Charlie St. Cloud (2010)

What a great movie, a little predictable, but not too much. It had a happy ending, and in this case predictability was a good thing, I was hoping it would end the way it did. Charlie St cloud is a kid who seemed to have it all going for him. He loved sailing and practised it religiously. He got so good at it that he recieved a scholarship to Stanford University. But when a car accident takes his little brothers life, Charlie's guilt and loss cripples him mentally. He now has the ability to communicate with dead, specifically is little brother who he meets everyday before sundown to play catch. This movie is a tear jerker, the love between the brothers was too much to bear. I guess it helps that Zac Efron is just so damn gorgeous you simple can't not love him. Great movie, Fabulous performance by Zac Efron as Charlie St Cloud, this is the beginning for Zac, I hope he stays away from silly movie roles and moves forward and up with dramatic parts, he is VERY good at it.

Having gone to see this movie last night, I went home and ordered the book, and signed up to be notified when the movie becomes available on Amazon. Going in to see the movie, I had looked up the details on the plot. It looked like a good movie. I was not disappointed. The main characters were great, Charlie, his brother Sam, the woman who comes into his life, all were great. After Sam dies, Charlie stops going forward with his life. He can see Sam in spirit, and spends every afternoon playing ball with him. After 5 years, a woman comes into his life and shakes up his world. He is torn between hanging onto the past,time with Sam, and getting into a relationship with her. There is a boat accident, and much more. Towards the end of the movie, it can tug on the heartstrings. The ending is great. If someone is hanging onto the past that need to be let go, this would be a movie to help it happen.

Well worth going to see, and buy for the home collection.

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Overview: Charlie and his younger brother, Sam, are enjoying the last few weeks of summer before Charlie goes to college on a sailing scholarship. Tragedy strikes and Sam's life is lost while a tormented Charlie's life is saved. Instead of going on with life, he lives alone in the woods and starts working at the cemetery. Why does he stay behind? Because he can see his dead brother and promises to meet him every day to practice baseball. Thus begins the story of Charlie St. Cloud, a young man who "stops living" because he can see dead people and does not want to let go of the memory of his brother.

Good Content: Charlie's dedication to Sam (alive and dead) is a good example of being a good brother. Even when Sam has died, Charlie keeps his promise to Sam. Later in the film Charlie turns out to be a rational young man as he makes a choice between "himself" and another person's life.

Spiritual Content: The fact that Charlie can see dead people is not necessarily creepy. It's more of a psychological thriller than anything. Charlie and Sam have a conversation about what would happen to Sam if Charlie broke his promise and stopped visiting him. Sam is concerned he will "cease to exist". Charlie's life was "saved" by a paramedic who is a strong Catholic. Later in life the two meet and the paramedic asks Charlie why he was "given a second chance to live" and if he will use this second chance for a good purpose. The paramedic believes saving Charlie was a heaven-sent act. He wears a pendant of St. Jude around his neck.

Sexual Content: Charlie and his girlfriend Tess spend a night together in the cemetery. Nothing is seen because the camera cuts out right before anything happens but cuts back in afterwards. Same tells a few crude jokes (I only got one of them because another audience member was laughing as if it was a dirty joke).

Violent Content: We see some aspects of the car crash that Charlie and Sam are in. We see them while they are in the ambulance-Charlie's face is somewhat bloody. Charlie gets in a fist fight with another young man.

Profanity: a total of about seven or eight profane words ranging from h-to s--

Conclusion: Unnecessary elements (such as the cemetery scene, some language) make this a PG-13 film. While the idea of the plot seems "iffy"-a young man spending time with his dead brother-it doesn't really touch on anything spiritual in terms of life and death. Rather, it is more of a psychological, "think about it" film. Borderline tragedy, chic-flick, drama, this film is recommended for mature audiences who are not opposed to somewhat "unrealistic" stories.

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I was surfing channels and caught the beginning of Charlie St. Cloud on HBO. stopped to watch a few minutes and didn't move for the entire movie. Never followed Zac's career before (I'm a little older than he is ;D ) but I found myself absolutely n love with him, the character of his little brother and the entire cast (huge fan of James Franco so u can imagine how shocked I was when I fell for the character Lt. Sully, actor brother of James, Lord have mercy...haha). I found the movie addicting. I can't pass the channel if the movie is on now! no matter if the the movie is starting, in the middle or near the ending...gotta watch. AND YES, I have ordered the movie and it's on the way. I would recommend this movie before all others to all my fellow movie lovers. The story line is mesmerizing. I loss my sister several years ago and although we are much older than the characters in this movie, I still find myself wishing that the ending to her life and life as I knew it with her in it could have had an ending like Charlie and Sam's (meet at sunset cannons, come hell or high water,I promise!!)...if only for a while. RECOMMEND THE MOVIE 100%!!!! LOVED IT...LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT...I ACTUALLY THINK IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OSCAR WORTHLY BACK DURING IT'S TIME OF RELEASE. LOVE IT!!!!!

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Zac Efron has solidified himself as a leading man in Hollywood with his masterful portrayal of Charlie St. Cloud. Without giving too much of the plot away, Efron absolutely shined throughout the film. You felt every single bit of his angst, heartache, emptiness, and sadness.

I never read the book, but I'd imagine this movie more than did it justice. What a beautiful, heart warming film. I can't say enough good things about it.

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Merantau (2009)

First off I would like to say that although there are comparisons to Tony Jaa in Merantau to its star Iko Uwais, that is all it is similarities. OK Iko Uwais doesn't have the same bone breaking intensity and crazy agility of Tony Jaa. However he is a superb martial-arts star in the making. While there are slight similarities to what Tony Jaa has done. Iko Uwais performs using the Indonesian martial-arts style Silat which I found very refreshing from the usual Chinese styles used in Hong Kong martial-arts Cinema and Tony Jaa's Muay Thai based performances.

The action takes a little while before it starts coming through giving the story and the characters the chance to develop. I think this pays off for the film and contrary to other reviewer's comments doesn't suffer as its director oversaw the editing of this international cut. This wasn't hacked up by a studio interference by people who had nothing to do with making the movie. Director Gareth Evans painstakingly edited the movie to lose all the extraneous material making this a leaner, meaner movie that is really very, very good.

The action sequences themselves improve with every fight getting better and better as Iko Uwais's character reluctantly unleashes more and more of his skills as he is forced to do so in his pursuit to help the young woman and her younger brother.

This is definitely one of the best martial-arts films of the last few years and is fully deserving to be in any martial-arts fans collection. If the other reviewer's 1 star rating comments about being cut are leaving you in two minds, I can tell you they are unfounded. Merantau is a very, very good movie. Still don't take my word for it rent it first and discover how good this film really is.

As for the other reviewer who thinks he could do better. Yeah right! Until this guy stops talking the talk and walks the walk, you can take that with a massive pinch of salt. Erin "Sky Blue Boy" I look forward to watching your martial-arts debut in a leading role. As you said you could do better even when you were out of shape.

By the way keep your eyes peeled for Iko Uwais in his next movie "the raid" which is now in production with Merantau director Gareth Evans behind the helm again.

Note I think this is a four-star movie and think extremely highly of this film but I have given it a five star rating because of the ridiculous ratings by a couple of reviewer's, which I believe is highly undeserving. I've seen some downright terrible movies with poor martial-arts, poor acting and little to no story. This has none of those negative qualities and I can only speak about this film with the highest of regard.

With Tony Jaa having deserted moviemaking for the monastery, the title of top international action star is left vacant and up for grabs. Would-be successors have applied en masse, from English acroartist Scott Adkins to fellow Thai national Jeeja Yanin, and with the advent of the New Year, Indonesian martial artist/soccer player Iko Uwais throws his name into the hat with a most promising entry in "Merantau". Capable of doing for the Indonesian film industry what Ong-Bak did for Thailand, it's an extremely impressive audition tape with a vaguely stripped-down feel and occasionally light on the plot definitely not the best all-around martial arts film of the last few years but more than serviceable in supplying the thrills. If nothing else, it promises a lot for both the star and director (Gareth Evans, Footsteps) should they be presented with a bigger budget. Those wary of taking a step down from the production power of Jaa's work might be leery, but action aficionados in general should be quick to help make this one into a cult classic.

The story: departing his peaceful village for his rite of passage, young silat practitioner Yuda (Uwais) travels to Jakarta, where he finds no work but a sister & brother pair of abandoned street children in need of his help (Sisca Jessica and Yusuf Aulia). Protecting them from the control of a sadistic French businessman (Mads Koudal, Six Reasons Why), Yuda needs to become the hero he never knew he was to take on an entire underground organization upholding a sex slavery circuit.

The plot is definitely modeled after "Ong Bak" and sadly serves as the major drawback of the movie. There's a good sense of righteous indignation with which Yuda beats down the sex traffickers, but the story itself is low on twists; there are a few inspired aspects concerning the relationships between the villains, but by large, there's nothing beyond the mandatory. The film's finale is built up throughout the last 40 minutes, and even though it supplies the same stellar action as the rest of the movie, the thread is worn thin even before the final battle takes place because the three before it felt like they could've been the last, as well. Considering that much of the cast is mostly composed of performers with little to no film experience (with the exception of Mads Koudal and Christine Hakim bit player in Eat Pray Love as Yuda's mother), acting is pretty decent and most slip-ups are due to the weakness of the script.

Of course, it's the action you're going to be watching this for, and I'm happy to say that it is both good and abundant. Though he'll occasionally borrow a kick or elbow strike from Jaa, Iko Uwais represents his home-learned style of pentjak silat with pride and authenticity. Throughout the course of the movie, he runs through an encyclopedia of strikes, holds and takedowns, counters and reversals, and weapons-handling that effectively defines the style as something rarely seen in movies (see Bounty Tracker for a notable exception). Despite never having made a martial arts feature before, director Evans is more than competent in shooting the fight scenes utilizing long, uninterrupted shots with unfixed cameras and just letting Iko go nuts with his abilities in general. Some stuntwork is present including an instance of a villain being struck in midair and falling over ten feet straight onto his back but unlike in most fighting movies nowadays, it doesn't take precedence: it's all about the martial arts and dangit if they're not worth the emphasis.

The production is good (the fight scenes seem a bit stripped but nevertheless clean) with a decent scope, but the world seems oddly underinhabited, especially when it comes to the big trafficking operation. "Merantau" seems to take place in a world of its own, but luckily it's a world worth revisiting one that introduces us to a very promising new star who deserves a bright future. Buy it if you appreciate solid physical action and it might just become a favorite.

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MERANTAU (writ./dir. Gareth Evans, 2009, 134 minutes) is an awesome Indonesian film that portrays the use of the Indonesian martial art, Pentjak Silat (pronounced pen-CHAH sih-LEH) much like Steven Seagal originally exposed the good uses of AiKiDo.

Our hero Yuda (a handsome young Iko Uwais), a Minangkabau tribesman from Sumatra, goes on his traditional merantau to Jakarta, Indonesia from his tiny village. While it isn't really evident to outsiders, and not clarified in the film, the art used is a form of Silat known as "Silat Harimau" (Tiger Silat, which includes the use of the karambit "tiger claw" blade) and the Minangkabau are from Sumatra. The merantau (pronounced "mar-ahn-TAU") is a bit like the Aboriginal "walkabout", in which the person leaves the mother country alone and learns of the world outside.

Yuda immediately becomes involved with a stripper named Astri (the beautiful Sisca Jessica) and her little brother Adit (cute little Yusuf Aulia). He becomes determined to save her and her brother become a father to them in a way. Just the thing for the perfect merantau. Naturally the Muslim Yuda will tangle with evil white infidel slave-traffickers and the explosive ending will leave you weeping, as it did me.

The cinematography is quite innovative and even stunning: there's a trick I have never seen used before, yet it is so simple it will leave you gasping with wonder. The choreography is near-perfect (a few pulled punches right on camera spoil some of it). Those stunt men are the cat's meow! I have never seen stunt work like it. Also, Iko Uwais is a skilled master. The soundtrack is quite good and modern; no silly eye-rolling feeling one gets from so many Asian film soundtracks.

This film is so very important, though it is formulaic. It is awesome to finally see an Indonesian film, to see the kinds of problems they have, and to see a martial arts film centered around silat. For a short while I studied silat, and never quit loving it. Now at least there's a baseline film showing it besides the weird Ong-Bak The Thai Warrior series. It is also a hopeful reminder for today's world that Indonesia is a Muslim country.

If I haven't convinced you yet, let me just add that you should get this for its historicity alone. It's a fine film, not really for family viewing but I think teens can handle this in their stride. Just get it!

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Excellent movie about a young man who must make his "Merantau" which means to leave his family and go out into the world to gain experience. He is trained in a form of self defense called silat and goes up against kidnappers who are human traffickers. The rest you must see.

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When a movie featuring a martial art I've never before witnessed on screen finally comes to film, I'm a happy man. Here that art is Silat, and while fight-choreography in movies does not equal practical application, it's always fun to see what can be done with various styles! Though this flick has received some complaints, I was not disappointed.

On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a young man named Yuda (Iko Uwais) is preparing for his merantau, a traditional (as opposed to capricious) rite of passage where he must make it on his own in the big city. He is excited and nervous but sets about his task with a high degree of optimism and boards a bus for Jakarta. Upon arrival, things don't turn out as planned but Yuda is determined to succeed. A little boy steals his wallet and the ensuing chase leads to him defending the boy's older sister from her abusive boss. She is then fired and isn't exactly appreciative of Yuda's skill or intervention. They go their separate ways until Yuda coincidentally finds the girl back in the clutches of her boss and some goons. Turns out the girl, Astri, was targeted by her employer to sell to some rich European brothers for international prostitution. Yuda takes her and her little brother, Adit, on the lam, with thugs-a-plenty on their tail.

Some of the criticism this movie has received is unwarranted and I'm not exactly sure why Iko Uwais is compared to Tony Jaa, though it was likely Jaa's success that enabled a project like "Merantau" to come to fruition. Vietnam's "The Rebel" (2007) probably didn't hurt either. While I suppose some physical characteristics are similar, Iko's style of fighting and acting are quite different. He is much younger than Jaa and has much more of a natural ease with dialogue. While I am a big fan of Jaa, I don't think he could pull off a character as gregarious as Iko's Yuda. While this movie doesn't exactly master the writing chops of say, the Coen Brothers, it's much more fully realized and competently directed than MANY martial arts flicks, including those starring Jaa. In terms of fights and stunts though, it doesn't quite hold up to Jaa's films. Which is not to say they are bad! Not at all! The fights in this are creative and plentiful, in addition to being well shot, performed, and edited, with few wires and reasonably long takes. Thank you!

The DVD from Magnolia has a beautiful widescreen picture with plenty of special features, including a "making of" segment, bloopers, and deleted scenes. In Indonesian (Bahasa?) with subtitles available in English and Spanish or English dubbed. If you are a fan of martial arts films, this is definitely worth a look. Certainly doesn't hurt to open to a little cultural diversity, either! Recommended.

2009

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Spirits of the Dead (Histoires extraordinaires) (1968)

Janus Films participated in the restoration of this film and you would think that that alone would ensure high standards of quality. And for the most part it did. But unmentioned in all the reviews of this DVD is the fact that the best film of the three, Toby Dammit,does not have its English soundtrack included.

Terence Stamp is English and he spoke his part in English.(and what an amazing bit of verbal it was) It just ain't the same thing in dubbed French by another actor. An earlier release of this film delivered the English soundtrack as an option but did not allow you to turn off the English subtitles! (Some of the people that put these things together are really lacking in simple, common sense.) Also the image quality on the previous release is faded and not real sharp. Image quality on this current DVD is excellent. Rich color and very sharp. So the horror of it all is you are left with a very well done restoration with a rather important detail inexplicably left out. The English soundtrack exists and isn't this the whole point of DVD's? I took a chance buying this DVD hoping for an improved version that fixed some of the problems on the earlier release.

The frustrating thing is that it is so close to being there, but a French speaking Terence Stamp is just absurd. Janus Films was also involed in the Criterion Collection new version of Amarcord and they did it perfectly. Everything is there. Wish they used as much care on this one.

As originally conceived by Fellini, the Toby Dammitt segment was, imho, the greatest work he ever committed to film. Taut, lean, stylish and very effective. I saw the film when it was first released and am fortunate enough to have this segment on an old beta tape.

Beyond Terrence Stamp's wonderful delivery, is the crucial element of the english actor being alone and isolated in Italy by his language, slowly pushing him deeper into surrender and madness. All of this is lost in the current French dubbed edition.

(On the other hand, it must be a plus to have the first two segments, overdubbed into English for US release, back to their original French. However, these segments are competent, or somewhat interesting at best, compared to fantastic finale.)

Please let Janus know that they have broken trust by butchering a great artist's masterwork.

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In response to the reviewer's query below concerning the French overdubbing of "Toby Dammit" sorry, this DVD ALSO features a French actor's voice dubbed over that of Terrence Stamp. I, too, was greatly disappointed at this.

I do not know of any other version available that has Stamp's English dialogue, but I remember seeing it on television in the 80s and onscreen at the American Cinematheque in Hollywood in 2004. Maybe if there is enough demand they will remaster it and put out an English version of this delightful foray into subtle, 1960's-style psychological horror? One can hope.

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Spirits of the Dead (Histoires extraordinaires) [Blu-ray]This is a clarification rather than a full review: several reviewers have indicated that only the French dubbed version of Toby Dammit (Fellini's contribution to this anthology) is available on this Blu-Ray disc. That is INCORRECT! The original Italian and English soundtrack is included on this version, and the French dub is also included as another soundtrack option. If you buy this disc, you will in fact have the pleasure of hearing Terence Stamp deliver his lines in all their lunatic, English glory--and my guess is that the reviews listed under this Blu-Ray were originally from some other release of the film that did not have the Italian-English soundtrack for Toby Dammit; either Amazon goofed by using reviews of an older release in their listing of this Blu-Ray, or the reviewers have mistaken this Blu-Ray release for an older release of the film.

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Spirits of the Dead, a handsomely mounted 1967 film that features three segments from three European giants (Vadim, Malle, and Fellini) all based on Edgar Allen Poe short stories. The third segment, Fellini's Toby Dammit, is so incredibly different and dense when compared to the other two that you almost forget you've watched an anthology by the time the film ends. His work here is as good as he's ever been visually, and the world that he creates perfectly represents the inner turmoil of the self-destructive actor Toby Dammit (Terrance Stamp). The director presents his typical circus or parade; whichever you want to call it, and this time it shows the world of the celebrity in modern day Rome. It's obviously been liberally adapted from the original Poe story, and it's only nominally a horror tale (Toby is stalked by a Björk-ish devil figure), but the film transcends any generic or authorial labels: it's purely Fellini's, and at a little over forty minutes long it doesn't burn out the audience in the way that his longer pageants tend to.

The other two segments are certainly solid, even if they might not top Fellini's work with sheer panache. Vadim's piece is the better of the remainder, and it features Jane and Peter Fonda as feuding cousins. This is the most overtly supernatural segment of the trio, and even it feels somewhat subdued when compared to modern ghost stories. Jane Fonda is excellent in her role, and she brings a combination of refinement and haughtiness to the part that vitalizes the character. Like all of the film, this bit of the film is well shot, but Vadim's captured some gorgeous outdoor scenery, whereas the others take place mostly indoors. The tale itself is spooky enough, and the running time feels sufficient. The only real negative mark here is that the film resorts to a slightly jarring voiceover narration here to fill in background details. Malle's segment is likable enough, but it feels somewhat slighter than the other two. Its gambling scene evokes Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (just as the driving sequences in the Fellini segment recall A Clockwork Orange), even if Spirits was made several years earlier, and there is genuine tension aroused at the card table. Throughout the film, there is a relatively low gore quotient, and the acting is uniformly solid. As far as psychological horror goes, the films work well, and that they realize Poe's stories were mainly internalized distortions of the world works to their advantage, even as they approach the material in vastly different ways.

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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!

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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!

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

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

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Death Race / Death Race 2 Double Feature (2008)

Me and my family really enjoyed this movie. I really loved the first Death Race movie and I didn't know they came out with two or three. This movie is great if you love a lot of action.

Thee movies were great, lots of action, very gory. If you like shoot em up kill em up movies, then you need to have them in your movie library.

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I love death race and when they announce a 2nd film I doubted it would be good but when I saw it it was well awesome just like the first one

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Hi. This item is okay and I would be willing to buy more in the future if needed. Thumbs Up!

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Mamma Mia! The Movie - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! More Gift Set (2008)

This CD is a must-have just for the simple unadulterated pop culture value. This isn't one of those dramatic instrumental soundtracks with titles like "Wedding March" or "The Emperor is Dead", but instead is a lot of fun, especially for people who have grown up singing every word that ABBA ever wrote.

The eighteen songs (17 + hidden track) are all familiar ABBA hits, and you'll find yourself singing along with the likes of Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Christine Baranski, Amanda Seyfried and others.

Some of these unlikely songbirds can actually carry a note (albeit not too far), and others will make you smile (You're a brave man Pierce), but there's no denying that this soundtrack would make a great stocking stuffer or just-because gift for your favorite baby boomer.

Tracks not to be missed (whether good or just rather ambitious) are:

"Honey, Honey" Amanda Seyfried

"Mamma Mia!" Meryl Streep

"Dancing Queen" Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, and Julie Walters

"Our Last Summer" Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgaard

"Lay All Your Love on Me" Dominic Cooper and Amanda Seyfried

"Super Trouper" Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, and Julie Walters

"SOS" Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep

"Does Your Mother Know" Christine Baranski and Philip Michael

"Take a Chance on Me" Julie Walters and Stellan Skarsgaard

"I Have a Dream" / "Thank You for the Music" (Hidden Track) Amanda Seyfried

Buy this for one just for fun

Amanda Richards, July 24, 2008

From what I know of the history of this play/movie the two ladies that worked so hard to get ABBA and others to put this together in GB are now two of the wealthiest women in England and from what I have seen it drives the critics nuts, ("lousy, bad camera work, Brosnen can not carry a tune etc., etc.,) the bottom line folks, this movie fits like that old comfortable shirt your wife (the critic) wants you to throw away because it looks "awful". Well, the heck with em, I like my shirt, and I like meatloaf and mashed potatos, and I like Mama Mia, maybe it is mind candy, maybe it does not reach the high brow standard, but it "feels good" so the pundants can take their "expert" advise and put it where "the sun don't shine", this movie makes me smile and who knew Meryl Streep could sing like that the "Winner Takes it All" maybe very poorly filmed according to the so called experts because the one I saw said "get me off the Merry-go-Round" but it sure sent chills down my back let the experts rave I know what I like, and this film made me laugh in times like these I will take that any old time over what the high brows think I should see!

PS as for Mr. Brosnan's singing and why he did the film straight from the horses mouth -

Q. What drew you to this movie? A. My agent called and said, "Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!," and I said, "I'm in!" I didn't even know who I was playing. I kept thinking, I want to work with this wonderful actress.

Q. How did you fare with all the singing you had to do for the role?

A. I've never done anything as orchestrated or musically complex in my life. At first, I just made noises. Then I went to London and trained in the studio with Benny [Andersson] and Bjõrn [Ulvaeus] from ABBA. My family let me know that they were very worried for Dad when they first heard Dad sing. But sing I did.

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I LOVED this movie. I saw it six times in the theater and laughed and bobbed my head as much the sixth time as the first. The music great!! Ok, so Pierce Brosnan isn't the best singer in the world. You know what? I've paid a whole lot more money to see people in concert that were suppose to be great singers and were so much worse than Pierce. Besides if you don't want to listen to him just watch him. He's showing some age(but then aren't we all) he's still quite attractive. I think Merryl Streep did an incredible job. Who knew she could sing like that?! And Donna's two friends are a hoot. And I think the girl that plays Sophie is adorable.

In today's times it's great to be able to sit down with a movie and not have to think about it. Just be entertained by it. It's a great "bad day" movie. Go home put your feet up and just veg out. Sure to improve your bad mood greatly!!

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I sometimes wonder what movie the critics see because it rarely if ever matched the movie I see. I paid to see this movie five times and took my daughter four of those times, we LOVE it. I makes you feel good, the music gives you energy, to me the movie made me feel young and hopeful. The loctaion it was shot in was breathtaking, the chemisty on screen was wonderful! When it first came out it was not a trailer that grabbed me and I really had no interest in seeing it, but a friend of mine invited me and my daughter to go with her one night, and I am so glad we did. I shudder to think I almost missed one of the best big screen experiences I've ever had.

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Would have given this 5 stars without a doubt, except for those missing songs!!! I get REALLY tired of these marketing ploys that victimize customers. Now we all know that, in the near future, there will be an expanded edition of the soundtrack with the deleted songs and maybe some incidental music added as inticement. So ABBA fans, Meryl Streep fans, and fans of musical theater will shell out another 15 20 bucks to buy it. It angers me!!!

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Firefox / Heartbreak Ridge (Two-Movie Collection) (2011)

Please describe the audio and video quality of any Blu-Ray you review. Thanks to those who do this.

Both movies have DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtracks, which are very good.

Video quality varied throughout the movies. Firefox started out very good, and had a lot of very good parts, but some parts were grainy. The flying scenes at the end were, unfortunately, grainy. Heartbreak Ridge also had some very good parts, and some grainy parts. Video quality in these two movies wasn't great, but mostly good.

Overall, these are pretty good movies, and I'm not terribly disappointed with the video quality. I'm satisfied with this purchase.

I have always been a huge fan of Firefox, lumping it in with Hunt for Red October for my "superior Russian tech we must steal" flicks. I was surprised at out crisp the blu-ray transfer is and really enjoyed watching it for the first time in a few years.

The sound design/mix is of particular interest to me the soundscape they engineered for this film is exceptional. At no time during the plane visual effects sequences do you feel like you are listening to a post-produced "mix" it registers as very real for me, which is great because the model effects don't always hold up as I would like them to.

Great price point and two movies to boot (still have to check out Heartbreak Ridge). Enjoy!

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I'm happy to report that the somewhat misleading use of the term "2 movie set", while true, is less informative than '2 Disc Set'. Yes indeed this is a 2 disc set, not '1' as widely speculated prior to release (also shown as '1 disc' on Amazon's product page).

Read Best Reviews of Firefox / Heartbreak Ridge (Two-Movie Collection) (2011) Here

As for the Firefox movie it's a great movie and so is Heartbreak Ridge. It's better quality over the old copy I have and as for the sound well let's just say it's not really 5.1DDS. It's better than the original 2chnl dvd with better picture quality. So yes it is better..! If your that much of a stickler for sound and picture quality then don't buy this. But if you want better than vhs or old dvd then buy it and I bet you'll like it over the old original old stuff.

I love these movies and Firefox was a great movie and still is..

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Two spectacular films of one of my favorite actors Clint Eastwood, who has become an icon of film in the genre of spaghetti wester and action as Dirty Harry.

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Hulk Vs. (2009)

First, let me say that the Blu-Ray version of this is crisp and clean. Gave me some minor issues loading at first but after I got those cleared up, it was smooth sailing.

The features themselves are not very long. I'll talk about them individually:

Hulk Vs. Wolverine This was before his X-Men days as Wolverine was working for Department H. The Hulk invades Canada and Wolverine is sent to hunt him down to stop him or put him down for good. The fight between them is short but pretty violent. Wolvie even makes the Hulk bleed in this one!

Not a lot of plot to this adventure but we do get appearances from Wolverine's rogue gallery in the forms of Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, Omega Red and (most entertaining of all) Deadpool. Also, these guys explored Wolverine's time with the Weapon X project in a way that none of the animated series' could go (not even the classic '90's series) nor has the movies gone yet. Ending is unresolved but hey, this feature gave us what it should and that's a smash mouth donnybrook!

The Hulk Vs. The Mighty Thor In this one, Loki (the step-brother of Thor) brings The Hulk to Asgard, seperates him from Banner and takes control of him in order to wreak havoc in the Kingdom of Asgard. But his plan backfires and now Thor (as well as Loki and all of Asgard) faces the full fury of a Banner-less, mindless Hulk! While not bloody as Hulk Vs. Wolverine, its no less violent as The Hulk does put a brutal beating at one point on Thor, nearly killing him! This one also has a bit more story to it than the previous feature.

There are also several features to this release. The most entertaining, to me, is the behind the scenes of both features as well as a tribute to Jack Kirby as it relates to Thor. There is also footage of Hulk Vs. Wolverine at one of the big Comic conventions.

Overall, I was happy with this release. I would not, however, recommend this to small children. This is definitely a feature that should only be viewed by teens and adults. It might be too intense for younger kids. Plus, there is brief language in Hulk Vs. Wolverine during their fight so if you are the kind of person that gets offended easily or is a Bible thumper, this isn't for you.

Its a great release overall.

Hulk Vs. is so far the best animated film created by Marvel. Both short films are full of graphic violence, great animation, and the characters are played as they should be. Even the storylines are great in this DVD!

Hulk Vs. Wolverine: Logan is assigned to take down the monstrous Hulk as he tears apart the Canadian countryside. Or is it really the Hulk alone who is causing all the damage? Wolverine soon finds out that Sabretooth, Omega Red, Lady DeathStrike, and Deadpool have been hunting the Hulk for the Weapon X program and attempt to use the most powerful monster on the planet as a weapon. But Lady DeathStrike and the others have other plans.

Hulk Vs. Thor: Odin is asleep and it seems that all of Asgard's enemies have been defeated. But Loki has captured Bruce Banner and plans to unleash the Hulk and destroy Thor. But can Loki truelly control such a savage and powerful monster? For not even Thor nor any God has the strength or the power to stop the Hulk!

My addvice, buy this DVD set. If you are true fan of the core material of the comics, then this DVD is for you. However, beware it is extremely graphic and should not be seen by those under the age of 13. The bonous features are a great treat and plus we get a look at Thor: Tales Of Asgard. So, what are you waiting for? Buy now and enjoy!

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"HULK VS." is a 2-disc special edition featuring "Hulk vs. Wolverine" and "Hulk vs. Thor" animated movies. Released from Lionsgate there are numerous previews, various audio commentaries, and of course the actual movies.

Disc 1 contains "Hulk vs. Wolverine" (PG-13) and is 37 minutes long. Hulk is tearing up the Canadian country side and Wolverine is sent to stop him. The movie opens with Hulk and Wolverine battling. After the title and credit sequence the movie goes back to four hour earlier when Wolverine was brought in by helicopter to the small town of Elkford that was destroyed by Hulk. The Canadian military wants Wolverine to stop Hulk. If he can't be stopped then Wolverine is to kill him before he harms another town or city. The chase is on with Wolverine finding a lot more than expected including other foes in the Canadian wildness.

Disc 1 also contains audio commentaries with Craig Kyle, Chris Yost, Frank Paur, Kevin Altieri and Butch Lukic. There is also a first look at "Wolverine And The X-Men" coming in April along with a making of "Hulk vs. Wolverine" feature. There is also a feature about the "Hulk vs. Wolverine" world premiere at the San Diego Comic Con last year and a question and answer deal there at the convention.

The 45 minute Disc 2 features "Hulk vs. Thor" (PG-13) and is the story of Loki trying to destroy his stepbrother, Thor. The movie opens with another colorful credit sequence before taking us to the realm of the eternal: Asgard. Long ruled and protected by Odin all is well and the cycle continues. Every winter Odin must sleep and leaves things unprotected for seven days and that is when the wicked come. Thor leads the defense against the siege of darkness. Dr. Banner is spirited in by Loki so that he can be forced to become the Hulk and used to finally destroy, Thor. But, Hulk is not a weapon that can be controlled for long and the repercussions for all will be epic.

This disc also features audio commentary with Craig Kyle, Chris Yost, Frank Paur, Sam Liu and James Peters. Like the much bloodier and brutal "Hulk vs. Wolverine" disc, this disc also has a making of the feature and a first look feature at the next movie in the series. This one is on "Thor: Tales of Asgard" coming out on DVD this fall. There is also a feature on Jack Kirby and his artwork with Thor.

The result is two very different movies that continue the legendary Marvel characters while providing plenty of back story. The animation is detailed as are the complicated story lines creating a viewing experience sure to please old and young alike.

Kevin R. Tipple (COPYRIGHT)2009

"By The Light Of The Moon"

The Carpathian Shadows Volume 2

Read Best Reviews of Hulk Vs. (2009) Here

As a superhero fan, I was going to watch this regardless, but after the lackluster animated releases Marvel has put out so far, I didn't have my expectations set too high.

However, Hulk Vs. is by far the best animated Marvel film yet. I think the fact that they split them up into 2 approx. half hour shorts helped tremendously, keeping the plot moving and the action tight. Both episodes felt like they could've easily been a stand-alone issue of a comic book, with all the heroes keeping in character.

Hulk Vs. Wolverine is the standout, and sets a new standard in brutal cartoon violence (for a PG-13 rating of course). We are treated to some great Wolverine back-story, right out of the Weapon X storyline, some hardcore Wolverine vs. Hulk fighting (which seemed like a combo of Wolverine's first appearance in the Hulk comic and the more recent Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine mini-series) and some great appearances by fan-favorite villains like Sabretooth, Omega Red, Lady Deathstrike, and Deadpool.

Hulk Vs. Thor was surprisingly entertaining, but being as I'm not that much of a Thor fan, I enjoyed the Wolverine story more. That's not to say this wasn't a good episode, and I ultimately enjoyed it more than I expected. Both films had excellent animation and fantastic voice-work. Good writing, all by people who were obvious fans of the core material.

I highly recommend Hulk Vs. It's two great stand-alone episodes that seem like they could be part of a larger universe. Hopefully Marvel realizes this and begins adapting popular comic book arcs like Secret Invasion, Secret War, or Spider-Man Reign...

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I had seen lots of trailers for this DVD on-line from Marvel and it looked great, so I was anxious to see it. On viewing, I had mixed feelings. The animation is good quality and looks fabulous on Blu-Ray, especially Asgard. On the other hand, the two stories are so predictable that you could write them before you open the box. I wasn't expecting it to be an Oscar winner, but I did expect it to be a DVD I would want to watch more than once.

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World on a Wire (The Criterion Collection) (1973)

Based on the American science fiction novel, Simulacron-3 (1964) by Daniel F. Galouye, World on a Wire is about virtual reality, world created inside a computer program, a pre-cursor to the Matrix. I believe this is the first movie adaptation of Simulacron-3, although there have been many sci-fi movies with similar themes since then. The Thirteenth Floor (1999) is another adaptation of the same novel (oddly, 1999 is also the year for the Matrix and The Dark City, another great sci-fi movie).

World on a Wire was made in 1972 for German TV. It is made of two parts each one is aboout an hour and half long. The movie has a very distinct visual style and atmosphere; the interior shots, camera angles, the locations, actors are very 1970 German.

I like this movie a lot because of its different style but it is probably not for anyone's taste. Even though the subject matter is sci-fi, there are no spectacular special effects or action scenes which are typical of Hollywood productions. However, I think the movie overall does a pretty good job of creating an eerie atmosphere and paranoid feeling of the world not being real.

I was especially amazed by how some of the scenes and ideas seem to be pre-cursor to the Matrix. For instance, the subjects sit in a chair with wires hooked up to their heads and they get downloaded to the computer world (you may think of that as the matrix) and if they want to exit the computer world, they use a phone booth. Sounds familiar?

I also like the love affair depicted in the movie; in my opinion it works so much better than the affair between Neo and Trinity in the matrix.

I recommend this movie for any sci-fi fan who can appreciate foreign movies with unique styles even if they lack CGI and spectacular special effects.

The only science fiction movie that German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder ever made was this long-lost three-and-a-half hour long film made for German Television. It has traces of "The Prisoner" to it, along with influences of Stanley Kubrick, Kurt Vonnegut and Philip K. Dick. The satirical look at the futuristic world of computer technology was incredibly ahead of its time in 1973, and is a recently rediscovered gem for film fans to now experience on high definition Blu-ray.

The film's storyline is simple, and even familiar in the sense that these themes have been touched upon by countless filmmakers from David Cronenberg to Steven Spielberg ever since. Fred Stiller (Klaus Löwitsch) is a cybernetics engineer who is responsible for the creation of a complex computer world of virtual reality cities and people. It is like Sim City, but the cybernetic people aren't aware that the life they are living isn't actually reality, but virtual reality which can be visited though a machine.

When one of Stiller's co-workers dies suddenly, there are suspicions of foul play. As he investigates this mishap, a deeper corporate conspiracy is discovered, and Stiller begins to doubt his own existence and reality. There are hints that he may actually be living in one of the computer worlds himself, unable to trust the world around him. The labyrinth of computer worlds makes it impossible to know what--if anything--is reality. We follow Stiller on a mad escape from authorities who may very well be programmed to find and destroy him, as well as nearly every other citizen. As the most wanted man in his world, there seem to be higher powers preventing Stiller from finding the truth.

More:

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As a film buff, I have had a chance to see a number of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's works. He was clearly a genius and I have enjoyed a majority of the ones I've seen. However, I have never found myself utterly fascinated with any of the films as much as this one, World on a Wire. It helps that I love sci-fi in all its forms, from escapism to more serious works. This definitely falls into the latter category; the film that it strangely most reminds me of is the original Russian version of Solaris (and fans of that film should definitely check this out). It shares a (somewhat) slow pace, cinematography and visuals that are quite striking at times, and a quite serious examination of seriously fascinating material. The story concerns a computer project in which a virtual world, complete with simulated individuals who don't know they're artificial, is created with the aims of predicting trends and needs of the future. One leader of the project starts to have suspicions about the project and uncovers a conspiracy involving it. The main twist of the film will probably be figured out by most viewers before the characters do. However, I think for most viewers this will not hurt the film. For me, even after several viewings, the film retains the fascination that it had the first time I watched it. Most interestingly, the film's ending has become increasingly more intriguing, as my interpretation of it seems to change every time I watch the film. All in all, a must watch for anyone who loves sci-fi of serious ideas.

Read Best Reviews of World on a Wire (The Criterion Collection) (1973) Here

It's perhaps best described as a somewhat interesting oddity that has resurfaced and worth watching for fans of the director's work.

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A predecessor to "Total Recall" about computer virtual reality, it's misuse, and glitches that could occur. It's not an easy story to follow bacause Fassbinder wants to blur the boundaries. It's worth sitting through even if only for the gorgeous cinematography by Michael Ballhaus.

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Black Narcissus (The Criterion Collection) (1947)

This stunning and atmospheric film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, who were the team behind Archer Productions, is an engrossing and moody masterpiece one might term, religious noir. It was shot in lush colors by Jack Cardiff with a score by Brian Easdale performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. It is the story and the atmosphere created by Powell and Pressburger that gives this adaptation of a novel by Rumer Gooden its noirish feel, however, and it would easily be just as good in black and white.

Deborah Kerr is Sister Clodagh, fullfilling her duties at the Servants of Mary in Calcutta. She is assigned to helm St. Faith, high in the Himalayas, and is given the charge of Mother Superior in order to do so. She will be the youngest ever to hold such a position, and it is one her Mother Superior believes she is not ready for. Once she reaches the lonely place over nine thousand feet from the earth, with her small group of Sisters, she will discover that while they may be in closer proximity to the heavens, they will be much further from God.

The isolation, the drums, and the wind, will have an effect on each of the Sisters, including Sister Clodagh. She is strict and demanding, but becomes concious of the danger here when she herself begins to drift and dream of her past in Ireland before joining the Servants of Mary. Kerr has a graceful Irish beauty that is almost stunning in these flashback scenes. She was young and happy, and in love. She was from a small area and did not want to be shamed when the one she had given her love to decided to move on without her. Her decision was born out of her desire to avoid humiliation.

An older Sister will also find herself recalling a past she had thought forgotten, and no amount of hard work can keep her mind from it. It is the outside element of Mr. Dean (David Farrar) that will set in motion the biggest change, however, as the already unstable Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron), young and quite beautiful, is driven by repressed passion and jealousy to utter madness. She becomes jealous of Sister Clodagh, whom she believes wants the attention of Mr. Dean. Sister Clodagh, who originally found Mr. Dean to be objectionable when sober, and an abomination when drunk, begins to finally soften, and even goes so far as to confide in him her fears about what is happening to all of them.

Farrar is excellent as the somewhat irreverent womanizer who knows how to push Sister Clodagh's buttons. There is one scene where he is drunk and sings of how he cannot be a nun that infuriates Sister Clodagh and worries her at the same time. Sabu is also excellent as the young General who sends the children there to learn and is just as eager to do so himself. Jean Simmons shines as the exotic and sensual Kanchi. She is brought there by Mr. Dean for the Sisters to "tame" but her wild and earthy spirit will seduce the General and he will run off with her for a time. Simmons' dance sequence may be famous, but it is the scene between Kanchi and the General, where he refuses to beat her for stealing a necklace, which holds the most tension, and is charged with passion.

Kathleen Byron's performane as the unbalanced Sister Ruth is unforgettable. The elements she is exposed to, from the remote isolation of St. Faith, to the charming scoundrel Mr. Dean, will turn her already precarious mental state into true insanity. She will expand the tiny bit of attention shown her by Mr. Dean into a desire so intense, her fragile grip on reality will slip away. She orders a deep burgandy colored dress and makes the decision to leave the other Sisters. Once spurned she will return, with a fever of madness behind her eyes the viewer can actually see. Byron's scene in the doorway on the cloister, high on the mountains, as Sister Clodagh rings the bell Ruth had been so fond of, is unsettling.

Sister Clodagh will come to terms with the fact that we are all human, even herself, and will begin to learn humility. She will take a lesser post elsewhere and bid farewell to Mr. Dean, asking only one favor of him as she leaves. It is a request filled with sadness, as it is obvious to her now that they should not have come here, despite the fact it has made her grow personally, and given her a better understanding of human nature, and human weakness.

This is a very unusual film with an exciting and memorable conclusion. It will intoxicate the viewer with its mood, like the scent of the flower after which this film was named. A must see film.

I am not sure why the poster believes the film is missing a scene. I have the Criterion edition, and I have just watched the scene. It starts about 43 minutes into the film, and it involves the beggar girl looking at wall art, dancing, and trying to seduce the young General. In the commentary, Michael Powell says, in reference to the girl's dance: "When Larry Olivier saw this... he couldn't believe it. His Ophelia [from 'Hamlet' in 1948] changed into this..." I've posted snapshots from the film of this scene in the Criterion version.

There is one minor error in the Criterion and previous versions of the film that have been released. When Sister Ruth sees red and passes out, the screen goes to blue instead of black. This is most likely the result of some electronic sampler that thought "black" meant "no signal", and as VCRs will do, switched the screen to blue.

This film is excellent and Jack Cardiff was a genius. It rightly won the Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration in 1947.

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One of the best British films ever made is this pioneering effort by independent filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Shot entirely in Scotland with painted matte backgrounds to recreate the Himalayas (and astonishingly well at that), the film is superbly textured and mature, thematically ahead of any movie made in its period. Deborah Kerr heads a superb group of performers as the Mother Superior of a group of nuns who move to a convent in a remote mountain village in India, only to find that their confidence and strength in their religion is no match for the mystic powers of the East. Sexual frustration over local white man David Farrar, weakening faith, harsh climate and the growing fondness for their homeland soon get to the women and they are forced to leave or die. Interestingly enough, Kerr's flashback scenes of her Scottish youth and teenage sweetheart were cut by American censors upon first release, even though they were completely without sexual content, explicit or implicit; it seems it was too taboo to show a nun who has taken her vows to escape a failed love affair (the scenes have since been restored and are now available on home video). Funny, the nun who throws herself off a mountain because she goes bug-eyed every time she sees Farrar in his shorts didn't even make the Prude Alert blink.

Read Best Reviews of Black Narcissus (The Criterion Collection) (1947) Here

From the same team that gave us THE RED SHOES this film is a must see for those who appreciate a great story fleshed out by terrific performances in lush settings with phenomenal art direction. Made over fifty years ago BLACK NARCISSUS could be considered significantly ahead of its time in its unique use of narration, and subject. (Hint: What happens when a group of British nuns is sent from their cloistered priory to establish an infirmary/school in a palace formerly inhabited by a sultan's harem located high in the Himalayas? Watch and find out.) Atmospheric and hypnotic (shot in truly glorious technicolor), this is a movie you'll want to watch many times. Definitely one of a kind. Deborah Kerr is outstanding as Head Sister Clodagh. (With Sabu and a very young Jean Simmons in supporting roles.)

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Black Narcissus stands as a peak film in the career of Michael Powell and Emerich Pressburger. A flawless script centered on the personal experiences of a group of nuns that live in the Himalayas. The beauty of the place, the beauty of Nature all soon start to have a strange effect on those women. This is a movie about the conflicts between spirit and flesh. And what a film!

On top of it we have a impecable cast and what I believe to be the best cinematography work I have ever experienced courtesy of the great Mr. Jack Cardiff. The cinematography IS BREATHTAKING. As breathtaking as nothing I have ever seen on the technicolor days.

I disagree with one reviewer who complained that Criterion Collection failed to bring us this film just because the aspect ratio was 1.33:1 (instead of a widescreen version). I strongly disagree with that idea and I must recall that Black Narcissus was made in 1947. At that time films had the 1.33:1 ratio. Widescreen only came up in the early 50's. It happeened that later on, some films had a fake-widescreen effect just for re-release purposes. Black Narcissus was filmed using a technicolor process involving 3 negatives and its correct aspect ratio was 1.33:1.

Criterion's edition of Black Narcissus is a gem. A great buy. You will never see anything like this again!

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Ra One Bollywood Blu Ray With English Subtitles (2011)

I watched the movie twice, once in 2D and once in 3D (imo, the 3D experience is fantastic). And I enjoyed the movie, as a whole. Some critics rip this movie apart for its poor script, but one must bear in mind the target audience is essentially kids so the plot is simple and straight-forward. Some has also criticize the use of low comedy (the groin-thingy, the airport officer ogling over G.One's piercings) but from what I noticed, the audience takes no offense and just laugh it off, even the kids (although the significance of the airport scene might not dawn on them). As for the sci-fi bit as to how the game characters can come alive, yes, it might be flawed but hey, if we can accept the fact that a bite from a radioactive spider can turn one into Spiderman, or that exposure to a gamma bomb could turn one into The Hulk, why the need to nitpick?

The thing is, the makers of Ra.One didn't set out to make this into an intelligent, gritty flick. It is meant to be an entertainer, and most importantly, to showcase the technology that was once regarded to be a Hollywood exclusive feature. With Ra.One, the aim is to create a superhero that would appeal to Indian children and to show the world stunning visual effects could be achieved at a fraction of the Hollywood price tag. I'd say the team is successful on those two fronts.

The plot is simple. A dad, eager to win his son's affection, creates a game where the villain (Ra.One) is stronger than the hero (G.One). Son is happy and gets to play the game, but when he stops the game at Level 2, Ra.One is angry because no one is supposed to defeat him. So he vows to track the boy down and comes to life. The boy and his mum are forced to flee, but not before G.One is also brought to life to defend them.

Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) plays dual roles, that of the dad, Shekhar Subramaniam, and the superhero, G.One. As the dad, SRK plays Shekhar the way the script demands perfectly clumsy, endearing, an embarrassment to the son, but when the situation calls for it, is perfectly responsible and heroic. Some say SRK is over-acting as Shekhar but personally, I feel to bring Shekhar to life and to make him a stark contrast to the stoic G.One, SRK had to be ridiculously funny and silly, and in that aspect, he succeeds brilliantly, imo. As the superhero G.One, SRK manages to be mostly stoic with monotous speech pattern, and his posture is impeccable (straight back, restrained gait/movements) though I have to admit it is a little jarring to see G.One smile and groove in one of the song items, Chammak Challo.

Kareena Kapoor as Shekhar's wife is beautiful, and though there isn't much scope for her to display her histrionic, she is absolutely brilliant in the scenes following her husband's death and when she is Ra.One is disguise.

And the little boy who plays the son, Prateek a.k.a Lucifer (his game handle) is truly a wonderful child actor who displays ease and confidence in all of his scenes.

The action scenes are brilliantly shot and look almost flawless, and the visual effects are really quite top-notch quality (nothing as epic as Transformers, of course). I seriously love the train sequence where SRK as G.One flies/runs from/across carriage door to carriage door. Look at the way SRK brilliantly holds his posture in which the action looks real that you forget he is aided by wires.

If I need to complaint about one thing, it is the number of scantily-clad dancers in the song items Criminal and Chammak Challo. Why the need to show so much skin?

All in all, this movie is massively entertaining. You have drama, action, comedy, bit of romance all rolled into one. It is also a game changer for Hindi cinema due to the visual effects and technology employed proof that Hindi films can retain its desi core and still stand on an international platform.

If you missed this in the theater, you must see the DVD. This movie has taken "Bollywood" to an all other playing field. It is bringing them much more even with "Hollywood". In fact in my opinion HW had better watch out! I am from the USA and saw it with my daughter who has never watched a Hindi movie, she was surprised at how much she enjoyed it. My grandson's first words when it was over "Can we see it again?" Needless to say we will be buying the DVD. A wonderful family film, with fantastic special effects, and a strong message about family love.

The reviews in America, especially "Hollywood" were very good. But something is very wrong with the "Bollywood Movie System" this movie was treated very unfairly by the Indian press, I feel very sorry for the Indian public who did not see this film. Not only have they missed a wonderful film but they have missed Hindi film history in the making. The people who have written bad reviews on here never saw this film "Period" I have watched 100s of Bollywood films, and this one ranks in the top, for story, acting and special effects.

If you are an International film buff, you must see it. If you have kids you all must see it. If you just love a good time, fun and want to see a new super hero you must see. I know you will enjoy it!

Buy Ra One Bollywood Blu Ray With English Subtitles (2011) Now

A truly lovely and entertaining film.

Though set firmly in the traditions of Bollywood with colour, heart-warming relationships and wonderful music, it stretches into new territory with brilliant VFX and the exploration of a new genre, namely the superhero movie.

See it for the smile it will bring to your face. As the tag-line says 'A Superhero with HART'.

Read Best Reviews of Ra One Bollywood Blu Ray With English Subtitles (2011) Here

I saw this in the theater recently and I look forward to owning it. Before seeing this film, I had never even heard of SRK, so the intricacies of Bollywood pop culture were irrelevent as I sat and enjoyed this outstanding film.

I should begin by saying that Hollywood superhero films like The Dark Knight have nothing to worry about from this film. Ra.One doesn't try to be gritty or dark or realistic. It is a family film, closer to the Christopher Reeve Superman films, in that it tries to be both sweet and thrilling. As a result it comes across as simultaneously modest and, because of its technological aspects, incredibly ambitious. Compared to the family fare churned out by Hollywood, it is never calculated and unlike Hollywood superhero films, it is never pretentious. From beginning to end, it simply wants to be the most entertaining film it could possibly be. Remarkably it succeeds far more frequently than it fails.

The highlights are the two extended action sequences. The first is a car chase through London that ends in a spectacular parking lot battle. The other, an even more astounding sequence, involves a runaway train and some remarkable stunt work and trick photography. Almost as good are the musical numbers, particularly Chammak Challo and Criminal. In a lesser film these interludes might have dragged the story to a halt, but in this film, they are made integral to the plot (and besides, are filled with such delight and affection for the characters that they can be forgiven almost anything).

As for the plot itself, it borrows freely from films like Terminator 2 and The Matrix. The hero, G.One (played by Sharukh Khan) is a video game character come to life, his mission to protect the son of his creator (also played by Mr. Khan in a very funny role). The film sets up its rules on how G.One and his nemesis, the evil Ra.One operate in the opening sequences and remarkably sticks to these rules for the most part. The story is just believable enough to work, though if I wanted to nitpick, I would have had a field day. However, if I did that, I would've missed out on entertaining scene after entertaining scene.

There were some problems, but overall they didn't really bother me. There were a couple of scenes where I had to ask myself, "Why is this happening?" There is an extended fight scene outside an airport that might have fit well in a Jackie Chan film from the seventies, but doesn't do much but show off some inventive fight choreography. Another sequence involving G.One being controlled by a video game controller might have set up an interesting possibility for the final battle, but is instead played just for laughs. Finally, a scene set up to sell an anti-smoking message is admirable, but hardly necessary.

Despite its few issues, this film was overflowing with invention and ideas and hopefully Bollywood can top it. If they can do this with a $30 million dollar budget, just imagine what they could do with even more. Though to be honest, I almost hope we never find out. Huge-budget "family" films like Transformers are so overblown, and so calculated to appeal to the lowest common denominator that they completely lack in heart or inspiration. Ra.One has both of these to spare.

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RA-ONE's rep for being the most expensive Indian movie to date could get a shellacking should PRINCE VAALI ever see the light of day. Both RA-ONE and PRINCE VAALI are superhero films, but until PRINCE VAALI actually hits the theater, I'm espousing Krrish as THE best Indian superhero film, of which upcoming sequel I cannot wait. RA-ONE? It's okay. It's not as awful as, say, that short film FIREMAN (which you can check out on YouTube, except why would you?). Heck, Mr. India, a 1987 film about a guy who can turn invisible, was more entertaining (and MR. INDIA is supposed to be getting a sequel, too).

RA-ONE, at its heart, centers around a father-son relationship. International superstar Shah Rukh Khan takes on three roles: as the nerdy but kind-hearted (and ridiculously goofy haired) Shekhar, as the dream sequence hero Lucifer, and as G-One. Shekhar is a video game designer toiling for the massive London-based Barron Industries. In an effort to connect with his bratty son Prateek and because Prateek believes that villains are cool Shekhar creates a virtual reality game in which the super-villain, Ra-One (for "Random Access, Version One"), never loses.

Ra-One (the name is pronounced like the demon "Raavan") is a synthesis of history's ten most evil men. Opposing him in the game is the superhero G-One, and it's reputed that Ra-One is so mighty and invincible that G-One's chances of besting him stand at a mere 0.01%. Those who've seen the techno-thriller VIRTUOSITY can already suss out what comes next. In a world in which video game designers play god and weird science is introduced, reality and fantasy sometimes get to blurring and sentience is implausibly achieved. When a kid plays the game and threatens to beat Ra-One, is it a real stretch that Ra-One becomes so incensed that he pursues the kid out into the real world? And Ra-One out in the real world is as homicidal as Sid 6.7. "Jackie Chan" doesn't stand a chance.

RA-ONE, running at two and a half hours, borrows, begs, and steals from previous Hollywood films. It's a mash-up of TERMINATOR 2 and THE MATRIX and VIRTUOSITY and who knows what else. It even lifts that old martial arts move in which the hero uses the girl as a fight prop. Also regurgitated is the bit in which a gouged-out eyeball is employed to gain access thru a retinal-scanned security portal. I will say that I enjoyed the big-budget action sequences, even when they bear a striking familiarity and you can see where the wire work went in. I love the runaway train sequence! G-One and Ra-One look very cool visually, both Shah Rukh and Arjun Rampal obviously having done their reps in the gym. Shah Rukh's blue contacts are pretty effective.

There's a jarring element here, in that the film tends to shift from a cornball, comic family film to a more intense action thriller. It's hard to reconcile a goofball scene like Shekhar's getting mugged by a midget or Shah Rukh's Michael Jackson impression with Ra-One's casually brutal elimination of that old Chinese woman. I know this is the sort of masala that Bollywood tends to offer its audience. But, given its budget and its ambitions, RA-ONE should've maybe toned down the silly. KRRISH did, and was all the better for it.

What else? If you're a fan of Bollywood cinema, you may get a kick out of the opening sequence which features cameos by Priyanka Chopra (as Desi Girl) and Sanjay Dutt as the dream villain. The musical numbers are catchy and work to advance the plot. There are three really catchy tunes: "Dildaara (Stand By Me)," "Criminal," and "Chammak Challo." The startling thing is that Akon worked on the last two songs. In a bit of awesome, in the irresistible, percussion-heavy "Chammak Challo," Akon sings in flawless Hindi, having picked up the words phonetically. If you can spare two and a half hours, RA-ONE is worth a peek, if only to see how Indian cinema is striving to catch up to Hollywood. RA-ONE exhibits pretty decent f/x and nice performances by Shah Rukh, Kareena Kapoor (as Shekhar's understanding wife Sonia), and Arjun Rampal (who is properly sinister and gleefully takes on those villainy poses). Man, if only the filmmakers had managed to calm down those cheesy Bollywood excesses. Wherever Hrithik Roshan is right now, I don't think he feels at all threatened, especially since the KRRISH sequel is almost here. 3 stars out of 5 for RA-ONE. Maybe an extra half-star for the sheer effort and energy expended by the cast & crew in this project. Shah Rukh said RA-ONE took up several years of his life.

Disc 1 has the feature presentation with the option of an English or Arabic sub-title and the option to listen either in the Hindi, Telugu, or Tamil language. There is also an option for song selection so you can click on the banging "Chmmak Challo" joint. Disc 2 contains the following bonus stuff (with no English sub-titles, although people speak often enough in English that you can sort of follow along):

5 Deleted Scenes (totaling 00:05:30 minutes)

Making of the Film (00:32:10 minutes)

Making of Songs Behind the Scenes of the musical numbers "Chammak Challo" and "Criminal," interspersed with Akon in the recording studio collaborating with the music composing/directing duo Vishal and Shekhar (00:19:08)

RA-ONE London Premiere focusing mostly on the cast's red carpet walks (00:07:51)

RA-ONE Trailer Launch (00:04:26)

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Imagine That (2009)

As a teenager over 20 years ago I remember laughing long and hard at "Beverly Hills Cop" and even Eddie Murphy's generally irreverent and profane humor. But as a parent I am glad to see him using his talents in a more family friendly way, even if it usually borders on slapstick or over-the-top humor like Jim Carrey (this one didn't quite go that far). And I must admit that the commercials featuring that stupidly annoying kid throwing plastic balls at him in the playground didn't put this one on my "must-see" list. But my wife rented it one night and I was pleasantly surprised.

Murphy plays Evan Danielson, an aggressive workaholic investment consultant with no time for family in fact, he's divorced and has no connection with his daughter, Olivia (about 6 years old, I think). But when he's forced to care for her for a week he's insensitive to her security blanket and imaginary friends... until he realizes that these friends are giving surprisingly accurate investment advice. And thus begins a relationship with his daughter that, although not initially based on the right reasons, opens his eyes to what he's missing out on.

I'm not exactly a devotee of this type of movie and haven't really seen any of Murphy's films since Disney's "The Haunted Mansion" (which was very disappointing compared to "Pirates of the Caribbean"), but my kids and I really enjoyed this one. I didn't notice any foul language and any crude jokes must have gone right over my head. Yara Shahidi was perfectly cute as his neglected daughter, and Thomas Hayden Church was particularly funny as Johnny Whitefeather, his main competition at work with phony Native American investing advice. The plot-line may be formulaic and in some ways the moral-of-the-story done a bit too Hollywood-ish, but I thought the movie was quite fun, and definitely better than I expected.

Eddie Murphy is a long ways away now from his box office days, which goes to show just how hard it is to stay on top and to stay relevant. IMAGINE THAT follows his trend of starring in kid-friendly flicks, except that this one isn't as good as the SHREK films, as as good as DR. DOLITTLE or even DADDY DAY CARE. That IMAGINE THAT is watchable at all is due to some nice interplay between Murphy and the little girl who plays his daughter in the movie.

The story elements couldn't be more trite or unoriginal. Workaholic investment adviser Evan Danielson (Murphy) is intent on climbing that corporate ladder and barely finds time for his 7-year-old kid Olivia. When his separated wife sticks him with babysitting Olivia, Evan agrees after all, he does love his daughter but Olivia, cute but peculiar, is no match for his work portfolio. Olivia's favorite thing in the world is her googah, which is this blue security blanket and also her portal to an imaginary world and her invisible friends.

For Evan, it's hard to do work when your kid is incessantly talking silly nonsense to herself. But is it really nonsense? When Olivia's make-believe princess friends end up dispensing savvy investment tips, Evan decides that he ought to spend more time with his daughter. Er, because he loves her.

Kids may like this, probably, because Yara Shahidi is cute and earnest and simply very good as Olivia. But the story follows a predictable path. Its payoff is weak and involves Murphy's character having to get to his daughter's big school concert. Not that it matters, but we never do learn for sure if the fantasy element really is of a magical nature or rooted in a more earthbound explanation. There's an attempt near the end to suggest that maybe, just maybe Olivia's imaginary friends are real but, like I said, it's weak. Eddie Murphy does his usual enjoyable fast-talking thing, and actually he tones down his brand of silly even more in favor of constructing a more affecting emotional core to the story. It's a good move because the father/daughter moments are the best parts of the movie.

Thomas Haden Church will either make you laugh or exasperate you with his interpretation of a smarmy rival of Evan's who applies his part-Native American heritage and some weird New Agey philosophy to get the jump on our guy (Church's character is labeled a "Man Whisperer"). Stephen Root, Martin Sheen, and Ronny Cox are here, too, and so what?

The thing about cameos featuring current famous people is that, sometimes, they fall out of relevance or their situations change, and this has the effect of dating the movie. Allen Iverson is long gone from the Denver Nuggets and now back in Philly, something which jarringly took me out of the movie's story. If you're not a basketball fan, then this probably doesn't bug you.

IMAGINE THAT isn't too horrible a choice if you're looking for something to divert the kids. It's not exactly top shelf material, but there's nothing objectionable in it, other than its sin of sticking to the formula. It's certainly loads better than NORBIT, which is objectionable on so many levels.

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This was a different Eddie Murphy movie and one that should have done better in the ratings than it did. I bought it for family members who are very particular as to what they allow children to watch. It was funny, had a message regarding a father's need to

take time to be a real father. The little girl in movie was excellent in the part. I have bought this movie for future viewing.

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I wasn't sure if this movie was going to be corny or not being a childrens movie and all but I was surprised at how funny it was! I loved Eddie Murphy in "Daddy Day Care" and loved him in this movie equally as much! This movie isn't appropriate for younger ages (it's rated PG) and I believe it's PG because of some adult humor but it's nothing you wouldn't see on TV and no foul language is used! "Imagine That" has a really cute message for all ages!

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A powerful financial executive whose career was sent spiraling down the drain due to sudden lack of confidence finds the answers to his inexplicable setback in an imaginary world dreamt up by his young daughter. This movie is very enteraining. Eddie Murphy is a very talented actor. I hope he continues to do more movies like this one.

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The Perfect Weapon (1991)

And so uttered Jeff as he comes upon a group of local goons standing over his old friend Kim (played by famous character actor Mako), when he drops by Kim's shop having returned home some years after being ostracised by his cop father.

The Perfect Weapon is my second favourite martial arts movie of all time, the first being Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. Whilst the revenge motive is a familiar storyline in martial arts films, what seperates Perfect Weapon from the rest is Jeff Speakman's brilliant Kenpo moves in the fight scenes. The underlying themes of the values of friendship and family, the positive life benefits of Kenpo training and of course good triumphing over evil add to the movie's experience.

I attended a seminar by Jeff Speakman in 2001 and can confirm that everything you see him do on screen he can also do in real life no CGI, no cables, no trampolines! The Perfect Weapon is the movie that introduced a new generation to

Kenpo martial arts in 1991/92 when it was released in the cinemas and then on VHS. Jeff's own instructor Senior Grand Master Ed Parker was the technical advisor on the film and their collaboration resulted in one of the best martial arts movies ever made. Jeff has made many films since then but none have quite the impact of Perfect Weapon.

I concur with the first reviewer regarding the legitimacy of this DVD release and presume that Olive Films have obtained the rights from Paramount Pictures for Perfect Weapon's DVD production and distribution. Here's hoping there are lots of special features with contributions from Mr Speakman himself. I know the worldwide Kenpo family has been anticipating Perfect Weapon's DVD release for a long time. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Mr Speakman has confirmed that the DVD is a legitimate release from Olive Films just the movie though, no extras.

Desperately needing and deserving a dvd release, The Perfect Weapon takes itself pretty seriously, and is one of the highest quality B movies I have seen. Jeff Speakmen is a rare martial arts gem, appearing in only a few films, with this arguably being his best. The cast is pretty good, combining several familiar faces from various martial arts films. The story is about justice/revenge, but unlike most martial arts films, it is explored with more intrigue. The action, though not very plentiful, is top notch. The Perfect Weapon is one of the only movies I know of that also shows off the beautiful martial art, Kenpo.

The movie begins with a beautiful introduction of Kenpo, showcased by Speakman to the song "I've got the power". Though a cheesy scene, it really is beautiful. Following this are some flashbacks to Jeff's (Jeff Speakman's charcater name) childhood and development of Kenpo skills. In the present, Jeff's mentor Kim Kwan, is murdered by the Korean mafia, and thus the journey to find the killer begins. Interesting enough, we get to see the killer, but not the man who ordered the kill until much later.

The action, again is superb, and if there was more of it I'd give this 5 stars. There are 2 fight scenes that really stick out. First is early on in a gym, where Jeff takes on 3 men at once, one being played by James Lew (also appeared in Balance of Power, American Ninja 5, and several other martial arts films). The scene lasts a few minutes, but is exceptionally well done. The last is the final fight of the movi. Jeff takes on the huge bodyguard "Tanaka". The fight lasts about 3 minutes, and unfortunately, doesn't show off too much skills since Tanaka is just too big for flashy martial arts. There is also a decent car chase scene in the movie, which is much better than most poorly executed chase scenes in B movies.

Overall, The Perfect Weapon is one of the best B movies ever made. Everything is on the money. Unlike most martial arts B movies, there is not an over-abundance of action. Though I do prefer that, this movie makes up for it with more of an effort in all the other areas.

Buy The Perfect Weapon (1991) Now

Although the movie gets a Cin acting and plot, this movie delivers some AMAZING American Kenpo action sequences, and does a competent job explaining the philosophy of a Kenpo martial artist in the beginning. It's apparent that Mr. Speakman is a talented martial artist FIRST and actor second, but he clearly and skillfully demonstrates the accuracy,usefulness, speed, and power of Kenpo. I mean, come on, he's a man of action in this movie, not a man of words.

Read Best Reviews of The Perfect Weapon (1991) Here

Background: I'm a former member of the IKKA and AKKI.

Short and dirty, if you wanna know something about American Kenpo and see it accurately demonstrated GET THIS MOVIE! Mr. Speakman was (if *I* remember correctly) a Fourth Degree Black Belt in the IKKA at the time this movie was made. The movie is, on the surface, a martial arts action film. But VERY close to that surface is the story of one boy's/man's journey in the ART of American Kenpo. Although it's not protrayed specifically as an American art, this IS Senior Grandmaster Edmund K. Parker's American Kenpo. Mr. Speakman and my instructor, Mr. Keith Gorham, both studied under Mr. Parker. Mr. Gorham recommended this film to us, his students. The Kenpo IS real not enhanced. A proficient Kenpo practioner at Mr. Speakman's level CAN and will perform at the speeds you'll see in the film.

I gave it four stars because it doesn't have "five-star" acting, but as a realistic martial arts film, it's VERY hard to beat. It clearly depicts the spirit of Ed Parker's Kenpo and, despite a few off-color words, I urged my own children to watch it when they were old enough.

As someone else said, I REALLY WISH this film was available on DVD. My VHS version is wearing out!

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I had this film on VHS when it was released in late 91. The acting is fair, The script typical but the Martial Arts are top rate. The choreography with the American Kenpo and Korean Hardstyle is some of the best you will ever see. If you haven't seen the film and you are into the martial arts it is a must see! I wish Speakman did a few more films like this before leaving the business. As far as the blu-ray I was kind of disappointed with the film transfer. It is no better than the DVD. The sound is better than ever but the film is a little grainy. The improvement in sound however makes the movie about 70 percent better because you are feeling every punch and kick delivered. Turn up your surround system on this one! Some of those babies really feel nasty too. I was really bummed that there are no special features. I was hoping there was some behind-the-scenes footage or interviews or something but there's nothing. Damn! This is the one MA film more than any other put out in the last 25 years I would have really wanted to see information about! This is a 5 star Martial Arts film so I cant give it any less than 5 because I knew what to expect and that's what I got. no more, no less.

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