Batman Begins (2005)

Since his first dramatic appearance in Detective Comics in 1939, Batman has grown to become a pop-culture icon. From movie serials in the 40's, to a classic campy TV show in the 60's, to a solid animated series in the 90's, fans have thrilled to the super heroics of this unique character. However, as a film franchise, he has brought results that were somewhat less than impressive creatively. While the Tim Burton directed films, BATMAN and BATMAN RETURNS were stylish and dark, they also suffered from plot holes you could drive a Batmobile through. Then Joel Schumacher introduced a Day-Glo sensibility to the Dark Knight in BATMAN FOREVER, before drowning the character in ludicrous costumes (a Bat suit with nipples???), pun-filled foes, and whiney sidekicks in the lousy BATMAN & ROBIN. By then, Batman as cinematic property had become a laughingstock. Fortunately, indie film director Christopher Nolan reinvigorates the franchise in glorious form in BATMAN BEGINS, a reboot of the Batman legend that, for the first time, puts the focus squarely on our hero and not on the over-the-top villains of past films. Nolan also bases the film in a strong semblance of reality that allows the audience to not only accept the possibility of the winged vigilante, but embrace it as well.

Most fans already know the story of how wealthy Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) loses his parents when they are slain during an attempted robbery, but the movie also tells how he chose the bat as his symbol, as well as the steps needed to become the avenger of the night that he turns into. Disillusioned and frustrated by Gotham City's corrupt judicial system, the young Wayne goes abroad to study the criminal mind. Later, while locked in an Asian prison, Wayne is recruited by the enigmatic Ducard (Liam Neeson), who offers him a path in which to focus his anger and hone his skills. Wayne eventually joins his new mentor as a recruit in the mysterious League of Shadows, headed by the sinister Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Wantanabe). Eventually, Wayne realizes that he cannot follow the League's extreme methods of dispensing justice and returns to Gotham to forge his own way. It soon turns out that Wayne's return is just in time as Gotham falls prey to a fear epidemic engineered by the twisted Dr. Jonathan Crane AKA "the Scarecrow" (Cillian Murphy) and a familiar figure from Wayne's past.

From the top on down, this film is blessed with a solid cast that adds wonderfully to Nolan's vision. As the title hero, Christian Bale blows all other Batman portrayers out of the water with his intense and scary take of the role. This is a Batman that you not only fear, but can relate to as well. In fact, he turns in the definitive performance. Michael Caine adds warmth and humor as Wayne's trusty butler, Alfred. Liam Neeson does a great variation of his usual mentor roles as Ducard, a man with his own surprising secret. As an assistant DA and Wayne's childhood friend, Katie Holmes does a nice job with what is basically a thankless role. Cillian Murphy makes for a perfectly creepy Scarecrow, while Morgan Freeman is solid as usual as the man who provides Batman's wondrous car and gadgets. Gary Oldman is wonderfully cast against type as Jim Gordon, one of Gotham's few honest cops. The scene in which he drives the tank-like Batmobile is a sheer delight.

The screenplay by Nolan and David Goyer (who wrote the BLADE films) is awash with characterization and motivation...something that you don't see in many comic book films as a rule. In fact, you get so engrossed by the proceedings that you almost forget that you are watching a "superhero" film in the first place. The special effects are used to enhance the story and not overpower it, while the set design pictures a Gotham that is a unique cross of Chicago, New York and Hong Kong. If there is a flaw, it lies in some of the fight sequences. Done in close-ups and quick cuts, they can get frustrating for those who want to see more of Batman's fighting style. However, this is very minor since the story never ceases to grasp your attention.

In the end, Nolan and his superb cast and crew succeed in achieving what was once thought impossible: the resurrection of a film franchise that, if not dead, was at least on life support. As a result, Batman is once again flying high and BATMAN BEGINS is a film that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Christopher Nolan and his co-screenwriter, David Goyer have chosen to postpone the crossover of Bruce Wayne (a soulful Christian Bale) into Batman until half way through the new "Batman Begins."

And this is a crucial and important step that Nolan puts off until Bruce walks the earth in search of his own personal nirvana... in a sort of Christ-like journey to understand himself and his place in the world after his parents are brutally murdered. It is also from this quest that he acquires the knowledge and skills necessary for him to become a warrior, ready and able to combat the ills and rid his town Gotham of all evil-doers.

Nolan's "Batman Begins" is a more macho, masculine film than were the previous movies, which is not to take anything away from Tim Burton's elegiac, gothic and visionary takes on this story. But Burton's world is/was/ and will always be the world of the dreamer: his Batman is more sinned against than sinning. His Batman needs love and understanding while Nolan's wants and needs justice and revenge more than anything else: even the sultry Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes proves to be of little interest to Batman save a chaste kiss at the end of the movie. It's interesting to note that in the previous Batman films we had big beautiful bombshells like Kim Bassinger and Nicole Kidman as the so-called love interests while here, in Nolan's vision we have a more scrubbed clean, working class (Rachel is an assistant D.A.) heroine: a woman who is as interested in righting wrongs as is Batman and not merely someone meant as an adornment to the suave debonair Batman of Val Kilmer, George Clooney or Michael Keaton. It's an important and telling shift from woman as a plush toy to one who is, not only beautiful but also smart and dedicated to a cause other than self-promotion and self-satisfaction.

Christian Bale's Batman is real..i.e. a genuine, fleshed-out, beautifully written movie character: he is conflicted, he makes mistakes, he trusts the wrong people at times and he pays for his mistakes. It is a remarkable casting coup to have Bale in this role particularly since of late he has been playing a spate of radicals...i.e. in "The Machinist," in which he transforms himself into a skeleton...literally. As Bruce Wayne/Batman, Bale dons the mask, assumes the persona, not out of a lust for power but out of a fervent belief that good will always triumph over evil: several times in this film he is brought to task for his trust in the basic goodness of people and one of his mentors ( Liam Neeson as Ducard) even goes so far as to ridicule Bruce as sentimental and weak for it. Though Ducard is his mentor and sensei, this relationship proves to be fraught with ambiguity as the movie progresses to the climax.

What is a Batman film without its villains? But this film is devoid of the cartoon craziness of the Riddler or the Joker. Here we have Cillian Murphy (so good in "28 Days Later") as a scary-as-hell The Scarecrow, alias psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Crane, who spews his psychedelic paranoia and psychosis on an unsuspecting Gotham. His "stuff" is more thrilling and frightening than anything that the aforementioned villains could ever muster.

"Batman Begins" is not only a physically gorgeous film, it is also an emotionally and ideologically complicated one. It wears its heart on its sleeve, yes...but it also has the brains and a profoundly strong back and pumped up physicality to back it up.

Buy Batman Begins (2005) Now

After years of not having a Batman film and mostly due to the franchise hitting bottom thanks to Joel Schumacher's disastrous "Batman forever" and "Batman and Robin", Christopher Nolan present us his version of the character with an impressive all star cast anda story brilliantly written by David S. Goyer.

The film

There were high expectations for this film before its release as if would it be as good as Burton's films, the truth is, there are no points to compare, Nolan and Burton visions are quite different from each other, but both respect the origins and essence of who the character is.

Goyer took some liberties in the storytelling that could be considered as unforgivable by many fans (Bruce's parents are originally killed after seeing "Mark of Zorro" at the movie theater, a fact that marks Bruce's mind with the idea of a masked vigilante) but also hints at stuff that the previous versions let pass unnoticed, the main focus of this film are the origins of Batman and his training to become what he ultimately is. Even though the detective part of Bruce's training is not even mentioned, the twist in which Ra's Al Ghul (Liam Neeson) is the one who trained him in the ninja arts and theatricality just makes their conflict more delightful and interesting. Cameos and appearances of characters from the comic book are also well used, justified and important to the story (Carmine Falcone and killer Zsaz)

The story uses the two villains exactly as they would act in the comic book, Ra's Al Ghul with his constant desire to set thing right his way and Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy) working and experimenting with the thing he enjoys the most: fear. Even though the Scarecrow is totally the opposite of the comic book (in the comic Jonathan Crane is an old and ugly doctor who was fired from Gotham University for experimenting on the students with his gas of fear), the character presented keeps the essence and motives that the original character has, unlike the Riddler, Mr Freeze, Two Face or Poison Ivy in Schumacher's awful versions.

A new Gotham city is presented, much more like a NY city style, a new Batmobile (not as fancy as the previous ones but quite impressive) and a whole set of characters we expect to see in future releases, James Gordon (Gary Oldman who amazingly looks exactly as Jim in the comic), Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Jonathan Crane, Carmine Falcone and Ra's Al Ghul.

Masterfully executed by the whole cast and brilliantly directed by Nolan, there are many of us looking forward for a sequel to this film.

The extras

Disc one contains Mtv's "Tankman Begins", a spoof we could have lived without but without any doubt a collector's piece for all Mtv fans.

Disc two contains a set of documentaries related to all aspects of production and shooting of the film, from the early beginnings in Nolan's washing room until the shooting of some of the most difficult sequences of the film. The disc 2 is organized in a comic book-like format which makes it a little difficult to follow as many things are like hidden, but if you go until the end of the short and pointless story, you will find a list with all documentaries available. One of the documentaries called "Genesis of the bat" presents comic book artist related to Batman talking about the character and film, from Dennis O'Neil to Jim Lee. I am sure this will be a piece fans of the comic book will enjoy. All extras are worthy of watching and I strongly recommend the 2 disc set, it is a 5 o 6 dollar difference that will compensate with all the facts and items found in the bonus materials.

***BluRay review***

I had already written a review for this film when the two-disc special edition was released on DVD, so I will not get into any details about how great the movie is.

The treatment they gave to this release is incredible, image looks great and colors are stunning, the high definition definitely makes a difference and 'Batman Begins' looks better than ever (simply check out the ice sequence between Bruce and Ducard)

I have seen threads with questions as to what exactly does the limited edition set contains versus the regular single disc, so here are what I think are the most important ones:

The Disc

The disc included here is the same disc they released separately:

* All the extras from the 2-disc DVD are included, the documentaries and the awful 'Tankman Begins'

* The prologue to 'The Dark Knight' in high definition (are we in for a treat when released on Bluray!) This is basically the bank robbery scene that opens the sequel.

The Extras

The USB with 18 the stills from 'The Dark Knight' included in the DVD version of the gift set IS NOT INCLUDED in the Bluray gift set; don't know what the reason is but it would have made sense to include it in both versions.

The postcards included are selections from the art created to promote 'Batman Begins', in my opinion some of the images look simple and overall they are not that great.

The two comic books included are a joke! One is a comic book adaptation of the same 6 minutes prologue included in this edition (the bank robbery), the other one is the script with pictures of the same 6 minute prologue! I am a collector and big fan of Batman and even I find this ridiculous and overpriced.

The $7.50 coupon to see 'The Dark Knight' in theaters.

Bottom-line, I would give 3 stars to the BluRay release, not to the movie itself (which is great and looks superb in HD) but to the release. I am having buyer's remorse, don't be fooled by what the product description says, it may sound interesting but had I known the extras would be as they are, I would have gone for the cheaper single disc edition.

Read Best Reviews of Batman Begins (2005) Here

When i first heard they were making a new Batman movie, i thought, it won't be better than the old ones. That was before i went and watched the old ones again, as I hadn't seen them in years. The first one in 89 was good, but after that, they all completely blowed. I mean, they just sucked. The acting was horrible, it was so stupid, it seemed like a comedy.

Then I saw the trailer for Batman Begins, and it was amazing. I have seen the movie 3 times so far, not to mention once in IMAX, and am going to see it again. It was just awesome. At first, i didn't like the different look of batman or the batmobile, but you grow to like it, and now i absolutely love it. The acting was great, and Liam Neeson was a great actor for Ra's. I liked the new,tougher, almost criminal, Bale as Batman. He was a great actor as well.

As the other review mentioned, the music for a movie can destroy it, or make it incredible. The old batman movies had freakin circus music and Prince, what the heck. Hans Zimmer is amazing with this movie. Already creating incredible soundtracks for Gladiator and King Arthur, for example, he was perfect for Batman. The music makes the exciting action scenes 20 times better. I honestly got chills when i watched this movie, it was so good. For example, the final scene of the train, the music made the scene so much more action packed. And the "scary" parts, or more disturbing parts with the toxin being inhaled by batman and other people, made THOSE scenes perfect as well.

The new batmobile is simply amazing. When i first saw it, before i saw the movie, i was like "o no, not a dang tank!" But i later loved it, more than the old crappy ones with the flimsy "wings" on it. It is just more tough and has better gadgets, like the spike strips, or more spike balls, for that matter.

Batman's outfit is much better in these movies. It doesn't look like crappy rubber or stuff like that, cuz its not. And the guy who said earlier that he can barely move his head, well, he moves it plenty. Compared to the old movies, he looks like he isn't even wearing the cowl. In the old ones, there wasn't any head movement at all, he had to move his whole body. Then there is his cape. This is the best cape ever made. Batman doesn't have to hold sticks out to make it look like his cape is up. He can actually glide on it. Its just so much better.

Anyways, that finishes my review. This movie was the best movie i've seen in a long time. It makes me happy to know that it wasn't really associated with the old ones, and it isn't part of that franchise. I wouldn't want to be known for those pitiful attempts. I can't wait till the deluxe edition comes out. I also can't wait till the next movie comes out, with the Joker and all.

Want Batman Begins (2005) Discount?

I won't go on for six paragraphs about how good this movie is. In all reality, I would need twenty or more. This is THE definitive comic book movie of all time. It stays true to the source material, and as true to reality as possible. Be warned though, this Batman is not for the faint of heart. Clooney and Kilmer were laughable in their batsuits. Michael Keaton looked cool enough. But Christian Bale as Batman is downright scary. If you think Keaton pulling a thug close to his face and whispering just who he is was scary back in 1989, you've got another thing coming when Bale growls and hisses and hangs criminals upside down over the sides of buildings as they more than likely soil themselves. All of that, plus the villain (Scarecrow) makes Nicholson's Joker look...like...well, a clown. THis is not only the greatest comic book film of all time, but it deserves a place within the top 100 films of all time for it's cinematography, script, direction, and performances.

Bottom line:

Absolute paradise for Batman fans---and still a damn enjoyable movie for people that would say, "Bat-who?"

Braveheart (Sapphire Series) (1995)

"Braveheart" is quite simply, one of the best and most successful movies ever created and a huge part of that success comes from the efforts extended by Mel Gibson, as he wore three different hats for this masterpiece, those being producer, director and star. The one oddity about this movie for me was that I pretty much wore out my VHS copy of it and had, a couple years ago, purchased the DVD but only just recently took the opportunity to watch it again and no matter how many times you watch this movie, it is still a stunning, compelling and extraordinarily intriguing film that draws you in to the life of William Wallace despite already knowing how it's going to end.

The one thing that drives this movie is the spirit that Mel Gibson puts into his character of William Wallace and it is of no surprise that "Braveheart" won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture of 1995 and Best Director for Mel Gibson. The only true surprise was that he wasn't among the top five nominated for or won the Best Actor award.

High praise also goes to the long list of supporting actors and actresses that starred in this superb film! Most notable was the performance by Sophie Marceau, one of the most beautiful women on the planet. Patrick McGoohan was absolutely incredible in the role of the villain Longshanks, King Edward I, delivering a memorable performance.

One of the most notable performances in this film, among the many, was the work done by James Horner who was responsible for the score. As is normally the case when his name appears in the credits, everything about the score, from the first reel to the last, is incredibly well blended into the movie and serves extremely well in enhancing the experience of the movie.

The Premise:

As the old saying goes, is it Hollywood or History? The truth is, of course it's a bit of history, put together Hollywood style to make one of the best films ever presented to an audience. The truth behind it is that we'll never know as recorded history from this era is circumspect as best. Where a huge portion of the credit for this film lays is in the hands of Randall Wallace, a descendant of William Wallace's.

As this historic film opens, we see a young William Wallace in Scotland as he's learning the harsh lessons of life in his era. After his family is killed in battle he's fortunate enough to have his Uncle Argyle (played brilliantly by Brian Cox) take him under his wing! Several years later he returns home to find that his countrymen are still suffering under the yoke of English oppression but he didn't come home for that, he came home for Murron MacClannough (Catherine McCormack), seeking her hand in marriage. Unfortunate events unfold from there and William loses the love of his life and goes on a rampage not only to avenge his love but to free his country...

What follows from there is not only one of the best films of the nineties but one of the best films of all times. I highly recommend "Braveheart" to any and all who are interested in seeing what true movie making is about! {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

-2 Theatrical Trailers

-Commentary by Director Mel Gibson

-A Filmmaker's Passion: The Making of Braveheart

In order to maintain the appearence of objectivity, I was going to rate this movie 4 stars. But I just couldn't. It really deserves 5, and it's going to get every one of them. This movie features some of the most stunning cinematography I've ever seen (scenes of particular brilliance include the deer-hunting scene and the slo-mo shots right before Gibson's first rebellion), impeccable acting (I don't know why the British have been hiding their actors from the American film industry every one of the British/Scottish actors in the film was amazing, and Patrick McGoohan (sp) gave an incredible performance as Longshanks, not to mention newcomer Sophie Marceau), a magical musical score, and on and on and on and on. Physical elements alone qualify this work for the title of Best Picture.

Yet, a number of people chastise Gibson and the movie for a number of reasons, primarily its departure from historical accuracy. I do believe these people have missed the point, for I do not believe it is fair to criticise a movie for failing to realize a goal for which it never really strived. I wonder: do these same people criticize Homer's "The Odyssey"? Do historical hardbodies cast aspersions at T.H. White's "Once and Future King" for taking historical liberties with "King" Arthur? (For that manner, any of the hundreds of contributions to the Arthurian legend). What about Robin Hood? Beowulf? Romance of the Three Kingdoms? Why is it copacetic for a book to create a myth around a cultural hero, but when it comes to film we must be expected to be as straightlaced about historical fact as an army bootcamp is about bedmaking and floor cleaning?

I have read a lot of reviews below and a number of criticisers of the film's historical authenticity spit out the word "epic" as if it is a word that the American film industry has abused and transmogrified into a catchphrase for luring in gullible American movie-goers. But I argue that Braveheart, and the historical inaccuracies which it adopts (and it adopts many, which are nicely pointed out elsewhere), fit the same formula for "Epic Fiction" that we use to classify great (and I mean, universally accepted as great) epic works of fiction such as the Iliad, the Odyssey, etc. These works are not about who did what where and when and in what fashion. They are about the myth, the hero, and the way that they have influenced the ideals of the culture (italicize that). Was there really a Grendel, a Cyclops shepherd, a Wizard named Merlin, or Chinese war heroes who could single-handedly take on a small army? No. And yet, these works of fiction (and the mythological heroes that they have created) have had as much if not more of an impact on their respective cultures than any real life historical event. The impact of the epic is therefore not to be underestimated. Does the fact that Gibson portrayed the battle of Sterling Bridge without a Bridge really make that much of a differnce? The end outcome was the same, at least from an idealogical point of view. He rallied his men to victory with brilliant tactics against insurmountable odds. The presence or absence of a bridge, naked men, or twenty foot spears does not change that. The myth survives.

Finally, regarding historical accuracy, there is the fact that although the movie does take a lot of liberties in order to portray a THEME I am intelligent enough to suspend my disbelief during the movie. Furthermore, after the movie is over, (and this is a credit to the movie-maker) I was intrigued enough to go do some research on the subject from an objective historical source to find out what really happened. If a work of art (which is not, I remind you, required to be objective artistic objectivity is almost an oxymoron and film should not be treated differently in this regard than any other form of art) instills in me a desire to learn more about a subject while at the same time portraying well the epic themes it sets out to portray, then in my book it was a successful venture and worthy of all the accolades it receives....Again, this is an epic, and just as a Greek epic might portray the Trojans as ruthless savages and their own members as heroic visionaries, I think it is acceptable for a Scottish epic to do the same to the British. And calling Gibson a homophobic is just ridiculous. Whether or not Edward II was really gay is not important. If he was, then BY THE STANDARDS OF THE DAY, he was an outcast, and would have been perceived, especially by his father, as weak, without potential, and unfit to rule. If he wasn't gay, but was just disinterested in ruling a kingdom (and history is filled to the brim with examples of less than sterling royal progeny), he would have again been seen (especially by his father) as weak, without potential and unfit to rule (because fathers especially kings have expectations of their sons), and questions about his sexuality would have naturally begun to arise among the nobility and commonfolk. What we as viewers of a historical or epic piece of artwork must do is refrain from judging said work by our standards. Today, homosexuality is (for the most part) accepted by society. Back then, it wasn't, and the mere rumor was enough to get you rejected from society (and vice-versa). Therefore, in light of the times in which the movie is set, the portrayal of the weak fop of a prince, EdwardII, as homosexual is both acceptable and indicative of the society that the movie was trying to portray. It wouldn't, for example, have made much sense to portray Edward I as gay. Not because a gay man couldn't be a successful King or military leader, but because a gay man would never have achieved respect as a monarch THEN by the people or his enemy.

In closing, this is an excellent film that deserves its status as a best picture, despite (and perhaps because of) its historical inaccuracies. I encourage anyone with any interest in medieval history to view it, because it might just entice you to look into more historically accurate documents that, while not as entertaining as the movie iteself, will give you a more wholistic picture of what really happened.

Buy Braveheart (Sapphire Series) (1995) Now

On a whole number of levels, this movie shouldn't have worked for me. It takes considerable license with historical facts, not only in order to supplement details that are not part of William Wallace's legend but actually, wherever convenient. ("We stuck to history where we could but hyped it up where the legend let us," actor-director Mel Gibson admits on the DVD's commentary track.) It is graphically and unabashedly violent: from throat cuttings to battle scenes that have film blood literally splashing onto the camera, beheadings, a traitor's head smashed with a

wrecking ball, and fully 15 minutes of Wallace's "purification by pain," it shows some of the most brutal behavior conceivable. It also engages in some of the most blatant gay profiling in recent film history not just in the drastic end administered on the lover of King Edward I. "Longshanks"'s son, but equally in the portrayal of both characters and their relationship as such. Last but not least, Mel Gibson plays a man at least 10 years younger than himself, a choice often enough bordering on the ridiculous. (Gibson insists it was the studio's wish that he not only produce and direct but also star in the title role.)

And yet ...

From the first notes of James Horner's hauntingly beautiful soundtrack and the first sweeping camera shots over the Scottish highlands, blending seamlessly into the pictures of the Scottish riders on their way to the alleged truce talks initiated by Longshanks, and the narrator's, Robert the Bruce's (Angus MacFadyen's) introduction "I shall tell you about William Wallace: Historians from England will call me a liar, but history is written by those who have hanged heroes" there is no mistaking that this is an epic story, taking up the tradition of the likes of "Spartacus" and "Ben Hur." Like those movies, "Braveheart" is a story of heroism and of having the courage of one's convictions; chronicling the life of its hero from first love to loss, betrayal, battles and final confrontation with his arch-enemy's powers. Like both of them, "Braveheart" won multiple Academy Awards, not least for John Toll's outstanding cinematography. Like "Ben Hur," it also won the coveted awards for "Best Picture" and for "Best Director." And maybe I'm just a sucker for that kind of epos ...

To my surprise, I found Mel Gibson to come across very believable as William Wallace; age difference, Scottish brogue and all. Both his acting and his direction are informed by a clear sense of vision for the movie and its title character. Moreover, although full writing credits went to would-be (?) Wallace descendant Randall W., many little details undeniably show Gibson's hand and mannerisms: to name just a few of the more obvious examples, Wallace's marriage proposal to Murron, his grinning greeting of a group of English soldiers trapped below a cliff, and his response to a doubting Scottish soldier's comment at Sterling that he can't really be Wallace because he's not tall enough.

In addition to John Toll's award winning cinematography, the movie benefits from first-rate production design (Tom Sanders), a score which perfectly captures the mood of every single scene, and a cast of outstanding actors; first and foremost Patrick McGoohan as Longshanks, who portrays the king's utter ruthlessness so convincingly that you completely forget his earlier incarnation as the 1960s' "Danger Man," and who delivers monologues and soliloquies worthy of a Shakespearean king. His musing "but whom shall I send" when plotting to send a messenger to Wallace with another insincere offer of truce, and his chilling announcement of the reinstitution the ius primae noctae because "the trouble with Scotland is that it is full of Scots ... If we can't get them out, we'll breed them out" could have been uttered verbatim by anyone of the Bard's most sinister kings. (Screenwriter Randall Wallace does indeed admit to Shakespeare's direct influence on the script, particularly on Wallace's "Sons of Scotland" speech before the battle of Sterling, which is strongly based on the monologues of King Henry V. at Agincourt).

Equally impressive is Ian Bannen in one of his last roles, starring as Robert the Bruce's leprosy-ridden father and evil spirit, whose first reaction to the tales about Wallace is to deride him ("He has courage; so does a dog"), and who expertly plays on his son's ambivalent feelings, until he finally drives Robert into hating his father for having coaxed him into his own game of scheming and betrayal whereupon the elder Bruce drily comments: "At last you have learned what it means to hate. Now you are ready to be a king."

Then-newcomer Catherine McCormack stars as Wallace's childhood love Murron, whose scenes with Wallace provide for much-needed tenderness in the first hour of the movie particularly touching is four year old Murron's gift of a thistle (Scotland's national flower) to orphaned William and contrast sharply with the bloodshed that follows virtually incessantly from her death onwards. Sophie Marceau matures from teenage party queen ("La Boum") to French Princess Isabelle; Brendan Gleeson stars as Wallace's boyhood friend Hamish, David O'Hara as his heaven-conversing, self-appointed Irish guardian Stephen one of the movie's most colorful characters and Brian Cox brings all his extraordinary screen presence to his brief appearance as Wallace's uncle Argyle.

When I left the theater after having witnessed this movie's almost three hours of blood, gore and intense emotions for the first time, I felt as if somebody had given me a fist punch into my stomach. I was so struck that I was almost unable to speak, and dragged my moviegoing companion into the next bar, to revive my spirits with a glass of whiskey. (Scotch, of course). Having seen the film countless times since then, I no longer need that whiskey to overcome its drastic impact but I still get gooseflesh during many of its key scenes and can't watch it without feeling emotionally drained at the end.

Also recommended:

William Wallace

Braveheart

Rob Roy

Spartacus Criterion Collection

Ben-Hur (Four-Disc Collector's Edition)

Read Best Reviews of Braveheart (Sapphire Series) (1995) Here

Before you slaughter me for giving Braveheart only three stars (actually I'd give it three and a half), let me start by putting my review into some kind of perspective. Not only am I Scottish, born and bred but like all Scots I am extremely patriotic and proud of my country's heritage and its history, particularly the likes of William Wallace. I also acknowledge that Braveheart (and Rob Roy) undoubtedly gave our tourism industry a great boost, particularly with the number of American visitors and for this I am truly grateful BUT, not only is Braveheart a historically questionable account of the events surrounding William Wallace's rebellion against the English in defence of Scotland's 'Freedom!', the modern and truly cheesy dialogue totally spoilt this movie for me.

I could give you a very long list of historical inaccuracies to justify why I'd only give Braveheart three stars: First off, there is the fact that Mel Gibson is about a foot shorter than the great big hairy man that was William Wallace (but that doesn't actually interest me). Or the fact that the actual battle that Wallace defeated the English was called the Battle of Stirling Bridge, yet there is no sign of a bridge in Braveheart. Or, what about the fact that the `prima nocta' (legislation allowing English overlords to sleep with Scottish women on their wedding night) just did not exist. Perhaps the most ludicrous suggestion is that Princess Isobelle's child (the future Edward III) was sired by Wallace. Not very likely unless she was impregnated at about the age of four and had a twenty year long pregnancy. Actually there are so many historical inaccuracies I could go on and on BUT I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE HISTORICAL INACCURACIES or the dodgy Scottish accents. I can even forgive the fact that Robert The Bruce (Scotland's greatest ever king and much more famous Scottish hero) is portrayed here as quite a weak, indecisive and possibly even cowardly character. I can also forgive the misguided patriotism that Braveheart has stirred in the uneducated and uncultured part of Scottish society, who didn't even know who Wallace was before Braveheart, and the fact that the councillors of Stirling have erected a horrible tacky dwarf sized statue at the foot of the Wallace monument that closely and embarrassingly resembles Mel Gibson.

What bothers me most, and detracts from my enjoyment of Braveheart, is the truly awful dialogue. I don't think I actually realised just how cheesy it was until I saw it second time around but it really makes me wince. Blame for this lies solely at the feet of Randall Wallace (no relation) who wrote the screenplay. This is the same man who was subsequently responsible for The Man In The Iron Mask (with Leonardo DiCaprio); its dialogue is also far too modern and also extremely corny. It's so bad it's almost on a par with Titanic.

Don't get me wrong BRAVEHEART IS AN ENTERTAINING MOVIE and I'm very glad Mel Gibson made it, but it just isn't culture and it just isn't brilliant. It's a good entertaining movie, better than average and it has a lot of other things going for it. For example, good supporting performances from the likes of Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack, Brian Cox, Sophie Marceau and James Cosmo). THE BATTLE SCENES ARE EXTREMELY DRAMATIC, EXCITING, WELL FILMED AND DIRECTED. The music is also excellent, the scenery is beautiful (although some of it was actually filmed in Ireland because it was cheaper). As a patriotic Scotsman, I'd truly love to say this was the greatest movie ever made and I wish I could but unfortunately I just can't get past the truly awful dialogue and personally in terms of Scottish historical movies I'd have to recommend Rob Roy.

***1/2 stars.

Want Braveheart (Sapphire Series) (1995) Discount?

I just got my hands on a early released copy of Braveheart on Blu-ray from my local Blockbuster Video rental store and the film looks and sounds great. Its transfer to HD surpassed any other I have seen on DVD. Using the MPEG-4 AVC video codec, the video imagery is very sharp without the use of any edge enhancement (or least any I could notice) and the colors are very strong but natural looking. It looks pretty good for being an old movie. The 5.1 Dolby True HD audio is powerful and full during the battle sequences and generally good during the rest of the film. I will definitely purchase this movie on Blu-ray disc once it is released. I recommend it.

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Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 (Two-Disc Combo: Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2012)

This movie was totally funny!

I'm a big-time fan of the original BHChichuahua, but I found part 2 lacking and forgettable. Part 3 is way better, almost as good as the original in terms of laughs, thanks in large part to newcomer scriptwriter Dana Starfield. There were certain music scenes that had me literally rolling on the floor with laughter, and a certain happy ending that appears halfway through the closing credits that had me in tears.

I feel like a lot of effort was put into this sequal; I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the original.

This charming film is delightful from the first bark to the last peanut butter pit! If you haven't seen the film and don't know what I'm talking about, let's just say that dogs and peanut butter is a more unbeatable combination than peanut butter and chocolate. George Lopez and the rest of the voice actors give real heart and soul to all the darling dogs, even the ones with bit (or bite sized) parts. And of course, Papi rules! This is Disney at its finest: whimsy, fun, beautiful production value and great animated magic that takes you to a happy, light-hearted place which is sometimes just what the doctor ordered during these stressful, difficult times. I felt like I was on a wonderful fantasy vacation with my lovely dog friends at the very posh Langham Pasadena. Not only five star accommodations, but a five star film all the way! The talking animal effects are the most effective to date and helped pull me into their idyllic, happy world. Felt as rested as if I went on a spa date. Have fun and keep that silly grin on your face! It's Disney baby. Oh, and don't rent this one. Buy it! It will keep the kids quiet and happy for hours as they rewatch all the cute talking puppies, and you'll want to visit again with the Shakespearean chorus of mariachi chihuahuas. Yep, you heard that right!

Buy Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 (Two-Disc Combo: Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2012) Now

This is for sure a Disney classic, because this movie has everything a great disney classic needs, great characters, great/funny/sarcastic villians, and a great catchy song sung by rainia Rodriguez. The story was great the chihuahua animation was awesome really cool, good story and always kept everyone interested in the movie.

I highly reccommend if looking for a good family film!

Read Best Reviews of Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 (Two-Disc Combo: Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2012) Here

Such a cute movie for children of all ages! I even loved it! It was worth every penny:-) five stars.

Want Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 (Two-Disc Combo: Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2012) Discount?

A great movie to watch with your family!! The BHC franchise is a great watch all around. Would definitely reccommend.

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The Karate Kid (1984)

Karate Kid is not what you may think it is. The premise of a young fatherless boy trying to survive a completely new environment is how this movie gets its humanity. For anyone who has ever had to move to a new town, be raised by only one parent, or face overwhelming odds, and almost everyone has done at least one of these, this movie can be related to on many levels. Ralph Macchio plays Daniel, a teenager from New Jersey who is forced to move across the country with his mother and start a new life in a foreign place, California. Setting aside the differences between East & West coast alone, there is plenty for him to realize. When faced with bullies that he doesn't understand, he finds a friend in an unlikely place; Mr. Miagi, a Japanese handyman, played by Pat Morita, who's hides many talents. To say Karate Kid is a story about over coming your fear is to say that life is just a thing we do everyday. This movie mixes a friendship, a romance, a coming of age story, gaining self confidence and learning to appreciate that which you may not understand right away. After getting sufficiently beat up by the bullies more than once, Daniel enlists the help of Miagi and soon finds himself training for a tournament. This may seem outrageous, but Miagi knows it is a much safer place and a more controlled environment for Daniel to defend himself and gain respect. Miagi's training techniques are unique to say the least, and just as Daniel begins to question what is going on, he realizes that Migai really does know what he is doing. The story is good and solid and allows sympathy for both sides of the characters. They fill a void for each other, an obvious father/son, mentor/student relationship. The chemistry between them is very solid. Elizabeth Shue is good in her first major role, playing the sweet rich girl who sees Daniel for the person he is and not for his social status. Although sounding clichéd on the surface, this movie is well done and not superficial. The characters are very real, the emotions are deep and the fear of growing up with bullies hits home for many of us. The ending will have you cheering as Daniel moves his way through the tournament to the final climatic ending. Highly recommended and highly entertaining.

"Wax on, wax off" is a catchphrase that will forever be instilled in the human psyche, thanks to the eighties release, The Karate Kid.

Now, as you cringe at the images racing through your head of disco balls, pastels, hair spray and corny one-liners and you decide to bury yourself in a deep hole and hide, dust off the cob webs because no matter how many times you've see it, this is one eighties flick you can't help but love.

Now available on DVD as an Ultimate Collectors Pack, we can relive this inspirational story of courage and friendship.

While teens of today may call this a retro disaster, and use the video cover as a coaster during a drinking fest at one of their underage parties, there's no denying the saying, "an oldie but a goodie" loudly rings true.

Moving to a new home and starting over is never easy. Just ask Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio). Leaving Newark for LA, Daniel's the new kid and he thinks the whole world is coming down on him.

It's all doom and gloom until like any other 16 year old teenager with rushing hormones, meets a beautiful blonde, Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue).

However, Ali brings baggage to the picture, a wild ex boyfriend Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) who also happens to be the leader of the Cobras, a ruthless youth karate gang.

Subject to constant bullying by the cobras, Daniel turns to an unlikely source for help, Japanese war veteran turned apartment block handyman Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita).

Mr. Miyagi, who has been taught karate by his father becomes the helpless teens mentor and teaches him the craft, not as an offensive tool, rather only as a means of self-defence.

After months of unconventional training such as washing cars, sanding decks and painting fences and houses, Daniel's prepped for his toughest battle, a fight against Johnny in the thrilling conclusion. Will good prevail over evil?

It's the finale that's most exciting. My finger is always drawn to the rewind button, where I can't help but recap those final gripping moments again and again.

The youth of today's movie going generation will have a field day laughing at the funky eighties pop music, the tightly worn jeans, and (I must admit) the outrageous hair styles. Despite this, 20 years later, a lot can still be learnt as its messages transcend across the boarder of time.

An everlasting masterpiece the whole family will enjoy, John G. Avildsen's The Karate Kid, the original of the trilogy, is undoubtedly the standout.

Though a little hackneyed and slightly predictable at times, it's the relationship between Macchio's and Morita's finely tuned characters that still make this a heartfelt film, two decades after its cinema release.

It's a shame Ralph Macchio can't brush off that teen type cast. Struggling to get adult roles because of his boy like features is unfortunate as his acting ability is second to none.

It sadly seems he'll forever be remembered as 'The Karate Kid'. A great performance is somewhat to his detriment. Still, only one word can describe this movie, unforgettable...that's for sure!

Dim the lights, heat up the popcorn and enjoy this timeless classic.

Buy The Karate Kid (1984) Now

This movie deserves only 3 stars instead of 3 for the following reasons:

1) There are no extras other than the trailer on this DVD. Why didn't Columbia Home Video include the trailers for the two sequels? Why didn't they get Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita (academy-nominated for this role) or director John G. Avildsen to supply commentary?

2) The movie was shot in 1.85:1 which means that the movie was shot full frame (1.33:1) but was projected in the theatre with the top and bottom blocked. This practice gives a widescreen look to movies. Since 'The Karate Kid' was done this way, pan and scan was not needed. You actually see more but this causes the composition to be a little off because there is so much space above the actor's heads. Funny thing, The Karate Kid parts 2 & 3 are letterboxed. Does this mean that an old video transfer was used for this DVD?

3) Where's the Dolby 5.1?

Read Best Reviews of The Karate Kid (1984) Here

People dismiss this film because of it's simplicity. Well I'll tell you right now, it isn't a movie about Karate. Daniel overcomes an insurmountable goal, the type of goal you achieve once in your entire life (this is why I disregard the sequels, apologies for fans). The Karate Kid is a truly beautiful piece of Cinema. If you believe the Karate Kid is a bad film then hire out the Avengers, then MK:Annihilation.

What I will say is that I am DISGUSTED at the fact that this film is presented in Pan and Scan. I paid full price for a movie I am seeing half of. I wanted Widescreen. Did I get it? In a word, No. So now I have a VHS and DVD which are both Pan and Scan. Will I ever see this film in it's original format? This is a question I leave to you, Columbia. Regards Mas

Want The Karate Kid (1984) Discount?

The Karate Kid was THE sleeper hit of 1984 ! A wonderful film that entertains and inspires, a true 80's classic that remains as good today (perhaps better) than when it was released. With that said, this review will focus on the technical aspects, both audio and video, of this Blu Ray presentation rather than the film content itself.

Bottom line is whether or not 'The Karate Kid' on Blu Ray is a good investment and a good choice for upgrading your current DVD or VHS copy.

The Answer? A resounding YES !! and here is why:

'The Karate Kid' come to us on a BD-50 dual layer region free disc in Glorious 1080p and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and housed in an 'Eco' case. We are given the OAR (Original Aspect Ratio) of 1.85:1 which gives the best pixel concentration and preserves the original framing. (it also gives you some very slight black bars at the top and bottom of your screen, unless you have your over scan engaged)

The video is very good. It is easily a solid 4 out of 5 stars and is a MAJOR upgrade from all previous versions. I detected a few very small and very short instances of telecine wobble but they are over so quickly you may not even notice them. The color timing is impeccable and lends itself to reproducing all the proper hues the way you saw them in your theater back in the 80's. I am VERY glad they did not tamper with it.

ON the problem end of things, there is noticeable black crush in dark scenes from time to time, but only slight and never enough to ruin a scene. Also, this transfer has obviously had DNR applied here and there to clean up what the transfer team probably thought was 'noisy' film grain. It is not particularly egregious and only removes SOME of the fine detail from faces. It is hard to tell if this was arbitrary or the print truly required the DNR application, but either way we are stuck with it and for the most part it is not bad at all and the film as a whole retains a very nice pleasing film-like look to it. I noticed NO bad DNR artifacts such as smearing or motion blur.

I have a very large video library and I am being overly picky here, to most folks this transfer will do nothing but please you from start to finish, and basically it did the same for me! All in all, 'The Karate Kid' looks really REALLY good on Blu Ray, borderline great in fact!

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is a HUGE improvement over all previous audio mixes of this film including the theatrical presentation.

While dialogue remains a bit one dimensional and flat sounding and the ADR/Dubbing is more obvious now , the overall sound of the mix is just wonderful. Music, effects, foley and ambient room sounds are greatly enhanced with a very surprising 5.1 lossless mix that adds much to the overall presentation of this film. Every sound in the film is more audible than ever before and presented in a much more pleasing way. The same applies to panning and overall sonic fidelity/dynamics.

Bill Conti's score soars like never before, greatly benefited by the lossless audio presentation and the Pan Pipes of The Amazing Zamfir sound absolutely beautiful with more presence and dynamics making the entire soundtrack more powerful and ultimately effective.

TWO HUGE THUMBS way way UP for the audio on this disc!

As for the extras, you get PLENTY! Staring with a super commentary track featuring the films writer and director plus the two male leads, this is an above average track and especially good for real fans of this movie. I loved it!

Next up is a 45 minute documentary (broken into parts one and two) that gives you behind the scenes info, interviews, etc. called 'The Way of the Karate Kid' and again it is a very nice inclusion here. You probably wont watch it more than once, but it is great that they included it.

Three more shorter documentaries including an short interview with the films composer, Bill Conti , round out the extras package. All extras are presented in SD and if you already have the DVD collectors set then you have seen them all before. The only extras in HD are a collection of HD movie trailers that I skipped. Also included is the gimmick laden 'Blu-Pop' feature which functions as a pop up trivia track that plays along with the movie. Honestly, this is not something I would ever even check out so I can't comment on it's entertainment value.

'The Karate Kid' has been a favorite of mine for many years (since it's release) and I am totally pleased with this Blu Ray presentation. The newly energized soundtrack and 1080p picture adds much to an already endearing classic. This Blu Ray is a giant step up from any previous home video release and I do think the audio is better than it EVER has been before! Top it off with a generous helping of quality extra features and you have a real winner here.

Most Highly Recommended !!

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A Madea Christmas: The Play (2011)

We, my husband and I, also went to see the play. Even though we didn't have great seats, we didn't regret attending this play. It was so funny but with a much needed point. Thanks so much to Tyler Perry for being real!! Get this DVD!!

A Madea Christmas: The Play

My husband and I saw this play live and I must say that it is another one for the books! It was hilarious. Everything is not always as it seems that is for sure. Mr Perry always knows how to bring it. This is worth buying and if you haven't seen one of his plays live, you are missing out. There is nothing like it. And for the Nay sayers, keep your comments to yourself! We must uplift one another and if you do not like Mr Perry then keep it moving.

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I am a big Tyler Perry fan, I really enjoy watching his plays and movies, but Tyler Perry is getting very redundant. This play is a great joy to watch. Me and my dad watched it and we both loved it, but it still misses some of the key characteristics he had in his first 3 or 4 plays, and has to much of stuff he doesn't need. Every play Tyler Perry brings out he starts to cuss more and more. At first he just said "hell", with a few marijuana references here and there. As he produces more and more, he say's "ass" 20 times, "damn" 4-5 times....borderlines blasphemy in my opinion in some cases, and every play there is a marijuana reference, EVERY PLAY! Like c'mon Tyler, it was funny at first, but do something different. Not every character has to have a marijuana hobby.

This play is more about Tyler Perry (Madea) than anybody. Of course, we ALL LOVE MADEA! She is so awesome and funny, but lately when there is a play with Madea, its ALL ABOUT MADEA! There is so much talent on the stage, yet Madea is the only one talking 90% of the time. Telling moral stories and how to live life. Let someone else give those words of wisdom. Only time there are actually serious moments in the play, is when Tyler Perry is not on stage. The play is very funny without Madea a lot of times. Or when the characters are trying portray a serious situation, Madea is just ad-libbing the entire time, pulling you out of the story seriousness. I truly want Tyler Perry to keep doing work and making plays and movies. However, variety is key. Not the same old concept of black people doing bad. Not to mention the movies, those have really been bad lately.. Madeas Big Happy Family movie is IDENTICAL to the play, no new jokes, same EVERYTHING! I really do not understand why make a movie into a play, but not change a darn thing about it....Money maybe? But you don't want me to bootleg..? But you want to make 2 shows the exact same way to just make more money???....right.

There is another play coming out called "The haves and the have nots", it is currently on tour, yet, the title alone is basically the same story of this "Christmas" play....Cmon now...

I'm getting off track here, I just really want the old Tyler Perry to start making great stories again, with an intriguing story line. Cut out all the excess fat and garbage. This is overall a good play, it is a GREAT play if you are not familiar with Tyler Perry plays. For older fans, it's just another money maker, that will turn into a movie.

BLU-RAY -

It was amazing to see this play on Blu-Ray, I wish he would go back and reformat the older plays and make them High Def. The sound and visual of the play, is VERY detailed. You can see everything on the set so smoothly, the colors are so vibrant. I was literally blown away with the video quality of this play on Blu-Ray. I'm going to have to snag "Madeas Big Happy Family The Play" on Blu-Ray after seeing this fantastic quality.

Read Best Reviews of A Madea Christmas: The Play (2011) Here

i really enjoyed this play. It simply had me laughing and crying. This is a must have for all people. Tyler P keep up the great work.

Want A Madea Christmas: The Play (2011) Discount?

Just watched this and at first was going to change it but once Madea arrived I stayed. THis show was hysterical, awesome singing and the fact that it was on stage, live Awesome!

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The Muppet Christmas Carol 20th Anniversary Edition Amazon Exclusive (Three-Disc BD/DVD Edition)

This DVD contains a 4:3 version and a 16:9 widescreen version.

Disney Home Video reps have confirmed that only the 4:3 pan & scan version is the home video version which contains the full version of this movie. The widescreen version is the theatrical cut and does not include the song "When Love is Gone".

Reading the Blu-Ray description included here, it says that the running time is 85 minutes, which is four minutes shorter than my copy on laserdisc. This can only mean that the exquisite song "When Love Is Gone" is STILL not being included in this release ...

... which means I'm not buying it.

Sorry, Disney, but I refuse to spend my money on a sub-standard presentation, no matter how HD it is.

The story of A Christmas Carol is about Ebenezer Scrooge, not the Muppets. His character arc is the most important factor. Michael Caine gives a fantastic performance, and his greatest moment is during this scene as he tries to sing with the woman that Ebenezer loved and lost -and he winds up losing his emotional control, unable to finish the song. This is why he turns to the Ghost of Christmas Past and says, "Spirit, show me no more. Why do you delight in torturing me?"

If "When Love Is Gone" is not included, that question has no meaning.

This wonderful film should not be released on Blu-Ray without including that moment! Disney, where's your brains?

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I was happily watching my VHS copy of The Muppet Christmas Carol with my lovely wife the other evening and decided it was time to own it on DVD. I popped open my laptop and ordered it as the movie was playing on the TV. Sadly I did not take time to read the reviews before placing my order because if I had known that the song, "When Love is Gone", was omitted from the widescreen version, I would have saved my money. So I can watch the complete film by choosing the 4:3 aspect ratio option but the image quality is vastly inferior to the 16:9 presentation. Basically I paid fifteen bucks for nothing. Thanks a bunch, Disney. Bite me.

Read Best Reviews of The Muppet Christmas Carol 20th Anniversary Edition Amazon Exclusive (Three-Disc BD/DVD Edition) Here

First of all, the most of these reviews are for previous releases. Second of all this blu-ray will not include the song, "When Love is Gone." I will not be buying this anymore. The songs adds so much, and the edit is so glaringly obvious and not smooth at all. I am also surprised that in this day and age, 2012 (almost 2013) Disney can't just release the complete version. Have they never heard of seamless branching? Anyway, I won't be buying this.

Want The Muppet Christmas Carol 20th Anniversary Edition Amazon Exclusive (Three-Disc BD/DVD Edition) Discount?

Disney has ruined THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL yet again by only including the cut theatrical release version of the movie, minus the song When Love is Gone. This is a song that not only is the heart and soul of the entire movie, but it was at one point added back into the film BY THE DIRECTOR, Brian Henson. Nobody involved in the production wanted the song removed -it was taken out by the studio because they felt little kids would get bored during it. As it is, the film still has an awful cut where that song was supposed to be...and the intended, full version of the film will remain sitting on a studio shelf because Disney wants it that way. Pathetic.

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Cutthroat Island (1995)

Pure joy for fans of old fashioned sea adventure and entertaining, if stereotypical, peg-legged, eye-patched pirates shouting "Arr!", this movie does not pretend to be anything else than it is great fun based on popular legends and beliefs rather than the facts on pirate lives. And so much the better! Non-stop action, fantastic score, breathtaking sceneries and props, adequately fun script, and, yes, even good acting (to my surprise, Geena Davis actually managed to deliver a good performance!). Frank Langella is almost as good a pirate as Walter Matthau was in Roman Polanski's equally underrated pirate classic. Hearing various bad comments about the movie, I had low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised to find out that the bad reviews and comments were simply unfair. Apparently, critics these days follow one another in "their" opinions rather than actually watching the movies, and people are looking for violence and blood of "Dobermann" kind rather than simply entertaining if unrealistic movies like "Cutthroat Island" (actually, the movie seems to have been researched quite nicely it's the first time I've seen Hollywood use actual "squad" wine bottles in a pirate movie instead of modern-shaped ones!)

This film features everything a good pirate flick should: stormy seas, a spectacular naval battle, a sexy pirate captain (Geena Davis) and buried treasure complete with a treasure map written in latin (the preferred language of pirates).

This is one of the few times I've seen Davis in a leading role; normally, she is a supporting actress. She pulls it off quite well, although in a couple of scenes her acting is a bit wooden. Frank Langella stands out as an old-salt, ruthless pirate while Matthew Modine is great as the movie's comic relief.

What really makes this movie worth buying, tho, is just how well done it is. The 17th century sets are lavish you feel as tho you are back in the period in which the movie takes place. The soundtrack is riveting, and I found the sound of the DVD quite excellent. Not sure if they did anything different than they do with other DVDs, but it sure seemed like the audio was a notch above most DVDs esp in the storm sequence.

This is the kind of movie that critics make a living off of by slamming. What does this mean for the rest of us? Why, it means that it's a fun time to be had by all! And may the movie critics goto Davy Jones locker...

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Cutthroat Island is not a great movie by any means. But it is a lot of fun if you enjoy pirate treasure, sea battles, sword fighting, a great soundtrack, and wonderful period costumes. The script is pretty weak and much of the acting is wooden. Worse yet, it seems that no one learned anything from Errol Flynn's The Sea Hawk because they once again include a rather annoying monkey as comedy relief. But what they do right is what makes this movie worth watching. The film wonderfully recreates the 17th century Caribbean world of the pirates and is probably the most realistic looking realization of this time and place to date. The actual portrayal of the pirates themselves owes more to "Treasure Island" and "Peter Pan" than "The American Sea Rovers", but there is definately something compelling in the romantic myth of the golden age of piracy. The pirate movie has suffered in recent years and Cutthroat will probably do nothing to revive it, which is really a shame as they, like the western and sci-fi adventure, are the best incarnations of modern myth to be found today.

The story revolves around the quest of Captain Morgan Adams, the sexy yet honorable pirate queen, to avenge her father's murder and outwit her evil pirate nemesis and fratricidal uncle, Captain "Dawg" (who makes these names up?). Taking command of her late father's ship and now in possession of part of a map to locate her father's lost treasure, Morgan sets out to win the vast riches for her and her hardy crew. On the way she engages the services of the roguish "Doctor" Shaw, manages to obtain the remaining pieces of the map, then goes on to brave mutinies, betrayals, storms at sea, exploding cannonballs, bad dialogue, and cliched bad guys in a worthwhle romp through an era gone by, when men and women sailed tall wooden ships, killed many people for profit, and drank themselves into oblivion on the high seas.

I gave Cutthroat Island one more star than it probably really deserves simply for being a really guilty pleasure. So grab your bottle of rum and cold steel cutlass and check it out!

Read Best Reviews of Cutthroat Island (1995) Here

...but widely ignored. Some have said that The Passion of the Christ established John Debney as a force to reckon with in the drama score category. What about action? The guy is only hired to do comedy and very few action films. CutThroat Island is an epic score, the only one I know John Debney has done. The film was a disaster at the box office. Had it been a success, maybe John Debney would have two oscar nominations counts instead of one.

In the single disc version, one gets about 71 minutes of music. From "Main Titles" to "end credits" John Debney keeps your ears happy and your room shaking depending on your speakers' volume level.

The main title of the score is one that will stay in your mind for a long time. Its repeated in most of the tracks on the album and it never gets tiring. It starts off with low brass before the strings swell the music into a loud fanfare.

There are a few other themes in the album. Track 3: The Language of Romance introduces the beautiful love theme played by the flute. Another theme used three times in this album is a cue for a victorious moment. The militaristic cue is introduced at the end of track 6 and given steriods for the triumphant finale in track 18. The last track is basically a suite of the main themes of the album as it should be. Overall, great soundtrack.

[COMPLETE SCORE REVIEW]

If 71 minutes isn't enough, not to worry. The COMPLETE SCORE was released on 2 CD late March . This version contains over 2 hours of music!

The second CD contains Track 17 and 18 of the single disc version. I have never seen the movie so I didn't know how long the action sequence lasted. Tracks 17 and 18 of the single disc version are added to one very long track over 17 minutes! to make probably the greatest single action, epic piece ever written! Track 8 of CD 2: "The Battle/To Dawg's Ship/Morgan Battles Dawg/Dawg's Demise/The Triumph." You have to listen to this track to truly understand why I won't be able to shut up about it. The second disc also includes 5 bonus tracks, some of them are alternate versions of some of the original cues (e.g. without choir).

This is an incredible score and a must have for anyone that truly appreciates musical art. (Oscar, how did you ignore this one?) Buy it. Buy both versions. They will undoubtly be worth more in the future. You won't be disappointed! CutThroat Island is truly a masterpiece!

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When the piratess Morgan Adams (Geena Davis) loses her father, she becomes captain of his ship and crew. As her first act as captain, she decides to search for the treasure on Cutthroat Island. But the actual map for Cutthroat Island is in three pieces, one of which she got from her father. The other two are with her uncles, the cowardly Mordachai (George Murcell) and the evil Dawg Brown (Frank Langella). So Morgan, with the help of her crew and the somewhat untrustworthy thief, William Shaw (Matthew Modine), she sets off to take all the maps and find the treasure of Cutthroat Island.

A very entertaining movie filled with action, adventure, and piracy on the high seas, "Cutthroat Island" is a pure adventure movie. The plot is pretty mediocre, allowing as much action and suspense to be put in the story. It's your typical pirate story though, pirates must find, understand, and figure out the map leading to a mysterious island with hidden treasure of unthinkable riches. But throwing in a tough, hard-bitten, and beautiful piratess was a pretty nice touch, including a thief to provide some comic relief.

Geena Davis surprises me again with her talent in being able to play many different roles from a ghost in "Beetlejuice", a baseball player in "A League of Their Own", a mother full of heart in the Stuart Little movies, and now a piratess in "Cutthroat Island". She gets to give plenty of punches plus handle the cutlass with ease as she fights pirates, the military, and her uncle. She's definitely very cool! As for Matthew Modine, I had never seen him in any movies before but I found him astoundingly funny though he gets plenty of action. He in a way reminds me of Cary Elwes as Wesley in "The Princess Bride" with his sarcastic humor and boundless enthusiasm. Oh, it was also a special treat to see the young and sweet Christopher Masterson as Bowen. Though his role was small, he was excellent as a cabin boy with his obvious admiration and loyalty to his captain. He's probably more known as Chris Masterson, starring in "Dragonheart: A New Beginning" and also starring in the series, "Malcom in the Middle".

So if you're in the mood for a movie with giving off lots of action, energy, suspense, and swashbuckling, make time to watch "Cutthroat Island". Rated PG-13 for the action and fighting and also for some innuendo.

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Defiance & Enemy at the Gates

I received my Blu Rays each in seperate cases and both cellophaned together (no slipcase). These are both great movies and being offered on value for price. These 2 are also great examples of blu ray quality.....especially Defiance! it couldnt have been better. Defiance actually is the first blu ray I have seen with a wow factor for resolution and color.

I love Enemy at the Gates, however I am put off but the blatant English accents by many of its British actors, if theyre actors why couldnt they sound like Russians, to me this is a great flaw in its making otherwise a great movie. At least in Defiance they dont sound like they come from Putney Green and Brixton but eastern europe. So 'Enemy' gets deducted a star ie 4 stars for Enemy and 5 well earned top stars for defiance.

Oh, and you must watch the extras of Defiance after the movie, very informative and revealing as told by their children.

If you found any of my words helpful to you at all, please vote on it. Thanks.

This is an excellent value. Two good WW2 films on blu ray for $20 bucks! The packaging contains the original art work and they include the special features from the original dvds. The movies are in seperate cases, not a cheesy single case housing both films. Both movies benefit greatly from the blu ray treatment. If you have these movies already and thought of upgradingthis is your chance.

Enemy at the gatesI like this film for many reasons. First of all its a rare look at the eastern front. It would be great if the Russians would start making some good films about their WW2 heroics. But until that day, we will have to watch films like this and Stalingrad. I also like the battle of Stalingrad. Although this is a small part of the overall scope of the battlethese dueling snipers were a factor for moral and are a fascinating subject to learn about. The acting is very good in this film too. Ed Harris is always excellent and I think Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz were great as well. The amount of work and detail with regards to the set and the city of Stalingrad was very well done. Even the fountain with the children and the aliigators is recreated for this movie. Great detail.

DefianceAnother subject that is rarley coveredpartisans against the Nazis. These mini armies of freedom fighters were a major problem for the Germans as they advanced through newly conquered territories. That makes this subject an excellent choice for film. Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber star as the famous Bielski brothers. There are some good action sequences here, but the film also centers on how these people made their lives work while being on the go so much. Living in the woods with a group of people adds tension and doubt. But everyone is resolute about defeating the nazis. This film also has some interesting special features.

I would rate Enemy At The Gates a 5 and Defiance a 4but having both of these films on blu ray for $20 bucks is a 5 star deal.

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These two films are great. The fact that they are cheap and in a Blu ray double pack is even more awesome.

Defiance is a very different type of war movie. It is like a cross between Band of Brothers during the siege of Bastogne and Shindler's List. It presents a much different view of the war than the typical war dramas.

Enemy at the gates is the only major (American released) film I know of to focus on the Russians in WW 2. Specifically it focuses on the battle of Stalingrad. Much of the story is embellished to create a better movie and to ad in Romance, etc but this is one of the greatest war films made in the past quarter century.

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From the packaging I thought that the movies would be in a double cheap case, but they come in their own cases which is nice. These are great movies with plenty of action and great stories. Highly recommended.

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Great deal for 2 awesome movies on bluray! They come in 2 separate bluray boxes wrapped together.

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Thumbelina (1994)

What gives? This is a sweet, endearing, lovely story with great animation--so why do so many people dislike it? Heck, after watching this movie, *I* daydreamed about being Thumbelina. Admit it, wouldn't you like it?

The traditional Hans Christian Anderson story: A woman who wishes for a daughter is blessed with one in a flower--and she's about six inches tall. But this doesn't matter to Mother or her array of barnyard animals, who love Thumbelina dearly. However, soon a handsome fairy prince named Cornelius arrives and is smitten with Thumbelina. After taking her on a ride on his pet bumblebee, he has to leave but promises to come back.

That night, Thumbelina is kidnapped by a family of singing frogs, but as she escapes with the help of a French swallow, she ends up in deeper and deeper trouble.

Some things in this movie are rather cloying--the jitterbugs, for example--but they're too small a part of the movie to be noticeable. Thumbelina is not a macho heroine, so don't expect her to act like one--she's a lost, frightened girl who's been sheltered all of her life. She shows remarkable strength and I got the feeling that the Thumbelina at the end was very different from the girl at the beginning.

Cornelius remains my favorite character. Our first glimpse of the adolescent fairy is after he escapes from a royal parade, where he is forced to sit on *snicker* a white butterfly. He's strong, funny, interesting, lifelike, and... dare I say it?... sexy.

Ten to one your kid will adore this movie.

Lovely animated musical version of THUMBELINA featuring a fantastic score by Barry Manilow and the well-executed animation style of Don Bluth.

Tiny Thumbelina's peaceful life with her mother is enlivened by her chance encounter with Cornelius, Prince of the Fairies. They quickly fall in love when the thumb-sized waif is kidnapped by overzealous Mrs Toad as a prospective new bride for her oldest son. She escapes only to find herself hoplessly lost in a big big world. Salvation comes in the form of the kindly Mrs Field Mouse who offers Thumbelina a warm home during the bitter frost. However even the Field Mouse expects something in return, so Thumblina is forced to marry her neighbour Mr Mole. At the 11th hour Thumbelina escapes with the help of Jacquimo, a swallow that she saved from death, who reunites her with Prince Cornelius and her mother.

This film features lush animation from Don Bluth. As other reviewers have noted, the woodland scenes and characters are reminiscent of Bluth's masterwork THE SECRET OF NIMH. The human characters are beautifully-drawn.

Jodi Benson, who also voiced Disney's LITTLE MERMAID, is perfect in the role of Thumbelina. Broadway veteran Barbara Cook plays Thumbelina's mother. The other roles are voiced by Carol Channing (Mrs Field Mouse), Charo (Mrs Toad), John Hurt (Mr Mole), Gary Imhoff (Prince Cornelius), Gino Conforti (Jacquimo), June Foray (Queen) and Kenneth Mars (King).

Barry Manilow offers a score of lovely Broadway-styled songs including Thumbelina's soaring ballad "Soon", Mrs Field Mouse's pleading "Marry the Mole", Mrs Toad's rousing showbiz anthem "On the Road" and Jacquimo's inspirational "If You Follow Your Heart".

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I didn't see "Thumbelina" until I was in my 20's, but since I love animation, it didn't make much difference. I love this movie and finally got it on DVD a couple days ago. Jodi Benson did another great job lending her voice to the lead character and the music was great too. The only complaints I have about the movie, to echo other reviewers, is that some of the animals in the farm were very strange looking. Also, I couldn't help but notice that Thumbelina was constantly losing her balance no matter where she was standing. Still, I think Don Bluth did an excellent job on "Thumbelina" and that it deserved much more recognition. I admit, I'm a softy for fairy tales, and I actually love her innocent, naive personality. It was great to see her make the right decision at the end though, even knowing she might be alone. Unlike what some reviewers have said, I think that makes her a great role model. We all have to go through a learning process. But without being silly and over analyzing the film's psychological effect on society, it's just a fun and enjoyable movie that I would recommend for any young girl or adult who's young at heart.

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My 4 and 6 yr old daughters and I LOVE this movie. It's a little older but it's been released on DVD. Having lost the videotape and missing it I had to get the DVD. The songs are awesome and get stuck in your head. I as an adult can watch it over and over again.

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I was so delighted to finally obtain the CD version of Thumbelina recently. I bought the VHS back in 1998 for my 4 year old daughter and she loved it. Besides the story, characters, and celebrity voices, it's the music that we still enjoy the most 8 years later. Barry Manilow's music, along with lyrics by Jack Feldman and Bruce Sussman are a gem. Thank you Amazon for rejuvinating my 12 year old daughter and I back to children again!

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Remember the Titans (2000)

I first saw "Remember the Titans" in the theater with a group of younger friends, who did not live through the civil rights movement or the uneasy truce that existed through the next 10 years. It was interesting to see their reactions to the chasm that existed on the "battlefield" of the public school system. Although "RtT" doesn't explore the issues of the time in a substantive way, the film makes it easy to believe that the situations were real. The football field action is impressively filmed and the soundtrack is outstanding.

Will Patton and a terrific cast of young actors will entertain you and make you believe for the run of the movie. And although some scenes are corny, (every scene that features Coach Yost's daughter!) you find yourself caught up in not only the game, but in what it represents as a centerpiece for a small town or city.

I confess that there is no movie featuring Denzel Washington that I don't like! His performance here is solid, and he hides his natural charm well Coach Boone is not a charming guy!

In DVD, the film is enhanced with many special features that are just as entertaining as the movie. I particularly enjoyed the discussion between the two coaches and the items that were edited out of the movie.

Not an award winning movie, but definitely a feel-good flick with an edge of some of the hardships that make life worth living. It's great to see such favorable and complex reviews from younger watchers; it makes you realize that the film hit its mark!

Denzel Washington is Coach Boone, a black football coach who finds himself in unfamiliar territory when he is appointed head coach of a high school team in its first year of intergration. When the fomer coach Yoast agrees to be his assistant it seems that turmoil and not determination will rule the squad.

Boone's determination to win is only outmatched by his drive for racial harmony within the team and coaching staff. By forcing his players to interact he creates bonds and friendships. Throughout all of this he knows he must win or his tenure as head coach will be short lived. He must not only battle the racial tension in the team, but in the town as well. Only his sheer will can guide his team to the promised land.

The movie is an outstanding piece of cinema. It adresses a social issue with raw emotional power. It teaches a lesson without screaming it in your face. The acting is without a doubt full of some of the best performances of the year to not have been recognized by Oscar and the likes. While Denzel Washington and Will Patton are phenomenal the show is stolen by the members of the team. Watch this film and you will get the point. An emotional five star film worth watching again and again.

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After working in a video store for nine months, it's hard to find a good new release. Pretty soon, you begin to nit pick everything about the plot, director, actors, characters, etc. So, when I took a chance on this football movie, I wasn't expecting to be blown away.

Not only is Denzel better than ever, so is Disney! When first deciding whether or not to actually take this one home, I had to think about the dreading football action. (You know, all of the stuff that the guys want to see) Honestly, this one isn't another guy show. Remember the Titans is about so much more.

In a time of corrupt racism, the boys of a small southern town are forced to be civil, and it even goes farther than that. The black football team and the white football team must play as one. They must join to stay in the game, and the players must get along. This movie is about dreams, determination, hope, and fear.

This movie is excellent! I guarentee it won't be a waste of your time. From the very beginning the magic was there, and it flows throughout the show. If you like drama, you'll love Remember the Titans. Ever hear of the "Clash of the Titans"? Well, this movie gives another meaning to the phrase. Oh yeah, about the nit picking thing, I couldn't even bring myself to do it with this winner.

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If you have teenagers in your household, rent this movie for them. It's rated PG for a reason. This isn't a movie about football; it's a movie about the pointlessness of racism, that uses the football field as a metaphor. That the kids won't understand that doesn't matter, they'll absorb the message while being too entertained to notice.

Disney always produces movies that both young and old can appreciate and so the adults will enjoy the movie too. The script may not be very original and the end result may not reach any deeper than the life-lessons it sets out to teach, but it teaches them with a lot of heart and there's a lot to be said for that.

In this true story, Denzel Washington plays Herman Boone, a no-nonsense football coach who has been handed the job of Head Coach at a high school in Alexandria, Virginia that has suddenly been desegregated. It's the early 70's. His players consist of the school's white football team and the new black kids who played for their former all-black high school team. That these two factions don't want to have anything to do with each other is an understatement. During football camp, through the will and drive, the insight and courage, of Coach Boone, they are forced to treat each other with respect, which turns out to be the first step towards friendship, and they become a more unified team. This all happens a little too easily, but then, it's a feel-good Disney movie, not a three and a half hour Oliver Stone saga. Once school starts, they face the same conditions they faced going into camp: they step into a desegregated school environment that is now segregated internally. The community at large is more to blame than the kids themselves, but that doesn't make the students any less prejudiced. As the football season unfolds, racial lines become more and more blurred for the team members to the disdain of all others around them. Friendships gets tested and relationships get nurtured, on and off the field, including the growing but guarded friendship that takes root between Coach Boone and his assistant coach, Bill Yoast, (a convincing performance by Will Patton). Yoast was head coach before he was forced out to make room for Boone, and is a hard-edged but, we slowly find out, open minded and big hearted, member of the white community.

Denzel Washington puts in his usual winning performance. One wishes that his character was written with a little more depth and was less of the Cheerleader-for-the-Movement variety. What he does with the script that he's handed, however, is memorable. In fact, you can tell Washington is relaxed and enjoying himself here; he doesn't exactly have to stretch his acting skills to nail this character, and it's obvious that it's a character he believes in.

Hayden Penettier who plays Coach Yoast's daughter Sheryl, is hilarious as a 7-or-so year old tomboy who calls her father "coach" instead of "dad" and knows more about football than most of the players do. She's a very talented young actress and this role should land her more significant ones. She very nearly stole the show.

The various members of the football team are a well-rounded and capable group of actors even if they're your standard stereotyped bunch of characters. They're the primary source of fun in the movie, filling up the screen with various locker-room antics. The strongest of these characters is Gary Bertier, the white team captain (played by Ryan Hurst) and Julius Campbell (played by Wood Harris) the strongest minded black player, who start out as enemies and whose evenutal friendship plays a pivitol role in the film.

Remember the Titans is the kind of movie Hollywood is continually accused of not making: a movie aimed at kids that doesn't pander to sex and violence. That it isn't Oscar material should be of no consequence. It may not have won any awards, but that doesn't make it any less worthy of an audience.

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To say that this is just a football movie would be a very shallow interpretation, it is so much more than that. This movie is heartwarming and gripping from the first opening logo all the way to the end.

To story is like this: two separate football teams (one white and one black) are forced to de-segregate into one team with Denzel Washington as their coach. At first they hate each other because they are different. But in time they form a bond, a brotherhood, and a friendship, and learn to see past their differences. It may sound sappy if you haven't seen it, but this is the best movie of its genre.

If you think it's just another lame live-action Disney film, think again. This goes way beyond that and explores the theme of friendship with just the right ammount of sentimentality. Do yourself a favor and buy this. Parents: it's rated PG for some mild words and tense situations. Most Highly reccomended.

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