Life as We Know It (2011)

Hollie and Messer, set-up by best friends Allison and Peter, meet, share a disaster of a non-date and develop an intense hatred for each other. Then Allison and Peter get married and have a baby, forcing Hollie and Messer to be subjected to each other often. Glimpses of Hollie and Messer and their interaction flash on the screen as this relationship that ties them together unfolds. Finally, a laughing moment is shared at Baby Sophie's 1st birthday party where a picture is taken with "Godparents," Hollie and Messer, who don't understand exactly what that term means.

Fast forward several weeks and Hollie and Messer meet up at the police station to discover that Allison and Peter have died in a horrific accident and that Sophie needs them. They discover how much as the rest of the story unfolds.

I really liked this film. I watched it with four friends and we all agreed that it was worth the investment. The main characters are three-dimensional and well-cast. Though not laugh out-loud funny in most scenes, there is enough humor thrown in to make the subject matter less intense. Not pure comedy, or drama, also not pure chick flick. Enough deep issues and emotions play out that the movie grabbed my emotions and heart.

A few cheesy moments make their way into the movie...one in particular is a drug thread that ends up falling flat, though it likely supposed to play as a light-hearted moment. There are a group of neighbors that add annoyingly funny moments throughout the film. Language is minimal, the F-Bomb makes few appearances, the most memorable is a whispered fight. Messer is a new-girl-a-night kind of a guy so there are plenty of comments about his tom-catting ways, though the sex scenes are minimal and primarily off-screen. Hollie is an uptight business owner who's rigidity makes for a few annoying minutes throughout the film as well. But overall the relationship between them ends up being respectful of families and love and this one will end up in my DVD library.

From my wife Sarah: From the previews I expected a silly slapstick romance, but found that this was a drama, romance and comedy rolled up into one movie. It had surprising depth, character and story development. It was kind of a believable story. There were times I was touched enough to be tearful, and there was some decent chemistry between the leads. There were some laughs as well.

It was good, but was it fantastic? Not so much. Honestly, it wasn't strong enough for me as either a comedy, romance or drama to be terrific. Regardless, it was entertaining, moving and worth seeing.

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At first I watched it because of the casts. But as the movie flows, I really think it has some depths in it. Not just some other romantic/comedy, this one we can actually relate to (and finally for once no sexual context, well just a little maybe. Which I find it refreshing). How new parents are behaving and adapt with their first child, is sometimes funny to watch but also heartfelt. Overall, this movie has some laughs, tears, and of course love. Can't wait for the DVD to come out!

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This movie has received more than its fair share of bad press. I went and saw this movie when it was in my local theater last summer. I think the major reason people are giving it bad reviews is that they are expecting the whole movie to consist of a mismatched couples attempt to raise a child to yield roll on the floor laughing moments. However, to truely understand this film, you have to look deep for the hidden meaning. I found that when you discover that the movie truly revolves around a child who's parents are killed and is left to be raised by two different people who really didn't want to be together, much less raise a child together, then you get the true spirit of the film. Once you understand this point of view you will truly enjoy this film for what it is, a coming of age story.

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I've read the negative reviews here and I really don't understand them at all... to each his/her own I suppose. I really enjoyed this movie, yes it is similar to other romantic comedies of the same formula (girl and guy despise each other initially but love grows out of it), but sometimes having the same recipe isn't a bad thing. Its like enjoying a chocolate chip cookie recipe like your Mom used to make, you can have them over and over and you still love it. This movie still made me laugh and cry, and I will continue to like romantic comedies even if they use the same formula. If you want a sweet, endearing, funny and yet emotional movie, this is the one for you. The chemistry between Katherine and Josh is fantastic.

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The Help (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2011)

"Oscar season", as it's typically referred to, is a period of time, usually beginning in late November, and ending in late January. This year, it starts early, with "The Help".

"The Help" is based on the well-known novel by Kathryn Stockett, someone who I had never heard of before discovering this film and book. For the most part, when I hear about a film that I want to see, I try to read the book prior to viewing the movie, to enhance the whole experience. Usually I get bored, or stop mid-way through one of these said books, before I end up watching the movie.

But "The Help" grabbed me. Stockett kept me on a leash, dying to know what happened next, and I ended up finishing its 530 pages in a few sittings. And, I'm glad it did, because "The Help" is not only the best movie I've seen this summer, but it very well could be the best one I see all year.

The film centers on Aibileen, Skeeter and Minny (Davis, Stone and Spencer, respectively) three very different women in Mississippi, in the year 1962. Skeeter is returning from college with a journalism degree, whose beloved childhood black maid Constantine has disappeared, and no one will tell her where she has gone. Aibileen is a maid who has raised 17 white children in her life. The word "maid" is pretty blandly used. She's a nanny to these children, if not a surrogate mother. Her outspoken friend Minny has never been able to keep quiet, or, because of this, hold onto a job very long, and she is hired on the sly by Celia (Chastain), a white-trash rich girl who has some grave secrets of her own. Skeeter decides to write a tell-all book of interviews from the maids of Jackson, Mississippi, which, as you could imagine, was a very taboo, and perhaps even illegal thing to take on in the time of Jim Crow, and segregation.

One of the reasons that this film succeeds is that not a single character is miscast, and there is not a single caricature. In the book, Stockett paints a vivid picture of each character, and the actors clearly got lost in their characters. Emma Stone is becoming a very important actress. I haven't seen her in a role that I didn't love her in. After getting her first notable role in 2009's "Zombieland", and then livening and carrying the otherwise bland teen comedy "Easy A", this is her first dramatic role, as Skeeter, one of the lead characters. While she sometimes blends into the background in this movie, she shines beautifully with the rest of the cast. She's definitely one to watch.

While Stone is great, this movie belongs to Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. Davis's Aibileen is perfect. She has a silent sadness about her, a lot of pride, and a great sense of anger, her expressive eyes displaying a silent protest, while never raising her voice the whole film. She handles emotional scenes beautifully, reducing the audience to tears in more than one scene. She's a early in the year front-runner for Best Actress this Oscar season.

Spencer also does a beautiful job as Minny. Octavia Spencer was the original inspiration for the character of Minny, who voiced the character's section in the audio-book. She was clearly made to play this role. She does a lot more for this movie, than just adding comic relief, however, she does plays the comedic side the best. The "terrible awful" that her character does in the book, is made into the funniest thing in the whole movie.

The supporting cast is dead-on too. Bryce Dallas Howard plays the town's snobby ringleader, Hilly. She's absolutely chilling, nailing the evil character. Her mother, played by Sissy Spacek is a hoot. The town's secretive lush, and Minny's boss, Celia, is played by scene-stealing newcomer Jessica Chastain, who wowed earlier this year in "The Tree of Life". She was completely like I envisioned her character in the book. Chastain would be perfect to play Marilyn Monroe. Just saying. There's not enough typing space in this review to describe how much I loved the rest of the supporting cast. Everyone was dead-on.

I was under the assumption that this would be yet another disappointing film of a book loved by many. The reason for this was the director and writer. I had never heard of this Tate Taylor, and because of that, I wasn't sure that I trusted him. He had a large part in making this movie all that it was. One of the big reasons that "The Help" works as a movie is because it feels authentic. It was filmed in Mississippi, where it's based, it is set in the 1960's, and every feeling about the movie hits the right note.

I later discovered that Taylor was a childhood friend of the book's author. Not some Hollywood hack. I forget the many disappointing film adaptations of books I loved that were made by the Hollywood elite. "The Da Vinci Code" by Ron Howard, "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Rob Marshall, "Eat, Pray, Love" by Ryan Murphy. Enough said. After seeing this film, I couldn't imagine anyone better-suited to making the film.

What is special about this film is that it is not what a lot of people will probably write it off as. It's not a film designed to make audiences feel less "white guilt", and it isn't about how black folks need white ones to succeed. It's about good-hearted people wanting to make a change to a world that is unjust. It avoids the usual sentimentality and melodrama that typically plagues this kind of film. I don't know how, but it succeeds in that, like I thought it wouldn't.

While some changes are (intelligently) made from the book, it's almost a scene-for-scene adaptation of the book. Some things are different, because they need to be, and things are a little more concise, yet it's almost like watching an abridged version of the book, onscreen. It will stir up emotions in you that you didn't know you had. At the ending of this film, in a packed house, there was a thunderous applause. Almost everyone in the theater stayed seated through out the ending credits. I cannot remember a time where a movie evoked such emotion from its audience, that it wasn't until after the credits had ended that people actually started walking out. This is gripping stuff. Don't miss it.

Grade: A+

"The Help" works as well as it does because it doesn't offer easy answers. This lovely and sometimes extraordinary film is not concerned with big sermons about clivil rights, religion or easy to swallow messages. The film is simply about behavior; how we should act, morally, towards other people, no matter who they might be. This thematic line is structured nicely throughout the film by zeroing in on a select group of people. This was a smart move since the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s is just too large a subject to truly flesh out in a 2 hour film. Because the film is about actual characters instead of predisposed, prepackaged lessons, the audience can take with them what they choose from the story (none of the characters have a major epiphany, each just starts to become aware of their behavior and effects, both good and badthey all have so much more life to live). Surprisingly the film rarely gets melodramatic, and when it does it almost seems cheep and easy. Thankfully the films few flaws (structure, pacing, some silly dialogue here and there"You broke her heart...!") can be overlooked due to the tremendous performances. Each actress is exceptional in their own ways with the wonderful Viola Davis stealing the film. Emma Stone is reliable here as always and proves that she can be funny and carry dramatic weight in the same film. I have always considered Bryce Dallas Howard to be a very accomplished actress and hopefully her scathing, pointed work will be recognized. Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain find a tender chemistry all their own. I have to say that "The Help" really, truly surprised me. I have never read the mega-selling novel from which it's based but I can tell you the film is a beautiful testament to American history and is a great display for some truly fine acting. For those who are turned off by sermonizing, preachy, obnoxious message movies (like myself), "The Help" is far from that. This is a tender film about real emotions and a subject that is rarely discussed in film today.

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Now we see this film wins award nominations aplenty. Biggest winner was the public. Leads of Davis and Spencer that stole the spotlight. DVD to own, not rent.

The only drawback with the DVD is the sparse bonus material. 4 min. of 2 deleted, and a 5 min. music video of one of the film's songs. Pathetically weak bonus, but then it is a 5.5 star film. Everyone asks to borrow our copy, I should have bought 2.

Oh yes, there are SUBTITLES.

We attended the opening matinee; we'll view it again, that good. Is `The Help' the soul of 60s era race relations? This worthy film based on Kathryn Stockett's #1 best-seller is equally a first-class view as true for the read. The story of 3 daring Mississippi women is as absorbing as any you'll see this year. The plot is writing a book which attempts to tell the truth about B/W relations in the city of Jackson, between wealthy whites and `the help'; but doing it anonymously. Without being fired or lynched.

There is humor in the way the Jackson Belle socialites operate, and eventually react to the book publication. Bryce Dallas Howard is the personification of Bad Girl, Hilly. Although beautiful, I loathed Hilly in the film and book, as you are supposed to. And Jessica Chastain (Murder on the Orient Express) has all it takes to be the scene stealer while playing Celia. Truly believable!

Humor erupts in how the help secretly reacts to their treatment. There's sadness at some injustice.

Viola Davis plays a slimmer/sexier Aibileen than was my mental image while reading the book. Octavia Spencer is right on as Minny. Both girls pack their roles with perfection.

The film has intrigue through the months of secret interviews.

There's a mystery related to Skeeter's (Emma Stone) own childhood maid's story, which is a larger part of the story in the book.

Skeeter, Aibileen, & Minny are the key book writers. The casting is near perfection. Should be some Oscar nominations someplace.

Some other stars too, like, Sissy Spacek, Cicely Tyson, & Mary Steenburgen (Proposal, Joan of Arcadia).

I remember reading the book and doing it as quickly as possible toward the end; and praying that all the `help' have a happy ending, but expecting some casualties. With the movie, it is evident when the story is climaxing, and then you just wish that you could make it last another hour or two. An excellent story, but then we all knew that from the book.

It is a tribute to the story that you forget it is fiction. How much is real, a docu-drama of the early 1960's of the south (& north)? We need reviews from the real-life `help' of the early 60's. Only they know!

If you view only one film this year...this should be it. See it soon, & as the film's dialogue states, "Before the whole civil rights thing blows over." That line brought a theater audience LOL.

As Aibileen believes, quoted from the book, "We done something brave and good here. And Minny, maybe she don't want a be deprived a any a the things that go along with being brave and good."

`

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This is an amazing movie. I just finished watching it a few minutes ago and my emotions are still reacting to it. After hearing a commentator talk about it, I had almost decided not to watch it, but I'm glad I did. I'm old enough to have lived through the time period covered. What I observed as a small child was only the tip of the iceberg. This movie brought out so much more that I just hadn't noticed or thought about. While the movie itself was done in an entertaining manner, I just have a sick feeling. I don't think I'll ever forget some of the scenes.

I recommend the movie, and that's the bottom line.

Years ago I got my first job, downtown, when I was 16 years old. The job was too hard for me and after a couple of days I was let go. As I waited for the bus in the department store lounge with a dozen or so other people, I picked up the phone and called my mom. I could only blurt out the words, "Mom, I lost my job" and just started crying. Nobody else in that room said anything or reacted. A very large black woman jumped out of her chair and just came over and held me while I cried. She kept saying, "Oh, you poor sweet little child. You sweet little angel." That woman was the first black person I had ever been close to, and I immediately loved her. She and her family are still in my prayers today, many years later. Now, after watching this movie, I have so many thoughts about what her life was like back then. She was in the same position as the women in this film. She had to know that I, a little white teenaged girl, had so many more job options than she would ever have, but she took the time to comfort me with everything she had to offer, and it was a great blessing to me.

I'm going to be thinking about The Help for a long time. It hit me right in the gut! What an amazing movie!

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I enjoyed the book tremendously and was disappointed in the movie. Some important aspects were lost in the film: the terror that the book authors experience every time they get together at Aibilene's house, the real reason why Constantine was fired, the fact that Hilly turned the toilet-damping incident to her advantage, etc., etc., etc. Instead, saccharine sweetness is added to all relationship and Skeeter is turned into a White savior. I would recommend the book to a friend, but not the film. Too Hollywood. Too happy-ending.

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Love Exposure (2008)

First off, I feel I must give this warning for potential watchers of this film. Some of the main themes such as religion, cult and sexuality are brought in to the forefront. If you are uncomfortable with these controversial themes at all, this probably isn't the movie for you. Were a rating to be released in the US for this movie, it would probably be an R or higher. That being said, these themes are acknowledged tastefully and with a purpose.

The characterization is beautiful and the acting is so breathtaking. It's no surprise that Love Exposure won 14 awards and was nominated for 2 others.

The storyline follows three characters, teenagers who have been abused by their parents. The main male character, Yu, is a devout Catholic whose father entered priesthood after the death of their wife and mother. However, his father becomes involved with a woman who eventually runs off. His father changes and forces Yu to come to confessionals every day and force him to confess sins that he didn't commit. Yu is forced to lie to his father but when he is discovered, he feels he must actually commit sins so he won't lie be lying to his father. These sins become more and more heinous until finally he starts taking sneak pictures up girl's dresses. He doesn't take these pictures to be turned on, but instead to merely have sins he can confess.

One day, his friends dare him to dress as a woman and go kiss a girl he likes. He helps to save a girl, Yoko, from thugs and kisses her before he runs away. His life takes a turn when his father's lover returns with Yoko in two and the two become adopted siblings. However, there is someone on the outside, the third character, who is craftily maneuvering their lives so as to induct them into the cult religion, the Zero Church. It's up to Yu to maintain his own faith as he travels through the underworld in order to find the third girl out and save his family from being converted into the cult.

This story is twisted from start to finish and the cinematography is well-thought out and gorgeous. The movie is four hours long, but flies by. Every second is filled with a fantastic romance meets comedy meets thriller storyline. I rate the story five stars out of five. This movie has easily become one of my favorite films of all time.

It's pretty rare to find a four hour movie as compelling as Love Exposure. The director has a kinky sense of humor that manages to be sincere and innocent at the same time as the Yu Honda embraces his inner pervert like a form of sacred art. I haven't seen a movie that mixes the sacred and the profane so much in lighthearted way without losing too much to cynicism. The mains are wonderfully acted, I loved Yu Honda, Yoko, and even the disturbingly evil Ai. The story weaves and bobs around themes that would be verboten in popular movies, but in this context, it has an ease of boundaries and fluidity. The genre-flux from rom-com to kung-fu movie to melodrama is done effortlessly and as the captive audience, I had no choice but to let the movie take me along for the emotional trip.

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Standard movie runtime has been universally accepted at 90 to 120 minutes. Expand beyond that and you better give up the goods -robots, or war, or time travel, or stories of unrequited transdimensional love triangles. But a 237 minute movie about the art of upskirt photography? Now that's bold. Such is the case with Love Exposure, a 2008 film by Sion Sono that has charming topics like lust, religion, and coming of age in a world where being a panty shot photographer is a normal thing. The film has had a long run of success at festivals, but its odd topic and story have kept it from reaching any audience in America -until now. It is now on dvd and I would urge everybody to rent this film.

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This 4 hour romantic shock epic is a must see for the fans of Sono's earlier work or anyone with an adventurous taste in film. I have never seen anything remotely like it and is worth getting a region free dvd player so I can share it with my friends.

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A brilliant farce, metaphorical oddysey that is as ambitious as it is bizarre. Do not be swayed by the running time. Those four hours dissapear instantly. Highly recommended!

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LEGO Batman: The Movie - DC Super Heroes Unite (2013)

My family has enjoyed the previous Lego movie releases for Star Wars, but considering the superhero obsession in our household I had to pick this film up. The movie itself runs 71 minutes, almost a feature length which is quite a bit more than we've gotten with the previous Star Wars specials. The movie begins with Batman and Superman taking on Lex Luthor and flashes back to the "Man of the Year" award ceremony which quickly gets out of control when the Joker leads a group of villains (including the Penquin, Harley Quinn, Riddler, Two-Face and Catwoman) to crash the party. And what better way to stop a villain team up then by getting together a few "super" friends like Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Cyborg and The Flash. There are plenty of other characters that show up along the way as well.

While this film utilizes the spirit of the cut-scenes from LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, it is not a straight repackage of them. Many scenes have been added and the others reanimated and re-cut and improved upon for the release, all for the better. If you've played the game, you get the gist, but this is a much higher quality of animation and gives you the story in a much more cinematic way.

The film itself is fun for all ages, with enough Lego humor for the kids and plenty of jokes that will probably be over their heads including references to the Batman films going all the way back to the 1960s. Kudos to the design team for their parody of the original 1989 Batman film opening, as well as the use of that iconic Danny Elfman music as well as the John Williams Superman score. The voice work is solid and though I prefer the voice cast of Arkham Asylum, this group of actors does a wonderful job portraying these characters in a more kid friendly way.

The bonus features are great as well and include a short feature called "Building Batman" behinds the scenes in the Lego animation studio with a few kids getting to work with the resident animator, 2 episodes of The Brave and the Bold and one from Teen Titans, a Lego Batman stop-motion short, and 5 winning shorts from the Lego DC Universe Super Heroes Video Contest. There are various languages options but unfortunately no commentary which I would have loved to hear from the director or lead animator about the production. The pack-in of Clark Kent with the "S" exposed is a nice add on for Lego collectors as well.

Ultimately this is a great release. It's a fun film for all ages and a worth a look.

My 6 and 7-yr-old were thoroughly entertained, and it was mildly enjoyable for dad to watch too. Whether this was pieced together with video game cut scenes or not, I didn't notice. The computer animation is high quality and voice acting excellent.

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I like this movie. Its funny, witty, full of action, just a little too short.

To start off my review, let me clear up that this film is NOT the cutscenes from Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes. This film is based on that game, but the entire film has been re-animated from the cutscenes and great action scenes replace gameplay.

Now that the cutscene controversy is cleared up, let me tell you about the film itself.

Firstly, the animation is brilliant. LEGO did a great job on animating this film, especially in HD. If you have a Blu-ray player, then buy this on Blu-ray for sure.

Secondly, the voice acting is very good.

Lastly, the story. Based on the video game, the story for LEGO Batman is funny, witty, full of action and flows quickly. Just a little too quickly. At 71 minutes, this movie is barely a feature-length film. Just when I was getting to this film, it was almost over. LEGO should have made this film at least 90 minutes. Then, my review would be five out of five for sure.

My other problem with this film is that it is not theatrically released. This film is too good for a direct-to-DVD/Blu-ray release. This film would have been great in 3D.

In conclusion, LEGO Batman: The Movie DC Superheroes Unite is a film well worth seeing.

I recommend this movie.

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4.5 out of 5

It's time for the Man of the Year Awards in Gotham City. The contenders? Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor. The winner? Well, you guessed it: Bruce Wayne. When the Joker crashes the party, Lex sees a potential ally in his fight against not only Superman, but all superheroes. They forge an uneasy alliance and Lex uses Joker's expertise in chemistry to create not only a gas that would make everyone vote for him in the upcoming Presidential election, but also Kryptonite. In exchange, Lex would provide Joker with a special brick dismantling device that is able to take apart shiny black objects, something Joker's all too familiar with thanks to the Dark Knight.

Meanwhile, Batman and Robin have their hands full with an outbreak from Arkham Asylum. Superman shows up to help and eventually the Dynamic Duo and the Man of Steel discover Lex's and Joker's partnership. However, team ups aren't Batman's strong suit but after a little coaxing from Robin, he learns that sometimes you need outside help to come to victory.

Just when Batman and Superman think they've got Joker and Lex right where they want them, the sinister duo unleash a powerful force that will take the entire Justice League of America to stop.

If you've played LEGO Batman 2, then you're familiar with this story. This movie even uses clips from the game, but then fills in the gaps with fresh animation. So while it's kind of a rehash, it's a well-done rehash and, hey, it's LEGO. LEGO animated movies are few and far between and I hope LEGO Batman: The Movie DC Superheroes Unite is the first in a move to bring more and more brick superheroes to the small screen. Perhaps even to the big one one day.

The animation is crisp, flawless, and well-thought out. The graphics are amazing and convey a plausible world made of LEGO, every detail somehow made from LEGO bricks. No small feat from a design standpoint, creating something to believable yet so . . . LEGO-y.

With a solid story filled with the right amount of action and humor, I'm glad I added LEGO Batman: The Movie to my superhero movie collection. Besides, the exclusive Clark-Kent-changing-into-Superman LEGO figure that comes with it is not too shabby either. Glad to have him as part of my Superman figure collection.

LEGO Batman: The Movie DC Superheroes Unite is recommended for all ages. I loved watching it with my kids and I know you will, too. And if you don't have kids, then it's still worth checking out. Again, LEGO? Batman? Superman? DC superheroes? Yes, please!

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If you have played the Lego Batman 2 game, the plot of this movie will be very familiar to you. In fact, its almost as if Traveler's Tales figured they could throw a game together on the cheap by re-using the cut scenes from the video game. Although its not a complete clone of the game, some scenes are re-edited and re-cut so they aren't exact, but they are close enough.

If you are over the age of 12, then there isn't a ton of stuff in this movie to interest you. There are some references to past Batman movie and TV incarnations and the recreation of the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie opening from LEGO bricks is a classic. My kids watch the scene and yell out "The bat-symbol!" every time they watch it. There is also a scene where Superman hears the Richard Donner Superman film's theme and says "That music sounds familiar." To which Batman replies "I don't listen to music." I just about fell over when I found out that my kids don't instantly equate that tune with Superman! (a travesty that I will have to straighten out!"

The attention to detail is something else that is impressive in this movie. The recreation of the models out of LEGO bricks would be impressive enough. But you can actually see where the minifigure's joints rub together creating scratches on the body. Also, if the light hits them just right, you can see fingerprints on the minifigs that must be left over from whoever built this LEGO Gotham City and is imagining the story.

Its easy to imagine that this story was thought up by some 10 year old. Its not too deep, full of silly humor, and the majority of the violence is off-screen. This movie really is geared toward the younger audience and there is not anything in it that I would not feel comfortable letting my kids watch. The message of teamwork runs throughout the movie and even Batman learns that its OK to ask for help when he calls in the rest of the Justice League in to help the threat posed by Lex Luthor and the Joker.

The movie is called DC Superheroes unite, but it could have easily been called the Batman/Superman hour. About 90% of the movie focuses on those two heroes while The Flash, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and Cyborg get a quick guest appearance in the final moments of he movie. So if you are stoked for the TV screen debut of the Flash don't blink because it will be over in a flash!

My kids (a 6 year old son and a 7 year old daughter) have watched this movie at least 5 times in the week that we have owned this movie. They love LEGO and they love Superheroes so this movie is a good fit for them. The fun doesn't stop with the feature though. There are 5 stop motion shorts made out of LEGO that were part of an online contest, 3 episodes of WB superhero cartoons (Teen Titans, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Justice League), and a featurette on building LEGO Batman. My kids have to watch all of the special features each time they watch the movie and have discovered Batman: The Brave and the Bold because of this.

Lastly, the movie comes with an exclusive Clark Kent turning into Superman LEGO minifigure. Its a really neat piece that LEGO probably won't release anywhere else (though I wouldn't put money on that) so if you are a minifig completeist, you need to get the movie. I can tell you that this LEGO Clark Kent has watched this movie a few times along with his pal LEGO Superman. At least on the days my son can figure out where he left them.

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Wedding Crashers

John (Owen Wilson) & Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) are best buds. They've known each other for 17 years, work together, and in there spare time crash wedding parties; where they drink like sailors, mingle with unsuspecting relatives, and hit on single and willing brides maids every chance they get. They have a whole science to their crashing ( rules and all), and have become quite adept at the sport.

That all changes when they attend a wedding held by Secretary Cleary (Christopher Walken), whose daughter is getting hitched. During the lavish formal affair, Jeremy makes headway with Cleary's physcopath daughter Gloria ( a hilarious Isla Fisher), while John slowly maneuvers his way into the life of the Secretary's other daughter Claire (Rachel McAdams), who just happens to have a steady bo' of her own.

Eventually, after all the formalities-the two are privately invited back to the Secretary's estate, where they play touch football with the family, have formal dinners, sail out on the boat, & get hit on by the Secretary's sex starved wife (Jane Seymour) & his homosexual son Todd (Keir O'Donnell).

Its all very funny and sillybut the great chemistry by Wilson and Vaughn helps the film move at a steady pace. The supporting roles of McAdams and Fishler are nicely fleshed out as well. While no means a great movie, "The Wedding Crashers" is quite funny at times, and overall enjoyable.

Some people have called this a raunchy, gross-out comedy; although I noticed nothing of the sort. Besides the dialogue and a few breast shots, theres really nothing raunchy or gross-out about "Wedding Crashers" at all. It certainly wouldnt fall into the category of "Something About Mary" or the "American Pie" movies.

Vaughn and Wilson definitley shine throughout and appear to be having the time of their lives here....

Recommended.

There were other funny movies this year and this summer. Both "Batman Begins" and "Serenity" were extremely funny and well written in their own witty manners. "Wedding Crashers," however, was written to be a comedy, and I have to say that it takes funny to an entirely new level. Both Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson have been hilarious before, but the roles they nab in this flick seem to say they were born to star in this movie.

"Wedding Crashers" is that rare movie that combines the comedic excellence of the cast with a very strong, intelligent, hilarious script, and directing that executes the necessary direction flawlessly. Too often lately, I feel as though movie studios have shyed away from "R" rated comedies for many reasons. The "R" rating of course threatens who will actually see a movie, so I understand why studios often create "R" rated movies with caution. What I do not understand, however, is why, until "Wedding Crashers," intelligent, witty, adult-oriented "R" rated comedies seemed to have fallen completely off the radar. For the past 5 years or so, any comedy with an "R" rating (or often a PG-13 rating for that matter) had the rating because of disgusting, gross-out gags that forced laughs because of awkwardness and shock value. "Wedding Crashers" was a sigh of relief because it forced nothing. There were no unnecessary bodily function gags, there were no horribly moronically stupid characters. The movie worked because for the most part, everything seems believable. The characters come off as very real people in an improbable, but still possible situation, and interwined with a "cooky" love story, the comedy works really really well.

I cannot say enough about this film. I was laughing so hard the first 3 times I saw it that tears were streaming down my face. Time #4 I had to restrain myself so I could actually hear the punchlines to the jokes so I couldn't tear-up too much. This movie is great. The characters are great. They are funny, they are sweet, but somehow, they are real. And that is why this movie was so successful. We all have either been, or could see ourselves being Owen and Vince, and they were great. So were Isla and Rachel and Christopher and everyone really. This movie is awesome!

Buy Wedding Crashers Now

Wedding Crashers is the story of John (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy (Vince Vaughn), who work as arbitrators, mediating in difficult divorce cases. Each year these two lifelong best friends take the month of June off to infiltrate weddings of every description.

John and Jeremy are natural born shape-shifters, adapting to any circumstance. Armed only with vast quantities of bravado and an ethnically appropriate back-story, these guys are in search of an endless party and beautiful women. As a woman, I felt I should probably be offended on behalf of my sex at their "let's get in, seduce a lot of women and get out" mentality. However, they are so likeable and their tactics are so over-the-top and so shamelessly manipulative, you just can't help laughing. They are also the life of any party. Dancing with the flower girls, tying balloon animals for the kids and schmoozing with the elderly guests, they are also the first ones up for a vigorous hora or polka, pulling the more reticent guests up with them as they go.

As the wedding season closes out, John starts to lose some of his enthusiasm for the enterprise. These "one afternoon stands" are a bit like only eating dessert it might sound really good on paper but it will leave you feeling pretty lousy after a while. He's also beginning to feel that they are a little too old to be doing this sort of thing. Jeremy soon convinces John to crash just one more wedding the wedding of the daughter of U.S. Treasury Secretary, William Cleary (Christopher Walken).

Posing as venture capital high-rollers, John and Jeremy sneak past the Secret Service. John is immediately attracted to Claire (Rachel McAdams), one of the bride's sisters. Saving her from an embarrassingly dismal wedding toast, the two immediately click, but bad timing in the arrival of Sack (Bradley Cooper), Claire's ivy league, horse's rump of a boyfriend, prevent them from getting better acquainted.

Jeremy meanwhile more than meets his match in the form of the bride's other sister, Gloria (the delightfully demented Isla Fisher). After closing the deal (ahem) with Gloria, Jeremy finds himself unable to shake her off. Jeremy describes her to John as "completely off the reservation" and he's not wrong. She is the poster child for clingy and inappropriate behavior. It is interesting to see the 6'5" Vaughn equally attracted to and afraid of this tiny woman.

Jeremy is able to wangle a weekend invitation to the Cleary estate for John to spend more time with the woman of his dreams. The Cleary Clan are one strange bunch: a racist elderly matriarch, Grandma Mary Cleary (Ellen Albertini Dow), Secretary Cleary's sexually inappropriate wife, Kathleen (Jane Seymour), and his wound-way-too-tight artistic son, Todd (Keir O'Donnell).

John and Jeremy survive a game of homicidal touch football and one of the more wildly loony dinner parties ever put on film. You have to admire Jeremy. He is ready to leave almost immediately and endures the brunt of the Cleary Clan's unwholesome attention, but he hangs in there for his friend. After suffering a series of late night, unwelcome and increasingly abusive visits from the various deranged Cleary family members, Vaughn's hyper-verbal panic attacks are some of the funniest scenes in the movie.

Others have covered in great detail the lowbrow nature of the comedy. It is very politically incorrect. It may have you rolling your eyes or even groaning at times. (I suppose I am not that easily offended.) I didn't expect too much going in and was very pleasantly surprised. I found it to be a good natured, high octane romp. If you are willing to adjust your expectations accordingly, you may as well. Vaughn and Owens have a great chemistry. Vaughn's manic energy is a perfect counter to Owens' more laidback, wry style.

Will John be able to woo Claire away from Sack? Has Jeremy found the perfect woman in Gloria? Will they be exposed as the totally lying horndogs they are? (I don't want to spoil the movie for you.) I give it a solid 4-1/2 stars. It loses half a point for a slightly weak and tacked on feeling to the ending. I've never had this much fun at a wedding, and I didn't even have to buy a present.

Read Best Reviews of Wedding Crashers Here

This movie was about 30-45 minutes too long. It's like I saw two different movies shoved together so they could succeed in getting a two hour comedy movie released. I am a firm believer in the fact that I don't mind if a comedy is short in the 70-85 minute range as long as it's funny, and this one was that movie, but it just kept going and going. So, let's talk about the first half of the movie, or the 4-star part....Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are professional wedding crashers, and they are extremely talented at it, they are sure to get every slightest detail down so no mistake can be made, and for a while everything is going fine, they are eating, drinking and freakin' everything in sight. All the while making us laugh....alot. The lies and the facial expressions these two come up with are just plain priceless. The chemistry between Vaughn and Wilson is perfect, as expected, what is this the 4th or 5th movie they've been in together?

Eventually, Wilson falls in love, breaking 1 of the some thousand wedding crashing rules, and to top it off, the woman Wilson fell in love with (the lovely Rachel McAdams) is the daughter of Christopher Walken, who just happens to be running for office. To add more crazyness to the plot, Vaughn's character nails another one of the daughters, who in turn falls in love with him. Got all that? Good, moving on....The dialogue between Wilson and Vaughn is very funny, most of the jokes work, and while a bit raunchy here and there, it fits well. Now here's where things start to fall apart, both with the movie and our heroe's.

The second part of the movie, or the 2-star part, goes all out on Hollywood cliches' We get the family bickering, the big 'fight' between Wilson and Vaughn, the speech during the wedding , it just seemed forced and that they just ran out of good jokes, so they recycled some old, lamer ones. I saw the ending coming a mile away and the edge and character the movie had is all but gone now.

So, I gave 4-stars and 2-stars, another bit of the 4-star part I rather enjoyed are the minor roles played by Jane Seymour, she plays Christopher Walken's drunk wife with new breasts, and Will Ferrell (surprised? nah, me either, I think there is an agreement with these 3 men along with Ben Stiller to appear in everyone of each other's movies. just a thought) as Chaz, the legendary wedding crasher Vaughn and Wilson are always quoting. He plays a man in his late 30's, still leaving with his mother, now crashing funerals cuz' it's so easy to get laid by a depressed chick, or so Ferrell says.

There are many subplots, most I didn't care for, but be sure and check out Vaughn's confession to a preist at the breakfeast table........priceless!!! and Jane Seymour's half-ass attempt at seducing Owen Wilson with her new ta-ta's, very funny!!

acting......4 stars, You know you can't go wrong with these two

directing....3 stars, 30-54 minutes too long

special effects...N/A, comedy here, not thrills and chills

comedy rating .....4 stars first 70 minutes, 2 stars after that

quality........3.5 stars, Decent picture quality, little grain, but great soundtrack

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this movie is one of the few movies that men and women will enjoy. i love this and this movie is a must own

Titanic Collector's Edition (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / Digital Copy) (Amazon Exclusiv

*** THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE "TITANIC in 3D" MOVIE on BLU RAY ***

Holidaying in Ireland, I happened on the preview day of James Cameron's "Titanic in 3D" at the new Odeon Cinema in The Point Area of Dublin's refurbished docklands (or "The Quays" as they're known locally). We caught the first showing on 5 April 2012 debuting on their all-bells-and-whistles "iSense Screen". "iSense" features razor sharp Real-3D imaging on a gigantic screen with state-of-the-art surround sound. So myself and the two kids popped along donned the crazy specs and started to watch. The sheer spectacle of what came next has prompted me to write this review...

I've seen about 10 films in 3D some like "Despicable Me" have impressed and actually met the hype the rest have either felt gimmicky or a downright hindrance or worse a crass monetary exploitation. Even the new Aardman Animation feature film "The Pirates..." which we'd seen some days earlier is not great in 3D (although it's a top movie and thoroughly recommended). But Cameron's complete reshaping of "Titanic" into a 3D realm is a different beast. It's incredible and at times I was genuinely gobsmacked. I saw the film on its original outing in 1997 (which was a cinematic experience to say the least) and I'd estimate that 65 to 75% of this version has been improved by the 3D process with the remaining portions varying between not changed at all or just slightly better but definitely better.

So what's changed? Scenes that were somehow 'ordinary' before are now 'dimensional' at times you feel you could reach out and actually touch them...

Examples the front railings of the sunken liner at the bottom of the Atlantic at the beginning of the film, the unmanned sub that is filming it then making its way through the insides of the wreck you now feel the machine and its cables the space around it the bubbling of the water the barnacles and silt disturbed to the left and right. When the engine room ship-sized pistons kick into gear as the last boilers are lit their size and power; the drinks glasses on the table at dinner as Bruce Ismay pompously tells of how he arrived at the ship's name they have space around them and you feel you could almost lift them off the tablecloths. Even something as unassuming as Molly Brown's decorative hat as she talks to Jack (at a later dinner table setting) now reaches out of the screen into the aisles with extraordinary depth. Winslet's costumes are glorious too her radiant eyes and lustrous hair. The feeling of sea air and wind on the ship's gangways when Rose and Jack walk and talk and discuss art is accentuated more realistic.

But if I was to note just one scene that sums up how improved this version is it would be the one where Rose tries to kill herself by jumping off the back of the ship. As she steps over the railings and the camera looks down at the cold wash below suddenly the distance and the hugeness of the ship becomes 'real' looking downward and with that added depth you can 'feel' that fall...that freezing water below...

The sound is huge too groaning steel creaking wood the water crashing out of the screen right into your face as it floods corridors...

There were occasions where 3D didn't work where the effect was detrimental rather than an enhancement the boarding of the great ship at Southampton was one scene where too much was going on in the crowd sequences for the 3D to catch up. Other offences would be that one character on screen would be razor-sharp image-wise (usually the one talking) while those beside them or to the left of them would be slightly blurred. But these were rare.

What you also forget is what an incredible movie "Titanic" is. Like that other maverick filmmaker Ridley Scott ("Blade Runner", "Gladiator" and "The Kingdom Of Heaven") James Cameron isn't afraid of spectacle he embraces it. He brings it to the screen with bravado and a passion for 'detail' that few have matched. His new 3D rendering of "Titanic" is the same it seems like he's worked everything to give you the viewer as much as possible or at least more than you saw the last time. And when the actual sinking finally comes in the early hours of 15 April 1912 the horror and heartbreak still has the power to make your heart race and bring a tear to the eye. Captain Smith holding the wheel as the ocean crashes through the glass into the bridge area, the ship's funnel that breaks loose and collapses on the bodies below, the propellers rising out of the water, bodies bouncing off the ship's steel structures as the huge hull rises up and they slide downwards to their death the camera panning back as Rose emerges from the swell to an ocean of bodies flaying about in the agony of the icy Atlantic the guilty faces on the lucky ones in the boats that got away hearing their screams and cries for help yet not going back for survivors and knowing they should...

Cameron's version of the sad tale has heart too through all that technical excellence it doesn't forget to show and somehow respect the human cost. There's the rage and helplessness of the third class passengers locked into steerage below while the 'quality' on the decks above get the 'priority' placing in the lifeboats their tickets paid for the band unselfishly playing "Nearer My God To Thee" as the ship goes down by the head, the priest praying with terrified passengers trying to give them strength, the elderly couple holding each other tightly on the bed as the sea floods their cabin the Irish mum telling her two children of 'Tir na N'Og' the mythical 'land of the young' as the inevitable closes in around her beloved...

Then of course there's the cast Bill Paxton as the obsessed present-day treasure-seeker, Gloria Stuart as the elderly Rose recounting the tragedy to an enrapt crew, Jonathan Hyde as Bruce Ismay the White Star Line egotist who ordered the number of lifeboats to be reduced from 48 to 16 (compliant with Board of Trade laws at the time) so as not to clutter up the promenade decks for the first-class passengers and then once onboard practically ordering Captain Smith to open all engines to full speed ahead despite the danger (only to save himself in one of the last lifeboats an act infamous now in history). Frances Fisher is Rose's social-climbing mum, Billy Zane as Rose's manipulative and jealous boor of a fiancé, David Warner as his dastardly man-servant, Bernard Hill as the overwhelmed and ill-fated Captain Smith, 'new money' Kathy Bates as the 'unsinkable' Molly Brown all of them exemplary. Victor Garber adds huge gravitas too as the ship's architect Thomas Andrews a decent man grappling with his thoughts as it all falls apart around him (his dialogue titles this review).

But the movie belongs to its two young leads Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as Jack and Rose a 17-year-old lady of art and means who falls in love with a 20-year old street-rat who paints to survive. While DiCaprio is good and couldn't go anywhere for a few years due to screaming girls (he was 22 at the time) it's Winslet who impresses the most. She is sensational in the role voluptuous, ballsy and humane. She also exudes an acting confidence that is staggering for a 21-year-old. In my book only Kiera Knightley gets this close to that kind of inner belief.

With regard to the 3D Film on BLU RAY (Sept 2012) it arrives in multiple versions a 2D Standard Blu Ray set, this 4-disc 3D version and a DELUXE BOX SET with memorabilia. There are 6 hours of extras, over 25 deleted scenes and endless in-depth interviews. It's a feast of detail. And there's also no doubt in my mind that Cameron has given '3D' a huge boost with this extraordinary rendering of his 1997 classic...

To sum up even if you don't want to see this film again and suffer through that dreadful Celine Dion schlock song at the end think of James Cameron's "Titanic in 3D" as sheer cinematic spectacle. My kids are 18 and 14 and given that their generation is so easily bored and their timespan for attention virtually nil they didn't notice the three-hours-plus playing time go by. In fact my son Sean announced at the end "...that was a great film Dad...really good." I could see it in his young face he was genuinely moved by what he'd just seen.

Praise indeed.

We all know the story so my review is for the quality of the blu ray (image quality) and 3D. The quality of the image is very impressive. The colors are vivid, a lot of contrast, very clear picture. It's hard to believe that this movie was converted from 2D to 3D because the 3D effect is one of the best I've ever seen. There was no noticeable ghosting. I had seen the 3D version of this movie in the theatre and thought it was good. However, it is even more impressive on my 3D TV (47 inch LG). The characters often appear to be with me in the room, they pop out of the screen. There is a lot of depth throughout the movie, which is also visable in darker scenes. The picture is amazing. You get the feeling that you are in the movie...when the boat sinks, you feel as if you're part of the action. I was very impressed with the quality of the 3D. I would recommend this to anyone who owns a 3D TV...worth every penny!

Buy Titanic Collector's Edition (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / Digital Copy) (Amazon Exclusiv Now

Finally, the most successful film in the film history gets the dvd treatment it deserves, bringing much respite to the fans all the over the world. Previously available barebones edition dvd has been replaced with a 3disc collector's edition dvd set, loaded with all those great never before seen stuff.

Here's what one can look forward to in this edition:

New high definition digital transfer with the main feature spread over two discs to get the highest possible picture and sound quality...and thankfully it does include DTS6.1 ES track!!!

Never before seen footage (approximately 58 minutes, alongwith the main film but it will be available through branching option on the disc unlike LOTR EXTENDED editions!!)

All-new making-of featurettes which will include time lapse footage of the massive set and studio construction.

Incredible Alternate Ending "Brock's Epiphany"

29 Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary which include romantic moments between jack and rose and historical and action shots as well!!

Commentary by Academy Award-Winning Director James Cameron

Cast and Crew Commentaries by Stars Kate Winslet and Gloria Stuart and Oscar-Winning Producer Jon Landau and Executive Producer Rae Sanchini

Historical Commentary

Visual Effects Breakdown of the Unforgettable Stunts

Music Video "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion

...and much more!!

Titanic collector's edition is a dream come true not just for all those titanic fans out there but it will be a jewel in any dvd collection!!

AND LAST BUT DEFINITELY NOT THE LEAST.......if you own a multi-region dvd player or watch dvds from all regions on your DVD ROM, then you have an option of buying from amazon UK where you can choose between the two disc and the four disc set!!

Read Best Reviews of Titanic Collector's Edition (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / Digital Copy) (Amazon Exclusiv Here

Having garnered 11 Academy Awards in 1998, a reported production budget of over US$200 million (thus making news headlines in 1997) and earning over US$1 billion in box-office receipts worldwide (quite a percentage of those are due to repeated theatrical viewings), Titanic (1997) has finally been given the enhanced DVD edition many have been looking for.

Having "suffered" a mediocre vanilla (single) DVD release in 1999, the title has finally been given better treatment (better film-to-video transfer and extensive bonus materials) by Paramount Home Entertainment for Region 1 or regions using the NTSC video system and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (Other regions or regions using the PAL video system) before 2005 ends.

Paramount Home Entertainment will be releasing a single 3-disc Special Collector's Edition (SCE) for Region 1 (US) whilst Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will be releasing 2 editions: 2-disc Special Edition (SE) and 4-disc Deluxe/Definitive Collector's Edition (DCE) for the international markets.

DVD Release Dates Table for the 3-disc SCE for Region 1 and 4-disc DCE for Region 2 / Region 4.

Region 1

Editions

3-disc SCE

Release Dates

25 Oct 05 (U.S.)

8 Oct 05 (Japan and Korea)

25 Oct 05 (Canada)

Region 2 / Region 4

Editions

2-disc SE

4-disc DCE

Release Dates

8 Nov 05 (UK)

21 Oct 05 (Mexico)

27 Oct 05 (Sweden)

28 Oct 05 (Italy)

11 Nov 05 (Brazil)

30 Nov 05 (France)

30 Nov 05 (Australia)

30 Nov 05 (Netherlands)

30 Nov 05 (Belgium)

1 Dec 05 (Germany and Spain)

On Disc 1 & 2 of 2-disc SE (R2/R4), 3-disc SCE (R1) and 4-disc DCE (R2/R4)

The feature film Titanic (1997) will be split onto first 2 discs (as per LOTR Special Extended Edition sets) when the enhanced DVD edition is release during the months of Oct Dec 05 worldwide due to the limitation of the DVD format.

For all editions of all regions, the feature film (HD transfer) is presented in 16 x 9 Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35 : 1) with the usual Dolby Digital Surround EX 5.1 soundtrack, there is also the DTS-ES 6.1 soundtrack included. Hopefully, the part of the feature film on the first disc ends on the appropriate scene for a short toilet/snack break.

note: the behind the scenes branching option means when you're viewing the film a little icon will appear at the bottom of the screen allowing you to jump to that part of the film to see how they done that.

The bonus materials included in the first 2 discs of the DVD set (Applicable for all regions) are listed as follows:

3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES WITH

DIRECTOR, JAMES CAMERON (Run Time 194m 46s)

CAST (Kate Winslet & Gloria Stuart) AND CREW (Producer Jon Landau and Executive Producer Rae Sanchini) (Run Time 153m 47s)

HISTORICAL LOOK ON TITANIC BY DON LYNCH & KEN MARSCHALL (Run Time 194 min 46s)

BEHIND THE SCENES FOOTAGE VIA BRANCHING (Run Time 62m 16s) / Spread over first 2 feature discs.

POD 01 DEEP DIVE

POD 02 UPSIDE-DOWN WRECK MINIATURE

POD 03 ESCONDIDO UNDERWATER SET

POD 04 TWO ROSES

POD 05 SINKING SIMULATION

POD 06 1912 MORPH TRANSITION VFX

POD 07 SOUTHAMPTON FLOP

POD 08 A VIEW FROM THE PUB VFX

POD 09 LEAVING PORT VFX

POD 10 MELTING POT

POD 11 THE MILLIONAIRE'S SUITE

POD 12 THE ENGINE ROOM

POD 13 TITANIC AT SEA

POD 14 DIGITAL PEOPLE

POD 15 THE MILLION DOLLAR SHOT

POD 16 THE BIG EXTERIOR SHIP SET

POD 17 ROSE SUICIDE

POD 18 BIG SHIP SET VFX

POD 19 TUX STORY

POD 20 THE GRAND STAIRCASE

POD 21 COSTUME DESIGN

POD 22 FIRST CLASS DINING ROOM

POD 23 DINNER SHOOT

POD 24 THIRD CLASS PARTY

POD 25 A WOMAN'S PLACE

POD 26 THE ETIQUETTE KID

POD 27 THE BOILER ROOM

POD 28 FLOODING HOLD MINIATURE

POD 29 ICEBERG/DECK VFX

POD 30 BOILER ROOM FLOODING

POD 31 FIRST CLASS LOUNGE MINIATURE

POD 32 SHOOTING IN STEERAGE

POD 33 KATE'S ACTION COSTUME

POD 34 CRANE AS HELICOPTER

POD 35 LIFEBOATS 13 & 15

POD 36 FLOODED FIRST CLASS DINING ROOM

POD 37 STAGE 2 SINKING SET

POD 38 FAKING A TILT

POD 39 THE SINKING RISER

POD 40 SHIP EXTENSIONS

POD 41 FALLING FUNNEL

POD 42 GRAND STAIRCASE FLOODING

POD 43 MINIATURE HALL FLOODING

POD 44 JUMPING STUNTS

POD 45 TILTING POOP DECK

POD 46 DECK SLIDERS

POD 47 DIGITAL STUNT PEOPLE

POD 48 SINKING VIDEOMATIC

POD 49 SHIP SPLIT MINIATURE

POD 50 VERTICAL POOP DECK STUNTS

POD 51 THE TOILET PAPER SHOT

POD 52 FINAL PLUNGE VFX

POD 53 UNDERWATER GREENSCREEN

POD 54 INTERIOR TANK SHOOT

POD 55 BREATH SHOTS

POD 56 EXTERIOR TANK SHOOT

POD 57 ICE MAKEUP

POD 58 OPEN LIFEBOATS AND THE CARPATHIA

POD 59 CARPATHIA MEDAL

POD 60 THE FINAL SHOT

POD 61 MAKING THE MUSIC VIDEO

MY HEART WILL GO ON MUSIC VIDEO (Run Time 4m 42s)

ALTERNATE ENDING "BROCK'S EPIPHANY" WITH OPTIONAL COMMENTARY BY JAMES CAMERON (Run Time 9m 15s)

Bonus Materials on Disc 3 (R1) and Disc 3 or 4 (R2/R4)

note: The film itself was suppose to run for 5 hours and 20 minutes but over 147 minutes had to be cut down for pacing. The 29 deleted scenes + the alternate ending were originally meant to be in the final cut of the film. Unfortunately were deleted before its release.

29 DELETED SCENES (COMPLETE SCENES WITH FINISHED EFFECTS) WITH OPTIONAL AUDIO COMMENTARY (Run Time 45m 57s)

#1 I'LL BE THE FIRST

#2 ROSE FEELS TRAPPED

#3 BROCK'S DILEMMA/ ROSE VISITS THIRD CLASS

#4 ROSE'S DREAMS

#5 COME JOSEPHINE...

#6 EXTENDED SNEAKING TO FIRST CLASS

#7 EXTENDED ESCAPE FROM LOVEJOY

#8 A KISS IN THE BOILER ROOM

#9 WIRELESS ROOM/ THE CALIFORNIAN

#10 HOW 'BOUT A LITTLE ICE?

#11 FLIRTING WITH ICE

#12 THE FIRST S.O.S.

#13 ISMAY PANICS

#14 MOLLY BROWN'S ROWING SCHOOL

#15 IRISH HOSPITALITY

#16 IDA STRAUS WON'T LEAVE

#17 FAREWELL TO HELGA

#18 BOAT SIX WON'T RETURN

#19 RELEASE THE HOUNDS

#20 ROSE GETS A HUSBAND'S LETTER

#21 JACK AND LOVEJOY FIGHT

#22 GUGGENHEIM AND ASTOR

#23 I'M NOT GOING

#24 CORA'S FATE

#25 EXTENDED JACK AND ROSE IN THE WATER

#26 OUT OF THE QUESTION

#27 HOW DARE YOU!

#28 CHINESE MAN RESCUE

#29 EXTENDED CARPATHIA SEQUENCE

1912 NEWS REEL WITH OPTIONAL COMMENTARY BY ED MARSH (Run Time 2m 11s)

CONSTRUCTION TIMELAPSE SEQUENCE WITH OPTIONAL COMMENTARY BY ED MARSH (Run Time 4m 19s)

DEEP DIVE PRESENTATION NARRATED BY JAMES CAMERON (Run Time 15m 29s )

TITANIC CREW VIDEO (Run Time 17m 26s)

A SHIP'S ODYSSEY (THE TITANIC CREW VIDEO)

SHIP'S TOUR MONTAGE WITH OPTIONAL COMMENTARY BY ANDERS FALK (Run Time 7m 33s)

VIDEOMATICS AND VFX (Run Time 8m 38s)

VIDEOMATICS INTRODUCTION

SINKING SEQUENCE

DEEP DIVE

VFX SHOT BREAKDOWN: "ENGINE ROOM"

VFX HOW-TO FOR "I'M FLYING"

VFX HOW-TO FOR "FIRST CLASS LOUNGE"

TITANIC SINKING SIMULATION

STILL GALLERIES

TITANIC SCRIPTMENT

STORYBOARD SEQUENCES

PRODUCTION ARTWORK

PHOTOGRAPHS

KEN MARSCHALL'S PAINTING GALLERY

BY THE NUMBERS

BIBILOGRAPHY

BREAKING NEW GROUND THE MAKING OF TITANIC TV Special (Run Time 42m 50s)

TITANIC FEATURETTES ELETRONIC PRESS KIT (Run Time 18m 10s)

NEWSPOD #1: STORY FOCUS

NEWSPOD #2: ACTOR FOCUS

NEWSPOD #3: BUILDING THE SHIP

NEWSPOD #4: POPULATING THE SHIP

NEWSPOD #5: SINKING THE SHIP

NEWSPOD #6: JAMES CAMERON FOCUS

NEWSPOD #7: DEEP DIVE FOCUS

CONCEPT POSTERS AND ONE SHEETS

Bonus Materials Exclusive to 4-Disc (R2/R4) Release Not Applicable for Region 1 Release

HBO FIRST LOOK THE HEART OF THE OCEAN (Run Time 27m 30s)

TITANIC IN 30 SECONDS WITH BUNNIES (Run Time 0m 47s)

MTV MOVIE AWARDS TITANIC SKIT (Run Time 4m 21s)

TITANIC (1997) S.E. EASTER EGG SNL SKIT WITH BILL PAXTON AND JAMES CAMERON (Run Time 4m 47s)

TRAILERS & TEASERS IN WIDESCREEN OR FULL FRAME (Approximately 25 minutes)

TITANIC TV SPOTS IN FULL FRAME (Run Time 5m 26s)

DESTINY

OPPOSITE WORLDS

KNOW THE LEGEND

NOTHING YOU EXPECT

HEART WILL GO ON

SEE IT AGAIN:15

HONORED

TITANIC SINKING SIMMULATION

RTLT TV SPOT GERMAN

SOUND QUALITY

2-DISC SET 2.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND SOUND WITH DTS

3-DISC SET 2.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND SOUND WITH DTS

4-DISC SET 2.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND SOUND WITH DTS

PICTURE QUALITY

2-DISC SET WIDESCREEN ANAMORPHIC 2.35:1

3-DISC SET WIDESCREEN ANAMORPHIC 2.35:1

4-DISC SET WIDESCREEN ANAMORPHIC 2.35:1

SPECIAL FEATURES for the 2-DISC & 3-DISC & 4-DISC EDITIONS

TITANIC SPECIAL EDITION 2-DISC SET

The movie itself on disc 1 & 2

3 all new commentaries

POD Behind the Scenes branching option

"My Heart Will Go On" music video

All new nine minute Alternate Ending: Brock's Epiphany

2.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 dolby digital surround sound with DTS

2.35:1 Widescreen Anamorphic

TITANIC SPECIAL EDITION 3-DISC SET

The movie itself on disc 1 & 2

3 all new commentaries

POD Behind the Scenes branching option

"My Heart Will Go On" music video

All new nine minute Alternate Ending: Brock's Epiphany

29 deleted scenes with optional commentary

Production and special effects featurettes

"Breaking New Ground" TV speicial

Visual effects breakdown of the stunts

Construction Timelapse with Optional Commentary

Titanic Ship's Tour with Optional Commentary

Easter Eggs

Still Galleries

Visual Effects

Videomatics

Titanic Crew Video

Deep Dive Presentation

1912 Newsreel with optional commentary

2.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 dolby digital surround sound with DTS

2.35:1 Widescreen Anamorphic

TITANIC DELUXE COLLECTOR'S EDITION 4-DISC SET

The movie itself on disc 1 & 2

3 all new commentaries

POD Behind the Scenes branching option

"My Heart Will Go On" music video

All new nine minute Alternate Ending: Brock's Epiphany

29 deleted scenes with optional commentary

Production and special effects featurettes

"Breaking New Ground" TV speicial

Visual effects breakdown of the stunts

Construction Timelapse with Optional Commentary

Titanic Ship's Tour with Optional Commentary

Easter Eggs

Still Galleries

Visual Effects

Videomatics

Titanic Crew Video

Deep Dive Presentation

1912 Newsreel with optional commentary

HBO "Heart Of The Ocean" documentry

3 TITANIC parodies

15 trailers and TV spots

2.0 / 5.1 / 6.1 dolby digital surround sound with DTS

2.35:1 Widescreen Anamorphic

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The 3rd disc has 3 hidden easter eggs and here is how to find them:

SNL Skit: Go to Deleted Scenes and the last page with Chapter 29. Move the cursor so the picture for Chapter 29 is highlighted in an orange border. Hit the RIGHT cursor (nothing will happen) and then the DOWN cursor and the faint couple near the bottom will highlighted in a white border.

MTV Skit: Go to the Marketing Menu and highlight "Fox Special: Breaking New Ground". Hit the RIGHT cursor (nothing will happen) and then the DOWN cursor and the newspaper in the lower right of the screen will be highlighted in a yellowish border.

Titanic in 30 Seconds with Bunnies: Go to Special Features, then Still Galleries, then Production Artwork. Move the cursor RIGHT until "View Entire Gallery" is underlined. Hit the UP cursor TWICE until the blue arrow in the middle of the screen is highlighted.

These are really great and you will be very happy to see them!! :) :) :)

John Carter (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2012)

I went in to "John Carter" filled with trepidation. I often avoid these big, splashy CGI spectacles that never live up to their promises and I was sure that this film was going to be nothing more than lots of cinematic eye candy and short on substance. Added to that there was a lot of lackluster critical reviews. Well, all I can say is that this was a grand entertainment and I am so glad I caught it on the big screen!

I've heard some critics say the plot was a mess and overly convoluted. Really? My suggestion to them is "don't text while watching a movie, you might miss something". I found the plot fairly well done and actually made sense (if only the last Star Trek film had that going for it) and was interesting to boot.

I also read that the look of Barsoom (Mars to you and me) was dull and uninteresting. Hmmm, never been an admirerer of the stark and raw beauty of the American southwest I guess. Personally I found Barsoom to be beautiful, alien, exotic and familiar all at the same time. After all, the Mars rovers have confirmed that the Red Planet does indeed look like our American southwest and I for one happen to think both places very scenic.

Some critics have said the story is dull and lifeless. OK, put down the crack pipe and step away from the video game console. "John Carter" has a great fast paced plot with lots of interesting twists and turns. I also thought the characters were nicely drawn, if not overly complex, and that the alien races on Barsoom to be very interesting with fascinating customs which only made me want to learn more about them.

Other critics have complained that they have seen this stuff before in movies like Star Wars and Avatar. Wellllll, it seems as though those two directors (among other film makers and writers) have been looting the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs for quite some time so I guess there is bound to be a feeling of deja vu.

Have we really become such a culture that is so easily jaded? Can we no longer feel that sense of wonder and feeling of adventure in a film like "John Carter"? Maybe we are too use to storylines being spoon fed to us in easily digested bites and cannot follow along with a film that isn't zipping past our eyeballs at 186,000 miles per second with flashy explosions at every eye blink. If true then how sad that such a wondrous film will get pushed to the wayside in favor of something like Transformers 8.

John Carter captures the spirit of the original ERB books very well. I'm not going to give a thorough review of the movie because so many other reviewers have already done that. I will, however, say that everyone involved in the production of this movie should be commended. The film takes Burroughs' "A Princess of Mars" and combines elements of the second book "Gods of Mars" (adding a few tweaks along the way) to create what can be called a mini-masterpiece. The story is well-written, the characters are fleshed out, the FX enhance the story not overshadow it, and the acting is excellent. The stunning Lynn Collins steals the show with her performance as Princess Dejah Thoris, Taylor Kitsch is admirable as Carter, and Willem Dafoe is perfect as the Thark leader Tars Tarkas. Andrew Stanton did a great job directing, the score is memorable, and the visuals are breathtaking.

If you haven't read the original books (which are absolute classics), you'll enjoy this movie because it's a great movie. If you're already a fan of the books, you'll love the movie despite some of the changes (John Carter was never married before he went to Mars, for one), which can be overlooked (If you want an almost accurate representation of the source material, Dynamite Entertainment's "Warlord or Mars" comic series [along with the excellent spin-offs] is highly recommended. In fact, it's probably the best comic book out there right now). I'm already a huge John Carter fan, and this movie is a wonderful addition to the world of John Carter.

Do not let the critics stop you from seeing this movie. Anyone who gave this movie a bad review is an idiot and was probably on something when they saw this movie, or they based their reviews solely on the awful trailers. The marketing campaign for this movie is one of the worst I've ever seen, and there has been little or no merchandising for this movie-it's almost like Disney wanted this movie to fail. There are some fan trailers on the internet that absolutely blow away what Disney put out, and they really make you want to see the movie. I've given up hope that we'll see the sequels, but maybe people will listen to everyone that has actually seen the movie without an agenda, and the final box office and DVD/Blu-ray sales can keep the franchise going.

In closing, I cannot wait til John Carter comes out on DVD, and I give my highest recommendation to this film.

Buy John Carter (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2012) Now

Former Confederate Civil War soldier, Captain John Carter has nothing left to fight for when he finds himself transported to a desert planet. Suddenly among a warrior tribe of four-armed aliens and a beautiful princess, Carter ends up in the middle of another war. But when faced with the chance of returning home to Earth, Carter may have found a cause worth fighting for in Princess Dejah and the people of Barsoom.

Taylor Kitsch stars as John Carter, the bitter and destitute man who cares for nothing but his found cave of gold. Kitsch has a young face and stoic countenance, perfect for the role of the ageless John Carter. He's a believable fighter and a great straight man to plenty of humor. Princess Dejah is played by Lynn Collins, who has terrific chemistry with John Carter, and is just as strong and smart as her male counterparts (if not more). Mark Strong and Dominic West are fantastic villains, especially West as a surprisingly charming and attractive (though naïve) despot. And my favorite characters in the novel (Princess of Mars) as well as the film were the Tharks, played by Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church and Samantha Morton. Though CGI, the characters still brought depth, emotion, and humor and successfully brought Burroughs' characters to life.

Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic Princess of Mars (published in 1917), John Carter is a surprising and exceptional retelling. I recently read Princess of Mars in anticipation for the film. And though the film doesn't delve into the depth of the Tharks' stories as I would have liked, it still captures the spirit of the novel. And the natives of Barsoom get an impressive technology upgrade, and the science is updated for the awe-factor in the film.

I had my reservations after seeing the official trailers. But I was happy to see that the screen writers and director Andrew Stanton knew what they were doing, even if the marketing was off. This fan was captivated from beginning to end and loved every minute of this epic adventure. Full of fascinating characters, life-like aliens, and advanced technology science fiction fans will certainly enjoy John Carter. But the action-packed thrills, suspense, drama, romance, and incredible story will appeal to a wide range of new fans of all ages. It's heart-warming, inspirational, and highly entertaining. Don't miss this one.

Read Best Reviews of John Carter (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2012) Here

This was an Epic fail on Disney's part for not getting behind this film. I cannot say enough good about this movie. It is rare that a film grabs me and pulls me in from start to finish as thoroughly as John Carter did. I won't rehash the plot or review the actual film, but I can say without a doubt that this is a must purchase. If you missed out on this in theaters due to the shoddy/lack of marketing and/or ridiculously negative reviews from critics who hadn't actually watched the film then you owe it to yourself to buy this Blu Ray.

I truly believe this movie will become a classic despite it's "flop" beginnings. I took my 7 and 9 year old boys to this in the theater and they couldn't stop talking about it! (Neither could I for that matter.) If Disney would have done right by this it could have been their "Star Wars".

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Kaor!!! I won't go into what the movie was about. There are plenty of reviews here that do that very well. Another won't mean that much. I have been waiting 50 years for this movie to come out and I, personally, was not disappointed one bit, despite some of the changes the writers/director made to the original story. In some instances, such as the increased fleshing out (no pun intended about the luscious Lynn Collins) of the character of Dejah Thoris from helpless princess to a more well rounded female personality, was a well founded idea and is proabably (again with the help of Ms Collins exceptional acting ability) part of the reason why everyone who raves about this movie really does so. As so many have said, she stole the movie from Taylor Kitsch. In the scene where he finally realizes he is on Mars, her superior acting ability makes him look superfluous to the scene, unfortunately for him. Don't get me wrong, I think he did a good job for his first starring role, but when placed next to a more seasoned actor such Ms. Collins or even Willem Dafoe as Tars Tarkas, he sadly loses out. I STILL LOVED this movie though, beginning to end.

Now, the marketing campaign. I have heard that marketing heads have rolled as a result of the botched effort on this movie. As they should have. From the minute they decided to change the name from John Carter of Mars to just John Carter, it has been a marketing disaster. Several fan made trailers have made their rounds on the internet that did a MUCH better job of describing the story and marketing this movie than the so called professionals ever thought of. I don't know if the people in marketing put the fear of "Prince of Persia" into Andrew Stanton's head,and this was part of his reasoning for some of the changes, but I feel he bears some of the blame himself. Not for the movie. His movie is magnificent and I really wish there would be the sequels of Gods of Mars and Warlord of Mars, but just how everyone handled the selling of the movie. It saddened me so much to see only 4-5 people in the movie theater with me when it should have been packed. The movie has it's weak points, to be sure, but it's over all strengths far outweigh any weaknesses.

None the less, I have already put in my notice with Amazon.com I want to be notified the minute this movie becomes available to order because I will definitely buy it.

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Rounders (1998)

I own the original DVD of this film. Certainly I hesitated to buy a second copy of the essentially same movie, but(...) I thought I'd take a chance. The main feature remains the same, so if you are in the same situation as I was, you'll be paying for the extra features. In short, the extras certainly make it worthwhile to own this edition, whether or not you own the original.

1. If you play poker already, "Heads Up Texas Hold 'Em" won't help you. (I bet you suspected that already.)

2. The two bonus features, "Behind-The-Scenes Special" and "Inside Professional Poker", are short at 5'20" and 5'40" respectively. The former is a little disappointing; it appears that the cast and the staff simply talk about the movie retrospectively after the production. In other words, it looks and feels like an afterthought. The latter is a little more satisfying; it gives some well-known (to regular poker players) principles of poker. The soundtracks are very annoying.

3. Champion Poker Tips gives a few sound-bite tips from Johnny Chan, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, and Chris Moneymaker. Again, if you play poker already, there is nothing new here.

4. Now, these professional players are featured in the extra commentary. Mr. Whear characterized this commentary as "odd," but I thought this was the best part of this Collector's Edition. The comments they make are sometimes off the wall, but it just adds to the charm (to me, anyway). They analyze the hand Mike McD loses to Teddy KGB at the beginning of the movie, and also the showdown at the end; their analysis is good, and they explain how (and why) things will be quite different in the real life. Also, the commentary shows the characters of these pros. Hellmuth is usually the motor mouth; Chan is the happy guy, but complains about how fat he appears in the film; Moneymaker seems a little reserved around the others; Ferguson is pretty quiet, but when he speaks he is brilliant (he even cracks a joke).

5. Staff's commentary gives some insight into the production of the film, including the real-world model of Teddy KGB (it turns out he is Eddie KGB in real life). This commentary is also good.

What was on the original DVD edition that is missing on this edition is the theatrical trailer. You might wonder why I bring this up. Well, the trailer contains a couple of scenes that didn't make the cut. I'm sure these could have been added as deleted scenes, too. For that, I subtract 1 star.

There are two types of people watching Rounders: those who play poker and those who don't. If you can identify in any way with Matt Damon in this movie, it's going to captivate you. If you're not a card player... you can probably forget it.



Mike McDermott (Damon) is a professional poker player and a law school student, in that order. One night, in an attempt to raise the capital for a trip to Las vegas to play in the World Series of Poker, McDermott loses his whole bankroll, $30K, to the owner of his favorite underground card club, Teddy KGB (John Malkovich). The next day, he swears off cards, but we get the feeling he does so in order to keep his relationship with Jo (Gretchen Mol) alive. His resolve is shaken, and quickly detroyed, when his best friend growing up, Worm (Edward Norton), is released from prison, and McDermott soon finds himself back at the table.



This movie succeeds on a number of levels, and surprisingly so. Of course, many of those levels have to do with cards, and if (as I said) you're not enchanted, or at least obsessed, with the non-luck aspects of any game of chance, it'll probably bore you stiff. But even if you're only a weekend (or rarer) player at the card table, the horse track, or the stock market, you'd do well to listen to Damon's voiceovers throughout the movie, which have loads of excellent information (and mirror things I've been telling novice horseplayers for years).



Other than that, the insights into relationships, and the ways obsession can destroy them, are profound. Well, okay, maybe not profound, but handled with gobs more subtlety and wit than I've seen in just about forever. Mol isn't really onstage long enough to give her any real chemistry with Damon, but take it from me, the ways they react to one another throughout the film are dead on. More importantly, both to the plot and to the success of the movie, is the relationship between McDermott and Worm. Edward Norton proves once again he's one of Hollywood's true rising talents, and the deeper motivations that drive his character are exposed just well enough that we can see them. Not an easy task, and one sure to be uncovered if the actor doesn't understand those motivatins and the viewer does.



The other main aspect of the film is the suspense during the actual card games. Another thing that's not easy to pull off, and often (most recently in the Gibson/Foster remake of Maverick) the director resorts to insane, next-to-impossible combinations of cards to make it work. (Remember the final game in Maverick?) In the first scene, when Teddy KGB nails McDermott, the winning hand is a full house. Welcome to the real world of poker, where oftentimes it's the guy holding the two pair that ends up forty grand richer at the end of the night. Dahl realizes, repeatedly, that it's not the cards in the hand that provide the action, it's the way the characters react to one another. One almost thinks that Dahl could have pulled this movie off by putting Damon, Norton, Malkovich (without the cheesy accent), John Turturro, and two or three of the other cardplayers around a table and shot two hours of one game.

Buy Rounders (1998) Now

I first saw Rounders when I had been playing Hold'Em for about 2 years and noticed a big change in the "drop ins" at the tables. (Drop In A new player that isnt one of the regulars that usually play in a reoccuring game or location) People were throwing out quotes from Teddy KGB, the Russian character played by John Malkovich. I could tell the movie was creating an insurgance of new players to the game. Years later you can play Hold'Em at nearly any table in any casino and say something like 'weaddy ageasieev' and get at least a couple chuckles.

Matt Damon plays the main character, Mikey McDermott and Edward Norton his best friend Lester "Worm" Murphy who's freshly released from a prison term that Mikey might have also had to serve if Lester would have given him up. Feeling obligated for the sacrifice his friend made, Mikey trys everything he can to keep Worm out of trouble while attempting to hold together a failing relationship with his girlfriend while juggling law school. Mikey cant resist the draw of poker and ends up back in the frey of the Rounders again realizing that life is a grind without his true love of poker.

Damon portrays the main character brilliantly and Norton was so convincing that I actually felt angry at him for fouling everything all up. Malkovich invents his own odd version of the Russian accent while pulling off the role of Teddy that is completely unforgettable. There's also a great cameo by the 3 time World Series of Poker champion Jonny Chan.

Rounders portrays a professional gambler more realistically than I've ever seen it before. From hiding large amounts of cash all over the house to the dark smokey poker rooms hidden away in a basement to ring games at the casino. Amassing large fortunes and getting broke again then back in the same day. The life of gambling is one of extremes, danger and euphoria. People get drawn into it and like a drug become addicted, a small handful end up conquering it and carving out a life for themselves.

This movie can almost be attributed to the start of a new revolution of poker players, TV shows like World Poker Tour sprang up, attendance at the World Series of Poker has increased by bounds every year. Though it was an already growing sport, Rounders has been the catalyst to growth and has pulled people into poker like never before.

Read Best Reviews of Rounders (1998) Here

To start, this is one of my favorite movies of all time. Easily a Top Ten for me. Matt Damon does a great job as the straight laced poker player who plays by the rules, while Ed Norton, in the role of "Worm" does a spectacular job of bring to life Damon's snakish long time friend. I'm sure at this point you are familiar with the movie so I won't go into much detail regarding the story line. Basically Damon is trying to pull his friend Worm out of a jam. A great Poker movie. [But there is a horrendous attempt of a love story sub plot within it, ignore it and watch on]

Here is my complaint, This movie is outstanding; why is the DVD so bad. The sound is half as good as it should be and there are no special features to be found. What makes a quality DVD is not just the movie(we know thats great) but the extras you get with it. You expect great sound, picture and addtional information about the movie when you pick up the DVD. This one falls far short of doing any of those things. It's a shame such a great and brilliant movie was botched in DVD form.

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Let's put this first:Rounders is a movie about poker..But it doesn't mean that those who are not into this game,won't understand it or like it...

Mike (Damon)is a young law student who is also a master poker player..When he loses all of his savings in a game against the poker expert Russian KGB (Malkovich),he thinks he has played his final hand and promises his girlfriend that he will never sit on a game again.Then his long time friend "Worm" (Edward Norton) gets out of prison and Worm is in big trouble with many guys waiting for his release,because he owes a serious amount to them and the creditors' list goes all the way up to KGB..From then on,it's the dilemma of Mike between his promise to his girlfriend,his education as a law student vs. his loyalty to his friend and his great passion for the game of poker.

I should begin by saying that all of the actors involved (maybe except Gretchen Mol who plays Mike's girlfriend) did a wonderful job.Matt Damon is great as the young poker whiz,we can really feel the state of mind he is in during the whole movie,and is also the narrator.His narration is the best bit of the movie in my opinion.Although it seems that it is always about poker,from the first moment you sense that poker is chosen as a metaphor to tell us about life and how we approoach it.

The script is brilliantly written.Altough I didn't know a thing about poker (and especially about Texas Hold'em),there hasn't been a thing I missed thanks to the narration of Mike and the perfection of the storytelling.

Many people have criticized Malkovich's portayal of the Russian card shark but I think that the final re-match between him and Mike was one of the funniest parts among all the movies I have seen.And Edward Norton should also be mentioned because I think he does a great job as the Worm.He made me hate him for all the problems he put Mike in,and that is the sign of an actor doing his job at best.

The DVD lacks extras and that is my biggest complaint..The deleted scenes I have seen from the trailer should have been added.

This is not a blockbuster and it doesn't have any action scenes.It's all about poker but poker is about life in Rounders.I strongly recommend it even if you don't know anything about this card game who is not about luck.

Caveat Emptor...

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