Max Manus: Man of War (2011)

This movie is based on a true story about a hero who did not want the nazis to take his country Norway. I watched the movie with a person who helped Max Manus escape and who actualy lived this story. He thought this interpretation was very realistic. Even some of the characters looked like the ones he remembers. A fantastic movie about a WWII chapter we rarely hear about.

I'm a fan of WWII films and always in search of new ones from whatever origin. This is the first Norwegian film I ever watched and it is a real outstanding war film.

"Max Manus" (2008) is a big budget World War II movie making good use of every cent invested in producing it. Directed by Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg who had co-directed four films and in a fifth one they were director one and writer the other. In this film they show a steady hand in presenting and solving actions scenes as well as intimate ones.

The story is about Norwegian resistance to German invasion of their country. They start as a small band of youthful friends implementing tiny, yet dangerous, propaganda and sabotage acts.

Then things start to get "warmer" and Max is surprised by the police, he jumps thru a window and afterwards manages to escape from hospital.

The Resistance sends him to Scotland to a special training camp for saboteurs. Back in Norway he leads many daring coup-de-main until the end of the war.

In the way he loses his friends one by one to the hands of the Germans, this erodes his soul and still he never gives up!

Playacting is really very good with Aksel Hennie as Max Manus, Nicolai Cleve Broch as Gregers Gram, Ken Duken as the German Police Chief and Agnes Kittelsen as Tikken. They all perform over par fleshing convincingly their characters.

Photography and musical score are great and period reconstruction is outstanding.

It is a great movie for all those interested in war films and general public too!

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

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I saw "Max Manus" at the Minneapolis-St Paul International Film Festival in April. Actually, my cousin from Norway wrote this movie, so I have been looking for a version with English subtitles. The DVD is just like what we saw at the film festival. It's an excellent film that anyone would love...even people like me who don't like war movies. I love that the end is a documentary about writing and filming the whole thing. It was so popular at that film festival that they showed it two more time in two theaters each time . See it!

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Good movie. Especially interesting since all the events in the movie is based on real time events from the war. All the characters are real and that makes the movie more moving. Also Norway was one of the countries where the resistance was the fiercest.

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If your like me, always searching for some little WWII movie 'gem' you might not have seen yet, you'll be very satisfied with this movie about amazing Norway resistence fighter Max Manus. Manus and a few of his friends volunteer to fight for Finland when they were invaded by Russia then watches his own country do nothing when the Germans invade Norway. He organizes his buddies into getting back at the Germans and the film documents multiple attacks and harrowing escapes he manages to survive all very well done. The story moves along swiftly with Max going to England to become part of a Norwegian company of commandos sent back behind enemy lines to harass the Germans. This is a rich & moving film as we see many of Max's comrades be captured, tortured or killed but he himself always manging to get away. Whatever Max was missing in himself in civilian life, he finds it during the war as he emerges as a tenacious, bold and fearless leader who defeats the Germans over & over. And whatever you do don't miss the special features documentary of the real Max Manus talking about his life and his friends lost to the War. The documentary also features his Wife who he married after the War and she describes Max the kind of Man who only comes along "once in a lifetime", very true.

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Secretariat (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010)

This is a great film for everyone, especially if you lived at the time of SECRETARIAT. This was the first movie I have seen in about 2 years, and the first in a long time that I was excited about and truly wanted to see. In 1973, Secretariat touched everyone in this country. Just about everyone was talking about and rooting for this horse. But, in addition to telling the story of a champion Triple Crown winning horse, this film tells the story of just how implausible the events behind the champion were. While taking a few moments of dramatic license, it effectively tells the story of the background of this thoroughbred legend as was brilliantly laid out by William Nack, in SECRETARIAT, THE MAKING OF A CHAMPION. I have heard about and read reviews that this was more Penny's story than Secretariat's story, maybe so, but the truth is, without Penny, there would be no Secretariat. This is no different than SEABISCUIT, which was as much the story of the three individuals who brought immortality to that horse as well. In short, this is a must see film, and is thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable. For once you can see a movie and feel good about what you have seen; the story of a horse with a tremendous heart nurtured on by people with the heart to believe. HE IS MOVING LIKE A TREMENDOUS MACHINE,(from Chic Anderson's immortal call during the Belmont Stakes).

The story of Secretariat must be one of the pinnacles of American life in the last century. While watching this movie, no less than twice I might add, I reflected how the 1970s seemed the zenith of American civilization: the epic of Secretariat, Bobby Fischer's conquest of the world chess championship, the birth of the Star Wars saga in cinema, the birth of role playing and video games, and the genesis of the internet and personal computer were all products of this destiny-laden decade in the United States. Thanks to movies like Secreriat, we can immortalize in art the triumphs of yesteryear, making them into myth as the age sadly westers past its meridian. (cf. Lovecraft's "He" for the full details.)

Secretariat recounts the story of the horse's rise to win the triple crown. I guess the movie did not get better critical mention than it did because it seems to have been an obvious take off of Seabiscuit from a couple of years prior. I liked Secretariat better than Seabiscuit because the later movie conveyed a greater authenticity by including more realistic detail about the horse-racing industry. I also found the script more poetic and compelling, especially the thematic quotation from the book of Job. Most of all, Secretariat felt like a genuine, innocent story with none of the diseased and contrived tripe that other Hollywood movies purvey, like the movie Inception.

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I grew up in miraculous time. Jim Crow ended on one level. Muhammad Ali lived during the same time as Joe Frazier, Bob Beamon broad jumped past the olympic committee's ability to measure, and The US Olympic Hokey Team out-skated, outscored, and out endured the legendary Russians. But of all the things that lifted our spirits in the field of sports it was a horse that stole the The Show. Secretariat, was young, pretty, and just couldn't be beat. Check out this move. It tell the story better than I can. Believe me.

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I had the great good fortune to watch the 1973 Belmont Stakes race live on television, so my interest was piqued when this film came out on DVD. I bought it without any real expectations since I knew the ultimate outcome. I have to say I was most pleasantly surprised.

The first time I watched the movie, I wasn't that impressed as I felt there was a bit too much created drama, but the second time I watched it with my wife, she pointed out that the real story is full of drama. So I settled in and gained even more enjoyment the second time around.

Diane Lane is exceptionally good in the lead role of Penny Chenery Tweedy, and her husband's belated admission that she was able to give their children the lessons in life that he could never do was really a tender and telling moment. John Malkovich seemed near perfect in the role of the maverick trainer, and even his admiration for Mrs. Tweedy garnered some nice concessions along the way. Mrs. Tweedy never lost faith in herself or in her horse, and that is the real lesson of the movie.

Secretariat, or Big Red to those closest to the horse, is simply the greatest horse that ever raced (so far). Out of curiosity, I looked up some of the comparable Triple Crown records, and Secretariat clearly dominated those three races in 1973, and for all time. Some of the margins of vistory are stunning, time wise and in number of lengths. Of course, the Belmont stands out when Secretariat absolutely demolished a group of very good race horses by the unbelievable record of 31 lengths. I remember watching in 1973 to see if Secretariat could win the Triple Crown since that was the longest of the three races. I remember coming out of my chair watching Secretariat pull away in the back stretch and "pour on the coal", shouting and clapping. The movie captures this race particularly well, but for those of us who watched it live, it truly was reliving an extraordinary moment in time.

You don't have to be a horse race fan to enjoy this movie.

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I was unimpressed with this movie. The title character was more of a prop for the Penny Tweedy character. Penny Tweedy was Disneyized into something she was not; the reality is she was a woman of wealth who grew up in the horse industry, not a "simple housewife" who had a special bond with Secretariat. At the end of the movie, a beautiful black and white portrait of Eddie Sweat with Secretariat was shown. Theirs was the true story; Eddie's bond with this amazing animal was of the heart. A film honoring the Secretariat/Eddie story would have been powerful and inspirational, two things that this movie was not.

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The Blu-Ray:

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

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

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

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

The Movie:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, for the Trekkies:

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

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

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

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

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

In summary:

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

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

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

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

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

Commentary by the makers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vulcan sequence prior to destruction (Vasquez Rocks).

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

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

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

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

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

* 3 trailers.

Everything subtitled in French, Spanish, & Port.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Those days are over.

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

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

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

Man did it ever deliver.

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

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

True To The Character We Know

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

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

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

Revisions And Improvements Made

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

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

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

Complete Rewrite

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

New Characters

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

Old Friends

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

Intangibles

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

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

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

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

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

***** HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well, that is the way I feel!

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

Varsity Blues (Deluxe Edition) (1999)

The movie is based on a "piece" of everyone's life, in some small way, who have ever played football. Does it matter that HS kids get in a strip club and drink till 6:00am ? "NO" Does it matter that Hoss is sitting on a tailgate, drinking Jack like its water ... and shooting a shotgun, with the HS Football Field lights on ? "NOOOOO" !!!!

It is "Rocky" + "Friday Night Lights" + "Rudy" + "Stand By Me" = Varisty Blues.

If you played football, or ever hung out with the guys after a game, or ever LAUGHED at the guys who couldn't leave HS even after they graduated 9 years ago ... Then buy the movie, its worth it, and the soundtrack ROCKS !!!!

Ok, so James Van Der Beek's Texas accent isn't all that great. So what if no football coach in their right mind would run a hook-and-ladder play to a 350 pound lineman. What does it matter that very few of us ever have a teacher as hot as Miss Davis...much less one that works in a strip club? It's still a great movie.

Look people, this isn't supposed to be a drama. This is a comedy-drama. Some dramatic parts, but it's supposed to be funny overall. That's why the movie has Tweeder! There are a few dramatic parts to the film, but it's mostly comedy. The intended audience is obviously the high school and college age, but can be enjoyed by nearly everyone...especially football fans.

Who knew that MTV Films was capable of making a movie like this? It did very well at the box office, and the DVD has sold well too...for good reason. Come on....everyone has to laugh when Tweeder steals the police car.

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When I first saw this film, I hated it. I could not find a single likeable character in the movie: the backup quarterback who couldn't seem to make up his mind whether to be ambivalent or committed to football; an obsessed, fanatical head coach; shallow, self-absorbed, hedonistic jocks; a whipped cream cheerleader; a little brother with an identity crisis; and moronic football dads wanting to do nothing more than live vicariously through their sons. Outside of a headbanging soundtrack and sensational football action, I was anything but impressed with VARSITY BLUES.

Then I caught the film on cable recently, and watched it. Then I rented it, and watched it again. Perhaps I had been too judgmental my first viewing: VARSITY BLUES was slowly but surely revealing itself to me as a very entertaining movie. I came to appreciate Jonathan "Mox" Moxon (James Van Der Beek), a second string quarterback with aspirations to go to an Ivy League college suddenly thrust into the spotlight of his west Texas town as the new starting signal caller. I came to loathe Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight), the epitome of the abusive, cruel, vindictive, win-at-all-costs head football coach. I came to enjoy the small town "feel" of this film, where high school football players are placed on a pedestal and allowed to run wild. And what can you say about Billy Bob (Ron Lester) and Tweeder (Scott Caan), other than these two raunchy characters flavor this movie whenever they appear like onions in Texas chili?

Setting aside a hopelessly unrealistic player revolt (Where were the other coaches to take over when Kilmer left?), director Brian Robbins furnishes fast-moving, high-octane football scenes guaranteed to make those of us who have played the game (and still love it) want to strap on the pads again. VARSITY BLUES is less than perfect, like a six-pack of warm beer, but still satisfying to the last drop.

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This movie is not only a great achievement, but touches the heart of teenagers everywhere. Being a teenager in a high-school where football is a way of life, I can relate to this movie on several levels. I have recently graduated myself, and during my senior year, our football team went to state for the first time in 20 years. Just as we were getting ready for the state game, Varsity Blues was released. This is an amazing "roller coaster" ride through the life of a group of American high-school students who only want to do what is right. Varisty Blues is, and probably always will be, my favorite movie of all-time.

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There are two fundamental reasons why the Paramount Pictures film directed by Brian Robbins, Varsity Blues is one of the greatest movies made in this time. First of all it is the best depiction of high school life in a small town I have ever seen in a movie. Secondly, not only is the film frank and outspoken when dealing with the truths of growing up in a small town, but Varsity Blues is 105 minutes of film packed with diligently planned dramatic photography. The fact that each scene is pumped so full of emotion only amplifies the possible reality of the script. The story told by the movie Varsity Blues appeals to me for more reasons than one. First of all, the film is humorous, thrilling and full of emotion. Secondly, I grew up in a small town like West Canaan, Texas, where the story takes place, so much of the story is very real to me. For example, in my town, football games on Friday nights were more like religious ceremonials or rituals than simply high school athletics. This excerpt from the movie portrays this image perfectly: "In America we have laws; laws against killing, laws against stealing and it is just accepted that as a member of American society you will live by those laws. In West Canaan, Texas there is another society, which has its own laws. Football is a way of life. As a boy growing up in West Canaan, Texas, you never questioned the sanctity of football; you just listened to what the coaches said and tried as best as you could to win; win at all costs." After each game, the football team would have a party to celebrate whether the final score represented victory or defeat. These parties included alcohol, drugs, sex and probably much more that I was unaware of at the time. Nearly the entire school would attend these parties. It would have been unusual for the cops to not show up a couple of times a night to order everyone to keep it down even if the closest neighbors were miles away. Even if the cops had caught someone underage who had been drinking they couldn't really arrest them because then they wouldn't be welcome at Saturday's barbeque. Another similarity between West Canaan and my hometown was that the football coach had the most power in the town with players as close seconds. This meant that if a player was falling behind in class, the coach would have a talk with the teacher and soon the player would have one of the highest grades in the class. As in Varsity Blues, there was an abundance of racism in my town. Confederate flags were a common sight and racial slurs could be heard frequently. The truth is that although many people think that Varsity Blues is far fetched and unrealistic it is just the opposite. People do not want to admit that this type of community, with these problems still exists, but it does and Varsity Blues does an excellent job of illustrating what it is like to grow up in this sort of environment. Lastly, Varsity Blues is exponentially enhanced by the incredible photography portrayed throughout. This film includes scenes that I would go as far as to deem them the best I've seen. The extraordinary photography takes the film to a whole new level, where it becomes not only a movie, but art captured on film. Each scene was thoughtfully constructed and designed ahead of time so that it could display as much energy as possible making each picture worth much more than merely a thousand words. One of my favorite parts of the movie is during the game against Elway, after the team had spent the night at the strip club. This is because each fleeting incident, each motion, each flicker of film is bursting with power and vigor that it feels more real than if you had been a part of it. All of these aspects are what make Varsity Blues such an outstanding film. I am glad that someone was brave enough to confront facts that exist that most people do not want to believe are true, such as racism, premarital sex, underage drinking, cheating, etcetera. Varsity Blues does all this and more by presenting it in a way that appeals to people and causes them to feel as if they are in West Canaan, Texas as all of this is taking place.

Weekend at Bernie's

I gave this film 5 stars because it is one of those rare movies that made me laugh out loud! This is a very dark comedy about 2 idiots who find their boss dead and convince hundreds of gullible people that he is actually alive. They walk him around a resort, go boating with his remains, have parties. They even convince the hitman who killed Bernie that he's still alive! So, you guessed it, the hitman tries and tries again to "kill" Bernie. The physical humor is absolutely the best. It's a unique concept. I guarantee that you will laugh until you hurt. It's totally 80's with a great theme song sung by Jermaine Stewart. Highly recommended.

The cast is perfect and the sets, music, and all that went into this movie seem to meld to make a very funny movie. Andrew McCarthy as Larry Wilson and Jonathan Silverman as Richard Parker are a good match for co-workers at an insurance company. Larry the brown nosing party man and Richard the hard working nerd. When Richard discovers a two million dollar mistake in claims their boss Bernie invites them over for the weekend to discuss it. What happens after that is sick, demented, and funny. Any fan of "8 Heads in a Duffel Bag" and "The Whole Nine Yards" should enjoy it. This is one of those rare movies were seeing a dead person being lugged around, beat up, dropped, bareface ski, washed around in the tide, shot, strangled, and more is just plain outrageously funny.

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This is a great film to make you laugh. Just old fashioned humor, I laughed from start to finish. The corps [bernie] is great and the two guys on holiday for the weekend have unfortunatley fallen into a difficult situation and try hard to get out of it, with many histerical idea's. Certainly a film to cheer you up on a cold dark evening, my sides ached after watching it.

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Fantastic film that i first saw when i was little and i like it still. Amazing black humour, nice and relaxing comedy. After 20 years is still funny: funny actors, funny scenario and just 5 stars.

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Terry Kiser is a blast to watch as "deadbeat" boss Bernie, whose former employees -Jonathan Silverman and Andrew McCarthy -find themselves dragging him with them for an entire weekend. Don Galfa also is a treat as the hitman who makes the unusual weekend possible.

The biggest problem here is that, in order to truly enjoy the movie, you have to buy into the premise that virtually everybody on the island is completely braindead: McCarthy, who has fun beating the dead man in cards; Silverman, who can't get past constantly lying to his love interest; Bernie's mistress, who still thinks he's alive AFTER a night of passion; and an island full of people, who somehow miss the odor of a rotting corpse in their midst.

Yes, this is a fun movie to watch. Just don't engage your brain or you'll miss out on the party.

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Real Steel (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2011)

Real Steel, directed by Shawn Levy, is one of the very few movies I've seen in recent years where the audience I was in actually broke into applause in various scenes. A masterfully done tale of underdogs a boy and his dad and a discarded robot going against the odds, it really does get you pumped up to that level. I got a bigger kick out of this movie than I have from any other this year. It really is that much fun to watch.

The germ idea for Real Steel comes from a 1956 short story by Richard Matheson that was made into a classic Twilight Zone episode, and the look is right out of the Transformers franchise, but the heart and there's a lot of it in this film comes in equal measure from two films one would ordinarily have never linked together: John Avildsen's boxing classic Rocky (1976) and Peter Bogdanovich's Depression-era con-man & kid road trip classic Paper Moon (1973).

The plot is set in the not so distant future of 2020, where human boxing has been completely displaced by robot boxing. Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), a former boxer who now gets by "managing" a robot boxer named Ambush, is about as down on his luck as it gets. Deep in debt and barely able to keep Ambush functional, Charlie is reduced to working the fringes of the boxing circuit and even exhibiting Ambush in county fairs where he puts the robot up against things like wild bulls. Which turns out to be a really bad idea when Ambush ends up getting smashed to pieces by a bull that weighs almost three times what he had agreed to, leaving Charlie fleeing in his van afterwards to avoid the exhibition promoter (Kevin Durand) to whom he now owes twenty thousand dollars. In this opening scene, we learn two things that tell us why Charlie is in the straits he's in: (1) he frequently makes really bad decisions, especially when he's desperate, and (2) he lets himself get distracted instead of keeping his mind on what he's doing a bad thing to have happen when your robot is fighting a two-and-a-half ton bull.

Shortly after this disaster, while wondering how he's going to be able to afford another robot, Charlie unexpectedly finds out that an old ex-girlfriend of his has died, leaving behind an eleven-year-old boy named Max (Dakota Goyo), a son Charlie hasn't seen since he was an infant. Thinking that it's just a matter of signing over custody to the boy's aunt Debra (Hope Davis) and her new husband Marvin (James Rebhorn), Charlie shows up at the courthouse, only to quickly realize that Marvin is rich and that the opportunity he's been needing has landed right in his lap. Abruptly seeming to change his mind about signing the boy over, Charlie privately talks Marvin into an agreement where he'll give up custody rights to the boy, but only for $100K. Not wild about adopting Max to begin with, Marvin grudgingly agrees, but only on the condition that Charlie keep the boy for the next three months so that the kid doesn't interfere with his plans for their summer vacation in Europe. Charlie, not wild about being saddled with a kid, reluctantly agrees, getting half the money up front, the other half to be handed over when he delivers the kid at the end of the summer. The deal done, Marvin departs with Debra, leaving Charlie face-to-face with Max for the first time. And clearly, neither of them are thrilled by this arrangement. Max is even less thrilled when he finds out that he's been "sold" to his aunt and uncle and angrily demands that Charlie give him half the money. Which Charlie can't because he's already spent most of it buying a replacement robot named Noisy Boy. Seem familiar? It's right out of Paper Moon, as are some other key moments in the film.)

Charlie takes Max to an old boxing gym that now serves largely as a repair shop for robot boxers, run by his friend Bailey Tallet (Evangeline Lily). The two of them have history together as Bailey's father was Max's trainer back in the days when Max was a boxer and the boxing gym was still a boxing gym. Bailey knows Max better than he knows himself, and she's the first one to recognize just how much Max and Charlie are alike. But the similarities quickly come out when Noisy Boy is delivered and Max stares at the robot with fanboy adoration, rattling off a string of fight statistics that even Charlie wasn't aware of. He also turns out to know the Japanese commands needed to operate Noisy Boy from all of the video games he's played.

Things finally seem to be looking up and Charlie gets an old fight promoting friend Finn (Anthony Mackie) to get Noisy Boy on the evening's fight card at the local arena. But once again, Charlie's hopes are dashed by bad decisions and not keeping his mind on what he's doing. Faced with once again having to try to come up with a robot but with no money to pay for one, Charlie takes Max along as he night-raids a junkyard looking for robot parts. As they wander through the place in the dark and the rain, Max falls off the edge of a pit and is barely saved when he's snagged on the exposed arm of a buried junked robot. Excited over having found an entire robot, Max insists on digging him out, which Charlie wants no part of. Hours later, when the sun is finally rising, we see a worn-out and thoroughly mud-bedraggled Max hauling the recovered robot back to the van where Charlie is waiting. Max just glares at his father for a moment, then starts hitting and kicking at him in a blind, exhausted and exasperated fury. The scene is absolutely priceless.

Back at the gym, Max sets about cleaning up the salvaged robot, an older-gen sparring `bot built to take massive punishment but not to deal it out. He discovers that the `bot is named Atom, and that Atom has a shadow mode where he copies the movements of whoever is operating him. Max, convinced that Atom can take on actual boxer robots and win, pesters Charlie until Charlie finally arranges for Atom to get a match in an unsanctioned off-the-grid makeshift outdoor arena. In spite of himself, Charlie gets caught up in Max's dogged determination and enthusiasm and the two begin working together. From there on, the film shifts into Rocky mode and its Charlie and Max and their underdog robot Atom going up against the odds.

The supporting cast is superb. Evangeline Lilly's Bailey is quite convincing as a woman who knows Charlie well enough to care about him but to be wary of him at the same time. The same holds true for Anthony Mackie's Finn, who lets Charlie talk him into match-ups that he knows are a bad bet but he can't prevent from happening. Kevin Durand's Ricky is affably ruthless as a "good ol' boy" promoter who gets Charlie in hock and then takes it out of his hide later. John Gatins (who wrote the screenplay) brings over-the-top trash-talk bravado to his pierced and mohawked Kingpin, the manager of the robot Atom is first put up against. And Karl Yune and Olga Fonda are pitch perfect as Tak Mashido and Farra Lemkova, the arrogant brains and ice-cold business savvy behind the reigning World Robot Boxing League champion, Zeus, the ultramodern engine of destruction that Max, Charlie and Atom must ultimately face.

And the robots themselves are impressive. Not mere CGI fabrications, twenty-six animatronic robots were created for the movie. A combination of CGI and the simul-cam motion capture technology developed for Avatar was used for the scenes where you see the robots moving independently or fighting in the ring. Each boxing robot has a distinctive look and feel tailored to suggest varying levels of sophistication and menace. Everything about Atom, on the other hand, symbolizes the underdog nature of Charlie and Max. Older generation, less sophisticated, more scarred and far less shiny, and a little smaller than most of the robots he's put up against, Atom also has soft blue-oval eyes that subtly suggest empathic connection. There's no sentience behind them, no artificial intelligence, but Atom nonetheless "sees" Max and Charlie, and in him they see themselves.

But the heavy lifting rests on the chemistry between Hugh Jackman's Charlie and Dakota Goyo's Max. Hugh Jackman's Charlie is spot on, a subtle portrayal of a man always reaching for the brass ring and always tripping himself up before he can grab it. Jackman brings this out beautifully you can see the desperate agony on his face each time when Charlie realizes the brass ring is slipping away from him yet again. But something nonetheless keeps Charlie going on, something inside him just won't let him quit, and Jackman brings out that side of him as well. Dakota Goyo's Max is a younger and very possibly smarter Charlie that life hasn't beaten down yet. He is that voice inside Charlie that won't let him give up. And in Max, Charlie finds himself all over again.

Highly, highly recommended.

Technically a Sci-Fi movie, this movie is really a story of a father redeeming his relationship with a son he never knew, and of the character change that occurs in the father throughout the movie. The story is very well told, drawing you into the characters experiences, and although my wife loathes Sci-Fi movies, she loved this movie and cried during some scenes. It's got a lot action in it as well and is fun to watch. I do not watch many movies twice, but I'll be buying this movie and we'll be enjoying it repeatedly. The robot they prepare together serves as a device for a David and Goliath storyline as well. Hard to believe when reading this, but you'll be cheering for the father and son and their robot as well.

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What a great movie. Sure, the storyline is predictable, but the entertainment value is huge. The thing about this movie is that I could see the depicted robot fights, the computer technology, basically everything about it, as coming about in the normal course of our society. A wholly believable story, probably one of the easiest SF movies to watch in terms of suspending disbelief in quite some time -and it's worth mentioning that this actually *is* science fiction in the classic sense; a little technology, all of it reasonable, around which wraps a good story. It's not a fantasy, as are many so-called SF stories today.

So here we have really great robots, some awesome robot fighting, a not-overly annoying kid, and scenes that are (obviously intentionally) reminiscent of big-arena sports today, all combined with some feel-good stuff in the classic sense.

It kind of looks like a kid's movie before you watch it; then when you watch it, there are adult-ish elements; at the end, I wondered who they thought they were marketing to? Perhaps that's why this didn't do all that well at the box office: the kid probably turned off the hard core SF types, the violence probably turned off legions of mommies and daddies, and the people who did go and enjoy it didn't make the case to others that it really wasn't a kid's movie or a movie that is all that violent in the living-things-getting-hurt sense of the word.

Well, whatever the case there may be, I say, forget anything anyone says and just sit down with the desire to be entertained. I think you'll find that entertainment is delivered as desired, and in spades.

They clearly set it up (very well) for a sequel, but it's unlikely we'll see one, again because of the box office performance. Too bad. I really, really liked it. I think you probably will too.

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I rented this from Amazon because I didn't expect much from it as movies go. I thought it was going to be a bunch od CGI with not much more. I was wrong. This movie is much more than just a movie about an underdog robot fighting the big man on the block. It was a mixture of a father son bonding experience blended with Rocky I. Three under dogs and they all do fine. Great acting and great story line combine for a really good movie. I guess I am going to have to buy the movie because I will definitly watch it again.

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Here's Real Steel in a nutshell. Remember that old board game called Rock Em' Sock 'Em Robots? Well now it's a movie. I mean the old game was just two robots fighting it out in a boxing ring. That's Real Steel. Rocky with hydraulic fluid. Your average underdog story. Add a love interest tired of her beau staying the underdog and a dysfunctional father/son relationship and you pretty much hit all the standard marks for an average plot line. I know that's what I thought when I was hearing about the movie. However when I saw the trailers something about it told me this was going to be a really fun movie to watch. Sure enough it was.

So Real Steel is essentially the same, tired old story told that has been spun in Hollywood over and over again, but with robots. Sounds mediocre, huh? Unoriginal plot points is actually the norm these days. Only Real Steel hits these marks with such gusto and polish that it really stands out in that rat race. It's not a masterpiece of script and story, mind you. But then again that's not the intent. This is a feel good, popcorn movie through and through. It's good to see one that at least takes its audience seriously enough to make a well thought out escape.

Lets start off with our main character Charlie (Hugh Jackman). To put it simply he is a jerk for better half of the movie. I mean the kind of jerk you just simply cannot like. Eventually the jerk gets a clue and starts to become the kind of guy you can't help but root for. This takes take a well written script and a talented actor to make the jerk and his eventual turnaround believable. You gotta give Jackman credit for his portrayal of Charlie. It's a character with a lot of heart, even when you hate him.

Next character of focus is Charlie's estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo). As kid actors go we have a winner. Enough teen indignant defiance to carry the family feuding and enough big eyed wonder of a child to carry the story. From there you have a very good ensemble of supporting actors. Again good, solid acting with very few boughs of melodrama (most of which just feels like it was needed).

Since this is a movie about fighting robots the "real" stars have to be just as good as the live actors. The robots in the film all come in a wide variety of designs and demeanor. More so the designs also give off a lot of character. The starring robot, Atom, has just enough characteristics to make him the likeable robot with stuff like rounded features on the face and glowing blue 'eyes'. It's not just with the look of the robot that keep you interested, which can range from junkyard mean to dark and polished shiny monsters, but also with other qualities like poise and stance, how they walk, even how they fight. The production used motion capture technology used in the movie Avatar and had boxing star Suger-Ray Leonard advise in the fight scenes. Again the results show a refinement in design and execution that makes the whole experience with the 'bot feel more real and organic.

The story flows with good pacing. It's not all fights all the time, and the off-time is worth watching. The underdog success story at first feels like it stays in the under part for a while, but then again that's part of the charm as you see just how much Charlie screws up his life. When we are full on in the big leagues is where all the previous stuff really pays off with the big exciting fight and all that feel-good emotions you would be used to by now on movies like this. The only segment in Real Steel that I have a gripe about is the middle when they start the transition from underdog to rising star. There simply isn't any significant robots fights in between. We don't really see Atom build up his reputation with any additional matches. This is a shame because the movie is really at its best showing these fights. You don't even get a decent fight montage. Still that's my only gripe for an otherwise very entertaining movie.

The Blu-Ray release will of course be in 1080p and have a DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio soundtrack. DVD will have Dolby Digital 2.0. Both the DVD and Blu-Ray are announced with a host of features with the Blu-Ray rounding out some nice extra features. Here are the list list of extras (* denotes Blu-Ray exclusive):

Audio Commentary With Director Shawn Levy*

Countdown to the Fight: The Charlie Kenton Story* An ESPN-esque expose set right before Atom's big fight with the champ. It covers Charlie's boxing career with interviews with key characters in the film. It also talk about Atom from a sports commentator perspective. Pretty neat little featurette.

Sugar Ray Leonard: Cornerman's Champ* Really cool featurette on Sugar Ray and his involvement with the movie. Hearing him talk in the interviews and hearing how the producers and actors take to his direction gives me a renewed level of respect for the boxing champ. Probably the most feel-good extra in the bunch.

Making of Metal Valley Behind the scenes of the what it took to create the robot junk yard as well as the development of the biggest stunt in the movie in said junkyard.

Building the Bots Interest, if short, making of documentary on the robots. Most of the 'bots were built as well as computer generated and there is a lot of talk about the virtues of using practical effects. Only problem is you don't see enough of the practical effects in action on this feature.

Deleted and extended scenes One of each. There is a slightly extended scene with Charlie's first robot Ambush that has more stuff with the kids. I can see why they took most of the stuff out, but there is a second of footage here and there that would have done well to stay on the final cut. Next is not so much a deleted scene as a set of deleted or extended scenes that follow a particular story arc. Again I agree with the deletion, but I have to admit there was some nice scenes taken out (even if they did mess with the flow of the movie).

Bloopers and outtakes Just as it sounds. A montage of mess-ups for you to enjoy. Not much in the way of belly busting funny, but if you like the behind the scenes camaraderie that you usually see in stuff like this it will satisfy.

Real Steel Second Screen: Ringside With Director Shawn Levy* This is to access interactive content on your PC or iPad while simultaneously watching the movie. It's worthless if you do not have a device to sync to.

I am normally the type of person who shies away from "popcorn flicks" but this one is very well worth making the exception. It's fun and excitement for the whole family. If you ever liked underdog sports movies you gotta check this one out.

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Love Story (1970)

I've seen this video countless times. More times, than any other movie. And every time I watch it, it moves me to tears. To experience a love so true and so deep is a miracle and to lose it... it's beyond me. But to even experience it and see a glimpse of it (from this movie) is a wonder enough. The love story between rich Harvard hockey-player Oliver Barrett IV (played by Ryan O'Neal) and smart-mouthed Radcliffe gal Jennifer Cavilleri (played by Ali McGraw) is one of those once-in-a-lifetime love stories... captured on film. These two star-crossed lovers who are from the opposite ends of the socio-economic ladder overcome all obstacles (disapproving parents, near poverty and Harvard Law School) to make their love work. The only thing going for them was their love and devotion to each other. And just when things were finally looking up... tragedy strikes.

The book written by Eric Segal is even more moving but to see the movie, is just as a great experience. It's not just a tearjerker! It's truly a masterpiece! I LOVE THIS MOVIE! It's my ALL TIME favorite movie.

Does anyone know if they plan to release this on DVD?

I have seen it countless times since if first came out in 1970 and was so thrilled to finally get my personal video of it this Christmas.

If you love a love story, this is the penultimate one. Oliver, the Harvard jock,and Jennifer, the poor and smart-mouthed music student from Rhode Island, touch the deepest parts of our hearts. Theirs is the love story that we all want---two people completely dedicated to each other. They survive class differences and parental disapproval because they love each other. How wonderful to see the heart-warming snowball scenes when their love is so obvious to viewers.

Of course, it is in the end, a tear-jerker that requires unlimited tissues. The couple that has it all can not overcome the one thing that is out of their hands.

You'll laugh and cry and be touched for a lifetime. This is the greatest movie. Don't miss it.

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Today, romance movies and "tearjerkers" are usually too sappy, lame, hackneyed, and just not very good. But this movie, although it's now 35 years old, is a "timeless classic", and it is just as powerful today as it was in 1970 when it was released. It's a refreshingly direct and simple story about love; about two people entirely devoted to each other. Oliver (O'Neal) is a "preppie millionaire" and Jennifer (MacGraw) is "social zero". They meet at college, fall in love, and eventually marry. After overcoming social barriers, arrogant parents (Oliver's parents "cut him off" after he marries Jenny despite their protestations) and poverty during the first couple of years of their marriage, they seemingly have it all. Oliver becomes a lawyer and Jenny no longer has to work tirelessly to provide the basic necessities, and the couple can now afford to start a family. But just as they had the world at their feet, they're rocked by the news that Jenny is, in fact, dying (of cancer). Indeed, it's heart-wrenchingly sad and touching, and it's a hard person who doesn't at least tear up at the sight of Jenny dying in her loving husband's arms. The movie hits all the right emotional buttons, and you share all the love and heartache Jenny and Oliver go through. O'Neal and MacGraw are brilliant and have great chemistry, and of course the haunting (and now legendary) theme music perfectly captures the intensity and feelings between the couple. Indeed, a true love story. And the best one at that.

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My mother absolutely adores the movie "Love Story." It is her all time favorite movie. So, whenever it is her birthday or a special occasion of any sort, we pop it into the VCR and watch it together. It has even grown to be one of my favorite movies. I am not someone that watches a lot of love stories, but this one sure is a great one. I like it better every time I see it...even if it does make me misty eyed. :-)

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Love Story is the once-in-a-lifetime love story between a rich Harvard hockey-player Oliver Barrett IV (played by Ryan O'Neal) and smart-mouthed Radcliff gal Jennifer Cavilleri (played by Ali McGraw). In the movie adaptation of Eric Segal's best selling novel, these two socio economic opposites overcome extreme obstacles to be together. From their first encounter to the end of the movie viewers are spellbound and in awe of how fiercely they fight to achieve the goals. At every turn a new obstacle, with every success a struggle, a must see for the romantic at heart. Director Arthur Hiller does a fantastic job of capturing young love on the big screen.

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China Gate (1957)

I'm giving this VHS version 4 stars instead of the 5 it really deserves because the current cropped VHS version does a grave injustice to Samuel Fuller's visual style and his creative use of cinemascope. When the film was available on 16mm I used to run it in my Samuel Fuller class to show students the type of innovative work several films exhibited in the 1950s. As it stands at the moment, the VHS cropped, pan and scan version represents a travesty of an outstanding film.

As the other reviewer has noted, CHINA GATE is one of the first American films to deal with the Indo-China conflict that formed the prequel to the Vietnam War. But the casting of Angie Dickinson and Lee Van Cleef as Eurasians is not as bizarre as several reviewers noted. Lucky Legs (Dickinson) has been abandoned by Brock (Gene Barry) due to his racist reaction against his newborn son who looks Oriental. The film thus takes a more incisive look at American racism than does THE GREEN BERETS a decade later. By contrast, Lee Van Cleef's Viet-Minh commissar is a more humane end educated man than his American counterpart. He wishes to adopt Brock's son and Lucky Legs and provide the home Brock refuses to give them. However, Lucky Legs wishes her son to be an American despite her personal experience of racism from a man from "the land of the free." Like RUN OF THE ARROW, CHINA GATE deals with the complex issue of American identity and pulls no punches. Nat King Cole's Goldie has lost his wife to cancer, lives only for killing "commies", and condemns his white American counterpart for deserting his wife and child. It is one of the best performances Cole ever delivered in any American film.

But, as well as exhibiting Samuel Fuller's baroque visual style indebted to yellow journalism and the comic strip (which Jean Luc-Godard appropriated in the Vietnam sequence of PIERROT LE FOU a decade later), the film opens with documentary footage before it moves on to its fictional component. As early as 1957, Fuller has already begun to blur the boundaries between documentary "reality" and "fictional" narrative to raise issues usually related to the alternative realm of experimental cinema, boundaries that were not generally questioned in contemporary Hollywood narrative.

Far from being a perversely bizarre film disdained by most mainstream reviewers, past and present, CHINA GATE is actually a more challenging work dealing seriously with issues of American politics, history, and racial identity than any of its contempories. It is a film urgently needed DVD restoration restoring it to its original widescreen format with audio-commentaries by Fuller critics of the caliber of Bill Krohn and Jonathan Rosenbaum. Hopefully, some enterprising company should begin to do this soon.

This is a great film that has been lost to the masses for too long. Now, the only time the movie is shown is late at night. And, it is the chopped up, badly edited version.

It is amazing that so many films are not available on DVD. It took forever for the John Ford movies "Wagon Master" and "Sgt. Rutledge" to make it into DVD. Hopefull "China Gate" will soon join the ranks of lost films found again.

And on a musical note, one of the great singers of all times Nat King Cole not only has a supporting role, but also sings the theme song.

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Gritty Sam Fuller war film finally restored...kind of. It's great to have this back in print again. As Fuller notes in his autobiography, "There were enough hot topics in this adventure love story to push everybody's buttons.Communism and colonialism.Racism and tolerance.Black markets and capitalism. Abandonment and fidelity." Great cast led by a nasty Gene Barry,a very young Angie Dickinson,Nat Cole,Marcel Dalio,Lee Van Cleef. The new BluRay has deep blacks and decent contrast through most of the film, but there are episodes of white digital "snow" marring the image through parts of the middle of the film.Not sure if this existed on the original master or if it is a flaw in the transfer.Quite a distraction,nonetheless.

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Olive Films and Paramount Pictures have released this DVD of this Twentieth Century Fox film in its

original 2.35 Cinemascope ratio,the picture quality being very good.This leaves us with a very interesting

question.

If Olive/Paramount can do this, why can't Fox do it themselves with their Archive releases, where many of

their Cinemascope pictures are released in pan and scan?

Perhaps Fox could transfer all future releases (and reissue their pan and scan failures) to

Olive/Paramount for us movie buffs everywhere.

Incidentally I am not too enamoured with the movie itself. To see the cast chasing around the jungle,

mainly in the dark, I find rather boring.

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Angie Dickinson as a Eurasian smuggler, Nat King Cole as a fighting soldier who sings the title song, Lee Van Cleef as a Eurasian guerilla leader plus Gene Barry all in this unusual Vietnam War movie. Not bad! Good photography in this widescreen disc. Angie is the best in this very different role.

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I Know What You Did Last Summer (+ BD Live) (1997)

Yes, "I Know What You Did Last Summer" does seem like some corny teenybopper popcorn flick; but it's not. Believe me, I went into this film with pretty low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised with the level of terror provided! And it's not cheap terror, it's genuine because of the suspense director Jim Gillespie consistently builds.

It's the fourth of July and four friends Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Junior), Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Barry William Cox (Ryan Phillippe) are celebrating their high school graduation and Helen's beauty pageant win. On their way home they hit a man walking down a curved corner in the road. They panic when they learn he's dead and in hopes of saving their futures, decide to dump the body into the ocean. The four friends make a pact to keep it a secret. It was an accident, but it was one they cannot forget.

Their friendships are ruined and they all leave for college and don't talk to each other; they are all depressed and upset. When Julie returns home for summer vacation there is a letter waiting for her. It reads, "I Know What You Did Last Summer". Frightend, Julie goes to find her old friends for help. Was someone else there that night? They think it's only a prank until a man in a slicker with a hook begins to stalk the four friends and torment them in the most vile and disgusting ways imaginable (dead bodies in their trunks, cutting off their hair in sleep, trying to run them over, etc.

Realizing that if they don't find out who's doing this and get rid of him fast, they'll be dead, they search for answers, all the while receiving even more terrifying threats. It sure is a thrilling ride and there are a remarkable number of points in this movie when you jump in fright and scream!

One reason this movie is terrifying is because the situation the characters are in could happen to anybody. Hitting someone with a car could happen to anybody, and what happens after the crash is also believable. The acting by Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ryan Phillippe are phenomenal coming from such young actors. These two are now big stars, but they weren't when they did "I Know What You Did Last Summer" so it's interesting to see how they were before they were famous. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Junior aren't quite as convincing as Hewitt and Phillippe, but they are still enjoyable.

The script for "I Know What You Did Last Summer" was adapted from Lois Duncan's best-selling novel by Kevin Williamson, the writer of "Scream". Yes, the script is in good hands! Williamson's script is a very visual one filled with twists, witty dialogue, and plenty of scares.

The DVD for "I Know What You Did" last summer values quality over quantity and provides only a theatrical trailer and commentary. The trailer is terrifying, very enticing and fun to watch. The commentary by director Jim Gillespie is very informative and insightful for fans of the film. It focuses mainly of production design, but has some interesting blurbs about music, casting, and script changes. Gillespie has a wonderful Scottish accent, which makes the commentary even more delightful to listen to.

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a (loose) adaptation of the childrens book, by Lois Duncan. It focuses primarily on the four main characters... intelligent, level headed, heroin Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt), her well intentioned, typical nice guy boyfriend Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr), her best friend the rich and popular beauty queen Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Helens rich, macho, handsome football star boyfriend Barry Cox (Ryan Phillippe) The four teens have just graduated high school and are prepared to spend a summer of "immature adolescent decadance" as said by Barry. Things didnt go as planned

On July 4th Helen appeats in the Miss Croaker beauty contest and is crowned queen, much to the excitement of her friends and especially Barry. The four kids decide to celebrate by heading down to a secluded beach for a night of scary stories, drinking and sex, your typical teenage summer night. In what is to be their last decent decision of the movie, they agree Ray is to drive drunken Barrys BMW home that night. Barry stands up through the sunroof, spills alcohol and distracts Ray long enough to hit a crossing man head on. At first they disagree on what to do, call the police, or dump the body. Barry argues that if they come clean theyre dreams will be ruined. His as a football star, Helens as a famous actress, Rays as a writer, and Julie's as a lawyer. Much to Julie's dismay, they agree to dispose of the body in the ocean. They vow never to speak of the incident again.

One year later everythings changed. Julie comes home for the summer (after practically failing out of college in Boston) and recieves an anonymous note from someone claiming they know what happened the previous summer. Panicked, Julie turns to her former best friend Helen for help. Helen immediately wonders how now ex boyfriend Barry will react. Barry is skeptical, sure its someone messing around. After hes nearly run down with his own car by a man in an impossibly creepy fishing slicker, his attitude changes. The estranged foursome is forced to come back together to fight for their lives. From then on, the movie is a series of scares and edge of your seat suspense. Especially the famous Helen chase.

All and all great movie with respectable acting. Jennifer Love Hewitt was actually tolerarble in a sense other than being easy on the eyes. Freddie Prinze was sincere and adorable. However the always beautiful Sarah and the absolutely hunky Ryan stole the show. Both were believable and managed to make their stereotypicaLly vapid characters dimmensional. It hit me how well the acting was done when Helen watched Barry get hooked and I actually cared, felt bad for them. Rent this one for fun, but not in search of meaningful messages. Dont watch it alone ;)

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I've watched my fair share of teen horror films, this one, was simply boring. I watched from beginning to end tried my best to get into it and my viewing taste wasn't having it. I'm sure the book was better than the movie (they usually are). The acting was so-so at best, the plot was flat due to the poor execution, and the scare factor was limited. Since I did not watch this movie in 1997 and did not go see it for the star power, my appreciation for the movie won't be there like others. While I like Sarah and Ryan, this movie just missed the cut, in my opinion.

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Should the truth be told or kept quiet? That's the moral dilemma 4 teenagers are faced with after accidentally hitting a pedestrian one Summer with a friend's car.

Ray (Freddy Prince Jr.), beauty queen Helen (Sarah Michelle Geller) and Helen's hot-headed boyfriend (Ryan Phillipe) all rationalize just forgetting it ever happened. Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), however, is disgusted by that idea, but eventually caves in and becomes an accomplice to a hit and run.

The 4 teenagers get away with this crime...or so they thought. One year later, the group is suddenly being taunted by someone who claims to know what they did last Summer, which leaves the group in a panic.

Was there a witness that night? Is it a family member of the dead person? Or are the threats coming from within the group?

Not confessing was supposed to make their lives easier, but instead, they're living in constant fear that whoever's taunting them might not be bluffing.

Like a lot of slasher flicks, there are those sudden scares that make you jump, but there's also some good creepy moments like the scene at the store with the mannequins...the scene in the alley...and the scene at the beauty pageant. It also has a good musical score that lends a creepy vibe, too.

There's one scene that defies logic, though, and it's the scene where Julie runs out of the car because of what she sees in the trunk. When she comes back to show her friends, what's in the trunk is gone. But when I pictured all the steps the killer would've had to take to remove what's in the trunk, there's no way the killer could've had time to accomplish this. Especially since when Julie is running away in the beginning, you can't see anyone near the car....and when she returns, you can't see anyone near the car again.

As far as acting goes, it's better than most teen movies, though, like most teen movies, there's overacting, too. Overall, though, I thought this movie was a suspenseful thriller.

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Blu-Ray is brand new. Plays great. Movie was shipped from back east and it took awhile to get here. Still, I will buy from this seller again. I wish this company would have closed captions in english so that people with bad hearing can get all of the movie.

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