The English Patient (1996)

This rare and beautiful film, based on a book that is felt as much as read, transcends the medium to become art. Painted on a vast desert canvas with deep rich oils, its beauty is felt as much as seen. This film will find your heart and remain there forever. If love had a face, it would look like this.

Director Anthony Minghella's screenplay shifts the center of Michael Ondaatje's story slightly in order to capture on film the essence of his beautiful prose. Ondaatje's novel is one of poetic beauty, a potrait of a rose beneath the water's surface. The film brings that beautiful rose out of the water and into the sunlight. The book and the film are so deeply intertwined you can not watch this film without wanting to read the book, nor can you read the book without wanting to see the film. The story itself centers around three people either in love with, or haunted by ghosts they have loved and lost to war.

Juliette Binoche gives an Oscar winning performance as Hana, a kind nurse with a gentle spirit but a damaged heart. She latches onto the burned and charred body of a man known only as the English patient, and ends up caring for him in a shell ravaged Italian villa in Tuscany where she feeds him plums and reads to him. When a man named Caravaggio with scars of his own arrives, the mystery of who the English patient really is begins to unfold via flashbacks. In the present, Hana begins to let her heart heal when she falls in love with a Sikh who disarms bombs left by the Germans.

It is the memories of the English patient, however, which are at the heart of this film. Ralph Fiennes gives a subtle performance as the introspective Almasy, part of an international expedition mapping an unending desert with both the romance, and the danger of the sea. Kristin Scott Thomas is wonderful as Katherine Clifton, the stunningly beautiful and enigmatic wife of a fellow mapper. An instant but unspoken attraction between she and Almasy finally becomes too unbearable to ignore and the affair that holds the key to the mystery surrounding the English patient begins.

This is one of the most romantic films ever made and is filled with the joy and anguish of love and war. It shows that while war may create logistical lines that can not be crossed, the heart has no boundaries. Anyone who has ever experienced a love of such emotional intensity and physical longing that love and need became one will understand the love affair of Katherine and Almasy.

Cinematographer John Seale has given this film a grace and beauty seldom seen on film. A haunting score full of mystery and romance from Gabriel Yard accompany scenes never to be forgotten, and will not be described here in case you have not yet seen them. Director Anthony Minghella explores the mystery of the desert, and the heart, which according to the "The Histories" by Herodotus, a book the English patient clings to, is an organ of fire.

If there is but one ounce of romance in your soul, you will love "The English Patient." It is a well charted and romantic map of the human heart, as wide and treacherous as the unending desert. This will be one of your favorite films once you see it. I promise.

After the publication of Michael Ondaatje's Booker-Prize-winning "English Patient," conventional wisdom soon held that the novel, while a masterpiece of fiction, was entirely untransferable to any other medium: too intricately layered seemed its narrative structure; too significant its protagonists' inner life; too rich its symbolism. Then along came Anthony Minghella, who reportedly read it in a single sitting and was so disoriented afterwards that he didn't even remember where he was but who called producer Paul Zaentz the very next morning and talked him into bringing the novel to the screen. Two major studios and several fights over the casting of key roles later, the result were an astonishing nine Oscars (Best Picture, Director Anthony Minghella -, Supporting Actress Juliette Binoche -, Cinematography, Editing, Art Direction, Costume Design, Original Score and Sound), as well as scores of other awards.

"The English Patient" is an epic tale of love and loss; of ownership, belonging and the bars erected thereto. It unites the stories of five people: Hungarian count Laszlo de Almasy (Ralph Fiennes), mistaken as English by a British Army medical unit in Italy after professing to have forgotten his identity; Hana (Juliette Binoche), Almasy's Canadian nurse; Katherine Clifton (Kristin Scott Thomas), his erstwhile lover; Kip (Naveen Andrews), a Sikh sapper and Caravaggio (Willem Dafoe), an ex-spy and thief. All outsiders, they are struggling to come to terms with their lives: Almasy, on his deathbed, reflects back to his life as a North African explorer and his affair with Katherine; Hana believes herself cursed because everybody she cares for dies (in the movie her fiance and her best friend; in the novel her fiance, her father and her unborn baby), Katherine is taken to an all-male company of explorers in Cairo by her husband Geoffrey (Colin Firth), Kip, like Hana, is far away from home (the only Indian in an otherwise British and Italian environment) and Caravaggio lost his livelihood after his thumbs were cut off in captivity by the Germans, on a sadistic officer (Juergen Prochnow)'s orders.

Like the novel, the movie's story largely unfolds in flashbacks: After Hana convinces her superiors to let her stay and nurse Almasy in an abandoned Tuscan villa, she and new arrival Caravaggio, who holds Almasy responsible for his fate, extract the details of his life in Africa and the truth about Katherine, Geoffrey and the events uniting him with the Cliftons and Caravaggio from Almasy in a series of conversations. But at the same time, the story is anchored in the present by Hana's growing attachment to Kip, which shines a different light on the themes also driving Almasy and his relationship with Katherine. The film's outstanding cast, which in key roles also includes Julian Wadham as Almasy's friend Madox and Kevin Whately as Kip's sergeant Hardy carries the story marvelously: Probably their biggest award loss(besides Fiennes's and Scott Thomas's Oscar and other "best lead" nominations and Minghella's screenplay Oscar nomination) was the 1997 SAG ensemble award, which instead went to "The Birdcage."

In his screenplay Minghella made several changes vis-a-vis the novel; the biggest of these doubtlessly a shift in focus from Hana, Caravaggio and Kip to Almasy and Katherine, and the fact that the film is much more explicit about Almasy's identity than the novel. Both were wise choices: Hana's inner demons in the novel are largely exactly that *inner* demons, moreover, substantially grounded in the past and thus even more difficult to portray than Almasy's and Katherine's. Similarly, once the focus had moved to the latter couple, Kip's back story would have extended the movie without significantly advancing it; and the same is true for the intersections between Caravaggio's path and that of Hana's father. Secondly, mistaken *national* identity is overall more central to Almasy's character than identity as such; so the novel's intricate mystery about his persona might well have proven unnecessarily distracting in the movie's context. Indeed, once Almasy had become the story's greatest focus, much of its symbolism virtually even required that there be no real doubt about his identity.

But in all core respects, Minghella remained faithful to Ondaatje's novel; particularly regarding its profoundly impressionistic imagery, as shown, for example, in the curves formed by the Northern African desert's endless sand dunes, which in John Seale's magnificent and justly awardwinning cinematography resemble those of a woman's body as much as they do in Ondaatje's language, thus uniting Almasy's two greatest loves in a single symbol.

Doubtlessly the most important image is that of maps: Guides to unknown places like those drawn by Almasy and his friends during their explorations, but also tools of ownership like the cartography of Northern Africa made possible by Geoffrey Clifton's photos, and ultimately symbols of betrayal, as Almasy surrenders his maps to the Germans in exchange for a plane after he feels deserted by the British. And while Kip, who spends all day searching for bombs but wants to be found at night, guides Hana to himself by a series of tiny signposts in the form of oil lamps but still never tries to expect her, in order not to get too much attached to her Almasy, the perpetual loner who declares that he hates ownership more than anything else, gets so attached to Katherine that he claims her suprasternal notch as his exclusive property and later refers to her as his wife, which due to her marriage to Geoffrey she couldn't truly be in life and could only symbolically become in death. The final word on maps, belonging and ownership, however, is part of Katherine's legacy to Almasy (and I still prefer the novel's language here):

"I believe in such cartography to be marked by nature, not just label ourselves on a map like the names of rich men and women on buildings. We are communal histories, communal books. ... All I desired was to walk upon such an earth that had no maps."

Also recommended:

The English Patient

Secret Life of Laszlo Almasy

Wind, Sand and Stars

Night Flight

Anil's Ghost: A Novel

The End of the Affair

Up at the Villa

Chocolat (Miramax Collector's Series)

The Histories (Penguin Classics)

Buy The English Patient (1996) Now

I love this movie. In fact, it was the first movie I ever purchased (VHS) many moons ago. I first saw it in a theater with a hard-bitten financial-analyst friend of mine (male, straight). I'm an engineer (male, straight). We are not weepy types. We were both moved very much by this movie. I don't agree at all that this is a chick-flick.

This is a movie aimed at adults. If you want: constant action, simplistic plot, black-and-white relationships, car crashes, shoot outs (OK, it does have some crashes and shooting), then you probably want to look elsewhere. Casablanca, to which this movie has been contrasted, (though a good movie) could fall into the category of propaganda: produced during WWII, everyone conformed to the main line. Real people had real lives going on during WWII.

I find that the negative reviews of this movie fall into two categories: 1) those who are (terribly) morally offended by extra-marital affairs, and 2) those that can't follow a complex plot and set of characters. If you can see beyond those issues, and you like a good, complex tragedy, you should enjoy this movie.

This is a wonderful movie. The cinematography is gorgeous, music is fantastic, story is complex and compelling, the characters diverse and engaging. Everyone I know liked this movie a lot. Two love stories, plenty of tragedy and twists. Great actors and acting. The story is revealed slowly through flashbacks, it's a great dramatic device and works very well. I am a voracious reader and I have read the book as well: I prefer the movie (I can only say this about one other novel/movie: Dr. Zhivago). Like I said, everyone I know liked it very much. Enjoy.

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The movie is definitely one of the best movies ever made, I'd give 5 stars to it but what I'm rating here is the actual BluRay Disc.

I expected all BluRay Discs to come in the best available format to date which is 1080p/24fps, but this one comes in a lower quality format which is 1080i. Hence, I wonder, what's the purpose of buying this in BluRay Disc format? It really looks grainy, and it's unfair to a movie which won best cinematography.

The DTS sound is definitely very good.

The thing that annoys me most; is that it comes without any subtitles or any extra features at all, feels like playing a VHS.

Movies like "Coming to America" from 1988 (That's 8 years before The English Patient)has been restored in a much better glory than this one, which means it is possible to sell a better product they just didn't care to.

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I'm one of the people who was completely taken with THE ENGLISH PATIENT when I saw it in theatres, but was also amused when Elaine Benis on "Seinfeld" goofed on it later. Or, should I say, goofed on everyone who loved it.

The non-linear story structure, the superb acting, the gorgeous photography, the unfolding mystery of what happened to the doomed couple--all of it hit me just right. While other people complained at the film's slow pace, I was soaking up the period details and authentic locations. I played the soundtrack CD for months afterward (and still do sometimes), finding myself lost in the distant and sometimes-haunting music.

There were so many terrible movies in the 1990s, just mere product crafted by committee and focus groups, that the intimate--though tragic--feel of this story felt very personal and real.

You know the couple played by Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas are in BIG trouble from the moment they meet. Just watch their eyes and expressions. Allowing a passion to spread like that has major implications on everyone around them and, in this case, also has major implicactions on a world on the brink of war.

(One footnote: the church I attend put out a list of Top Ten Reasons to Boycott Disney shortly after the film came out. Perhaps scraping for a reason to fill out the list, number 10 was "Boycott Disney because it funds Miramax, which produced THE ENGLISH PATIENT, a film that glorifies adultery." Huh? How anyone can watch this film and believe that these characters, tormented by guilt and confusion, indulging in a passion that not only kills them all but also contributes to Nazi victories in Africa, completely escapes me.)

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Pasha

Jean Gabin is the hard to swallow Inspector Joss, an impenetrable and conscientious agent who is disposes by all his means to catch the intellectual author of the murder of Albert Gouvion, an profound friend of his childhood, accustomed to request favors, since the early years, and now with his death, Joss is disposed to take his own personal revenge.

So he begins to establish the frequented places, his friend used to visit and so he meets Natalie, an alluring girl, whom his friend loved profoundly. So with her consent, he will plot a very clever plan which allows him to set up the criminal, avoiding the well known legal entanglements, that would let to set him free.

The smart script and the powerful presence of this legendary actor justifies plainly you to have it.

Don't miss one of the most forgotten and important French thrillers in this second half of the sixties.

Jean Gabin in his perfect 'blasé' police chief role, surrounded by a great set of actors in a very fun story.

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Behind the apparently meaningless title of Georges Lautner's Le Pacha (it roughly translates as the guv'nor) is a very decent 1968 thriller that marks the beginning of the end of the old school policier. Jean Gabin's the old school cop nearing retirement they've already written the speeches and ordered his cake who's investigating an armoured car robbery and tracking down the gang member who has killed all his partners and everyone else on the inside on the job, including Gabin's childhood friend on the force. Less than enthused by the possibility of the killer getting off on a technicality or pleading insanity and on the assumption that the worst his superiors can do to him this late in his career is take away his cake, he decides to set him up for a more permanent sentence at the hands of a rival gang...

Running a lean 85 minutes, it's a well crafted number that hits all the expected notes quite satisfactorily without ever running the risk of being a classic, with Gabin a little bit more animated than usual for this late stage in his career at times perhaps a little too animated when he overdoes the bulging eyes. He's the kind of cop who's running out of people to share childhood memories with and almost bemused by modern fads, particularly when interviewing suspects in an outrageous hippie nightclub (the film's trailer includes a great unused take of a dancer mussing up his hair that makes the take used in the film of him steering a wide berth of the gyrating loon even funnier). Like its star, the film is also stuck in mid-winter, using its snowy Christmas locales much more effectively in its setpieces than some of the interiors (the police station in particular looks like a 60s TV studio).

At the times the transitional nature of the film from old to new French cinema is a bit clumsy, not least the terrible backprojection in a few of the car scenes with Gabin, but they're more niggles than real problems. Lautner's handling of the opening robbery is excellent, as is Andre Pousse's stone-cold elimination of the hired help, stopping only briefly after one murder to check his horse racing bets on the TV and throwing in a neat spin on the getting-rid-of-the-car scene from Psycho with Brigitte Bardot singing Harley Davidson on the car radio. There's also an effective score by Serge Gainsbourg, who also makes a brief appearance (one of his backing musicians is also a small time crook and informant): at times it's the kind of gradual monotonous escalation that would probably be infuriating on a record but compliments the film surprisingly well. Gaumont's region-free French Blu-ray offers excellent picture quality with optional English subtitles and a generous helping of extras documentary with many of the key players and extensive archive interviews with Gabin, interview with Gabin biographer André Brunelin, audio commentary by Lautner and Olivier Marchal and trailer though sadly none of these are subtitled in English.

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Billy Madison (1995)

I've read every review of this movie quite thoroughly and I've noticed a common thread in each and every "bad" review given. All of Billy Madison's detractors say that the movie is stupid and childish. I suggest that these people stick to their "The English Patient", and leave this wonderful film alone. The movie's 'stupidity' as critics call it, is actually the essence of it's true genius. Billy Madison is ridiculous, illogical, and downright bizarre, but it is these elements that make this movie the most entertaining film I have ever seen. Sure, there are great, epic, emotional dramas that have the power to move you to tears, and these are exceptional films. Films can also be fun however, and Billy Madison is the most fun you will ever have from simply watching a movie. Doesn't this also make a film great? Why do critics always dismiss films such as these as "immature"? Billy Madison won't make you cry, but Gone With the Wind sure isn't gonna make you laugh either. Both emotions are important, and a film that makes you laugh uncontrollably (which I guarantee this film will) is just as effective as one that makes you weep, or feel warm and fuzzy inside. As far as Sandler's acting chops are concerned, he certainly wouldn't be considered a 'thespian', but his natural appeal is so exceptionally strong that it can carry a movie he is just that likeable. The man speaks pure gibberish and I laugh my fool head off, this is a talent that no other actor can match. I don't recommend that you see Billy Madison, I insist that you buy it, right now, from Amazon.com. The American Film Institute declared Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" as the greatest film of all time? Just one question: where is the imaginary penguin, Mr. Welles? Where is the imaginary penguin? Peace, I'm outta here!

This is still my favorite of all of Adam Sandler's filmefforts. WHY, you ask? Because of it's LACK of a script. This moviedoesn't even try to create substance, character or plot! All it is, is Adam Sandler acting so lovably loopy that you can't help but crack a smile or let out a large guffaw. Sandler's other films (that I DIDN'T like) like "The Waterboy" and "Big Daddy" tried to be sort of serious in some parts and tried to be witty when in fact it wasn't.

"Billy Madison" is all about STUPIDITY. Heck, it's about a 28 year old guy going through grade school! Whatta ya expect, ya know! There are classically hysterical moments:

"O'Doyle rules! " "Shampoo is better! I help clean the hair! Conditioner is better! I make the hair silky and smooth! Oh, really fool! Really! . . .Stop looking at me swan." "No, I will not make out with you! "

And of course, who could forget Steve Buscemi putting on lipstick? Or the late great Chris Farley making out with a penguin. Or those stupid graduation parties! It's so stupid but sooooo funny for some reason. Watch this comedy today. END

Buy Billy Madison (1995) Now

This movie is like -soo riotously funny. No bearing on relity, but you'll laugh your splitting sides off! See Adam Sandler before he became so well known. His comic genius was already showing big time. As an heir with whacky friends, he has to repeat all grades of school in just a few weeks to convince his dad that he's worthy of his inheritance. And he has a riotous good time in the process. He meets a teacher, Veronica Vaughan, played by Bridgette Wilson. This is her only lead role I know of -she's such an underrated actress who should have gone big places. See this underrated gem of a comedy!

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Is there a point to this story? No. Do you care? No. This is, in my humble opinion, Adam Sandler's best movie.

Adam(Billy Madison) plays a drunk, lazy, party going imbecile. His father is the proud owner of a big hotel chain. Billy wants nothing more than to take over this chain of hotels from his father. In order to do so he must graduate grades 1-12 in two weeks. He falls for his third grade teacher Veronica Vaughn. He actually has one of his third grade classmates call up his teacher to see if she likes anyone. That in itself is funny as I'm sure all of us guys and gals have had one of our friends call up someone we had a crush on to see if they liked us when we were younger. Billy, however is 28 years old.

Anyway, Billy Madison isn't for everybody. If you want a rich plot or great acting this is definitely not for you. This movie is for any Adam Sandler fan. It's that stupid, stupid humor that can make anyone crack a smile. If you want a movie to make you laugh see Billy Madison.

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Billy Madison is the most hilariously inane character that Adam Sandler has portrayed, and while I don't consider this one of Sandler's best movies, it is easily one of his funniest. A lot of the comedy seems to have come directly from the set of Saturday Night Live; it was funny there, and it is funny here. Even a few SNL buddies, namely Norm MacDonald and the late Chris Farley, turn up to revel in the infectiously entertaining silliness. Sandler plays Billy Madison (of course), the son of a filthy rich hotel magnate. He spends all of his time lazing around the pool, drinking copious amounts of alcohol, and pawing over nudie mags; his only hobby seems to be lighting bags of poo on fire on the front porch of people he doesn't particularly like. Even after his infantile behavior at a big business meeting, he is shocked to hear his father say he is giving the company to a particularly annoying executive rather than turning it over to him. He swears he will do anything, even go back to school and actually earn the diploma his father bought for him, to make his father change his mind. Monday morning finds him camped out in a first grade classroom, where he actually fits in pretty well. Every two weeks, he is tested and bumped up another grade. Billy really enjoys his time in third grade because he makes some good friends among the children and laps the elixir of knowledge from the fountain of the gorgeous Veronica Vaughn (Bridgette Wilson). As time goes by, Eric starts sweating and sets Billy up for a fall. Only the disciplinarian love of Veronica and the support of his new childhood friends can pick Billy up and get him back in the game.

I think Sandler is a comic genius, and few comedians could make such a silly, silly movie a real success. I mean, Billy does things like chase imaginary giant penguins around the house; that kind of thing just doesn't fly with any other actors. I should point out that there is actually a strong human element to this story as it progresses, though. Once all the alcohol is out of his bloodstream, Billy is a nice, good-hearted fellow, and the reliving of his old school days makes a profound impact on his character. I'm still not exactly sure what Veronica sees in him, but true success pretty much requires a good-looking woman to be there to kiss you at the end. Perhaps I should just say a final word to the parents of teenaged boys: while this movie does provide a strategy guaranteed to make any young man study his heart out, it is probably not something you will want to sanction in your own family life.

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Super Troopers (2001)

In classic, Animal House style, this movie about a squad of bizarre state highway troopers is sure to entertain. While it appears to be what some may call "frat boy" humor, I find that many different kinds of people with a good sense of humor can enjoy this film.

Super Troopers is about a group of Vermont State Troopers, led by Capt. John O'Hagen (Brian Cox) whose department is in danger of shutting down. The governor (Lynda Carter) doesn't have a big budget to spend on police work, and the more professional local cops, lead by Chief Bruce Grady (Daniel von Bargen), are the more likely candidates to get the money in the upcoming budget overhaul. And, to the casual observor, it would be the right choice. The state cops have a tendancy to play games with the people they pull over; one game involves one cop repeating everything his partner says, while another has one of the troopers saying "meow" instead of "now" in an attempt to drive the pulled-over motorist crazy. And when dealing with stoned teens, they really have a blast. While officers Ramathorne (Jay Chandrasekhar), Foster (Paul Soter), Mac (Steve Lemme), and "Rabbit" Roto (Erik Stolhanske) do everything in good humor, the force's black sheep, Officer Rodney Farva (Kevin Heffernan) tends to go too far and get himself suspended and give the department a bad name (he jumped a fast food clerk for messing with him).

But when a murder on the highway is connected with a drug ring, the Super Troopers find a way to redeem themselves and get back in the governor's good gracesas long as the meddling local cops don't solve the case first.

This film is hilarious. While most of the humor is pretty "dumb", there are a few intelligent things here and there, but it is the sheer wackiness of it all that makes it great. The romance between Foster and local cop Ursula Hanson (Marisa Coughlan) is great, especially the prank call sequence. Although, for people who aren't into crude humor, this won't be your kind of movie. There is a lot of drug-based humor, some nudity, and gratuitous use of the f-word. If you can get past that, I highly reccomend this movie.

If you have a sick sense of humor like me, you'll definitely appreciate Super Troopers. It's a very off-beat and funny little movie that shows us into the lives of a state trooper's department somewhere in Vermont. To protect and serve has no meaning here...it's about making us laugh. The plot is about this department trying to save themselves from being shut down due to budget constraints. They desperately need to prove that they are still needed so they don't lose their jobs. So they write lots of speeding tickets, but a drug bust could be their ticket to job salvation. However when you go along for the ride with these troopers, you're in for much more than car chases (yes, you get those too). You get stoned college kids (and I won't ruin it by detailing more...awesome), the repeater, meows, speeding Porsches, syrup chugging, and a ton of wacky little pranks along the way. I could go on all day about Super Troopers but I feel it's a total disservice to someone who has never seen it. I absolutely love this movie and recommend it to anyone who needs a little more silliness in their lives, who loves to laugh and who wants a different comedy than the mainstream things you typically see mass produced by Hollywood where they practically beg of you to find things funny. Super Troopers is just one of those movies I wish they made more of. Enjoy!

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Super Troopers is a great movie and I would have purchased it on blu-ray regardless of any bonus features. However, I must say I am very disappointed with the game Stupor Troopers. The trivia pops up at random with white text on a bright yellow background, making it almost impossible to read. Also, selecting the answers to the pop up trivia is difficult, but I am using a PS3, not a traditional blu-ray player for what it's worth. Another issue I have is that if you choose to play the game and want to leave the movie, there is no way to jump back in where you left off. I was 45 minutes into the movie, and tried to come back to it later, but I could not resume where I left off, so the rest of the game was ruined for me.

Overall, the film looks great on blu-ray, from every mustache close up to syrup chug. Regardless of my problems with the bonus features, this is a must own for any fan of Broken Lizard and particularly Super Troopers.

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This movie is about a group of State Highway Patrol Troopers in Vermont who are in a constant struggle with the local cops to keep their job because the station might be closed soon.

To keep patrolling interesting they do stupid pranks as asking the same question over and over again, saying meow in every sentence and two cops repeating each other.

The pranks are stupid but also very funny. The opening scene might be the best when they pull over three kids smoking pot. I have a feeling the movie is also better when you do that.

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Super Troopers presents itself as an odd goofball comedy that has only one real purposeto make you laugh. Thankfully, the movie fulfills this promise, and how.

Generally, movies scripted by comedy troupes can be trusted to entertain. A look at Monty Python and the Holy Grail or the Kids in the Hall's Brain Candy should validate this point. Broken Lizard (the fledgling troupe behind Super Troopers) continue this tradition of hilarious skits centered around a simple plot.

The basic premise of the film involves Vermont Highway Patrol troopers who, due to the lack of crime, find creative ways of alleviating their boredommainly, messing with pulled-over drivers (such as the should-be-famous "meow" scene) and brawling with the local police force.

The jokes constantly remain fresh, and the film even manages to defy the greatest of comedy film curses by never getting boring. Super Troopers is also loaded with some great gags and one-liners not appropriate enough for advertising. (Such as any scene involving the Germans, each one of them greatly funny.)

The DVD is, while not great, definately good. A substantial amount of extras are included containing several extended scenes, and alternate ending, outtakes, trailers, and shameless promotions. (The outtakes aren't what you think they are, and, I'll admit, are a little boring, but stick through it because the Farva Puking segment is priceless.)

Also included are two commentary tracks featuring members of Broken Lizard, the standard scene selections, and some rather impressive menus. (On the main menu, just watch for 30-40 seconds for the butterflyyou'll thank me.)

To sum up, Super Troopers is exactly what it tries to show itself asnothing groundbreaking or innovational, but still an incredibly smart, and most importantly, fun comedy.

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Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 DREAMLINER (2013)

Not just the first 787 video in the Just Planes arsenal, one of the best videos there as well. Start with being 4:30 in length, with some filler, but not enough to become boring. Well spoken captains whose explanations are clear and thorough. Some excellent scenery, though a lot of cloud cover (it being near the equator and all) sometimes blocks the view of Africa.

While I would have been happier with a larger number of takeoffs and landings, we get enough, and from various angles of cockpit and external. There are fairly long stretches from different views, though Just Planes really needs to stop making a "movie" and just give us the video and let us choose the angle. For example, we do get lengthy external views on landing (not takeoff), but they sometimes jump 10 miles for no apparent reason, and we get African music, and creepy classical music, and no real sound at all, instead of ATC in the backgrounds. Just once, Just Planes, I'd like a flight with the first and last 15 minutes in cockpit with no interruptions, and the same 15 in the external view with no interruptions, both with the pilot and ATC communication.

That said, Ethiopian cross trains pilots to fly both the 777 and 787, and we see how the 787 cockpit can be configured to essentially mimic the 777 cockpit, but also can he heavily customized if the pilot prefers. We see many of the physical changes in the aircraft that makes it a new generation. We also learn a lot about how the aircraft uses electrical systems in place of hydraulic or mechanical systems for many functions, ironic as the aircraft is grounded at the time I write this because of battery issues.

All in all, well worth the time and money, a fine addition to the Blu-Ray library from Just Planes.

The Passion of the Christ (Definitive Edition) (2004)

One of the most talked about films in decades; thought I would add my 2 cents as a late entry.

I think the root controversy about the film has to do with the question of whether or not it has artistic merit for a viewer without faith. I think this is a fair question, as I never really understood the idea that religion offers, so to speak, an excuse for ugly artwork. Arguably there is no such excuse, unless one of the points of religious art is to repel people who don't already share the faith.

The film has been labeled violent, which it is; but unfair here has been the label that it is in some sense unusually violent. It is not. There are hundreds of films that are far more violent. Perhaps this film is even less violent than average. It is perhaps even less violent than the blockbuster version of Gandhi of some years back, billing Candice Bergen and Ben Kingsley, of which the Passion has reminded me somewhat; at any rate they are at least in the same ball park. Rather, the distinctive mark of the Passion is that it invites us to keep the humanity of the victim of violence in full view; not to distance ourselves by, say, feeling contempt or anger towards the victim as a bump-off-able bad guy, or seeing the victim as a replaceable curiosity, a dispensable nitwit. In the Gandhi movie, for example, the majority of the acts of violence are against victims who are more or less, cinematically speaking, dispensable nitwits. All we see Gandhi suffer is being shot at the end (and even that, at the beginning also, setting up a flashback)-and a few blows to the head (from which he recovers).

Yet the character to suffer the violence in this film is not only the main character, it is a character who is anything but a dispensable nitwit. He is unambiguously portrayed as is in the Gospels--a perfect human being-and more: a Divine Person. No doubt faith is helpful here, but if the viewer can so much as entertain the premise as a possibility, then I would say that the movie is as beautiful as it is emotionally powerful. Yet even apart from that premise, the film also powerfully portrays deep love and friendships between human beings, which has surely a beauty of its own even under heart wrenching circumstances. Moreover, in what is surely one of, if not the most violent sequences in the film-the scourging (the soldiers carrying out the order, one in particular, wind up going over the top in enthusiasm)-we only see the victim about half the time; the rest of the time we see shots of peoples' faces, notably his friends, mostly of the face of his mother. The film does show us the anatomical side of the violence enough so that we really understand what is happening-but no more; the point is what it MEANS for it to be happening. In this film suffering is given a human face.

It is quite a unique experience. First, breaking out of the package of being "mere cinema," there are two points of honesty of the film even apart from any faith claim. (1) by all serious accounts, Jesus of Nazareth was at the least an exceptional human being; yet death by crucifixion was no walk in the park. (2) by all serious reflections, in one way or another-regardless of how you slice it (whether from the point of view of any religion or from the point of view of atheism)-humanity really hasn't treated God any better than the main character gets treated in this film. This is a film which portrays God as staying with humanity despite the way it has treated him (and the way human beings have treated each other). The violence is not for it own sake; still less is it for the sake either of sadism--or of a narrator stepping off the screen to address the audience with guilt trips (shaming and flagellating the viewer)--; it is for the sake of thoughtfully presenting this possibility in an artistic way. Second, rather that allowing the audience the space to distance themselves from characters undergoing violence, this film actually does the opposite: it prods the audience to see NONE of the characters as dispensable nitwits, not even those who are committing the violence. The anti-Semitism charge is simply a non-sequitur. It's not anti-anybody.

The film visually portrays what I have described without being artificial or saccharine, invoking a remarkable depth for symbolism and a good sense of timing; it plainly succeeds in telling a story blending sight and sound. I will give two examples which I found especially powerful; they are even related. One is where the film shifts back and forth from shots of the feet of the roman soldiers standing in pools of his blood as they scourge him, to shots of the feet of the Apostles as he was symbolically washing them. The other is a subtle, nonverbal portrayal of the conversion of a roman soldier which spans in a sense the entire film. This conversion story is visually framed from the film's opening scenes when a temple guard has his ear miraculously restored after it is sliced off in a struggle by one of the Apostles. The guard remains for some time on his knees, as if so overcome by the experience he cannot move. The roman solider to be converted is subtly introduced in the next scenes (he is one of the soldiers Mary Magdalene complains to about the arrest), but we see him from time to time throughout the movie, witnessing and being influenced by various events; in a final scene, blood and water falls upon his eyes, flowing from the side of the deceased victim that he pierces with a lance (though first non-verbally apologizing to the mother; he does it merely to confirm he is dead), and he falls to his knees in a way which resonates with the action of the temple guard. The temple guard, so to speak, had his hearing restored; the roman soldier, so to speak, his sight. On the side of deep friendships, notable are the relationships between Jesus, his mother, Mary Magdalene and the youngest Apostle, John. One moment uniting this dimension to the above examples is when John stumbles and falls on his knees before the two Marys (running to them to tell them of Jesus' arrest)-to be followed by John later seeing Mary's agony as she watches her son fall to his knees as he carries the cross. The kneeling image in general is itself also framed by beautiful opening and closing scenes invoking a folding together of earth and sky (the first providing the backdrop of Jesus falling to his knees in his agony in the garden; the second entailing powerful from-the-ground-up and from-the-sky-down shots of the moment of his death on the cross). Here resonating throughout is the film's awesome musical score. I would add that the use of Aramaic in the film punctuated with subtitles was nothing less than masterful; I am not even aware of the film being in a "foreign language."

Acting was good but special mention needs to go to Maia Morgenstern, who played the mother. In interviews she said she played the character from the point of view of a mother who loved her son; the result is one of the most moving and beautiful character portrayals in all of cinema.

If you are looking for popcorn-eating entertainment, this is not the film to watch. (Even during gladiatorial times at the Colosseum this movie would have gotten thumbs down.) But if you are in the mood for a thought-provoking treatment of religious themes in a serious, sensitive and artistic way, then by all means see the film.

*Note: This review is not based on the Definitive Edition (or its commentary).

When you start the movie you have the hype that has surrounded it. At the end you have the feeling that this individual loved, believed, and gave everything for his beliefs. You understand that the Jews of that society show they were like us today where a few acted as if they were the voice of the many. It is a movie that pulls at the fabric of your understanding of this horrible and painful death allowing you to understand it and what it must have been like.

In summary it is a movie that made me reflect. It made me sad, and based on my beliefs made me proud that this individual cared for me and gave his life to set me free. It was a well done and flowed well from beginning to end. It built on itself the way a great movie should. The editing and story through the lens was exceptional. It was a great technical movie regardless of beliefs.

Buy The Passion of the Christ (Definitive Edition) (2004) Now

I purchased this version after I saw it in the store the week it came out. I already owned the original DVD release, but I heard this had lots of special features and the re-cut version. Therefore I purchased this edition. However, I was a bit disappointed.

I really enjoyed the movie in the theater. It tells the story of the last 12 hours of the life of christ. It was very gory and I wouldn't want to show it to children. However, for older people (12 yrs. and up)this does a good job of depicting the trials and tribulations of Christ's crucifiction.

My biggest complaint about this movie was the subtitles. However, if you are familiar with the Biblical story, you can pretty much ignore the dialogue and focus on the picture.

Now for this "Definitive Edition" Special feature wise this is a great edition to have. It has loads of extra features.

My biggest complaint about this edition was that if you are a person like me who sometimes has to take several different times (starting and stopping) to watch a movie in it's entirety, the chapter selections are a wonderful thing. You can stop where you need to and start back just by selecting the scene you were on. However, with the definitive edition the scene selection is done with approximately 10 chapters. The chapters are set up to coincide with the "stations of the cross." Although a good idea if you are Catholic and want to see those stages but for a normal viewer of this movie it was terribly frustrating. The first chapter runs for over an hour. I usually don't have that long to watch so I have to start all over each time and use fast forward to get to where I was. It was just very irritating.

I really liked the fact that they included the re-cut version of the film as well as the original. If you are unfamiliar with the re-cut version, it essentially is a "less graphic" version of the film (although it is still very violent). This version may be better for a church library or a family with younger children.

If you like special features and want the less gory version of the Passion then by all means purchase this edition. However, if you prefer to be able to stop and start or jump to a certain scene of the movie then go with the original release (it has approx. 32 scene chapters).

Read Best Reviews of The Passion of the Christ (Definitive Edition) (2004) Here

First of all, let me start this effort by saying how amazed I was by the movie, and by its sheer emotional power. It is superbly shot, the cinematography literally breath-taking in its intensity and ability to add muscular heft to the familiar story of how Jesus came to fulfill the prophecy through his divine sacrifice on behalf of all mankind. The movie-goer is sure to be transformed by the magnitude of the oft-told and retold tale of how the events of the final twelve hours focused on the ways in which Jesus deliberately serves himself up as the sacrificial lamb for the manifest sins of the world, offering all humans the opportunity to re-establish their contact with the divine from whom they had been estranged.

Indeed, I found myself almost speechless after viewing the film, and was not quite sure to what extent it was a result of the power of the film's message as opposed to the graphically violent context in which the tale is told. Herein lies the single criticism one can level against the film, which despite many worries from bystanders that it was laced with virulent anti-Semitism, seems to clearly blame all sinners (ergo, all of us) for the sacrifice of God's son on the cross. Yet Mel Gibson's sure hand is both able and accurate, and the violence shows how carnal man greets the divine, and how we react to the message of hope and salvation; through unspeakable cruelty and gratuitous violence. So, while this is indeed a very violent movie, the murderous acts depicted quite graphically have to be taken in the context of the supernatural events transpiring, as a kind of carnal counterpoint to the ethereal repose with which Jesus bears all of the acts visited upon him. At one point He tells Mary (After he has stumbled under the burden of the cross) "Behold, mother, I make all thing anew!" This was, for me at least, a quite stunning reminder of the godly forces at work amidst all the violence and carnage.

This is a very personal interpretation of the final twelve hours of Christ's life on earth leading to His crucifixition. From the moment it opens in the solitude of the Garden at Gethsemane, one is immediately aware of the battle ongoing between good and evil, as the devil (cleverly presented as a stunning if malevolent woman with a masculine voice) attempts to dissuade Jesus from attempting what he about to undertake. From this it is obvious He is doing this for all mankind, Jews and Gentiles alike, and that we are all to blame, through our unremitting addiction to carnality and sinfulness, for the evil manifested in the world. This is a fantastic film, one that is definitely not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, and definitely not something I would suggest subjecting a child to. Still, it is a remarkable work, and one that deserves the very wide distribution it is about to encounter.

Want The Passion of the Christ (Definitive Edition) (2004) Discount?

Let me preface this by saying that I am not the most religious person out there. I actually went with the intention of being thoroughly disappointed and wanting my money back. HOWEVER, this is an artistic masterpiece. Regardless of your religious preferences, you should see this movie. Gibson relates the 12 hours leading to the death of Christ in a series of flashbacks, beatings, and stunning cinematography. His choice of doing this movie in Latin and Aramaic was correct; it would not be nearly as powerful if performed in English. The lead actor has little match with the intensity that his eyes convey. Gibson also adds nuances and flourishes to the story (the Satan character and the demons that hound Judas) that add so much to this movie.

A lot has been written concerning the anti-semitism this movie conveys, and I'd strongly recommend that you see the movie and reserve your opinions on that until you've actually seen the movie. I don't really blame the Jews for the crucifiction, and I think Gibson utilizes the mob as a tool of Satan, and that really shows in the movie. Also, the gore is definitely present, and you should not see this if you have a weak stomach. However, it is dispersed throughout the movie, and after that first horrible whipping, you don't notice it as much. I definitely think that everyone should see this once. I don't think it has much repeat viewing value, as I was thoroughly impressed with it, but like a Schindler's List, have no desire to see it again.

But definitely worth the price of admission. Definitely.

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Magpul Dynamics™ The Art of the Dynamic Handgun, Blu-Ray Disc Set (HD)

Lots of material but a little less than expected (I had high expectations). Tons of information. Taught in a simple way for all skill levels and nearly all hand guns types were covered. This is a great product for anyone who wants to learn how to shoot all the way up to those whom merely need a little honing. This product covers defensive and tactical shooting they don't cover any competition style shooting which they never aimed to do.

Desiree (1954)

Although there are some historical inaccuracies [Napoleon did not surrender his sword to Desiree, and some other small "enhancements"], and Jean Simmons is something of a drawback to the film, it's definitely worth watching. Marlon Brando's performance manages to capture the historical idea of Napoleon very wellthe great intensity of his personality, the underlying brilliance and insatiable ambition. Napoleon is both repellent and fascinating at the same time. One can understand how, at his best, he hypnotized almost the whole of Europe. But he is perfidious also, dismissive of the death and destruction he caused on his way to accomplish his aims. Really, the character of Napoleon and Marlon Brando's rendition of it is the only reason to watch this film. Jean Simmons' Desiree is lovely and winsome, but kind of vapid. One wonders what Napoleon and Bernadotte saw in her. Michael Rennie's performance is very good in his role as Bernadotte, and he is not overshadowed at all by the strength of Brando's performance. His scenes with Napoleon are wonderful. Until something better comes along [unlikely...] this is the one to watch for a period piece about Napoleon.

Having read some of the other reviews of this movie I felt compelled to submit my own. I have long been fascinated by Napoleon and I have read and watched just about everything on his life that I can get my hands on. I found Brando's portrayal of Napoleon subtle and powerful. After having seen at least a half dozen different actors play Napoleon in various movies, Brando's has always stood head and shoulders above the rest to me. The story is not entirely accurate, but all the main elements of the story are pretty close (except Napoleon surrendering his sword to Desiree). The costumes and sets are outstanding in a way that seems to be captured only in old movies. This is not an in-depth analysis of Napoleon's life, rather, it focuses on Desiree, a one-time fiance of Napoleon. While that story is interesting, I find myself waiting for the next Brando scene. Brando does a magnificent job capturing the eneregy and confidence of the young Napoleon, and the fatigue and desperation of the defeated Napoleon. Brando's scene when he considers Bernadotte's request to renounce his French citizenship is brilliant. The movie is almost worth this scene alone.

Buy Desiree (1954) Now

NOTE: this is a review of the DVD, not of the film Desiree itself. As a Brando enthusiast, I was desperate to get my hands on this. I coughed up the cost for it because I had been trying to track it down for years. It ended up being obscenely expensive, especially once the shipping came into play. I'm glad that I got the opportunity to see the film, but this is a very bad transfer. The aspect ratio is distorted, the audio track is muddled and the colors are muted and washed out. If you're a big enough Brando fan, you might want to pick this up out of desperation. Otherwise, I'd recommend looking for other alternatives.

Read Best Reviews of Desiree (1954) Here

I don't know why this movie is not more famous. The scenery and costumes are beautiful, and the acting is superb. I have never liked Marlon Brando, but he is excellent in this movie, as is Jean Simmons. Michael Rennie, somewhat forgotten nowadays, is good as well. The ending, although not historically accurate, always brings tears to my eyes. Great movie.

Want Desiree (1954) Discount?

This is my favorite Brando film and basically my favorite movie. The depiction of Napoleon by Brando was excellent. I had read the book Desiree prior to seeing the movie, and felt that the movie was true to the book. It is a very romantic depiction of Napoleon and Desiree, and shows a very interesting side of Napoleon. I recently returned from France and vividly remembered Napoleon as depicted by Brando where ever I ventured.

G-Force (2009)

Didn't see this on the product listing.

All details are according to Disney's official website for this DVD.

1-Disc DVD

*bare bones, movie only

2-Disc DVD

BONUS FEATURES:

* G-Farce Bloopers And Flubs

* Deleted Scenes

* Exciting Music Videos

-"Jump" By Flo Rida Featuring Nelly Furtado

--"Ready To Rock" By Steve Rushton

--"Go G-Force"

* Blaster's Boot Camp -High-Tech G-Force Training

* G-Force Mastermind -Producer Jerry Bruckheimer And CG whiz/Director Hoyt Yeatman Reveal The Inspiration Behind The Movie

* DisneyFile Digital Copy -Watch Your DVD In The Living Room And Your DisneyFile Digital Copy On The Go!

3-Disc Blu-ray + DVD

* Exclusive To Disney Blu-ray

-Cine-Explore With Darwin, Blaster & Their Creator

-Bruckheimer Animated: A Look Back At His CG Work

-Access Granted: Inside The Animation Lab

* G-Farce -Bloopers And Flubs

* Deleted Scenes

* Exciting Music Videos

-"Jump" By Flo Rida Featuring Nelly Furtado

--"Ready To Rock" By Steve Rushton

--"Go G-Force"

* Blaster's Boot Camp -High-Tech G-Force Training

* G-Force Mastermind -Inspiration Behind The Movie

* DVD Of Film

It is my prediction--but what do I know?--that "G-Force" will NOT win an Oscar for Best Picture. It may not even pack 'em in the theaters the way "Cars" did. What it will do is entertain children--AND adults--and even teach a lesson or two.

It is a summer ritual that I take my great-nieces (2) and -nephew to see a movie at the theater. We all chose "G-Force" because of television ads. Prior to going, Carolina (age 5) went up to everyone she knew and quoted--with great voice intonation and perfect facial expressions--this line from the movie: "You put a bow on me, you lose a finger!" After we saw the movie Carolina added the second line: "You put a dress on me and you lose the whole hand!"

It won't be a bad spoiler, will it, if I say that not only does this character get a bow and a dress, but she gets lipstick as well! That's the final insult, but Juarez (the character), must play along to win her freedom.

And that's one vital point of the plot: Win their freedom. They've been sold as pets! Blaster and Juarez, guinea pigs--make that scientifically and genetically altered guinea pigs--are actually government agents trained by Ben (a human) to use sophisticated weapons to obtain secrets for the government. In short, they are spies with special talents.

Although the plot is fun and perhaps a little scary for wee ones (not my 5-year-old Carolina), the older crowd (5 and older) seemed to really enjoy the movie. Obviously, the humor is meant for all ages because I heard myself laughing--out loud (I'm grandparent age)! Even Carolina kept whispering, "This is awesome!"

Of course, Colby (the 9-year-old) loved Blaster. He always loves the "goofy" ones (because he considers himself a "goofy" one). Tracy Morgan wonderfully delivers this voice--and sometimes steals the scene. The main character, Darwin, the capable leader, is narrated by Sam Rockwell, and is deliberate, yet carefully heroic.

In fact, I was sure Nicholas Cage voices Darwin, but no, Nick plays the mole, the brilliant technology character. Who would have thought it?

But the real surprise is Juarez, voiced by Penelope Cruz! Juarez was my particular favorite, who plays the keep-'em-guessing governmental agent with exactly the right tempo--a little mild flirting, but focused concentration on the job at hand. It is this character with the "lose a finger" line. Delivered perfectly! Juarez is totally delightful!

However, the best thing about "G-Force" is the message. Bottom line: Everyone is special. Everyone has talents. It sometimes takes a skilled person to instill that self-confidence and bring out those talents. The scientist Sam is the one in the film. In "ordinary" life (there is much talk of being ordinary), it is often teachers who bring out these talents. It was a good lesson.

One neg about the movie: The poster accompanying this review is a very weak choice for advertisement (that little blue one next to the reviews). When the picture is small, the front guinea pig (Darwin) looks like an elephant or perhaps a Jewish man from the Old Testament. I know the poster depicts a brave scene, but I suggest replacing it with one of color that shows the courage and derring-do of these wonderful guinea pigs.

Note: Parents, please don't buy your child a guinea pig just because they are so cute in this film. Animal activists are worried about this. You know, the-bunny-and-chicks-at-Easter syndrome.)

You might also rethink your kitchen appliances! If you ask why, you might lose a finger...or a hand...or worse!

Buy G-Force (2009) Now

I thought this was a really good and very funny movie! I thought the guinea pigs were cute. This movie is filled to the brim with action, suspense, and comedy! A team of super intelligent guinea pigs named Darwin, Juarez, Blaster, and Speckles infiltrate the residence of Leonard Saber, who has been under FBI investigation for years. Saber has a sinister scheme that is set to occur in 29 hours. When the G-Force are shut down by the FBI, they must band together to stop Saber by any means necessary. When the evil plot happens, the gang must stop an unlikely villain who has betrayed them. Will G-Force save the world? I highly recommend G-FORCE!!!

Read Best Reviews of G-Force (2009) Here

What happens when you take a secret government program of trained animals and combine them with the latest in high-tech spy equipment? The result is G-FORCE.

The film became the first 3D film on the big screen by producer Jerry Bruckheimer ("National Treasure" films, "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, "The Rock, "Con Air" and "Top Gun") who teams up once again with Academy Award-winning visual effects master Hoyt H. Yeatman ("The Abyss", "Mighty Joe Young", "The Rock" and "Con Air") who directs the film.

The film about animals saving the world didn't go to well with the critics but at the box office, "G-Force" was quite successful as the film which was budgeted at $82.5 million made over $281 million worldwide.

Featuring an all-star cast, "G-FORCE" revolves around a secret US Government program using guinea pigs Darwin (voice by Sam Rockwell) as the squad leader, Blaster (voice of Tracy Morgan) as the outrageous weapons expert with attitude and Juarez (voice of Penélope Cruz) as the sexy martial arts pro and taking part in top secret espionage missions.

Joining the guinea pigs is star-nosed mole, Speckles (voice of Nicolas Cage), the computer and information specialist, the computer and information specialist and Mooch, the reconnaissance expert. Also, featuring pet shop layabout Hurley (voice by Jon Favreau) and territorial hamster Bucky (voice of Steve Buscemi).

The film also stars Bill Nighy as the sinister industrialist Leonard Saber, Will Arnett as Special Agent Kip Killian who is bent on shutting down G-FORCE, Zach Galifianakis as the creator and father figure of G-FORCE, Kelli Garner as the team's veterinarian and many more.

The "G-Force" Blu-ray release comes with the Blu-ray, a DVD and a digital copy.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"G-Force" is featured in 1080p High Definition (2:40:1). The actual merging of CG animation and real characters actually works extremely well for this film. Sony Pictures ImageWorks did a wonderful job on the CG and special effects. A lot of good ideas were implemented in the film in terms of the animation of the G-Force team. Especially hair effects as you can see the detail of the animals when they are wet or dry. As usual with Disney releases on Blu-ray, picture quality is fantastic. Along with the details of the G-Force team, their surroundings are detailed and when outdoors, the colors are vibrant. Blacks are nice and deep and I spotted no problems with artifacting, banding at all.

Audio is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD (48 kHz/24-bit) and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. Lossless audio is actually pretty well done. Good utilization of the rear channels for the action scenes, as explosions and glass shattering comes out quite clear from the surround channels. "G-Force" tends to use quite a bit of music from the Black Eyed Peas, Lady GaGa and Flo Rida, so the music is quite clear and contains quite a bit of bass. Subwoofer tends to utilize the bass of the music quite a bit. But overall, a solid lossless audio track.

As for the voice acting, I felt the talent did a good job. Nicolas Cage really surprised me with his squeaky, nerdy voice for tech master Speckles. Penelope Cruz as the voice of female guinea pig Juarez worked quite well. Although, Tracy Morgan sounds like Tracy Morgan but overall, the voice talent did a good job.

Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"G-Force" contains several special features in 1080p or 1080i, English 5.1 or 2.0 Dolby Digital and with English SDH, French or Spanish subtitles:

* Cine-Explore with Darwin, Blaster and their Creator While watching the film, you can watch along with Darwin, Blaster and Directory Hoyt Yeatman. As you watch, the movie will pause when a video comes up, showing behind-the-scenes of the film. Unlike previous Blu-ray releases where the picture is picture-in-picture, Cine-Explore features the film in a stylized window while other G-Force related footage or facts are being shown on screen. Very cool feature!

* Blaster's Boot Camp (4:41) A featurette with Blaster (voiced by Tracy Morgan) explaining the training that one must do in order to become part of G-Force.

* G-Force Mastermind(4:13) Director Hoyt H. Yeatman talking about how the concept came from his five-year-old son. Young Hoyt talks about how the idea came about and his experience of working on the film.

* Bruckheimer Animated -(3:12) A featurette about Jerry Bruckheimer's involvement in CG work for past films. Featuring Jerrry Bruckheimer and Hoyt Yeatman and how the two worked together in "Armageddon", "Con Air", etc. and past films that Bruckheimer utilized animation and technology.

* Access Granted: Inside the Animation Lab (7:51) Utilizing Sony Pictures ImageWorks to do the animation and special effects for the film. A tour is given by Hoyt Yeatman of the headquarters and showing how various parts of animation were created (lighting, hair, etc.).

* G-Farce Bloopers (1:49) Bloopers from "G-Force".

* Deleted Scenes -(6:18) A total of six deleted scenes: March of the Cockroach, Mooch's Donut Regiment, B-B-Bunies, Undercover Pets, Hurley Under Attack, World Domination.

* Music Videos Featuring three music videos: "Jump" by Flo Rida feat. Nelly Furtado, "Ready to Rock" by Steve Rushton and "Go Go-Force".

* Learn How to Take Your Favorite Movies on the Go (1:04) A promo trailer for DisneyFile Digital Copy.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"G-Force" may not have been a popular film among the critics but for a family film, "G-Force" was actually fun. The idea of "G-Force" came from Hoyt H. Yeatman's five year old son at the time about wanting to use his animals to take on bad guys. And it's an idea that visual master Yeatman toiled around his head and six years later, became a feature film.

Special effects were done quite well and there are many big budget films where CG animation and real-life filmmaking just doesn't work but for "G-Force", it worked quite well (especially if it costs over $80 million to make, it better work well).

Parents may wonder why the film has a PG rating and there is mild action with the team trying to take on Saber's "weapons" but in terms of the rude humor, there is a lot of farting (courtesy of the gassy guinea pig Hurley) and scenes where the rodents are stuck in a sphere and you hear jokes such as "get your butt out of my face. No, you get your face out of my butt" type of jokes but that is the worst it gets. Now of course, there are scenes where a child puts one of the G-Force team members in a remote control car and crashes it into G.I. Joe action figures or tries to jump a ramp with it inside the car. And another scene where a girl plays dress up with the guinea pig and puts nail polish and lipstick on the animal. Of course, parents who have children with hamsters or guinea pigs will best explain to them not to do that at home despite seeing it onscreen.

As far as the Blu-ray release is concerned, you get a solid 3-disc release (Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy) and plenty of special features to keep the children busy during this holiday season. The "Cine-Explore" feature was especially well-utilized on this Blu-ray release.

In the end, this film is a enjoyable, action-packed family film targeted for the children. I've read many reviews by critics who just have a disdain of rodents saving the world via technology and look at it as a stupid concept. Granted, for some of those reviewers, I'm sure when they were children, the concept of Lassie, Flipper and Benji were probably regarded by critics of their time as a bit over-the-top as well. Granted, those animals were not hooked up to high tech devices and were used to save the world but granted, this is not the film to exactly take seriously. The same happened with the release of "Stuart Little" back in 1999 and critics had a hard time moving past the talking rodent but sure enough, that film inspired sequels and direct-to-DVD movies and was quite successful.

Overall, I felt it "G-Force" was a fun concept. Where "Stuart Little" was more of a happy film about family, "G-Force" was about camaraderie and trying to save the world. Sure, the concept is farfetched but if you're taking this film that seriously, you're not going to enjoy this film at all. I watched it along with my six-year-old and we both enjoyed it. And as a parent, I felt it was a fun film with action, hijinks and a lot of music from The Black Eyed Peas.

Definitely a family film and a Blu-ray release worth checking out!

Want G-Force (2009) Discount?

Ben (Zach Galifianakis) has spent his life working with rodents. And it's paid off. This FBI scientist has figure out a way to communicate with them and train them to go on covert missions. But his funding is about to be taken away. As a last second hail Mary, he sends out his crack team, consisting of a fly, three guinea pigs, and a mole, to infiltrate a house and get a file off a computer.

The mission is a big success, or so it appears. The next day, at the review, things go horribly wrong and the project is shut down. The rodents manage to escape to a pet store, but the FBI wants them to keep the entire project completely secret. Can the rodents escape and foil the plot they've uncovered? Or will the FBI track them down first?

I talked into seeing this movie by my roommate. The previews just never convinced me it would be great. And I was right.

Now don't get me wrong. There were some genuine laughs in the film. The mice we meet in the pet store stole the show, for example. I couldn't stop laughing at them. The effects were very well done, too. But the majority of the movie wasn't that great.

The plot was full of cliches from start to finish. That's not necessarily a deal killer for me, but the rest of the movie has to be good enough to make up for it, and it wasn't.

One of the big problems was that the movie just didn't feel like it was going anywhere. There were lots of jokes and pop cultural references, and I felt like they were designed to hide the fact that the plot was weak from us. Even the characters were flat and dull. And I really feel sorry for the humans in the movie who were little more than cardboard characters. Even the dialogue the characters had was so trite it was cringe worthy.

If you can see this movie for free, you'll find a few good laughs. But it isn't worth paying any money for.

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Wyatt Earp / The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2011)

I bought this set primarily for the 'Jesse James' movie, which is dark, slow paced and cerebral, and features fine acting by Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck. This film may bore you if you are looking for action or plot twists, and you'll know if it's right for you after about the first 15 or so minutes. If you can stick with it, Casey Affleck's smoldering performance is a revelation.

I had not seen "Wyatt Earp" before and it proved to be quite a pleasant surprise. It came out a year after "Tombstone" and wasn't as successful I guess, but this film strikes a good balance between being too violent or too fawning/watered down. It pretty much follows the same main storyline as "Tombstone" with the addition of showing events that mold the younger Wyatt into the man he becomes by the time he arrives at Tombstone.

Dennis Quaid does a good job with the Doc Holliday role, but Val Kilmer's performance will always be more memorable.

The movie clocks in at a bit over three hours, however it never dragged for me.

The cinematography in "Wyatt Earp" is beautiful, and the Blu-ray transfer is excellent there are many dark/shadowy scenes that are rich in detail and have very little or no noise. The frequent daytime panoramas are gorgeous. Warner did a wonderful job here.

If you want to add two very different, good westerns to your Blue-ray collection, this combo set is a steal.

Held off buying this for a long time since Tombstone is my favorite but it was worth watching a more thorough historical account of Wyatt Earp. Haven't watch "The Assassination of Jesse James" yet, but 2 for the price of one is a good deal.

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Wyatt Earp is a bit overlong but a well done western..Costner tries to ce real Earp...there are so many stories about the legendary lawman. One isn't sure what to believe...gene hackman is great as earps strict dad.....the other western, with the overlong and thoroughly forgettable title is average at best..Brad Pitt is the films only asset

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I think I paid 12 dollars for this when I got it. What can you say about 2 of the greatest modern westerns based in history? Wonderful cinematography.

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Two classics that are deep and well made films. Can't go wrong with either one. Expert filmaking at a fantastic price! I love both these films!

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Flatliners (1990)

I never had the pleasure of seeing this film on the "big screen" which is a shame, as it is often visually stunning, but I have revisited it on video numerous times over the years, enjoying it immensely every time. It definitely is on my personal list of favorite movies, and for more than just starring Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin Bacon, two of my "actors to watch."

Perhaps I appreciate this film so much because it appeals to my slightly off-kilter taste in entertainment. I like my movies a bit left of center unpredictable and fresh. And whether or not you "believe" the story line of the film, you have to admit, it is different!

Everyone has different tastes and opinions, but my impression of some of the negative reviews of this movie is that the viewers never really saw past the surface level of this film. They got caught up in technicalities, "Why would there be green lighting in a subway?" or "Why would medical students pull such a stupid stunt?" and failed to see the artistry and psychological depth of the piece.

Yes, there are some medical and technical aspects that do not make logical sense, but if you are willing to suspend disbelief just a tad, this can be a very engaging film.

First, a note about the artistic quality of the movie. Some have complained about the murky lighting, and the illogical nature of the sets but for me, the use of innovating lighting techniques, the plastic and sheet draped sets, the unusual settings in old buildings and dank, dripping tunnels, the use of statuary, rain and billowing curtains all add a poetic flavor to this film, a haunting beauty that suits the dark nature of the questions being asked about life, death and forgiveness.

I will focus on just two examples; in an alley scene, a change in lighting allows for certain elements of the set to come dramatically into focus, then to fade away once lighting returns to normal. It is an innovative means of conveying a shift in the "reality" of the moment, and works beautifully. We are also allowed to see the interior of the character's apartments contrast the warm wood, bright colors, golden lighting and cluttered comfort of Labraccio's rooms with the stark, white void of Nelson's. Both are reflective of the characters themselves. Nelson's lack of "objects" reflect our lack of knowledge about his past... and his carefully constructed mask that keeps his companions at a distance. His past, we come to learn, is one of chaos and conflict. He has determined to leave that behind in favor of an uncluttered emptiness... unfortunately, the emptiness is also reflective of his relationships with others, a realization he comes to along his personal journey of self-discovery in this film.

Flatliners is not your typical horror film. Nor is a typical drama or suspense movie...it is rather more of an amalgamation of all, having the best elements of all genres intertwined in a complex, suspenseful plot.

This is an ensemble piece, and the cast does an excellent job of breathing life into their individual characters. Your immediate impression is that the characters are each representative of a well-established "stereotype": The female ice queen, the slightly neurotic `physician", the playboy and the socially conscious "nice guy" etc. However, as the film progresses and the characters are further fleshed out, they take on multiple dimensions and depth.

Most interesting of all is Sutherland's character of Nelson. Nelson is not a character that is easy to like indeed he is a bit of a (...), a master manipulator who definitely places self-interest above all else. Yet, Sutherland plays him with a hint of insecurity that lends him a certain appeal. As events unfold, you come to realize that much of Nelson's unpleasant personality is a smokescreen, a protective mask behind which hides a very uncertain and vulnerable young man burdened by a terrible secret.

By revealing bits and pieces of Nelson's complex personality throughout the film, the writers, directors and cast gradually lead you towards a greater understanding of and sympathy for him. The character who started out as a "jerk" becomes important and valued in his own right as you learn to "forgive" his previous behavior in light of new information. Your journey of discovery with Nelson reflects the characters own journeys towards self-understanding, as they too come to realize that everyone has value, and "everything we do matters."

Which leads to my final comment. Although many of the posters here have picked up upon the theme of defying death few seem to have touched upon what I see as the main premise of the movie the importance of forgiveness, and the need to be cognizant of all you do, because it does "matter."

Flatliners is a remarkably audacious, wildly original exploration of one of the taboo topics of science and religion. Like Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ, this film cannot be considered an all-time classic due to a highly opinionated viewpoint that may deeply offend some viewers. However, as far as direction, acting and suspense are concerned, few films rival Flatliners in its all-around splendor. Underneath a deceptively linear and seemingly simplistic script, there is much symbolism and underlying subtlety to be found in Schumacher's brilliant vision. Unlike the roller-coaster scenes of The Lost Boys that never materialize to be anything more than a misplaced piece of high-style imagery, the eerie, sometimes sacrilegious images that are thrown into the plot of Flatliners in a seemingly random fashion (the statues observed by the main character in the beginning, the merciless display of surgical operations) serve their purpose in implying the motivations and internal conflicts of the characters. Charged with alternatingly surprising and desperately predictable scenes, Flatliners is an exciting experience that will either frighten you or fascinate you but definitely will not leave anyone indifferent.

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I actually got to read the original screenplay of THE FLATLINERS just after the deal was made to make the movie. I read it and was blown away. It was awesome.

(I keep checking the screenplay websites to see if the original draft by Peter Filardi gets out but I haven't seen it yet).

A year later, I went to see the movie. Do the initials "WTF" mean anything to you?

About halfway through, I wondered what was going wrong. "I don't remember reading THAT." By the end, I couldn't believe what I was seeing: an incredible screenplay had been completely destroyed.

I went to the folks who'd slipped me the script and asked what in the world happened to FLATLINERS. They were as bummed out as I was.

Apparently, Joel Shumacher didn't like the spiritual aspects of the script. So he threw them out. Let me repeat that: he made a movie about the afterlife--and threw out the spiritual aspects of it. That's like making a musical and deciding that nobody would want to hear all that singing.

Then one of the stars became a Big Star going into production. Her people said, "She's a Big Star now and she can't do anything wrong."

I could just imagine someone with a brain asking, "But the premise of the film is that everyone has done something wrong and it comes back to haunt them."

"No. You don't understand. She's a Big Star and nobody wants to see her do anything wrong...and she won't."

So they butchered the script to satisfy the Big Star.

The heroin-addicted Vietnam Vet Daddy sequence replaced an exciting subplot of a professor wrongly accused of sexual harassment who killed himself and comes back to haunt the female lead. The ending was great, tying up every strand and leaving on a high note for the survivors. GONE.

I actually read an article in Fangoria (or maybe it was Starlog) where Joel Shumacher brags--BRAGS--about their ghastly butchering of the original script by himself and the Big Star Who Can't Do Anything Wrong.

For those of you who wonder why movies are so bad: THIS is how that happens.

Peter, I feel for you buddy. You wrote a five-star script.

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Honestly I never heard of this movie until a few months ago. I am a pretty big fan of Keifer Sutherland and some of his movies and of course his tv show 24. So about a month ago I blindly bought this movie just for the hell of it. The Flatliners stars Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, one of the Baldwins, and of course Keifer.

The Flatliners itself is a pretty cool movie with a different concept than those in its genre. It deals with young medical students experimenting to find out if there is an afterlife. Once they come back from the afterlife they are haunted by the other side.

This is one of the ultimate "Do not do this at home" movies. Although after I saw it I couldn't help from asking my friends "How much money would you do it for", lol. I bet one you see this you will be asking your friends.

One area where it is lacking though is the DVD itself is lacking any kind of special features, interactive menus, and a decently layed out chapter selection. In all honestly the movie is pretty good but the DVD is terrible compared to other newer DVDs. To me things like that make a difference. The fact that it is cheap makes up for it though.

I think if you enjoyed movies such as Stir of Echoes, The Sixth Sense, Vanilla Sky, or even the Mothman Prophies (underrated movie) you probably will enjoy this movie. At times it is dark and sorta twisted but it always stays on track and never bores you. Definetly check this movie out if you are a fan of Keifer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon or Julia Roberts because they all shine in this movie.

Movie grade B+

DVD Grade D-

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I am certainly NO fan of Joel "neon looks good everywhere" Schumacher. That said, I do like 3 of his filmsFALLING DOWN, THE LOST BOYS, and FLATLINERS. I consider FLATLINERS to be a very good horror / sci-fi yarn about death, sin, and atonement, in spite of the psychedelic color scheme. Kiefer Sutherland (THE LOST BOYS, DARK CITY) plays a perfectly arrogant med student, out to prove the existence of life after death. He is joined by a team of fellow students comprised of a driven Kevin Bacon (TRAPPED, DEATH SENTENCE), a compassionate Julia Roberts (SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY), a perverse William Baldwin, and a whiney Oliver Platt (LAKE PLACID, BULWORTH). The story, while silly at times, still manages to get its basic message across: "Be careful what you go looking for, you just might find it!" So, if you enjoy creepy tales and can look past the hilarious hairstyles, FLATLINERS is well worth watching...

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Kandahar Break (2010)

This is a captivating movie offering some insight in the Taliban-ruled Afghan society and containing fascinating views on the Afghan landscape. The hero who tries to abduct his love from a sinister place is certainly an old literary pattern, but it still works.

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The Thieves (2012) (2012)

Get over the subtitle issue and watch this movie. The cast delivers great performances. The story's complexity unfolds wonderfully. I was thoroughly entertained by the stunts and action sequences. Many top notch movies have incredible stunts and action sequences but this movie takes the sequences to a significantly higher level... Watch is and let me know what you think...

Caper flicks have been done before. For the record, the French have had a few solid outings. I've yet to see anything significant from the Russians. The Brits can pull them off with surprising aplomb, as can many other production houses throughout the United Kingdom. I would have to say, though, that the United States has put out the lion's share of the truly memorable ones. I couldn't say why that is exactly; maybe it's that I haven't seen enough foreign imports, or maybe it's just that U.S. production companies have a singular knack for taping into that exceptional mix of action and comedic charm needed to pull it off so winningly.

If THE THIEVES is any indication, then South Korea may be set to give the Americans a good run for their money.

(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and characters. If you're the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I encourage you to skip down to the last two paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you're accepting of a few hints at `things to come,' then read on ...)

Popeye (played by Jung-Jae Lee) and his crew of thieving misfits (among them Hae-suk Kim as Chewingum; and the lovely Gianna Jun as Yenicall) are "hot" ... and not in a good way. Their last job drew the attention of the local police. Now needing to lie low, they agree to take a job with an old friend of Popeye's the mysterious Macao Park (Yun-seok Kim) to steal the `Tear of the Sun' diamond, a gem valued at a cool $20 million. The hitch? The diamond is kept in a private safe inside the busiest casino in Macau. However, the complexity of the job requires that they team up with another squad of professional burglars, this one headed by Chen (the reliable Simon Yam). Needless to say, things do go as planned, and, before all is said and done, they'll be running for their lives from the police, one another, and the ruthless ganglord Wei Hong (Ki Guk-Seo)!

I could go on and on with great praise for THE THIEVES, but what's the use? It's the kind of picture that you're either going to see or you're not (many will pass on it solely because it's a foreign release, and they don't know what a delight they're missing). So let me say this: it's a heist picture a very clever one scripted by Dong-Hoon Choi (as the director) and Lee Gi-Cheol all built around an ensemble of ten of the most gifted Eastern actors working in cinema today. The U.S. already did this kind of thing (recently) with the OCEAN'S ELEVEN franchise which had a solid first outing so THIEVES is, bit by bit, much of the same, but, to my tastes, it's far more witty and inventive due to the fact that there are several overlapping stories at work here. There are crosses and double-crosses, all with a back story involving three of the main characters, and it's an utter joy seeing how it comes together in the grand finish. Suffice it to say, it probably won't be the way audiences predicted; and there's just enough opening left in the conclusion to leave room for a follow-up should all of the players be interested.

Lastly, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that THIEVES presently holds the title of the single highest grossing film in Korean history, an honor not all that surprising to this reviewer; it's precisely the kind of crowd-pleasing film audiences flock to again and again. Also, it won the award for Best Supporting Actress (Hae-suk Kim) and was nominated for Best Director (Dong-Hoon Choi) at the 2012 Grand Bell Awards; it won the Audience Award for the Best Narrative Feature at the 2012 Hawaii International Film Festival; and it was nominated for Best Cinematographer, Best Editor, and two Best Supporting Actresses (Gianna Jun AND Hae-suk Kim) at the 2013 Asian Film Awards. So, yes, it's that entertaining!

THE THIEVES is produced by CJ Venture Investment, KM Culture Co., Michigan Venture Capital, and Showbox/Mediaplex. DVD distribution (stateside) is being handled through the ever-reliable Well Go USA. As for the technical specifications, I watched this on Blu-ray, and it's perfect: the sound is crisp and well-balanced (sometimes an issue with foreign imports), and the images colors and visuals are stunning. Plus, there's some magnificently nifty camerawork throughout; no expense was spared in getting this ensemble caper to look good on the silver screen. For the record, this is a Korean language film with English-subtitles (no dubbing, though there are a few scenes spoken in English). As for the special features, please allow me to jump up on my soapbox and complain (once more) than you just couldn't put enough tidbits on here to make me happy; sadly, there are only two a all-too-brief `making of' short and an even shorter `Meet the Thieves' infomercial along with the theatrical trailer. Needed more I know it's difficult but it needed more.

HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION POSSIBLE. Let me say this: there are a few comedic bits that, apparently, don't translate all that well in THE THIEVES. After all, comedy is so very culturally driven, and, in the translation, some of the comic visuals and the dialogue don't work as well as it should for Western audiences (try telling a joke and then butchering the punchline, and you'll get what I mean). Otherwise, THIEVES is an unmitigated home run, the kind of which will probably get an Americanized remake in about five or ten years that'll be far less charming than the original. Rent it now. See it now. You'll be glad you did.

In the interests of fairness, I'm pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Well Go USA provided me with an advance DVD screener of THE THIEVES for the expressed purposes of completing this review ... and I'm forever indebted to them for making me aware that such a fun piece of unrelenting action came this way from distant shores.

Buy The Thieves (2012) (2012) Now

PART MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4 AND PART OCEAN'S 11. If you enjoy caper films then try this! I loved it

Explosions! guns! and double crosses!

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It's a simple story of 10 thieves all trying to work together to pull off a big job but at the same time backstabe everyone else and make off with the loot.

If you're up for a thriller, this is a good one.

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Wonderful Movie. I enjoyed it very much. I liked the twists in the plot and the fight scenes were good, also the special effects.

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