The Doors (1991)

This review refers to the Artisan Special Edition(2disc)DVD of "The Doors".....

Become immersed in the wild ride that Oliver Stone takes you on in this legendary film of a legendary rocker.The extrordinary life story of Jim Morrison, played eeriley by Val Kilmer, will keep you mesmerized and stay with you long after the movie has ended.

The film explores "The Doors", from their beginnings in Venice Beach, California, where they exploded onto the rock scene,breaking the mold of music in the 60's, to their rise as superstars. Morrison's life is the main focus as a senstive poet type dropping out of film school, to becoming the Peyote addicted,culture shocking, philosphical rock idol.The LSD trips, the visions of this genius, his personal life and of course the famous controversial concerts are all told through Stone's unique cinematic magic.

You'll get lost not only in the time setting of the story but of course in the music as well. "The Doors" electrifying music is heard throughout the film and follows them chronologically on their journey. It's a film for fans of the cinema and music alike.

As mentioned above Val Kilmer is uncanny in not only his performance as Morrison, but seems to take on the physical appearance as well. The band members played by Kevin Dillon, Kyle Maclachlan and Frank Whaley are extraordinary in their portrayals. Meg Ryan, in a very dramatic roll as Jim's girl Pam is brilliant.

This "Special Edition" DVD is the one to have(and it's not as expensive as the other) It's a 2 disc set, with a fabulous widescreen picture, and a 5.1 Dolby Dig(get to this through the special feature selections) audio track that will blow you away. Lots and lots of special features. On the disc with the movie you can listen to Stone's commentary where he fills you in on how the band met, the genesis of the songs, and where he has taken license with the story. The second disc is filled with featurettes and production notes. Looking at the Technical info for the other edition ("The Collectors") it seems to be longer by 30 minutes and may have some extras not included with this one, but it is not in the 5.1 which for me was the deciding factor in this film featuring this exciting soundtrack.

So get out those mood rings and leather fringe vests and get ready to rock with "The Doors".....

"This Is The End"...........Laurie

also recommended:The Very Best of the Doors

"Pam joined him three years later . . ." is on my copy of the 15 Year Anniversary Edition; the movie is the same as the Special Edition.

The packaging and menus are updated and look great. Substantially better than the special edition.

On to the 2 new features.

The Doors in L.A. 20 minute feature; Robbie Krieger, John Densmore, (yaaay!), Jimmy Greenspoon, and Pamela Des Barres are the prominent interviews on camera here. Nothing earth shattering, but it's nice to see/hear John Densmore's abridged opinions.

The Jim Morrison Phenomena in Paris it's interesting. You've got a handful of people who met JDM in Paris and hung out; they describe his mood and what he was (arguably) saying at the time. There's a French librarian who breaks down a lot of the parallels in the subtleties of the lyrics w/Greek literature. There's a somewhat annoying 20 something saying Jim was done with music and The Doors and blah, blah, blah that isn't substantiated w/anything. There is an interview w/Michelle Rudler, who is listed as "Coroner" who says lots of things were done wrong in the documentation of Morrison's death. It's about 50 minutes.

All of the extras on the Special Edition are here as well.

So in conclusion, if you are looking to purchase The Doors movie on DVD, by Oliver Stone, this is the one to get. The movie is entertaining enough but, you know, it's fictional and not historically accurate enough to garner more than 3 stars from this reviewer.

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The Doors suffers the same problems that Stone's other films about real people and events (JFK and Nixon) do; Stone uses the docu-drama format as a license to condense times and events, while simultaneously inventing composite characters and situations that never existed. All too often, these films, while containing exciting filmic and visual elements, ring a bit hollow.

The upside of The Doors is the performance of Val Kilmer, who threw himself into the role with ferocity and conviction; that he comes up short in the end isn't due to his acting abilities as much as the choice of episodes and Morrison's characteristics (both real and invented) that Stone chose to film. Simply put, Stone's Morrison comes across as little more than a sporatically gifted poet who sublimates his poetic callings to all the cliched rock star trappings. Perhaps this does describe some of Morrison's personality to a degree, but after seeing Morrison get stoned, drunk and act like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum for 2 hours plus, one wonders if Oliver thought of Morrison as basically an obnoxious drunk (possessed by the soul of a bald, silly-looking, half-naked dead indian that continually wanders around the movie) and, if so, what it was that turned Stone onto making the film in the first place...

The downside, in addition to the lack of scope regarding Morrison, comes in the numerous episodes that never happened (The Doors tripping on acid in the desert, Patricia Kennealy being present at the New Haven show Morrison got arrested at, Particia Kennealy and Pam Courson having a catfight, Buick actually making a commercial using the song Light My Fire and Jim finding out about it by watching tv, Jim setting fire to his and Pam's house while Pam was smacked up in the closet...and on and on). Also, the years of 1967 to early 1969 take up about an hour and a half of the movie, while the remainder of 1969 through to mid 1971 take about twenty minutes.

It's a shame that Stone went to such trouble to set up and film some great concert sequences, and Kilmer really made a terrific attempt at playing Morrison, but in the end both were content to rest the character on both the various myths about the singer and the confirmed instances of Morrison at his drunken worst. A well-shot film that, in the end, has little to do with reality.

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Hey, I know I'm in the minority in my opinion here on Amazon, yet I will state unequivocally my view that the portrayal of Jim Morrison, his common-law wife Pamela Courson, the group, and even the supporting cast of regulars in The Doors Universe come off like characters in search of a serious screenwriter.

Come on already, Oliver. Who could sympathize with Jim and Company when they spew out lines of dialogue clipped, of all places, from Morrison's song lyrics? Did you actually think an audience would accept Jim uttering such discordant lines in an everyday conversation? Could you not separate the man from the performer? Because of that awful bit of writing, Jim comes off like a buffoon, not an erudite talent who, despite a lifetime of loneliness, alienation, and addictive tendencies (which would ultimately snuff out his life), still managed to push aside material comfort for a pursuit of the truth as he saw it.

Also, how come Jim revels in such horrible psychobabble? Had you not gleamed the interviews (available through Bright Midnight and other retailers) you'd hear an incredibly bright, articulate young man who lamented the day he elected to be part of a rock and roll band. You'd also have the makings of excellent drama, as a man who cannot escape his fame and a man who longed to create films and poetry in his own right.

How could one ever sympathize with a drunken lout (YOUR Jim) who acts like an ass (seems more like Val Kilmer playing himself rather than Jim), shows no compassion whatsoever, and just appears to become famous in one quick turn of events. The only clue we have to the success stems from the Sullivan show, the airport raid, and assorted concerts, but we never get a sense of Jim being nationally lambasted. Some archival footage might have helped there. But of course then the more sedate, intelligent Morrison--whom you portrayed as bumping into cops whereas Jim preferred to sway at a mike stand (see the archival footage)--doesn't figure in a Hollywood biopic.

What a shame. What a rotten, dirty, salacious mess. Maybe your own demons got the better of your good sense, Oliver. God knows, if your Morrison had been the true Morrison, I'd never had been a fan of his in the first place. Thanks for turning Jim into David Lee Roth, the members of KISS, Robert Plant, and all those other Circus Magazine posterboys for rock and roll excess. Too bad. An integrity, a nonmaterial nature, and a sincere attraction to make art distinguishes Jim from all those other Sex, Drug, and Rock and Roller hellions.

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(Blu-ray version)

For only those, who just like me, when look for a review, they only hope to find technicals opinions, nothing about the movie, history, critical or something like that, so...

The picture is great and the sound is great too. Buy it!

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Child's Play (1988)

A worthy edition of Child's Play hits shelves on September 9th as a nice appetizer before Halloween which is most horror fans version of Christmas. What better gift then a good guy doll.

Chucky has become a horror icon over the years. Directed by horror contributor Tom Holland who also directed Fright Night. Holland also wrote Psycho II and the screenplays for the brutal Class of 1984 and the classic 80s film Cloak & Dagger. Another horror regular Brad Dourif and that voice, he makes Chucky a doll version of Samuel L. Jackson's, Jules, from Pulp Fiction. Most notably his response to being thrown in the fire. Dourif along with the Fx team helped create one of the best doll horror movies. Other good one's that come to mind are the Zuni fetish doll from Trilogy of Terror and Stuart Gordon's Dolls.

The original dvd:

Originally Child's Play contained a non widescreen edition. As for special features it contained a collectible behind the scenes booklet that wasn't very collectible. If you'd like a real write up on Child's Play check out the somewhat new magazine HorrorHound. In issue #10 they do a in depth retrospective on the Child's Play series. I highly recommend this magazine as well, unlike Fangoria it does more articles on horror over the years instead of just new stuff.

The 20th Anniversary Edition:

Special Features

Commentary track with creator/writer Don Mancini and producer David Kirschner.

A second track with FX guru Kevin Yagher, Catherine Hicks (Kevin's wife; they met on the film), and now-grown-up Alex Vincent.

A third track with Mancini and Chucky (Brad Dourif voicing in character).

The film itself is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen.

Making-of documentary blending archival footage with new, on-camera interviews with Mancini, Kirschner, Yagher, Hicks, Vincent, Chris Sarandon, John Lafia and Brad Dourif.

All this commentary should blow away the 1 page "collectible" piece of paper with the original dvd release.

I'd also recommend to those who like the series, which I do, (there a fun time) to pick up Chucky The Killer DVD Collection, for those into cover art there is a doll of Chucky coming out of the cover with various weapons he can choose from on the side.

Hope this helps.

A serial killer has mysterious disappeared from the cops and found tumbled into a toy store after being shot by one of the policeman. He must find something to transfer his soul into another form of a body that will keep him alive until he can a living host. So he finds one of the childrens most favorite dolls known as the Good Guy dolls. He tranfers his soul into the doll and find a person to retransfer it into a human. If you ask me, I'd say this movie had suprisingly good special effects in the movie. Especially on the Chucky doll. Brad Douif does a great job on the voice of Chucky as he goes killing people without anyone knowing who he really is, except for the fact that he is a walking, talking, stalking, doll. The trouble starts as a little boy's dream was to get a Good Guy doll for Christmas and so the mother starts to panic, that she can't find one. But a strange man as just apparently had a Good Guy doll for sale. When the little boy gets the doll for Christmas...and well, you should know what happens from then on! Chucky's back, Jack!

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This is the best Child's Play/Chucky movie of all time! It was actuallly HORROR and scared me when I was a kid. This movie deserves to be bought, great acting, great entertainment, great horror. Watch this!!!!!

Read Best Reviews of Child's Play (1988) Here

Forget Seed of Chucky, Bride of Chucky, and the other two sequels that came after this surprisingly good horror romp. Tom Holland (Fright Night) directed this horror romp, in which the soul of a deranged killer inhabits a child's doll. Child's Play manages to boast a few genuine scares and add some creepy atmosphere to boot, with Brad Dourif doing great work as the voice of killer "good guy" doll Chucky. I won't go into the plot, since everyone pretty much already knows it, but what I will say is that this is about ten times better than any movie to feature the killer doll released since, and surprisingly the film hasn't aged too badly. All in all, if you've never seen the original Child's Play, give it a try; although I wish the DVD were presented in widescreen.

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Child's Play (Chucky's 20th Birthday Edition) has some extras that the first DVD release did not have.

I of course recommend this to any fan of the franchise.

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Tiger & Bunny, Set 2 (2013)

"may contain spoilers"

the mysterious Lunatic rears his head again, we learn more of his past and what made him the way he is. tiger has developments with his life and powers, Barnaby has run into new leads with regards to his parents, their work and deaths. blue rose begins to have confliction within her heart.

in this set of the hit anime "tiger & bunny" we will see new nexts, and many plot twists that we thought solved in the set 1. In my opinion its just has good as the set 1, and i hope for set 3 soon. the overall happenings of this set are a series of plot twists revolving around our heros, that seem to slap the view in the face, who thought they had figured out and solved the plot. all i can say is pay attention to detail, many of the people save in set 1 appear in the background and dont show up in the plot(just thought you should know), be watchful and aware and dont disappear, stay tuned for the next in the series set 3

info on set

Hailed as the heroes who saved Stern Bild, Kotetsu and Barnaby face a volley of media attention that includes their learning how to dance! Then, Kotetsu deals with his conflicted feelings about continuing as Wild Tiger and visits his hometown to spend time with his family. He tries to discuss his feelings with Barnaby, but when a possible new lead comes up, Kotetsu gives his full attention to helping Barnaby find the murderer of his parents.

Special Features: Additional Scenes, Production Sketches, Storyboards.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

Age Rating 13+ (More Information)

Genre Action/Adventure

300 Minutes

Media bluray

Publisher VIZ

number of disks 2

Great animation and thrilling action as the mystery behind Bunny's parents finally gets wrapped up. The conspiracy around Tiger also was thrilling, even if his attempts to escape it were lame but funny.

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may fav.cartoon in a long time!I just love anime and this ranks up there with naruto and bleach,and it has adult comedy and situations like you could only find in some station anime!

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Tiger and bunny is awesome! I brought the first set and fell in love with this show viz did a great job on the English dub cast it gets really good when the show talks about barnaby past cant wait to get this set !

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Antwone Fisher (2008)

To be honest, I was a little hesitant to see "Antwone Fisher," the directorial debut by Denzel Washington. Movies directed by actors can be little more than self-serving vanity projects that merely say, "Hey! I'm an actor! And I can also direct! I'm so multitalented!" You can say the same thing about this movie, but you would be wrong. While it's a little sentimental at times, "Antwone Fisher" is one of the most heartfelt and genuine movies of 2002. Derek Luke is the title character, a young and hotheaded seaman who gets sent to Jerome Davenport (Washington) for psychiatric evaluation following a heated brawl with another soldier. From there, the two begin a painful journey that involves discovering the roots of Fisher's anger and, more important, the broken family that left him behind. It's often disturbing to see the psychological abuse Fisher suffered at the hands of his elders, and his strong will and tenacity make him all the more respectable. Luke gives a decidedly low-key yet strong performance and holds his own admirably against seasoned pro (and two-time Oscar winner) Washington. But if I have a slight bone to pick with this movie, it's that its plot has a bit of a "heard it before" feel. Several movies ("Good Will Hunting" comes to mind) have already featured a story about a troubled kid whose life gets turned around by an older mentor. Yet, "Antwone Fisher" earns its four stars thanks to its classy, non-flashy direction by Denzel and a solid performance by Luke.

...i would give this film ten stars even, more if there were a way. I saw this movie when it first came out on DVD in 2003, and i think i pretty much understood it for what it was, but i still didn't feel it for what it was. Then, i saw it again last night for the first time since 2003, when it very first arrived on DVD. This time, i both understood it for what it was meant to be and felt it the way it was meant to be felt. As a young, black writer trying to make my way along the same path that people like Toni Morrison, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, J. K. Rowling, Antwone Fisher and Ralph Ellison have paved before me, it is always a very interesting thing to see such an honest and heartfelt screenplay make it to the big screen. The actors are superb throughout the entire picture, and they always manage stay in character. Just when you expect the characters to suddenly change due to some happy or sad or traumatic event in their life at the moment, BAM, reality is smashed into your face. This, more than anything else in the film besides the truth to the story, made watching it very worthwhile. Because Life often has no happy ending, and things rarely ever turn so quickly in real life, as they do in hundreds of other films. I don't exactly know how to describe watching this film. I'll just say that it moved me to tears several times throughout with no shame whatsoever. I was a child who was abandoned by his father completely, and i didn't have the best family life, growing up poor in a very small town. I loved this film so much that i got a copy for my best friend recently, as a Christmas gift. I thought that he must see it, if only to give him some view of what it was like growing up me or like me, although i know i didn't have it as badly as Mr. Fisher did. All in all, very great film, great acting, very realistc, very compelling, and most of all, completely honest, even when it hurts. Watching this film, you begin to understand that most personal problems stem from somewhere, most likely childhood, even if you've never seen or thought about this before. We are all truly sponges as children. See this film. You will not regret it. It may even help you to watch it. it helped me, after all. It allowed me to see that there is hope, this second time around.

Hawksmoor...From The Bleed

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All I can say is: Thank you, Antwone, for sharing your life with us, and thank you, Denzel, for bringing this story to the theater. You have made a huge difference in my own life, and I wish I could thank you personally.

As a child, I suffered much of the same abuse (though not so violent) and loneliness that Antwone experienced. It has been a long and difficult journey for me to move towards health. I did not make it as quickly as Antwone did.

What this movie did for me was to help me face again some of my old pain, but also, like Antwone in the movie, to see that I have finally found my own "Welcome Home" family in my two children, my two "in-law" children, their families, and my new grandson.

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I believe today's society is too reliant on counselors, therapists, and an abundance of Dr. Phils who tell us how to act and feel. But ANTWONE FISHER mellowed my opinion of couches and shrinks--made me better understand how a caring professional can make a positive difference in another person's life.

I was fascinated to learn this movie is based on a true story; I was even more impressed that newcomer Derek Luke, who plays the title role, is an actual friend of the real Antwone Fisher. Luke brings a plethora of range to his character: anger, resentment, confusion, forgivness, integrity, dignity. Portraying a young sailor trying to come to grips with his painful past--trying to control his violent outbursts--Luke flawlessly stays in character, whereas other newcomers have a tendency to overact. Antwone Fisher, as it turns out, is a remarkable human being; Derek Luke effectively brings this fact to the forefront.

Denzel Washington, portraying Navy psychiatrist Jerome Davenport, is superb. Davenport doesn't belittle, belabor, or browbeat his young patient--he gains Antwone's confidence through soft-spoken empathy and compassion. As the relationship between the two men evolves, Davenport becomes a surrogate father to Antwone. Yet Davenport also has problems in his personal life; his friendship with Antwone gives him the additional insight and strength he needs to confront them.

The chemistry between Washington and Luke is extraordinary; the scenes featuring just the two of them are spellbinding. ATWONE FISHER is also Washington's directorial debut; if Washington can furnish such exceptional storytelling right out of the gate, one can only hope he'll decide to go behind the camera again and again.

--D. Mikels

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****

This movie was a great viewing experience, based on a true story. It is about how childhood abuse and abandonment affects the life and career of a Navy enlisted man, especially in the area of anger. It is a little painful to watch at times, because as Antwone Fisher (beautifully played by Derek Luke) remembers his pain, you also experience it in a way. Ultimately, however, the effect is not dark but inspirational. The movie is about how Antwone struggles to be strong and to overcome his past---this struggle, to one degree or another, is one we all can identify with.

The acting was wonderful and the writing was also. The special features that came on the DVD version I bought (widescreen version) included information and a feature about the real Antwone Fisher. After he left the Navy, he was a security guard. A producer discovered his background, believed in him, and supported him in writing the screenplay himself. So the film is especially poignant in that it was written by the man who experienced it, one who does not have a writing background or college degree, yet who writes movingly, realistically, and wonderfully.

Although the subject is serious, the film does not leave you with a depressing feeling, but encouraged and uplifted about the human experience. I would have given it five starts, but I save that rating for "great" movies; although this movie was not great, it was moving and very worthwhile to watch and own.

****

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Blood (2009)

A police detective finds himself running with creatures of the night while investigating a gruesome murder. Detective Hoshino questions the former employer of a slain maid's unsolved murder, an ethereal seductress named Miyako Rozmberk (Aya Sugimoto), in hopes of landing a solid lead before the statute of limitations runs out. Miyako takes an interest in the detective, this due to a unique quality present in his blood which only a few possess, so she feeds him clues as to who the murderer is. When Miyako's tip leads Detective Hoshino to Ukyo Kuronuma, a ruthless yakuza overlord, the fact that Ukyo is found attempting to feast on a terrified, bound, naked young girl would indicate that he was indeed the killer. But shortly after learning that Ukyo is in fact the famed shogunate-era swordsman Okita, who has been transformed into a vampire by the powerful and ageless Miyako, Detective Hoshino, too becomes born-again (and not in a Christian sense) as a deathless bloodsucker, again thanks to Miyako. As history would have it, she and Ukyo are former lovers,but his propensity for violence and cruelty were too much for her refined elegance. Later, when Miyako's loyal female servant wages a vicious fight to remain her one and only companion, Detective Hoshino realizes that even in death, the struggle for survival never ceases. And sometimes, depending on the individual, isn't even worth the effort...

A cross between 'Versus', 'Shinobi' and 'Countess Dracula', this little flick has much going for it action, blood, vamps, yakuzas, swordplay, nudity, a seductive yet visceral style, and the gorgeous Aya Sugimoto ('Flower and Snake', 'Flower and Snake 2') who gets more beautiful as she ages, much like her character here. Though nothing complex, it's an enjoyable ride and worth investigating if you're into any of the items mentioned above. Hell, its head and shoulders better than any of that 'Twilight' tripe, I assure you. It's in Japanese with English subtitles, which will avert a segment of potential viewers like a crucifix would a vampire, but it's not too wordy so those challenged by a basic requisite like reading shouldn't be put off, it's worth the effort. (I'm not railing against anybody here when I say this, but all too often, people ask me if a movie's dubbed or not, and won't consider watching if it's subtitled. You tend to cut yourself off from things you'd otherwise enjoy by doing this, IMHO.). Sink your teeth into this one and you just might draw some 'Blood'.

Most people are familiar with the Anne Rice version of what a vampire is, or more recently, "Underworld." This is not that kind of vampire movie. While it does rely heavily on very seductive qualities, the story itself keeps you into the movie for the duration. That being said, this is a very adult movie...at times, seeming like a Japanese Vampire Softcore. The lead actress, Aya Sugimoto, is (pardon the phrase) drop-dead gorgeous! And she plays her role extremely convincingly. The male leads are shared by two equally handsome men that look as if they could have been plucked straight from an anime series.

The story and pace of "Blood" is very even throughout. But there were times when I was hoping for some more history and details that link the Edo period to present day, and regarding where Miyako (Sugimoto) came from, or how she came to be the vampire/temptress that consumes her existence (as far as the film is concerned, she just "is"). Treating this as a comparison to any other vampire film would be a mistake. This movie takes on a fairly emotional love story more than horror or thriller. I say that kind of tongue-in-cheek the way that "House of Flying Daggers" is a love story. You do FEEL for all the characters, but when the action scenes take place, the emotions feel slightly jarred and put on pause. All things considered though, it is an exceptional love triangle that one can assume will only end in despair. I would have given this movie 4.5 stars but the blood used in the movie looked more like water with red food coloring in it. Half-star deduction on a technicality :-/.

Overall, this is a good movie that puts a different spin on an old folklore. There are plenty of tales regarding the supernatural side of Japanese culture, but few make it to film. The sheer beauty and passion alone would make it a love story worth watching. But the action and vampire element make it that much more appealing.

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I remember watching Ten Shimoyama's "Otogiriso" a few years back during the height of America's fascination with the long black hair of Japanese horror. It was a decent effort for the genre but not as memorable as "Kairo," "Dark Water," or even the many sequels and squeakquels of "Ringu." After that, Shimoyama pushed out "Shinobi," a tale of two love struck ninjas from warring clans. "Shinobi" was a stylized step away from horror and a film that would make me wonder why the hell he chose to take a literal step back for "Blood," a flat entry into a sputtering sub-genre whose current fans are scarier than the digital footage they're engrossed by.

During the investigation of a maid that disappeared more than a decade ago, Cold Case Detective Hoshino encounters Miyako, the maid's former employer and local centuries old vampire. Through a game of seduction and bloodletting, Hoshino is lead to Ukyo, who reveals himself as the jilted corner of the sanguinary love triangle.

For a vampire film that promises a dramatic love story, nothing new was brought to the table. "Blood" delivers a tired tale that resembles nothing more than that of the straight-to-video, popular American affection to vampires. Have you ever watched a werewolf flick where a guy walks into a forest on a sunny day and just turns into a wolf? "Yeah, doesn't Jacob do that in `Twilight?'" *If you're a true horror fan and you did see that, did you still think that you were watching a werewolf even though he didn't transform with the aid of a full moon? That's one of the problems with "Blood." With a film like "Near Dark" you have an exception to the rule because it wasn't common practice to strip away the monster's mythology until you basically had: guy/girl that lives forever but has to drink blood and avoid sunlight. With "Blood," the vampires may not sparkle but they do walk around in the sunlight. To me, a vampire that walks around in the sunlight is a big no-no. These vamps have become: guy/girl that drinks blood and lives forever. I find it a little less interesting and not too original to peel away all of the layers of the vampire mythos until you just have a blood drinking human that has a long lifespan and a constant boner. I don't expect these jerks to not be able to cross running water, turn into bats, or shriek at the sight of garlic, but vampires can be very interesting and there's a lot to work with from the get-go. If you aren't going to have a vampire in your vampire film, pick some other creature and don't call it a vampire film.

Like "Shinobi," Shimoyama bumps up his blues when color correcting the nighttime or certain indoor shots of "Blood," giving it a particular cool feeling. The outdoor shots of the film are probably the best scenes in the movie because the location and the acting seems natural. All of the indoor scenery, with the exception of Hoshino's office, seems artificial and are given a bad DIY cheapness. Speaking of cheapness, there are a number of soft-core sex scenes that happen at random intervals that really detract from the film-they just happen whenever. With the exception of Hoshino's superior, played by Guts Ishimatsu, the acting is nothing to speak of. Actually, after seeing Aya Sugimoto (who plays Miyako) constantly follow her lines with a dramatic slow-turn, watching Ishimatsu as a hard-ass jaded detective was one of the most uplifting aspects of "Blood."

There are no special features whatsoever on the regular DVD of "Blood." The film is presented in a 16:9 full screen aspect ratio with a 5.1 Dolby Surround soundtrack. Dialogue and audio are clear and the picture quality is nice for being viewed on a system set up for Blu-ray. There is minor artifacting throughout the film (most obviously the title sequence) but it seems like that`s from the source material rather than a bad disc.

Even if you are a heavy Asian cinema fan, I would say that "Blood" isn't a film you'd want in your arsenal of DVDs. If you just have to watch "Blood," go back and start by watching Shimoyama's "Shinobi" or "St. John's Wort" so you can be witness to full potential not being realized. There are plenty of badass Asian films hitting the streets every week-go find `em.

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I like vampire movies. Great to Awful, I endure them all. 'Blood' doesn't make the 'Great' category, or even the 'Good' category, however it's not to bad to sneak downstairs and purloin the disc and pop it in to watch in darkness of the den/family room/wherever . . . what is that? A shadow in the corner of the room . . . yep . . . 'Blood' just might make you a bit jittery. BOO!

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wonderful for movie and it's additive to watch!!! thank you for having this wonderful movie on line and thank you sooooo much!!!!

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Dave (2012)

This movie is one of those gems that quietly grows on you -each viewing creating anticipation and appreciation for its wit and style. The casting is superb. Kevin Kline doesn't know how to give a bad performance. Frank Langella's brilliant characterization of the ambitious, power-hungry 'man behind the throne' is perfect, and a wonderful contrast to his long-ago role as the cad/seducer in Diary of a Mad Housewife.

This is definitely a movie to buy because it needs to be seen many times. The innumerable funny pearls in this movie alone are worth the price of the DVD. For Minnesotans, one of the slyest gags was Dave's gig early in the moview, imitating the President at the grand opening of Durenberger Motors in his home town. The movie was released around the time that David Durenberger (Minnesota's senior senator) was embroiled in an ethics scandal. A personal favorite moment was the scene where Dave (with the help of his accountant buddy played by Charles Grodin) pares the federal budget to save a homeless shelter for children -the cabinet members bemusedly participating just like a family sitting around the kitchen table wrestling with its own budget. Priceless.

How do you solve a potentially explosive scandal, solve all the world's problems, and get rid of the greed and corruption in the White House? Well, you make an affable liberal actor take the President's place of course!

Kevin Kline plays Dave, an affable temp agency owner who on his off-time likes to do small event impersonations of the President. As for his luck, he strikes an uncanny resemblance, a la the Prince and the Pauper, and is found by the Secret Service to be an ideal candidate for a decoy body while the President is off doing... confidential things.

However, when the real President has a stroke, his advisors don't want to set off a national emergency... especially with a liberal vice-president around to think about. Thus they move Dave in a la The Hudsucker Proxy as the new President... but of course, Dave has a warm heart and an inspiration to try his hardest at everything he does, so... he goes at his job with the energy, charisma, and skill that everyone wants from the most powerful man in the world, even warming the angry scowl off of Susan Sarandon's face!

Of course like most cathartic entertainment like this, it's not so much about the actual presenting of ideas on how to solve all the problems (some hints on where to start are made), but more a vehicle for opening up the minds of the audience to the possibility of TRYING to make the world a better place. You can't get answers from it, but dreams, so dream hard. Don't worry, Ving Rhames will grow to like you.

The true entertainment from this comes from Kline. His acting is wonderfully physical and involved, and bleeds a sincerity to the common man, the salt of the Earth, that keeps the audience cheering for him the entire way.

--PolarisDiB

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Though this film was directed by Ivan Reitman, it's the screenwriter's picture all the way. Gary Ross has made his reputation spinning stories of innocents caught up in the world of the not-so-innocent--or vice versa. With Big, starring Tom Hanks, it was a 12-year old magically transformed into a 30 year old man, contending with the world of grownups. In his latest film, Pleasantville, it's two hip, decidedly uninnocent teenagers zoomed into the innocent world of a typical 50s TV show.

In this, his middle film, it's the owner of a copy shop, Dave, called on to impersonate the president--a high strung cad who's just suffered a heart attack. Dave is a heck of a lot more innocent than most guys his age. Divorced, he busies himself with his work and sports, always hoping to meet the right woman.

What's groovy about this film is that it's a hip, comic American remake of the great Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha. In that film--a powerful drama with no comedy at all--a grievously ill warlord tells his vassals to find a man who resembles him as closely as possible so the warlord can instruct the other man in the ways of ruling a region; if his subjects see him alive and healthy, they'll be reassured and spies from enemy regions will know he's still a force to be reckoned with.

The vassals find a commoner whose resemblance to the warlord is so striking, there's no one else who could do the job. He's told exactly what to do, how to stand, sit, and do all the other stuff a warlord should. The same happens in Dave--he learns what to do from the evil Frank Langella, the White House press secretary. As Dave, Kevin Kline strikes the perfect balance of innocence and determination to right the wrongs so clearly in evidence. And Sigourney Weaver does a more than credible job as the first lady who's charmed by this knowledgeable innocent.

Also here are Ben Kingsley as the just as innocent Vice President (contrast this with his absolutely astounding performance in the recent Sexy Beast as a nasty rotten gangster!) and Ving Rhames, always reliable, as the secret service man who's on Dave's side all the way.

Ross is one smart cookie. Taking Kagemusha and updating it to 90s America, mixing it with big dollops of comedy and a poignant love story, was a great idea. This film really works. Take a look at Ross' other films; they're just as great.

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"Dave" was a pleasant enough movie the first time I saw it, in 1993, with the good guys winning, and with superb acting performances by Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Ben Kingsley, and particularly Ving Rhames and Kevin Dunn in supporting roles. In a very small role, Charles Grodin does his best work that I've seen him do, and has one of the outstanding lines: "Who DOES these books?" Langella is quite believable as the astute, scheming politico who has never been bested; Dunn develops his character's moral conscience as we watch him on screen; and Rhames balances perfectly his character's initial distrust of the faux-president with his growing admiration of--and loyalty to--the kind of integrity so many of us wish we could find in "the leader of the free world."

When I decided to see it a second time, I viewed it as a movie or literary critic would, and found that it held together structurally, it developed organically, and it balanced some pretty heavy duty themes with good humor and almost-perfect timing. We have nearly worn out the original VHS tape that we bought, watching it whenever we want a "feel-good" movie, especially after seeing or reading about too much national and international news. Each time I watch it, I see more complexity to the character development and to the plot intricacies (which at first seem to be pretty straight-forward but, upon reflection, are not quite so simple).

"Dave" grows on its audience, appealing initially because it does represent what so many Americans would really like our government to be like; but it invites repeated viewing because of its texture, its acting, and so many of its memorable lines. How often, for example, can you imagine laughing at, "I once caught a fish THIIIIIISSSS big!" In the context of this movie, however, it is funny repeatedly while contributing seriously to character development. And how touching is the simple statement near the end of the movie, "I woulda taken a bullet for you," spoken quietly though in turbulent surroundings.

Even the ending, sappy though it may seem to be, holds open a subtle promise for the future when it is viewed in the light of the early political career of the movie's Vice President. "Dave" has risen steadily to become one of my five or six favorite movies, with "8 1/2," "Inherit the Wind," "Rear Window," "Tootsie," and "Blazing Saddles." I heartily recommend it: for a good time, call "Dave." Really.

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Hollywood has long bashed politicians in its films. Usually, these greasy-palmed lechs are seen as no more than variations of Willy Stark from ALL THE KING'S MEN. But there have been a few notable exceptions: MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, and now director Ivan Reitman presents Kevin Kline as the sainted president-imposter of DAVE. The plot is nonsense, of course. Kline is a businessman who bears a stunning resemblance to the real president who unexpectedly suffers a stroke. Frank Langella, who also bears an equally stunning resemblance in both looks and attitude to former Nixon henchman Bob Haldeman, recruits Kline to stand in for the president. Kline's imposture is so convincing that everyone, including the president's wife (Sigourney Weaver), is fooled. Langella sees Kline only as a buffoon, easily manipulated until he is ready to annoint himself as the new president.

The joy of DAVE is watching an updated version of the fish out of water routine. Kline is genuinely funny as he struggles to master the protocol needed to run the free world. What gives DAVE a touching resonance is the subtle transformation of Kline as the admitted fish out of water to a good-hearted human being who slowly realizes that the power of the presidency can do far more for America than merely enrich the one who sits in the Oval Office. Even the burgeoning romance between Kline as the fake president and Weaver who thinks him the real thing is touching. Director Reitman diluted the focus of interest with a deluge of cameos of famous politicians and Hollywood stars, all of whom do little more than add one moment of cheap laughs in a movie that tries hard for serious laughs about serious issues that range from who we are to who we might be. It is the totality of questions about the need to establish our moral center in our rightful identity that makes DAVE such a refreshing breath of air after the thundering blasphemies of that self-appointed crude politico Willy Stark.

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Elite Squad (2010)

On my short list of must-see film titles for 2011, Jose Padilha's "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within" was certainly at the top of the roster. I first became aware of Padilha with the 2002 documentary feature "Bus 174," an unforgettable true life story of a bus hijacking that played out very publicly in the Brazilian media. It was a harrowing picture that had as much to say about contemporary journalism, rampant crime, local corruption, political maneuvering, and the state of the police as it did about the actual event it portrayed. I think that it is fair to say that some of these same themes have remained a constant in all of the writer/director's future film endeavors as well. That said, I do want to point out that "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within" is actually a sequel to the 2007 project entitled (you guessed it) "Elite Squad." While the two films are certainly better served as companion pieces, this does have a self contained story that can be enjoyed on its own merits. If you choose to see this without having seen the first picture, you might miss out on some of the character back story--but the screenplay brings you up to speed rather quickly and efficiently.

The movie centers around the returning character of Captain Nascimento, effectively played by Wagner Moura. Moura is in charge of a special crime unit and when a prison riot goes awry, the squad's tactics and decisions are called into question by human rights activists (led spectacularly by his ex-wife's new husband). Public opinion, however, sides with the fast acting and uncompromising Moura and thrusts him into a position of even more power. Making it a mission to eliminate Rio's rampant drug crisis, he targets the lower class slums where the problem has its strongest foothold. But in eliminating the obvious enemy, he may make way for a more unexpected nemesis. As dirty cops and unscrupulous politicians jockey for new power, Moura starts to realize that he has cut off the head of one monster to see another (more nefarious) one take its place. Unable to trust those in power, he sees new allies in the media and the activists that had once been critical of Moura's methods. The turn-around is compelling and believable and undeniably frightening.

The film is shot in a gritty documentary style that makes the unpleasantness all the more tangible. While perhaps the narrative relies a little too heavily on voice-over analysis, it does keep Moura's viewpoint in perspective as the large story leaves him on the sidelines for large chunks of the action. In essence, this is a morality play disguised as a ruthless crime saga--but in that vein, it is surprisingly understated. The character shifts are subtle and the action is unrelentingly real. It's hard to imagine that the film can have a happy or satisfying conclusion, but what we're left with certainly seems appropriate even if it doesn't wrap everything up in a neat little bow. In the end, the characters distinguish this piece (Moura is fantastic) that has universal topicality in its themes of corruption and those who would combat it. "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within" is a rare picture that will make you think while it entertains. About 4 1/2 stars. KGHarris, 2/12.

Only my second review on here IIrc, but this film was worthy I thought of a 5 star review. I took the chance on this rental based on the previous reviewer's high marks, and great overall review, and this film certainly was worth the time and money.

Very intelligent plot, lots of gritty action scenes, and awesome realistic gun play.

This film feels incredibly authentic for a fictional movie.

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I wasn't even aware there was an original Elite Squad until after I had heard about and had access to Elite Squad: The Enemy Within. The Enemy Within has been receiving rave reviews from pretty much everyone who has seen it. This is the type of movie that sucker punches you in the gut and you never see it coming, but all you can do is smile because that rush is unlike anything else you've ever experienced. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within makes full use of the term, "thriller" before turning it upside down and inside out and doing it all over again in a two hour time period.

Some rather interesting camera work is utilized throughout the film. You take notice of it in the very first scene as the camera catches every crack and break in a pane of glass as a car is riddled with bullets. Slow motion is also used in a refreshing kind of way mostly because slow motion has looked the same way since 2006 when Leonidas kicked the messenger into the pit in 300. While this was probably done in a cheaper way since the budget wasn't nearly as big as it was in a film like 300, the fact that it was done differently is what makes it noteworthy. This feels more raw and less polished. The "size of a tangerine" scene is fairly awesome, as well. The scene is frozen at one point, but you see that scene from two different perspectives.

Taken, Man on Fire, and The Man From Nowhere; these are a few of the films the action scenes in Elite Squad: The Enemy Within may remind you of. Those scenes when everything hits the fan are the main reason to see this film, but everything in between is so tense that you find yourself easily getting absorbed into all of the events that are going on. Corruption is fascinating in a very disturbing kind of way. This is Nascimento's (Wagner Moura) story, so he's pretty much your guide through this journey as he's removed from BOPE (the Special Police Operations Battalion of the Rio de Janeiro Military Police) and struggles to survive in Rio, but the way his story ties in with the stories of Matias (André Ramiro) and Fraga (Irandhir Santos) is rather brilliant as they're both involved with Nascimento in more ways than one. The bloody brutality of the film seems to be lurking around every corner even when things may appear calm.

In The Boondock Saints, Paul Smecker (played by Willem Dafoe) yells, "There was a firefight!" during one the most extravagant shootout of the film. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within almost seems to redefine that term. While there isn't a lot of property damage in the film, people get wasted left and right and blood sprays into the air whenever a gun is drawn. People get the hell beaten out of them before being lit on fire and dead bodies are burned as their teeth are pulled to hide their identities. There's a grittiness to Elite Squad: The Enemy Within that many films have barely scratched the surface of.

Remember when you first saw The Empire Strikes Back where you had this fairly awesome movie on your hands that left you with this rather huge cliffhanger ending? Elite Squad: The Enemy Within is similar in that aspect. Elite Squad is obviously going to be at least a trilogy, but it'll be one of those things that will be less of an issue when you don't have a long wait between films. In the meantime though, it feels a little cheap.

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within is a lot like City of God if it was on steroids; there's more action, more intensity, and bigger payoffs. Its biggest flaw is that it doesn't end and is obviously just building toward the next sequel. With an excellent cast and eye-catching cinematography, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within is a compelling look at the underbelly of society that's a must-see.

Read Best Reviews of Elite Squad (2010) Here

Unless you've got your eye on South American cinema, you may not have heard of the 2007 action thriller The Elite Squad, but it was a hit in its native Brazil, and last year, its sequel, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within became the biggest box office seller in the country. One of the few movies to be cut from the Best Foreign Film Oscar short list, The Enemy Within picks up the story from the first installment after 13 years have passed, and its central protagonist, military police officer Robert Nascimento, has been promoted as head of Rio de Janeiro's branch of BOPE. When a prison riot massacre finds him favor with the general public, he's promoted yet again to Sub-Secretary of Intelligence, only to discover that new evil, separate and entirely different from the drug gangs he's put down for years, lurks within the halls of politics. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within isn't one of those "eat your veggies" foreign films; it's a bleak, unflinching look at Brazil's underbelly, told with raw, unstoppable kinetic force.

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We know from our experience that a sequel is rarely as good as its original. But of course there are exceptions to the rule, and "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within" ("Tropa de Elite 2 O Inimigo Agora É Outro") is one of them. In fact, the 2010 Brazilian movie is better than the first feature "Elite Squad" ("Tropa de Elite") that was made three years before, with faster and more effective storytelling.

To suppress a violent conflict between prison inmates, Lieutenant Colonel Nascimento (Wagner Moura) and BOPE, a military police elite squad of Rio de Janeiro State, are sent out. The mission ends up with blood and death, sparking controversy among the citizens and media, which results in the demotion of André Matias (André Ramiro), Nascimento's successor, and promotion of Nascimento, who is now in charge of BOPE's operations.

Nascimento dedicates himself to improving BOPE so that he can fight the "system" involving drug dealers and bribe-taking police officers, but things are not so simple. Director José Padilha weaves an intricate web of characters including corrupt police officers and opportunistic politicians, skillfully keeping us interested in what happens next. The main story itself might be a little familiar, but the film remains interesting throughout, with a slick and suspenseful narrative and documentary-like action sequences.

To me the conclusion was a slight letdown, but that is perhaps because I had expected something similar to the original's ending. But you can enjoy "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within" as a stand-alone film, without watching the original. "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within" is a first rate crime drama.

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The Company (2007)

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

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

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

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

Sign me up for the DVD.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~ James Jesus Angleton (1917-1987)

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

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

How should I use them for your closer contact?

These with a thousand small deliberations

Protract the profit of their chilled delirium,

Excite the membrane, when the sense has cooled,

With pungent sauces, multiply variety

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

Suspend its operations, will the weevil

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

Beyond the circuit of the shuddering Bear

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

Of Belle Isle, or running on the Horn,

White feathers in the snow, the Gulf claims,

And an old man driven by the Trades

To a sleepy corner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

till I'm somebody else"

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

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Meet the Robinsons (2007)

In all my years of reading reviews and shopping on Amazon I have never been compelled to write one myself until now. Like many parents, when a new disney film comes out on dvd, I usually buy it, watch it during movie night, and forget about it by the time the credits start rolling. My daughter is five and she enjoyed it but to me, as an adult who can look back at his life and appreciate all those struggles and "twists and turns of fate" that shaped who I am, the emotional impact ressonated much deeper. I was skeptical of this film due to the fact that disney's computer animated ventures without Pixar on board have consistantly been pretty weak, but in my opinion this one can stand toe to toe with every Disney/Pixar film to date. The director, Stephen Anderson explains that his life was extremely similar to that of the main character, Lewis. The passion that he had for this project is evident in every single detail of every single frame. The musical score by Danny Elfman and the brilliantly heartfelt song "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas fit with the theme perfectly. I've always judged movies based on the emotional response I have to them. If a movie can bring tears of sadness to my eyes, that's one thing, but if it can make me genuinely cry out of sheer happiness, well then in my book it's a winner because I am extremely critical of sappiness and what I call "emotional blackmail". I recently showed this film to a group of 30 of the most hardcore juvenile delinquents gathered from 20 different counties around Ohio and we spent an hour afterwards talking about it. I spend all day with these kids, and the way they let their guard down and opened up about their lives during our discussion was............magical. I don't see that side of them very often and I'm thankful that a "silly disney cartoon" inspired that.

We saw "Meet the Robinsons" in the 3-D version at the theater and my kids laughed about it for days. Too bad they couldn't release the DVD in the 3-D version, but it's still an excellent film for children. Personally, I also loved hearing the voice of Adam West in the film.

The film is based loosely on William Joyce's, A Day with Wilbur Robinson. If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. William Joyce ALSO was the artist behind Rolie Polie Olie series. The book is quite different from the film, but there are direct parallels. For instance, there is no orphanage theme in the original book and no Bowler Hat Guy. However, many of the other characters are present in both. Stylistically, the book and the movie have a pronounced retroanimation/cartoon feel to them. It is a very refreshing artistic style to watch and makes for a unique animated film.

The DVD contains a fairly extensive set of features, but nothing out of the ordinary. For future releases of children's videos, I'd suggest adding a reading of the original book. In the few DVD's we've purchased with this feature, it's encouraged my children to read the actual book.

I highly recommend this DVD for your child's video library. It's a film enjoyable by both adults and children. The film is funny and presents a very clear message about the need to celebrate our human differences and stresses the importance of family and friends(adopted or otherwise).

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Evaluating `Meet the Robinsons' depends on whether you entered the theater offering 3-D glasses. Either way you receive excellent family entertainment, even if there are elements of the film you've seen before. Resembling an animated version of `Back to the Future' or `Peggy Sue Got Married,' `Meet the Robinsons' is a briskly based, nicely woven tale about belonging and achieving.

Starting we find the typical desperate mother leaving her baby on the orphanage steps. Her son Louis becomes a nervous inventor at the orphanage and a nuisance to everyone, especially his long-suffering roommate, Goob. Having an intellectual disposition doesn't help him in adoption interviews, and ingenious inventions that seldom work, don't endear him at school. Add to that a pure villain comes upon his scene, known as "Bowler Hat Man" (Whose hat makes him like a nimble, but less scary nemesis comparable to "Dr. Oct".) his life comes into disarray at science fair he's finally sure he'll win.

Using time travel well and peril and humor that truly entertain, `..Robinsons' message to always persevere and the plot's neat and heart-felt resolution will make every family member smile.

(This being my first 3-D adventure that actually worked certainly gave the movie a lift, too!)

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"Meet the Robinsons" was initially based on the book by William Joyce entitled "A day with Wilbur Robinson." While Disney's movie focused on a young inventor name Lewis who specializes in innovative inventions. Lewis adventure begins when he meets Wilbur and journeys across time to avert any changes in the space time continuum.

The film pays homage to a number of established iconic movies such as Back to the Future, Star Wars, Casino, and generic Kung-Fu inspired action sequences. "Meet the Robinsons" also tackles a number to issues such as friendship, responsibility, integrity, and the importance of a family unit/parental figure in one's life.

It's a great movie and one that every family should take time out to see.

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This movie is a wonderful family movie with great lessons about true friendship, forgiveness,adoption, restoration, and family. But not only that it is full of clever and witty dialogue to keep the parents entertained while the colorful images and special effects keep the kids entertained. This bluray version is just as good as the film original if not better. The 1080p factor brings this film to a 3-d likeness. This is a must own if you love disney and hi-def entertainment. Dont let anyone tell you otherwise.

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Coyote Ugly (The Double-Shot Edition) (2000)

"Coyote Ugly" has to be the best romantic dramedy this year, even though this year has had it's share of bad romances-Autumn in New York, Down to You and The Next Best Thing just to name a few. The bar dancing scenes are incredible accompanied by a fantastic soundtrack including one of my favorites, "Pour Some Sugar on Me". Plus there are two new great songs from LeAnn Rimes,who is also in the movie, but I'm not reviewing the soundtrack so I'll skip this. And that's just the stuff you see in the previews. What you don't see on the surface through the previews are the great performances from newcomer Piper Perabo, Adam Garcia and the always great John Goodman. the story is mainly about Piper Perabo's character, nicknamed Jersey, who goes into the big city trying to get someone to perform her well written songs. She runs into several problems with a new boyfriend, some disagreements with her father, and many crazy encounters at the bar "Coyote Ugly". The title is explained in the movie to mean when you go home with a one night stand after a night of big drinking and you wake up with someone so ugly that you would rather chew your arm off than wake them up to know you're leaving. Believe me, you're not going to feel that way leaving this one! BUY THIS MOVIE!!!

A talented young woman from New Jersey, filled with hope and desire, moves to New York to chase her dreams of becoming a songwriter in "Coyote Ugly," directed by David McNally and starring Piper Perabo. Against the wishes of her father, Bill (John Goodman), but with his acquiescent approval, Violet (Perabo) begins her quest and soon learns what every aspiring newcomer to show business discovers: It's tough out there. Soon, in order to pay the rent and keep the dream alive, on a tip she seeks employment in a bar called Coyote Ugly; the owner, Lil (Maria Bello) lets her "audition (work one night)" to see if she can handle their kind of action. It's a tough gig, but Violet knows she's going to have to make certain sacrifices if she's to succeed. And that is really what this movie is all about: Personal character, having the tenacity to maintain ideals and dignity, and deciding what and how much one must be willing to sacrifice to achieve one's goals; and most importantly, having enough heart to see it all through. Perabo gives a winning performance as Violet; she's fresh, somewhat naive (but not entirely), and the way she presents her character makes it easy to connect with her right away. She becomes someone you care about quickly, and there are moments early on, especially when she first arrives in New York, that allow you to emphasize with her immediately. There's a fragility about her, but at the same time she exhibits a strength of character and sense of morality that is becoming; and being able to convey this level of complexity convincingly is a tribute to her ability as an actress. John Goodman also does a good job as her father, a caring bear of a man who obviously has nothing but the best intentions for his daughter at heart. His performance, and the way the situation of his having to let Violet go is handled makes it believable, and helps create an emotional bond between them and the audience. It's something with which many will be able to identify, and it becomes one of the underlying strengths of the film. One of the weaknesses of this project comes, not from the movie itself, but from the "promotion" of the movie; in this case the theatrical trailer, which is a gross misrepresentation of what "Coyote Ugly" really is. Certainly the "coyotes" and the bar are a significant part of the film, and it's all exceptionally well and tastefully done, and is a fun part of the movie and definitely gives it some life; but I think the presentation in the trailer will do more to alienate a cross-section of audience that ultimately would appreciate this movie, but initially at least will not even see it, and only because of a misconception caused by the preview. It must be noted that this is a PG-13; there is nary a profane word, and no sex or nudity in it. It is an upbeat, entertaining film that should be readily embraced by a much wider audience than one would expect simply from seeing the trailer. The excellent supporting cast includes Adam Garcia (Kevin), Izabella Miko (Cammie), Melanie Lynskey (Gloria), Bridget Moynahan (Rachel), Tyra Banks (Zoe) and LeAnn Rimes (In a cameo as herself). Hopefully, if only by word-of-mouth, this movie will gain the audience it deserves. Reminiscent of "Flashdance," there is a universal theme here of having a dream and going for it. In the final analysis, "Coyote Ugly" is a decent film that will appeal to anyone who's ever had or pursued a dream. Do yourself a favor, put any preconceived notions aside and check this one out; I think you'll be glad you did.

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Let's begin with what this movie is NOT: It isn't Academy material nor is it a cure for cancer. It IS a fun, romantic (and yes, sometimes cliched) fairy tale about attractive young people pursuing dreams. The performances are credible and the music propels the story along at a pace that keeps you from concentrating too much on the paper-thin plot line. For those gray days when you need entertainment that lifts the spirit even if it doesn't tax the mind, this movie fills the bill. Remember "Dirty Dancing", "Footloose" and "Flashdance"? If you like these movies (and I do), sit back, dispend disbelief and just enjoy the exuberant show!

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This "Coyote" ain't "Ugly"! Actually the thing that you may mainly be fooled by is the trailer-"Is this a plotless, PG-13 version of "Showgirls"?" Actually it's not. The people that actually decided to see it(which was no small amount-$60 million worth) found that it was about a young female songwriter,played exceptionally well by rising star Piper Perabo, who moves into the big city trying to sell her music and finds herself working and the craziest bar since the Ti--y Twister in "From Dusk Till Dawn". Of course the men will be more than entertained by the hot, dancing barmaids which make some great "action" scenes for the film, but what for the women? The women actually get more out of it than the men. A great plot-the storyline mentioned earlier plus getting rid of stage fright, setting things straight with her father, finding how far a true love would go. Great overall movie, good characters, good acting, good setting. Truely a good movie for everyone. Just go see it! Deserves at least a rental but my DVD collection wouldn't be perfect without it! "Coyote Ugly"!!

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The girls of COYOTE UGLY were terrific. I only wish we could've seen more of them. The story revolves around PIPER PERABO who is an aspiring songwriter in new York with no money. Her dad in Jersey (John Goodman) wants her back home. She meets a guy, of course, and it revolvs around them two and her trying to get her music career started.

The scenes at the bar are of course the best....lots of fun and sexy scenes. While this is rated pg-13 so there is no nudity or sex scenes...there are some scenes at the bar and with the two main leads that are pretty hot....a CAMEO by Patrick SWAYZE too, you'll see what I mean.

Also Leanne RIMES who did the voice of the lead when she sings is awesome. . . where did the little country girl go....you'll see her in the film as well...she's hot!

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Alvin and the Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) (2011)

There are a lot of harsh words being said here and elsewhere about this movie, so I thought I'd put in my two cents worth. When viewing a movie like this, that is obviously made for young children please keep in mind it is primarily for their entertainment. Most adults aren't going to find it terribly exciting.

I took my son to see it, and while it would not have been my first choice of movie, he loved it, and his enjoyment made it fun for me as well. If you have a child who already loves the Chipmunks, this will probaby be right up their alley. Lots of upbeat, chirpy songs, plenty of action. Alvin is his usual mischevious self, though in the course of the story he does find that he can be the responsible one when he needs to be. Silly jokes and humor, certainly. Some warm fuzzy moments as well (no pun intended). Have a Chipmunk fan in your house? It's worth seeing. My son can't wait to get his own dvd copy.

This Movie is awesome I love seeing the chipmunks one of my favorite films of all time. They should keep making them I will see all of them. I'm proud to say I'm 24 years old and I will go to a chipmunk film any day. I get really offended when I see that this is for small children. What about the people who grew up with them huh. Tough guy's I see that's what it is. They don't want to loose their dignity or is it shameful to like a children's film. Well who ever said it was a children's film. It's all those rated R films that gets you all "eww" I don't like this. Well I'm the kind of person that it don't matter what anyone says to me.

I love these kind of films. I love animated and voice over characters. Above all my favorite chipmunk is Simon. So cute. then it goes Alvin. You people that do the voice overs are awesome for continuing to do so. Matthew Grey Gubbler, Jesse McCartney, Justin Long, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris, and Christina Applegate. You guys also with the chipmunk voices are amazing singers. I love the harmonizing parts and the solos. It's incredible. Rather your good singers or not the finish product is "Flawless". By the way this is the first review I have ever written and I'm proud to do it for the Chipmunks. I will watch this film over and over. So funny, great singing, great songs, great acting, great story line, and way to keep of their unique personalities. Alvin the awesome one, Simon the Smart one, Theodore the adorable one, Britney the Pretty one, Janette the not so sure one, Ellenore the clumsy one.

Keep up the great work and bring me more songs on discs I collect them all and Listen to them all the time. I also have all the films. They get better and better. Thanks for the Chipmunk fun. Great fan. Thomas Searle (A future actor) working on it.

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Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, what a fun movie. My grand kids, ages 4 and 6 really enjoy the songs and action of this movie. They really liked the treasure and volcano. We have to keep watching it over again and keep seeing things we have missed. Good family time movie.

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This movie was pretty cute for the whole family to enjoy. Course we all love the chipmunk movies so it would have to be pretty bad for us not to like it.

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Fun movie for the kids and the family. Entertaining and a great addition to the Alvin and the Chipmunks series.

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The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

Review from my wife: It was so compelling and well done, and both my husband and I enjoyed this movie tremendously. The story line was intersting, the characters were really well developed and you really care about them. The acting was excellent, and we found ourselves really pulled in throughout the entire movie.

Contrary to some of the reviews I read, this movie was easy to follow. I don't understand what the problem was. I had never read the book, yet it was completely clear what was going on. I don't get why anyone would have had a problem. Also, there was nothing strange or wrong about the traveller visiting the younger version of his love interest. It was very innocent. One reviewer's mention that there was no plausible explanation for the lead's time travel abilities doesn't make sense to me. There was a very sufficient and even detailed explanation given in the movie. Keep in mind that we're dealing with a fiction scifi story here, and it was plenty adequate. I found I was able to buy into the concept and really immerse myself, and ultimately I enjoyed the story very much.

This is a really fine movie, and I'd recommend that anyone who enjoys scifi, time travel or romance view this.

THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE is a diversion. At times what works well in a novel doesn't translate to the screen: the magic of the reader's imagination can be more powerful than the visualization of a screenwriter and director. Such is the case of Audrey Niffenegger's novel an escape into a world of the unknown (time traveling) that played well on the page largely due to the writing skill of the author. Bruce Joel Rubin's screenplay makes a mighty attempt to make visual the imaginary magic of the novel and thanks to CGI it pulls off the rather strange effects of appearing and disappearing of a time traveler. Robert Schwentke directs with a hefty dose of saccharine though, making what could have been a delicate story somewhat lugubrious.

Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana) has the genetic code that allows him to travel backward and forward in time a trait that requires a certain degree of acceptance on the part of the audience. We see Henry as a child, as a young man who meets a girl who will on a different 'trip' be a woman Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams), and witness a bizarre courtship between a couple whose match seems made in heaven.... Along the way Clare's friends (Jane McLean as Charisse and Ron Livingston as a vastly different Gomez than in the novel) figure into the quasi-normal relationship/marriage that takes place. The tale can be confusing if the viewer is not willing to enter the realm of 'possible' and the main guide of the film seems to focus on the fact that whenever Henry time travels, he ends up in his new destination naked (there are many scenes of Eric Bana just searching for clothes). Of course the film can't have a logical ending, but the ending selected, corny though it is, fits the story. Lots of sugar to swallow here, but if you're in a Valentine mood it is a pleasant diversion. Grady Harp, February 10

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I thought this was a great love story. Obviously you had to accept Time Travel as an affliction like any other debilitating condition because that is how it is portrayed in this movie. But the love shown between the main characters transcended the actual affliction. The movie was about a love so great that for the two to experience it even if for a short time was worth the sadness that later occurs. I thought both actors portrayed the deep love of the characters quite well. For those that have never seen or had that type of love in their life it can be hard to imagine and accept.

If you do not like deep love stories then skip the movie. If you cannot accept or overlook the time travel metaphor then skip the movie. If you nitpick about every minor detail requiring that they be 100% correct then skip this movie. If on the other hand, you want to see what true love is, you might like this movie. If you like What If movies with love as a central theme then you might like this movie.

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While the story for "The Time Traveler's Wife" is not at all interested in plausibility or logic, it is interested in making an emotional connection with the audience, and so it does. Make no mistake--this adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger's novel is about as preposterous as it gets, telling the story of a man who can go back and forth through time but lacks the ability to control when he goes and for how long he'll be gone. There's no adequate explanation for his condition, and maybe it's for the best; this a love story, after all, not a supernatural commentary on evolution or expanded consciousness. Besides, if you were to stop for a moment and really think about the idea, the inevitable questions will eventually be so numerous that you'll end up with a headache. For this particular story, you'll be much better off just blindly buying into the premise.

Only then will it be possible to appreciate the more engaging aspects of the story, the most obvious being the romance between the time traveler, Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana), and his wife, Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams). Actually, it would be more accurate to say that sometimes she's his wife--it all depends at what point in time the movie shifts to, and there are many of them. They meet back when she was only six years old and playing alone on her family's vast meadow. From out of nowhere comes a man from the future without any clothes on, and after she gives him his blanket, he tells her that he will officially meet her years later, at which point she will be a college student in a library looking for an art book. You see, during that first encounter, he was older, nearly forty; in the library, he will be younger, say twenty-five or so.

Anyway, as time goes on for Clare, Henry will repeatedly come into and shift out of her life, and they will fall deeply in love and get married. Imagine what this must be like for Clare, never knowing when her husband will appear and disappear out of thin air like a ghost. One second, he's there carrying dishes to the table for dinner, and the next second he's gone, leaving Clare behind to sweep up broken pieces of ceramic. A marriage like this really gives new meaning to the vow, "To have and to hold for all time."

One of the unfortunate side effects of his time travelling is that none of his clothes travel with him, so wherever he goes (whenever, rather), he's forced to steal some by breaking into a store or someone else's home. And at what age will he be when he gets back? One of the film's more clever segments incorporates a fair amount of humor and takes place on their wedding day; a younger version of Henry is getting ready for the ceremony, only to disappear in the bathroom. Fortunately, an older version of Henry arrives just in time, albeit with graying hair. This man disappears after the ceremony, right as Clare's father (Philip Craig) invites them to the dance floor. Fortunately, that's when the younger Henry returns, and even though he was technically there, he apologizes for missing the wedding.

I told you this time travel gimmick was better left unquestioned. Attached to it, however, are emotional issues that are genuinely touching, and this definitely includes Henry and Clare's attempts to have a baby. I will refrain from going into detail here, but here are some questions to think about. Is it reasonable to assume that Henry's condition can be passed along to his child? If so, then is it fair for that child to even be born? There comes a point when he seeks the help of David Kendrick (Steven Tobolowsky), a geneticist, and while the results of his various tests do little to shed light on why Henry is the way he is, he does play a pivotal role in helping him and Clare conceive. Henry, by the way, tells Dr. Kendrick that his condition is known as chronoimpairment, a term Kendrick has not yet coined.

One other emotional issue that serves the story well is the broken relationship between Henry and his father, Richard (Arliss Howard), who hasn't been himself since his wife's untimely death. Henry was only six at the time, but as a time traveler, he continuously goes back to the days before her death and holds brief conversations with her as a stranger. This naturally begs the question of why he can't simply prevent her from dying. This itself begs the question of why, "I've tried, but there's nothing I can do," is the best explanation he has.

Deep human drama runs through this movie, and that's what I found the most compelling. Henry's ability to time travel, however, is conveniently left unexplained. We're only meant to pay attention to the relationship between Henry and Clare, and indeed, we do. The concept is inherently absurd, but the chemistry between the main characters is not; we able to see them up on screen and actually believe that they're in love. That's what's so fascinating about "The Time Traveler's Wife": It's an absorbing drama based on a premise that's impossible to take seriously. How did it achieve this? Much like Henry's condition, it's probably better to not question it and just accept it for what it is.

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I saw this movie 2 days after I finished reading the book. Going into this I knew that there would be many things that would be changed or left out due to the book being almost 600 pages and the movie was 107 minutes. I had a realistic expectation about the movie I have learned from past disappointments.

Henry DeTamble is played by Eric Bana and Clare Abshire is played by Rachel McAdams. Both actors looked a lot like what I pictured the characters to look like in my head. I also think that they had amazing chemistry together. I also LOVED the little girl that played Clare (age 6) when she first meets Henry she was great.

My feelings for this moving are slightly above average the parts that were included from the book were done very well. They stuck pretty close to the events of the book but left out a lot which made my boyfriend, who hasn't read the book, ask a lot of questions about the plot holes. I think if you had read the book before seeing the movie it would be easier to follow what was happening. I had been wondering how they would show Henry evaporating from one time and appearing in another I think they did an AWESOME job at this some amazing CG. Beautifully rendered.

For anyone who has read the book the ending is not the same. It evokes similar emotion and those who have not read the book, have told me they loved the ending. I was a little disappointed because I loved the book ending.

Overall, I would give this 3.5/4 stars. I would still watch it again!

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