Coco Before Chanel (2009)

I'm a guy. Okay. Let's get that out of the bag right now. I'm not overly fond of what I wear. Blue jeans and a t-shirt suit me just fine for most occasions. So when my wife wanted me to watch a foreign film about some gal named "Chanel" who was a famous clothes designer, I felt like I was in for an early bedtime (I can easily fall asleep during boring films).

So we slipped the DVD in and proceeded to watch what I assumed would be an incredibly monotonous film about a lady making clothing. I could hear my wife already: "Oooh. Isn't that beautiful." Or "Look how well she hemmed that pinafore" (whatever the hell a pinafore is ...and can you hem it? I still don't know).

But, much to my surprise, the film was more a myopic on the early life of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. Hence the name Coco BEFORE Chanel. Duh. Guess I should've paid better attention to the title.

There's certainly information and dress-wear visuals throughout, but the movie is more honed toward what made Coco who she would become later in life. Audrey Tautou plays the prime role of Coco and does so with grace, beauty, and a unique gruffness and individuality that struck me as incredibly honest (I did not enjoy her performance in The Da Vinci Code, so this was a nice change). She really carried the entire film and made every scene extremely watchable.

But the screenplay by writer/director Anne Fontaine was what helped keep this film together. Like I said at the beginning of my review, I felt that if it had expressly focused on clothing and the making of clothing, I would've been sawing some serious Zs before 30 minutes into the film. But I wasn't. Similar in concept to The Devil Wears Prada (which I also enjoyed mostly because of Meryl Streeps stellar performance), the film never lingers overly long on things that simply don't matter at that point in Coco's life. It is her lovers, her fiery desire to do something with her life, and her heartbreaks that made her who she would become, not the clothes (those were developing and came later).

So if you're like me, and don't know Chanel from Shinola, you still might give this one a try. Your wife will probably love it, and you'll score some points with her for watching it. Just don't give her the credit cards after finishing it. I just looked online at the cost of Chanel wear and ...well ...you don't wanna know.

If you are looking for a fashion history with lots of dresses a la project runway, this is not your movie. It is a moving portrait of the very early life and influences on Coco Chanel. The film is beautifully shot, scored, acted, and subtitled. As other reviewers have noted for the CD sountrack,the music is fabulous, and the movie is visually gorgeous. The acting is superb. Audrey Tautou is another great french beauty and star; I'm sure I will not be the first to compare her to Katherine Deneuve.

This movie unflinchingly shows the young women of the time for whom love with marriage was rarely an option as they were simply chattel forced to marry well by birth, become nuns, sleep their way to wealth and security as mistresses and courteseans, or have nothing as prostitutes. The only single working women other than prostitutes and a few writers were on the stage, in convents,or providing clothes for wealthy women. The film follows the young Coco through her world as a abandoned child in a catholic orphanage and then a mistress/houseguest of a vastly wealthy nobleman. It touches on her good luck in timing to get her accounts away from her lover in time to save her fledgling business.

We see how the lifestyles and even the health of wealthy and frivolous women were drastically changed by the comfort and function of her designs and her eye for beauty. This picture is a period piece that builds slowly, is very French and assumes you already know a bit about Chanel. It is at times quite subtle leaving a lot of the plot obvious but not presented onscreen. It would companion well with a more detailed documentary like "Chanel Chanel" with Chanel and Lagerfield, but it does present an excellent picture of "Coco's" youth and is a good picture on its own. The whole picture is beautifully acted eye candy and the dessert at the end is lovely as we are given a show of Chanel looks throughout her life. I did not give it five stars only because at times I think it was a bit too subtle as those not familiar with the period could watch the film and not fully understand the dramatic changes in the lives of women led by the dramatic changes in fashion they were witnessing.

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Coco Chanel lied habitually about her life; she didn't like it, so she made up a better one. Anne Fontaine has created one possible version of Coco's formative years, settling on a girl who is perpetually observing, who grows up into a woman who surprises herself with her influence. Audrey Tautou is almost determined to be grim, an anti-Amelie, in her portrayal of this haunted, driven woman. Benoit Poelvoorde is astonishing as Etienne Balsan, one of the men she uses and is used by -and ultimately develops a friendship with. He is bawdy, raucous, jaded ... and falls in love with Coco when it's too late. His scenes with her when he realizes his mistake are mesmerizing. "Does that bother you?" she asks, about her leaving for Paris with Arthur Capel, and he simply replies, "Affreusement (frightfully)." Watch how Poelvoorde turns him from a cad into her friend. And Alessandro Nivola did one of the wildest, dumbest things when he agreed to learn French for this role. It's not clear whether he should be commended or committed. Commended, I suppose, because his accent stays pretty good -and it was a good decision not to cast an English actor precisely because of the accent. It's Nivola's English accent that is a little dodgy here and there. I can't think what to make of his characterization. On the one hand, Coco is attracted to restraint, and presumably he had that personally. On the other, the effect is somewhat that his foreign lines are too studied for him to deliver naturally. Nevertheless an interesting performance from him.

Emmanuelle Devos is always good, and she's great here as a composite of two people in Coco's life at this time. Likewise Marie Gillain as another composite of her sister/aunt.

Coco and her sister were abandoned by their father, raised in an orphanage, and according to the conventions of the time, destined for little but prostitution or the life of a mistress. The movie depicts a silent girl who above all becomes a keen observer of the textures of her world: the nuns' habits, the excesses of women's dress of the period. This point is somewhat overdone by the end of the film, but nevertheless makes the point that she developed her sense of style by paying close attention to everything she saw; in some sense she sensed also that she needed to see more in order for that to develop. Her sense of style, her sense of restraint, became her armor against the pains of her existence, but not even it can protect her at a pivotal moment with Arthur.

At the end, a time-warping retrospective of her work in a re-creation of her famous salon in Paris reminds us that, with little in the way of resources, she made a lasting impression on the world. I found the substance of the movie far more dramatic than I would have thought; impressive performances make it a movie you must see.

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I'll be VERY brief already amazing reviews here.

Please-please don't fogret that the movie is called "Coco BEFORE Chanel".

It's about her childhood and youth and HOW she became Chanel, not about fashion in general...although you can see already how great she will become, how she's changing women's fashion in the beginning of the century simple hats,stunning glorious elegant dresses, no corsets,sailor shirts,mans pants,short hair & coveted little black dress and why...

She's just starting out and the movie is showing you HOW that's the point!!!

P.S.A great movie to see after this one is "Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky" not available yet,it was shown in Cannes and you can see the trailer on Youtube( the book is FINALLY available in States, I bought my copy of Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky in London in 2002.Buy the book for now you won't be able to put it down!!! I read it in 2 days. )

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Audrey Tautou is again fabulous onscreen as the tough as nails independent Coco Chanel. the movie follows her life right up to the point where she decides to actually become a fashion designer.

The sets look terrific and the acting throughout is superb. The ridiculous addition of a fictitious character who plays Coco's sister (in the extars you learn she's an amalgam of Coco's aunt and one of her sisters) to show Coco's gentle side was just plain silly. Given how dramatic Coco's life was it just seems as if the screenwriter and director fell back on some Hollywood tradition of thinking the actual true story of famous people's lives are not enough. The funny thing is this comes out of France of all places.

The extras feature lengthy interviews with the cast and crew. The version I had were the hearing impaired ones that had the various stage movements (i.e., [door closes], [footsteps heard], etc.) along with the subtitles.

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Super Hybrid (2011)

As you may have guessed from the cover, this is another car gone bad movie. This car not only can repair itself, but can change into another type of vehicle. The low budget aspect of this film only allows us to "see" the morph once. Most of the time we just see it as one car one moment, then when the camera goes back, it is suddenly a different car! Oh the magic of cinema! Unlike Christine this car kills indiscriminately.

When the car was in an accident it is towed to the police garage where the night crew must combat the vehicle. Shannon Beckner stars as Tilda, a female mechanic with a jobless boyfriend, a nephew (Ryan Kennedy) who also works at the garage and their overbearing boss, Ray (Oded Fehr of various Mummy and Resident Evil movies ). We all want to see him die next. He provides the inner conflict within the crew because harmony in battling a man eating car isn't enough drama.

Tilda comes to work in her tank top and puts on a dark blue work shirt. After an incident involving said car, the blue work shirt suddenly disappears and she is back in the tank top. Oh the magic of Anchor Bay movies!

(Plot spoiler?) They manage to get the hood pried open and lo and behold we have the film's meager special effects as we see some sort of creature lives under the hood. They surmise this creature has evolved while living along side of a road, to the point it can change forms for hunting humans. Ray doesn't want any help hunting this creature, and prefers that the garage mechanics do it to the dismay of Tilda. Melanie Papalia, as the secretary is the other eye candy of this film for those who like fish nets.

The acting was good considering the weak plot and being an Anchor Bay movie. No Mercedes were harmed in the making of this film.

No sex. No nudity. I don't recall any F-bombs, but don't hold me to it.

Enjoyable low budget creature feature. A few old cars and a parking garage and voila! a movie. Very surprised by this movie not expecting much but I liked the premise of creatures hunting in the form of cars. If you like monsters get this movie.

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Initially, I thought I was going to hate this movie. It top-loaded itself with far too many irritants than necessary all leveled at the main character (Shannon Beckner). She's up against a lazy boyfriend with back problems too severe to do work yet not bad enough to keep him from pumping iron, a snarky boss (overplayed by Oded Fehr), a snotty secretary with no room to cast disapproval on another woman when she shows up to work wearing fishnet stockings, friends/coworkers more than willing to throw her under the bus by suggesting that all her faculties aren't working on full power. And, as if that wasn't enough, she is the only clear thinker when it comes to battling a man-eating car.

Most of the decisions made during the course of this movie are questionable, like welding shut the only emergency exit because it serves the plot better than the reality of the situation (this would be illegal and since this is a police compound......!). They also get the bright idea to trap the beastie car because it might be worth money (this, after two coworkers have already gone missing, presumed dead). It also didn't help that most of the scenes are shot at night and in an underground garage poorly lit (they even face the impending loss of emergency lighting and are, at one point, literally in the dark). Half of the mayhem was difficult to see (especially the first two killings). I appreciate this was low budget, but that didn't mean they should skimp on ingenuity, there are ways of depicting things without the aid of special effects. In this case, seeing nothing meant nothing.

But. For all that and more, I still really enjoyed this movie; enough to want to keep it for future viewings. It lands in that gray area where, if your expectations are high, you might be disappointed, or, with lower expectations (like mine), it served its purpose on a basic level: entertainment. I grew to like it after a rocky start.

This was an impulse purchase and I'm not sorry I took a chance and bought it.

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You have to admit the premise behind SUPER HYBRID---a killer car that's really a tentacled monster and can transmorph into any kind of car it wants is promising. What could possibly go wrong?

Pretty much everything.

After a pretty neat opening, the movie makes the mistake of shifting the rest of the film to a poorly lit police garage, and basically turning it into a chase movie. Had the car remained on the streets killing random victims, it might have been a winner.

The characters in the garage are stock stereotypes who do stupid things at every opportunity. And of course ever since Sigourney stripped to a tee in ALIEN, 99% of all horror movies make the macho woman the hero/heroine and the males spineless wimps. The ending comes out of nowhere and makes little sense.

SUPER HYBRID is embarrassingly fun to watch, even though the acting is pretty bad, especially Oded Fehr's hammy badass boss.

So, lower your expectations and go along for the ride.

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Because The Car is one of my favorite guilty-pleasure horror movies, the reference to that movie and the plot summary quickly caught my attention. I was also looking forward to seeing the car depicted on the cover.

Unfortunately, the car shown on the cover is not in the movie. Apparently it was just shown due to its resemblance to a futuristic version of the Lincoln in The Car (check out the POV of the cover shot and the grills on both vehicles and draw your own conclusion).

The concept and some of the details (the feel of the vehicle's finish and the theory of how the vehicle became a hunter on wheels) made up for the stupidity of the characters trapped in the garage with this killing machine.

The effects weren't bad for the most part, but some were poor. Also, there was a scene where the first garage mechanic is killed and it isn't really clear (even if you play it back again) where the body landed. Since this location becomes important to the movie, you'd think the establishing shots would have been done better.

The acting was good, even though a few of the characters were a bit cliche.

Like KITT in the recent Knight Rider Season One, the killer vehicle in this one didn't really seem to have any personality. Unlike The Car, none of the characters, stunts or kills are memorable.

So what's my recommendation? Although this movie is not as exciting or interesting as The Car, I have to admit I did enjoy it and I'm sure I'll watch it again. If you like The Car and Christine (Special Edition) order your own Super Hybrid and take it for a test drive. Mileage may vary, but you'll enjoy the ride!

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Miral (2010)

It is refreshing to visit the Israeli/Palestinian conflict form a vantage too seldom shared in cinema. Director Julian Schnabel once again proves that he understands human responses in the face of political conflict. Rula Jebreal has adapted her own novel which in turn is a biography of her involvement in the history of the Palestinian conflict. It is a touching recounting of the events that took place form 1947 to the present and it leaves the window open for much conversation.

The film opens with a party held by Bertha Spafford (Vanessa Redgrave) in 1947 when she asks her guest to forget the conflict outside for a celebration of Christmas: the party is attended by both her Jewish and Arabic friends, the centerpiece being the Christmas tree brought yearly by the Husseini family and then replanted to restore the earth. Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass) is there and meets Eddie (Willem Dafoe), an American friend of Bertha. A year latter in 1948 there is an Arab-Israeli War, the Deir Yassin Massacre, and the establishment of the state of Israel. The wealthy Hind Husseini encounters 55 starving children, victims of the war, and take s them home to establish what will become the Dar Al-Tifel Institute, a school for Arab orphans that within months grew to a population of 2000. The film then jumps forward and we meet Nadia (Yasmine Al Massri), an abused alcoholic who is imprisoned and there meets devout Muslim Jamal (Alexander Siddig) who later becomes her husband: Nadia, unable to change her life, drowns herself when their child is only 7 years old. It is now 1978 and Jamal brings his daughter Miral (Yolanda El Karam) to the keeping of Hind, reassuring her that he will see her on weekends. Time passes to 1988 and the older Miral (Freida Pinto) is victim to the intifada (uprising), is sent to a refugee camp where she falls in love with the PLO leader Hani (Omar Metwally) and commits to the Palestinian movement to secure a land of peace called Palestine that will be free of the Israeli governance and jurisdiction. Hind encourages Miral to follow her heart and convictions: it is the development of change represented by Hind, Nada, and Miral that personalizes this compelling epic. Though the conflict between Palestine and Israel continues to this day, this film allows us to appreciate the Palestinian response to the loss of their land and home by a international ruling to create the state of Israel.

Cinematographer Eric Gautier mixes the hot sun washed Palestine footage of the real intifada and the result is mesmerizing. The real star of this film is Hiam Abbass who as the gradually aging Hind Husseini brings the story to life. The large cast is excellent with special kudos to Alexander Siddig, Omar Metwally, and Freida Pinto: the presence of Vanessa Redgrave and Willem Dafoe add credibility tot he proceedings but their roles are minimal. Julian Schnabel is to be congratulated for bringing to light the 'other side' of the Arab/Israeli conflict. He gives us excellent food for thought. Grady Harp, July 11

After critical success with "Basquiat," "Before Night Falls," and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"--I was a little surprised that Julian Schnabel's latest feature "Miral" flew as under the radar as it did. Based on the affecting memoir of journalist Rula Jebreal (who takes a screenplay credit as well), it tells the story of a Palestinian girl growing up amongst the eternal struggles between Palestine and Israel. It is an unorthodox and interesting viewpoint to see events of international consequence filtered through such an intimate perspective. Growing up under military occupation, having hatred and fear as a part of your every day existence--the potential for powerful self exploration and deep drama is inherent. But, in many ways, the film wants to tell several stories by introducing three fascinating female characters before Miral (Slumdog Millionaire's Freida Pinto) is even in the picture. That's fine, of course, but in the grand scheme of things--I'm not sure if those life stories (left largely unexplored) weren't inherently more interesting than the one settled on. In particular, I wanted to spend as much time as possible with Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass)--a truly remarkable woman who dedicated her life to caring for orphans in the war-torn area.

The film's tag line "Is this the face of a terrorist?" also doesn't serve the movie well in setting up expectations. This is a coming-of-age story where a young women must come to terms with the economic, social and political climate of the area and time in which she was born. Sure, extremism and violent protest are a part of that world and Miral becomes entrenched in it--but this is hardly an examination of modern terrorism. It is a character study of how one adapts to such an environment when it is an inherent part of life. Miral's father leaves her with Husseini so that she may get the advantages and education that will help her avoid the pitfalls that doomed her mother. And the strongest elements within Miral's personal journey are her bonds with both her father and her adoptive mother figure. It is in personal moments shared between these characters that the film's quiet voice speaks much more powerfully.

Schnabel incorporates plenty of stock archival footage into the film to put the historical story in context. This is great and helpful, but you'll likely get more from the film if you have some knowledge of the political situation prior to viewing the movie. We haven't traditionally seen too many English language films that have viewed the conflict from the Palestinian perspective, so that may be off-putting or controversial to some. However, the story is more concerned with intimate human drama than in grand-standing. Fans of Vanessa Redgrave and Willem Dafoe should take note that they are barely in the movie (she has one scene, he two), so if that's of primary interest--you've been alerted. All in all, Miral is a good movie and surprisingly understated. But seriously, Hind is the most intriguingly complex character in the film--and her story seems so much bigger than the main narrative! KGHarris, 6/11.

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Judge Daryl Loomis, DVD Verdict-First and foremost, Miral is not propaganda, no matter what some reviews of the film would have you believe. I can show you propaganda, dark and evil material that is shockingly persuasive, but this is not that. Miral is more akin to Gillo Pontecorvo's incredible Battle of Algiers than it is to, say, any 1970s East German animation one might come across. Ultimately, I understand a pro-Palestinian film made by a Jewish director from an autobiographical book by Rula Jebreal, his Palestinian partner, is bound to drive opinions to already-established hard and fast views on the situation. If viewers can set those politics aside, however, they will be rewarded a gorgeous film of outward emotion and humanity, one that should be regarded as equal or greater to the rest of the catalog of director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), one that people owe themselves to watch.

Miral receives a lovely Blu-ray package from Anchor Bay. The 2.35:1 1080p image is impeccable, featuring perfect color balance and detail. The cinematography by Eric Gaultier (Into the Wild) is impeccable, and some shots are downright chill-inducing; the disc is a fantastic showcase for his talent. The landscapes and the interiors are brilliant in their clarity, detail, and color balance; this is a reference-quality image. The 5.1 DTS-HD audio isn't quite as strong, but it's well balanced and robust. Miral is presented in English, with the occasional snippets of Arabic and Hebrew, and all of it is nice and clear. Schnabel uses a heavy amount of popular music for the score, including two Tom Waits songs as end credit music; all of it very effective.

We also get a good slate of extras. Schnabel conducts an excellent audio commentary with producer Jon Kilik, filled with production information, background, and a few heartbreaking stories of people who appeared in the film. For example, one of his Palestinian actors, a theater owner in Gaza, was assassinated by a religious extremist for what he considered a too liberal production of Cinderella. That it occurred literally two weeks before Schnabel recorded the commentary makes the emotional nature of the story even more powerful. A slate of deleted scenes are all very good, most of which could have been included in the final cut. A short making-of featurette gives us time with Rula Jebreal, who explains some of the differences between the book and the movie, including scenes she deemed too painful to write, but Schnabel demanded be used in the film. A filmmaker question-and-answer session gives us more of the same, and a featurette called "Julian Schnabel Studio Tour" is unnecessary. All in all, an outstanding release for an outstanding film.

-Full review at dvdverdict.com

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Julian Schnabel is a genuine artist, a true risk-taker. He is a respected painter, a writer, and he even recorded an album. And, true to his genius, he is also a filmmaker, having directed unique, non-commercial, yet critical successes as "Basquiat" (1996), "Before Night Falls" (2000), and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (2007). His most recent film, the passionate and eye-opening "Miral," follows this special pattern, this time taking a sincere look at the lives of Palestinian women.

The film is based on a true story from a book by Rula Jebreal, and it begins at a party on Christmas day, 1947. It is there that we are introduced to Hind Husseini (the wonderful Hiam Abbass), who unbeknown to us, will be the most important character the glue, if you will -in the movie. This party, perhaps, will be the last happy one that its guests attended. Schnabel then proceeds to show archival footage of the establishment of a Jewish state in the land of Israel, which would later be referred to as the State of Israel. We are then taken to Jerusalem in 1948, and we find Hind walking on its streets, where she meets a group of homeless children that were displaced due to bombings. She feels sorry for them, takes them home, and eight months later she successfully creates a school for Palestinian children. The director moves forward to 1967, and, as a result of the Six Day War, this time Hind is now limited to the Palestinian sector of East Jerusalem.

After Schnabel introduces us to Hind, we begin meeting other Palestinian women that are victims of racial, political or sexual abuse. One of them is Miral (Freida Pinto), who is raised by her loving father. He tries his best to protect Miral against her surroundings, by sending her to Hind's school. However, it is difficult to escape reality in Palestine, especially in 1987, during the first Intifada, where Miral sees firsthand the treatment of the Palestinians by the Israelis. Miral, as you can imagine, will have to make some serious choices in order to survive a harsh life under occupation.

Although "Miral" is mostly about Miral's journey in life, it is also, as I indicated earlier, about the lives of Palestinian women under difficult circumstances, both internal and external from their homes. It is also about women, like Hind Husseini, who made a difference. But Schnabel also presents a subtle, smart portrait of a society subjugated by a powerful neighbor, and how they live day by day. A real gem that deserved a better audience. The Blu-ray includes deleted scenes, making-of documentary, filmmaker Q&A, commentaries by Schnabel and producer Jon Kilik. (France, Israel, Italy, India; 2010; color and B&W; 106 mins plus additional materials). Reviewed on July 7, 2011 by Eric Gonzalez exclusively for The Weinstein Company / Anchor Bay Entertainment.

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This is a true story, oh what a story this is. A story of perseverance , struggle and success. The story of a young woman who is an example of bravery, self confidence, beauty and reseliance. I would love for everybody to watch this film and read the book. It really is worth you time.

I Love Miral

xoxo

Miral: A Novel

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District B13/District 13: Ultimatum 2-Pack (2009)

These are two movies where I actually loved part 1 and part 2. Usually the second movie sucks, but not this one.

I can't say that I have seen too many French films before, spare the ever so awesome Brotherhood of the Wolf, but after that and the District 13 films, France has definitely made it's mark in American culture with such bad@$$ films. Yes, the film quality isn't necessarily quite up to pace with American movies, but it makes up for it with some pretty decent acting and some awesome stunts. Cyril Raffaelli (Live Free or Die Hard, Kiss of the Dragon, Hitman), busts out some outstanding martial arts, and David Belle pulls some spectacular stunts using the art of Parkour...awesome athletic ability. The duo does a great job together in these films. If you're an action/martial arts fan, I highly recommend checking these movies out. My only main criticism on these movies is that the dubbing kinda sucks on it, but then again, such is the case with a lot of dubbed movies. I would recommend watching these in the native tongue and reading subtitles, but however way you prefer to do it, just watch these movies! They are worthwhile action films!

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full of action!

full of fights!

full of everything!

the best I've seen in action

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District B13 (Banlieue 13) is your standard low budget action flick, lots of action sequences and fight scene with a weak plot about a ghetto district in Paris where the gangs are so bad, that the French gov't built a wall around it. Now in 2010, with no hope of bringing peace to the district, the French gov't is going to blow up the district with a bomb. Our two heroes fight their way to the bomb only to fight over whether the bomb is going to blow up or deactivate when the time reaches zero. The 2 heroes bring the bomb to the presidents office and use it to persuade him to open up district 13 and tear down the wall.

District 13: Ulimatum (Banlieue 13: Ultimatum) is the sequel, with a slightly higher budget, better camera work and a deeper plot. Surprise, nothing has changed, the wall is still up and gangs still control district 13. Now in 2013, big surprize 2012 didn't happen, the French gov't has become corrupted and is sparking a war between the gangs and police to convince the president to blow up district 13. The Department of Internal State Security is taking care of anyone that will get in the way of their plot including our 2 heroes. Leito breaks Damien out of jail and the two snoop around in police headquarters and find out what's what. Paris is about to erupt in riots, and the president is about to blow up district 13. So our 2 heroes and the 5 gang lords unite to break into the control room where the president is about blow up district 13 and expose DISS' plot to the president. After stopping the president from blowing up the district *spoiler* the 5 gang leaders and leito agree it's best just to rebuild and the president blows up the district anyway. *spoilers*

As you can see from my plot summaries the sequel has more plot, which does mean less action but makes it a more well rounded movie. I perfer the French audio as the English audio is just a word for word translation without much thought toward lip syncing and can get annoying.

Bottom line: If you just want a flick like Mortal Kombat just go with District B13. If you like plot more than action get District 13: Ultimatum. If both sound good, get this.

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The bundle is a great deal, comes with dual audio and subtitles, and as expected of blu-ray, the highest quality available. Great product. Recommended for all viewers who can watch a PG-13 movie.

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Newsies: 20th Anniversary Edition (1992)

From the looks of it, I MAY be the only male reviewer posting positive for this movie, but of course I only read the first several reviews, not all 300 plus. I saw Newsies when it first came out in the movies. I believe it was a double feature, with Aladdin or something, can't remember which. I guess I was around 17. I've always been a loyal Disney fan, and I do love many musicals. This was an instant classic for me, sort of a male version of Annie, which came out a decade or so before, and is also excellent. And I seem to recall that Annie and Popeye, two faves of mine, sort of marked the end of live-action musicals. A real shame. Newsies proves that great musicals can still be made, but it also proves that it can take some time for most modern people to admit they like it. The story is about the 1899 strike of the New York paperboys. The central characters are Jack Kelly, a streetwise orphan played by Christian Bale(the main reason most females love this movie), and David Jacobs, a kid from a more stable, family lifestyle. Through the course of the strike they put on, the two boys become unlikely best friends, and with the other Newsies, learn about loyalty, friendship, and believing that they can work together to fight for a better life. The songs and music are beautiful. I'm particular about that stuff too. Don't trust professional reviewers like Leonard Maltin, whose reviews are inconsistent at best. Just when you think he's got good taste from reading one review, you lose all faith in him by reading another. Judge this movie for yourself. If you don't like musicals, don't bother. You have to love musicals to enjoy this even a little bit. And I don't mean just stuff like Oklahoma or Dr. Dolittle. If you loved Annie, this might be a good one for you. A little more adult than that, but not much. Don't expect to see many female characters though. Ann Margaret has a small part as one of the kids' few adult friends, and there's the character of David's sister, purely there to present a love interest for Christian Bale, just so someone would have a love interest. She's not spectacular, but she IS cute. Bill Pullman does a great job as a reporter trying to help the Newsies get some publicity. This was the first time I ever saw Bill since Space Balls, though I wasn't really keeping track of his career. I'm so glad to hear this will be on DVD soon. And I hope they release more of Disney's late 80's, early 90's stuff on DVD. Like Dick Tracy! A visual masterpiece! And my favorite movie of all time, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, is badly in need of a Special Edition DVD! Such a spectacular film and we didn't even get the movie trailer promised on the box! Anyway, as for Newsies, get the soundtrack too! Great music! I bought the soundtrack back when the movie came out! Unfortunately it was on tape. Gotta replace that with a CD too!

The world was not ready for a return to the days of the movie-musical when "Newsies" was released in 1992. A box-office flop, it has quickly risen to cult classic status with fans everywhere. Newsies is based on the true story of the New York newsboys' strike of 1899. Granted, Disney is guilty of "improving the truth a little", but doesn't any musical, where people break out in spontaneous song and dance, require one to put reality aside for a while? This film tells the tale of the newsies, led by tough, street-smart Jack Kelly (Christian Bale) and intelligent, reasonable David Jacobs (David Moscow), who form a union when Joseph Pulitzer (Robert Duvall) ups the price of newspapers from fifty to sixty cents a hundred. The street children with names like Racetrack (Max Casella), a compulsive gambler who steals many scenes with his wisecracks are aided by a newspaper reporter named Brian Denton (Bill Pullman). Together the unlikely company endures many troubles, including run-ins with the police and their leader's betrayal, throughout the strike. The actors are believable as poor orphans and runaways during the turn of the century, and one look at any of them shows that they've poured their heart and soul into this movie. The lack of depth in some characters especially Sarah (Ele Keats) and Medda Larkson (Ann-Margret), roles that serve no discernable purpose other than sex appeal is my only qualm with the film. Looking past that and the many continuity errors (some of which are actually quite amusing), this is a highly enjoyable movie for the entire family to share. Not a masterpiece, but plenty of entertainment!

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I am offended by the professional critics slamming this movie. My two teenage daughters and all their friends absolutely love it! It has incredible dancing, cute guys, and the above-mentioned females are constantly quoting the songs and lines out of this movie. It has a solid plot and actually holds the characters up to noble ideals...honesty, integrity, loyalty, love of family and criticizes things that I want my kids to hate: greed, breaking promises, etc. There is a touch of romance, but no sex! Yeah!

The fact that it is based (I believe somewhat loosely) in historical fact also pleases me as it has given my kids a taste of that portion of US history and a desire to learn more. We have managed to purchase a piano/flute book of the songs so my kids have also been challenged to improve in another area.

This is a great movie for girls from 11 years and up. (I say this only because my 10 year old is not ready to obsess over this movie yet.)

Newsies has inspired both of my older girls to write stories based on the characters.

The reference to "kiddie humor" is particularly annoying. I, for one, am tired of watching movies geared towards kids that feature "potty humor" such as farting and boys getting hit in the crotch. I can't think of anything in Newsies that is that ignorant.

As you can see, I think this is a great movie. Why do the professionals always dislike the decent movies?

Read Best Reviews of Newsies: 20th Anniversary Edition (1992) Here

Newsies is one of those movies that grows on you, like some of the songs in it. The first time it seemd too corny (a bunch of boys singing, dancing, and behaving like the East Side Kids), but I liked it more with each viewing.

In early 20th century New York, Christian Bale (Batman Begins, Empire of the Sun) leads underpaid paperboys in a musical strike against publishers Pulitzer and Hearst. Bill Pullman (Sleepless in Seattle, Casper) plays a Sun reporter who takes up their cause.

Robert Duvall (To Kill A Mockingbird, Second Hand Lions) gives an interesting interpretation of Pulitzer, and Ann-Margaret (Bye Bye Birdie, Pocketful of Miracles) has a few scenes as a dancing girl. But the best performance, in my opinion, is Kevin Tighe (Emergency, What's Eating Gilbert Grape) as a sinister reformatory warden. He's mastered a patiently mean, calmly austere look that could send chills up your spine.

There are at least a couple very memorable songs: King of New York and Seize The Day. The dancing and choreography attempts to rise to the level of classic movie musicals like Singin' In The Rain, doesn't quite reach that quality, but they've made a noble effort that's entertaining in most of the numbers.

On the whole the movie can be quite effective if you can get past the corniness and get into it.

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This is a fun musical! Why it was pulled from the theaters so soon after its original release and why Disney back-burnered this visually exciting live-action film is a mystery to me. But they've made their amends. This DVD has TWO featurettes about the making of Newsies and ANOTHER about the real turn-of-the-century newsboy's strike that the movie is based on. Also, it has director's commentary and sing-along lyrics. Some of the plot turns are predictable and Robert Duval's performance as publisher Joseph Pulitzer is a tad embarrassing. Ann-Margaret's as the dancehall performer, Medda, "the Swedish meadowlark" is not (though she inexplicably evaporates from the movie half way through). But the young cast is diverse and energetic. Dance sequences are tightly edited, but not in the annoying and disorienting way MTV videos are. You can appreciate the flow of the movements...and the dances and music in general support the story line and help define the different characters. If for no other reason, Newsies is worth the purchase price just for the opportunity to see Welsh actor Christian Bale (An American Psycho) sing, dance, and speak in a Bowery boy accent.

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Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

This movie, the second in the Mad Max trilogy, is easily the best of the three. Visually, it's very distinctive. The first movie showed a society breaking down in the post apocalyptic world. By this movie, it's broken down. The first movie showed the immediate aftermath. There were still working phones, power lines, people trying to go on with their normal lives, etc. There was even a police force, of which Max was a member, trying to maintain order. Now, society has descended into complete anarchy. Civilization's infrastructure has broken down completely. In the first movie you saw shops, service stations, hospitals. Now you see people scavenging in a wrecked world. Max's car is no longer a gleaming black vehicle, but a delapidated, dirty old beater, its engine still in top shape, but its interior stripped, and its body covered in dust, battered and old. Max's leather police uniform is no longer immaculate, but torn and patched. Visually, this movie set a new standard, and like "Star Wars" and "Blade Runner", changed the way movies in its genre were made. Even the setting works in telling the story. Where the first film featured country with trees and green grass, this movie is set in a blasted desert, further accentuating the sense of collapse.

And this movie's quality doesn't end with the visuals. It has a great, exciting story, very reminiscent of the pulp adventures of old. It's hero, a wanderer, a uniquely skilled and deadly loner, is a mythic archetype. The actors are all perfectly cast. Mel Gibson, with only a few lines of dialogue, turns in a compelling, emotional performance, showing the transformation from the happy, loving husband and father of the first film, to the wounded, burnt out shell of a man seen here. In this film, Max is a tough, fang-scarred old wolf, who has absolutely nothing to live for, but whose survival instinct, combined with his toughness and resourcefulness, just won't let him quit.

The other characters in this movie are also unique and memorable. Bruce Spence's gyro captain is a likeable opportunist. Mike Preston's Papagallo is the determined, idealistic leader, in over his head, but trying his best. Vernon Wells makes a great, flamboyant villain. And Kjell Nilsson is the Humungus, whose face we never see; leader of a vicious band of trash, whose hulking physique, and savage followers seem at odds with his articulate speech, and ostensibly conciliatory manner. The story and characters elevate this movie over the host of low budget imitators that followed. But the film is not short on action either. And George Miller was a gifted director who put to film what remain the best car chase scenes ever shot, right down to this day. Action lovers will find plenty of excitement with this movie. It's a terrible shame the third film wasn't very good, as it killed the prospects of a long running series. This is sad because Max, wandering lone wolf that he is, is a character who, like James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, or the Conan of the old pulp magazines is eminently suitable to a series of adventures.

I'm saying "finally" because we've finally received a version of the Road Warrior that looks outstanding! The picture looks the best I've ever seen and while the sound isn't as great in terms of bass reproduction, it still sounds very clear, just a tiny bit lackluster. Several of the scenes have a bit of softness to them probably due to age but I'd say about 95% of the film looks crystal clear. There aren't many extras other than an introduction by film critic Leonard Maltin and a filmmaker commentary. A bit lacking in the extras department but the commentary is informative enough for film enthusiasts and fans of the film. It'd be nice to get a retrospective documentary one day on this classic.

At the end of the day, the movie is delivered in an above average presentation and definitely worth a peek in HD.

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Ahhh, the classic post-apocolyptic thriller that sets the standard for post-apocolyptic thrillers. One tagline reads 'In the future, cities will become deserts, roads will become battlefields and the hope of mankind will appear as a stranger'. I remember skipping school in the early 80's to stay home and watch this one on cable, Such a great movie that has lost none of it's appeal even after 20 plus years. This is the story of a man, once an officer of the law, who now roams the highways of post-apocolyptic Australia searching for gasoline and maybe a reason to exist. In this time, gasoline is the most valuable commodity, so much so men kill for it. Mel Gibson plays Max, in the role that made him known worldwide. During his travels, he comes across a small settlement that is actually producing petroleum. This settlement is besieged by a group of motorized, murdering, mauraders who want all the fuel. Knowing that the fuel is life, the people in the settlement defend the fuel, but their strength and ability to hold out against this powerful force is becoming less and less each day. Max strikes a deal with them for all the fuel he can carry provided he can get a truck for them so they can haul their tanker of gas out of the wasteland and find a better life in a fabled coastal land. Max fufills his end of the bargin, and leaves the settlement with his fuel, but is attacked and left for dead. Having lost his car, he decides to drive the tanker. This sets up one of the most amazing highway battles ever filmed, as the settlers have turned the tanker into a moving fortess, and the marauders will stop at nothing to stop the tanker and get the gas. This movie is what I would call a nearly pefect example of excellent casting, story, dialogue, plot, script, wardrobe, etc. to make up a near perfect movie. Everything in the movie works so well that your entire attention is focused on the screen, even after multiple viewings. This is actually the second in a trilogy, Mad Max being the first and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome being the third, but, in my opinion, this one is the best. It's raw, gritty, sometimes humourous and competely enthralling. On a side note, what's up with Warner Brothers and their crummy cardboard packaging? It just seems so flimsy and cheap. And don't look for a lot of extras with this release, just the full and widescreen versions and some production notes.

This just in...I heard George Miller and Mel Gibson are bringing Max back one more time in 2004 in Mad Max: Fury Road......

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I've been a fan of this movie ever since it came out. I've always been disappointed with the mediocre image quality on the DVD edition of the Road Warrior. It always lacked detail and looked grainy; I feared that the original print of the movie was of low visual quality.

I recently got a 46 inch Hi-Def LCD set and had watched the DVD on it. The image was bigger but no better.

The Blu-Ray version of The Road Warrior ( or Mad Max 2 since this is the original Australian version,) is far superior to the DVD. There is far more detail and the colors are more saturated. I found the widescreen scenes of the Aussie desert quite stunning. This film is easily worth the discounted price it sells for on Amazon.

Since this is the original Aussie version of the film, there are about ten more minutes of the movie which were trimmed out of the U.S. version. While the Aussie version doesn't move quite as quickly as the U.s. version, it is more complex and interesting.

The added detail of the Blu-Ray makes the road battle finale even more dramatic. You have to admire the fearlessness of the stuntmen as they are thrown dozens of feet through the air during those amazing crashes. As this was in the days before CGI, what we see is more or less what really had to happen in front of the camera. Obviously some scenes have dummies getting crushed under wheels, but those are brave guys driving down that narrow road with that huge tanker.

Sadly, the Special features are rather sparse. We do get a commentary track with director George Miller and the director of photography. While I could have wished for a makingof featurette, the Blue-Ray commentary is far better than the zero features of the DVD.

If you love this movie, You should see this disc.

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I just finished watching The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2) on Blu-ray which I ordered from Amazon. It's one of my favorite films and still holds up today, largely thanks to its wonderful direction and quality attention to realistic detail. Likened to westerns and samurai films, it should be at the top of anyones list that is a fan of action, cars, post apocalyptic futures and stories about a lone wolf type hero. The quality of the picture is great and the sound is good too thanks to being on Blu-ray. And if you are worried about getting this because you haven't seen the first Mad Max, fear not, the film is done in such a way you don't really need to. There is a short recap at the start of the film which will help tie things together. Also a new feature exclusive to the high-def version not found on regular DVD is a new audio commentary with the director. I haven't listened to it yet so I'm hoping it sheds insight onto the production of this wonderful film.

See Mel Gibson at his best as... The Road Warrior.

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Rambo: First Blood / Rambo: The Fight Continues (Two-Pack) (2010)

I don't know what issue the other person had with this two-pack is, but both films are presented in Widescreen. As far as I know, there is not yet a single case where a "pan and scan" or a reformatted "full screen" aspect ratio as the feature presentation on any Blu-Ray (at least not by a major studio), and there are an EXTREMELY limited number of cases where a full-screen version is also included in addition to the widescreen feature (excluding, of course, films that were shot and are meant to be presented in full screen from the '40s and earlier).

In any case, this is just the two existing RAMBO and FIRST BLOOD Blu-rays in a single case. All the same extras, same presentation, etc. It is also the theatrical presentation of RAMBO and not the Director's Cut.

The second reviewer is correct. I am not sure what the first reviewer is talking about. The picture is presented in the OAR and the picture quality is good.

These are the same discs as are in the single movie editions of the product. The Rambo 4 disc says disc 1 on it so it appears they just took it out of the original release that had the digital copy disc with it.

If you like the Rambo movies these are a great value. 2 great movies for the price of one.

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I'll be honest... I am not a big Rambo fan. While I always enjoyed the original, First Blood, and the newest movie, Rambo, non of the in-between movies are entertaining for me. I have always ran into a three-pack at the stores, which only include the first three, so why pay for two movies I have no interest in?

After reading a short review from blu-ray dot com, I'd agree that the picture is never very bright, but it is part of the film style since much takes place at night and in the woods. There's no overly done artificial noise reduction BS taking place to smooth out the film grain, so the images has plenty of detail for an older film. The surround sound I don't remember jumping out at me as a phenomenal experience, just average. Or if I had to rate it maybe I'd classify it as "like the rest and not a tick better."

So, if you're like me, and you only want to watch and own the "good" Rambo's... THIS is the combo pack for you!

Read Best Reviews of Rambo: First Blood / Rambo: The Fight Continues (Two-Pack) (2010) Here

The Blu-ray technology in these Legends Two-Packs is diminished to an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. VERY BAD MOVE. If you really are interested in maximizing the image then don't miss out on 50% of the movie, which is what you loose with these two packs. Learn from my mistake Buy once, buy right, buy something not this.

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Frankie Go Boom (Blu-ray) (2012)

FGB is a good first comedic effort for Charle Hunnam. I've read CH had reservations about playing a lead role in a comedy film, but playing the straight character, he was great. it was fun to see him not play a bad ass as he has been cast recently. Ron Perlman is a riot as a transsexual . While I did not find the movie hysterically funny, it is definitely worth watching again.

"How is Jack Knowles seeing a movie of a drunken woman hitting me with her bike helping you get your dream Bruce?" Frankie's (Hunnam) brother Bruce (O'Dowd) has just got out of prison and is back in his life. Frankie is not happy about this. His whole life Bruce has been filming Frankie in the worst possible situations. When Frankie has an embarrassing night with a woman he just met his brother films that too. This simple act spirals out of control and ends up affecting everyone involved, and some who aren't. I'm not sure what I expected from this movie but it wasn't this. The movie is funny and I did laugh a few times but it was different then I thought it would be. The cast is funny and the dialog is funny but it is borderline offensive so be warned if you are easily offended. I don't want to say too much because this is the kind of movie that each scene builds on itself and saying something will ruin the flow but it is funny, just different. Overall, not bad and worth seeing unless you are easily offended. I give it a B-.

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I'm a Charlie Hunnam fan. This is funny! I love funny and everything Charlie. It's funny but there are also interesting aspects of life here. Poor Frankie is the only sane one. I'm always amazed at how different Charlie can look and be in his different roles. Amazing. I wanted to see it in the theater; I did see it online and I'm happy to own it also.

Read Best Reviews of Frankie Go Boom (Blu-ray) (2012) Here

Me and my daughter really enjoyed this-lotsa laughs! Wished the extras included outtakes...bummer. But the cuts were good...one great decision the director (kudos Jordan Roberts) made was replacing Ron Perlman for the mother in the last phone call scene...not only did it add to the "love story" bit...but it added to the "evening with Phillis" made it look as though they "became close" enough to have a conversation on relationships....hilarious! Loved it!

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I am confused about the hype and raves for this film. It is a wanna-be quirky independent film using trite jokes and unreal situations in a world that doesn't require a release form. We are told that Bruce has spent his life torturing and filming his brother Frankie from the film blurb. We get to see one quick episode, hear about a second one, that really had nothing to do with Bruce and the movie is about a third one that again, Bruce (Chris O'Dowd) just happens to film.

The whole set up and building of characters was done in a very poor fashion. The get together of Frankie(Charlie Hunnam) and Lassie (Lizzy Caplan) was slightly humorous, but there was no good follow up. Bruce was extremely unlikeable. Frankie only slightly less so. The characters overall are meh, even the over the top Ron Pearlman..."call me Phyllis now" tried so hard to be funny, that it wasn't.

This is a sex comedy that lacks the crudeness of successful sex comedies, and lacks the cleverness of a good indie. It is a hybrid that doesn't reproduce. Some may find it amusing, I don't recommend it, even as a rental.

Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, nudity.

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The Jayhawkers (1959)

Remember the "good old westerns" we watched as kids that had beautiful color and bigger than life heros! Well, this is one I highly recommend! Get out the popcorn and enjoy!

Chandler's superb in the Quantrill-based role. (Then again, when was he not?) Parker underplays his part as the man sent to catch him, knowing Chandler's the man indirectly responsible for his wife's demise. Henry Silva is wonderfully sleazy as the gunhand. And Jerome Moross' score is brilliant, as good as his work in THE BIG COUNTRY. There's a good amount of action, so Western fans won't be disappointed. A fun way to spend some time.Head `Em Off At the Pass!: 94 Westerns You Should Watch

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Another fine Vistavision western with a great score and a decent story as Fess Parker tries to figure out which path to take as he joins forces with Jeff Chandler and his Jayhawkers who are trying to take over Kansas in the mid 19th century.... The video is pretty good with numerous minute scratches traveling sideways across the screen....these do not take away from the film, however.... Definitely worth it for Western fans and those of us who love Vistavision.... The Run for Cover blu-ray looks better, but a great western nonetheless....

Read Best Reviews of The Jayhawkers (1959) Here

Olive Films did a great job on the transfer of this good Western. This movie is presented in Widescreen and runs for about 100mins (1hr 40mins). This movie stars: Jeff Chandler, Fess Parker, Nicole Maurey, Henry Silva, Herbert Rudley, Frank DeKova and directed by Melvin Frank.

The video quality of the movie is real good and provides clear, sharp video; although, some scenes weren't as sharp towards the middle. The sound of the audio is excellent without any crackles or distorts throughout the film. There isn't any extras and I wished they would've provided the original trailer.

Overall this is a great Blu-ray release and I would recommend this, especially to Western fans.

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The Rocketeer: 20th Anniversary Edition (1991)

Based on Dave Stevens' graphic novel (which was inspired by "King of the Rocketmen" a movie serial from the 40's), this retro fantasy is a blast (pardon the pun). Unfortunately, the DVD transfer is not so hot. Director Joe Johnston ("October Sky", "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" and "Jurassic Park III")does a nice job with this feature film recreating the look of Hollywood in 1938.

BLU-RAY REVIEW:

Disney has given us a very nice looking Blu-ray debut for "The Rocketeer. Although the image is occasionally a bit soft the overall detail, depth and colors are far superior to every previous edition of the movie. The film looks exceptionally good for a film that is 20 years old.

We get a nice 5.1 lossless mix--it won't blow you away the way that, say, "Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon" audio might, but it's immersive and sounds extremely good with crisp, clear dialogue.

Special Features: Someone missed the boat at the Mouse house here--we get the theatrial trailer and really nothing else of worth. That's just wrong since there's A LOT of material out there on the making of teh film.

4 stars for the transfer which looks extremely good and 1/s star for the "special Feature".

Cliff Secord (Bill Campbell) and "Peevy" (Alan Arkin) have put together a cutting edge stunt plane. During a test flight the plane is destroyed in an accident involving the FBI and the Mob. It seems the Mob has stolen a revolutionary rocket packet designed by Howard Hughes (the great Terry O'Quinn)which the U.S. wants to use for military purposes. Unfortunately, so do the Nazi's who hired Mob kingpin Eddie Valentine (Paul Sorvino) to steal it. Secord accidently comes into possession of the rocket pack and suddenly everyone from Hollywood actor/Nazi agent Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton) to the FBI want to catch him and retrieve it.

ORIGINAL DVD REVIEW:

This is a fun witty film of the graphic novel. The DVD transfer looks so-so. The image is frequently too dark and there's lots of digital artifacts (aliasing, etc.) that mar the picture. Presented in widescreen, it's not enhanced for 16x9 sets and doesn't appear to be an anamorphic transfer either. Why does all that matter? Because on a widescreen TV it would have enhanced and improved the picture quality making it look sharp, vivid and alive. The original theatrical trailer is the only extra. I don't know if Disney has any immediate plans to reissue this but if you do purchase it, be aware that it doesn't look all that great on DVD because of the transfer by Disney.

I'm hoping that Disney will be reissuing this terrific movie because it certainly deserved it. Unfortunately, the film with its loopy charm and srong performances didn't get the audience it deserved and died at the box office. Disney, get off your duff and reissue this as a two DVD Special Edition as it deserves!

The Rocketeer is one of the most enjoyable action-adventure movies ever made. Everything about this film is wonderful. Director Joe Johnson perfectly captures the look and feel of Hollywood (or what Hollywood should look and feel like) during the 1930s. Great casting with Bill Campbell right on target at Cliff Secord, Jennifer Connelly as his best girl, Jenny Blake, Alan Arkin as Cliff's mentor and mechanic/inventor friend, and Timothy Dalton as the evil Nazi spy-movie star Neville Sinclair. Like Raiders of the Lost Ark, it is a homage to the film serials of the period, but with a lot more spit and polish. The special effects are great, the set decoration, costumes, makeup, all evoke the time and place perfectly. A wonderful script adapted from the graphic novel of the same name sets this movie apart from others in this genre. The dialogue is funny, fast and at sometimes furious. Campbell plays the All-American boy with a real gee whiz, almost Jimmy Stewart kind of charm. The plot about a secret plan by the Nazis to build rocket packs for an army of "Rocketeers" to take over the world is added and abetted by Dalton as the Errol Flynn-like movie star. When a prototype rocket pack accidentally ends up in the hands of Campbell and Arkin, the action, and their troubles, really start. This film is filled with dozens of wonderful characterizations. Some of the best are Paul Sorvino as gangster Eddie Valentine, Terry O'Quinn as Howard Hughes, and Tiny Ron as Lothar. The musical score by James Horner is outstanding. It's heroic, quiet and inspiring. Why this film didn't turn out to be the big blockbuster it should have been is beyond me. I love Raiders of the Lost Ark, but this film matches it in almost every category. One of my favorite modern films, I never tire of watching it. Perfect entertainment and perfect for all ages. The Rocketeer is a real winner.

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This movie is clearly a five star film. It's exciting, fun, adventurous and great for kids, but also for adults! The photography is great, sets and costumes are authentic, and the acting is first rate. HOWEVER, this has got to be the worst DVD transfer I have ever seen. It looks to me like they took a widescreen 72 mm print and projected it on a screen, then rephotographed it on 35 mm... no kidding. Nearly every letterbox film I have goes from one side of my flat panel monitor to the other. This one is well within all 4 sides of my monitor... and the color is milky and faded and there is a grainy character to the picture. The sound is clearly stereophonic and wonderful... so why Disney can put out an amateur transfer like this is beyond me. Having said that, the film is not expensive and I still recommend it.... but Disney needs to re-release a clear transfer of this wonderful film. I will be worried about the quality of future Disney and Miramax films on DVD if this is how they are going to be released.

Read Best Reviews of The Rocketeer: 20th Anniversary Edition (1991) Here

Somehow as a kid I missed watching this film, but I amended this oversight during college by acquiring the standard DVD edition of the film. "The Rocketeer" blew me away, not due to intensity of action or spectacle, but instead by a quality increasingly rare in our blockbusters... its heart. The film undeniably wears its earnestness on its sleeve, but the result is far from cheesy, manifesting into an atmosphere of excitement and wonder that hearkens back to Hollywood's Golden Age and the old 1930s serials. Aside from the better Indiana Jones films, "Rocketeer" is probably the best homage you can find to that style of storytelling. Not that the film is perfect -far from it -but "Rocketeer" uncannily manages to turn many of its flaws in its favor. They add to the charm, as does James Horner's rousing score, which ranks easily among his very best.

Yet "The Rocketeer" has never been the unqualified success it deserves to be, having had the misfortune of opening against a little indie film you may have heard of called "Terminator 2." It was unceremoniously dumped on VHS and then the aforementioned DVD -a barebones disc with a non-anamorphic, smeary mess of a transfer that, on today's HD televisions, is damn near unwatchable.

Enter this "20th Anniversary Edition" Blu-ray. Video is pretty good for a film of its budget, production methods, and vintage; not reference quality, but certainly a vast, VAST improvement on the wretched DVD. Audio is slightly disappointing with a distinct lack of LFE in the sound effects, but James Horner's score sounds wonderful.

Most disappointing is the almost complete lack of bonus material. The menu is stylish and the disc even uses BD-Java, but the only available extra outside the film is a standard-definition trailer. For a release billed as a "20th Anniversary Edition," this defies logic. Surely a retrospective featurette is called for at the very least? According to The Digital Bits, cameras were present at a 20th Anniversary screening at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood that included a Q&A with the filmmakers, so I suppose it is possible that they are saving features for a future release, but given this title's treatment in the past another, later release on Blu-ray seems unlikely.

In summary, five stars for the movie, four stars for the video, three stars for the audio, and no stars for the extras. Why, then, is the overall rating for this review five stars? Because, with today's equipment, all previous video releases of the film are unwatchable, and the quality of the upgrade from DVD to Blu-ray is easily worth five stars, especially considering the quality of the movie, and frankly we are lucky to have this Blu-ray at all considering the film's reputation as a box-office flop and as something of a stepchild for Disney. Considering that a future, feature-laden Blu-ray upgrade is highly improbable, this "20th Anniversary Edition" is highly recommended.

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For those of you who don't know about this movie, read the other posts here. What I'm going to talk about is the poor video quality of this release.

To start, the framing has been noticably cropped from its original 2.35:1 Panavision scope aspect ratio. If you are familiar with the original widescreen/letterbox laserdisc that Disney released, you'll find that this DVD sports the exact same composite video transfer with all of its inherent problems intact. No new high definition master was created for this release.

The only thing of merrit is that the ORIGINAL 5.1 surround track was used to encode it to Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Yup, the packaging is in error. You're in for a treat as the split surround channels are pretty darn active considering it was mixed in the early days of 5.1 digital surround equipped cinemas.

Hopefully, Disney will re-do this DVD in the near future. They created a fresh transfer for The Santa Clause SE, so why not the superior The Rocketeer??

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Aircraft at War: The Memphis Belle Deluxe Edition

This is, quite simply, one of the best wartime documentaries shot during WWII. It chronicles the 25th mission of 'The Memphis Belle" a B-17 and its crew that flew early in the air war over Europe when losses were staggering and survival of men and machines was doubtful over a 25-mission tour. Shot by William Wyler, the film is in full color, much of it shot in combat conditions over Europe. The narration is excellent.

This is not a very long film, but it is a must for anyone interested in the air war. I highly recommend another documentary to better understand the air war if you enjoy 'Memphis Belle'. It is called "Pistol Packing Mama: The Missions of a B-17", also available through Amazon.com. Taken together, these two videos will give the general viewer an excellent idea of the dangers of flying early in the war and of the resiliency and courage of the crews.

Do not expect the camera work to be smooth in the aerial combat sequences. Remember that the plane was shuddering with the recoil of its guns and also under instense fire. Also, the cameraman was probably having second thoughts about coming along on the mission at all! To me, the camera work only intensifies the drama of the battle.

Highly recommended. Not to be confused with the Hollywood version of 1990, with the same title. This is fact, that one is historical fiction. Both are worth your time.

When I first saw "The Memphis Belle" as a kid, I was absolutely riveted to the screen. This is the legendary movie that inspired a Hollywood film (not great but not terrible -made just before digital effects came into the world that would have produced a far better film) and has become the touchstone document of what WWII was like for the bomber crews. It's been said that none other than George Lucas used Memphis Belle in the rough cuts of Star Wars to create battle sequences. One watching of this movie and you will understand why -harrowing close calls and dead on the screen as B-17s tumble out of control, it just leaves you breathless. The moving commentary and score make it all that more amazing. It still blows all but the best that Hollywood made, such as "12 O'Clock High" off the screen. This deluxe edition version of the film is truly outstanding, and features several other films about the B-17 and has a wonderful recruiting movie starring who else but James Stewart, my favorite Hollywood actor.

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The 1944 William Wyler film "Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress" is a classic. Featuring some of the most compelling footage of the war in the skies over Europe, this version is, by far, the best looking I've ever seen.

While the "widescreen" version loses the top and bottom to fit, I personally think the "fullscreen" version (both of which are provided) looks crisp and sharp. The chapter notes provided with the set explain that the opening graphics were not available in original form at the Archives and National Air and Space Museum, so those portions have not been restored.

And the extra bonus footage is superb. I have some of the other Aircraft Films products (the F4U and F4F disc sets) and most of it has crisp, clear footage. I, too, would love to have more sound on future releases, but having the footage, much of which I've never seen and isn't available elsewhere, is very nice.

I recommend the set highly.

Read Best Reviews of Aircraft at War: The Memphis Belle Deluxe Edition Here

This wartime documentary celebrates the successful return of the B-17 bomber Memphis Belle, named after pilot Robert Morgan's girlfriend, from its twenty-fifth and final bombing mission over German soil, but it also makes clear the fact that this was only one of many such planes filled with heroic young men prepared to die for their country and for freedom. Director William Wyler basically takes the viewer through a typical day in the lives of the American men serving at an undisclosed air base in Britain. Ground crewmen prepare the B-17s for flight and load the bombs they will drop, pilots and crew receive their briefing on the mission ahead, death is delivered to the German homeland in the form of fire from the sky, and the pilots bring their bombers home if they can. The bravery of the ten men who served onboard each B-17 bomber is beyond question; while these incredible airplanes earned the right to be called flying fortresses, each mission bordered on the suicidal. The bomber was a large and slow yet deadly aircraft; the pilots had to hold formation and concentrate on dropping their bombs amidst anti-aircraft fire from the ground, the pursuit and attack of much quicker German fighters, and constant bursts of flak all over the sky; with no fighter escort, the gunners stationed atop, behind, and astride each plane had their hands full trying to shoot down enemy planes. This film, built around actual combat footage taken from 16mm and 35mm onboard cameras, presents a telling and impressively realistic look at the incredible dangers all bomber crewmen faced.

Some speak about the propaganda aspects of this film. It is true that the war in Europe raged on when the film was released by the War Department in April 1944, and it is also true that Wylie used footage from several missions as well as some film from a second air combat unit, but the heroism on display here rises far above propaganda. To return home from a bombing mission was a small miracle in and of itself, as can clearly be seen in the extensive damage to both crew and aircraft for many of those that did make it back to the base. What makes the Memphis Belle such a legend is the fact that the crew took the plane out on twenty-five bombing runs and returned home each and every time. As the film shows us, this accomplishment earned all ten of the Memphis Belle's crewmen distinguished service medals, a visit from the King and Queen of England, and a trip back to the States to help teach future crewmen how to fly the B-17 bombers that continued to prove themselves instrumental in the eventual Allied victory over the Third Reich.

I might make note of the fact that this film is actually in color not a vibrant sort of color but color nonetheless and runs a little short of forty-five minutes in length. Those with an interest in aerial combat or World War II in general should find much to interest them in this inspirational look at the Memphis Belle and the brave American men who flew her.

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Excellent film, a must see!!!

Did a great job digitally remastering the original version, came out beautifully, the extra footage section has lots of cool stuff.

Basically a must for enthusiasts!!

K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)

This exceptional film is inspired by tragic historical events. The screenplay is a composite, based equally on two separate Soviet naval disasters. The first, obviously, is the 1961 "cursed" maiden mission of K-19, Russia's pioneer nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. The second is a narrowly-averted catastrophe of 1986, involving the decrepit "Yankee-class" boomer, K-219. Ironically, the movie was also nearly scuttled -before it even began production. The rough draft contained every Slavophobic stereotype and Cold War cliche', and was bitterly protested by K-19's surviving officers. They wtote a series of open letters to the producers and actors, inviting them to Russia to hear their real story. When director Katheryn Bigalow met these aging veterans and the widow of their recently-deceased Captain, she resolved to film a tribute to their courage. Much of the film's reference material comes from two superb books written by Capt. Peter Huchthausen USN-ASW (ret.): "K-19: The Widowmaker"; and "Hostile Waters". The former contains the translated memoir of Captain Nikolai Zateyev (real-life CO of the ill-fated sub) with an addendum about the film. The latter, co-authored with Capt. Igor Kurdin and novelist Robin White, tells the amazing story of K-219. I urge viewers to read both books for an even greater appreciation of the movie! You'll see that Harrison Ford is a dead-ringer for Zateyev, both physically and personality-wise. He commands the role of Vostrikov (Zateyev) to perfection. Liam Neeson's character, Capt. 2nd Rank Polenin, appears strongly based on K-219's Captain Igor Britanov, who was the compassionate father-figure popular with his crew. The Captains' contrasting styles of leadership provide the conflict in the film. Hollywood melodramatization is apparently obligatory, even when true events provide drama aplenty. The mutiny's only basis in reality concerned a dispute over whether to head the stricken K-19 for a Norwegian port or toward the last-known operational area of Soviet diesel submarines. A core meltdown, while not producing a "thermonuclear explosion", would have released a massive cloud of atomic contamination. K-19's disaster occurred far from any American interests, but K-219's runaway reactor threatened to dust the entire Eastern Seaboard with lethal plutonium. K-19's valiant third-watch did cobble together a makeshift cooling system in just the manner depicted. A fire did break out. And K-19's men suffered horrifying radiation poisoning within the core so hot as to boil their bodily fluids. But the character of Vadim Rodchenko, the young Reactor Officer who conquers paralyzing fear, clearly honors the memory of another engineer. K-219's Seaman Sergei Preminin manually shut down his overheating reactor, sacrificing his life to save Americans from a Chernobyl-in-a-tin-can mere miles off our coast. It was K-219's Britanov who defied Moscow's orders to halt evacuation, and decided to sink his sub to deprive the circling enemy of its prize. And although K-19's crew was absolved of blame and even decorated for their actions, K-219's Catain and officers were persecuted by the unforgiving Soviet system depicted in the film. Thus, while "K-19: The Widowmaker" is not entirely true to its namesake, it accurately portrays the life-and-death scenario which repeatedly plagued the USSR during the Cold War. In its desperation to play "catch-up" with its vastly superior American counterpart, the Soviet Navy would continue to risk its young submariners in hastily-designed, shoddily-built, or outright obsolete boats. Katheryn Bigalow and National Geographic deserve credit for showing the American audience the human side of these young seamen and officers who were just as gallant, dedicated, and patriotic as our own. We care about them, salute their heroism, and mourn their loss. "K-19" is visually magnificent and emotionally compelling. An absolutely spellbinding drama. You'll want the video, but see the film today before it leaves the Big Screen!

After scanning some reviews I've decided to add my 2 cents, since I just got the DVD & saw the movie for the first time. To those who say it has very similar elements already visited in films such as "Crimson Tide," "U-571", etc., my reaction to that is, yes, you're right. The first half hour of this movie I was a bit concerned about where it was going. It had the "been here, done that" feel to it in regards to other "sub movies." I didn't buy Ford's accent at first (why? Because I know him from other movies, whereas if some unknown actor played the role, I wouldn't have questioned the authenticity or even the accent delivery at all), but as time passed, I didn't notice it as much and thought it was fine. In regards to the why do Americans put accents on in the first place when speaking English, it's really no big mystery, it simply adds to the setting. I suppose if you went the other extreme and gave them all harsh U.S. Southern accents, it would pull you even further away from believing in who they are portraying, so it's just like an extra prop that enhances the presentation.

To those historic critics who try to rip up every attempt Hollywood makes to tell a story, I have this to say: Sad as it may be, but if I had not seen "Schindler's List," I would not have as much an appreciation for the Holocaust. I don't read much history, so if Hollywood with it's jaded glitz & glamour can emotionally move me to appreciate a moment of history, then so be it! And speaking of important moment's of history, you should check out "Uprising," another great historic drama that deserves attention (about the Jewish ghetto uprising).

At any rate, now for why I give K-19 five stars. I enjoyed the drama, the tension, the cast, and the story. It's that simple. I still think "U-571" is the best sub movie I've ever seen, perhaps because of how tightly the movie went with not a second of downtime, but K-19 is a more human, dramatic story that is important to see. The DVD has several documentaries on how they made the movie that should be seen by the history critics, as it certainly seems like they did much research on the topics & history before shooting the film. If the director had a gap, then it needed to be filled, and a story has to be interesting or it becomes a bad movie. Never will everyone be happy, and that's why most reviews will differ. So take it from a person who watches movies to be entertained, moved, and even educated at times, K-19 is an excellent movie.

Buy K-19: The Widowmaker (2002) Now

K19: THE WIDOWMAKER is a most impressive debut for National Geographic Feature Films, one of the movie's principal production partners.

The story is based on a Cold War event kept secret for decades. It's 1961, and the Soviet's first atomic powered ballistic missile submarine, the K-19, is scheduled for an operational shakedown cruise in the North Atlantic. The USSR wants to show the United States that the latter is not the only world power with waterproof big guns, so to speak, seeing as how the U.S. Navy has put Polaris subs within missile-lobbing range of Leningrad and Moscow.

Filmed in Canada and Moscow, this "Hollywood" version of the story has Captain Polenin (Liam Neeson) as commander of the K19 while it's still under construction in Murmansk. In a bad career move, he's vociferously unhappy about the quality of the boat's construction, and outspokenly suggests it's not ready for its first sea trial. Enter Captain Vostrikov (Harrison Ford), an in-law of a Politburo big shot, who takes command with Polenin as his executive officer. The submarine is duly launched, though the champagne bottle fails to break a harbinger of bad luck, and off it goes to prove itself as the newest protector of the Motherland. At first, it looks like the operational sea trial will be a smashing triumph when the K19 successfully launches one of its three ballistic missiles. Take that, you Yankee imperialist dogs! But then, on its way under new orders to take up a patrol station off the eastern U.S. seaboard, the K19 develops a leak in its nuclear reactor's cooling system that gives a new dimension to the phrase "in hot water".

Borrowing and fixing up an actual Russian sub on permanent display in Florida (only in America!) for the exterior shots, and re-creating ten submarine compartments accurate down to the smallest details for the interior camera work, the producers of K19: THE WIDOWMAKER have achieved perhaps the most authentic looking sub film since DAS BOOT. (The interior sets of the film make Sean Connery's "Red October" look like the starship Enterprise.) And, something you don't see every day, there are no female players to clutter things up with mushy stuff outside of a very brief scene where the girls left behind are kissing the sailors good-bye. Otherwise, this is all Guy Stuff spearheaded by two superb performances from Ford and Neeson. Though the former will be perceived as the actor in the leading role, Neeson is right there breathing down his neck, and an argument could be made to nominate both for an Oscar in the Leading Role category. Perhaps not since HEAT (Pacino and De Niro) have two major male stars played so powerfully well together.

K19 serves to remind Americans that in the Cold War, or any war, heroism, sacrifice, honor and duty are not attributes limited to just the home team. I consider it the best major film I've seen to date for the 2002 film season.

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In a summer movie season full of superheroes, "K-19" tells the tale of some ordinary Russian submariners whose real-life heroics may just have actually saved the world. In a refreshing change, the story is told totally from a Russian point of view. There are no annoying intrusions of an American point of view anywhere in the film.

It does take a while to get used to their accents, but Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson both give convincing performances of Soviet submarine captains who have two very different views of how a ship should be run. They both had me so into their performances, that by the time a crucial event occurs late in the film, I was totally on their side. I almost felt like a traitor to my own country, but it gave me a great insight into the loyalty people in the military must feel towards their country. I have been so use to seeing Russians demonized, that perhaps K-19's best accomplishment might be the way it humanizes the Russians. The sailors onboard K-19 are real people with real emotions, just like us.

"K-19" is by no means an easy film to watch. The humor is minimal but befitting of a film whose ultimate villain is nothing to laugh at. If you wonder why nobody wants nuclear waste buried in their backyard, you will have no doubt why after you have seen this film. Perhaps this film would have played better in the greyness of the winter season, but its message cannot be ignored no matter when you see it. Director Kathryn Bigelow and her very talented cast have made a film that not only is worth seeing, but that just might be what I call "good for you." In a season normally reserved for mind-numbing entertainment, "K-19" delivers an intelligent,exciting, and inspiring tale of heroism that is the most powerfully, emotional film I have seen since "Life is Beautiful."

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1961. The Russian submarine K19, stocked with nuclear missiles, is about to embark upon its maiden mission: to scare the US by test-firing one of the missiles in the North Atlantic. The mission is complicated by the military's rushed schedule and the K19 is scheduled to sail in less-than-perfect operating condition. Harrison Ford is the star and executive producer in this edge-of-your-seat film. Both Ford and Liam Neeson star as Soviet Navy Captains. Ford relieves Neeson at the helm and the two butt heads, challenging each other for command. Ford drills the crew obsessively to prepare them for potential crisis. Like APOLLO 13, this mission was cursed from the beginning. Ten men were killed before the K19 had even left port. The nickname "Widowmaker" was established before its maiden voyage. After they set sail, everything goes wrong. The nuclear reactor cooling system sprung a leak, threatening to raise the core temperature to 1,000 degrees. This would detonate the nuclear weapons, starting a chain reaction leading to WWIII. The crewmen must go on a suicide rescue mission into the core and repair the leak, exposing themselves to massive doses of radiation.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Pointe Break and Strange Days), "K19" was inspired by a real-life Cold War incident. The actual crew was sworn to secrecy for 28 years. In 1989, with the fall of communism, the crew of the K19 were finally able to discuss the events of their mission and put it to rest.

Prior to seeing this film, I heard negative reports regarding Harrison Ford's so-called Russian accent. Let's try to see beyond the accents and experience what the film is really about. The K19 is on its maiden voyage and wasn't truly ready to sail. The crew is young, inexperience and scared. Their acting captain and the man they know and trust as their captain are in the showdown of their lives. Ford and Neeson should be proud of their performance that put them in line with the classic showdowns of Clark Gable/Burt Lancaster (1958-"Run Silent, Run Deep") and Denzel Washington/Gene Hackman (1995-"Crimson Tide"). This film has spectacular sound effects and special underwater effects that made me hold my breath like I did with "U-571". Outstanding cinematography, fabulous acting and casting. A wonderfully told story.

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