Death Watch (1980)

Not only has Death Watch never previously been available on DVD, but this fascinating, moving, and disturbingly prescient SF film has never been distributed in North America at its proper length something that I'm assured by Shout! Factory will be remedied with this release. Distributors of the film apparently felt, when it was first released in 1980, that a twist that Tavernier introduces into the narrative wouldn't be accepted by the audience, and/or (according to the director) would be seen as too dark a commentary on the cynicism of television producers and their overriding lust for ratings. I won't spoil that twist by letting people know what it is, but for North American admirers of the film as it previously was released here (on VHS, Laserdisc, and on film, clocking in at 117 minutes, as opposed to the correct 128), be advised: you have never seen the film as the director intended it, unless you've bought the hard-to-find French Region 2 DVD (or caught up with it in another country I first chanced upon the full film on VHS in Japan, where it was released un-chopped). In fairness, not all the material that was omitted from the film previously is completely essential (discussions about the virtues of ostrich leather for footwear and a cameo by Bernard Wicki were both cut without doing too much damage), but the ending of the "director's cut," as this can properly be described, is far more forceful and "political" (in a broad sense) than any previous North American release, and will make the film seem quite new even to people who admired it previously. There are a dozen other reasons to admire this film the cast is fantastic, especially the leads, Keitel and Schneider; it's a very important film in Harvey Keitel's career; co-screenwriter David Rayfiel is at his best; Antoine (Pierrot Le Fou) Duhamel's soundtrack is terrific (and also the source of an amusing anecdote, which you can find on IMDB); and its arguably the greatest English-speaking role of Max von Sydow's. As for its prescience never mind its prediction of Reality TV or the idea that computers will replace live teachers read up on Toronto filmmaker Rob Spence, who, like Roddy, is having a camera surgically implanted in the place of an eye... Haven't actually seen this DVD yet, but I'm very very excited that it's happening. Good move, Shout! Factory!

When this movie was first distributed in 1981 it bombed. Presumably it was uncomfortably ahead of its time, for now 30-plus years later it's a topical and amazingly relevant. examination of current media intrusions and the prurient popular curiosity that drives them. The settings Glasgow and its surrounding countryside are unusual, and magnificently photographed, and the central performances are outstanding. What a talent the film medium lost when the beautiful Romy Schneider died only a short time after making it. Young Keitel is good and truthful too, and of course Dean Stanton and von Seidow do their usual high quality work. There's also an intriguing very early appearance for Robbie Coltrane. The situation is dramatic, the outcome moving and satisfactory. Altogether, this is people-oriented SF and a very fine adaptation of D G Compton's distinguished 1976 novel which incidentally has recently been reissued by Gollancz in their SF Masterworks series and is well worth a look.

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I wouldn't say this is for everyone. Great performances by all. Very interesting sci-fi premise that leads to a grim finale,

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Superbad (Two-Disc Unrated Extended Edition) (2007)

Rising young stars Jonah Hill (Knocked Up) and Michael Cera (Arrested Development) have one last shot at popularity in the very funny coming-of-age comedy "Superbad". Seth (Hill) and Evan (Cera) are lifelong best friends who really want to lose their virginity before heading to college. When they are invited to the year's biggest party, the boys use their friend Fogell's (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) new fake I.D. to score some alcohol for the party but their plan soon turns to a madcap night of unpredictable and outrageous situations. "Superbad" is an uproariously funny teen comedy from the creators of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up". The raunchy teen comedy delivers a well paced storyline, some side-splitting moments and memorable comic performances. Seth Rogen (Knocked Up) and Bill Hader (SNL) are hilarious as two incompetent police officers. "Superbad" received overwhelming positive reviews from US critics and became one of the year's highest grossing comedies with over $130 million nationwide.

If you've enjoyed "Superbad" in theaters, then I strongly recommend checking out "Superbad" Unrated Edition. The raunchy teen comedy is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen format with more unrated footage that wasn't included in its theatrical release. The picture quality is surprisingly good with no obvious flaws. The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is clear and well balanced. Among supplemental material, the DVD includes 8 minutes of deleted scenes, trailers, a short gag reel, "Cop Car Confessions" and "The Making of Superbad" featurettes, an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming comedy "Pineapple Express" and an audio commentary with director Greg Mottola, production crew and cast members. Overall, "Superbad" Unrated Edition scores a "B+".

I thought I'd read the 1 star reviews before writing mine. I'm guessing there are a lot of people who would be offended by this movie: some who are offended by silly sophomoric humor, some who are prudish and others for whom it hits too close to home. The rest are looking for a cinematic masterpiece and are sorely disappointed.

This is a somewhat over-the-top portrayal of typical pubescent male behavior. This is the movie's genius, because you know that much of what happens in this movie has happened in some fashion somewhere in America. Male teen behavior is inherently funny (unless you're a parent of one) and this movie takes full advantage of that fact. Everyone who has ever been a teenager has known someone who could have been a character in this movie.

Suggestion: Watch this movie with an open mind and no preconceptions. It is not like most American comedies. Do not look for a point or moral to the story, just sit back, relax and have a giggle.

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Filmmakers Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg make lowbrow comedies for highbrow audiences. With films like "The 40-Year Old Virgin," "Knocked Up," and their current gem, "Superbad" (directed by Greg Mottola), they have begun, in their own quiet way, to re-write the rules of the modern sex comedy, making films that, despite their R-rated blueness, are just a tad more insightful, a little more nuanced, and a trifle more literate than most films in that genre.

The characters in their movies may seem at first blush to be mere photocopies of the nerds and losers familiar to us from all those post-"Animal House," pandering-to-youth comedy hits of the late 1970's and 1980's. Yet, there is something rather different about these individuals, a difference that it is not always all that easy to put one`s finger on. They seem somehow more reflective and self-aware than their earlier counterparts, more able to step out of their skins and see themselves for who and what they are. It's almost as if these characters have had the added advantage of seeing themselves reflected in all those earlier movies (one imagines they've spent a great deal of their childhood reveling in "Revenge of the Nerds") and of extracting important lessons from those films to help them chart their course through life.

The storyline, in and of itself, is hardly original. The screenplay by Rogen and Goldberg chronicles the misadventures of three teenage super geeks determined to go to any lengths or suffer any humiliation to be part of the "in" crowd at school. With only a few days left before graduation, Seth, Evan, and super-nerd Fogell an outcast even the outcasts can feel comfortable ostracizing decide that the time has come to take some drastic action if they hope to have any chance of losing their virginity before high school ends. Thus, Seth cooks up a scheme to smuggle booze into a graduation party being thrown by one of the hottest girls on campus. It is the expected setbacks they encounter as they go about the business of achieving "coolness" that provide the comic energy for the tale.

As they did in "Knocked Up," the writers capture the way people in the real world actually speak. The dialogue may be crude and vulgar, but it is also sharply observant and wickedly funny as the characters lament the unfairness of life and reveal deep-seated concerns and feelings about themselves and each other. What's nice is that the characters in this film not only sound like people we might encounter in everyday life but LOOK like them as well. Even the "beautiful" people in this film aren't drop-dead gorgeous, just believably well put-together and attractive.

Jonah Hill, Michael Cera and Christopher Mintz-Plasse are so authentic and convincing in the roles of Seth, Eric and Fogell, respectively, that they have us securely in their corner from the very first moment they appear on screen. Rogen and Bill Hader ("SNL") also have a good time playing goofy cops, although their characters aren't as finely drawn or interesting as the three main characters, and the scenes with them do tend to drag a bit.

It is crucial to point out that, amidst all the blush-inducing, foul-mouthed hilarity, there's an incredible underlying sweetness to "Superbad," particularly in the final two scenes of the movie.

Together, this team of talented filmmakers is making it fun to go to the movies again.

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Apatow's films are funny (see The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Rated Widescreen Edition) and Knocked Up (Widescreen Edition)) and this one is no different. It's directed by Greg Mottola who did The Daytrippers, another decent film. These movies take the standard sex comedy fare and add an ultimately conservative twist. For The 40-Year-Old Virgin, the movie says it's a good thing to wait until marriage to have sex. For Knocked Up, casual sex gets one into trouble and babies are better with two dependable parents. Superbad has another conservative message.

But don't go looking for a wholesome family affair, for this is not it. If I had to watch this movie with my parents, I fear that I would perhaps pass out. It's raunchy. Even though there may not be nudity per se, these guys talk like real guys, and they don't talk nicely about our, umm, private parts.

This movie is the story of Seth and Evan, based on the writers of the script, and one evening during their last weeks of high school before they split up to go to college. They have always been misfits, but finally, they may be able to become cool without changing. That's one of the good things. It isn't about these guys "fitting in" with the in-crowd. It's more about the in-crowd realizing that they're actually cool guys.

The movie is flawed, though. So much of the script is ad-libbed that some things don't make sense. Characters say things that contradict earlier ideas, and the editors just kept it becuase it happens to be funny. I guess I can forgive that.

The DVD has some hilarious extras, too, especially the one with Jonah Hill going through different versions of his lines. I don't know how they decided on only keeping one of them. I liked them all.

I have trouble recommending Superbad because of its raunchiness, but if you're okay with that kind of thing, enjoy and get something more than mere comedy out of what is ultimately a conservative, enjoyable film.

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This was a hilarious movie full of fun characters in the same vein as Fast Times at Ridgemont High or American Pie. The plot follows the lives of two high school seniors who are best friends as they attempt to get with some high school hotties before they take off to different colleges.

Some of the funniest scenes in this movie center around the antics of their friend Fogell (aka McLovin) and a pair of keystone cops. One of the cops is played by Seth Rogen who also co-wrote the screen play.

If you enjoy stupid humor about suburban kids then you will enjoy this coming of age comedy. If you yearn for something with more substance, then you might want to give it a pass. I for one enjoyed this movie enough to watch it three times, and laughed at every joke the third time through.

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War Wagon

Gunfighter Taw Jackson (John Wayne) recruits a motley crew of sidekicks to rob ruthless mine owner, Frank Pierce (Bruce Cabot). Pierce routinely transports a fortune in gold dust in an armored stagecoach called "The War Wagon." Complete with a small army of guards and a Gatling gun, The War Wagon is formidable. Taw figures to settle old scores by devising a complex plan to steal the gold. John Wayne was good at big budget B pictures. This flick is very different from a John Ford masterpiece, but so what? This movie is a typical Batjac action-adventure flick with comic overtones. Wayne trades verbal barbs with Lomax (Kirk Douglas), a too-cool hired gun. Howard Keel is Levi Walking Bear, a comic and politically incorrect Indian. Robert Walker is a drunken explosives expert. Keenan Wynn is a sadistic teamster. They each play a role in the carefully timed execution of the robbery. Unaware of their thieving alliance, Pierce hires Lomax to kill Taw, setting up several tense situations. The supporting cast includes members of Wayne's Batjac production company family. Look for Bruce Dern, Gene Evans, and Sheb Wooley in small roles. Throw in colorful outdoor locations, a saloon brawl, lots of hard-riding action, and it's great fun for Western movie fans. It's well worth the price. ;-)

Well, if you're into double-dipping for DVDs, this RE-PACKAGED/RE-RELEASED downer dvd is for you. Universal did the big SIN all right, they took their original dvd release of The War Wagon, and gave us the same non-animorphic release as they did the first time, only with a different packaging so us suckers hoping for a better, cleaner, or at least animorphic widescreen version, would be duped into buying the same thing twice.

If you've come here, then like myself you love this entertaining pairing of two of Hollywoods greatest leading men, John Wayne and Kirk Douglas. Their on-screen chemistry is perfect in this not-so-buddy Western, where Taw Jackson (Wayne) gets out of prison after serving only 3 years for a crime he was framed for, and gets together a misfit group of men to rob the man that robbed him of half-a-million in gold. If they can stop The War Wagon.

If you already have the original white and red colored widescreen release, don't spend your money again on this newly package "Universal Western Collection" release (brown in color). It is EXACTLY the same print, with the same poor extras as that first release. Some scant production notes, cast and filmakers (again scant) film highlights, theatrical trailor. Exactly the same. I'll give the extra copy I now own to a friend of mine who also loves John Wayne. And someday, maybe a good studio will give The War Wagon the dvd release it deserves-we don't need 5.1 surround(this was originally a mono-stereo release); just animorphic widescreen with a restored print which does not show the speckles of age.

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This is a movie about revenge. It's about the quest of one man, Taw Jackson (Wayne), to get even with the man who set him up and stole his ranch. To get his vengeance, Taw puts together a small group of men, including a gunfighter who's been hired to kill him (Douglas), to help him rob the "War Wagon," so named because it is an iron stagecoach complete with a gattling gun and a large complement of mounted guards. The five men scheme, plan, and concoct a plan to steal the wagon, and Taw and Lomax (Douglas) try to refrain from killing each other in the process.

This is not meant to be a completely serious Western, and in fact it is quite lighthearted. It is also funny, with just enough comic relief to keep things lively. Douglas and Wayne are absolutely fabulous together, and the rest of the cast works well too. This is a great all-around Western.

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I didn't like the "War Wagon" when it was first released, I found it rather silly and vaguely offensive. The problem was me, I was not ready to recognize, let alone relate to, a subtle parody of the western genre. I should have been more receptive because in the mid-60s a huge amount of genre parody began to appear on television ("Batman", 'Wild Wild West", "F-Troop", "Get Smart"), which could be traced back to gently tongue-in-cheek series like "Maverick" and "Zorro".

"Cat Ballou" (1965) was the first feature length parody of Western generic clichés. But its parody elements were obvious, even if you were not that familiar with the conventions of the Western genre you could recognize exaggerations and revisions. In addition, up to this point John Wayne films had given the Western genre only very traditional treatments.

But "The War Wagon" was only the first example of director Burt Kennedy's tweaking of the genre. He would follow it up with "Support Your Local Sheriff" (1969), "Hannie Caulder" (1971), and "Support Your Local Gunfighter" (1971). Wayne would toy with parodic elements two years later with "True Grit", and would stay much less traditional with the remainder of his westerns.

"The War Wagon" is also a genre hybrid as western is mixed with buddy picture and big heist movie. Taw (John Wayne) recruits an old enemy Lomax (Kirk Douglas) as he seeks revenge on a ruthless mine owner (Bruce Cabot) who not only framed and sent to him prison, but appropriated his ranch and personal possessions after a huge gold strike was discovered on ranch property (here we go with the exaggeration-the only things missing are stealing Taw's wife, adopting his children, and leaving his toilet seat up). Cabot transports his gold in a "Wild Wild West" inspired armored wagon.

The interplay between Wayne and Douglas (who always seems right on the verge of accepting Cabot's standing offer of $12,000 to kill Wayne) is clever and sarcastic, working with the many exaggerated elements to provide the film's considerable humor.

"The War Wagon" finds Wayne on the wrong side of established authority, for at least the third time as his Ethan Edwards character in "The Searchers" also operated well outside the law and Quirt Evans in "Angel and the Badman" had to be bad enough that he could be reformed by Gail Russell.

Howard Keel plays the civilized Indian sidekick mostly for comic relief and the characters actually demonstrate an awareness of the movie context when they self-reflexively (deliberately drawing attention to their playing characters in a movie) refer to a tactic as an old Indian trick. Ultimately the joke (and the irony) is on Wayne and Douglas, as their seemingly one-sided deal with the Indians (a few blankets in exchange for their participation) causes the Indians to end up with most the rewards.

"The War Wagon's" understated parody style would inspire John Huston ("The Life & Times Of Judge Roy Bean") and George Roy Hill ("The Sting"); and of course many others.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

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The War Wagon is a good comedy western starring John Wayne and Kirk Douglass as two men attempting to steal a shipment of gold. Wayne stars as Taw Jackson, a man recently released from prison after being framed, who wants to get revenge on the man who put him in jail(Bruce Cabot). Kirk Douglass is Lomax, Wayne's greedy, cocky partner. These two are perfect together as they try and figure out how to rob the "war wagon." Their dialogue is sharp and cutting with insults being handed back and forth.

The movie is very entertaining to watch. Excellent cast backing up Wayne and Douglass including Howard Keel as Levi Walking Bear. There is enough action and humor for everybody in this western. DVD presentation is good in widescreen with a trailer included even though it is a little pricey. Well worth it for Duke fans!

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The Last Lions (2011)

This spectacular movie follows the life of one lioness as she finds a territory of her own, and deals with an antagonistic pride of lions and the massive (and deadly) prey animals in her territory.

The Jouberts capture the lioness' life like no other filmmakers have ever done. They document amazing details of her life, going far beyond the cliches of the average lion documentary. The story they tell is harsh, brutal, and HEARTBREAKING. If you have the fortitude to stick with the movie until the end, the story is ultimately uniquely uplifting.

The narrator's script delves deeply into what the pseudo-scientific types will want to dismiss as "anthropomorphizing", but if you can look at what has been filmed and not know that every aspect of this film is absolutely and beautifully true, including the narration, you're just not paying attention.

I know people who could not sit through the beautiful fable Two Brothers because they thought the tigers suffered too much in the story. This movie is reality, and it is far harder to take than the fable. But if you can take it, you will never forget it.

A very important movie.

A simply gorgeous and remarkable documentary about a lone lioness trying to survive and raise her cubs. Why she was not part of a pride of lions at the beginning of the story is never explained, but she is expelled from her territory by a large and aggressive pride, and must go to a island inside a river teaming with crocodiles, hippos, water buffalo, and other dangerous animals.

I don't want to "give away" the plot...this documentary DOES have a plot and one as riveting as any really good movie could be. Filmed by the husband and wife team of wildlife filmmakers, the Jouberts, scenes of real life in Africa unroll with beauty, cruelty, and intensity. As always, their documentaries seem to "get" the feel of wild Africa as if they were part of it, living and experiencing it.

I would not recommend it for young or very sensitive children/adults since the brutality of the real-life world of lions trying to survive is nothing like a Disney movie....but the "main character", the lone lioness, is one you will remember long after seeing this top quality documentary.

The background music, African in nature, is lovely, and Jeremy Irons does a good job narrating. I truly can't believe this was not up for some documentary award, it is, in my opinion, that worthwhile and well done.

Highly recommended as are any of the Jouberts' films for National Geographic.

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Think about the phrase when describing someone who has "the heart of a lion". In The Last Lions, Beverly and Dereck Joubert aim to demonstrate this phrase, in the form of a quasi-documentary film.

The film is not quite objective in flavor as a real documentary, but is still filled with facts and observations from the eyes of the Jouberts. The very scientific types (as well as those who believe animals are beneath humans) may completely dismiss the film due to its anthropomorphic nature, but I believe this one should not be completely dismissed. You may ask, why not? The film is filled with details and observations that are telling; the award-winning duo, the Jouberts, have dedicated their entire lives to the study and preservation of cats. They have braved the volatile weather and forgone daily comforts to catch even a glimpse into the lives of these creatures. Their observations are detailed here, and narrated by Jeremy Irons using deeply sonorous tones evocative of the warm, rich colors of the film.

You are thrust head first into an intimate acquaintance with Ma Di Tau, the main lioness. A little background informationLions have a unique social structurethey group in prides, and are comprised of a single male and several females. The females hunt, and the males have to secure their lands, often against other male lions. When a male challenges another, the male either stands down (and is driven off), or fights. If the other male wins, it is in their instinct to kill any cubs from the previous male. Another option is for the female to take her cubs and run, hopefully joining another pride. This social structure places the female lions of prides with unstable factors (weak males, encroaching humans, etc) in particularly difficult situations. The instinct to survive, or to protect cubs, is a familiar scenario in nature, man included. Though this is not necessarily what the film is about, you will come to sympathize with Ma Di Tau, you will cry when she does, and you will roar when she does. The point of the film is that you will ultimately come to an understanding of Ma Di Tau, and come to celebrate what it means to have "a heart of a lion", or in this film, "the heart of a lioness."

The only part with numerical facts come spliced in the ending credits, reminiscent of the Jouberts' TedTalk, in which there are details about the dwindling creatures and mere minute shots on what the Jouberts went through in order to capture the footage found in the film. The fact that there wasn't even a human featured in the film should be telling enough of the subtle ways humans affects can wildlife, and the Jouberts have an intimate understanding of this. This film is their own message, their own cries, in hopes of an eventual triumph.

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Wildlife photographers and documentarians Beverly and Dereck Joubert created the Big Cats Initiative with National Geographic to educate people about the declining populations of large felines in the wild and, hopefully, to save them from extinction. "The Last Lions" is part of that effort. The film follows the daily life and struggles of a lioness and her cubs in Botswana's Okavango Delta. Fifty years ago, there were about 450,000 lions in Africa. Now there are an estimated 20,000. It is the filmmakers' hope that giving people an intimate view of these animals, in a narrative form, will inspire the audience to want to protect them.

The filmmakers call the lioness Ma di Tau (Mother of Lions), and actor Jeremy Irons narrates her story. Ma di Tau has a mate and three cubs but is forced to flee her home territory across a perilous river, when another pride of lions in search of new territory invade hers. She and her cubs take refuge on Duba Island, in the middle of a swampy river. When a herd of buffalo take up residence, it's not clear whether they will be dinner or a new menace. And a lioness with whom Ma di Tau did battle still looms threateningly on the other side of the river with her following of females, seemingly not content to let Ma di Tau and her cubs alone.

What is interesting about this film is also what is likely to be controversial. Ma di Tau's fight for survival for herself and her cubs is turned into high drama, which it is, but is also imbued with emotions and particular motivations via the narration. I'm not entirely against this. Emotions are not unique to humans. Countless species experienced them before humans existed. I don't think the film overplays the emotions, but I was sometimes doubtful of the motives it attributed to Ma di Tau. Even without the narration, this is an incredible story, however. It has drama, action, and will evince a gamut of emotions in the human audience no matter how the cats felt.

I was surprised how far the animals would go to defend their brethren and to destroy their enemies. I've always thought of lions as powerful predators, but "The Last Lions" makes it clear that hunting is difficult and usually unsuccessful. The challenge of feeding and protecting cubs in this environment, on her own, is heart-rending, and, though she is usually stoic about it, it gets to Ma di Tau sometimes. The shifting allegiances between the animals are fascinating, but the film focuses on narrative rather than facts, leaving me to wonder whether the animals were acting out of instinct, logic, or emotions. It's an incredible, intimate look at life in the wild, in any case.

The DVD (Virgil Films 2012): Bonus features include "Behind the Scenes" (27 min), which is footage of the Jouberts filming without any narration or explanation, some deleted scenes, a publicity spot for the Big Cat Initiative called "Cause an Uproar(dot)org" (30 sec), 2 theatrical trailers (2 min each), and an "Interview with Dereck & Beverly Joubert" (12 min) in which the couple answer some questions about the film and about their many books. Subtitles for the film are available in English.

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My decision to watch this movie was the reason that I watched many other movies. It is fueled by my love for lions, and other big cats. I didn't read a description of this movie, and I went in blind. I was far from disappointed at the end and resolution of this film.

It is very well put together. High production values aside, this film features some of the most touching scenes I have seen yet in any lion documentary. The narrator's deep calm voice guides you in a detailed tour of a single lion's love for her cubs. It is extremely easy to get absorbed into the turbulent emotions the main characters of this film goes through. I didn't cry at the end of Titanic, but I sure as heck teared up multiple times in this movie. The lions are portrayed in such a way that I almost believed this was staged, as in the lions are merely actors guided by a director and trainer behind the camera. However, the events are so vivid, I don't think it's possible to manufacture something like this.

This is a rare find, no doubt. Out of all the documentaries that tried to humanize the lions, and attempt to translate their inner thoughts for us to understand, this one did it with efficiency. The commentary combined with the lions' actual body language, and even the light dulling in their eyes in desperate times, weaved a believable yet entertaining story. This deserves two thumbs way up.

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Wrong Turn Collection (1-4) (2012)

If you are a collector and you like slipcovers, these movies do not have them, just plain blurays but great set. I've always enjoyed the wrong turn series.

I love these movies. I have always wanted to watch and have a collection of wrong turn and they finally came out with this collection!!

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Product came quick and wrapped up good with no scratches!!! I would recommend it to anybody. Four great movies in one package for a good price you cant be it !

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this is a very good box set of the wrong turn series these are very excellent horrow movies if you are a horrow fan you will enjoy this box set.

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I bought this as a Christmas present for a fan of the series.

And unfortunately, it isn't a "box set" (I know that's not explicitly stated in the item description, but one assumes).

It's basically four Bluray boxes shrink-wrapped together.

The price is unbeatable mind you. Still much cheaper than actually buying all four Blurays separately.

But the collector in me is a bit disappointed that it isn't in a unique box set.

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Love Aaj Kal (2009)

I really like that LOVE AAJ KAL, a romantic comedy that segues into a drama, takes a more sophisticated approach and allows for real emotional development, something we don't get too much of from the generic Bollywood product, what with Indian cinema so hooked on sweeping over-the-top romances. When director Imtiaz Ali met star/co-producer Saif Ali Khan in the first of their pre-production meetings, he told him, "All I know about this story is that two people meet to break up." It's an interesting take, and the premise gets even more interesting with the introduction of two interweaving storylines, one set in contemporary times, the other set in 1965.

London today, and Jai's opening gambit when hitting on de ladies goes something like this: "I don't mean to pile on but..." This must be a colloquial Indian maneuver, since this phrase strikes me as a pretty odd flirting tool. Meera, lovely and outspoken, certainly isn't impressed, and she calls Jai out on it. Still, they start a fun year-long romance, chronicled in the film's first seven minutes in abrupt episodic moments. But then careers get in the way and Jai and Meera being a sensible couple there's an amicable parting of ways (there's even a break-up party).

Somewhere along here, Jai is befriended by coffee shop owner and old sikh Veer Singh (Rishi Kapoor) who goes on to give him advice and to recount his own long ago romance. Jai's romantic plight strikes a chord with Veer and he begins to reminisce. And this is when the secondary story arc is introduced.

It's 1965 in Delhi, India. Veer Singh is a sikh and something of a rough fella. But his ornery demeanor shifts once he sets his eyes on the very shy Harleen. It's a long distance romance, really, as Veer and Harleen barely exchange any dialogue. Just tons of furtive longing glances, and Veer doing his best to woo her from afar. It seems to work, until he learns that Harleen's family has arranged a marriage for her. And we wait to see just how far Veer will go for love (turns out, he goes pretty far).

On the surface, the cynical modern love story serves as a counterpoint against Bollywood's traditional idealistic romance (in which a man may be so besotted that he travels hundreds of miles from Delhi to Calcutta on a rattling train just to catch a glimpse of his love). But a closer look gives us the film's true message, that love may wear different fashions, that behavior may be reflected by the respective era, but love remains universally the same and confounds even obstacles such as cynicism and practicality. This is a really good movie from India. It mostly stays away from silly elements and the relatively understated tone goes a ways into lending believability to the plot. And it does feel like there's a solid connection between the two generations of lovers onscreen.

The acting is terrific across the board. We've seen Saif Ali Khan take on roles like "Jai" before in SALAAM NAMASTE and in HUM TUM, you know, the charismatic fun-loving guy unwilling to settle down. His character's journey to maturation is pretty predictable. Saif also plays the bearded and turban-coiffed Veer Singh of 1965, and Veer is a far cry from Jai, unabashedly romantic where Jai is flighty and dismissive. It's a nod to Saif's acting ability that you're able to separate the two characters even as they share the same features.

Deepika Padukone, long-legged and stunning, is the revelation. She's simply marvelous and adds surprising depth and warmth to Meera, and, c'mon, how can you not fall in love with her? She makes Meera a character you really root for, a girl perfectly aware of what's going on every step of the way and hoping against hope that her guy would get wise and catch up. Harleen, the other lady in question, is played by 20-year-old Brazilian model Giselle Monteiro, who had initially auditioned for the role of Jai's Caucasian girlfriend (yes, Jai does try to move on after Meera). However, the director's wife pointed out that Giselle would make a better Harleen, since Director Imtiaz Ali had been getting frustrated finding the right actress for that part. Not exactly rocking the Hindi language, Giselle Monteiro doesn't get a lot of dialogue, which is probably a wise thing. Giselle's identity was kept under wraps until the movie's theatrical release.

Besides the opening seven minutes of quick cuts, LOVE AAJ KAL throughout its running time is rife with transitional images which fall outside of chronological order. It's a disjointed technique but there's a sense of gratification as you do eventually see how these images fit within the framework of the story.

The production values on this film are top notch. Not only is the contemporary story arc set in the slick international backdrops of London, San Francisco and modern Delhi, but the 1965 setting is also nicely, convincingly evoked. Not that I'm a huge expert or anything, having only recently started watching old Bollywood classics from the '60s and '70s but I least now know how much Rishi Kapoor and his wife Neetu impacted Indian cinema in the '70s.

The musical numbers are alternately hip and charmingly old-fashioned. "Dooriyan" is a contemplative, soulful song about distances and separation. "Twist" is toe-tapping stuff and showcases Saif's unexpectedly smooth dance moves (even Saif's admitted to being a stiff at dancing). "Ajj Din Chadheya" is sweetly done and frames Veer and Harleen's courtship at a distance. "Thoda Thoda Pyar" is the old-school courtyard number featuring a dancing Giselle (according to the commentary, Giselle drove the dance choreographers up the wall because, well, as someone new to the culture, she couldn't quite grasp the moves). "Chor Bazaari" is fun and serenades Jai and Meera as they hang out on the sly in Delhi.

2 discs for this one. Disc 1 has the feature presentation, an option to check out the film's musical numbers, and the film commentary in English by Saif Ali Khan & Director Imtiaz Ali. Disc 2 has the following special features: the Making Of the film segment; the Making of the songs; LOVE AAJ KAL Journey which is even more behind-the-scenes stuff (although one does get tired of a segment that keeps popping up, the one about the crew going on and on about the hassle of shooting in horrible Delhi traffic); deleted scenes and quick shots with director's commentary (including a sequence in a sweet's shop featuring Jai and Meera and the now aged Veer and Harleen); the promotional press conference with the lead actors & crew; a remix video of "Twist"; the audio release function basically, another press conference this time focusing on the music in the film; and the original theatrical trailer.

Love Aaj Kal is DEFINITELY one of the very best 2009 romantic comedies I have ever, ever seen in an utterly long time... the two main leads (Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone playing as Jai and Meera, respectively) are just flat-out fantastic, and the way the two love stories from two different generations of time interconnect with each other is just seamlessly and most flawlessly brilliant indeed; you can just literally sense the sheer chemistry, the compelling character development, their painful heartaches, and one powerhouse performance after another in this original Hindi-language film from start to finish, combined with such an outstanding story that just makes you want to leap with great joy and go all the way, guaranteed!!! ;)

Shot on location in San Francisco, London, and New Dehli as the main backdrops, what makes this movie *extremely* so special for me personally is that all the dating and relationships here are handled in quite an absolutely, ABSOLUTELY fresh and alive and splendidly convincing and rather strikingly mature manner indeed between the characters and what they are going through also, and even much more better is that we end up fully and genuinely with an amazing, non-stop rooting interest in those two main characters throughout, especially as well in the key point late in the film where we actually sense that Meera and Jai's emotional, secretly attractive connection to each other is seriously at risk when they are in sudden jeopardy in their relationship! I am not gonna spill the beans on what happens at the very end here... but one thing is for certain: with fantastic pacing, excellent laughs, amazing non-stop energy, first-rate songs to lift the action so wonderfully, and an incredibly top-notch modern-day romance that spans two generations, Love Aaj Kal literally blows away all of the contrived, obnoxious, and most blatantly lifeless 2009 American theatrical romance comedies (i.e. The Ugly Truth, Love Happens, and All About Steve to name a few!) to kingdom come. PERIOD, final.

DO NOT MISS THIS ONE especially with your loved one as well, because this is your perfect date movie that you must, must see indeed... you will *not* be even disappointed whatsoever, and congratulations to Illuminati Films, Eros International, and especially to writer/director Imtias Ali as well on quite a watershed brilliance of a romance-comedy film well made!!!! (^-^)v !!

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With highlight over Contemporary romance in comparison to older times love, this new hindi movie is meant for the youth and completely relates to both the generations. It is a movie that throws light on how the 2 generations don't understand each other and how broad each of their thinking is. With a starcast like Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan, who are the face of youth in Bollywood, the movie shows how love in two different generations was the same feeling.... flowery. It's just about how people treat their love differently. Comparing the lifestyles of people in 2 different countries, the movie is based in London, Delhi and Calcutta. It showcases the best of the 2 countries.

It's a feel good movie and worth watching again and again with the high quality picturization and amazing dance and romantic songs churned into a beautiful tale of 2 generations that makes you feel that "love" is truly a bliss and worth giving your life for just like Veer (Saif Ali Khan) does!!

Read Best Reviews of Love Aaj Kal (2009) Here

This is one of my favorite movies to come out of Bollywood. Though I am just now diving into the very deep waters of Indian cinema, I know a pearl when I see one. This movie is both timely and timeless, with a theme that will speak to anyone's heart. Also, the music is spectacular. Since this is Saif Ali Khan's first foray into producing, I hope to see many more great films come out of his studio in the upcoming years.

Want Love Aaj Kal (2009) Discount?

I'm gonna give this film full marks because it doesn't try to be a romantic comedy and unlike a lot of Bollywood films takes itself seriously. Saif was superb while Deepika only outshines him with her effortless grace and intriguing character. Some surprises as far as guest appearances are concerned but the film will win you over. A great film both for cynics and for daydreamers.

I strongly recommend.

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Rio Grande (1950)

'Rio Grande', the last of director John Ford's 'unofficial' Cavalry Trilogy, has often been unfairly judged the 'weakest' of the three westerns. Certainly, it lacks the poetic quality of 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon', or the revisionist view of a thinly-disguised reworking of the events surrounding the death of George Armstrong Custer ('Fort Apache'), but for richness of detail, a sense of the camaraderie of cavalrymen, an 'adult' (in the best sense of the word) love story, and a symbolic 'rejoining' of North and South conclusion that may have you tapping your toe, 'Rio Grande' is hard to beat!

It is remarkable that 'Rio Grande' ever got to the screen; Ford hadn't planned to make it, but in order to get Republic Pictures to agree to his demands for 'The Quiet Man' (he wanted the film to be shot on location in Ireland, and in color), he had to agree to do a 'quickie' western that would turn a quick profit for the usually cash-strapped studio. This is, perhaps, a reason why the film is held in less esteem than it deserves. 'Rio Grande' may have not been born with high expectations, but with John Ford in the director's chair, and John Wayne and the Ford 'family' in the cast and crew, the potential for something 'special' was ALWAYS present!

A few bits of trivia to enhance your viewing pleasure: Yes, that IS Ken Curtis, singing with The Sons of the Pioneers, in the film...while uncredited, he made a favorable impression with Ford, and soon became a part of his 'family'...Ben Johnson, Harry Carey, Jr, and Claude Jarman, Jr, actually did their own stunts while performing the 'Roman Style' riding sequence (Carey said in interviews that they were all young, and didn't think about the danger of it; a production would lose their insurance if they 'allowed' three major performers to do something as risky, today!)...Did you know that O'Hara, playing Jarman's 'mother', was barely 14 years older than her 'son', and was only 29 at the time of the filming?...Harry Carey barely had any lines in the script; most of what you see in the film was ad-libbed!...the popular ditty, 'San Antoine', sung by Jarman, Carey, Johnson, and Curtis, was, in fact, written by Mrs. Roy Rogers, herself, Dale Evans!

Whether you're viewing 'Rio Grande' for the first time, or have sat through many viewings, the film has a richness and sense of nostalgia for a West that 'may never have existed, but SHOULD have'. It would be a proud addition to any collector's library!

This is the third of Ford's films which focus on the U.S. Cavalry and its violent encounters with the Apache. Wayne's role in each is quite different. He is a subordinate officer in Fort Apache, a commanding officer about to retire in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and again a commanding officer in this film but estranged from his wife Kathleen (Maureen O'Hara), and son Jeff (Claude Jarman, Jr.) among the men he commands. Lieutenant Kirby Yorke (Wayne) resembles Woodrow F. Call in Lonesome Dove (played by Tommy Lee Jones) who refuses to show any favoritism or even affection whatsoever to his son. (In fact, Call denies his fatherhood.) Of course, Ford ensures that husband and wife are reunited by the end of the film; also, that father and son become close after Trooper Yorke plays a key role in helping to rescue children captured by the Apache and thereby earns his commanding officer's (and father's) respect. A similar relationship exists in Red River except that the conflict is resolved without a brawl. Personally, I would have preferred less reliance on Irish ballads, the focus on Yorke's marital conflicts, and what I view as the macho element of which Ford was so fond. Nonetheless, Wayne's performance is outstanding and the sequence by which the children is rescued is brilliantly portrayed. In additional to much improved sound and image, this DVD version also offers several excellent supplementary features which include a scene-specific commentary with Maureen O'Hara, a mini-documentary "Along the Rio Grande with Maureen O'Hara," and "The Making of Rio Grande" hosted by Leonard Maltin.

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Rio Grande is a 1950 western film and the third installment of John Ford's "cavalry trilogy", following two RKO Pictures releases: Fort Apache (1948) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949).

John Wayne stars in all three films, as Captain Kirby Yorke in Fort Apache, then as Captain of Cavalry Nathan Cutting Brittles in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and finally as a promoted Lieutenant Colonel Kirby Yorke in Rio Grande (the York/Yorke character's last name was spelled slightly differently in Fort Apache and Rio Grande).

The film is based on a short story "Mission With No Record" by James Warner Bellah, that appeared in the The Saturday Evening Post on September 27, 1947, and the screenplay was written by James Kevin McGuinness.[1][2]Ford wanted to make The Quiet Man first, but Republic Pictures studio president Herbert Yates, insisted that Ford make Rio Grande first, using the same combination of Wayne and Maureen O'Hara; Yates did not feel that the script of The Quiet Man was very good, and wanted Rio Grande to be released first to pay for The Quiet Man. (To Yates's surprise The Quiet Man, on its eventual release in 1952, would become Republic's number one film in terms of box office receipts

The film was shot in Monument Valley, and other locations in southeastern Utah around the town of Moab and along the Colorado River.[3]

In Rio Grande, Colonel Yorke is posted on the frontier to defend settlers against hostile Apaches. Col. Yorke is under considerable stress between the Apaches and the young-raw recruits sent to the post-in numbers far inadequate to the needs of his command.

Tension is added when Yorke's son (whom he hasn't seen in fifteen years), Trooper Jeff Yorke (Claude Jarman Jr.), is posted to the fort. Not wanting the other men to think he is favoring his son, he ends up being harder on him. Jeff is watched over by a pair of more seasoned troopers, Tyree (Ben Johnson) and Boone (Harry Carey Jr.).

With the arrival of the estranged Mrs. Kathleen Yorke (Maureen O'Hara) who has come to take the under-age Yorke home with her, even more tension is added. The Colonel and Mrs. Yorke figure out it would be best to let young Jeff grow up and make the decision whether to stay or leave for himself; he chooses to stay. The tension brought about in the fight for their son rekindles the love they once had for each other.

Yorke is visited by his former Civil War commander, Philip Sheridan (J. Carrol Naish), now Chief General of Army. Sheridan has decided to order Yorke to cross the Rio Grande into Mexico, an action with grave political problems since it could well be seen as an act of war against Mexico.

If Yorke fails in his mission to destroy the Apache threat he faces the threat of court-martial. Sheridan, in a quiet act of acknowledgment of what he is asking Yorke to risk, promises that the members of the court will be men who rode with Yorke through the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War. Yorke accepts the mission. Now Col. Yorke must fight to save, and put back together, his family and his honor.

Some aspects of the story, notably the regiment's crossing into Mexico, and undertaking a campaign there, loosely resemble the expedition conducted by the 4th Cavalry Regiment (United States) under Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie in 1873.

Read Best Reviews of Rio Grande (1950) Here

This film marks the first of five films that John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara made together. Once John Ford got a somewhat reluctant Republic mogul Herbert Yates to agree to produce his long-time dream "The Quiet Man" Yates added a "condition." That condition was that the same team, Maureen O'Hara, Duke Wayne, do a western film first, to make up for the money he anticipated 'losing' on "The Quiet Man."

Yates must have had to eat a lot of crow because not only was "Rio Grande" a box office success, but "The Quiet Man" went on to become an all-time classic masterpiece. "Rio Grande" is an exceptionally wonderful film, and I feel is equal to "The Quiet Man" in it's own genre (Calvalry/western). It is romantic, sensitive, full of action, and everything you would expect from hero John Wayne...and his lovely lady, Maureen O'Hara plus a happy ending.

This is a subject close to my heart because I maintain a website on Ms. O'Hara and have interviewed her, as well as many of her peers, including Harry Carey, Jr., Anna Lee and John Agar. The chemistry of O'Hara and Wayne in itself is an interesting study and long underrated by Hollywood historians....

Want Rio Grande (1950) Discount?

I love this movie Maureen O'Hara never looked prettier and John Wayne is his outstanding macho self. Wayne had to complete The Quiet Man in Ireland in order to do this film and John 'Pappy' Ford made exceptionally effective use of the Monument Valley locations. The added bonus is the music of Stan Jones and the Sons of the Pioneers, the number one western music group of all time. Stan (who wrote the classic "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky") wrote almost all the music, also has a speaking role, as does Ken Curtis, the Pioneers' lead singer and who later became "Festus" on Gunsmoke. The story is a classic a mother's love for her only son along with the anger of a spoiled southern aristocrat caught in the ravages of the Civil War, the former husband whose pledge of Duty, Honor, and Country of the career military man broke up their marriage, and the realization and acceptance by both of that pledge is as integral to the man as were her ties to the South. This should be in the top five of John Wayne movies for collectors great music, acting, scenery, photography, and message.

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Star Trek Limited Edition Replica Gift Set (Three-Disc + Digital Copy) (Amazon Exclusive)

The Blu-Ray:

"Star Trek (2009)" is presented in a 1080p 2.40:1 aspect ratio Blu-Ray. Video quality is terrific. A very light film grain is present which is quite accurate compared to the theatrical presentation. Black levels are inky and deep, colors are vivid but still accurate. Close-ups demonstrate a lot of detail, especially facial close-ups. Space scenes are also swimming with detail, since most every space ship in this film is in various numbers of pieces or states of damage. Noticeable edge-enhancement and digital noise reduction are non-existent.

Simply put, this is five star material all the way. Anyone who enjoys action/sci-fi eye candy for their HD setup would do well to purchase this disc. It is demo-worthy material. This may be the single best Blu-Ray I have seen it at least ties in visual quality with the excellent Braveheart and Frost/Nixon discs.

Sound is presented in a well-balanced Dolby TrueHD mix, which is notable for not only its punch and vibrancy, but also the fact that it never drowns out dialogue. This is something that many action movies fail to accomplish, and it is most appreciated, at least by this viewer. I HATE it when I have to constantly adjust the volume on the fly in order to hear whispers of dialogue, only to have my speakers threaten to blow out when some sudden burst of noisy action occurs. "Star Trek (2009)" is wonderfully well-done in this respect. Surround channels get a lot of work, bass is booming at appropriate moments, so just like the video, audio is stellar. Also included are commentaries with Director and writers (no, they do not apologize for various inconsistencies and mistakes) and some foreign language tracks. The subtitles are a little odd sometimes they fail to transcribe dialogue. 95% of the stuff is there, but there are clearly things missing Kirk says "wow" upon seeing the Enterprise, and it is nowhere to be found in the subtitle track. Not a deal-breaker, just weird.

Extras are copious and presented in HD, which is great. However, this disc suffers from a recent trend in home video extras they are split into 30 separate chunks, presumably to look better on box copy. So you are forced to navigate a menu with 30 choices, with no markers for what you've already seen, in order to see all of the features. This is too bad, because the features are really, really good. If they had been spliced into one 2-hour making of feature, one set of deleted scenes, and one gag reel, this would be just about the perfect set of extras. Instead, you are made to do "work" instead of just enjoying the "fun." The deleted scenes, by the way, are also in HD, and most would have made the movie better. They should have just finished the effects and incorporated them into the film proper.

The Movie:

In the special features, the producers and director make it very clear that their guiding question when making the film was "Can we make it cool?" Well, they've succeeded at making it "cool." Unfortunately in making this their emphasis, they have also made some severe missteps that make it difficult to swallow as a serious Trek fan.

So I'll review this movie wearing two hats. First, for "the rest of you:"

"Star Trek (2009)" offers a bold re-imagining of a venerable television science fiction franchise. To a certain extent, it sheds much of the baggage accumulated over 40 years of television and films, giving non-Trekkies an easy entree into the universe.

We are given the tale of Kirk, Spock and McCoy taking the reins of the Starship Enterprise, in a galaxy populated by both humans and other races. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is a brash young man who is set adrift by the attack of a Romulan villain upon the ship carrying his parents. Without the influence of his father, a Starfleet officer, Kirk has an aimless childhood, squandering his intellect and his drive on bar brawls and car thefts. Luckily, he is intercepted by the wise, gruff Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) and challenged to make a better life for himself and to live up to his ability by joining Starfleet.

There, he meets fellow cadets Uhura (Zoe Saldana), McCoy (Karl Urban), Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Sulu (John Cho), and an irritating instructor, the cool, logical Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto). Their contrasting styles immediately put them at odds with each other. Spock has grown up the child of two worlds, with a human mother, and a father from Vulcan, a planet whose culture has embraced logic and the shedding of emotion, except perhaps the emotion of racism against humans.

Before their education is complete, they are presented with the threat of the same villain who had killed Kirk's dad 25 years prior Nero (Eric Bana). Turns out Nero is from the future, and is bent on revenge for the destruction of his home world, Romulus. In a plot development somewhat like "Space Camp," for some unstated reason, every other ship is somewhere else, and there are no trained crew members available for the newly-built Enterprise. So the cadets are drafted into service right then and there.

Various plot twists and turns see Kirk marooned on an ice planet, where he meets not only Scotty (a very funny Simon Pegg) but also a much older Spock (Leonard Nimoy). This old Spock explains that the visitor from the future has changed history, and that Kirk must team up with the younger Spock, melding their disparate styles and talents into a team that can defeat the threat.

Overall, the plot moves very quickly, and might be a bit confusing to those not versed in Trek lore. But the speed, noise, and bombast are such that pausing to consider holes in story logic (and there are quite a few) is not really feasible until after the movie has finished. The effects, music, and performances are all flashy and dazzling, and it is hard not to feel aggressively entertained by the whole spectacle. Especially charming are Pine as Kirk and Quinto as Spock. Their chemistry works well. There were really no casting problems for the heroes. The villain, Nero, is somewhat less successful, as his motivations are rather obscure, especially to an audience not familiar with Romulans, time travel, and the like.

It is all done with ample brio and verve enough panache to surmount its sometimes lazy storytelling and slipshod logic. On a scale of ten, I'd give it a solid 7, perhaps even an 8. It is much more entertaining than the average Hollywood popcorn movie, mainly on the strength of the characters and the performances.

Now, for the Trekkies:

"Star Trek (2009)" is the product of Hollywood corporate committees, shedding "baggage" in such a way that it dilutes some of the core concepts and appeal of the show which gave rise to the Trekkie faithful in the first place.

The characters from the original series are brought together in a way which feels quite far from organic, presumably because Hollywood executives were worried that a slower tale that realistically developed their relationships would fail to satisfy audiences unused to thinking and realism. Instead of being members of a logically coherent military organization, each with careers and internal lives of their own, all of our principal characters are roughly the same age and have the same amount of experience, despite the fact that by the end of the film, they all have different ranks and specialties. Especially galling at the end is the instantaneous promotion of Kirk from 25-year-old Starfleet cadet (not even a graduate, as he is in his third year of studies) directly to Captain of the fleet's newest and most advanced flagship. It would be akin to a fresh West Point graduate being given command of the invasion of Afghanistan, or an Annapolis cadet being given command of an aircraft carrier. Why would anyone who had invested a lifetime in this organization respect any order that escapes his lips? Equally puzzling are the promotions of all the other crew members at the end as well why is Kirk a Captain, but McCoy a Commander, Uhura a Lieutenant, Chekov an Ensign? They all have the same amount of experience and "seasoning" (i.e. none).

This is the sort of world-breaking contrivance that litters the film (want some more examples? "Transwarp Beaming" immediately springs to mind...). Which is too bad, because "Star Trek (2009)" ably captures the feel of the previous shows, mixing humor, fisticuffs, and dazzling gadgetry in nearly the perfect proportions. It fails, however, to add the integral piece a logically consistent world, one that creates and follows its own rules, one that is similar enough to our own to be comprehensible, but different and better enough that it inspires admiration and wonder, and makes you yearn to live in it. It is a bit of a tragedy, since just a few tweaks and edits could have turned a story full of world-breaking holes and missteps into pretty much the best Trek movie ever.

The quality of special effects is above that of the other films and series, and will definitely impress Trek veterans who are used to less. Many in-jokes and subtler references abound, and will no doubt elicit smiles and chuckles from those who are "in the know."

But that certain something is missing. That special thing which makes something "Trek," and not just "Generic Space Opera #12." There isn't much "Real" science fiction, for one thing black holes and space ships could have been substituted with quicksand and stage coaches they are not concepts that drive the plot or the characters or the world, instead they are generic perils, and devices to surmount those dangers. But heck, that could be said of some of the other films, those films that, despite their failings, we would still call "real" Trek. What is missing is the logical consistency of the world. Continuity. "Baggage." In stripping "Star Trek (2009)" down to something that will appeal to a "mass" audience, the producers of this film have denatured it into something reminiscent, but not recognizable.

In summary:

This is an entertaining film, no doubt about it. If you are not a Trekkie, you will probably love it. You should buy it. It's a terrific disc to give your home theater a workout.

If you are a Trekkie, you may have mixed feelings. I do. But you should still probably buy it. Consider it a riff on Star Trek. The greatest, biggest budget fan film ever made. It doesn't all work, the writing isn't all good, and a certain something is missing. But it's an entertaining ride that will probably make you yearn for the "real thing" all the more.

The minor disappointments I had with some little items are buried by the amount of great things that is the Star Trek Blu. The packaging is the single hinged chassis with cardboard slip cover, but the info sheet (typical rear cover art) is a hot-glued paper that cannot fit anywhere once it comes off. The resulting Blu art front is a head shot of Pine and the back is Quinto.

The picture is as good as would be expected, with plenty of great space effects, the heavy lens glare that Abrams likes does not bleed too bad but ILM does not disappoint. They went with TrueHD which gives an adequate immersion, some of the best tests were with Spocks ship and that unique sound (but 7.1 DTS would have been nice). Plenty of reference points throughout, but even with that clarity I still couldn't get a read on some of the little things (tried freezing the fence signs in the Corvette scene, freezing some of the panel displays to read what the actors were looking at, etc.). But what takes the time and is worth every moment for the supplement geeks like me is the entire disc 2.

Disc 1: Menus are unfortunately only minimal still animation (no live action or HD pics).

Commentary by the makers.

Disc 2: Blue screen animated left sided selections. Most items pop up with an "extended" option that has an icon appear when watching each documentary to facilitate viewing little snippets of additional material, or each one can be watched individually no play all on anything with this disc.

* 16:41 To Boldly Go. Several extensions including the Kirk dilemma (1:58), more Green Girl stuff (3:25). The main piece covers aspects of creation, whys and what fors. All of these supplements are HD interviews of the filmmakers spliced with low def footage (past and present Treks).

* 28:53 Casting. Once again all HD present footage mixed with grainy low def shots of behind the scenes gives some good material on why we saw who we did.

* 24:33 Starships. Concepts, art design and some of my favorite stuff on the making of regarding construction. Seven extensions are selectable here including Warp Drive and Paint stuff.

* 16:30 Aliens. Shows the meetings and thought process behind some of the critters and humanoids. Five extensions here.

* 16:10 Planets. Some nice history for Trek regarding the Vasquez Rocks, which showed an obvious deleted sequence made me look forward to those even more.

* 9:22 Props and Costumes. One extension here about Klingons which led to another whole deleted sequence I was now REALLY wanting to watch them.

* 9:45 Sounds. I enjoyed this one the most as the sounds intrigued me when I first saw this in theaters. Nice homage/respect paid to the old series connections.

* 8:47 Gene Roddenberry vision. A nice history with at least half of it being Nimoy narrating/being interviewed (there was a blatant absence of someone here but you will notice that through this entire set).

* 13:30 Deleted Scenes FINALLY. Play all option with commentary on/off of Abrams, Kurtzman.

Spock's birth. Throughout all of these you notice Winona's entire screen time was removed. Nice little plug on how he gets his name.

Klingon battle with the Narada, effects unfinished which leads into an entire storyline removal did not agree with the reasons for the removal but oh well.

Dysfunctional home life of the early Kirk sequence. Explains who that kid was on the road and who the voice was on the car phone.

Spock's parents arguing about which side Spock should embrace.

Klingon Prison Planet sequence wow. I want this in the director's cut. Would have explained a great deal of how Nero and the Narada disappeared.

Vulcan sequence prior to destruction (Vasquez Rocks).

Kirk and Green Girl can never have too much of that. Once you see this you can find out what Uhura and Kirk were really talking about in the theatrical cut (Klingon Prison not battle).

Scene involving more Green Girl and Kirk defeating the Maru test good scene.

Kirk apologizing to Green Girl had to go once the others were cut.

* Simulator: Mix of animated and slight HD footage of interactive material on the Enterprise and the Narada. The vast majority of material centers on the Narada (weapons, propulsion etc.).

* 6:22 Gag Reel. A brief retro title sequence followed by a hilarious slew of swearing by even the best (priceless watching Nimoy cuss his lines). Fast paced and fun.

* 3 trailers.

Everything subtitled in French, Spanish, & Port.

Disc 3. Digital copy and game demo. Did not use either.

Overall, I had a great time going through all of this and I honestly think even the discerning Trekkie will be happy with this product. Yes, I feel the deleted scenes should have been left in as they explained some obvious gaps in the film, but at least we got to see them. The HD screenings have been very popular and I don't tire of watching this through and through. Enjoy.

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9/8/66. It's a badge that Original Trekkers wear proudly -the date that the very first Star Trek episode ("The Man Eater") appeared on television. I bear it, and Star Trek hooked me that very Thursday evening, and for the next three years, I sat through all 69 episodes, both the best ("Oh Boy! The Trouble with Tribbles") and the worse ("Oh, no! Not that one!"). When they began to appear in syndication, I watched them over and over until I could repeat the lines with the characters. And, no, I'm not going to tell you who my favorite character was.

It's been 43 years since that first episode. I'm still hooked.

A lot of my compatriots have said that J.J. Adams' "reboot" of the Star Trek franchise went too far -they weren't ready for some of the things that happened (and, for the sake of those readers who have not seen the movie, I'm not going to reveal what those things are). They didn't like the changes in the mythos that occurred. OK, fine. Different strokes ...

I, however, love this film, and would have gone to see it over and over again if it hadn't been that my darling didn't really want to (and our budget didn't allow it). So what if things changed? It's an alternate universe -and any Trekker worth her salt will recognize those occur -Remember "Mirror, Mirror?" A planet blows up, and I admit, given the planet, I'm pretty sad (no, it's not Earth). I'm also sad that Scottie used Admiral Archer's favorite beagle for an experiment, and it hasn't been seen since (Okay, so one slipped out).

However, the most powerful ideas and characters remain true to their alternate others: Kirk is strong, handsome, creative in a crisis (and may be a womanizer, although he doesn't get the woman he wants here), even if he's not William Shatner. Spock struggles to keep his emotions in check and his logic foremost (tremendously well-played by Zachary Quinto). "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban, unexpectedly unlike many of his fantasy and SF rolls)is humane, funny, and passionate -and a lot better looking than the well-beloved, late DeForest Kelley. Bruce Greenwood ("The Core"), Simon Pegg, Ben Cross (superb as Sarak) and Winona Ryder (Amanda! And I am getting to be too old) are all wonderful, and add strength, passion and substance to both their characters and the film. It was, however, sad to see Leonard Nimoy, as "our" Mr./Abassador Spock, late in his life, and know we probably never see him in another Star Trek film.

So. Buy it? Damn straight. Get it for your children and yourselves.

Star Trek would have never died for me, anyway, because I've dreamed of walking on another planet ever since I saw that first episode. But now, Star Trek will come alive for a fourth generation to learn those same dreams.

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In order to get big rewards in life you have to take big risks. If there is one thing that the Star Trek universe hasn't done in 20-25 years its take risks. The franchise has suffered greatly for it, continuing to follow a formulaic approach that has made the franchise stale, predictable, and for quite a while... DEAD. Not sick, not on life support, but D-E-A-D.

Those days are over.

The 11th feature presentation is quite simply the first GREAT Star Trek movie ever made. While others in the series have been enjoyable, there was no definitive movie that stood out, nothing that could be pointed to as something unique, something special, something that takes RISKS.

What you get here is the biggest risk that has ever been taken in the Star Trek universe in its 40+ years of existence.

I will not ruin this risk but if you are a fan of the movies at all you will know it when you see it. Being a long time fan of Star Trek (I am a Next Generation first and foremost) and having seen the trailer numerous times I figured out what was going to happen about 20 minutes before it did but that didn't stop the shock when I witnessed this awesome writing decision played out on the big screen. The strongest of Star Trek lovers (especially TOS people) will no doubt have a lot of outrage at this risk but it was the right move to make. The Star Trek franchise needed to be shaken up, it needed something fresh and it needed a movie to shock and awe the audience.

Man did it ever deliver.

This movie is an absolute JOY to experience. Spock was always my favorite TOS personality as he probably was for most fans, but I never felt the connection to this cast that I did to Picard, Data, Worf and the Next Gen cast so I really didn't care what changes they made (and there is another major change that involves 2 characters that you never have experienced before in TOS history) if they were for the better. In all cases these were for the better and executed with near-perfection by JJ Abrams (who might later be revered on the same level as Gene Rodenberry if this re-visioning [this is much more than a simple reboot] succeeds like I think it will).

Since I don't like getting too deep into spoilers with reviews instead of focusing on the story (try your best to stay ignorant as possible of the story so its fresher when you see the film) I will instead focus on the characters we know so well (and some we don't).

True To The Character We Know

Spock (played by Zachary Quinto) Even though Kirk (ahhem William Shatner) was advertised as the lead of TOS, the real centerpiece was Spock. The work here by Quinto is beyond exceptional and complements the amazing work done by Leonard Nimoy the past 40 years. Quinto plays the character as well as you could imagine and the real special thing in this movie is that finally (FINALLY) the half human side of Spock is heavily examined. It is a major part of the movie and no doubt will continue to be focused on in future films. Spock is no more or less important to the crew and story as he always has been. Other actors could do lesser work (they didn't) but the movie franchise will only succeed as well as Quinto acts. The character is in the best of hands.

Bones (played by Karl Urban) The gem of the entire movie without question. Karl Urban takes the difficult role of playing not only Bones but Bones played by DeForest Kelley and is he ever amazing. It's a complete joy to watch his character on the screen. Urban doesn't need to do anything different in future films. You can tell how hard he worked to keep the Bones character as he has always been and he hits a home run out of the park. Wonderful wonderful wonderful

Scotty (played by Simon Pegg) We don't meet Scotty until far into the movie but Pegg does a great job doing James Doohan. Since Scotty was always kind of the "middle" character on the show where he wasn't wasted but wasn't the tops (Spock, Kirk, Bones) all Pegg had to do was do a good Scotty and hopefully the script-writers would give him more to do. This is the case here.

Revisions And Improvements Made

Kirk (played by Chris Pine) No longer do we get the ultra womanizing, overacting of Kirk/William Shatner but we get instead a focus on the risk-taking side of Kirk and this is the Kirk that I could truly learn to love. Over and over again we see why Kirk in Star Trek canon is revered so much and his take no prisoners approach is put on the front burner all throughout this film. Pine is confident and does a fantastic job. I don't care how revered Shatner is, the writers got it right with this re-visioning of Kirk and it's thumbs up all the way.

Sulu (played by John Cho) Not much to say here. Cho was fine but nothing amazing in his performance. Sulu fights a little bit but hopefully more focus can be made on him in the future, no problems here but nothing jumps out.

Uhura (played by Zoe Saldana) As a communications officer her role is MUCH better in this re-visioning. She is given more intelligent input by the script-writers but the one major canon change of Uhura (which I can't go into detail in this review) I am still trying to determine how I feel about. Her mod is the 2nd biggest risk/mod taken in the movie.

Complete Rewrite

Chekov (played by Anton Yeltin) Except for being Russian and making fun of his thick accent this is a completely new character and man was this a serious improvement. Instead of the bumbling doofus that really doesn't do anything now Chekov is a ultra-young uber-intelligent officer that plays pivotal parts in the movie. Yes this was a serious canon change but I can't imagine how any fan wouldn't approve because now you have a real character you can be emotionally attached to.

New Characters

Nero (played by Eric Bana) Bana instantly becomes one of the main villains in Star Trek lore and in my opinion because of events in the movie he now becomes THE single villain in Star Trek history. I wish Nero could have been on the screen more but with only 2 hours and so many people to get on the screen I think the right balance was struck.

Old Friends

XXX You will know who this is when you see them. I have no complaints other than one voice-over part where the narration seems a bit droll and uninspired but I also think this is because of the circumstance how they are speaking. This old friend was a +++ to the movie and not just a ploy to get people in the seats. A welcome addition to the movie and plot.

Intangibles

Bridge The new bridge is the most gorgeous bridge you will ever see. Some say it looks 'too sexy' or 'too bright' but THIS is how the bridge should have always looked. Please please please don't change it for the future films. You have already achieved the perfect look.

Score The one downside of the movie. The 3rd trailer featured some of the most gorgeous background score ever and my hopes were very high. The score that is featured in the movie is serviceable but doesn't inspire. I was disappointed with the end result. It's alright but it could have been so much more.

IMO 'Star Trek' achieves what only 1 Star Trek movie (IV The Voyage Home) came close to doing and that is being a successful film to the general public, not just Star Trek fans in general. This is the quickest 2 hours you will spend this summer and an absolute joy. I can see several movies being made with this cast and I hope several are made. The events of this film make for a realistic approach to the original cast working anew in these new revisions. As the movie ended I wished I could move ahead 2-3 years in time to see the next chapter and the next and the next.

Everyone likes to rank the movies in order and I knew 1 hour in this was EASILY (note I don't even flinch when I say EASILY EASILY EASILY) the greatest Star Trek movie ever made. You know a movie succeeds when a character or a movie itself feels like candy for the brain (last year Heath Ledgers Joker was the ultimate 'candy') and this is some yummy candy.

If you are a Star Trek fan go see it and try to have an open mind for what you will see. Many will be fine with the changes made. For the ones that aren't would you rather have changes and new Star Trek movies or the same old same old that had ruined the franchise for so long (kudos to Rick Berman as the official murderer of ST)??? If you are just a person that loves movies you (yes YOU) can even enjoy Star Trek as this movie has been produced not just for the Trekkie but the every day Joe and Jane.

***** HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION

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Spoiler alert: Don't read if you haven't watched the movie yet, and don't want to know too much in advance.

First off let me say that I am a devoted Star Trek fan, but not a die hard trecker. I don't own a Star Trek encyclopedia, never went to an event, don't speak klingon, and don't own a uniform. But I grew up watching the original series in reruns (TOS). I was so hooked, I never missed a single episode if I could somehow help it, come hell or high water. I also loved the motion pictures with the original cast. But they lost me with TNG (the next generation). I really tried to like it, but never came to care for the characters. Enter the Borgs and I was so disgusted that at that point I jumped ship. Everything produced after TNG went straight over my head. From what I learned, I am not the only one.

I watched this new movie three times. Then I spent a lot of time online reading reviews and opinions. I carefully read all the the complains, the criticism. And I can't help but agree. Does this movie carry a message? Other than the hint about water boarding, probably not. Is it about peaceful exploration? No! Does it suffer from ADHD? Is it too fast paced, is there too much action and violence packed in a weak story line, does it have huge plot holes? Is the Kirk character a little over the edge? Does Spock act out of character? Does the whole time travel and alternative universe business stink somewhat? Yes, guilty on all charges. Did I care for this thing between Spock and Uhura? Nay...

Is this Star Trek after all??? Yes, it is!

I loved the movie. In fact, I weeped with joy. This movie makes me feel like being reunited with dear long lost friends that were left behind for dead. Not to mention the fact that it beamed me right back into my childhood.

The key figures of the cast are terrific! Time for a big sigh of relief: Zacchary Quinto was spot on, which is vital for many folks including me who feel that Spock is the character that makes Star Trek truly special. Chris Pine and Karl Urban did a fantastic job too. All supporting characters also are portrayed very well. I admit I didn't care at all for Ben Cross as Sarek. He somehow always lookes like he was pouting.

Some of the characters come with a slightly different flavor. Spock is still a little green behind the ears (pun intended!). Kirk is over the edge rebellious, constantly hanging over a cliff with a bloody nose, and doesn't show any interest of classic literature as of yet . But all that makes sense, its an age thing.

The only really regrettable twist concerns Amanda. Her character hardly gets any attention and than gets killed of. Along with the whole planet Vulcan at that. That is really hard to stomach, I am still chewing on that one.

And still this movie feels so GOOD! It's hard to explain, but I give it a try.

Every once in a while along comes a show or story that simply is somehow...magic. That has the stuff fairy tales are made of. That has something that resonates with a primal common core deep inside. Magic is not just a thing of the distant past; they still make that stuff. Really! Simply by following ancient, time proven recipes.

Walt Disney, for example, knows a thing or two about magic. Cinderella will never go out of style!

Star Trek TOS has that magic. This is why it survived early cancellation in the late sixties. Not only survived, but from there it kept thriving. Despite the painfully cheesy low budget production and reluctant studio bosses who did their best to slash creativity for ratings. Despite the 'Mary Sues' in ridiculously short mini skirts, and terrible special effects. Maybe Star Trek TOS survived and thrived not despite but because it was cancelled, who knows?

Don't take me wrong, many of the episodes contain great drama, good conflict with plenty of thought provoking messages. Reflecting on the war in Vietnam Rodenberry's Starfleet stands for a military force as it should be, using weapons only as a last option, strictly adhering to the prime directive of non interference but still somehow finding ways to stand its ground. What is not to like?

But the main reason for Star Trek TOS's huge success is the character constellation and the chemistry between them. Because they all present old, well known stereotypes.

The Kirk, Spock and McCoy troika forms the core. Spock, superior to the mere humans around him, standing for knowledge, science, reason and control, McCoy for expressing and dealing with lower emotions like fear and doubt, but also deep care and nurture as a healer or doctor. The love/hate relationship between those two provides great drama and charming humor. Kirk consults with these two opposites, puts it all together, adds human instincts, intuition and leadership. Now Enterprise is ready to take action.

This set of 3 is supported by a framework made of the 4 remaining personalities on the Enterprise bridge, each presenting a different corner and culture of the globe. Uhura from Africa the South, soft spoken and exotic. Scott from Scotland in the North, crafty and energetic. Sulu from Japan in the West, calm with a zen like smile. And Chekov from Russia in the East, the youngest in the lot, eager to please, still an ensign and somewhat low in the food chain, so he doesn't post any threat to the sixties cold war audience.

They all line up like ducks in a row or the seven chakras. The Enterprise is the shiny powerful vehicle that holds all the pieces of the puzzle together.

Put it all on a new and exciting stage, a promising, positive future, and success is almost inevitable. But if you take away a piece of the puzzle, or the Enterprise, or change the pattern somehow, things get out of balance. This is why things went downhill with all the spin offs. Over time, Star Trek slowly but surely disintegrated.

So cliche, some complain. But that doesn't always has to be a flaw, Here it is a thing of beauty.

The TOS concept is so simple and elegant, is so immensely satisfying. This is why so many people are fascinated by the Star Trek phenomena. It strikes an ancient cord, it resonates with us.

Now, JJ Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, put the pieces back together, and Star Trek as we know and love it is back. They captured the essence and take us to the very beginning of the Enterprise saga and its unique crew, and despite all this new background noise (plot holes, ADHD and all, see above) the story still flows seamlessly, still feels right. Again. All hands back on deck, everybody is back on station. The spirit of Star Trek is back. For that I am eternally grateful!!!

If cutting edge special effects and an action filled plot with with lots of humor help drawing wider attention and get more people on board, well, that's even for the better!

Lets hope that in future sequels our friends stay together and are allowed to do some growing up from here, getting a little more reflective and wiser on the way, taking us along for the ride. And that the spirit of Star Trek doesn't get watered down to oblivion again. And I hope and pray that our new alternate universe doesn't come with Borgs!!! ;-)

To cite Nimoy's Spock: "Have faith that the universe unfolds the way it should" (Star Trek VI). And: "Go with what feels right" (Star Trek 2009)

Well, that is the way I feel!

Please excuse my english, I am not from your world, ummh continent ;-)

War of the Arrows (2011)

Set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea, a lethal archer goes up against the Qing Dynasty to save his younger sister who was dragged away by invaders. Fans of kick-ass archery will be in heaven here. Both the protagonist and the antagonists use bows and arrows almost exclusively. The pacing is very fast, with the entire second half consisting of a footchase/shootout in a forest. Most of the action is grounded and realistic, with a few exceptions. Acting is solid too. Very exciting and totally entertaining.

"You're now Ja-in's father, you must take care of your sister until you die." After getting into an argument with his sisters fiancé Nam-Yi leaves his village before her wedding. When he returns he is told of the attack and kidnapping of his sister and sets out with his bow to get her back and exact revenge. As many of you may know I have never really been a big fan of these epic martial arts type movies. There have been a few I liked but not many. This one may be the best one I have seen since "Hero". This movie grabs you from the opening scene and is action packed and keeps you interested the entire time. The story and action are very well done and there is not a dull moment in this at all. There are some very brutal scenes in this but it's not over the top at all and it helps the story. For fans of this genre this is a must see. For those like me who can go either way this is still a movie that is very much worth watching. Overall, one of the best of this genre I have seen. I give it an A.

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This movie is very well done. The action is intense and riveting. From beginning to end, the movie will keep you glue to the screen. A rare telling of Manchurian attempted invasion of Korea.

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Without a doubt, WAR OF THE ARROWS is one of the finest period `actioners' I've seen in years; in fact, the last time I remember being this excited about a period adventure piece was probably CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. It's technically accomplished on a level with the best films that the cinema has to offer audiences. I understand from some of my reading on the film that WAR made buckets of money at the box office, and it's not hard to see why: it's a rousing adventure one with multiple heroes waging personal battles against obvious villains set at a breakneck pace, all coupled with a unique love story between a young couple as well as one between a brother and a sister.

The story begins in the heat of a battle Manchurian barbarians are raiding a mountain village where a young boy, Choi Nam-yi (played by Park Hae-il), tries to keep his sister, Choi Ja-in (played by Moon Chae-won) safe from all of the danger. Quickly, they're both rescued by their father, who implores his son to raise his sister as if he were her own daughter, before the elder archer is killed by the forces destroying their home. The siblings flee, and they're soon captured and taken in by a community of men and women. There, they find safety and grow into adults, with Nam-yi becoming a skilled archer and his sister destined to wed Kim Seo-gun (played by Kim Mu-yeol), the son of the group's leader. However, the Manchurian invaders eventually strike again, destroying the city and taking everyone hostage except Nam-yi, who escapes but soon arms himself with his deadly bow to rescue his people from the forces of evil.

WAR OF THE ARROWS is brilliantly structured. It combines popular textural elements of myth and fairy tale, feeling at times as though the story may've been lifted from a story book, and sets those elements up against the harsh, grim reality of born out of foreign occupation. The innocent are captured, their spirit broken, their villages destroyed, and the victors play incessantly torturous tricks on them, dashing all of their hopes of finding peace or complacency again. As an audience, you cheer their inevitable comeuppance once our hero sets his lone bow against theirs, becoming a kind of unstoppable, medieval `Dirty Harry.' All he wants to do is save his sister, but, before it's all said and done, he's liable to save an entire people from being destroyed. Along the way, he finds a few companions, and, together, they brave the odds to put right what's been torn away from them. It's the kind of film that's best seen with a crowd a collective experience to hiss at the scoundrels and cheer on the heroes.

Well Go USA's presentation is sharp and crisp as the colors pop and there's very little grain to distract from the entire film. There's a sequence with a short action sequence involving a tiger (a narrative `loop' from a part early in the film's story to later events) that involves some less-than-stellar CGI composition that could've used another brush or two from the special effects department, but it's a forgivable sin as any reasonable person can understand and appreciate the danger of having a live animal attacking live actors onscreen. Also, I think it's worth noting that there's some exceptional editing throughout WAR; the pacing especially during the action sequences, of which there are many is superb and tight. Additionally, there are some unique tricks with sound worked on the film's track the film is replete with sequences involving several archers that keep the viewers interest and elevate the storytelling to accomplished levels.

Sadly, the disc comes with very few extras. There's a short, basic `making of' snippet it plays out like a featurette and doesn't really offer any revealing information, feeling more like an ad piece. Given the fact that the story deals with moments of history between Korea and Manchuria, I would've liked to have known more; sure, I can always Google or Wiki some additional information, but it would've been nice, at least, to have some basic direction of where to begin researching some of this period on my own as I'm a history junkie when it comes to stories tied to history like WAR OF THE ARROWS is. Better luck next time, producers! Give us more than just an A+ story!

Highest recommendation

In the interests of fairness, I'm pleased to share that the kind folks at Well Go USA provided me with a screener copy of WAR OF THE ARROWS for the purposes of completing this review.

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Having seen news reports that interest in archery has dramatically increased since the release of "The Hunger Games," I would suggest that "War Of The Arrows," would start an archery epidemic. Comparing the two films is like arguing that "Dumb and Dumber" is better than "The Godfather." One is simple (not to suggest stupidity) and the other is complex (without being difficult to understand).

If archery is your thing, "The War Of The Arrows" will completely satisfy that hunger. If you want nothing more than a great entertainment, you will not regret the time invested.

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