Company (Stephen Sondheim) (2011)

When you're a theater lover, you greet every revival of a Sondheim work with great enthusiasm. "Company," to my mind, has always been one of the master's more accessible pieces. Originally produced in 1970, the show may be a product of its time but with a powerhouse roster of songs including "The Ladies Who Lunch," "Being Alive," "Side by Side by Side," and "Another Hundred People," it makes for an era well worth revisiting. This star-studded production, shot at Avery Fisher Hall with the New York Philharmonic, certainly had a curiosity factor working for it with its eclectic cast. Headlined by Neil Patrick Harris, the show also features the always welcome Patti Lupone. But in addition to these two, the cast boasts a number of less likely (but no less recognizable) faces. Craig Bierko, Anika Noni Rose, Katie Finneran, Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), and Stephen Colbert are some of the others on stage. This filmed version of that event was presented in theaters at a one night only showcase with Fathom Entertainment. And admittedly, I was first in line.

"Company" tells the story of a perpetual bachelor, in this instance played by Harris. With minimalist staging, he is surrounded by five married couples who are at hand to celebrate his thirty-fifth birthday. The couples are at different points in their relationships (from bliss to divorce) and all have an opinion about the lifestyle that the central protagonist has chosen to live. Whether it is envy or mild disapproval, the show features them battling him and one another in a series of mildly comic scenarios. Harris, as might be expected, shows a light touch with the dramatics of the work. He is effortless and likable and the show has an easy sexiness not always apparent in other productions. But it seems that the choice has been made to concentrate on the story as opposed to the song. So while amusing and pleasant, this production of "Company" lacks some of the big moments that you might be hoping for.

While most of the voices are serviceable, none of the vocal performances come anywhere close to setting a new standard. To my mind, only Patti Lupone's rendition of "The Ladies Who Lunch" really brings down the house. But what else would you expect from such a diva? Unfortunately, the 2007 Broadway revival (with a tremendous Raul Esparza, also on DVD if you haven't seen it) was still quite fresh in my mind when I watched this. I thought that version was an absolute powerhouse and, frankly, this seemed much slighter by comparison. Still, I can't NOT recommend a Sondheim and if this cast brings a wider audience to appreciate his work, who am I to complain? And it is genuinely amusing to see a different side of some of the performers. I enjoyed "Company" fine. It's certainly not the definitive performance of this great musical, but it's still a bit of light fun. KGHarris, 8/12.

In 2011, I was sitting at the local movie theatre when a preview for Stephen Sondheim's Company came on the screenI immediately had a musical theatre nerd-gasm. I've listened to this show over and over again, but I never really grasped the full concept of the show. I bought the 2006 Broadway Revival DVD in hopes to gain some more insight into the showI received, some. It wasn't until I saw this production (one of only a few in the theatre), that I completely understood Bobby's story.

The scale of this production, and the staging was simply magnificent. Many forget that this was Company: In Concert because it feels as though it's a full-scale Broadway production. The full orchestration was fantastic, and the talent on stage, sublime: Neil Patrick Harris embodied Bobby perfectly. Patti LuPone's Joanne had me on the edge of my seatI've always been a fan of her. And the three young ladies playing Bobby's girlfriends (Chryssie Whitehead, Anika Noni Rose, & Cristina Hendricks) were excellent choices: each one played their character beautifully.

Ms. LuPone brought her own to the role of Joanne. Each of her musical numbers brought down the house: during "The Ladies Who Lunch" I forgot I was in a movie theatre and actually gave a standing ovation. NPH's "Being Alive" had me in tearsI couldn't help it, again a standing "o". Anika Noni Rose's "Another Hundred People", amazing; Christina Hendricks' "Barcelona", hauntingly simple; Chryssie Whitehead's nimble pins during "Tick Tock" (cut from most productions) had me moving my own feet. Kate Finneran's "Getting Married Today", funny as always.

If you're looking to add this to your collection, I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Hesitant about seeing it for one reason or another? It can't hurt to give it a chance.

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I saw Company! at the Alvin Theater, of Broadway on December 8th, 1970 (Elaine Stritch forgot a line in "Ladies who lunch" and turned to the audience after a LONG pause saying "Do you think I forgot the line?") and have seen every reincarnation I could find since then. I have a copy of the script, the Alvin Theater Playbill and am a Company! junky. Loved Raul Esparsa in the 2006 revival, but it lacked the full orchestra Sondheim deserves (Angel Desai strained to sing "Another Hundred People"). This cast solves every problem I've seen in previous reincarnations and NPH pays great tribute the the Late Larry Kert, while Martha Plimpton and Stephen Colbert are awesome. No one else could be Elaine Stritch, but Patti Lupone holds her own. Bravo!

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I love the play so I went to see this version when it was in theaters and enjoyed it. However, now that I have it in my own home, I remember some of the problems it had. There is a fine line between projecting your voice to be heard and shouting the lines, and unfortunately, a few of the cast members cross that. There are a few spots where the singing is off-key. And the acting is a tad awkward in several scenes. It really gives you the feeling that they just threw this together and there wasn't a lot of rehearsing. If you're a fan of the play then I would get it, seeing NPH, Stephen Colbert, and Jon Cryer in this is a real treat. But if you're new to the play I would not recommend this for your first viewing.

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Stephen Sondheim fans should rejoice that Lonny Price's superb production of "Company" is now on DVD. Price restores and rescues "Company", (from the awful, over-rated clutches of "acclaimed" director John Doyle) - placing it firmly back in New York City in 1970. Well, it takes place there and it doesn't. "Company" actually takes place inside Bobby's (Neil Patrick Harris) mind.

With "Company," Sondheim effectively moved the musical theatre from the "integrated musical" (pioneered by his mentor Oscar Hammerstein II) into the "concept musical." The concept or "theme" of "Company" is the difficulty of maintaining interpersonal relationships in an increasingly depersonalized society. Sondheim writes in his career retrospective "Finishing The Hat", ("Company") "takes place not over a period of time, but in an instant in Robert's mind; perhaps on a psychiatrist's couch, perhaps at the moment when he comes into his apartment on his thirty-fifth birthday." The unattached and seemingly "emotionally unavailable" Robert imagines his surreal birthday party; reviewing his relationships with his "good and crazy" married friends, as well as his relationships with three disparate girlfriends (Chrysse Whitehead, Christina Hendricks and Anika Noni Rose). The "in his head" approach allows Robert's interactions with his married friends to unfold as a series of vignettes, outside of time and space. It also provides for a great amount of theatrical fluidity and versatility. In this cerebral-emotional context, it is quite natural for Bobby's three girlfriends to pop in and sing "You Could Drive A Person Crazy" in the style of the Andrews Sisters; or Bobby and all of his friends to perform a vaudeville-circus routine to "Side By Side-What Would We Do Without You?"

But "Company" is far from a cold, cerebral "head trip". It is, indeed, a profound emotional journey. Robert and his friends are all full of angst, deeply flawed and neurotic; which makes them wonderfully human. Sondheim's observations and commentary on relationships (married, divorced, or some stage of single to coupling or uncoupling) are, by turns, astringent, cynical, rueful and often ruthless. In my opinion, Sondheim is right on the emotional mark. As expected, Kate Finneran as Amy, the frazzled bride on the verge of a nervous breakdown, stops the show with her delivery of "Getting Married Today." Also as expected, Patti Lupone as Joanne, turns the stinging "The Ladies Who Lunch" into her own volcanic, personal tour-de-force. But this production delights and surprises in several unexpected ways as well. Martha Plimpton, Stephen Colbert, and Jon Cryer all make welcome and effortless transitions from TV comedy to musical theatre. Anika Noni Rose offers an exhilarating performance of "Another Hundred People." At the center of it all is the extremely charismatic and talented Neil Patrick Harris, who imbues Bobby with an easy but potent sexiness, instead of aloofness or cold, cocky arrogance. It is easy to see why everybody is so attracted to, and worried about, him. By the conclusion, and Bobby's big emotional breakthrough with "Being Alive," Harris is also heartbreaking.

Sondheim writes in "Finishing The Hat", "Company" is a show I'm extremely happy with. It influenced musicals, for good and ill, for years afterwards and continues to do so. It made a lot of grown-ups who had disdained musicals take them seriously, and it not incidentally gave me my first good notices."

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The Jerk (Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (1979)

This is one of my favorite comedies. It's not for everyone, as you must understand Martin's unique style of humor. That having been said, the DVD is awful.

The transfer is decent, although could have been cleaned up more. Luckily, it's at least anamorphic widescreen. The sound, while hardly sounding like 5.1, still sounds decent, as i doubt surround sound was on the mind of film makers in 1979. Seriously, it's not Star Wars.

Extras? Fugetaboudit! NO commentary. NO making-of. NO interviews. Just one delected scene, trailer, and a dumb ukelele lesson.

The WORST part! There are scenes missing! Perhaps this version of the film is exactly as it was released in the theaters, but i'm too young to know. However, every time i've seen it on television, there were scenes not present in this release...such as the several different people requesting donations from the rich Navin Johnson. In this, you only get the Mexican priest. Where's the guy who needs new seat covers on his plane? That scene was classic!

You know, this is the SECOND release of this film on DVD, and they call it an "Anniversary Edition." If they're going to give it a name like that, they could at least include the cut of the movie with extra scenes added back in. Maybe the commentary and a simple 15-minute making-of is asking too much, but at least give us the material that's already in the can.

Surreal to the point of silliness, "The Jerk" captured the atmosphere of comedy perfectly in the 70's. Before Robin Williams broke through to a larger audience on the big and little screen, Steve Martin was THE JERK. As dense as a brick, Martin doesn't so much as act like a jerk as become one. Opening like a variation on all those Hollywood tales where the hero of our story is down on his luck but soon to be redeemed (of course, this IS a comedy so it's unlikely he'll get the redemption we expect because, well, that wouldn't be funny), Navin Johnson (Martin) mentions at the beginning that he was "born a poor black child". Adopted by a poor African-American family living in poverty, Navin is horrified to discover that not only is he adopted but he's always going to be Caucasian and have absolutely no rhythm. Navin discovers he does have rhythm after all ("praise the Lord!") when he listens to a radio playing dance music from the time. Navin eats his Twinkies, learns the difference between sh-t and Shinola and hits the road hoping to be rich. Armed with the advice his family gives him ("God bless the working man...and remember never trust whitey!"). He hitchhikes getting his first ride which takes him to the end of a fence getting about twenty feet away from home. Needless to say, life is more than an adventure for Nathan and his dog Shithead; it's a vocation.

Receiving a very nice transfer, "The Jerk" looks typical of a film from the late 70's with noticeable film grain and while the colors aren't quite as vivid as I would have thought, they're acceptable. This is the first widescreen presentation for the film so that's something to be thankful for. There's quite a bit of analog debris in the form of dirt (in fact it looks as if this is exactly the same transfer as the previous edition). The 5.1 remastered Dolby Digital Surround Sound mix has nice presence but (not surprisingly) it doesn't use the format particularly well.

In addition to the original production notes from the previous edition and theatrical trailer we also get 1 extra and 1 featuring footage cut from the film. "The Lost Filmstrips of Father Carlos Las Vegas De Cordova" is a "continuation" of the film within a film where we see Martin play various characters doing things like verbally abusing a plant, dressing a bulldog in a clown suit as the audience cheers and takes pets in a bizarre parody of cock fighting. It's really footage that was cut from that sequence. "Learn to Play `Tonight You Belong to Me'" includes sections where you can learn to tune a ukulele (something I've been dying to learn), play it, play along with the Ukulele Gal and, finally, play along with the jerk himself. It's bizarre to say the least. The last bit is just a scene from "The Jerk" where Navin serenades his sweetheart at the beach.

No commentary track from Martin or Reiner. Honestly, you'd think they were embarrassed by this film! Or, maybe they weren't asked to do it or wanted too much money. While an improvement on the original edition of the film, that improved is slight at best. The featurettes are pleasant diversions but the real reason to get "The Jerk" is that this is the first time it's been presented in widescreen. The image quality could have been cleaned up quite a bitas there's quite a bit of analog debris that appears early on in the film. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this unless you're dying to have the widescreen version of this classic comedy.

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NOTE: review below was in regards to the Full Screen or Pan & Scan version of The Jerk that was the initial DVD release. A later edition was released which does respect the movie and offer it in widescreen format. If you are purchasing, be sure to get the anniversary version of the movie so you'll see the ENTIRE movie and not lose the images on the edges of the screen. Remainder of original review left as is. Thanks!

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First off, I love this movie. It's silly, it's funny, it's touching in some places, but mostly, it's just entertaining.

My biggest complaint with this DVD is that it's one that offers little to no bonus value, and, to me, commits the cardinal sin of not putting the movie in it's original format instead offering only a Pan and Scan Full Screen presentation.

I've hoped for several years that this movie would get a 'special anniversary' or other 'collectors edition' that would offer the original wide screen format and some decent special features, but finally had to break down and purchase this 'original' release of the DVD because my wishes seem to be going unanswered.

Please note that I rate the movie itself here a full 5 stars (* * * * *), but the DVD gets only 2 stars, for it's lack of respect to the buying public.

The movie was a classic when it was released.

Steve Martin, the ultimate 'white guy' finds himself 'born a poor black child', without rhythm and unable to figure out why he doesn't fit in with his Black brothers and sisters.

He gets motivated to go off and discover himself, and his adventures along the way are a total riot.

In many ways a model that could have been used for the original "Rain Man" character, Navin R. Johnson (Martin's character) had a simple charm and naive streak that was almost unbelievable, but too funny not to laugh at.

This movie is a comedy classic, and it deserves a Special Edition and better treatment on DVD. Hopefully someday it will get just that.

Read Best Reviews of The Jerk (Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (1979) Here

This is a fantastic movie... even though I love many of Steve Martin's movies this is the one that I can quote from beginning to end and still laugh constantly!

My main complaint, like others, is that it is NOT WIDESCREEN! The sad thing is, if you look at the packaging for "The Steve Martin Collection" 3-pack it shows "The Jerk" as originally being slated to be shown in the widescreen format, however for some reason they decided to keep in Pan and Scan anyway.... Ugh!

Another sad thing is that this movie HAS DELETED SCENES but they are NOT INCLUDED in the DVD! Anyone who has seen the movie syndicated knows that there are additional scenes which are shown on TV but for some reason are left out of the DVD!

Hopefully Universal will soon release a version of this movie comparable to their great DVD releases of AMERICAN GRAFFITTI and ANIMAL HOUSE... until then, this version will have to do I suppose.

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I have really come to the end of my rope concerning Universal DVD releases. Why hasnt this film been cleaned up and at least out out on a widescreen format? Their is no excuse for this. They are by far the biggest and the worse dvd distributor in the market. They continually release dvd after dvd with framing errors-no digital transfers-no extra features---grainy dirty negatives without any concern about preserving these films. Its pathetic.To add to all of this they will release these films then pull them over and over again how many more re-releases of one film can you produce?Why? your not adding anything but new crappy artwork for the cover.Whens the last time the original cut of the Blues Brothers has seen the day of light??Now The Jerk is also among your lame releases. GREAT film HORRIBLE release done by the worst in the biz. Simply put UNIVERSAL SUCKS.

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Silver City (1951)

After the 1940s, Paramount Pictures concentrated on producing bigger budget "A" Westerns. During the 1950s the studio featured such stars as Charlton Heston (e.g., PONY EXPRESS, THE SAVAGE, ARROWHEAD), Alan Ladd (e.g., SHANE, BRANDED), John Payne (e.g., EL PASO, THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK), and Edmond O'Brien. Among O'Brien's several Paramount Westerns, Olive Films has licensed (thus far) DENVER & RIO GRANDE and SILVER CITY. SILVER CITY is fine Western entertainment, beautifully photographed in Technicolor, with solid production values, and good acting from a great cast. In addition to O'Brien, Yvonne De Carlo, Barry Fitzgerald, and Edgar Buchanan populate the action. This is thorough enjoyable Western entertainment.

Olive Films has licensed a number of Paramount Westerns, including RUN FOR COVER (Jimmy Cagney's best of the three oaters he made), PONY EXPRESS, THE JAYHAWKERS (with Jeff Chandler and Fess Parker), THE NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY (Fess Parker), THE HANGMAN (with Robert Taylor) and perhaps O'Brien's best film prior to THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE, DENVER & RIO GRANDE (with its spectacular train crash scene).

Hopefully, Olive will continue to release Paramount Westerns. O'Brien's WARPATH is spectacular entertainment, as is FLAMING FEATHER (with Sterling Hayden). Let's hope they will see the quality release that Olive has given to SILVER CITY, RUN FOR COVER, and DENVER & RIO GRANDE.

Highly recommended; don't pass this one up.

A mining assayer (Edmond O'Brien) with a criminal past that haunts him joins forces with a miner (Edgar Buchanan) and his daughter (Yvonne De Carlo) to fight off a claim jumper (Barry Fitzgerald) and his henchman (Michael Moore). This rather ragged routine western, directed by Byron Haskin (THE NAKED JUNGLE), doesn't have much to offer though western junkies may find it agreeable. For the most part, it's the usual shoot 'em up but the most interesting aspect of it a subplot involving Richard Arlen as a man from O'Brien's past, now married to O'Brien's spoiled ex-fiancee (Kasey Rogers, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN). The barely suppressed marital tension between the two provides more conflict than the miners vs. claim jumpers plot. De Carlo is gorgeous in Technicolor but O'Brien needs a strong role to show off his acting talent. Without a good part, he's a cipher. With Gladys George and Myron Healey.

The Olive DVD is a spiffy colorful transfer in the proper 1.33 aspect ratio.

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i liked this movie very much the story was good and the actors were very good also

so again i recommend this western to all western movie fans buy it on line from

amazon.com

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The basic story of a love triangle plus good versus evil flowed nicely through the film, albeit this is definitely not a deep dark film by any stretch more of a Saturday matinee. The scenes shot in the saw mill were completely implausible as the automated equipment used within the mill certainly didn't exist in the Wild West a bit imbalanced that they didn't think the details better. No matter, though this isn't the big budget production, it is certainly enjoyable for anyone who likes westerns and who wants to mindlessly kick back for a spell and just watch a movie for fun.

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Actor Edmond O'Brien deserves so much more credit for a long, talented career. His skills bring so much to this film and others he appears in. A great actor who is still missed by his fans.

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Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

For some reason there remains a problem with the video quality of Thomas Crown Affair. What we are suppose to be seeing is a new transfer, ( I guess admitting that the prior version needed improvement) which in fact it did. This new transfer isn't quite what I was expecting, in fact it's uneven or should I say unbalanced which gives a uncomfortable viewing experience. Anyone who purchases this DVD version expecting the ultimate quality version is in for a big let-down. This DVD is offered with the wide screen/ full screen format. MGM appears to be looking in the rear view mirror. With Plasma/LCD quality, why is MGM wasting time with marginal quality standards. This Batch will end up in the bargin bin. Save your money and wait till next time.

Even in 1968, audiences knew The Thomas Crown Affair was a film of style over substance. It had an interesting premise dreamt up by a Boston Lawyer who had never written a screenplay before-and there wasn't a lot of story or character development. It's the films' style and gimmicks which endeared it to audiences. And the coolest of the cool stars,Steve (I move like a panther) McQueen, on the planet teamed up with the fascinating mix of earthy sultriness and ice princess that is Faye Dunaway at her peak.

So does this film hold up? Is it worth watching? The first half hour of the film the robbery is still an exciting, stylish, entertaining sequence that few films will top in terms of hipness. It's here the multiple screen gimmick works best. It's here that Hal Ashby's editing and Walter Hill's second unit work is most impressive. It's the best part of the film and it works beautifully. (Yes that's future directors Hal Ashby and Walter Hill I just mentioned).

Affair is directed by Norman Jewison (a former editor/turned director who had just directed In the Heat of the Night, and The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming). United Artists didn't put much pressure or time constraints on Jewison, and Jewison took this very weak screenplay with an interesting premise and worked with writer Alan R. Trustman to create a sandbox for him and legendary cinematographer Haskell Wexler to play in. They were young, they were anxious to break rules and try new things and they happened to wind up at Montreal Expo 67 and in the audience of a ground-breaking multi-screen extravaganza called Habitat. Habitat was created by film/maker and graphic designer Pablo Ferro. Jewison, Wexler and Ashby had found the gimmick they were looking for. It wasn't really until the film was in post production that they began putting together the multi-screen effects, and none of the film was story-boarded . A lot of improvisation was used for the film.

The premise of the story (for the few who don't know) concerns a very wealthy corporate millionaire, Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) who is so used to winning at every game he plays, he challenges himself by quietly setting up and master-minding a huge bank robbery. It's one of the things that amuses him, one of the few thrills he has in life, his way to rebel and protest against his own corporate greed.

The police are baffled, Paul Burke as top cop Eddie Malone is willing to work with a very unique insurance investigator to break the case. The investigator turns out to be Vicki Anderson (played by Faye Dunaway). She earns ten percent of the money she recovers and she's willing to do just about anything and break all the rules to earn her moneywhich frustrates the by the book Eddie Malone.

Now there's never much time taken with conventional things like dialogue. Most of the characters speak in short phrases and sentences. The music is loud, intrusive, and obvious. It's used throughout the film to drive the pacing of the scene or over-emphasize minor moments. Today it plays a bit more campy than it used to, but it's a lot of fun.

Vicki Anderson quickly decides that Thomas Crown must be the master-mind behind the bank robbery. She doesn't really have any evidence, or really much of a reason to come to this conclusion, but she does. The film expects you to accept this. So the rest of the film is a cat and mouse game. Vicki and Thomas are attractive jet-setting type people and they are attracted to each other, flirt, make love, drink port, play chess (in an extremely low key erotic fashion), buy fresh produce, go for dune buggy rides, and sit in sauna's together.

They both know however that they are adversaries.

McQueen's acting is also very stylized. He pauses before making facial gestures. He laughs somewhat forced, and his every movement feels calculated. It works.

Although the film becomes less logical as it progresses, its inventive style held my attention throughout. And perhaps because of how dated it's hip chicness is, it's even more fun now,then when it was first released.

The re-make is actually a better film than this one. The screenplay is much better constructed, and the film is structured better as a conventional narrative. But the first 30 minutes of this film is not easily topped, and Steve McQueen was a one of a kind screen presence.

If your in the mood for a style over substance film from the late 60's complete with the title Academy Award Winning song Windmills of your Mind, you won't be disappointed.

Three and Half .... make it Four...

Chris Jarmick...

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I was interested in seeing this film after I saw the remake, especially when I heard so many people say the original was so much better. After having seen both, I'd call it a toss up (both were good!).

Actually, the remake was only loosely based on the original. The original is about a rich guy who knocks off a bank, and the remake about a rich guy who steals art.

This film is well crafted and though the story is far fetched (as in the remake) it's entertaining. Norman Jewison does a terrific job of directing. His visual interpretations, camera angles and dramatic effects are timeless. He overuses the split screen concept a bit, but we need to remember that in 1968 this was fairly new technology and he was probably enamoured with the novelty of it. Think of how much `morphing' was being used when it was first developed.

Probably the best scene involved the chess match between Thomas (Steve McQueen) and Vicki (Faye Dunaway). It was far more erotic than all the scenes where Rene Russo was running around naked in the remake.

The acting was excellent, with Dunaway taking top honors as the stop-at-nothing insurance investigator who literally gets her man. Steve McQueen played the rich macho ego maniac to perfection. His only minus was his phony victory laugh, which was overacted and overused. Paul Burke stayed appropriately but effectively on the sidelines as the police detective.

In comparing the two films, I'd have to say it's about even. The remake had a more inventive and interesting story, replacing the bank robbery with an art heist, but it was also more ridiculous in the final disposition of the stolen painting. The original had better direction and use of the camera, while the remake was much better in use of costumes, props and sets in recreating the opulent lifestyle. Clearly the remake benefited from 30 years of technological improvement in sound and film quality.

The remake was more self indulgent, especially in the sexual area. The McQueen interpretation of Crown was more realistic than Brosnan's conflicted and emotional distraught version. Each reflected their respective times, but McQueen's character was a better representation of the timeless arrogance of the ultra rich. I have to give Rene Russo a slight edge as the investigator. She gave the character more complexity and range. Paul Burke was far superior to Denis Leary as the cop.

The ending of the original was definitely superior, though each ending was really true to the characters' personalities as portrayed.

I gave this film an 8/10. If you like classic films, and you enjoyed the remake, you will probably enjoy this one as well.

Read Best Reviews of Thomas Crown Affair (1968) Here

This film very well could have been a case of style over substance. But what style! The cars are cool, the clothes are cool(particularly Faye Dunaway's mini-dresses), the interiors are cool. Even the use of multi-screen images, which were fashionable in some circles in sixties but I find annoying, is used to good effect. Understatement is the rule of thumb here and Norman Jewison directs this caper film effectively in that manner. Steve McQueen never got the respect as an actor he deserved probably because he wasn't the most histrionic of actors. Here he plays his emotions fairly tight to the vest which befits Thomas Crown. McQueen is more than matched by Dunaway who plays an insurance investigator whose success in her field relies on her feminine wiles in tandom with her brains. The sparks that eminate between McQueen and Dunaway are combustible and rare in a film. The literal chess match between the two is more sensual than 100 films featuring couples making love.

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This is an extremely fine film. Besides a ingenious story and terrific acting by McQueen (who plays a "cool" and very wealthy businessman perfectly) and Dunaway (who looks absolutely stunning and plays it "smart" in nearly every scene), this movie has some fascinating and utterly BRILLIANT editing like no other film I know of... and a HAUNTING and GORGEOUS music score created by Michel LeGrand.

What about the NEW version?

I have been a huge fan of the original Thomas Crown Affair since I first saw it while in the military in 1969..... and bought the 1999 "re-make" because I heard so many good things about it. I must say that honestly there are good points in BOTH films. I never quite bought the fact that the original wealthy "Crown" got his "kicks" robbing a bank.... so stealing the "Monet" made much more sense to me. I also thought the story was a bit more interesting in the new version and I was more satisfied by the challenge Bronsnan's character found in Russo's bluntness.

Overall, however this 1969 "Crown" is the version I prefer. It contains an absolutely beautiful music score by Michel LeGrand (which is superior to the loud, lackluster and frangmented score that Bill Conti created for the new version). The title track here is "Windmills of Your Mind" is an awesome song, but also amazing is "Her Eyes, His Eyes" created for the infamous chess playing sequence. I also prefer the sensuous and sexy elegance of the fire between McQueen and Dunaway to the overtly sweaty lust that Brosnan and Russo desparately share together... this film is more subtile and suggests sexuality.. which seems more fascinating than just the plain nakedness in the new version.

Although I do prefer this film to the remake, both versions are well made and interesting in their own right, and should be enjoyed for what they are and what makes them so entertaining.

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The Young Victoria (2009)

I thoroughly enjoyed this film! Emily Blunt gave a stunning performance as Victoria, but Rupert Friend totally steals the show as Albert, in many ways a much more challenging role, I think. Albert was a complex, private person and his relationship with Victoria is all the more interesting, because while he dutifully pursued marriage with Victoria as his destined "career", he did not expect to fall in love or to be loved in their marriage. Friend does a marvelous job of portraying a very reserved, rational man suprised by his own powerful feelings, and of showing Albert's very dry but keen sense of humor. Many biographers/historians have suggested that Albert did not love Victoria as she did him, but I think this has much more to do with Albert's reserved, Germanic public persona than any historical reality, as is amply demonstrated in his letters and Victoria's journals. Friend does a marvelous job of revealing an Albert who loved Victoria deeply and was willing to make great sacrifices for her, but who also had the strength to stand up to her strong will and fiery temper, and not be pushed around. Both actors obviously did their homework on Victoria and Albert and I think very much captured the essence of their personalities. I also very much enjoyed Jim Broadbent and Harriet Walter's marvelous, feisty performances as King William and Queen Adelaide.

One aspect of the film I found a bit jarring was the portrayal of Victoria's relationship with King Leopold and Baron Stockmar as being rather distant and hostile. While Victoria was quite determined to live her own life and not be a pawn in their (or anyone else's) political schemes, she actually had a very affectionate relationship with her uncle Leopold both before and after her marriage, and Stockmar was a lifelong friend and confidant of both Victoria and Albert and helped them through many of their early marital difficulties. Their manipulative attitude toward Albert and their obsessive focus on grooming him for marriage to Victoria was historically accurate, and Rupert Friend's portrayal of the young Albert's attitude toward their "training" is one of the funniest parts of the film.

I highly recommend Stanley Weintraub's biographies of both Victoria and Albert for those wanting the real historical background for the film. Sarah Ferguson's book Victoria and Albert: Life at Osborne House is also a well-researched and beautifully illustrated book about their marriage and family life.

There is a bit of minor chronological rearrangement to cram about 5 years of historical material into less than 2 hours, for which I think Julian Fellowes can be easily forgiven, and some slight embellishment of real events for dramatic effect (eg Prince Albert did attempt to shield Victoria in the assassination attempt but was not actually shot, Albert was not present at Victoria's coronation) but I didn't find it detracted from the story. Much of the script is actually verbatim historical record (King William's drunken outburst at the banquet, Conroy's attempt to force Victoria to sign an order making him Regent) and Fellowes included these bits unaltered, to his credit--they are fabulously dramatic, just as they are.

Costuming is gorgeous and well-researched, the film is a visual treat. A real must-see!

Movie critics seem to brush over the section of movie goers that can't get enough of well done period dramas. The week before I saw YV I watched Avatar. Now, the critics love Avatar--new visual feats, jump scenes, apparent sex and vilification of the political right. What the critics hate is a beautiful well made film with monogamous relationships, real violence and a hero that actual existed. I suppose critics love the imaginative and spur the real, an interesting commentary on our society and its relationship to the beautiful.

This is the best period drama since the 6 hour Pride and Prejudice.

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The delightfully dallying Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, treats us to a beautifully costumed glimpse of the political and power machinations that go on no matter the era behind the palace door in her production of "Young Victoria" directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes.

Flamboyant Ferguson, once married to Prince Andrew of the UK, knows firsthand just how much of an outsider someone married to a royal can be even in his/her own household. Obviously intrigued by her subject matter as illustrated with the elaborate attention to detail, Ferguson uses the outsider theme in her recounting of the story of Victoria Regina (1819-1901) and VR's ascent to the throne of England at eighteen years old in 1837 but also explores `what could have been' for herself and her modern day prince if they had not allowed the politics and manner plays of the realm interfere with their life together.

Living as a virtual prisoner in the home of her mother, the Duchess of Kent and the Duchess's lover/adviser Sir John Conroy, Victoria endures a restrictive childhood with no companionship of her own age; her dog, Dash, albeit an adorable King Charles spaniel does little to promote her experience of the outside world or prepare her for her coming role as queen. Thought of as a pawn to be controlled by either an appointed regent, a husband, or trusted adviser, Victoria must remain focused; understand her weaknesses and work towards a strong independence that will aid her in taking her place as one of Great Britain's greatest monarchs. The film transports the young princess from captivity to competence and sees her growth from unsure and stubborn ingénue to more-in-control young queen, wife and mother.

Ferguson's concept succeeds admirably; "The Young Victoria" is a first rate film in the genre of Masterpiece Theatre, replete with the lush backdrops of the royal British lifestyle (exquisite gardens, Buckingham Palace, and castles, Arundel and Belvoir ) and beautifully recreated 19th century costumes. However, most compelling for this reviewer and her fellow very vocal older audience members was the film's ability to convey the advance and balance of the developing romance between this queen and her consort from the viewpoint of Victoria as unsure insider and Albert as the German prince who most certainly was at first a guest within his own home. What Ferguson did not get right in her own life, she more than adequately conveys here.

Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada (Full Screen Edition), Warrior Queen) plays the young repressed princess with a believable uncertain precision--her role as Victoria contrasts remarkably with the acerbic over anxious assistant to Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wore Prada." Wonderful to look at, Rupert Friend (Cheri, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont) gives Albert, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, male model sexiness that had many of the audience's older women cooing at his earnest smiles and endearing dimples. However, he is not just a pretty face; his ability to personify a steel core within a pleasant persona admirably depicts the dilemma his character faced throughout his twenty years as Victoria's husband.

Secondary players Miranda Richardson as Victoria's mother and Mark Strong as the Snidely Whiplash villain, Conroy, smolder with insecurity and the wrath that ensues when one's orders are not followed to the letter. Almost unrecognizable--a tribute to his chameleonic ability to become any character--is Paul Bettany (Wimbledon, A Beautiful Mind) as Lord Melbourne, the ambitious and politically minded PM.

The combination of worthy players and intriguing plotline keeps the hour and 45 minute playing time a moving feast of period drama, political power and sweet romance that will wow any lover of the Masterpiece Theatre genre. Despite some historical inaccuracies (Albert never took a bullet for Victoria although there were multiple assassination attempts on her life), the interplay between the two leads cannot fail to charm.

Bottom Line? Sarah Ferguson along with Martin Scorsese produces and arrestingly lovely film depicting the first years of Queen Victoria's long reign as monarch of Great Britain. Telling the parallel stories of her romance with her first cousin, the German Prince Albert and her maturation with regard to court politics and her role as the empire's figurehead, "The Young Victoria" provides an intriguing entertainment for the Masterpiece Theatre set who cannot get enough of costumes, elaborate sets and the mannered sensibilities that act as decoy for machinations that do not change with any age. The audience that I viewed the film with commented enthusiastically about the production afterward, repeatedly exclaiming that it was one of the `best films' they had seen in years. Recommended.

Diana Faillace Von Behren

"reneofc"

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As others have mentioned, the costumes and scenery alone are worth watching the movie for. The acting is wonderful, Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend are passionate and emotive.

The problem stems from messy, unresolved plot holes. A lot of relationships are left undeveloped, and as a result I found it hard to emotionally connect to any minor characters enough to care about their plot threads. When you have such an amazing ensemble cast (Miranda Richardson, Mark Strong, Paul Bettany, Jim Broadbent, etc.) not making the most of them seems almost shocking. Their parts came and went without much ado.

I would have liked to see a bit more development in the romance between Victoria and Albert; the film did a great job showing their correspondence and how excited each was when receiving a letter from the other, but failed to include more than one or two little moments together before expecting the audience to believe in their grounded love for one another.

The driving conflict seems to be Victoria finding her footing despite ill advice, youth, and inexperience; her and Albert's common desire to help the disenfranchised is a great strength, but is never mentioned again after Victoria and Albert are married. They are never seen to do the work that seemingly brought them together.

With just a few little moments added, a few strings tied, a few characters given proper send-offs, it COULD have been utterly moving...but I suspect many of the scenes that would have made this film great rather than good are hiding on the cutting room floor. I can only hope for a Director's Cut at some point!

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From the exceptional costuming to the beautiful cinematography, `Young Victoria' is a triumph...a gem of a film that shines thru all the surrounding noise: when I put this DVD in to watch (released earlier in the UK), I was very impressed with the quality of the entire program! Emily Blunt is stellar as Victoria and Rupert Friend as Albert, as well as great performances from the whole supporting cast: one of my only `issues' with this film is that it was just too short: I was hoping for 3 hours & got about half that: other than that, I was so very well pleased with this film!

Content: Young Victoria had very little that was objectionable in content: there was a sensual bedroom scene (not graphic) between a husband & wife, there was a little violence (a man shoots someone), a little language, and some adult themes, but overall, this was a clean film. I would say it is reasonably family-friendly, but that parents should view it before-hand, to decide if it is acceptable for younger children.

I really enjoyed Young Victoria: from the costumes, to the scenery, to the acting, to the locations, it was just a beautiful film all round: a neat, concise telling of Queen Victoria's ascension & early years of rule, with a huge focus on her relationship & marriage to Albert...a true delight of a film!

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We Are Marshall (2007)

I have lived in Huntington, WV almost my entire life and attended Marshall University. I was a small child when the plane crashed in 1970. I remember, first hand, what our town and community went through after the tragic loss of so many lives. When I first heard that the movie was going to be made, I was both thrilled and trepidatious. Could a big time Hollywood movie capture the real event with integrity, honesty and respect? The answer is a resounding Yes!

McG, McConaughey, Fox and the rest of the cast and crew treated our story with all of that and more. The movie is historically accurate, (thanks to a great script by Jamie Linden) the acting is excellent, the soundtrack is fabulous, and McG thank you for filming a good portion of this movie in Huntington!

This movie was not only "necessary" but a story that applies to so many other "rise from the ashes" events in our world today. I know it would seem easy for me to love this movie because I lived it, but my adoration for this film actually comes from the efforts and dedication that the film makers put into this project. They took a true story and made it into a movie that can touch the heart of anyone who sees it.

For those critics who spend too much time focusing on the "pacing," and "spirituality" or other minutia, you're missing the point. This isn't a film for pretentious, overly analytical critics or Sunday School debate. Enjoy this film for what it is. It was intended to share an uplifting and heart-warming true story and to evoke understanding, empathy, courage and determination. If you have any humanity in you, you will like this movie! GO HERD! WE ARE MARSHALL!!

On November 14, 1970, an airplane carrying the Marshall University football team, coaches, and many prominent supporters crashed with all aboard killed. This movie portrays what happened to those left behind and how they rose from the ashes of this disaster and resurrected the football team.

Since everyone knows what is in store, the first part of the movie is especially poignant as you meet the players and know their lives are destined to end far too early. What a typical moviegoer might not be familiar with is the character of Jack Lengyel, a man who was the only one willing to come forward and try to salvage the football program. Matthew McMcConaughey gives a stirring performance as Coach Lengyel as does Matthew Fox as Red Dawson, the assistant coach who gives up his seat at the last minute to another person. The guilt of being a survivor eats at him and nearly destroys his life.

Emotional, uplifting, and enjoyable....this movie manages to honor those who died and those who picked up the pieces and restored pride to Marshall.

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I remember clearly, as a high school junior, the shock and loss that the crash of the aircraft carrying the Marshall University football team invested on a nation. The town, the college, and those left behind must have suffered so. It has taken 25 years to portray that loss on film, and the December film, "We Are Marshall", while not living up to its promise as one of the years "awardable" movies, was nevertheless a moving film experience.

The film deals briefly with the events leading up to the crash, and then in depth with the different ways that those affiliated with the school grieve and start over again. Star athlete Nate Ruffin (Anthony Mackie) is stunned at the fact that he wasn't on the plane, due to injury, and that his legacy is to pick up where the team left off and start over again. His faith in that new start never waivers. Unlike Ruffin, the school's administration and its president Donald Dedmon (the always excellent David Strathairn)

are more realistic. They can't recruit, can't play freshman, can't rebuild right away. The school is small and although "The Thundering Herd" were important to students, alumni and faculty alike, the task is insurmountable. They will suspend the program for a few years to give everyone a chance to recover.

The student body has a different plan, and their outrage presents Dedmon with the need to try. He can't find a coach and has to settle for a virtual unknown from the College of Wooster. Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey, complete with greasy hair in an unlikely length and clothes of plaid polyester) accepts the challenge He's just savvy and stubborn enough to make it work, to reformat and refashion a team of sorts, and even to talk former recruiting scout, Red Dawson (Matthew Fox) into returning as an assistant coach.

The remainder of the film deals with both the practical matter of building the team, the difficulty in winning, and the way those in the town and at the school deal with the grief of what might have been.

Director McG, not a favorite of mine (he brought us BOTH Charlie's Angel's films) surprises with his light touch with the story and his ability to let the film find its own legs. It is a poignant tale. It bogs down between the decision to move forward with the team and the actual first game. The game sequences have an authentic feel, and the score moves well with the film. The film feels like authentic West Virginia and authentic 70's. It never attempts to be something it isn't; it's a sports film that treats the sport within the greater landscape of what was happening in the times and how emotions sometimes get in the way of moving on with your life. It deeply affected the crowd in the theater on the day I saw it.

McConaughey is goofy, offbeat and believable as Lengyel. Aside from his performance, everyone else in the film works well together as an ensemble, with few false notes but not much to remember about their contributions. There's no cliche here, just a simple story that will make you both sad and hopeful. Forget what the critics say, "We Are Marshall" will touch you.

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I watched this film with tears streaming down my cheeks as I recalled the evening of my 12th birthday, November 14, 1970. I vividly remember watching TV in the basement of our small house in St. Albans, West Virginia, and during the football game which I was watching, the local tv station broke in with a report that the plane had gone down. My first thought was, "Oh no, Roger." One of my family's neighbors in our first house in St. Albans was a young man named Roger Childers, who if I remember correctly was being redshirted during this particular season. As a typical boy who had dreams of growing up and playing football myself, I think back to Roger taking the time to visit with myself and my next door neighbor Joey when we asked him questions about football and college at Marshall. He was a wonderful young man and my family I learned the next day that unfortunately he was among those on the team plane.

This film took me back to my youth and I thought everything was handled "delicately" out of respect for the dead and their families including the crash itself. Seeing terror in the faces of the coaches and players would have been very difficult to handle. I thought they paid very close attention to the details particularly in regards to the crash site and the weather that night...it was cold, nasty and rainy. The rebirth of the program reminds me of a Phoenix rising from the ashes to live another day. If you like to be moved when watching a film, by all means, watch this one.

Peace!

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It is unfathomable to see how many negative reviews this movie received from different critics, as well as some audience members, and I REALLY am left to wondering if they were actually watching the same movie as I was watching, or if they even WATCHED the movie at all. This movie deserves to be looked at as far more than just another "winning the big game" sports film like "Miracle", which was one of my favorites, but needs to viewed as so much more-a magnificent piece that deals with coping with tragedy and rising above the ashes--perfect themes for this post 9/11 world, wouldn't you say? PLEASE do not listen to the negative reviewers on this one. I can guarantee you will not be disapointed, especially with the fact that this has to be the best performances ever given by Matthew McCaughney.

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Reservoir Dogs (15th Anniversary Edition) (2007)

Just wanted to leave a helpful review for those that are trying to decide whether they should buy the new 15th edition if they already own the 10th. Well, the transfer is much much better than the abysmal one that was put on the 10th. The 10th anniversary edition transfer was a very dull one at best, a step down from the bare bones dvd that was first released by Live when they were still around. The blacks in the Dogs' suits were more dark grey and the overall look was faded. I was never sure if this was a creative choice or that it was simply screwed up. There was plenty of online debate when the disc came out as to the worth of it. This new transfer remedies all of that, the picture is anamorphic, with rich colors, making the film look exactly like what I saw when I used to watch it in the 90s. The 10th also, for some inexplicable reason, dropped a line of Mr. White's dialogue ("I think he's just passed out") but it is thankfully restored here. So if you want the most solid transfer of Reservoir Dogs ever on DVD, this is your buy.

The extras, unfortunately, pale in comparison to the 10th, and this is why you'll probably want to keep the 10th around if you're a filmmaking fan. The 10th edition has a documentary interviewing most of the key players in the film as well as some priceless footage from Tarantino's filmmaking lab workshops at Sundance where he (poorly) played Mr. White(!) These are all missing on the new 15th disc, but the new 15th disc carries over "Reservoir Dolls," the torture scene played out by Reservoir Dogs action figures. The 15th also has retrospective commentaries by some of the cast and crew, 2 movie critics, and a film historian all on separate tracks while watching the movie. Rather interesting too. There are a couple of retrospective documentaries discussing the film's impact on the cinema world. There are also deleted scenes carried over from the 10th, but other than that, mostly fodder to get you excited about Reservoir Dogs, including a short featurette about the new video game.

So, I suppose I would recommend this double dip if you're a hard-core fan of the film, especially with the superior transfer. You can get it at Circuit City for $12.99 this week which is an excellent price for what you get, but I would hold on to the 10th edition for the filmmaking extras which were not carried over. Oh, and if you're into packaging, this is the best packaging I've ever seen. An aluminum gasoline can where the top comes off and the discs are inside in a large matchbook (I believe the matchbook is limited edition). Sick and brilliant.

Acting that will blow you away and characters that disgust you even though you're drawn to liking what little likeable part of them remains.

Depraved criminals that are racist, sadistic and keenly intelligent are somehow very human and compassionate on one hand and disturbingly evil on the other.

This movie is not for those with weak stomachs. Although the psychological element of fear is much stronger than anything you actually see in this film, there are a couple of gory scenes that will scar your memory forever once you see them... the type of deliberate, up close & personal cruelty to another human being that surpasses the desensitizing we've been through by watching other violent scenes on tv and movies. The isolation of the movie taking place almost entirely in one room makes even the most tame scenes un-nerving and uncomfortably intense.

Tim Roth's performance is definitely the most piercing. Michael Madsen, Harvey Keitel, Chris Penn and the rest of the ensemble cast are also riveting.

You will never listen to the song "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel the same way again. A song I once really liked still gives me the willies each time I hear it.

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This is the third version of Reservoir Dogs that I've owned, so I was hesitant to buy it. I loved the 10th anniversary edition so when I saw this one I wasn't sure if it was a trade up or not. The packaging is really cool and the actual movie itself seems to have been improved upon from both previous versions. Those are the positive aspects of the disc. The negative are the new special features. If seeing Harry Knowles heap praise on "Res Dogs", or having a tipping scale to see how much the characters would tip a server, or seeing an interview with a game designer are your ideas of great special features then this disc is for you. However, if you would actually like to see the cast and crew talk about the making of the movie then go with the 10th anniversary. The new specials on this one suck. All in all if you're a big fan of the movie, having both versions is probably the best bet because of the new transfer. If you simply want a copy of Reservoir Dogs with some cool special features, go with the 10th anniversary.

Read Best Reviews of Reservoir Dogs (15th Anniversary Edition) (2007) Here

"Reservoir Dogs" is another one of my favorite movies. Despite what critics think, this is a Tarantino masterpiece with unforgettable characters, smooth and cool dialogue, and a shocking finale.

I had the older version of this movie on DVD, and it was all right. The picture wasn't too bad, sound was so-so, and there were virtually no special features. So when I found out that a new remastered and fully-loaded version of the movie was coming out, I knew I had to have it. And I am very glad that I did purchase it.

Since this is a crime flick, the plot and storyline isn't that complex or deep, and there is no reason for it to be. It's pretty simple. Perfect strangers plan the perfect crime, but end up in a bloody set-up. With only four of them left alive, they must uncover the rat in the house. But which one is it? That is something they must find out before the cops get a hold of them in this unforgiving and spectacular crime/noir movie.

The writing is off the hook. Tarantino is a master when it comes to dialogue. Why? Because the characters talk like real people. In ordinary movies, all the characters ever talk about it the plot or scheme. In THIS movie, they talk about everyday normal things that we would talk about, which makes them seem more realistic and convincing. His writing reminds me a lot of Raymond Carver, except with more humor.

The cast is terrific. Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Lawrence Tierney, and Steve Buscemi all did their roles justice. Michael Madsen is awesome and cool as Mr. Blonde, who will always be remembered for that very particular role. Buscemi is hillarious, and your eyes never leave his sight when he's on screen. But really, everyone is outstanding in this movie.

The DVD itself is very high quality, including two disks. The picture is remastered in high definition, which really makes it clear. Ten times better than the other version. You can either watch in widescreen or in fullscreen. The sound is also much, MUCH better. You can watch it in dolby digital or in DTS. Considering that this was a really low-budget film, the movie looks and sounds amazing. You will especially appreciate it if you had the previous DVD of the movie.

And there are tons and TONS of extras that will keep you more than happy. Way too many for me to list, but the ones I liked the most were the interviews. (Watch the one with Michael Madsen. That has to be one of the funniest interviews I have ever seen. Just trust me and watch it! I don't want to give too much away.) So, if you are a big fan of bells and whistles, this DVD is the one for you. You will not be disappointed.

Overall, I was more than pleased with this edition of "Reservoir Dogs." I did not mind re-buying it at all. If you still have the original DVD and love this movie very much, GET THIS ONE AS SOON AS YOU CAN! You will not regret it. This is one of my favorites, and proves just how talented Quentin Tarantino is when it comes to writing and directing.

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Many say he's just an overrated hipster who rips off other movies. Well, in my opinion (and I've seen a lot of movies), Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs had a lot of originality to them (as did Natural Born Killers and to a lesser extent True Romance), but he does have influences. There's nothing wrong with that. He makes good movies and is developing his style. Reservoir Dogs stand as possibly his best movie.

First the background: Reservoir Dogs was based on an obscure Chinese film called City on Fire, which was about a detective who infiltrated a jewel thieving ring and went with them on their big heist. Reservoir Dogs is, at it's most basic, the last part of City on Fire. However, the characters and dialogue are all Tarantino's own. And those are the two things that make the movie great. The writing is outstanding. The performances are very good, especially Harvey Keitel as the doomed Mr. White, Michael Madsen as the pscyopathic Mr. Blonde, and Steve Buscemi as the nervous Mr. Pink.

As I said above, the dialogue is great. The way the criminals talk is exactly how you'd expect them to, and they play off each other very well. The very minimal plot moves along rapidly, and the movie never lets up for a second, although there is some time distortion concerning flashbacks of the characters (pre-heist and during the heist).

Reservoir Dogs is a classic crime movie, and quite essential.

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Un-Go: Complete Collection (2012)

UN-GO is a detective show, something I haven't seen a whole lot of recently,The art and animation are pretty consistently good. This show does also use CGI for vehicles, but most of the time it's not noticeable.

The place where this show really shines is the story. One of the things that really glue to me is how connected this show is. little that is introduced is without purpose. Miss a couple episodes and you'll likely end up confused. Not only that, elements introduced ultimately become an important part of the conclusion. There's generally a sense that the series is going somewhere, and it doesn't disappoint. One of the things that appealed to me was it's cyberpunk tendencies. While a few of the show's core elements are supernatural, there's also a lot of really cool sci-fi concepts involved, and it all works together.

I highly recommend checking this one out

Shinjūrō Yūki is a detective living in a future Japan that suffers from the ravages of a war that ended some years before. He is known as the "Defeated Detective" due to the fact that credit for every case he solves ends up going to Rinroku Kaishō. Despite that, Shinjuro and his very strange assistant, Inga, continue to solve crimes and expose the darkness of their world.

This series is based on the work of Ango Sakaguchi, stories that took place in post WWII era. I don't know why the setting was changed to a futuristic one, but it turned out quite well. At first I wasn't really sure if I liked the series the first few episodes are stand lone stories with strong elements of the darkness in a human heart. But around episode 4 or 5, things start to get interesting. A sort of overall plot starts to form and you begin to wonder about the line between illusion and reality, truth and lies. The ending was fairly satisfying, though most of the big questions about Inga are left unanswered. There is a 45 minute movie released that tells the story of Shinjuro and Inga's first meeting. Sentai licensed it along with the series, but I don't know when it will be released.

All in all, I rather liked the series and I recommend giving it a shot.

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Shinjuro is called the "defeated and detective". No matter now good he has performed, there is someone that's a step ahead. He does have one thing going for him. There is a demon on his side. Inga, is his assistant. She has the power to make people tell the truth. Japan is rebuilding after a war on terrorism. There are strict and corrupt govt policies and officials crushing the freedom of the citizens. Politically motivated murders are a common occurrence. Shinjuro and Inga help to bring these murderers to justice.

This series has a whole lot going for it. The animation, voice actors and soundtrack are all great. The story in this anime is also pretty involved. If you miss 1 episode, it's easy to get lost. I just flat out didn't like it. The first 6 episodes are pretty much unrelated to the main plot. The 3 major reasons I don't like this series are: 1. The mysteries are easy to solve. 5 minutes into the episode, I already knew who the murderer was. I was ready to go on to the next episode while everyone in the show acted completely perplexed for 15 more minutes. 2. The story is very slow moving. Usually, murder mysteries have a bit of suspense and danger. Un-Go doesn't. There is no suspense or sense of danger. When the killers are confronted, they pretty much just admit that they did it, and give up instead of fighting back and trying to escape. 3. Un-Go also suffers greatly from a lack of good characters. There isn't a single interesting character in this series. There are only 5 reoccurring major characters, and none of them are interesting or have any depth.

Like I said, this anime was produced very well. It was obviously well thought out and carefully made. It's just one dimensional and boring as hell. I can't recommend it to anyone. I am amazed at all the 5 star reviews this show got. There is no way this show deserves 5 stars. The production deserves 5, but the story is 1 or 2. I fought sleep very hard to finish this series. If you are wanting to see a good mystery, I recommend Spiral. It may not have a very satisfying ending, but it's way more interesting than this show. If I were you, I would just ignore Un-Go. It has nothing to offer.

Read Best Reviews of Un-Go: Complete Collection (2012) Here

I am an anime fan of many, many shows and this is one of my top 10. I also never write reviews, but I thought this called for one.

I won't go into the plot, the product description does a fine job of that, except maybe adding a lot more darkness and action then there really is in the first few episodes. I'm more concerned about the $50 price tag. This anime is ELEVEN episodes long in its entirety (eleven great episodes, mind you). I don't understand what about this one-disc DVD makes it $50 bucks. I would pay $20, and that's only because the anime is just that good.

The only reason I can think it's so pricey is because A) it has the dubs, which I've never seen before and B) it might also have the 45 minute prequel movie "Episode 0"? Hopefully? If it does, then my buying price would go up to $35-40 if it had awesome bonus features.

This anime is awesome, but it is really short. Is $50 buck worth eleven episodes?

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this series wass just strange butt manny like it strange. its a typical dectective series but with magic and stuff like that. this wasnt someting for me butt its worth 4 stars it did gett here pretty fast and nothing wrong with it =D.

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Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls (2007)

This is one of those movies that you watch and then wonder how come the world can't see how common sense, character, and integrity make this planet a better place to live. "Daddy's Little Girls" should expose the horrors that gang activity brings upon communities; the foolishness of class envy and ridicule; and the need for men and women to treat each other with respect at all times. Yet, I wonder if some people didn't watch this movie and go right back to doing things the wrong way. I'm sure I'll meet up with someone in a few days who saw this movie and didn't even realize it had a message in it.

It is hard to rate a movie like this anything but 5 stars. The message was fantastic, the acting on par with any other movie made recently, and the plot flowed together amazingly well.

As far as I'm concerned Idris Elba is one heck of an actor. He is virtually flawless in his role as Monty, a man determined to do what's right when nothing in his life is headed in the right direction. I knew very little about Elba before watching this movie. Now I know that Hollywood, Independent film makers, and even Bollywood would be making a big mistake if they didn't make place this man in more leading roles.

Gabrielle Union is excellent as Julia, a Ivy League Lawyer who wins all her cases but lacks the street skills to get along with the little people. Union is beautiful, knows how to deliver a line, and is just a complete joy to watch on screen. Combining Elba and Union on screen was a perfect match. How could anyone help but root for these two to be successful in the end?

Louis Gossett Jr., man has this guy been in some films or what? His filmography page goes back to the 1950s! What an amazing career. He is a great addition to this film as Willie, the garage owner where Monty works on cars and dreams of one day being the owner. His character is a little one dimensional but he still has what it takes to deliver those "You better get your butts in gear" message. I will forever believe that his performance in "An Officer and a Gentleman" was one of the best performances ever, by anyone.

Tasha Smith plays Jennifer, Monty's evil-EX and mother to the little girls. She did a great job being evil. I know this because I found myself wanting to reach through my television screen and slap her! Job well done, Tasha!

Okay, I am running a little long on my review here, so I am going to wrap this up: "Daddy's Little Girl" is a must-see movie with a message, great acting, and a whole lot energy definitely worth every penny it cost to make, market, and distribute.

See ya next review!

OKAY I WILL ADMIT WHEN THIS MOVIE FIRST CAME OUT I WANTED TO SEE IT ,BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE DAD HAS KIDS, DAD LOOSES KIDS BLAH BLAH!!..BELIEVE NE IT WAS NOT..I JUST SAW THIS MOVIE AND TO MY SURPRISE IT WAS REALLY GOOD..MAN IDRIS IS SO SEXY IN THIS MOVIE.GABRIELLE WAS AMAZING AS WELL..THIS WAS A TOUCHING MOVIE AND I RECOMMEND IT FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY..IT HAS SOME KISSING SCENES THAT MY SON CLOSED HIS EYES TO.BUT IT WAS A GREAT MOVIE..IT SHOWS YOU THAT NOT ALL BLACK MEN ARE DEAD BEAT.AND THAT THERE ARE SOME OUT THERE WHO LOVE AND WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR KIDS.I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THIS MOVIE ON DVD...TRUST ME YOU WILL LOVE IT..!!!!

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This work of art finally represents Black men in a strong and positive light despite the trials and tribulations of daily life that attack our sanity. Tyler Perry has tapped in the conscientiousness of numerous Black men in America, who feel misrepresented by society's stereotypes. There are multiple important stories woven into the fabric of this masterpiece; such as, love has no economic barriers, good men do exist (they may be right next to you now), good things come to those who wait, do the right thing and the right thing will be given unto you. The sound track also scream volumes for most of us. This is a "movie night" DVD that should be shared with many; single, divorced and married.

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This is a powerful drama packed with real concerns, true life ventures, warm sentiments, disturbing deeds and emotional triumphs. Tyler Perry even packed in a few good laughs. Men and women can relate to the dialogue and afterwards will come out with renewed hope for life. Very much worth seeing and very enjoyable.

Want Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls (2007) Discount?

Well I just got out of Daddy's Little Girls and honestly it wasn't half bad. Granted there were a few errors in the movie that liberal critics will point out but like Perry's previous films, Daddy's Little Girls isn't a movie for the critics. Gabrielle Union is good as always as she kind of brought the same vibe into the female lead Julia that she did to the title character in Deliver Us From Eva. Idris Elba as Monty played the romantic lead very well by turning Monty into the type of character whose struggle you can empathize with and I hope he gets more lead roles in the future as he played the good guy role very in the film. The chemistry between the two of them is strong enough to make their scenes together work. The film wasn't as funny as Perry's previous work but then the message that Perry was trying to convey was didn't really need any cheap laughs. My only compliant with the film was it did drag a bit in some parts, but the climax and conclusion more than make up for it. Perry has now shown that he can make a movie without the Madea character and while Perry still needs to work on his storytelling more mainstream success with liberal critics, Perry already has a strong fan base to ensure that we'll see a new Tyler Perry film every February for years to come

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The Emperor's New Groove / Kronk's New Groove: Two-Movie Collection (Three Disc Blu-ray / DVD Combo

This may be my favorite Disney movie ever. (I normally prefer Pixar.)

The reviewers who did not like it clearly expected something for small kids. It is not. It is very abstract in places, especially the art, which is really quite amazing. Watch for the design of the panthers, and the bats. And the landscapes. Wonderful stuff.

And the dialogue and the delivery especially is just hilarious. How you can get such delivery in an animated film is beyond me.

Warmly recommended for mature viewers with an edgy sense of humor.

THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE is the funniest movie that I have seen in years. I initially had passed on watching it in the theater because I thought it looked childish, but was convinced to give it a try now that it was out on video. Boy, was my initial impression wrong.

The story revolves around a selfish prince who is turned into a llama by one of his subjects. With the help of a kindly peasant he attempts to regain his throne, and in the process finds there's more to him than he previously thought or wanted there to be. While the moral is a good one, it really plays a secondary role to the comedy, which is literally non-stop. GROOVE takes the rapid-fire humor that Disney perfected in Aladdin and combines it with cartoon-style hijinx, the wit of David Spade, and a hilarious lack of reverence for the traditional Disney animated genre. Spade plays his role to perfection, and luckily never crosses the line into being obnoxious. Seinfeld fans are in for a treat, as Puddy plays a very special side-kick role. You really can't take your eyes off the screen for a minute, because you're guaranteed to miss a gag of some sort. The humor works mainly on an adult level, even though kids will be rolling from the funny visuals and some of the more obvious jokes.

The DVD itself is a good one. The digital transfer was excellent and the sound quality is top notch. The commentary track is one of the better that I've heard, with interesting and funny insight from all contributors. Animated menus. There's a deleted scene that was probably best left out, but is interesting to watch anyway, plus a few other fun features.

In the end, this is one of the best Disney flicks to come along in years. Hardcore Disney fans will eat it up. But even if you're not a fan of Disney's usual animated features you should give GROOVE a shot. Cast aside your pre-concieved notions and you just might be in for a very pleasant surprise. I was. FIVE STARS.

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"The Emperor's New Groove" is a unique film in the vaults at Disney. It plays with the audience instead of in front of the audience, and the burning sarcasm of the emperor's character isn't found in any other Disney flick. Unfortunately, this movie seems to be cursed by the idea that any Disney movie has to be done on a grand scale and end with some great moral truth. Why can't a Disney movie just be fun?

"The Emperor's New Groove" doesn't seem to draw as much attention as other Disney fare. It just kind of quietly appeared and then went away. That's a shame. It got the same treatment from Disney that a lot of their direct-to-video/DVD movies received. At least "Hercules" got headlines for its bad, although undeserved, reviews. "Hercules" has always been erroneously treated like a red-headed stepchild compared to other Disney movies, "The Emperor's New Groove" is treated like an abortion. You rarely here anything about this film. Like "Hercules," it doesn't fit the bill as a standard Disney movie. It doesn't try to force it's morals upon you, and you won't be enlightened by any of the dialogue, but you will laugh. Kids will love it for the emperor-turned-llama silliness and adults will love it for the relationship between Spade and John Goodman. Eartha Kitt is glorious as Yzma, the villain in this tale. Patrick Warburton is perfect as Kronk, her sidekick.

Spade talks directly to the viewer as he narrates his tale, and makes sure throughout that you know the story is about him, and no one else. There is also a lot of adult humor in the film as well, much like in "Hercules."

So, this movie is a fun-time film. You won't be sorry to watch it, and your kids will love it as well. They may not be drawn to the characters as much as they would to a Belle, Snow White, or Simba, but they will enjoy this story. So will you.

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Even if you do not like Disney's post-"Lion King" attempts, you still have to give the studio credit for making each movie so diverse from each other. "The Emperor's New Groove", is without a doubt the most comical of Disney's movies. Odd thing is, that if you weren't to see the "Walt Disney Pictures" intro, you would'nt know it was Disney. This is becuase "New Groove" departs in both animation & story-telling styles that has been Disney's trademark. This film is narrated by the film's main character, Emperor Kuzco, and has more of a fast pace Saturday morning cartoon feel to it (that's not a bad thing, BTW).

In the story of trying to destroy the emperor but instead turning him into a Llama, the villains once again steal the show. However, unlike "Hercules", the good guys are characters you like and care about. It's just that Yzma (probably the most outragoeus of all the Disney villains) and Kronk have all the qualities of live action comedian, including timeing and style that makes you want to laugh. Kuzco and Pacha, have funny moments to, but some of them are forced.

The DTS 5.1 track on the DVD is awesome, and the digital-to-digital transfer is flawless.

It is a whole lot more comedic than "Aladdin", but it's not the same type of movie. "Aladdin" has comedic releif, in an otherwise serious adventure tale. While, "The Emperor's New Groove" has some dramatic relief in an otherwise hysterical adventure tale. Great submission from Disney!

Want The Emperor's New Groove / Kronk's New Groove: Two-Movie Collection (Three Disc Blu-ray / DVD Combo Discount?

I love Disney anyway, but actually wasn't that excited when this film came out, nor did I hear anything spectacular about it. That was probably only because my friends at the time were all college students without kids and nobody had seen it, oh but when we did... we laughed ourselves hoarse! It's just one laugh after another, pretty much non-stop until the end of the movie, at least it was for the 6 20-somethings I saw it with. Loved it!

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Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

I watched "The Bridge to Terabithia" on a whim with my wife and daughter with little foreknowledge of the plot. I'd never read the Newbery Award-winning book by Katherine Paterson, and I'd seen only one trailer for the film, which left me with the impression it would be a Narnia knock-off. It's not.

I'm not dissing "The Chronicles of Narnia," which in its way was a remarkable film. But "Terabithia" didn't deserve the CGI-laden marketing campaign it received; far from a fantasy blockbuster, this is a deep and thoughtful movie that places substance over sparkle -a rare treat in the sprawling field of youth-oriented theater. It ranks up there with one of my favorites, "The Secret of Roan Inish," which accomplished more with no special effects than most family-friendly movies could with a billion-dollar budget.

But I just can't shake "Terabithia" from my head, a fact owed mostly to the performance of AnnaSophia Robb. As Leslie, a spirited young girl with a fiery imagination and endless good cheer, AnnaSophia captured my heart. She's the kind of person you want to know when you're a child and, as my wife remarked midway through the film, she's the sort of young woman you'd be happy to see your daughter grow up to be.

An outsider despite her youthful good looks and family wealth, she finds her perfect match in Jesse (Joss Hutcherson), another outsider who has withdrawn into his art to escape a chilly home life and his own problems at school. Together, they discover a secret getaway that might seem like a fairly ordinary patch of woods to most people; to them, it's a magical world replete with fantastic creatures, hidden dangers and amazing triumphs. It's here the special effects intrude more than accentuate the film; the story would have benefited from a vaguer sense of Jesse and Leslie's own wonder. We don't need to see CGI creatures to believe that these two children do.

The strength here, besides outstanding performances from the two lead actors, is the impact of a story that knows no amount of fantasy can prevent real-life tragedies from occurring. And the tragedy here -it's hard to write about it without giving it away -slams into unsuspecting viewers like a sudden kick to the gut.

Parents of younger viewers should be prepared to have a long and serious talk with their children after this movie, but that's not a recommendation to avoid it. "Terabithia" deserves to be seen, discussed and seen again. (Although use some discretion; very young children should wait before seeing this.) My thanks to director Gabor Csupo, as well as writer Paterson, for giving kids something honest and real rather than another serving of high-energy fluff.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(n e t) editor

I read the original book The Bridge to Terabithia when I was a kid. I don't remember very much from the book, but I remembered the general premise and the ending. When I originally read it, I really liked the book. So, obviously, when hearing that they were making it into a movie, I was very skeptical. Most good books don't translate into good movies. Then I saw the previews for the movie, and I was even more skeptical. This was not a book about fantasy lands and magical beings. This is no Chronicles of Narnia. I think it's much better, but it's certainly different.

This movie is about friendship, and imagination. It's the story of two fifth-graders, Jesse and Leslie, next-door neighbors, who are both outcasts. They aren't readily accepted in school, and aren't in love with their home lives, either. They grow a fast friendship where they "travel" to an imaginary land, Terabithia. In reality, it's just the woods behind their houses. All of the CGI that you see advertised is simply their imagination, and there's really very little of it. Just about every CGI-animated scene in the movie is shown in the previews. That is NOT what this movie is about, although that's what Disney would have you believe. It's about imagination and creativity, and how children should be encouraged to use that imagination.

I have a problem with all of the parents giving this movie terrible reviews because they say it's not child-appropriate. I don't have an opinion as to whether or not it's appropriate for children, that's for each individual parent to decide. Some kids can handle it, some can't. It doesn't take much research, however, to find out that this is not the happiest of stories. Any parent who really cares about what their kids see is going to research the movie BEFORE allowing their kids to see it. That involves either looking it up online, asking friends who have already seen it (or read the book), or watching it themselves FIRST to screen what their children see. I will not ruin the story by saying what happens, but if you really want to know, spend five minutes doing some research. Read the other reviews on this page, for crying out loud. But if you bring your kids to a movie that you haven't researched at all and it's not what you expect, don't blame the movie for your lack of effort. I understand Disney falsely advertised this movie, of course they did. Advertising it as another Chronicles of Narnia is certainly going to bring more sales in. But this movie is VERY GOOD. One reviewer said you have to be masochistic to enjoy a movie like this. I don't believe that's true. You simply have to appreciate a well-told story. Sometimes life sucks, and sometimes really terrible things happen. That's what the book was about, and this movie is faithful to that story.

I'm in my mid-twenties. When I went to see this, I went with a few friends of mine, all of us adults. Every one of us loved it. The two main actors (the two kids) are REALLY good. Jesse is the introvert and Leslie is the extrovert. You really buy into their friendship as you watch them learn to know one another. You want Jesse to punch the bully in the face; you want Leslie to stand up to the eighth-grader.

By the end, you could hear plenty of sniffles throughout the audience, including coming from my friends. Heck, I knew the story beforehand, and I still teared up. It's difficult to watch, but I believe the story was handled with very much care by Disney. Overall, this is an excellent movie, if not with reservations. If you're concerned with what your children see, then spend some time and find out what's in the plotline. But this movie is really good.

Buy Bridge to Terabithia (2007) Now

I know absolutely nothing about the young adult novel that this film, "Bridge to Terabithia," is based on. For this reason, I will only review this film for its contents and not on how well it translates the book to the screen. With that said, I can claim that "Bridge to Terabithia" is just one more wonderful film that's been produced as of late for youngsters that's based on a book or book series. Produced by Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures, this film tells the story of Jesse Aarons (Josh Hutcherson of "Zathura"), a boy who lives in poverty but escapes from reality through drawing fantastical creatures and worlds. When a new neighbor moves in who marches to the beat of a different drum, the two of them combine their imaginations to create the kingdom of Terabithia. The neighbor is Leslie Burke, and she's played by the likeable and enthusiastic AnnaSophia Robb ("Because of Winn-Dixie," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"). She and Jesse take their personal miseries from school and at home and turn them into trolls, evil squirrels, grenade-like pinecones and a whole slew of other creatures. All of the bad people of Terabithia are lead by the Dark Master, a smoky, phantom-like creature.

As the story unfolds, Jesse and Leslie form a strong friendship both in reality and in fantasy. When Jesse is asked to go to the museum by his music teacher (the excellent Zooey Deschanel), he intentionally leaves Leslie behind. Why? Because like any most boys in middle school he happens to have a crush on his music teacher (It's Zooey Deschanel, who wouldn't?). When a tragedy occurs, Jesse's worlds, real and fantasy, experience dramatic changes.

"Bridge to Terabithia" is essentially a coming-of-age tale where kids who aren't quite children but haven't yet reached adulthood come to feel the consequences of reality. Jesse and Leslie love their fantasy world, but each day brings more reality with it. The cast is headed up by Hutcherson, Robb, and young Bailee Madison (Jesse's cute little sister, May Belle). The supporting cast includes Deschanel, the always reliably gruff Robert Patrick ("Terminator 2") and Lauren Clinton. While the adults play key roles in this film, it's really all about the kids.

The special effects are very good, though most pre-teens will pick up on their limitations. However, the special effects take a backseat to the story, which is always refreshing to see these days.

Parents with younger children should know that the tragedy aforemetioned may be very tough for youngsters to take. I won't go into details, but just know that it's one of the gravest tragedies that can occur in anyone's life. There are also two instances of strong language. The "d" word is used repetively in both of them. One occurs in the back of a truck after church and the other happens in the greenhouse at Jesse's home when he loses his father's keys. Other than that, there isn't anything in the film that you really need to look out for.

As a fantasy tale, "Terabithia" works well. It works better as a film about a young boy and his friend who come to terms with reality. I highly recommend this film for families, just be prepared to do some heavy explaining with younger children (under eight) when reality really, really hits home. Fans of this movie may also enjoy "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," the "Harry Potter" films (although as Harry gets older, the movies and books become geared more towards older children), and "The Neverending Story." Also, even though I haven't read this particular book, I have read plenty of other young adult books in my day. Pick up "A Wrinkle In Time" by Madeleine L'Engle, any of the "Harry Potter" books, or any other wonderful child and pre-teen fantasy for your children to read if they enjoy this film.

Highly recommended.

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Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia YA 1977 novel is a classic. One I never read when I was a kid, but I understand it's quite beloved and indeed sacred to some -not the least of which is Paterson's son David, for whom the book was written and who also shares a screenwriting credit on the film. So, everything had to be just right: from the human-being casting, to the use of special effects which help bring the fantasy kingdom of Terabithia to life.

When the movie came out on the big screen earlier this year every trailer, TV spot and preview showed trolls, ogres, and magical, spontaneously self-buildings bridges springing up. It looked like Lord of Rings on kiddie-safe steroids. But the movie itself isn't about all that, which understandably wrought a bit of a backlash from those not familiar with the novel's very real, grounded themes about regular kids and their very normal day-to-day struggles.

The story follows Jesse (Josh Hutcherson), a fifth-grader who's not terribly popular. There is nothing wrong with him, but there's nothing "right" either. He's not outgoing, rich or popular, but he is something of an athlete -that is, until the new student in his class, a slip of a girl named Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb) beats him in a footrace. At first, he holds a grudge but before long the two dreamy, artistic kids become best friends, and allies against the school's bully brigade. Their secret refuge is a tree-house in the woods, a place Leslie calls Terabithia. The children imagine all sorts of wondrous and scary things there, in an attempt to free their minds from their otherwise troubled lives (Jesse's parents are struggling financially, while only-child Leslie feels neglected by her busy dad and mom).

Since Disney optioned this book, you can bet there's some tears to be jerked -but it's an ultimately uplifting, beautiful and honest portrayal of life-lessons learnt in childhood. Hutcherson and Robb are very well-cast and their acting is pretty much flawless (none of the "cutesy" or "obnoxious" child-actor antics here). Real kudos go to director Gabor Csupo, who not only grasped (as best as I can tell) the source material, but added cinematic dimension to it for those who are not familiar with the novel. (I'm looking forward to seeing what he does with his next project, The Moon Princess -based on a book I did read, and loved!, as a child: The Little White Horse, by Elizabeth Goudge).

The DVD offers an array of extras (and nice supplements, such as closed captions for the hearing-impaired), my favorite of which was a solid featurette on Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia novel. It offers interviews not only with the author herself, but insight from teachers who've assigned the book to their classes over the years, plus excerpts from the text and illustrations.

Over all, Bridge to Terabithia is a definite must-buy DVD for kids and Disney-weaned adults alike.

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I must admit I did not discover the book until the early 1990s as part of a children's Lit class. Even so, the haunting tale of Jess and Leslie stayed with me ever since, and I was both concerned and delighted when I heard of the Disney version's coming release. Someone earlier said the trailers were misleading, and they were but intentionally so. Anyone who had read the book prior to seeing this tale KNOWS it's not about the special effects. So where does that leave us? With a slew of unbelieveable performances.

I knew of Robert Patrick mainly through the Terminator 2 and X-Files, so I wondered if he could pull off a role like this. The man is magnificent as Jess' father. Rough, rugged, and tough, he looks like a man who's fought with the devil and spit in his eye...yet he is tender and caring towards his son when tragedy strikes...and not one scene of it feels false or fake.

What is there to say about Zooey Deschanel (sp?) except that the woman is an immense, and so far, undertapped talent. Discovered in Will Farrell's "Elf", she once again shines as the school's music teacher.

The film, however, belongs to Jess and Leslie, and the supporting actors obviously knew and understood this. There is not a single adult that gives a heavy-handed performance. From the girls who play Jess' teenage sisters, all the way to his initially mean-spirited teacher at the beginnings of the film, each one shines in his or her own right. Their performances are moving and just right.

The stars are magnificent: Josh and AnnaSophia are perfectly cast. I know several people thought Miss Robb was a little too "modern" or "perfect-looking" for the role of Leslie, but I would strongly disagree. She is the perfect tomboy....note the scene in which she wears a beautiful dress to church, along with combat boots. It is her spark, her zest for life, that helps make the last half of the movie what it is. Josh is fantastic as Jess as he slowly suspends belief in order to join Leslie in the world of Terabithia...and no young man has ever dealt with such harsh tragedy on screen better than he. Oh, and the musical score is superb. This is truly the first flawless film of 2007.

You are forewarned...boxes of kleenex are strongly recommended for viewing of this film if you've not seen it. I have seen it 3 times and every time I have spent the last half hour in tears. This is Disney magic at it's best, reminiscient of their work in the 1970s (Old Yeller, etc.). You will laugh, and unless you have a heart of stone, you WILL cry...but most of all, you will find a message of the heart that will stand for eternity.

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