the world, to a revenge driven sociopath fighting his fate as he travels down his dark road, to a man doing his best to heal from the wounds inflicted upon his mind, body, and soul by the dark hand of fate.

His journey constantly exposes us to the very best and the very worst of humanity. We see the darkest and most depraved things imaginable happen in these pages, which only makes it all the more heroic when we see the characters we've come to love climb out from the darkness and hold on to their humanity against all odds. Berserk can make you cry one moment and laugh another, look on in horror at a characters depravity then cheer another's heroism.

There are really only two negative things I can say about this series. The first is that the updates are very irregular, Kentaro Miura will take very long breaks, and they kind of happen pretty often too. But what can I say; quality takes time, when you take a look at some of the artwork I can see why each page could take an entire day to create.

The only other thing isn't really a complaint since I don't have a problem with it, but as a warning to others the series is very dark. There are extremely brutal death scenes, with a lot of gore. There is also a lot of nudity, including some very graphic rape scenes. This series is NOT for the faint of heart, and certainly not for children.

Ok on to reviewing this actual movie, Im going to break it down into pros and cons.

Pros:

Great quality. The animation is absolutely superb, and the battle scenes were stunning. In particular I want to praise the Guts vs Griffith fight as well as Zodd's transformation. In fact I actually want to praise Zodd's entire scene. The big battle scenes were also warrant mention (although I think I already did that).

Excellent sound track, I loved the music in this movie. I didn't think it would be possible to top the soundtrack for the old anime, but this at least matched it.

Good cast. I used to watch nothing but dubs, but after my girlfriend forced a few subtitled anime on me I've grown a great appreciation for Japanese voice actors and this movie has some great ones. Their also recasting the original VAs for the English dub, which I've always felt was one of the really good English dubs out there. So whether you're watching it subbed or dubbed you should be happy.

The story is very compelling and manages to hold on to the feelings and themes of friendship and loyalty that are present in the original anime and the Golden Age manga arc.

Most importantly to me, it wasn't rushed. Inuyasha: Final Act was clearly rushed, and was a big disappointment to the fans. Covering over two hundred manga chapters in 26 episodes is a disgrace, no matter how pretty the animation is. And I'm happy to say that Berserk did not make that mistake. There were a few scenes that were cut, but nothing important was lost. The most important scenes are still there and are handled well.

This won't break your bank. Most anime is pretty expensive, but fifteen dollars (seventeen blu ray) is pretty good, especially for a movie that clearly had a very high animation budget.

Cons:

While it wasn't rushed there are a few scenes that were left out. Most notably Guts' childhood is just covered in a series of flashbacks that don't explain much. While this didn't bug me, there might be a bit lost for those who haven't read the manga or seen the original anime.

This is my main gripe, and the only thing that made me consider giving this less than a perfect five star rating. There are a few times during the CGI battle scenes where some of the characters faces get this kind of cheesy PlayStation 2 graphics look. It happens a few times during the opening castle siege, and once or twice during Guts' fight with Casca (that was what really bugged me because it was such an important scene). It didn't happen so often that it ruined the movie though, and the fans have been vocal enough about it that I'm sure it will be cleaned up for future movies.

So all in all this is a quality product. A great movie for old Berserk fans or newer people just coming to the series. I own the original Box of War anime set, as well as the remastered version, and every volume of the manga. I'll be proud come November to add this to my collection.

No new ground was covered in this first movie as it plays exactly along with the manga/original series. The quality of the blu ray is definitely an upgrade. I thought the CGI and art work was very well done for the budget, does it look as good as Evangelion 2.22, no but nothing does. The music and voice work was spot on. The only real complaints here are that once this movie ends, your totally ready for the next...with no official release dates...it could be awhile. So if your a Berserk fan and like watching your anime in high def blu ray then pick this one up. At 18 bucks its a little expensive but im sure the price will drop eventually or you can wait on a used copy. I am not giving 5 stars because i want to finish watching the series now and there are no extras on this disc.

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Been a huge fan of Berserk, both Manga and Anime series for over 20 years now. This film looks and sounds incredible! Much more brutal and violent then the original anime. I refused to listen to others about the CGI sucking...because it doesn't. I found the film very crisp and bloody. Action scenes are amazing and the sound offered on the disc is very loud and thrilling. However the film does not come with English subtitles. I was able to play the disc on both my Panasonic and PS3 players. I know the story well enough to understand the film. I love the art booklet this collection comes with along with a second disc that hold the soundtrack too. There is a commentary selection for the film but is in Japanese of course. If your a die hard fan and want to support the Berserk story then buy this. Otherwise you will have to wait till November to get the US release of the film which hopefully it is not butchered and censored. I can't wait to see the other 2 films and anyone else interested please SUPPORT BERSERK!!!

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I got this after watching the 1st 25 episodes released years ago. For starters if you have the seen the 1st Berserk don't buy this wait for the 3rd Movie. Movie 1 and 2 are only condensed versions of season one, done in CGI and with small things missing from the story. The 3rd movie is said to explain what happens after episode #25. Watching this was like seeing a dumbed down version, they crammed too much of the story into one hour. But if you haven't seen the 25 episode release, then I say go for it. As for me I'll be waiting for the 3rd movie later on this year I hope.

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I am a huge Berserk fan, so going into this I was pretty skeptical.

In the end, I think this is a great film adaptation of the chapters it covers.

There are some minor bits that are cut from the original anime that may help build a little more of an emotional connection to certain characters, but when you have to condense these chapters down into 2 hours segments cuts have to be made.

Fantastic job! I hope that WB funds them to keep producing more than the 1st three (which are really just an intro in my opinion.)

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