The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

If you love classic films and you love special effects, then you are undoubtedly passionate about the films of legendary Ray Harryhausen, and this is one of his best. In this movie, Harryhausen uses his stop-motion technique in color for the first time (and the print here is terrific) to tell the tale of Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) as he sails the seas, forms an uneasy alliance with an evil magician (Torin Thatcher) and battles a Cyclops, a two-headed Roc and a dragon. Other memorable effects include the genie Berani and the interior of his magic lamp, the Princess Parisa being shrunk and the servant woman who is turned into a dancing half-woman, half-snake. The action starts right away and continues throughout the film, and Bernard Herrmann's music is, as always, absolutely perfect.

DVD extras are excellent, and include: a picture of the original poster; trailers from other Harryhausen features; two interview featurettes, each 12 minutes long; a 3-minute featurette about the Dynamation process; and a one-hour feature about Ray Harryhausen. This is a great package -and for you enthusiastic polyglots out there, the film can be heard in English, Spanish or Portuguese, while subtitles are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean or Thai!

Having small children who are becoming interested in "scary movies", I've found that the Harryhausen ouevre is a great way for them to find thrills and chills without gore, and a wonderful way for me to reconnect with my childhood joys as well. The whole family has a great time watching these terrific films. I'm really glad they're being re-released in such high quality and with such interesting dvd extras.

Superb!

This film was always a favorite of mine since the first time I saw it.

Visually the print on this DVD is extraordinary. The colors are vibrant and the images are incredibly sharp, crisp and clear.

In particular, you can really appreciate Ray Harryhausen's Special Effects that he laboriously produced for this film. They don't look blurred or out of focus as they have on previous prints. They are presented here as they were intended to be seen in their entire splendor and brilliance. It is amazing what he did with an eight-inch tall stop-motion model of a skeleton.

Ken Kolb's screenplay elevates this film beyond the boundaries of what could have been just another fantasy monster movie. He brings depth to the characters and uses dialogue to increase the suspense of the story. Along with director Nathan Juran and all the other filmmakers an epic fairytale unfolds and is preserved on film.

Bernard Herrmann's score is a showstopper and as always accentuates the images on the screen adding mood and enhancing the overall visual effect for the viewer. Herrmann went on to score three more Harryhausen films: "The Three Worlds of Gulliver," "Mysterious Island" and "Jason and the Argonauts." Bernard Herrmann's collaboration with Ray Harryhausen and producer Charles Schneer equaled that of his collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock.

Kerwin Mathews is ever so stoically heroic as Sinbad. He is very good in this role as he brings energy and conviction to the part. He is a man with mission and will not bend or be swayed until he brings it to finality. It is a shame that Mathews never went on to greater screen accomplishments.

Trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Shakespearean actor Torin Thatcher is the consummate evil magician, Sokurah. He too brings conviction to his role as he is dedicated to the forces of evil and darkness.

Visually this is far superior to the Laser Disc version. The Laser Disc was issued in full-frame and not quite as sharp. However, the Laser Disc version was issued with the soundtrack in stereo. I was very disappointed that this DVD was not issued in stereo. That would have made it completely satisfying.

However, the images are so spectacularly presented here it is almost a minor point. Thank the gods for Dynamation.

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Matlin's summary above is quite accurate in describing this film.

I first saw this film as a child of 10 at a drive-in theater. The memory of the imagery and the music have stayed with me over the years. I've seen the film since on tv, film festivals, and vhs. None had the clarity of image and sound of this new DVD release.

Columbia has done Harryhausen's film classic proud. The print quality has NEVER looked so good and is presented here enhanced for 16x9!. The original mono sound is also quite good and Herrmann's brilliant score moves the story right along. The extras on this disk are quite good with the lengthy "Ray Harryhausen Chronicles" being the highlight. The added trailers for other Cloumbia Harryhausen films are a treat.

Thanks to Columbia for an excellent presentation! Their DVDs are the industry standard!

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Just wanted to state this is loaded with extras.. here is a review below of the blu ray version:

The Picture

Filmed in Technicolor and framed at 1.66:1, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad arrives on Blu-ray disc in a transfer that not only shows the effects of its 50-year-old age, but also exposes some of the inherent limitations of the Technicolor format. Let me first start by saying that Sony's AVC/MPEG-4 transfer does well at capturing the source without any visible compression artifacts or processing effects such as edge enhancement and it is as sharp as it can be given the source material. There are also good shadow details, even if the blacks aren't the deepest I have seen. The Technicolor process, however, particularly in 1958, was inherently grainy and often prone to some visible variations in color contrast and density. As such, this transfer is very grainy and does display some of those variations as well as some flickering throughout. One also has to remember that the Technicolor process was known for its hyper-realistic, saturated palette that often yielded something more surreal than realistic. Therefore, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad doesn't necessarily display natural flesh tones, but something more in line with what one would expect from a Technicolor production.

In fact, most of what we see today when Technicolor films are remastered are color palettes that are toned down to be more in line with what audiences today expect to see. I'm not certain Sinbad is even as hyper-saturated as it should be, but it looks well enough reproducing the film's colorful Middle Eastern garb and bright, sunny blue skies.

The Sound

Sony continues their trend of providing multiple language tracks on their Blu-ray releases with The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. In this case there are two lossless options in the form of a newly remixed English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack and a French Dolcy TrueHD 5.1 dub as well as the original English mono soundtrack and a Thai Dolby Digital 5.1 dub. The new lossless English 5.1 mix offers a slightly more expansive soundfield that lets the score by Bernard Hermann breathe, exposing more of its intricate instrumentation. The dialogue is well balanced, if a bit harsh, and intelligible while the film's action sequences are lively with subtle use of the LFE to provide some much needed weight to the otherwise thin sound.

The original mono soundtrack is also rather good, if obviously less engulfing. It is well balanced with good dynamics, clear dialogue, and ample low frequencies. Sadly, instead of utilizing soley the center channel for a true monaural 1.0 configuration, Sony has provided the soundtrack in a Dolby 2.0 configuration. Still, it is good to have the original mix represented on this release.

The Extras

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad offers an abundance of exploratory supplemental materials that offer much insight into the work of both Ray Harryhausen and his longtime collaborator, composer Bernard Herrmann. Fans of film history, special effects and Harryhausen should be pleased by the wealth of informative extras available here.

The extras available on this release are:

Commentary with Ray Harryhausen, visual effects experts Phil Tippet and Randall William Cook, author Steven Smith, and Arnold Kunert -The men offer very detailed information on the filmmaking and stop-motion animation process as the film goes by in a very conversational manner. Ray Harryhausen, in particular, offers up many informative anecdotes about the film's production. One interesting bit of trivia that can be gleaned form the audio commentary is the fact that Harryhausen had not actually met the film's young actor Richard Eyer (The Genie) until only a couple of years ago. Because of the scheduling, all of the location filming in Spain, where Harryhausen was, used a young Spanish double in his Eyer's place, while Eyer did all of his filming on the set in the US with director Nathan Juran.

Remembering The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1.78:1/standard definition) -Ray Harryhausen reminisces on the production of Sinbad and his inspiration for doing the film. In the process, he offers up much information on the special effects techniques he employed during the filming.

The Harryhausen Legacy (1.78:1/standard definition)-John Landis and many visual effects artists speak of Harryhausen's influence on their work.

The Music of Bernard Herrmann (1.78:1/standard definition) -Music historian Steve Smith offers up an historical account of the legendary composer's music and tells of how he and Ray Harryhausen first came to collaborate.

Photo Gallery -A montage of stills from The 7th Voyage of Sinbad set to the film's score by Bernard Hermann.

"Sinbad May Have Been Bad, But He's Been Good to Me" Music Video -A promotional 45rpm recording created for the 1958 holiday season release ad campaign for Sinbad. The song is played back to a montage of promotional posters.

A Look Behind the Voyage (4:3/standard definition) -This is an archival television documentary on the career of Ray Harryhausen.

This is Dynamation (Special Effects) (4:3/standard definition) -A classic 1958 promo highlighting the film's special effects.

Ray Harryhausen -Interviewed by Director John Landis (4:3/standard definition) -John Landis interviews Ray Harryhausen in what is am ore a friendly discussion in which Landis it is obvious that Landis holds Harryhausen in very high esteem. Harryhausen once again details much of the techniques he used in the filming of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and many of his other films.

Previews (high definition) -Promotional spots for upcoming and currently available Sony Blu-ray releases:

Casino Royale -Promo for the upcoming 2-Disc Collector's Edition

Men in Black

CJ7

The Waterhorse: Legend of the Deep

BD-Live -This disc is BD-Live enabled for users with BD-Live (Profile 2.0) capable players. The BD-Live features available on this release so far are just promos for other Blu-ray releases from Sony, and offer nothing of any real added value.

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If you're like me, you remember watching this on Saturday TV in some terrible condition but that was ok because it was quite an adventure. And adventure it was with Harryhausen artistic magic that made this fun and way ahead of its time. When I popped in this Blu-ray I was expecting a sentimental journey, not the rush of the experience I got. I remember watching this and the colors were always faded and the copy grainy at best. I was stunned at the color and for a B-Movie, the High Def comes through more than I was expecting. In all, watching the Blu-ray of this film is a joy and the best I have ever seen it. Bravo!

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Live in Ancient Kourion (2013)

Stu Block has managed to do what I thought was impossible do justice to material from Iced Earth's full discography, and originally sung by no less than 4 different people. He can out-scream Ripper, and even out-emote Harlow. And the whole band sounds tight, energized, and the crowd is INTO it. That a band this far into their career can pull off a live album like this is really remarkable.

If you like Iced Earth old stuff or new this is a must buy. And if you like power metal at all grab it.

Now I just have to wait for the Blu-ray to come out in the U.S.

5 stars... it would be silly to expect anything better than this! Watched the dvd in one sitting... with my girlfriend... we were both mesmerized!

I'm a big fan of Iced Earth, they're probably my favorite band. That may lead you to believe this will be a biased review; however, often times the biggest fans are also the harshest critics. To build credibility, here's a few criticisms I have toward Iced Earth:

* "Framing Armageddon" & "Crucible of Man"... I've picked about 5 songs between the 2 albums that I really enjoy, the rest are pretty much boring/filler to me.

* I liked Barlow the 1st time around, buy why get rid of Ripper to bring back a "part-time" Barlow?

* "Festivals of the Wicked" why release 2 shows from the same summer festival tour? The 2 Barlow shows have virtually the same setlist.

But for "Live in Ancient Kourion" ... Iced Earth has nailed it! As Jon states in one of the interviews, the setlist will never please everyone. It's cool he acknowledged that. He followed that up with his idea to release live material for each of the future tour cycles, each including many different songs from their back catalogue. To me, that sounds like a great response to the setlist conundrum.

Seeing them in concert on the Dystopia tour helped me to fully embrace Stu. He's great with the crowd, but more importantly, he's a terrific singer. This live album should give that same opportunity to the fans whom have not seen Iced Earth live with Stu. He sings low & high, & everywhere in between. Only negative observation I have thus far with Stu is his over-the-top performance of "Dracula" on "Live in Ancient Kourion." It's impressive to hear him switch from low to high so often, so quickly... but it sorta detracts from the song, changes it from an emotional masterpiece, into a vocal lesson/demonstration. Although apart from Dracula, upon 1st listen, every other song on here was done brilliantly. With these new live versions, I will have a hard time choosing my favorite version of many of these songs... I look forward to the challenge.

I'm also looking forward to many powerful years of output from Iced Earth with Stu on vocals. This album is great for anyone wanting to see how Stu fits into the Iced Earth fold, it's great for people just starting out with Iced Earth, & most importantly, it's just a great live album, period.

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No question Iced Earth presented their fans with a true gem. This is simply not just their best live album ever, but one of the best ever in the genre. Why did I buy this album? First, I'm a fan. But, that's not very useful if you are wondering whether you should get it, is it? First should be that Iced Earth truly play inspired and true metal. Emotion, dedication, love shown to their fans all of it is there. Second, the quality of the material is the highest. Songs on this live album sound better than on their studio releases. Third, the musicianship is second to none. Finally, in Stu Iced Earth got the world class singer. I don't care whether you're a fan of Dickinson, Halford, Dio, Ripper, Barlow or someone else, Stu will impress you. If you're a metal fan you should own this record ... If you're an Iced Earth fan, ... well, it's a no brainer.

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My first reaction to seeing this product on Amazon was "Really? Another live recording?". While it is only their second actual live cd release, the DVD set 'Festivals of the Wicked' is less than two years old. Between that and the Alive in Athens recordings, I wasn't sure if a fan would need a new recording. But since this is the first live recording with new vocalist Stu Block, I decided to give it a chance.

Let's backtrack a bit Iced Earth had all of the markings of a band on life support by the time 2011 arrived. Longtime fan favorite Matt Barlow returned to the band for 2010's 'The Crucible of Man', otherwise known as 'Something Wicked Part 2', the conceptual sequel to 2007's 'Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1)'. This was very odd since Tim "Ripper" Owens had provided vocals for the previous album, so Jon Schaffer even went as far as to have "Framing Armageddon" re-recorded with Barlow on vocals for the 'Box of the Wicked' boxed set.

This proved to be pointless in the end, as Barlow's return was short-lived; he quit the band again in 2011 to spend time with his family. Truth be told, the Something Wicked saga had turned out to be a massive disappointment; after the awesome trio of songs that began the saga at the tail end of 1998's 'Something Wicked This Way Comes', it was almost 9 years before the band picked up the story. By then, many fans had lost interest. Compounding matters even more was the sheer lack of interesting material in 2007's 'Framing Armageddon', which contained bland, overproduced anthems that were not sonic brethren to the original three anthems. Ripper Owens's uninspired vocal performance made the album utterly forgettable; in fact, his tenure with the band never really worked. Whereas he had fire and personality in his stint in Judas Priest, he never quite found his sweet spot in Iced Earth, and was often guilty of over-singing (even by Iced Earth standards).

Even Barlow's 2010 return didn't save "The Crucible of Man" from mixed reception from fans and critics; it seemed that Jon Schaffer's songwriting ability had severely degraded. After the mixed bag that was 2001's "Horror Show", and the average-to-poor quality of 'This Glorious Burden' through 'Crucible', it seemed like the band had finally exhausted everything they brought to the table.

Enter Stu Block Stu came to notoriety as lead vocalist for innovative progressive metal band Into Eternity. His voice in that band could be described as versatile, as he oscillated between smooth clean vocals, piercing shrieketto, and guttural death vocals. It was unclear if he'd be another "Ripper", having difficulty finding a way to fit his voice with a new band. But 2011's 'Dystopia' was a pleasant surprise. Stu managed to find a niche in his new band, modifying his vocal approach to better fit the more 'staccato' vocal attack required of Iced Earth. If he was guilty of one thing, it is that his lower vocals oftentimes sound eerily similar to Matthew Barlow's (at times, it's hard to tell them apart). But his higher register carried much more power and gravitas than Barlow's did; where Barlow's falsetto often petered out, Stu possesses a higher range and greater degree of comfort and power. Stu's solid presence, coupled with Jon Schaffer's 'back to basics' approach of just writing simple, quality metal anthems made 'Dystopia' a surprisingly solid effort. While not a classic, it was far away the band's best effort since 1998's 'Something Wicked', and injected the band with new life.

So it does make sense to a degree that the band would release another live album (assuming of course, that fans want to add another 2.5 hours of much of the same material to their collection). Sonically, this live album does not differ much from previous it is a high quality mix with crisp sounding guitars and vocals (and likely an overdub or two). The setlist is an effective blend of all eras each album is represented by at least one track, and most containing at least three entries.

Sadly, there are no real surprises "Dante's Inferno" remains the only 'Burnt Offerings' inclusion, and 'Something Wicked' has a disappointing representation of mostly ballads ("Melancholy" and "Watching Over Me" are two of the three entries). And of course, 'Night of the Stormrider' and 'Dark Saga' contain their pre-requisite staples. These songs sound as effective and full of life as ever, with Stu Block delivering quality performances. He doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the proceedings, other than restoring Greely's powerful falsettos to the Stormrider tracks; nonetheless, he turns in a solid performance.

What elevates this live album are some of the other performances the 'Dystopia' songs work extremely well in a live context, with Stu Block actually improving on his studio performance on tracks like "Boiling Point" and "V". Surprisingly, the material from 'Framing Armageddon' (especially "Setian Massacre") are given new live with Block's vocals. While still far from their best material, the tracks actually contain presence for the first time that improve their standing in the setlist.

And then there's the 'Horror Show' material. Iced Earth were guilty of overproducing the hell out of the vocals on that album, using layer upon layer that made them difficult to reproduce live. Additionally, they were some of the most demanding tracks Barlow laid down, as they contained some of the rangiest material, with frequent octave jumps and notes around the breakpoint. Three of the best entries on the uneven studio effort are included here: "Wolf", "Dracula", and "Damien". Stu proves he is game on "Wolf", managing to convert the difficult two-part vocal melody into a solid one-part effort, with additional gusto on the demonic-sounding chorus. "Dracula" succeeds largely on the sweat and tears of Block; it's a song that works much better in the studio, but Stu's versatile octave-jumping manage to provide the song with the requisite amount of melodrama and delightful cheese that made the track engaging to begin with.

Only "Damien" fails of the three, but this is largely due to Schaffer's lazy songwriting. Barlow's over-the-top octave-doubled vocals carried the original and masked its weaknesses, but alas, Stu only has one set of vocal cords, which exposes the song's inherent mediocrity.

The recording definitely does a nice job of capturing the energy of the crowd, whose soccer-esque chants are infectious. Stu brings much charisma as a frontman, and clearly feeds off of the passionate crowd.

Ultimately, this new live release is far from essential (how many different versions of "Pure Evil" does one fan need?). But for fans, especially those (like me) who had given up on the band after 'Crucible of Man', the album is a stark reminder that Iced Earth is back...with newfound passion and excitement. And isn't metal better when Iced Earth are having fun?

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I've been a fan since I bought Horror Show back in 2001. I include myself in the majority group that think Matt Barlow will always be the voice of Iced Earth, but newcomer Stu Block is nothing short of spectacular here. He has the low and high range of Barlow, plus he can scream as high as the bands previous vocalist, Tim "Ripper" Owens. If you weren't totally sold on him after Dystopia (I think most were), this 2 1/2 hour live performance will make you a believer. The band is tight and the energy from the crowd is unlike any concert DVD/Blu-ray that I own.

This is a great buy for the price. You get 2 CDs and 1 DVD that capture the entire show, along with a few extras that show the making of this one of a kind concert that was filmed on some ancient stone ruins. The picture is near Blu-ray quality and the sound is loud and broken up nicely.

With founder/guitarist Jon Schaffer leading the way and Stu delivering the lyrics, Iced Earth should be cranking out nothing but classics in the near future. It's also refreshing to know that an American band is representing "Iron Maiden" style metal, when most of the better bands right now are from Europe. Looking forward to what they come up with next.

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Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar, Part 2 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2009)

Other than a few mentions and one flash of one the characters from the tenchi series, War on Geminar is a complete stand alone series. There is some character development but not much. However the story is solid, the characters are likable and memorable. This is a harem but the male lead is not some pathetic pushover that doesn't deserve a following. For only having thirteen episodes, though long, the series gets a lot done for story and plot progression. There really isn't a pointless episode. Every episode leads into the next smoothly and moves the story forward. There is fan-service but I would be hard pressed to find a harem anime without any. (One thing I am hoping for is Good English voice acting, and good packaging.)

Like with the other series Tenchi Muyo GXP while some of the characters will be familiar others are pretty much new to the Tenchi Universe namely the younger brother of Tenchi named Kenshi Masaki, though you'll of course have the usual hilarity and harem drama of the Tenchi plot the action and mecha fights are pretty exciting a little reminiscent of another series Escaflowne. While the info of the series shows only thirteen episodes remember that each episode is about forty five minutes so if you compare that with the usual length of anime episodes you get a twenty-six episode series. The animation and soundtrack fit nicely and the Japanese subbed cast did terrifically and as expected from Funimation the English dubbed cast did great in their character roles. While the series sets are somewhat pricey the overall enjoyment of the series for myself makes it worth it so if you're a fan of the Tenchi franchise or Ranma 1/2 or looking for a comedic/romantic/dramatic action anime with an endearing cast and good story here's one worth taking a peek at....

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You Did Wonderful Job!

I like This Anime!

You Did Execellent Job

Thanke You! Bye-Bye!

See-ya Later! Bye Angain! Adois!

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This is actually Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari Anime that consists of 13 Episodes in total. To split 13 episodes into two so called seasons is just wrong, BS and a WASTE of money!!!

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Stardust (2007)

The story begins in the 19th-century village of Wall. But Wall isn't your average country village -it guards a low, stony wall between mundane England and the fantasy kingdom of Stormhold. No one crosses the wall -except for young Drustan Thorn, whose curiosity led him to an otherworldly market and a single night of passion with a captive gypsy -or princess -and nine months later he was given a son, Tristan, who was left for him by the wall.

Flash forward 18 years, and Tristan (Charlie Cox) hopes to win the heart of his beautiful but shallow love, Victoria (Sienna Miller), by recovering a star that fell somewhere beyond that wall. So Tristan sets forth on his own journey in Stormhold. Meanwhile in that magical land, the dying king (Peter O'Toole) has set his four surviving sons on a quest for the crown. And the witch Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) is seeking the heart of the star for an entirely different purpose, one that probably will not turn out well for anyone else involved in the story.

Despite initial trepidations over seeing a favorite Neil Gaiman story converted to film, "Stardust" is all I could hope for. The settings and scenery are lush and beautiful. The effects are seamless and spectacular. The score by Ilan Eshkeri is dramatic. Narration by Ian McKellen is compelling. And the casting is exceptional, from Robert De Niro as the delightful sky pirate Captain Shakespeare to Pfeiffer as the sumptuously evil witch.

Claire Danes is absolutely radiant as Yvaine, who in one way or another holds the resolution of every quest. Poised, beautiful and sporting a great English country accent, Danes glows even without the benefit of special effects. And Tristan Thorn is a classic everyman hero, a simple young man who grows and flourishes on his journey; Cox captures the role perfectly. A relative newcomer to the screen, he's without question an actor to watch.

Gaiman is a brilliant writer, a man with an imagination like no other. Fortunately, director Matthew Vaughn bucked the Hollywood trend by respecting the source material, creating a splendid film, one that will surely become a classic for generations to come.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(NET) editor

Wall looks like just about every other English village, but it hides a secret. It's not jolly old England on the other side of the wall. Few mundane English travelers ever make it over the wall and back. Drustan (Nathaniel Parker-Ben Barnes) is one of the few--and nine months later, a son was delivered to him at his doorstep.

The son Tristan (Charlie Cox) grows to 19 and falls in love with Victoria (Sienna Miller) a woman well above his means. He fears his ability to capture her heart is failing, til they see a star fall on the other side of the wall--and Victoria tells him if he will seek out the star, she will be his.

Thus, begins Tristan's quest for true love. Instead of a star, he finds a maiden Yvaine (Clare Danes) who turns out to be the earth-bound embodiment of the star. Unfortunately, Victoria is not the only person who wants the star.

From here, we encounter a multiplicity of plot complications including a King (Peter O'Toole) who sets his sons against each other in a fight for succession to the throne, a pirate (Robert DeNiro) with an interesting secret) and a triad of witches who seek the star to extend their lives and (ahem) beauty.

I loved reading Neil Gaiman's story. STARDUST is one of his best, but the film is one of those rare instances where the book has been improved. The casting for STARDUST is some of the best I have seen.

This is one of the rare films that I paid full price for in the theatre and will purchase the DVD for later viewing. STARDUST is going to be a fantasy classic and a great addition to any fantasy fan's library.

WARNING: If you have very young children, please do not show this film without some advisory. We saw STARDUST in the theatre with a couple of young families close by and the littlest kids were crying at the rough parts and some families had to leave.

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The first time I saw this movie, I didn't have high expectations. The trailer looked silly and I had practically disregarded the movie. Lately, actors of the size of Robert De Niro (who now can do anything they want) have been doing some campy and really bad movies (like Meet the Parents), so not even the big names were enough to interest me.

But then I started reading some reviews on imdb a couple of weeks after the movie got out. A lot of them agreed that the trailer didn't do justice to the film, and that although still not taking itself seriously, the movie somehow shined far beyond expectations. So I decided to give it try, and now I'm glad I watched this movie in the big screen.

For those who haven't seen it yet, the trailer indeed falls short. Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro are great, along with everyone else in the cast. The music score is amazing, the special effects are great, and the most important thing of all, the story is funny and it really taps into the best of the best of the fantasy genre.

This movie didn't have the success it deserved on the box office, so please, give it a try. It's not your typical fantasy film, it feels original, fresh, and it really entertains. Since the movie doesn't take itself too seriously, some people might consider it campy at first, but the best way to enjoy this great film is not to expect a deep drama (like the Lord of the Rings), but an entertaining fresh film.

Paramount has gone HD DVD exclusive, and for that we now get Stardust released on both DVD and HD DVD. If you have an HD DVD player, Stardust is a must in High-Def. Anyone who saw this movie in the theaters should agree.

Simply put, the movie is a visual feast without compromising the story and it really deserves a chance. Some may find it a little weird film, but Stardust is a sleeper hit that hopefully will get the success it deserves on DVD and HD DVD.

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All discussion about the movie itself aside, I was disappointed by the quality of this disc. I have the DVD and have been slowly moving my collection of DVD's to Blu-ray versions. When I saw that Stardust had finally hit Blu-ray, I jumped at the chance to get better quality. Unfortunately, though, this Blu-ray doesn't look any better than the upscaled DVD. I fully believe there's some digital slight-of-hand going on here. I suppose you could lay down any type of video on a Blu-ray disc and call it, "Blu-ray," since you're referring to the media not the video. Anyway, this doesn't do 1080P justice. If you're upgrading your movie collection, don't bother with this one. If you've never seen the movie, you should really see it.

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Fantasy is hard to find in the movies -for every "Lord of the Rings," there's only a handful of bad sword'n'sorcery tales for kids ("Eragon," "The Seeker"). As for fairy tales, forget it.

But one little fairy tale HAS made its way into theatres -an enchanting little story loosely based on a Neil Gaiman novel. And "Stardust's" charm is its lack of pretension, and its willingness to be silly, romantic, fantastical, sparkling and most importantly, tongue-in-cheek. And it has pirates too.

A wall separates our world from the world of magic -and one night, Dunstan Thorn went over it, and had a brief tryst with a beautiful princess, who is imprisoned by a witch. Nine months later, baby Tristan is left on his doorstep.

Nineteen years later, a dying king magically flings a ruby into the sky, and says that the prince who finds it will be the new king. The two remaining princes -and the ghosts of their dead brothers -et off to find it. But that ruby dislodged a star, and it plummets to the ground across the Wall -attracting the attention of three ancient witches, who use the hearts of stars to restore their spent youth.

Still with me?

Tristan (Charlie Cox) also sees the star, and the snotty girl he adores (Sienna Miller) says that she will marry him if he gets her the star before her birthday. Tristan does manage to find and entrap the beautiful star, Yvaine (Claire Danes), and they start off on a magical adventure of air pirates, unicorns, evil witches, and true love.

"Stardust" has pretty much all the requirements for a fantasy and/or fairy tale movie -magic, love, an evil villain, and lots of odd characters to round out the cast, and flesh out the story. Not much is actually new. But like the original Gaiman tale, the movie winks affectionately at you as the story unfolds.

In fact, the movie only really stumbles when it stops to ruminate on true love and how precious it is, etc. Cute, but boring -especially since the romantic leanings of the leads are pretty clear. Director Matthew Vaughn really shines when he's focusing on airships, goat-men, and the occasional magical sword-fight with an dead man.

Despite the scattered nature of the plot, Vaughn directs with a smooth, sure hand, and he sprinkles plenty of comic relief through it -Captain Shakespeare dancing in drag, or the Greek chorus of murdered princes. And the dialogue avoids fantastical pomposity by being just as tongue-in-cheek ("Nothing says "romance" like a kidnapped injured woman!")

Cox makes an excellent wide-eyed, slightly blinkered country boy, who turns from a bumbling suitor to a strong young hero. Danes isn't quite as ethereal as one would expect Yvain to be, but she gives a solid performance, and Miller is perfect as the snotty, shallow Victoria.

But while the younger performers are solid, the veterans are absolutely brilliant. Pfeiffer is hilarious, chilling and pouty as the constantly frustrated witch, and De Niro steals the show as a cuddly, twinkly-eyed gay pirate who pretends to be brutal. And Peter O'Toole and David Kelly have brief but brilliant appearances.

"Stardust" is exactly what the title suggests -sparkling, funny, wry, and just deep enough to be entertaining. A solid, sweet little fantasy movie.

Nothing in Common (1986)

This is one of my most treasured films of all time and I can't understand why it receives so little attention. This is the story of an immature but successful bachelor whose world is disrupted when he gets an unexpected call from his estranged father, telling him his mother left him. Tom Hanks gives one of his BEST performances (comedically AND dramatically) as the carefree fellow who is forced to get to know his parents all over again while supporting them emotionally.

While many label this a comedy--and it IS pretty funny-I find it one of the most heartfelt and touching films ever thanks to a brilliant director, soppy but appropriate music, and an extraordinary cast. There've been so many films made concerning father-son relationships but if you're looking for the most genuinely realistic one, this is it. The final line of dialogue spoken by father to son ("You're the last person on earth I would've ever expected to come through for me") never fails to choke me up.

This is one of Tom Hanks' (and director Garry Marshall's) best films, yet it has received little publicity.

Among Hanks' fans I know who have seen this film, all hold it in very high regard. It's classic Tom Hanks funny and serious at the same time. As it's promoters said, "It's a comedy and a drama, just like life." You will surely love it.

Jackie Gleason, Eva Marie Saint, Hector Elizondo, and the rest of the cast do wonderful jobs.

I only wish it was on DVD, but hopefully in time it will be.

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I've watched this movie dozens of times, and was overjoyed to find it on DVD at last. This was (I believe) The Great One Jackie Gleason's final screen performance, and it showed the way of the future for Tom Hanks. Sela Ward also appears as a love interest, along with Hector Elizondo as his boss, and Eva Marie Saint as Hanks' mom.

The only thing that gets on my nerves just a little is the soundtrack. I think it's Christopher Cross, surely one of the most annoying alleged musicians ever to hit the big time.

The transfer to disk is good. The cast is excellent. The plot makes sense, and the script is near perfect. The story is about the relationship between Tom Hanks' character, David Basner, and his father, Max Basner. Its a wonder that anyone comes out right as an adult, and Hanks had no idea how screwed up his childhood had been until the night his father told him his mother had split. And soon thereafter his secretary gave him a message that his mother had called, and added "I had no idea you had parents."

Wonderful. Buy it, enjoy it.

Read Best Reviews of Nothing in Common (1986) Here

This is the first movie where Tom Hanks really began to show his depth. It was a film that required him to open with the comedic chops he's honed so well but then, because of the deepening of the film's story from comedy to drama, requested so much more of him. He ultimately delivers in spades.

This is really a story about a son moving very fast in the fast lane of advertising. He's a pro and he loves what he does. He's also a personality that lives on charm and in the moment. But when his parents separate after years of marriage, his life changes rapidly from no personal responsibilities to a multitude of them. It's also begs a question that rarely gets told wellhow do sons and daughters deal with parents as life turns the tables and we suddenly start having to deal with listening to and taking care of them? The changing of roles and responsibilities. As the film unfolds, it presents those concerns with proper weight, depth, sadness, growth and understanding.

Gary Marshall directed the film prior to his mega hit with Pretty Woman but I really think this is the better film of the two. He draws the best from Jackie Gleason, Eva Marie Saint and Beth Armstrong and Hector Alonzoeach lending a real ensemble cast feeling to the piece and although Tom Hanks shinesso do they.

Jackie Gleason deserves special mention because he really plays a rather hard, sad man at the end of the road as a clothing salesman, and he digs deep, never lending anything false to how this man thinks, feels and operates. The exchanges between him and Hanks about how he was raised lend a real truth to the role.

If you're looking for a film that has some humor and some depth of feeling in the same breath, this is an interesting evening's viewing.

An underrated film that deserves a second look and a larger audience.

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I found Nothing in Common to have all the attributes of a wonderful film. From its soundtrack to its cast. The subject, a selfish advertising executive, thinks only of himself, but finally learns that family is important, and old friends are the best.

It is my most favourite Tom Hanks movie.

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Underworld (Unrated) (2003)

Boiled down to the fine little dish of steak tar-tar that it is, "Underworld" is the answer to the two horror flick questions you had as a kid:

1) If Dracula and the Wolfman went mano a mano and fang-to-claw, which one would do the thrashing?

2) If Dracula and the Wolfman checked into a cheap motel, got roaring drunk on a case of Night Train, and had a baby, what would it look like?

You get the answer to #1 early and often, which is pretty much what this Transylvania Station is all about. And by the end of "Underworld" you get #2 as well---and trust me, when it's hopping about like an ugly green Mini-Hulk (right down to its one-size-fits-all-monster trunks) you'll wish you hadn't.

You want to know what you're getting when you lace up your thigh-high attitude boots and strap on that trenchcoat for a little midnight fun in Len Wiseman's uber-stylish little monster mash "Underworld"?

Think West Side Story: only here, instead of the Jets and the Sharks angling for a rumble on the other side of the tracks, we have Vampires and Werewolves. Oh, and in "Underworld" nobody breaks into song. Both sides just want to rumble, and the girls just wanna have fun. In the meantime, while not the sharpest stake in the vamp-hunter kitbag, "Underworld" finds its groove, and serves up a bloody two hours of unabashed techno-cool that drinks you dry, trashes the apartment and howls at the moon.

We get dropped into the middle of a war that Celine (the impossibly tasty Kate Beckinsdale)---our supple full-body-suit clad vampiric Death Dealer and narrator---tells us has been "raging for centuries."

On one side of the tracks: the sneering, brutally hip Euro-trashy leather-trenchcoat & hip-sunglasses wearing uber-high-maintenance Vampires. They have posh high-rent neo-Victorian digs, drive around the streets in Jaguars and Maseratis, and have managed to switch up the silver bullets in their glocks and MP-5 submachine guns for something more lethal: liquid silver nitrate, which makes it tougher for their hairy buddies to pull the bullets out. Advantage: Vampires.

On the other side of the tracks: the Salvation Army surplus-wearing tear-your-scalp-off-and-wear-it Werewolves---erm, I mean Lycans, short for Lycanthropes. The Lycans are strictly low-rent, hang out together in what looks like an abandoned public lavatory, and take a bath once every full moon whether they need it or not. Whereas their blood-sucking cousins from the East Side look like they'd be hanging at crazy underground raves when they're not boring each other to tears talking like the Merovingian, the Lycans are strictly the mosh-pit set. Oh, and from what I could tell, there's not a single werewolf girl. C'mon guys---haven't ya heard of "Ginger Snaps"? Bummer. Advantage: Vampires.

That said, the boys have been pumping the rent money they've saved up into super-science research, giving them bullets that encase super-photoelectric magnesium charges (perfect for giving that oncoming vamp a little taste of Club Med sunlight). They also have the upper hand in figuring out how they can mix the bloodlines, bringing the war between Vamp and Lycan to an end. Advantage: Lycans.

And finally, mixing it up with our fanged-kissin' cousins, we have perplexed med student Michael Corvin (played by the annoying Scott Speedman who cashes a check) stalked by Lycan heavies and tagged by Selene, who wants to know why the werewolf army is so eager to get their hands on him.

And that, pretty much, is "Underworld": two hours of movie built around jaw-droppingly gorgeous set-pieces and bouts of total war between locked-and-loaded squads of Things that go Bump in the Night.

Just a note: you'll want to get the Unrated Extended DVD: it fleshes things out, beefs up some supporting characters, and ends with an extended battle sequence---and it's loaded down with plenty of extras you can sink your fangs into.

Plus, the sleeker transfer shows off Wiseman's technical mastery in spades. Wiseman uses sound-stages and CGI to anchor the film's look, and tethers all of it to the fog-shrouded cobbled streets and ancient alleys of Prague: the City itself takes on a bleak and brooding character. The movie looks gorgeous: whether it's the gloomy red-velvet and dark mahogany halls of the mansion, the sleek, sterile Underground, or the industrial ruins of the Lycans, Wiseman and cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts make every scene tell. The sequence where a locomotive full of vampire diplomats chugs into a deserted rail-station---with the baying of werewolves in the distance---is jaw dropping.

"Underworld" also gets the most out of its talented stable of actors. There are three centers of gravity in the film: Beckinsdale, who doesn't need her bodysuit to command her lines (though I'm glad she wore it). The Lycan overlord Lucien (the gifted Welsh actor Michael Sheen) steals every scene he's in, and brings complexity and command to a role that could have been a throwaway in lesser hands. Finally, there's the Vampire King Viktor, played by the great Bill Nighy (who also played Shaun's Jag-loving stepdad in "Shaun of the Dead"). Nighy is a kind of demonic embodiment of immortal Puritan rage, and acts like a champ through all that make-up.

Even the supporting actors turn in strong roles: Shane Brolly (Kraven) whines and pouts and lisps and turns in a convincing performance as a spineless worm; Sophia Myles (Erika) comes off as a naughty little vampire cat-girl; Kevin Grevioux owns this film and puts the smack down as Uber-Werewolf Raze; and Hungarian actress Zita Gorog rocked my world---without uttering a single line.

In the end, this batwinged black-lipstick wearing looker of a flick charged into the goth club of my choice, served me an extra-bloody steak tartar , smacked me around, bought me drinks, and talked Shakespeare after. Would a Lycan by any other name be just as hairy?

Blade was interesting, but to me it failed emotionally. You just do not connect with the film on the personal level. The effects were super, but that was the main impact..."wow what amazing effects". You feel like breaking out in a chorus of Peggy Lee's Is That All There Is. Special effects alone cannot make a movie great.

Underworld makes that jump, great FX work, but also gives you characters you really care about, ones that you really love to hate. A strong plot line designed to hook you and keep you, just does that. With the emotional involvement, there is a greater impact, a movie that will demand repeat viewing. Instant Cult Status.

The movie grabs you from the opening and never lets up with the pace. Firm direction and with a driving score, the movie reaches for perfection. You have a 1000-year-old war between Lycons and Vampires, and it's all coming to a head. It's a well thought out and executed premise and Kate Beckinsale shines! She is an amazing talent. I first adored her work in Cold Comfort Farm as Robert Post's child Flora. When you compare that gentle, deft bit of humour with this kick a*** vampire hunter, it proves what an overlooked talent she is. With Van Helsing out now (and I am sure this movie led to her landing the role), she is finally getting a spotlight she so well deserves.

A gloomy, atmospheric ambiance to the whole movie is maintained all the way through, adding a strong foundation for the otherworld premise. I am sure some will nitpick things, as all vampire film faces, but kudos for the vibrant energy and sheer edgy feel to the film.

It leaves you hanging, clearly open for a sequel...one can but hope it maintains this high quality.

Kate rocks...you don't need to know anymore! It has about 13 minutes of footage not in the original. A great battle scene and some backstory on Michael. Rounds out the film nicely without dragging it down. A great pounding soundtrack, too!

Buy Underworld (Unrated) (2003) Now

I had been looking forward to the release of this movie all summer long, and it was a great movie! It was just a little different from what I had thought it would be.

The movie, as most of you probably know, is about a war that has been going on between werewolves and vampires. And it is THIS that is the primary focus of the plot (as opposed to the vampires and werewolves themselves). The werewolves have been researching their bloodlines and discovered a human who shares a common ancestor with both the werewolves and the vampires. The werewolves seek out this human, and this is noted by Selene (Kate Beckinsale), who decides to make it her mission to discover the importance of this particular human.

Unfortunately, the writers decided not to delve too deeply into vampire and werewolf lore. I was pretty disappointed by the fact that the supernatural abilities of these supernatural beings were not really emphasized. Instead, the writers chose to merely stick guns in the hands of the vampires and werewolves. In addition, the mythology was slightly different from what I've read and seen before in previous vampire and werewolf books and movies. I don't necessarily have a problem with that, but if you are going to change things from what people are used to, then it should be explained in slightly more detail.

Another thing that was a little disappointing were the effects. The previews led me to believe that the movie would be comparable to the "Matrix" in that department. Unfortunately, the best effects (with the one exception of the werewolf transformations) were all shown in the previews.

All of this aside, the movie was still pretty incredible. The plot was exceptional, which is not necessarily always the case with most action movies, and the action kept me entertained throughout the movie's entirety. The make-up and costumes were also outstanding, as was the acting. I actually saw this movie twice, and the second time around (once I got over the intial let-down of it being slightly different from what I expected) it was MUCH better. I anxiously await the sequel (and based on how the movie ended, there WILL be a sequel) as well as the DVD release!

Read Best Reviews of Underworld (Unrated) (2003) Here

This movie really looks great on Blu-Ray with an AVC encode and the PCM lossless audio is excellent. By the way this movie is also region free (Regions A, B & C) so people can import this if they want to.

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I'm so glad I got this extended unrated version. I have the original widescreen DVD that came out first, but with this copy there were so many extras that I decided to grab it also. After watching both of the versions I've decided I'm going to keep both as they have different commentary tracks. The commentary on the extended version with Len, Kate and 'Speedman' was quite funny.

I usually would be very annoyed with having to own more than one copy of something to get all of the extras, but in this case I wasn't too urked, considering the great deals I got on both DVDs.

I picked my extended one from best buy for only $15, and it came with a movie ticket valid for up to $10 off of one ticket for Evolution (only at best buy). I believe the other one was around that cost also.

If you're a big fan who owns the original DVD of the movie I would definetly recommend getting this version too.

I already know what will happen once Evolution comes to DVD: I will run out and buy it immediately, only to buy the new extended, unrated version a year later. ;-)

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The Losers (2010)

On the surface, it's just another action movie. Stuff blows up, people get shot, the bad guy is trying to destroy the world and the good guys are trying to stop him. It's the perfect popcorn movie.

But take a closer look at The Losers and you'll start to see that there's more than just mindless entertainment going on here. It's not trying to deliver a message, thank god, and it's not an action movie with pretentions of being great art. But it's smart, well written and well acted, and that separates it from the last 10 action movies you paid good money to sit in the dark and stare at.

I saw this a few hours ago with a friend, and personally, I thought it was awesome! It was literally filled to the brim with action, comedy, and special effects. Clay, Roque, Jensen, Pooch, and Cougar are part of an elite United States Special Forces team that are on assignment in Bolivia. When they are betrayed by an enemy named Max, they become fugitives and are believed to be dead. They are forced to team up with a mysterious woman named Aisha who may be able to help them find Max. I understand this movie is based on a comic book by Vertigo, but I never read any, so I couldn't compare it. My favorite character was Chris Evans as Jensen, because he had all the hilarious lines. Another thing, was that this film reminds me a lot of 'The A-Team' If you love action, I highly recommend THE LOSERS!!!

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Adapted from the short-lived Vertigo comic series, "The Losers" delivers a solid B-action-movie experience. It's got humor, `splosions, and an over-the-top bad guy played by Jason Patric. A few things holding this film back from true greatness are the over-stylized editing (it feels a bit gimmicky after a while), the fight scenes are fast and frequent but aren't that memorable, the plot seems like it was lifted from an "A-Team" episode, and there's no big name stars to pick up the slack for the less than original characters that fill the film. Jeffery Dean Morgan is the leader of The Losers, and while he did an excellent job as The Comedian in "The Watchmen," I couldn't help but wonder how much more an actor like George Clooney or Russel Crowe would bring to the part.

However, the cast has some major talent with Zoe Saldana (kicking butt and in her underwear no less) and the future Captain America, Chris Evans. I doubted Evans' ability to pull off the part of Marvel Comics' most patriotic superhero, but his performance in "The Losers" has convinced me otherwise. Overall, "The Losers" was a fun action film and hopefully they'll come back for another go-round.

Read Best Reviews of The Losers (2010) Here

This is a good action movie, and I was pleasantly surprised by the film when I saw it in the theaters. It keeps the core elements of the comic book series, and manages to not lose the books charm. You DON'T have to read the books to enjoy the movie, but if like the move, the books are even better.

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THE LOSERS is anything but. Created to appear like a comic book in motion, writers peter Berg, James Vanderbuilt and Andy Diggle have come up with a script that has defined some strong, unforgettable characters, outlined an all over the place story line, and managed to polish it all off with just the right amount of parody, humor, steamy scenes, and silly dialogue that makes the movie work. It is a film highly dependent of pyrotechnics and special effects, but these also are pulled off in such a way that they, too, are entertaining an even set the audience to cheering.

The story comes across as a bit jumbled due to the many sites where the action takes place, but essentially it is the tale of a group of five men (CIA operatives) who in an attempt to save some children in a fated helicopter escape from a disaster in Bolivia instead are assumed dead when the report of the exploded helicopter reaches the US. The five men toss their dog tags into the flaming ruins of the helicopter and thus become lost to the world. The team is a talented and well trained unit and each of the members has a special identity and gift: Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is the leader (and womanizer), Roque (Idris Alba) is the brains, Jensen (Chris Evans) is the wildly funny guy, Pooch (Columbus Short) is the sensitive guy, and Cougar (Óscar Jaenada) is the sniper with the ever present hat. The team (the Losers) becomes the target of a betrayal in dealing with one Max (Jason Patric) who is preparing the bomb to end all bombs. Out of nowhere comes the mysterious Aisha (Zoe Saldana) who works her way into the group via Clay's attraction to her beauty. But Aisha has her own agenda and the team joins her in uncovering and hopefully destroying the lethal Max who is planning global warfare. There are unexpected twists in the plot and internal challenges to the team's structure, but it all comes round in the end.

Yes, this is yet another noisy action film with classy acting from not only the stars but from everyone in the large cast. It is a hoot of an action thriller and hopefully this cast will be reassembled for a Part II in the future. Grady Harp, August 11

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Night at the Museum Collection (2010)

I still gave it 5 stars. I wish you could do half stars. I would have docked it half a star for the fact that it's 2 full cases that come in a very nice cardboard box. EXCEPT, the cardboard box is not an open ended kind on the side so you can just slide the regular plastic cases out the side. Instead, check my photos. You will see you have to open the flaps from the top and pull the cases out. Which is sad because it's a nice box with pull tab that changes the characters in the windows. Instead the box is a pain to keep moving the cases in and out of. I got this box set for about the same cost as just the 2nd movie. And you get the Blu-Ray only version of the first film (I happen to already have the first film on DVD). And you get the 3 disc Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital Copy set of the 2nd movie!

And since it's just the 2 normal cases in a box. It's like buying both separately but cheaper in my case. It just would have been nice to see this nice cardboard box with an open side so I could keep it on the shelf and still get the movie cases in and out easy. Such a simple thing that would have made this box set top notch.

Read the reviews of the Blu-Ray versions below. The first film has some quality issues. But is still a huge step up from the DVD version. And the 2nd film has a good video transfer. Link was removed to the review, google for the blu-ray review. (not the movie review)

Love Ben Stiller's movies. In Blu-ray they are even better. We laughed again even though we've seen NATM several times before

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I had the original in DVD & I loan it to someone & I never received it back. So, it was nice to find these movies in Blu-Ray. I would buy from this seller again.

Read Best Reviews of Night at the Museum Collection (2010) Here

We bought this after watching the first movie. My 6 year old loves Night at the Museum so much we pretend to be characters from the movie and run around the house playing.

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So you should buy this to have the full collection, but I have to say: unlike most movie franchises, the sequel here is far better than the original. There are some truly hysterical moments in the sequel, and Frank Azaria should have received an Oscar for his performance. And here's one thing worthy to note: a lot of kids movies try to work in jokes that only adults will get to keep the adults entertained -but the jokes are usually sexual in nature, a lot of double entendres. And I'm no prude, but still: it's not very original. In Night 2: Battle for the Smithsonian, the adult jokes are laugh out loud funny -and none of them have to do with sex. They parody co-workers we might all relate to, or songs that we know, or -most of the time -historical figures. If you know even the tiniest part about history, you'll be laughing out loud at Custer in this movie. I feel like these sorts of "adult" jokes required far more creativity than making yet another pun on the phrase "come out" or showing adults coming to the door in dissheveled clothes...and you'll laugh more because of it. This is one of the very few movies that when my 5 year old son asks me to put it on, I eagerly watch with him (and he's watched both of these at least 20 times since we purchased it, so they get a lot of miles...)

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Get the Gringo (2012)

With Mel Gibson doing himself no favors in the public media over the last six years, GET THE GRINGO is a much-needed reminder of why we loved him so much. While it was greatly refreshing to see Gibson on screen again in EDGE OF DARKNESS and THE BEAVER after an overbearing eight-year absence, GET THE GRINGO does the best of capturing everything we truly loved about Gibson's performances: charm, wit, humor, edge. The script by Gibson, director Adrian Grunberg and producer Stacey Persky is an original and tight balance of humor, edge, and danger that can very easily be considered an unofficial sequel to the theatrical cut of Gibson's cult favorite, PAYBACK. While the character of GRINGO's Driver never reveals his actual name, he possesses a lot of the same qualities as PAYBACK's Porter, including a U.S. military tattoo, a chain-smoking habit, sticky fingers, an iron jaw, and a penchant for bloodshed. Grunberg's direction is also solid with an obvious love for Sam Peckinpah paraded throughout.

For those of us who endured so many years of understandable negativity towards Gibson for his personal troubles, GET THE GRINGO is the film we've long awaited. It's truly a shame this film won't be seen wide in the U.S. It would've been a better comeback vehicle than EDGE OF DARKNESS was meant to be. GET THE GRINGO practically screams, "Remember me? I'm still here, and I still got it!"

But if one thing is certain, it is that in the age of home entertainment, every good film gets discovered by an audience. Sooner or later...

Now THIS is how you make a proper action-thriller! "Get the Gringo" is one hell of a film; a stripped-down, gritty actioner reminiscent of the kind of dark, no-nonsense thrillers we saw back in the '70s and '80s. With so many glossy, CGI-laden blockbusters hitting screens these days, it's invigorating to see Mel Gibson who grows more badass with each passing year doing what he does best in his first true action-thriller since 1998's "Payback". Gibson may be controversial, but those who are open-minded enough to watch "Get the Gringo" will be rewarded with a visceral, lively motion picture featuring Gibson back at the top of his game.

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"To the untrained eye it looks as if crime pays doesn't it, but bear in mind for guys with my particular set of karmic could-be's there was bound to be a bump or two down the road." After a car chase ends with Driver (Gibson) being caught be the Mexican police he is thrown in to their prison. Able to come and go as he pleases within the town he meets a nine year old boy who fills him in on the local people and problems. Wanting to get his money back from the corrupt cops Driver also decides help the young boy and his mother. I have to admit that I am a Mel Gibson fan. His last movie, "The Beaver" was outstanding and really was in unison with his personal meltdown. This movie, while not as good as that one still has some similarities to his life. This is about a man trapped and trying to not only help himself to straighten out, but also realizing that helping others is just a fulfilling. I may be reading too much into this and it may be just me though. The only down side is that after a string of great movies like "Edge Of Darkness" and "The Beaver" this one isn't quite that caliber. This is a good and entertaining movie though, just not at that level. Overall, a movie that has the feel of an Oliver Stone type movie that is fun to watch and is entertaining as well as violent. I recommend this. I give it a B+.

Read Best Reviews of Get the Gringo (2012) Here

Ah, how the mighty have fallen. Mel Gibson, once the world's highest-paid actor (after receiving an at-the-time-record-breaking $30 million payday for his role in THE PATRIOT) and beloved by millions, got drunk one night, said some bad things, was drowned in REALLY negative press (some very deservedly so), and he went from superstar to pariah in just a few weeks. And here, he's co-written his own (essentially) Direct to Video star vehicle called GET THE GRINGO, a return to form into the kind of role that made him famous: The Violent Rascal. This is the type of role he helped to create the archetype for in the LETHAL WEAPON series and that he brought to many other films as well. But his character here is a little edgier, a little darker, a little more clever if not as violent and incendiary as Martin Riggs.

The film opens with a car chase through the desert along the American/Mexican border. Two police cars are chasing a car driven by a character only known as "Driver" (Gibson). Seeing no way out on this side of the border, he crashes through the fence onto the Mexican side of the border, but it's straight out of the frying pan and into the fire as the corrupt Mexican federales see bags loaded with millions of dollars in the car and they dump Driver, obviously a career criminal, in a prison referred to El Pueblito, which is NOT like the prisons you see in The U.S. of A; in The Driver's words, "Is this a prison, or the crappiest mall on Earth?". There are non-prisoners amongst the population, such as wifes and children and some are allowed to come and go. There are also small but lucrative businesses in the prison; drugs, guns, prostitution, but also little food stands and bodegas that sell cigarettes, candy, soda pop and beer. The Driver is a man constantly on the move and on the make. He makes the observations of a thief and of someone intimately familiar with the prison system and hierarchy and sees the easiest way to get at the goods. It is during one of these observations that he sees Javi (Daniel Gimenez Cacho), the kingpin of El Pueblito and also during one of his thefts that he finds an ally in a tough 10-year-old boy, simply called "Kid" (Kevin Hernandez) who lives in the prison with his equally-tough mother (Dolores Heredia, also simply credited "Kid's Mom"), an inmate busted for drug trafficking some time before. Kid and Javi are on a collision course for reasons that I won't spoil here, but with Driver finding a friend in the kid and the mother, Driver has more personal reasons for staying.

There are other fun sub-plots involving a corrupt U.S. Consulate official, the mobster Driver stole the money from, and various other shady individuals doing various shady things. The major cast is made up mostly of unknowns to American audiences and the performances by Kevin Hernandez and Cacho are pretty layered and exciting, but it is also populated with various other character actors, such as Dean Norris, Bob Gunton, Patrick Bauchau and Peter Stormare in very small roles. The director is Adrian Grunberg, a former assistant director making his feature directing debut. He's worked with Mel in the past on films like APOCALYPTO and EDGE OF DARKNESS, but his influence from others is more felt from his work on films like MAN ON FIRE, TRAFFIC and JARHEAD. Grunberg directs the film with some gusto and urgency, but make no mistake though: this is Mel's movie through and through. The character of Driver is very similar to his likable bad guy Porter in the original cut of 1998's PAYBACK (because the "Final Cut" released a few years back on DVD, his character is much darker). It's obvious that Mel's having a really good time making this film, and it's obvious that he co-wrote this (with director Grunberg and co-producer Stacy Perskie, a PA who worked with Grunberg on a few other films) to give himself a star vehicle that felt more like what we used to see him in, as opposed to the extremely dark EDGE OF DARKNESS or the heavier drama of THE BEAVER. All of the violent acts he commits have a cartoony action film feel to them and they're mostly committed with a glint in his eye, particularly a bravura sequence with two hand grenades and an umbrella.

Despite what you may think about Mel Gibson personally, it hasn't diminished his capabilities as a consumate performer who does his best to engage the audience in his films. This film shows how much of a badass Mel can still be, but he's also gotten to a point where he's starting to wear his age well. I know (and I believe Mel knows as well) that he will never get back to where he was with star vehicles like GET THE GRINGO, but at least we can still get films where we get to see Mel kick some tail and have some fun with him along the way.

3.5/5 Stars

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The title of this review pretty much sums up GET THE GRINGO: a violent, darkly humored noir piece. (A friend of mine described it as PAYBACK'S "spiritual prequel.") The film starts with a masked thief (Gibson) making his getaway across the desert. He ends up crashing (literally) across the border, and winds up stuck in El Pueblito, a Mexican prison run more like a small town. He befriends a kid (the excellent Kevin Hernandez) and his mother (Dolores Heredia), while at the same time trying to get his money back, protect the boy (who is basically a living organ farm), dealing with a corrupt U.S. official (Peter Gerety), and the mobster he stole the money from in the first place (Peter Stormare doing his crazy thing).

As you can tell, there's a lot going on here. Too much so, perhaps. The film feels too much like Gibson's previous PAYBECK (basically, it's the same thing, except half the film is in Spanish); this is both in terms of tone (very dark in spots, very humorous in others) and plot. Gibson is great, as usual; say what you want to about the man, but as an actor, no one does likeable sleaze better. He's still got some bite to him, and there's never any knowing what his character will do next. The direction, too, is solid; the problems lie with the script, which tries to do too much. The subplots stumble over each other; this is, at its core, a simple story, like PAYBACK (I'm thinking the Director's Cut here), and should not go off on so many tangents. Still, in terms of grit and fun, GET THE GRINGO offers plenty of both. And, let's face it, it's nice to see Mel Gibson sinking his fangs into a dirty role again. Who knows--if he somehow cleans up his public image, he could be having blockbusters again. (Well, maybe not; but at least he's still got the chops to pull them off.)

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Saawariya (2007)

Note: Hindi with English subtitles.

The '07 Bollywood film `Saawariya' (i.e.: Beloved) is one of the most visually stunning films I've seen in quite some time. The storyline is one of those unrequited love themes that we're all familiar with; Raj (Ranbir Kapoor) falls in love with Sakina (Sonam Kapoor) who is in love with Imman (Salman Khan). While Imaan is away Raj attempts to win his way into Sakina's heart while another woman, a local prostitute played by Rani Mukherjee both narrates the love story as an objective observer and plays the part of a forlorn lover who hopes to win Raj for herself.

Though the tale unfolding is as old as time the presentation is inventive magical and totally mesmerizing. The soundtrack is also quite good though not quite your usual Bollywood faire, drift back and forth between festive and upbeat to melancholy and haunting. Well worth a watch for the visuals and music alone. If you enjoyed `Moulin Rouge' than you should certainly appreciate this film too.

Saawariya (meaning "Beloved") is director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's adaptation of Dostoevsky's short story "White Nights". The body of the film is decidedly Bollywood with all of the vibrant colors (the color blue has never looked so good) while the core remains true to Dostoevsky. Bhansali had expressed in an interview that he made this movie in part inspired by watching his grandmother waiting on the balcony every evening for his grandfather to come home from work. How deep is that love? Can it ever be distracted, even temporarily, from its long-standing object of affection? This movie meditates on some of these aspects of love. Saawariya is a musical and should be experienced as such. Here are some reasons why I fell in love with this movie:

1) Beautiful evocative sets that depict a syncretic town visited by different ages and cultures. A town that exists nowhere and yet everywhere. I was initially skeptical of Bhansali's choice of shooting this movie entirely on sets. But after watching the dreamscape of Saawariya unfold, I applaud his choice.

2) The beautiful and innocent Sakina as portrayed by Sonam Kapoor. Her emotive power is expressed through her eyes and she pervades the film as a lone angel awaiting her distant lover. Sonam will go far in filmdom with the right roles.

3) The exuberance of Ranbir Kapoor. Though he tends to overreach himself in some frames, he is mostly pleasant and sympathetic throughout the movie.

4) Excellent supporting and memorable performances by Zohra Sehgal and Rani Mukherjee. Salman Khan is remarkably restrained here and does justice to his brief role.

5) The music, O the music! Haunting, evocative, mesmerizing! After a long gap have I heard such beautiful melody pour forth from a Bollywood film.

6) People watching this movie in theaters were critical of the overtly blue hues that pervade the entire movie. But I just fell in love with the blue theme.

7) A few magnificent scenes like (a) Zohra Sehgal's dialogue with Raj (Ranbir) on forgiveness, (b) A mesmerizing shot of Sakina's playful beating of the carpets, (c) The song "Yoon Shabnami" wherein the faithful are awaiting a glimpse of the moon so that they may break their Id fast whilst Raj gazes away in the other direction at his "moon" Sakina.

I could go on and on but will stop here. Suffice to say that every frame of this movie is rich and I personally consider this movie a classic in the long run.

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I watched "Saawariya" at the cinema and I though it was just amazing.

The best thing about this movie is the amazing sets and landscapes.It's pure art, and what better way to experiance it than 1080p ! Most of the songs are great and mesmerizing, the plot is great although the script could have been better.

All in all this Bluray is a must have for all Bollywood fans who want to experiance a little "masala" in high defenition for the very first time !

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My life has changed after seeing this movie. I'd forgotten all about magical places until I watched this movie, why?

First, the music is exquisite, lyrics, musicians, compositions, I understand the music was specifically written after the movie was made and therefore it fits like a glove. You will be transported to this wonderland, where beauty and magic converge. Equipped with a family heritage of talented movie makers and actors comes the genius of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I'm going to follow his productions from here on out. He introduces two fresh heavily talented actors, Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, (both are fabulously good looking) and not related or married to each other as of this writing, they meet and deliver pure magic weaving a story of many dimensions.

A special guest appearance by Salman Khan playing "Imaan", Khan is recognized as the 7th most handsome man in the world, please don't let me see numbers 1 thru 6, I don't want a heart attack. His portrayal is mysterious as he appears in the movie one thunderous night with lighting flashing and thunder roaring, as Sakina (the fragile beauty) who is hypnotized by the very sight of this masculine man who appears like a vision and says: "We have a lifetime to gaze into each others eyes." If you're a woman watching this scene you either faint or scream, like I (and my daughter) did.

Ranbir Kapoor as a new comer seals the deal as one great up and coming actor, he dances, with moves like greased lightening, (his dance moves would make our own Elvis proud). Also Rani Mukherjee, as Gulabji the street wise and lovely woman of the night who tenderly recognizes the love struck "Rock Star" angel in Ranbir Raj and she seems to fall in love herself.

I loved the part Zohra Sehgal plays as "Lilipop," she starred in "The Jewel in the Crown" a PBS production about India's relationship with England leading up to India's Independence. The set designs are beautiful as we are transported through the "blue" streets and canals of this fantastic city of secret meeting places, the music is wonderful, and the actors are exquisite; a veritable feast for the senses. I loved Begum Para's portrayal as the blind grandmother who safety-penned Sakina to her, she reminded me of my own grandmother who happened to be blind and who was more aware of things going on than anyone imagined.

I immediately bought the dvd, and three cds of music, one for my auto, one for home and one I'm saving in case I wear one out! This is a beautiful love story, and what I immediately noticed was the great difference between American movies where French kissing is the least lustiness you see, in Saawariya there is no-kissing and no-hint pornography of any kind to weigh down this wonderful cinematic treasure. You are in for a treat with this magnificent production, and you don't have to worry about borderline porn, which is so overused in western cinema that it has become a total bore.

Treat yourself to some great cinema and take in this delightful movie, you'll be happy you did so. Saawariya is "Top Notch," in my books! Thank you to Bollywood and Sony entertainment.

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This movie was well worth the buy. The only thing I didn't like were the special features. I would have liked to see the making of the set. Director/actor interviews. Other than that the movie was outstanding, the picture quality was insane. So far this has been the best bluray movie I have purchased, picture wise. Ranbir & Sonam did a great job for their first movie, hopefully they will have many more huge hits in the future.

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Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself (2008)

Its really hard to review a standup comedy routine "critiquingly". If it's GREAT, like this one is, I would have to resort to the overwhelming non-lack of cliches plastered on the covers of movie boxes and posters across the Land.

What it boils down to, is this (and its very simple): This is one of the funniest and most tallented stand-up acts I have ever seen. You have your all-time greats like Pryor and (fill in your fav here) but did they hold three-way conversations at lightning speed and legibly conveying three unique voices with three different personalities? Either he has incredible tallent or he's related to Emily Rose.

In short, its fantastic Excellent pullamuscle funny and man does it deliver. Highly recommended for you adults who need a change in pace. ~saos~

It's been awhile since a stand up comedian has actually brought tears to my eyes. After seeing Jeff Dunham's show on Comedy Central I immediately went to Amazon.com and pre-ordered it. It's sure a refreshing act, since you have all these other comedians doing stupid red neck jokes all the time.

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Jeff has a funny routine. His characters include "Walter", a sort of elderly curmudgeon; "Sweet Daddy D" sorry, that's "Sweeeeeeeeet Daddy D", a playa in management position (PIMP); "Peanut", described as a South Pacific islander but could really be some alien; "Jose Jalapeno", a Cuban condiment (on a "steeeeek"); and "Bubba J", a slow-witted beer-guzzling NASCAR aficianado.

Some of the jokes might be a bit politically incorrect, but as Jeff and "Shrek 2"-director friend surmise in the optional commentary, they are accepted because they are spoken by a puppet, not a human.

I watched it twice (on successive nights) and loaned it to a friend who thought it was bleeping hilarious and also is going to watch it again before returning it.

You get the option of a "bleeped" or "unbleeped" version.

Extras include a commentary, a couple bloopers, and a video of Jeff's dog humping one particular puppet.

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I've been a fan of Dunham for a long time I saw him live in Orlando in 1992(?) and was fan before that. I knew what to expect, but my wife (who has belly-laughed exactly once since we were married 8 years ago) was totally taken by surprise she laughed so-o-o hard!!! Dunham is funny, creative and his puppets are so believable you can actually suspend belief and think of them as people. Dunham's wit is great even off the cuff things like when a member of the audience steps out on a call of nature Dunham waits until he comes back to continue.... One of the funniest comics you'll ever see...

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This "reviewer" did not watch Jeff's performance very carefully. The entire audience was NOT white; yes, it was predominantly so, but the editors of the performance were careful to show several minority attendees in the theater.

Besides, Jeff tackles EVERYONE in this performance: Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Southerners, NASCAR fans, the elderly, the stupid, the deaf, the blind, and those with bladders too weak to sit through an entire show. (Walter's ridicule of the guy sneaking out of the auditorium to go to the bathroom is priceless!)

I have shown "Arguing With Myself" to old and young alike, and the result is ALWAYS the same: tears pouring from eyes, sides splitting, and thighs raw from being slapped. You will LOVE this DVD.

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12 Monkeys (1995)

When I saw "12 Monkeys" in the theaters, I thought to myself, "This is one of the greatest films of the past ten years." Despite working with a script written by others and under some stringent studio restrictions, Terry Gilliam more than managed to infuse the story with his trademark approach to movie-making.

I had some reservations going in about the choice of Brad Pitt to play the role of a mentally unbalanced eco-terroist, but Pitt did a marvelous job and really made the character his own. (Viewers who like Pitt in "12 Monkeys" would probably do well to check out his performance in "Fight Club". Tyler Durden is what Jeffery Goins could be if he were less manic.) Bruce Willis and Madeline Stowe also turn in terrific performances, especially Willis for whom this was one of his first non-action films. Fans of the old "Batman" TV show will be amused to see Frank Gorshin (the Riddler) as the chief psychiatrist at the mental institution were much of the early part of the film takes place. Christopher Plummer is not given much screen time, but he does an excellent job with what little he has.

As for the story itself, even though many people try to claim that it is about the line between sanity and madness(in the vein of Gilliam's "The Fisher King"), I just do not see it as such. I never doubted Cole's sanity, the future world was too real to make me think that it was a figment of Cole's imagination. And if one did have that impression at first, there was too much revealed early in the film to sustain that belief. I prefer to view the story as an extremely intricate "whodunit", where the viewer actually receives most of the information relevant to the conclusion by about half-way through the film, but in such a jumbled and contradictory manner that the true outcome remains obscure until the last 15 minutes. But of course, this being a Gilliam picture, even after the conclusion is revealed, a final twist is thrown to the viewer. (Note: to appreciate the twist, pay attention to the future scientists. I've known some people who didn't watch closely and they didn't understand the twist as a result.)

Setting aside the film, and considering the DVD, Universal did an excellent job with this release. The documentary "The Hamster Factor" offers some great insights into both "12 Monkeys" and the movie industry in general. And the commentary track with Gilliam and the producer is very good for understanding the process of movie-making, as well as how specific scenes were set up. My only disappointment came with the "Production Notes" feature. If you watch the documentary and listen to the commentary track, the production notes really just repeat what you've previously learned.

Good Science Fiction (weather a book, a movie, tv, whatever) has the power to make us look at ourselves as a society. The events in this movie metaphorically mimic events in our everyday lives. Even though we have not yet discovered time travel, all of the other events in this movie could happen, which is absolutely frightening. This is a dark movie, not for everyone, which has a deep high-minded script and plot (it may take a few watchings to fully understand this one.) The cinematography, directing, and acting are wonderful. Bruce Willis proves that he can do other movies besides his normal action type. He also proved it later in The 6th Sense, but I think this is one of his best performences. As for Brad Pitt, it is his best performance. It's so real that by the end, you'll think he's crazy.

Another important thing to note is to buy the DVD, but not the DTS one. The non-DTS version has an insightful long documentary on the making of the film, the DTS version does not have this. Plus the Dolby Digital sound is excellent in itself.

Most Highly Reccomended.

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12 Monkeys is a convoluted tale of time travel, insanity, apocalypse, and who-done-it, with some romance thrown in. What I enjoyed most about it was the twisting and ambiguous path it followed, which was fresh and well thought out, to a point.

Bruce Willis plays Cole, a prisoner in a post-apocalyptic future recruited to do some dangerous time-travel work in the past for a group of very odd scientists. The goal of the work only becomes apparent later, and by then there is confusion about whether Cole is really on the mission he thinks he is or is just deluded. Brad Pitt has a major supporting role hamming it up as another who may or may not be insane.

Ultimately, while I don't think the film does full justice to its premises and possibilities, it does well enough to be entertaining and thought provoking. Director Terry Gilliam's surrealism adds much. The acting is very good on the whole, itself rather surreal in some of the supporting roles. There is some violence showing how disturbed Willis's character is, not bad for an R-rated movie. It's definitely worth seeing to judge for yourself what it's really about.

I want to comment on the things you think about after the film is over, to see how well it holds up. I'll have to go into details you may not want to know about if you haven't seen the film yet, thus the spoiler alert. If you'd like to know what my general conclusions are, without any spoilers, just skip to the last couple paragraphs headed "In Sum."

*SPOILER ALERT*

Madness

There are many points designed to suggest that parts of the film are delusions, but they're balanced by points seeming to show the opposite. There is the over-the-top strangeness of the future (the video ball, serenading scientists, etc.), the obvious parallels between the psych ward and the future prison (similar panels of doctors/scientists, the two guards, etc), the voice that calls Cole "Bob" (moving around as if in his head, though it seems to belong to the wino too), the music in the ruined department store (apparently a premonition (or something) of the time Cole is there in 1996), the lion and bear (again paralleled in 1996, unlikely denizens of a wintry abandoned Philadelphia).

But then Cole's disappearances, the French that Cole himself doesn't understand in WWI (yes, it's real French), the photo of Cole from WWI (though nearly impossibly convenient), the WWI bullet, Cole's knowledge of the boy in the well prank, all seem to settle things conclusively against delusion. That is, unless we're to imagine that not only the future but the whole film is delusions, of Cole (or Bob) and/or Railly, in line with her own fears and the comment by the virus culprit (Morse) that Railly might be succumbing to her Cassandra syndrome. Confusing? That's what Gilliam was aiming for.

In a way, the view that the whole film is largely delusion seems the most coherent overall interpretation, in that it can explain away all failures of logic. But it has trouble explaining how good the logic is. The film, strange and muddled as it is, really does seem far too lucid and coherent to be primarily be a string of delusions.

The End, Time Travel

The ending has stirred much debate. The woman sitting next to the culprit on the plane is one of the scientists from the future. She is presumably there to do exactly what Cole said the scientists planned to do, gather a sample of the virus from before it mutated. According to Cole, the scientists didn't send him to change the past, which he says is impossible. He was sent to gather information, which he did. We must assume that the sample is gathered and that this enables humanity in the future to return to the surface of the planet. It doesn't help the 5 billion killed.

That appears to be the basic sense of the ending, but it has its own loose ends. Why was Cole given the gun, if not to try to change the past? (Jose's line that it's too bad they didn't get the information sooner makes no sense to me in the context of time travel.) The scientist introduces herself on the plane saying, "I'm in insurance," which is a great line if she's a backup for Cole, in case he fails to stop the spread of the virus. But that too implies he could have changed the past. Even getting a sample of the virus seems to change the past. Trying to figure out the point of all of this is further complicated by the the fact that we are shown the virus being released by the culprit when it was being inspected at the airport. By the time Cole tried to shoot him it was already too late. This adds to the pathos, and the confusion.

Some views of time travel allow the past (and future) to change. It could work this way. Young Cole goes to the airport, there is no shooting, he survives the virus, and is eventually sent back, where he is shot, witnessed by young Cole, who survives the virus and is eventually sent back, where he remembers the shooting and gets shot (the scene we see near the end of the film). This would allow one more twist in the film, one suspected by some optimistic viewers. Railly, recognizing the boy Cole, would tell the boy to remember that the culprit wasn't the 12 monkeys gang but Dr. Goine's assistant. Then Cole could conceivably grow up and loop back one more time, this time preventing the virus from ever being released, and getting the girl. There is no hint of this, however. Had the filmmakers wanted to hint at the possibility, they easily could have (by having Railly whisper something in the boy Cole's ear, for example).

In Sum

All in all, the film is stimulating and fun but ultimately more frustrating than it might have been. I like a film that provokes thought, but I tend to prefer one that rewards it with additional insights and clarity. That only goes so far here, and then things seem impossible, muddled or otherwise unsatisfying. There is a certain postmodern sensibility that prefers just this kind of lack of clarity and incomplete logic. I don't know if that was intended here or just came about accidentally (I suspect some of each), but if that sensibility is your thing, you should love this film.

The DVD anamorphic video and 5.1 audio quality are fine. There is commentary track with director Gilliam and producer Charles Roven, and a full-length making-of documentary. Both are interesting and worth the time, but don't expect answers to the puzzles the film leaves, other than a hint or two expressed as personal opinion.

Read Best Reviews of 12 Monkeys (1995) Here

If you're a fan of 12 Monkeys, the blu-ray version is absolutely the best version to own. Calling it "not blu-ray quality" is humorous and also shows ignorance. That reviewer knows little about how this movie is supposed to look. Not every blu-ray is "supposed" to look like Crank or Pirates of the Caribbean. He probably thought the Godfather looked bad on blu-ray, too. 12 Monkeys looks exactly how it should on blu-ray and probably the best it will ever look.

Also, what most casual blu-ray fans/reviewers never mention is the lossless audio I'm guessing because they don't even know what that is, and they're the same people that thought forever they were watching HD because they owned an HDTV, or the people that think they're getting a deal by spending only $70 on an HDMI cable on sale at Best Buy. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is a huge step up over whatever lossy track the DVD and HD DVD offered.

Don't hesistate to grab this. It's reasonably priced with a well-done transfer and great audio strong use of surround sound and a crystal clear lossless track.

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12 Monkeys has an unusual pedigree. It was inspired by Chris Marker's brilliant short film Le Jete; written by David Peeples and his spouse (co-screenwriter of Blade Runner, writer of The Unforgiven and Solider); stars Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt and Madeline Stowe and directed by Monty Python's Terry Gilliam. It was also released by the very same studio that tried to butcher his masterpiece Brazil during the 80's. Who'd have thunk?

The plot is fairly straight forward for a Gilliam directed film: Bruce Willis is a convict sent back in time to find information on a deadly virus that destroys much of humanity. The survivors have to move underground (somewhat like in The Time Machine).This virus also insinuates itself into the environment making it impossible for humanity to return to the surface. Willis is to report whatever he finds out before returning home. For doing all this he'll receive a pardon. They want to find information on the 12 Monkeys the terrorist group that took responsibility for the attack and prevent it from occurring.

Willis meets a therapist played by Madeline Stowe when he's taken to a mental institution in our world. It's clear that he's disturbed but is that due to the travel through time? Did his fragmented mind make up the entire story? Stowe has to deal with all of this when she is kidnapped later in the film. Willis has fallen in love with her and tries to convince her his tale is true. Now they're on the run from the police and must find out who is behind the 12 Monkeys and where they have the virus.

The performances are sharp. Willis is particularly good at playing the sad sack time traveler condemned to wonder if he is insane or truly on a hero's mission. Stowe plays the therapist well and injects humanity into a role that could have been routine in the wrong hands. Brad Pitt plays his most bizarre and interesting role yet. I don't recall if he was nominated for an Academy Award but he should have been.

Gilliam's direction is self assured and powerful. He manages to blur the real and imagined in such a way that we're not certain about Willis' sanity. This interesting group of talented artists have created a terrific movie. It's not for everyone though as Gilliam's dark view of humanity and his use of satire might not appeal to everyone. Gilliam and the writers have managed to make an interesting short into a full bodied motion picture.

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