On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

I would have to say that this is the best DVD of this latest round of release of the Bond films. The extras are certainly substantial and worth having.

My initial reaction to seeing this extraordinary film on its first release was summed up in one indelible question that I kept repeating over and over again to myself. If Sean Connery decided not to appear in a Bond film, why did it have to be this one? This film brought the series to a culmination of emotional fervor. It was the first film to address James Bond, the man. It seemed to have been made for Connery. This is the one we had been waiting for. I thought it was an excellent film, but Connery wasn't in it. Yet, I also could not get the image of George Lazenby out of my head. He looked the part and there was something very unique about his facial features. Many critics said his performance was bland. Even if they were right Lazenby still possessed the physique and physical attributes that really fit the part and again his unique looks just added to the wordily and masculine aura he exuded. I went to see the film three more times. I really liked it. I missed Connery, but I still couldn't get the screen image of Lazenby out of my head. I did some real self-analysis of this film over the next two years. I started to read the Fleming books. To my amazement they were very dry yet very interesting and appealing at the same time. Fleming single-handedly drew the reader into the world of James Bond whereas the filmmakers achieved the same result in a collective effort of talents. When I read "Dr. No" and "Thunderball" I visualized Sean Connery or someone vaguely familiar to him yet not with his sardonic humor. When I read "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" I could visualize no one other than George Lazenby. As it turned out ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE is the one film closest to any Fleming novel of the same name. I began to see the merits of Lazenby. The filmmakers had gone out of their way to make this the epic Bond film. The introduction of Lazenby as Bond was a well thought out and well crafted piece of pure cinema. There is no dialogue and only the strains of the James Bond Theme in another innovative interpretation by John Barry are heard. Less dialogue is better. Let the images tell the story. In the case of George Lazenby that's what worked best for him. Early on in the film he is having a bad night at the tables and you can see the disgust on his face as he deals out another loosing hand. He breaks into Gumpolt's office and penetrates his safe with assuredness and conviction while under the clock. This well directed scene is nerve racking and suspenseful again played without dialogue. The editing, music and Lazenby's presence make this another tour de force of pure cinema. It wasn't until the release of DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER that I realized that ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE was the best Bond film for me. The combined efforts of all the filmmakers and Lazenby's performance of a James Bond with conviction, assuredness and determination made this the definitive James Bond film. The film had a sense of real drive behind it accentuated by Lazenby's no-nonsense approach and the urgency of John Barry's instrumental theme used repeatedly to never let up the pace. If James Bond was ever the dedicated civil servant it was in this film. I can't even imagine Sean Connery in this film any more. The filmmakers traded in Connery's worldliness for Lazenby's energetic determination. It seems apparent that Lazenby probably looked to DR. NO for inspiration. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is considered to be one of the better Bond films in the series. It follows the directorial style of DR. NO. Sean Connery in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE continued his portrayal of the character in the Fleming literary mold, but refined his performance adding more depth to the character's worldliness, intellect, social graces and wry humor. Lazenby reverts back to the James Bond we saw in DR. NO concentrating on his resoluteness and tenacity as the man with a mission who will not be deterred until the opposition is completely vanquished. Lazenby's scenes with Diana Rigg as Tracy, his bride to be, showed genuine compassion and depth. This was Bond's only true love interest up to that point in the series. Connery had showed genuine subdued sorrow tinged with anger at the death of Jill Masterson and her sister Tilly Masterson in GOLDFINGER and again with Aki in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. However, I don't see how any actor could have given a better reaction as George Lazenby did to the death of James Bond's new bride slumped over limply into his lap. George looked like he was really hurt as he buried his head onto the Tracy's lifeless body. This Letterbox VHS version of ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE is excellent and does real justice to this epic film.

This DVD is astounding. The restoration of the visuals is amazing. The digital sound has been laboriously enhanced for true stereo separation. You can even very clearly hear source music that was in the background. For instance, you can now plainly hear the guitar melody that was playing in the scene between Bond and Draco while they were discussing business while overlooking the bullfight on Draco's estate. The extras are very good too. This DVD contains SWISS MOVEMENT a great documentary introducing George Lazenby and showing off the entire cast and great location work in Switzerland. It remains very good to this day. Some of the other extras touting George Lazenby as the new James Bond are enticing. Peter Hunt's commentaries during the film are very insightful as was George Baker's contribution. This is a required DVD edition if you truly embrace this film.

Many years ago, long before James Bond became the high-tech hero of the movie set, there were a set of fascinating books written by a gentleman named Ian Fleming. These books were about a superior British Intelligence agent, code name 007. With due regard to Sean Connery and the equally effective Timothy Dalton, George Lazenby, the star of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, is by far the closest of the Bond actors to the character of the books. There is nothing charming or even particularly likeable about the James Bond of print. He is a totally non-descript character who can easily disappear into any crowd; a cold-blooded killer who will accomplish his mission regardless of the cost. Connery came close in Dr No, Tim Dalton even closer in License to Kill but both are too physically attractive to accurately depict 007. In these regards, Lazenby excels in his protrayal of Bond.

This story is a gripping, emotional tale of an agent committing the ultimate sin, getting involved with another individual involved in a mission. All of the normal Bond components are present; gadgetry, high-speed chases, lots of explosions and lots of pretty girls. This one goes one step farther, giving us a truly malevolent villain (played brilliantly by Telly Savalas)and Bond's only true romantic interest (played equally brilliantly by Diana Rigg).

The action is non-stop, the locations are beautiful, the soundtrack one of the best. The climax is one of the most gut-wrenching ever placed on film.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service has often been placed at the very bottom of the long list of James Bond vehicles. It doesn't belong there. This is an outstanding film with a truly outstanding cast. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

Buy On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) Now

When other Bond fans first talk to me the the question they always ask is "What do you think of O.H.M.S.S. ?". The answer to that is not a simple one.

I first saw the film in the cinima in 1973 and was surprised, given all the negative reports I'd heard about it, how good it was. Although very long by Bond standards the film moves along at a fair clip and has the capacity to engage the viewer. Although several of the earlier films in the series follow the main plot lines from the novels, from which they take their names, this is the only atempt by EON to film an Ian Fleming book as written.

Watching the film on DVD all these years later was a joy. The transfer is surperb the, sound crisp and short of watching a pristine print in a film theatre this is the best vision of this film your ever going to see. The additional features particularly the director's commentry make this a must for any of the many fans that this film has.

O.H.M.S.S has a tremendous "look" and the deep purple colour that is in the opening sequence, continues in the titles and is seen through out the rest of the film in various guises. There was a kind of chic fashion just at the end of the sixties after the hippies and before the seventies gave style a bad name; this is one of the few films that captures that time. Just look at the cut of James Bond's suits or the dresses worn by the girls in Piz Gloria; it's nostalgia perhaps but I love it!

George Lazenby is element of the film that most people seem to dislike and the fact that he started out as a model is usually sited as proof of his lack of acting ability; well actually Sean Connery started out as an art college life model. At least George kept his clothes on in the "Big Fry" ads. ! But seriously, for the most part he looks great in the action sequences and when he has to play the normal affable, laughing in the face of danger, side of Bond he's at least acceptable; but when he has to step out side of that, for instance when he confronts Tracy in his hotel room early on in the film that he becomes less convincing. Compare that with Sean's Bond when he confronts Tatiana in the train in "From Russia With Love" and you'll see what I'm getting at. But actually his attempt is better than Roger Moore's confrontation with Rosie in "Live And Let Die". The only difficulty is that each line Lazenby speaks seems to be made up of several different takes, all recorded at different sound levels, which makes him sound as if he has a perminant attack of hiccups; still you do get used to it. If Lazenby lacks experience his deficiency is compenceted by the standard of acting from the rest of the cast and the superior dialogue in this film; for example, Moneypenny's devastating put down when Bond attempts to resign the Service "What did you expect, a knighthood?" is unforgetable and one of the few times Lois Maxwell's character gets the upper hand in the whole series.

The structure of this film is very different from the others in the series; Bond spends the first half of the film meeting and falling in love with Tracy. He then locates Blofeld, discovers his plan and only then does the film shift up into the frenetic pace that we more normally associate with the Bond films. The ski and car chase sequences that follow are terrifically exciting and compare favourably with the best in the series. Then we have the final confrontation with Blofeld and inevitable distruction of Piz Gloria. Incidentally Lazenby's encounter with the St. Bernard dog after the bob sleigh chase was apparently ad-libbed and for an untrained actor he does it better than many RADA graduates I can think of.

Peter Hunt, more than anyone else, was the man brought this film together as a first time director it is a brilliant debut. For instance his choice of Simon Ravan to add dialoge to the scenes between Blofeld and Tracy lifts the whole film. Almost every shot seems to reflect his feel for the book. It is only fitting that the opening shot of the film, absent form the VHS version, which containes his reflection in the brass name plate of "Universal Exports" has been restored to this print.

Many action film fans dislike this picture well they'd better stick to "Things Keep Exploding III" which at least is better than "Things Keep Exploding II" although not as good as "Things Keep Exploding" although it lacks the characterization of the other two. The rest of us can enjoy the most literate of the James Bond films. It's not better or worse than any of the others just different.

Read Best Reviews of On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) Here

To say that ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE has grown on me is an understatement. The first time that I saw it a few years ago, I can remember laughing with my friend about how awful Lazenby was as a replacement for Connery. But after a recent second viewing, my tone has changed dramatically. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE is now one of my favorite Bond films. Of the first six movies, I would definitely place it in the top three and it certainly beats out its predecessor YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, both in its "watchability" and its ranking as a Bond film. What is it about ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE that is so good? Well, it seems that director Peter Hunt (the fantastic editor of the previous films) wanted to return Bond to his roots, emphasizing story and characters over action and gadgets. Indeed, the gadgets are absent in this film. Instead, we get a good old story of espionage as Bond infiltrates the secret mountain-top lair of Ernst Blofeld, posing as a famous genealogist. Lazenby is a superb Bond. Though he doesn't handle women in the same smooth way and his charm and refinement are noticeably lacking, Lazenby does deliver some terrific action sequences. Furthermore, Lazenby handles the scripts "love interest" quite well, showing us one of the most emotional Bonds ever. Understandably, fans either loved or hated this new Bond, and the film went on to be less of a success as the Connery films. Still, one has to wonder what might have become of the series if Lazenby had kept the role for a significant run.

After the opening "gun barrel" sequence, we are greeted with the pre-credits teaser. M and Moneypenny are at a loss of where exactly 007 is located. We have no problem finding him. We watch as Bond chases after a girl, whom we later discover is Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), and saves her from near suicide, only to be attacked by an enemy. A great fight sequence in the waves is played out, with Lazenby delivering in fine style. It's been a while since Bond has been this fit! The girl escapes Bond during the commotion, leaving him alone on the beach. Lazenby, firmly set in his new role, winks at the camera and says "This never happened to the other fellow." In breaking the fourth wall, Lazenby and the Bond team let us know that James Bond is not Sean Connery; James Bond is James Bond. This line kicks off the titles, another Binder work, this time without a popular singer belting a song. Perhaps after the awkward lyrics of THUNDERBALL, the producers decided that trying to work ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE into a song would just be too difficult. The titles are a classic Binder work, involving shifting images through an hourglass and elaborate silhouettes.

The plot is back to the good old days and adds a love angle, allowing for some character depth on the part of Bond. The first part of the film opens up on that angle. Bond encounters Tracy again (Teresa di Vicenzo) and makes a more "formal" introduction. After their brief encounter, Bond is suddenly kidnapped and taken to see Marc-Ange Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti), head of Europe's second largest crime syndicate (second only to SPECTRE). There it is revealed that Tracy is Draco's daughter. In a weird spin, Draco desires Bond to continue to woo his daughter, ultimately marrying her for a personal dowry of one million pounds. Tracy has had a troubled past (as we have witnessed) and Bond is just the sort of thing she needs to save her. Bond refuses the proposal, but agrees to continue to see his daughter in exchange for information about Ernst Blofeld's whereabouts. Upon returning to MI6, Bond is promptly kicked off his current assignment of tracking down Blofeld. Bond is so irritated that he tenders his resignation, only to have his resignation covertly changed to a leave of absence by Moneypenny. Realizing that he can continue to pursue Blofeld on his vacation, Bond heartily accepts the vacation. After some good old spy work, Bond finally learns that Blofeld is attempting to lay claim to a royal title, under the French surname Bleuchamp. Posing as genealogist Sir Hilary Bray, Bond gains access to Blofeld's new hideout--a "research institute" sitting on top of the Piz Gloria in the Swiss Alps. Once there, Bond learns that Blofeld has developed a bacterial weapon that he plans to distribute throughout the world. The weapon is so powerful that it is capable of destroying vital species of flora and fauna--unless, of course, Blofeld is granted amnesty for all past crimes and given his new title. Will Bond be able to stop the crisis before it is too late?

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE displays many characteristics of the great Bond films. Its plot is intricate and involves good old-fashioned spy work. Bond is a character of great depth in this film, portraying both a recklessness and arrogance towards MI6 and the establishment, as well as great love for his leading lady. Finally, the action in this film is great. The famous downhill ski and bobsled fights are fantastic and do not lack for any excitement. Unlike Lewis Gilbert in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, director Peter Hunt decided to keep the film as close to Fleming's novel as possible, yielding a film that many fans of the books describe as the most accurate Bond adaptation ever produced. It's a shame that it has the negative reputation that it is sometimes branded with.

George Lazenby, as mentioned before, does a find job as Bond. While he certainly doesn't have the same style and class as Connery (who does?), Lazenby is more than adequate in the action sequences and handles the fights wonderfully. Moreover, he turns in one of the more complex Bond performances, culminating in the film's final sequence. I was startled to see a scene like that in a Bond film and welcomed its arrival. Diana Riggs also turns in a good performance, providing us with one of the more complex and dominant female leads ever to show up in a Bond film. Telly Savalas's rendition of Blofeld (the second actor to play the visual part) is one of my favorites. His Blofeld is not quite as pathetic as the one we first meet in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and not quite as quirky as the one we will soon meet in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. While he doesn't live up to the menace of the character originally heard in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, he is certainly a more capable, worldly, and interesting villain than the rest.

Ultimately, ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE feels very different from the rest of the Bond films. For my tastes, it was a refreshing return to the source before the Bond series would take on its inevitable Roger Moore phase. The Ultimate Edition looks very crisp and sounds wonderful. It is also packed with plenty of extras, including a "Making of" documentary, films about the casting of the new Bond, interviews with Lazenby, and all of the usual assorted material. BINDER DOCUMENTARY? If you like the novels or are a fan of the early Bond films, you can't go wrong with ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. Just promise to give Lazenby a chance.

Want On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) Discount?

All I can say is it's about time this movie has been available as a single DVD. Ever since its initial release this remarkable film has had to deal with the regrettable and entirely undeserved stigma of being a lesser and forgettable footnote in the Bond canon. Nothing could be further from the truth.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a masterpiece, both as a James Bond movie and as an adventure movie in its own right-and it is far and away the best Bond movie that has ever been made thusfar. The reasons for this are manifold. For one thing it succeeds marvelously on both an artistic as well as an escapist level-imho it's the only Bond film so far to achieve this. Secondly it features what is easily the greatest score in a Bond movie, and possibly the greatest action theme music ever--the ripping instrumental theme still excites me every time I hear it after 25 years and more listens than I could possibly hope to remember. Thirdly it features one of the best ensemble casts of all the Bond movies-every part was perfectly cast (yes even Bond) and they all played off each other wonderfully. Last but not least it was directed but arguably the best of all Bond directors, Peter Hunt.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is unique among the Bond movies in so many ways, most notably in that it stars the criminally underrated George Lazenby as Bond. Lazenby was a fight instructor with the Special Forces, a championship skier and swimmer-all of which contributed to him having a remarkable physical grace, as well as the sort of radiant magnetism, confidence and swagger that simply can't be faked. In short, where most of the Bonds have been actors trying to be action heroes, Lazenby was an action hero trying to be an actor-and as far as I'm concerned this gave him a distinct advantage over everyone else who has attempted the role. And he was bloody cool. So cool, in fact, that to this day, more than Connery even, watching Lazenby makes the 12 year-old in me want to run out and save the world. Topping everything off the man was a model and absolutely adored by women. In short he was, to my mind, far and away the most naturally qualified of any of the actors who have ever played Bond. Yes, he was a little rough around the edges in the acting department, but by God he had it where it counted and was diamond in the rough. It is one of the great tragedies of action cinema history that we didn't get to see him develop as Bond.

And then there's the film itself. In addition to a fantastic lead it also contains one of the best villains of the series-Telly Savalas' Blofeld. Egotistical, charming, entirely self-centred, brilliant as well as menacing and physically imposing, he was the perfect counter to Lazenby's Bond. You could literally sense the urgency and drive behind his egocentric madness-clearly he was a villain to be reckoned with. And there was that cool way he held his cigarettes. Furthermore, On Her Majesty's Secret Service has what is probably the best story of the series. It struck just the right balance between the absurd (the mountaintop fortress and plan to destroy the world's crops) and the serious (the character development and lack of gadgets and over-the-top fantastic elements) as well as touching on some quintessential male fantasy elements: a bevy of beauties atop a mountain hideaway on the one hand, and the delectable Tracy on the other. Let it be said here and now that as ridiculous as the idea of hypnotizing a group of beautiful women to go out and do your bidding really is, it must be noted that the whole concept is fantastically cool on the level of fantasy on which Bond films have always had their true niche. If Ian Fleming were alive to day I would give him a good pat on the back for that one.

Let us now consider the action scenes-some of the best of the entire series-not the least of which are the stellar fight scenes: brutal and personal, not to be approached in awesomeness until Casino Royale two years ago. And then there are the ski scenes-utterly fantastic. The Piz Gloria escape is easily the single most exciting scene in the whole series, and it culminates so beautifully with Bond lost and alone at the ice rink, unsure what to do before lo! his guardian angel appears. I would go so far as to say that from the moment Bond is imprisoned in the cable-car room right through the end of the movie, we have perhaps the best extended action sequence in any Bond movie, perhaps in any action movie ever-and it's scored brilliantly by the incomparable John Barry.

Above all, however, one gets a definite sense watching On Her Majesty's Secret Service of how much went into it. Starting with Goldfinger and culminating with You Only Live Twice the Bond movie producers went quite over the top and shifted the focus of the films away from character and depth into the realm of big budget spectacle-to the point that the character of Bond was reduced to a cheap toupe adorning all the nonsense going on around him. By the time On Her Majesty's Secret Service was made they evidently decided to direct the series back to its roots. One thing that stands out to me more every time I watch this film is how much it is apparent that everyone involved with it put their heart and soul into making the "epic" Bond film. It broke all the standard Hollywood success rules-it blew the then just-established formula to smithereens, it was the first one to really address James Bond as a human being, it was the first to give Bond a chance to fall in love, to have him register genuine fear and emotion, and so on.

Looking back it's almost as if some higher power intervened, realigned the planets and allowed the fireworks and spectacles to be put on hold for one movie so that the filmmakers could make a movie from their heart, so they could tell a story without sacrificing its integrity on the altar of crazy gadgets, whimsical plotlines and futuristic sets-and I think it is this quality that gives OHMSS its true pulse, that quality which, to me, makes it stand out more and more as the best film of the series with each viewing. Goldfinger and Thunderball may have embedded Bond firmly in the collective popular consciousness, but On Her Majesty's Secret Service captured perfectly the soul of Bond-and it hasn't been topped since.

To paraphrase a tribute once given to a great historical personage: To a traveler standing near a mountain range many eminences seem to have approximately the same altitude; it is difficult to disengage Everest from its lofty neighbors. But as the range recedes in the distance, the highest peak lifts more and more above its fellows, until it alone fills the horizon. So it has been with On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Embodiment Of Evil (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2008)

[Embodiment of Evil (2008) co-written, starring and directed by Jose Mojica Marins widescreen presentation] Horror fans rejoice, as this film marks the return to the screen of Coffin Joe (Jose Mojica Marins), the gruesome graveyard caretaker, murderer, torturer and existential executioner of exploitation extraordinaire. And it's a helluva homecoming, establishing a new watermark in the annals of contemporary horror films and redefining the horror/exploitation genre for a new generation. In this transgressive terror tale, Coffin Joe makes Freddie, Myers, Jason and Leatherface look like cub scouts or altar boys. No horror enthusiast/collector should miss this one. Even if you don't agree with my previous remark.

After serving 40 years in the mental wing of the Sao Paulo State Penitentiary, Josefel Zanatas, Coffin Joe's birth name, is finally being released, not for good behavior, he killed nearly 30 men during his term there, but through an administrative decision, overcrowding and the financial burden of keeping him in solitary confinement. His re-emergence back into a society he loathes will be a simple one, as he is greeted by his faithful hunchbacked servant, Bruno, and they prowl the streets witnessing extreme poverty, prostitution, drug use, crooked cops killing kids they deem irredeemable and too young for prison, and a military so corrupt they torture innocents into confessions before doing away with them in the most heinous way possible; that is until Coffin Joe puts his agenda into play.

Upon the return to his lair, whose upkeep was Bruno's loyal labor of love all these years, Coffin Joe mutters, "Perfect", when in fact this place would make Dracula uncomfortable. The modern gothic creepiness of the surroundings and its accoutrements is sickeningly splendid. Bruno has also recruited four new 'apprentices' to undertake the missions of CJ, and their tasks are not the type dictated by Donald Trump, I assure you. Now the carnage and butchery begins anew, and these events make scenes in 'Saw' or 'Hostel' seem sometimes tame in comparison. CJ still espouses his blasphemous, anti-biblical philosophical diatribes throughout the movie, peppering each scene of insanity to add almost operatic overtures to the gruesome and ghastly imagery heaved upon us with near projectile-vomiting brutality. There's no downtime, no flat, static or dry moments to even catch our breath; the plot was constructed to maximize the onscreen onslaught of audacity. We're continually barraged with flinching scenes of torture, barbarism, cringing crucifixations, scalping, skinning, whipping, dismemberment, flesh-eating bugs and a scene with a rat you'll never forget you know, the things fans of this psychotic cinema want and expect from these flicks. No disappointments here, the 'rituals of purification' are the most disturbing you'll find it makes a Bosch painting look like a church-sanctioned Da Vinci fresco. This is madness in a class all its own.

As in the first two flicks from the 60's ('At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul' and 'This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse' there was a third film that's totally ignored here by all, `Awakening of the Beast', one of my favorites, but I believe it's being ignored due to the plotline here is a continuation from the second film) the saga of Coffin Joe searching for the right woman to have his 'perfect' child subtext (and isn't that what it always comes right down to the search for a 'soulmate' in every romantic comedy and drama throughout history? See folks, Coffin Joe's just an extremely misunderstood romantic at heart) is still vital to the story and referenced continually in nightmares, flashbacks (done in B+W, like the earlier films), hellish hallucinations and spectral haunting from his past female victims, who also appear in B+W. It's a great effect in the context of the film.

In spite of this entire demented phantasmagoria, the film has a clear, linear plot, great dialogue, mood, settings, a strong budget and alarmingly realistic special effects that are never reduced to CGI effects, as detailed in the 'making of' featurette. There's also abundant nudity heaped upon us (some gratuitous, some plot essential, all of it enjoyable) along with the extreme hyper-violence and gore that's near heart-stopping yes, kids, there's something here for everybody. I was impressed from start to finish (but that might be admitting there's something dreadfully wrong with me...) and I'm a harsh critic of modern horror films.

The fourth act is supremely and sadistically satisfying, and a posthumous-procreation finale results in a perfect ending and set-up for a sequel insuring the legacy of Coffin Joe is far from over (let's hope we don't have to wait nearly so long for it, Marins is already ancient). After all, he is 'The Embodiment of Evil, isn't he?

My initial exposure to Coffin Joe was through Fantoma's box set including "At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul," "This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse," and "Awakening of the Beast." I absolutely loved these films for their spacey, pseudo-philosophic criminal worldview, shocking-for-their-time violence, and trippy visuals. I had no idea Jose Mojica Marins had filmed a long-delayed follow up to these films until Amazon emailed the suggestion to me. Naturally I jumped all over the Blu-Ray once I learned about it.

I would compare "Embodiment of Evil" to Dario Argento's "Mother of Tears" for several reasons. Both are more modern looking films by classic directors. Both serve as a sort of homage to each respective director's prime. And both movies are pretty much insane. As a long-time Argento fan, I actually liked "Mother of Tears" a lot more than most. However in comparing these two films, I would say that Jose Mojica Marins' movie was more successful. While both make numerous and welcome references to characters and scenarios of the past films, Marins delves into a sort of meta-fictional territory by having Coffin Joe haunted by his former victims, who appear in black and white just as they were in the sixties films. Marins also imbues his new film with a greater sense of gravitas (despite the inherent silliness of the entire premise) than Argento. "Embodiment of Evil" feels like a logical progression in the series, whereas "Mother of Tears" feels almost like a parody of the classic "Suspiria" and "Inferno."

Marins also touches upon all the elements that made his earlier films great. There is shocking violence (much more intense than the previous films), crazy pseudo-philosophical ramblings, and trippy visuals. There's even a descent into hell just like there was in "This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse," although it looks much different this time around. Argento failed, at least in large part, to recapture the beauty and grandeur of his earlier masterpieces, choosing instead to take "Mother" in a more campy direction.

Moving away from this comparison, I would also say that I hope Marins finds time to film another Coffin Joe movie. Without spoiling the ending, it opens up an extremely interesting possibility for another movie.

Buy Embodiment Of Evil (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2008) Now

This film is very exploitive and gratuitous, but it doesn't look or feel sleazy. The production values look pretty high; and it's also well acted, directed, and the gore FX are very good. It contains some great gruesome imagery, as well as a plentiful amount of nudity and graphic violence. This is a Brazilian film, so there's no shortage of nudity; there's full frontal nude scenes in the film, and all the women are really good looking. I thought the films pace is pretty fast, and it has really good replay value. The film will obviously appeal to most horror fans of exploitive 70s and 80s horror, but it also might appeal to many mainstream horror fans because the film looks and feels modern; it isn't a cheap sleaze film. I personally thought it was a great horror flick.

The DVD quality looks great, and the extras are good as well.

Read Best Reviews of Embodiment Of Evil (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2008) Here

If you're like me, you adore Coffin Joe's first two films, "At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul" and "This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse", and snatched up the UK Blu-ray for the third and last in the series, "Embodiment of Evil", the moment it came out. When I saw that a US Blu-ray was put out, I ignored it for a while. "Why bother when I already own the film on the format?"

Well, upon buying a few Synapse BDs and being highly impressed by their quality film reproduction, I started to wonder if their release for this film was any different from what I already owned, whether there was an appreciable difference in the transfer. I inquired about it, to which I was informed that a whole new master was struck for this release based on a 2K telecine of the film, whereas Anchor Bay's UK release was sourced from an HDCAM tape (not HDCAM SR, but regular, old-fashioned HDCAM from the mid '90s), which has a maximum interlaced resolution of 1440x1080 (rectangular pixels which are then upsampled to 1920x1080 during playback). In other words, this isn't true HD by today's standards, while the Synapse release is.

In addition to that, Don May fixed special effects shots and they look a whole lot better this time around. The overall presentation is just a whole lot more filmic and pleasing to the eyes; color reproduction is beautiful, whereas the UK release looks incredibly drab. A pleasing, healthy veneer of grain graces the image. (I've said it before, I'll say it again: grain COMPOSES the image, and you're bananas if you hate grain in film.)

It's a must-own Blu-ray for Coffin Joe fans and definitely worth upgrading to if you already own the UK BD. The HD footage spliced in from the original films makes me yearn for those two to be released on Blu-ray. As of now, the Brazilian lab has yet to scan the two in HD. Here's hoping that they do so soon. In the meantime, Synapse plan to release them on DVD, and they're sure to be a vast improvement over the non-anamorphic DVDs by Fantoma.

The film? A worthy end to the Coffin Joe trilogy. The fact that it was made forty years after the second film and the story has the same amount of time in between is astonishing. José Mojica Marins plays the character with such elegant ferocity that rivals and even tops his previous performances. The content in the film can be quite extreme at times, so isn't for somebody who has a weak stomach. One example is of a naked woman who is drugged and made to show her loyalty to Coffin Joe and his vision by having her right buttock cut off like Christmas ham and fed to her raw. "For you, I would eat my own flesh." Sure to make some queasy.

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I love this film so much. And I knew it was going to be great. Although it does not carry the same mystique and soul of his first two films, it creates a completely new horrific sense and awareness. I will not go on about the plot, other than to say it is genius. If you are a fan of Ze do Caixao you must do exactly what I did: buy a multi-region player, then buy this film. You'll thank me in the end. Brilliant horror!

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Black Book (2007)

As many here have said, this is a beautifully shot, gripping, unforgettable movie, a great addition to the honorable genre of WWII flicks. In fact, the father of one of my colleagues, Dutch himself and in his 70s, said this was the best film he has ever seen. So I don't understand why, if a man in his 70s who is from the WWII generation himself did not find this film "prurient," so many reviewers have insisted that it is. The scene that most of the prudes seem to find gratuitous is (spoiler alert) the scene in which the Jewish heroine prepares herself to pass as a blonde bombshell so she can seduce the German officer. Clearly, she is going to have to dye or shave hair other than the hair on her head in order to pass as a natural blond. The movie shows her doing this. Why is it not gratuitous? Because the scene sets up the love triangle that will result in the conflict in the last third of the movie. It is absolutely essential to the advancement of the plot, and in my opinion, any reviewer who can't see that is not only a fussy old woman, but also not much of a reviewer. So if you have not seen this movie because you've read a review that trashes it on the grounds of prurience, please reconsider. And consider this: the most recent Ang Lee movie is so sexually frank that it got an NC-17 rating, yet there hasn't been a single review which has trashed it on the basis of its gratuitous sex. That says to me that some major reviewers are only interested in criticizing Paul Verhoeven rather than commenting honestly on his film. Another reason to see this movie is Carice Van Houten. She not only convincingly plays a 40's bombshell, she has that same 40s movie-star quality that you can't take your eyes off of. Truly, you could watch this film 100 times and never get tired of her. She is irresistible.

One of my special interests is WW II history, especially the Nazi era, and I have watched many fact-based movies dealing with the theme. Black Book is a first-rate thriller that depicts the trials and tribulations of a young Jewish woman in Nazi-occupied Holland. Rachel Stein the lead character is played consummately by the beguiling Carice Van Houten whose facial expressions do a lot more to convey fear, vulnerability, hatred and determination than mere dialogue alone. To ensure her continued survival and escape from certain death that awaits the Jewish populace, Rachel, having suffered the loss of her brother and parents, takes on the guise of an Aryan, Ellis de Vries, and is roped by the Resistance to seduce Ludwig Muntze [Sebastian Koch] a Gestapo officer and steal Nazi secrets.

The actors in this movie are well-cast even the Gestapo officer, whose very title should inspire revulsion is portrayed with a certain sensitivity, and he shows a semblance of humanity, a rare trait for an officer of the Reich. Even knowing Rachel's true Jewish identity, he falls hopelessly in love with her, and this is portrayed with a level of credibility given the contradictions inherent in such a pairing.

The action is fast-paced, there is much violence, and yes, even explicit sex, but through it all, nothing detracts from the plot, only serves to enhance the story, and makes this a gripping, must-see WW II thriller.

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Director Paul Verhoeven stunned the film world with his World War II masterpiece "Soldier of Orange"...and in a sense, this film is a second

installment of his story of the Dutch Resistance. In the earlier film it was easier to distinguish the evil from the good...here characters are edgier and perhaps darker.

The story begins when a young, pretty Jewish woman tries to flee to Belgium from Nazi occupied Holland but her family is betrayed, massacred and robbed along with other Jewish families. After a nail-biting escape,

Rachel (Carice Van Houten), joins the Resistance and agrees to infiltrate the Gestapo headquarters. Surprisingly, she becomes attached to one of the officers, and the tale begins a spin into betrayal and counterbetrayal...so that enemies and friends are very hard to distinguish.

There is a lot of old-fashioned World War II suspense and action that

rolls the story along. But ultimately, this is a film about how hard it is to identify villains and heroes, when everyone is wearing a mask...including Rachel,of course who is hiding her Jewish identity.

Overall, the film sizzles more than Soldier of Orange, but the original World War II film is still the better steak. Recommended for the high octane action, interesting plot twists, and solid historical detail.

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I think the best reason to view this movie is to watch Carice van Houten as she plays the part of Rachel Stein, a Dutch Jew trying to stay alive during the Nazi occupation of Holland in 1944. Rachel is forced to assume a different identity as Ellis de Vries ( recruited by the Dutch Resistance following the betrayal and deaths of her parents and brother), even going so far as to dye her dark hair blonde to hide her Jewishness from SS Officer Ludwig Muentze in order to gain his confidence and infiltrate the Nazi HQ. Carice is incredibly convincing as the sexy ex-cabaret singer entertaining the smitten Captain Muentze, with whom she becomes infatuated, and his fellow SS officers with her 40s Bombshell looks and sweet voice.

The movie was a well-written, exciting, and suspenseful foreign language film (in Dutch, German, and English) from beginning to end. I highly recommend BLACK BOOK to anyone who enjoys good film making.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Mata Hari and Greta Garbo move over; Rachel Stein a.k.a. Ellis de Vries is the new girl in town, and she is positively fearless!

Paul Verhoeven, whose American film making career gave us such films as BASIC INSTINCT and ROBO COP, has returned to his native Netherlands to co-write and direct his "piece de resistance" (literally!) in his exhilarating and relentlessly thrilling BLACK BOOK.In BLACK BOOK Verhoeven has created a Resistance fighter/spy/seductive vixen heroine for the ages in Rachel Stein.She is a one-of-a-kind, and Dutch actress Carice van Houten probably has made her most important career choice in portraying her.

Though The film begins on a Kibbutz in 1956 Israel where we meet a song singing teacher named Rachel Stein who chances upon an old friend from the War days,a former Nazi whore named Ronnie, Rachel's memory quickly takes us from the peaceful kibbutz back to the horrors of WW2 in 1944 Holland.This is where the story of Rachel Stein really begins.

As a Jewish woman in Holland, Rachel Stein has been forced into hiding with a Dutch family in order to fly under the radar of the terror of the Nazi Occupation and the compliant Dutch Police. When the family's farm is bombed ,Rachel is forced by circumstance to begin a long line of improvisations to simply stay alive.She is gorgeous,incredibly resourceful and absolutely and unapologetically opportunistic as she,instead of waiting out the War in seclusion, boldly goes forth right under the noses of the Nazis,changing her persona to Ellis de Vries,a platinum-blonde former Berlin cabaret star ,relying on her incredible female powers,beauty (and she is!) genius and courage and takes the Nazi Terror on.Ellis finds her niche with the Dutch resistance which asks her to land smack into the arms of a head Gestapo officer,Ludwig Muntze,(Sebastian Koch).She becomes the Resistance's chief spy as she plays whore to a Muntze,who falls heartily and hard for the magnificent and charming Ellis.What was simply a spy job,though,now changes drastically as Ellis and Ludwig really do fall in love.This is where the final and most difficult task lies for Ellis (and that is all this reviewer is giving away!)

Carice van Houten is an absolute rare find and no doubt the job that she so admirably does in infusing Rachel/Ellis with such depth,complexity and grit will land her all kinds of accolades and awards in the year to come.Ms van Houten takes the courageous yet fleeing Jewess Rachel and transfigures her into the ever resourceful,luminesque-Garbolike Ellis taking her into the world of roller coaster nightmares that leaves the viewer positively out of breath (and I was!)

Sebastian Koch,fresh from his sucess in the 2006 Foreign Oscar winner THE LIVES OF OTHERS is even MORE convincing as Gestapo officer Muntze in BLACK BOOK.This is an actor of such depth that coupled with van Houten and a flawless script and deft direction, BLACK BOOK is going to be hard to top for the 2007 Oscar.With such a glut of overused and underachieved American "stars",van Houten and Koch are actors' actors and hopefully will keep making smart decisions to act only the finest material under the best direction.Watching these actors makes one wonder why Americans fawn over some of the "fluff" stars we do?

What is neat about BLACK BOOK is that Verhoeven never gives the audience one minute of rest.He, though, never allows BLACK BOOK to become just another action-packed spy thriller; instead he gives us an incredibly deep and detailed story,set among the darkest days in war torn Europe that is character-rich,plot-exploding with great visual sense and style.BLACK BOOK is Verhoeven at his most mature.His last Dutch film,the 1983 thriller THE FOURTH MAN,though alright,followed by his American films,puts BLACK BOOK at the top of his distinguished directorial list.

Anne Dudley,who heretofore was known to this reviewer for her classical-style music, HYMNS ANCIENT AND MODERN, has composed a compelling and riveting soundtrack that never overtakes any of the story,but cleverly moves the action along-the chief goal of a score writer.

It is hard to believe that this film was 2 and 1/2 hours long! It flew by.BLACK BOOK is rated R and contains nudity,violence and coarse profanity.

Great companion films on WW2 Netherlands would be THE HIDING PLACE and A DAY IN OCTOBER .It seems to me that THE NAZI OFFICER'S WIFE ,which is the true story of Edith Hahn's transfiguration from hiding Jewess into a Officer's wife may well have been the "true events" that inspired the screenplay for BLACK BOOK.The similarities are uncanny making BLACK BOOK all the better for it.DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!

Sebastian Koch followed up this film with THE LIVES OF OTHERS-another triumph!

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The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)

The legend is only one water horse lives per generation. When the old one is ready to die, they lay an egg from which the new water horse is hatched and must grow up on its own as an orphan.

In this case, a young boy named Angus McMurrow found the egg and helped the waterhorse hatch and grow. That's not a mean feat, considering this is World War II and a cadre of British soldiers are staying in the manor house where Angus' family lives. But if any kid is in need of a friend, it's Angus. You see, his father went off to war--and Angus still believes he's going to come back despite being told to the contrary. Angus finds a surprising ally in Lewis Mowbray (Ben Chaplin), a returning soldier who still believes in the old myths and is in need of a dream as much as Angus is.

Of course, the complication is the British soldiers led by a toff commander who's noble father probably stuck him in Scotland to keep him out of the action. They think that the Germans are going to come down Loch Ness and they've got the guns and ammo to take care of the problem if they do. Not a healthy environment for a baby water horse to grow up in...

"Water Horse" is beautifully filmed. It captures the rugged beauty of Scotland amazingly. The soundtrack, by James Newton Howard (of Toto fame and too many soundtracks to name) is gorgeous. The music is perfect--as always.

Warnings:

Kids younger than five had problems with some of the scenes and a couple had to escort their frightened parents out into the lobby

Crossing a tale between an explanation of the fabled Loch Ness Monster with the backdrop of World War II, `Deep Water Horse' comes across as `Pan's Labyrinth' for children. Full of whimsy and brimming with innocence, the movie is a harbor for the imagination.

Taking place in Scotland where the legend of Loch Ness has allegedly been spotted, an elderly man engages a couple at the local pub where he relates a fabled adventure of the past. Transporting us in the narrative to 1942, Angus MacMorrow examines some "magical shells" around Loch Ness to collect and take home. His father has been absent from The War for about a year now. Angus (perfectly cast as Alex Etel of `Millions' fame) spots one and takes it home to his father's workshop where he tries to pry through its exterior to find dazzling layers beneath. Being called away, it is a short time later that noise in the shop alerts him of some new development. Angus to his astonishment sees a creature waddling on the floor of his father's shop. Looking much like a cross between a seal and a platypus, the awkward young thing soon takes a liking to Angus who feeds it and makes some space for him in a bucket of water.

The trouble is Crusoe, as he soon names him, grows very quickly. Trying futilely to keep him from his sister, Anne (Emily Watson), his mother (Lorraine McDonald), and a newly hired hand, Lewis (Ben Chaplin), he, nevertheless, puts him in the bathtub. Soon everyone except his mother is in on the secret, but once he grows too big, it is apparent he must let him go back to the water to accommodate his amphibious nature.

Enter the Scottish army. While they laudably provided for the Allies, they do make life uncomfortable for Angus and will soon do so for Crusoe when they find his presence in Loch Ness. Captain Hamilton (David Morrissey) is a reassuring presence for his mother, who certainly could use a man around the house, but the changes are certainly unsettling for Angus, who needs Crusoe as a reassuring outlet and companion. Crusoe is a nice escape for a boy who misses his father and must deal with a surrogate who knows little more than to say, "The boy needs more discipline." (In this way I saw the closest parallel to Pan's Labyrinth.)

The scenes when Angus rides and befriends Crusoe are a highlight of the film, and the playful voyage is filled with nifty special effects. Some of the chase scenes in the harbor and around the house keep a playful spirit to the adventure. Like 'Stardust' and 'Enchanted' before it, 'Water Horse' is an entertaining and fun ride. While some of the elements borrow a bit from the classic 'E.T.,' this film is original and transporting enough in its own right. (Based on the book by Dick King-Smith)

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I just saw this film with my husband and 10 ½ year old daughter...excuse me, she says 10 ¾. The Water Horse was thoroughly enjoyed by all. It is a treat for the entire family, sparking the imagination of young and old alike.

A near-tear jerker, set in WWII, on the banks of (we find out later) Loch Ness, this is a whimsical story of healing, full of adventure, laughter, friendship, and love. The beginning is filled with an appropriate amount of tension, drawing the audience immediately into the tale. As the story unfolds, we learn a little about Scottish folklore, a little about WWII behind the Allied front (way, way behind), and a lot about a young boy, who conquers his worst fears, helped by the love of his unique best friend. In the end, they save each other.

The cinematography is simply breathtaking. The location, the lighting, and the camera angles all work together to immerse the viewer in a rural Scottish village of the time. The starkness of the loch and the beauty of the rugged land create a perfect setting for this film.

I have no idea how the creature was created. I assume CGI. But let me tell you, it really did look like the animal was swimming in a bathtub full of water splashes, slop, and all. I completely believed it. Near the end of the film, I found myself yelling at the characters to save Crusoe...to the high amusement of my family.

I highly recommend this film for children of all ages. You will not be disappointed.

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This movie is very refreshing with its focus on the friendship between a young boy and his newly discovered pet, none other than a waterhorse of Celtic lore. The tenderness between the two is touching and people of all ages will enjoy it. The movie is very well done. And appropriate for all ages.

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THIS MOVIE IS GOOD, IT'S FANTASY AND INTERESTING. THIS MOVIE INTERESTS FOR CHILDREN. THIS MOVIE WAS GOOD SCRIPT AND NICE STORY. THIS MOVIE WAS KEEPING EYES OPEN FOR CHILDREN. EVERYONE ENJOYS THIS MOVIE.

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Striking Distance (1993)

Bruce Willis at the peak of his action hero form playing a cynical hard-boiled cop trying to fight the system. A pre-Sex and the City Sarah Jessica Parker at the peak of her cuteness. Great character actors like Dennis Farina, Tom Sizemore, Brion James, John Mahoney, and Andre Braugher. Superb on location cinematography shot by Mac Ahlberg in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a cool genre score by Brad Fiedel (love that saxaphone love theme) and on the mark (and wonderfully over the top) direction by Rowdy Herington of Road House fame. Striking Distance is a nice little hard boiled action gem that seems to be slowly gaining a nice little cult following. For fans of 80's and 90's action films, this is a movie worth seeking out.

I was really surprised by the number of negative reviews of this movie. Granted, STRIKING DISTANCE, is not one of Bruce's best films, but I found it to be solidly entertaining, cliches and all. And I think it had some very good twists that I didn't see coming. I found the whole cast, (even (...)Sarah Jessica Parker) to be commendable in their roles. Special kudos to Robert Pastorelli, Dennis Farina and Tom Sizemore. I wanted to be entertained and STRIKING DISTANCE certainly filled the bill for me!!

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Bruce Willis is Pittsburgh cop Thomas Hardy, a former homicide detective who believes his cousin is in the center of the case he is investigating. When Hardy and his sexy new river patrol partner (Sarah Jessica Parker) discover a series of women floating dead in the Ohio River, Hardy begins to believe his cousin, an ex-police officer, is the serial killer, and the whole story goes back to his mysterious family past... Directed by Rowdy Herrington. Pretty good movie, but Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and other movies like that beat this. Worth seeing (!).

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There are two mysteries to "Striking Distance" (1993) which drive this movie and provide the character motivation; as things build toward a climax (and only ten minutes remain to wrap everything up) you know that two has to be one-that the same thing will be the answer to both questions because not enough time remains to untangle two "different" sets of misdirection.

Of course first-time viewers applying first-class logical reasoning skills will never guess the answer, because someone (presumably the writers) cheats at the end and introduces the deus ex machina device. Dating back to Greek tragedy, deus ex machina is when an artificial character is suddenly introduced to untangle a hopelessly contrived plot. Looking back for clues to the involvement of this character you realize that there are none and that the writers have intentionally kept the audience ignorant, a cheap way to surprise the viewer, the drawback being that the technique makes it impossible to inject even the tiniest bit of suspense into the viewing process. What clues there are were inserted just to jerk the viewer around.

They cheat again with another of those stupid villain resurrection fight sequences at the very end. You know this tired stuff, show evidence that the villain could not possibly have escaped then have him Jason-like magically surface alive and kicking. The sad part being that it doesn't work (which must have been obvious during the editing process), it is totally unnecessary, and it could have been seamlessly trimmed out during post-production. Lose those moronic 20 seconds and you could add about 10 IQ points to the target audience.

That said, it is otherwise an entertaining film. Bruce Willis plays a trouble-making Pittsburgh cop named Hardy and.... big surprise.... he's unpopular with the department brass. He is demoted and paired with Sarah Jessica Parker patrolling the three rivers for the River Rescue Squad. Their romance is predictable but the chemistry is good and the relationship has a nice low-key charm. The river patrol provides an opportunity to stage some nice 1940's style action and chase scenes. Hardy is very easy to identify with so you can get a nice vicarious rush from his point-of-view.

Hardy is unpopular because he testified against his first partner in a police brutality case, because he insists that a serial killer is still at large, and that only someone on the force could be the serial killer. So mystery #1 is the identity of the serial killer. Mystery #2 is who killed Hardy's father (a police Captain) about the same time as the first round of serial killings. . His uncle (Dennis Farina) is on the force, and at one time so were two of his uncle's sons, Hardy's cousins and childhood friends. Not much is revealed about them because doing so would require a much more intelligent screenplay. One seems to be a violent nut case so you know he could not possibly be involved in the killings.

Roger Ebert summed it all up nicely in a template: "A rebel cop stirs up trouble and is disciplined, but determines to stay on the trail of a serial killer, while meanwhile he is assigned a partner that first he hates and then he likes, while the killer cleverly tries to frame him. Add several chase scenes and a deadly confrontation in which all of the key characters magically congregate at the same time."

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

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This is a great movie, there is nothing you can not like in this movie.

Bruce willis as well as the rest of the cast did a good job in this movie with very good acting, the plot is also entertaining with some twists in it, the whole thing about how all the family members of Bruce are cops is just cool, reminded me a little of cop land (town of cops), but this movie is even better than cop land.

Tom sizemore performance was also noticable, even Sarah jessica parker was good here.

currently, i only own a VHS copy of the movie, but if any one have not seen it yet, my advice is to buy the DVD because this movie is worth it and is FULLY ENTERTAINING !

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Four Weddings & A Funeral (1994)

This film starring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell was quite a popular hit when released in theatres and was nominated for Oscars. The characters are well developed and the supporting cast is terrific. There are many great one-liners and the accompanying music is enjoyable. I consider this movie one of the best romantic comedies of the 90s. However, MGM has only occassionally produced outstanding DVDs. Unfortunately, this DVD has some artifacts, pixelation, and bare bones content. I was disappointed in the visual and sound quality for a film made so recently (within the last ten years). I would recommend this DVD only if you are a big fan of this film or don't demand quality and rich content in your DVDs.

"Four Weddings and a Funeral" may not be the greatest movie in the history, but it surely is the best modern romantic comedy I ever saw. The only film that can possibly surpass this delightful one is, perhaps, "When Harry Met Sally ..." Maybe tied.

Hugh Grant has starred in many films since then, but his best role is still Charles of this film, who unwittingly finds his love in Carrie, an open-hearted American played by beautiful Andie MacDowell at his friend's wedding. One miatake is, he foolishly couldn't realize it before he let her go after one-night stand. But as the number of ceremony goes up (including one funeral), he gradually comes to notice that he threw away the best thing in his life. And while he is wondering what to do, friends around him start to search for their real love, including his own brother David, his timid friend Tom, Tom's sister Fiona, and Charles's eccentric roommate Scarlet. But where should Charles go? Going back to his countless ex-girlfriends? Or, Carrie? But she got already married.

To be honest, a little abrupt ending of the film damages an entire movie's strength a bit, but all comedies have to pay the price to end the show within an appointed hour. What is incredibly splendid about "Four Weddings" is that the characters are all so lively and sparkling with witty dialogue that you think they are not acting at all. Actually, on top of Hugh Grant, many actors are still associated with the roles in this film even if they got more populality after this film; Kristin Scott Thomas is later to be nominated Oscar for her turn in "English Patient," but she will be remembered as deliciously aristocratic Fiona. John Hannah made his name popular through the Hollywood blockbuster series of "Mummy," but still he is kind-hearted Matthew to those who have seen him recite W H Auden (most touching moment) in "Four Weddings." This is that kind of film that changes the cast's life. It happens once in your lifetime.

With this great ensemble cast, we have fantastic script by Richard Curtis, filled with funny lines uttered by completely believable characters. He does not fail to take great care of minor characters, and give them equally good moments. Look how Serena, in love with handsome David who is hearing impaired, learns sign. Trying to impress him, she mixes up "nice" with "mice," but, you know, when boys and girls are in love. nothing can stop them from understanding each other. Cute.

Brilliantly written, "Four Weddings" is a superb model of romantic comedy. If you like this type of movie, you surely will fall in love with it; and if you're not, your mind will be changed just like mine (I didn't expected much from it, so I didn't go to theater until the last day). And the film never forgets the sad side of life as the title implies. Sad thing is one of the cast Charlotte Coleman, who played most unconventional bridesmaid Scarlett, has passed away recently. She is terrific.

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This was a very good movie. Hugh Grant is charming and funny in a clumsy way. Andie MacDowell is cute and charming as well. The cast as a whole is terrific. I recommend this movie to all. The DVD on the other hand, was very poor. I have watched a lot of DVDs in the past year and this was one of the worst. I felt like I was watching a VHS tape. The picture was very bland and the colors were muted. I know the English are pale, but this DVD transfer did not do them any justice. On top of the poor video quality, the sound was just as awful. The volume was very low, and jumpy at times. The dialog at times didn't come through clearly and there was no use of the surround channels. This movie could use a thorough update to the entire pakage. A new video transfer, a new audio 5.1 channel mix and some extras would have made this a top DVD. Instead MGM decided to skip all the goodies technology has to offer to keep the price of this DVD down. Too Bad, Its a Great Movie.

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As a movie I will rate it 4 stars, but the video quality is very bad, lot of artifacts, blury images, MGM transfer is really a big disappointment.

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The 1994 movie, "Four Weddings and a Funeral", was an international box office hit and the pioneer in the film genre known as the 'Romantic Brit-Com'. This is a genre of usually small budget, comedic films, that are about the romantic lives of good looking, young Brits (usually with a close group of witty, quirky, supportive friends), who must overcome self-doubt and bad timing to make true love happen. A good number of these films star British actor, Hugh Grant and have been written (and sometimes directed) by Richard Curtis ("Notting Hill" "Love Actually," "Bridget Jones"). Curtis has been so involved in this genre, that he's basically been annoited "King of the Romantic Brit-Coms". "Four Weddings" was pretty much the first of these films. This movie mostly takes place at public events, which are of course the "Four Weddings and a Funeral" in the title. In the film we meet Charles (Hugh Grant) and his close knit group of quirky, witty, supportive friends. We never find out what they do for a living, what their backgrounds are and only get hints of how they know each other. It's as though we are guests at a wedding meeting these people for the first time. What we do find out is that Charles seems to be a perennial wedding guest/Best-Man. He has great doubts about his troubled romantic life and wonders if he is ever destined to meet, that one special person, who he might actually marry. He also always seems to be putting his foot in his mouth and getting into embarassing comic situations (I love the scene, where he gets stuck at a table filled with all his ex-girlfriends!) At the first wedding he meets a glamorous American named, Carrie (played by a luminous, Andie MacDowell). They meet, flirt, even wind up in bed with each other over the course of the different public occasions. But of course because of self-doubt and bad timing, these characters can never really seem to get it together and declare their true love for each other. It's not hard to figure out how this all ends, but the long and winding road over the course of the four weddings and a funeral are quite funny, sad and interesting for all. This is due to the very funny and poignant script from Richard Curtis and sure direction from Mike Newell. The cast is top notch. Hugh Grant has a star making performance in the lead role. Other standout performances include actors Simon Callow as the gregarious, full of life, Gareth and John Hannah as Matthew, who just stops the film with an emotion filled eulogy. Kristin Scott Thomas is also very good as Charles' friend Fiona, who secretly pines for him. Finally, mention should be of British Comedian, Rowan Atkinson's short, but drop dead hilarious turn, as a very nervous, new Vicar, who can't seem to get the wedding vows right! ("Do you take Lydia Jane Hibbert to be your Awful wedded wife!") Originally, this film was released in a pretty primitive bare bones release. It has now been released in a newly minted, 'Deluxe Edition'. The picture is cleaned up and presented in widescreen. I thought the sound in this edition left a lot to be desired. The extras are wonderful. They include a full length commentary track from the filmmakers and a number of short documentaries and featurettes on the making of the film, that prove to be very interesting. But best of all are the deleted scenes (with commentaries), that flesh out the backgrounds of the characters a little more. This film is a wonderful romantic comedy, that leaves you wanting more. Great film! Highly recommended!

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Special When Lit - A Pinball Documentary (Blu-ray) (2010)

This documentary follows in the tradition of great arcade documentaries like King of Kong and Chasing Ghosts. I've watched all of the available pinball documentaries including Tilt and Pinball Passion to date but this one is leaps and bounds over the others with a focus on interesting characters in the hobby and dazzling graphical effects that bring playfields, schematics, and backglasses to life in this great film.

The interjection of the historical information about the hobby along with competition and collector focus pieces kept the DVD moving at a great pace. Some might take offense with the weird characters chosen to interview but it really does give some great insight into the obsession that comes with being a collector in this hobby!!

Fantastic job on this DVD. The only missing was extras and outtakes. I've had this DVD for 5 days and have already watcheed it 4 times. Phenomenal job guys!!

Gil

I felt that this production was of a high quality and definitely fun to watch in its attempt to cover most aspects of Pinball (from an industry to the hobby.) Included throughout the film are many industry luminaries, a number of hobbyist, and the top tournament players (circa 2006.)

I'm certain that this movie was produced with entertainment in mind and is definitely not a historical "Ken Burns" type documentary. There are MANY other various productions that may fulfill your thirst for this type of knowledge (I.E. TILT: The Battle to Save Pinball.)

I can see EastCoastArcade's point that this film features primarily extreme examples of Pinball collectors as well as many of the hobby's usual suspects when it comes to "characters". However I do not think it vilifies the Pinball hobby, but rather focuses on a colorful cross-section in an attempt to make the full length feature engaging to a viewer who has no vested interest in Pinball.

If you're someone who does own "multiple" Pin-games but doesn't take yourself or the hobby too seriously, I think probably enjoy this film! On the other hand if you hold a supreme reverence for the hobby... then you might not fully enjoy it. Special When Lit (Blu-ray)

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This DVD takes me back to when I was 12 years old. I was hitting pause on my DVD player many times while watching this to see how many of the pinball machines they showed I remember playing. For anyone who is or was into pinball, this is definitely worth the money. I loved it.

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For anyone who grew up playing pinball (we are all middle aged or older now), this is a delightful video to enjoy. It tells the story of the pinball machine, from its very beginning, to its peak in the early 1990's, and to its decline due to competition from video gaming consoles.

Did you know that pinball machines were outlawed in America for 30 years? Did you know that the addition of flippers in 1947 changed the pinball game from a game of chance to a game of skill? Did you know that there is only one pinball machine company today? Did you know that there is a world championship of pinball? It is all included in this most enjoyable presentation on pinball. After watching this show, I have a quarter in my pocket that is itching to be placed into a pinball slot.

Highly recommended viewing for those who long for the pinball days of old.

kone

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I saw this streaming on Netflix and had to get the blurry. It kindled a fire in me that had me going to pinball conventions, playing at the local museum every week, and searching for every available pinball game in the city. Very well put together and entertaining.

Ra One Bollywood Blu Ray With English Subtitles (2011)

I watched the movie twice, once in 2D and once in 3D (imo, the 3D experience is fantastic). And I enjoyed the movie, as a whole. Some critics rip this movie apart for its poor script, but one must bear in mind the target audience is essentially kids so the plot is simple and straight-forward. Some has also criticize the use of low comedy (the groin-thingy, the airport officer ogling over G.One's piercings) but from what I noticed, the audience takes no offense and just laugh it off, even the kids (although the significance of the airport scene might not dawn on them). As for the sci-fi bit as to how the game characters can come alive, yes, it might be flawed but hey, if we can accept the fact that a bite from a radioactive spider can turn one into Spiderman, or that exposure to a gamma bomb could turn one into The Hulk, why the need to nitpick?

The thing is, the makers of Ra.One didn't set out to make this into an intelligent, gritty flick. It is meant to be an entertainer, and most importantly, to showcase the technology that was once regarded to be a Hollywood exclusive feature. With Ra.One, the aim is to create a superhero that would appeal to Indian children and to show the world stunning visual effects could be achieved at a fraction of the Hollywood price tag. I'd say the team is successful on those two fronts.

The plot is simple. A dad, eager to win his son's affection, creates a game where the villain (Ra.One) is stronger than the hero (G.One). Son is happy and gets to play the game, but when he stops the game at Level 2, Ra.One is angry because no one is supposed to defeat him. So he vows to track the boy down and comes to life. The boy and his mum are forced to flee, but not before G.One is also brought to life to defend them.

Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) plays dual roles, that of the dad, Shekhar Subramaniam, and the superhero, G.One. As the dad, SRK plays Shekhar the way the script demands perfectly clumsy, endearing, an embarrassment to the son, but when the situation calls for it, is perfectly responsible and heroic. Some say SRK is over-acting as Shekhar but personally, I feel to bring Shekhar to life and to make him a stark contrast to the stoic G.One, SRK had to be ridiculously funny and silly, and in that aspect, he succeeds brilliantly, imo. As the superhero G.One, SRK manages to be mostly stoic with monotous speech pattern, and his posture is impeccable (straight back, restrained gait/movements) though I have to admit it is a little jarring to see G.One smile and groove in one of the song items, Chammak Challo.

Kareena Kapoor as Shekhar's wife is beautiful, and though there isn't much scope for her to display her histrionic, she is absolutely brilliant in the scenes following her husband's death and when she is Ra.One is disguise.

And the little boy who plays the son, Prateek a.k.a Lucifer (his game handle) is truly a wonderful child actor who displays ease and confidence in all of his scenes.

The action scenes are brilliantly shot and look almost flawless, and the visual effects are really quite top-notch quality (nothing as epic as Transformers, of course). I seriously love the train sequence where SRK as G.One flies/runs from/across carriage door to carriage door. Look at the way SRK brilliantly holds his posture in which the action looks real that you forget he is aided by wires.

If I need to complaint about one thing, it is the number of scantily-clad dancers in the song items Criminal and Chammak Challo. Why the need to show so much skin?

All in all, this movie is massively entertaining. You have drama, action, comedy, bit of romance all rolled into one. It is also a game changer for Hindi cinema due to the visual effects and technology employed proof that Hindi films can retain its desi core and still stand on an international platform.

If you missed this in the theater, you must see the DVD. This movie has taken "Bollywood" to an all other playing field. It is bringing them much more even with "Hollywood". In fact in my opinion HW had better watch out! I am from the USA and saw it with my daughter who has never watched a Hindi movie, she was surprised at how much she enjoyed it. My grandson's first words when it was over "Can we see it again?" Needless to say we will be buying the DVD. A wonderful family film, with fantastic special effects, and a strong message about family love.

The reviews in America, especially "Hollywood" were very good. But something is very wrong with the "Bollywood Movie System" this movie was treated very unfairly by the Indian press, I feel very sorry for the Indian public who did not see this film. Not only have they missed a wonderful film but they have missed Hindi film history in the making. The people who have written bad reviews on here never saw this film "Period" I have watched 100s of Bollywood films, and this one ranks in the top, for story, acting and special effects.

If you are an International film buff, you must see it. If you have kids you all must see it. If you just love a good time, fun and want to see a new super hero you must see. I know you will enjoy it!

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A truly lovely and entertaining film.

Though set firmly in the traditions of Bollywood with colour, heart-warming relationships and wonderful music, it stretches into new territory with brilliant VFX and the exploration of a new genre, namely the superhero movie.

See it for the smile it will bring to your face. As the tag-line says 'A Superhero with HART'.

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I saw this in the theater recently and I look forward to owning it. Before seeing this film, I had never even heard of SRK, so the intricacies of Bollywood pop culture were irrelevent as I sat and enjoyed this outstanding film.

I should begin by saying that Hollywood superhero films like The Dark Knight have nothing to worry about from this film. Ra.One doesn't try to be gritty or dark or realistic. It is a family film, closer to the Christopher Reeve Superman films, in that it tries to be both sweet and thrilling. As a result it comes across as simultaneously modest and, because of its technological aspects, incredibly ambitious. Compared to the family fare churned out by Hollywood, it is never calculated and unlike Hollywood superhero films, it is never pretentious. From beginning to end, it simply wants to be the most entertaining film it could possibly be. Remarkably it succeeds far more frequently than it fails.

The highlights are the two extended action sequences. The first is a car chase through London that ends in a spectacular parking lot battle. The other, an even more astounding sequence, involves a runaway train and some remarkable stunt work and trick photography. Almost as good are the musical numbers, particularly Chammak Challo and Criminal. In a lesser film these interludes might have dragged the story to a halt, but in this film, they are made integral to the plot (and besides, are filled with such delight and affection for the characters that they can be forgiven almost anything).

As for the plot itself, it borrows freely from films like Terminator 2 and The Matrix. The hero, G.One (played by Sharukh Khan) is a video game character come to life, his mission to protect the son of his creator (also played by Mr. Khan in a very funny role). The film sets up its rules on how G.One and his nemesis, the evil Ra.One operate in the opening sequences and remarkably sticks to these rules for the most part. The story is just believable enough to work, though if I wanted to nitpick, I would have had a field day. However, if I did that, I would've missed out on entertaining scene after entertaining scene.

There were some problems, but overall they didn't really bother me. There were a couple of scenes where I had to ask myself, "Why is this happening?" There is an extended fight scene outside an airport that might have fit well in a Jackie Chan film from the seventies, but doesn't do much but show off some inventive fight choreography. Another sequence involving G.One being controlled by a video game controller might have set up an interesting possibility for the final battle, but is instead played just for laughs. Finally, a scene set up to sell an anti-smoking message is admirable, but hardly necessary.

Despite its few issues, this film was overflowing with invention and ideas and hopefully Bollywood can top it. If they can do this with a $30 million dollar budget, just imagine what they could do with even more. Though to be honest, I almost hope we never find out. Huge-budget "family" films like Transformers are so overblown, and so calculated to appeal to the lowest common denominator that they completely lack in heart or inspiration. Ra.One has both of these to spare.

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RA-ONE's rep for being the most expensive Indian movie to date could get a shellacking should PRINCE VAALI ever see the light of day. Both RA-ONE and PRINCE VAALI are superhero films, but until PRINCE VAALI actually hits the theater, I'm espousing Krrish as THE best Indian superhero film, of which upcoming sequel I cannot wait. RA-ONE? It's okay. It's not as awful as, say, that short film FIREMAN (which you can check out on YouTube, except why would you?). Heck, Mr. India, a 1987 film about a guy who can turn invisible, was more entertaining (and MR. INDIA is supposed to be getting a sequel, too).

RA-ONE, at its heart, centers around a father-son relationship. International superstar Shah Rukh Khan takes on three roles: as the nerdy but kind-hearted (and ridiculously goofy haired) Shekhar, as the dream sequence hero Lucifer, and as G-One. Shekhar is a video game designer toiling for the massive London-based Barron Industries. In an effort to connect with his bratty son Prateek and because Prateek believes that villains are cool Shekhar creates a virtual reality game in which the super-villain, Ra-One (for "Random Access, Version One"), never loses.

Ra-One (the name is pronounced like the demon "Raavan") is a synthesis of history's ten most evil men. Opposing him in the game is the superhero G-One, and it's reputed that Ra-One is so mighty and invincible that G-One's chances of besting him stand at a mere 0.01%. Those who've seen the techno-thriller VIRTUOSITY can already suss out what comes next. In a world in which video game designers play god and weird science is introduced, reality and fantasy sometimes get to blurring and sentience is implausibly achieved. When a kid plays the game and threatens to beat Ra-One, is it a real stretch that Ra-One becomes so incensed that he pursues the kid out into the real world? And Ra-One out in the real world is as homicidal as Sid 6.7. "Jackie Chan" doesn't stand a chance.

RA-ONE, running at two and a half hours, borrows, begs, and steals from previous Hollywood films. It's a mash-up of TERMINATOR 2 and THE MATRIX and VIRTUOSITY and who knows what else. It even lifts that old martial arts move in which the hero uses the girl as a fight prop. Also regurgitated is the bit in which a gouged-out eyeball is employed to gain access thru a retinal-scanned security portal. I will say that I enjoyed the big-budget action sequences, even when they bear a striking familiarity and you can see where the wire work went in. I love the runaway train sequence! G-One and Ra-One look very cool visually, both Shah Rukh and Arjun Rampal obviously having done their reps in the gym. Shah Rukh's blue contacts are pretty effective.

There's a jarring element here, in that the film tends to shift from a cornball, comic family film to a more intense action thriller. It's hard to reconcile a goofball scene like Shekhar's getting mugged by a midget or Shah Rukh's Michael Jackson impression with Ra-One's casually brutal elimination of that old Chinese woman. I know this is the sort of masala that Bollywood tends to offer its audience. But, given its budget and its ambitions, RA-ONE should've maybe toned down the silly. KRRISH did, and was all the better for it.

What else? If you're a fan of Bollywood cinema, you may get a kick out of the opening sequence which features cameos by Priyanka Chopra (as Desi Girl) and Sanjay Dutt as the dream villain. The musical numbers are catchy and work to advance the plot. There are three really catchy tunes: "Dildaara (Stand By Me)," "Criminal," and "Chammak Challo." The startling thing is that Akon worked on the last two songs. In a bit of awesome, in the irresistible, percussion-heavy "Chammak Challo," Akon sings in flawless Hindi, having picked up the words phonetically. If you can spare two and a half hours, RA-ONE is worth a peek, if only to see how Indian cinema is striving to catch up to Hollywood. RA-ONE exhibits pretty decent f/x and nice performances by Shah Rukh, Kareena Kapoor (as Shekhar's understanding wife Sonia), and Arjun Rampal (who is properly sinister and gleefully takes on those villainy poses). Man, if only the filmmakers had managed to calm down those cheesy Bollywood excesses. Wherever Hrithik Roshan is right now, I don't think he feels at all threatened, especially since the KRRISH sequel is almost here. 3 stars out of 5 for RA-ONE. Maybe an extra half-star for the sheer effort and energy expended by the cast & crew in this project. Shah Rukh said RA-ONE took up several years of his life.

Disc 1 has the feature presentation with the option of an English or Arabic sub-title and the option to listen either in the Hindi, Telugu, or Tamil language. There is also an option for song selection so you can click on the banging "Chmmak Challo" joint. Disc 2 contains the following bonus stuff (with no English sub-titles, although people speak often enough in English that you can sort of follow along):

5 Deleted Scenes (totaling 00:05:30 minutes)

Making of the Film (00:32:10 minutes)

Making of Songs Behind the Scenes of the musical numbers "Chammak Challo" and "Criminal," interspersed with Akon in the recording studio collaborating with the music composing/directing duo Vishal and Shekhar (00:19:08)

RA-ONE London Premiere focusing mostly on the cast's red carpet walks (00:07:51)

RA-ONE Trailer Launch (00:04:26)

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21 Jump Street (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) (2012)

I've never been a fan of Channing Tatum for an assorted number of reasons. My principle reason for my disliking Channing Tatum is his lack of acting talent. His deficiencies as an actor were made apparent in every genre of film. Ever since he broke onto the scene with "Step Up",he has delivered his signature one-note performance in every movie in which he has been cast. And it seemed as if he would never get any better. I was ready to give up on him until I read the reviews for "21 Jump Street". Not only was the movie supposed to be well done, but Mr. One Note Channing Tatum was supposed to have turned in one of his best performances as well. Out of a morbid sense of curiosity, I had to see the movie for myself; and after nearly two hours of continuous guffawing, I left the theatre with a new sense of hope. Channing Tatum may have found his niche as a movie actor:he can be a funny man. Channing Tatum is......funny.

I remember watching 21 Jump Street as a youngster in the 1980's. I loved it when it was on network television. The premise: a bunch of young looking 20 something detectives pose as high school students as they attempt to curb the criminal activity that is perpetrated by high school students. This show became a career launching pad for many of the principle characters, including the venerable and legendary Johnny Depp. However, the show has become pretty dated, and I doubt that I could watch it with the same enthusiasm now that I'm in my thirties. And when I heard that they were remaking this television show for the big screen, I nearly gagged. But after seeing the movie remake with Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, I have to say that I am so happy that I went against my instincts and saw this film. It is the funniest movie that I have seen in a long time. I actually laughed out loud while watching this movie, and it has been a long time since I have laughed out loud during any film.

The plot of the movie is not difficult to follow. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill are enemies in high school; with Channing Tatum being the popular high school jock(Jenko), while Jonah Hill is the socially awkward and geeky Eminem look-a-like(Schmidt). A few years after they graduate from high school, they enroll in the police academy. While at the academy, they discover that Schmidt is able to master the academic part of the training and Jenko is able to master the physical aspect of the police training. Jenko and Schmidt soon realize that if they are to make it past their respective exams, they are going to have to help one another. Their decision to cooperate with each other leads to a special friendship, and after graduating from the academy they are able to secure assignments in the same police unit.

Jenko and Schmidt prove to be inept as police officers in the bike unit, but they are given a second chance as undercover police officers. Their mission: infiltrate a drug operation in a high school that is run by a smarmy high school senior played by David Franco(James Franco's brother). Here the roles of Jenk and Schmidt are reversed. It is Jenko who is the social outcast while Schmidt is the cool insider. Turns out that in the year 2012 it is okay to be openly gay, carry your backpack using both straps, openly campaign for the preservation of the environment, and do well in school-which are all of the traits that Jenko used to hate about Schmidt. While they are trying to infiltrate the drug operation, Schmidt's popularity causes a rift in their friendship; and as their relationship collapses, so does their work as undercover officers. Eventually their antagonistic supervisor(played by Ice Cube!!!) has to fire them, and all hope seems to be lost for the two former friends. It does not take long for Jenko and Schmidt to become friends again; and with their friendship repaired they are able to prove their worth as officers through their special form of vigilantism.

As I've said before, Channing Tatum is really funny in this film. Jonah Hill and Ice Cube also deliver some really good liners as well. Although a remake, the film is original in its execution of the conventional screenplay. I highly recommend this film. And I have to say that if you choose to see this movie, you will be greeted with a really nice surprise near the end.

MOVIE REVIEW #27: " 21 Jump Street "

Talk about a pleasant surprise. I honestly wasn't expecting much from this film, but I can see why the reviews have been generally positive. Directors Phil Lord (Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs) and Chris Miller (Again Cloudy...) to a old TV show popular with teens and gave it a modern twist..... story by it's Executive Producer and Star Jonah Hill (Moneyball, Knocked Up) and Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgram Vs. The World) and its screenplay by Bacall it basically tell of stud and a nerd and everything that comes with each working against each other to eventually being best friends.

Not taking itself too seriously it shows two police academy graduates being assigned a special undercover operation involving a high school. Jonah is partnered with Channing Tatum (Dear John, G.I. Joe, The Dilema) and they eventually realized they complement each other with their own personal special abilities.

In the process they go through hilarious scenes involving "accidental" use of drugs, some wonderful high school tuxedos of the eighties and a running joke involving a series of questionable bikers that have one of the biggest TWISTS at the end of the film. (Spoilers!)

Rob Riggle (The Hangover, The Other Guys) gives an over-the-top performance as a High School coach with `issues' and a phony front to students Dave France (Superbad, Fight Night) and Brie Larson (13 Going On 30, Scott Pilgram Vs. The World) who believe he is what he is.

Meanwhile Channing and Jonah are guided by a over-zealous Police Captain played by Ice Cube (Fridays, First Sunday, Barber Shop) who thinks that this is a mission only they can handle because of the youthful looks but will fail because even together they are not so smart.

The film has lots of comedy, action, adventure, close-calls and some very clever dialogue.....not to mention that `Spoiler' I mentioned earlier....do you wanna know? Then read on. If not STOP HERE!

Two original series regulars make an appearance in this reinvention of an 80's TV series (that by the way, makes fun of itself by commenting that all sargents do now is try and reboot old things from the 80's) the real' 21 Jump Street' stars of the ORIGINAL series Johnny Depp (21 Jump Street, Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2 and 3), Richard Grieco (21 Jump Street ,Point Doom ) and Peter DeLouise (Seaquest, 21 Jump Street) have an amazingly funny came...that borders on `black comedy' because of what happens to them. I'll say no more.

21 Jump Street is a funny film with a big heart. I enjoyed this very much and I think if you want legitimate comedy with a fantastic premise...this is your movie. Yes it's another rehash but it was fresh!

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"21 Jump Street" is only loosely based on the original television show that starred mega star Johnny Depp. The only real reason for comparison is the premise of police officers given orders to return to high school and pose as teenagers. They are instructed to infiltrate and bring down a synthetic drug manufacturing and distribution ring. Jonah Hill (Moneyball) plays Schmidt, a former high school nerd and current police officer newbie with skills of the brain, but no physical skills. Channing Tatum (The Vow) plays Jenko, who is just the opposite. Together, they are a perfect fit and a disaster waiting to happen.

"21 Jump Street" is a lot of fun and always entertaining. The movie introduces you to the characters and their personalities. You know them and you relate to them. The story is even fairly intriguing, which isn't always the case in movies like these. As Schmidt finds himself getting over all the things that plagued him in high school, you find yourself rooting for him.

There are constant jokes and laughs throughout the movie. Although, I did notice that many of the best laughs were spoiled by previously released promotional materials. Thankfully there are plenty of laughs to go around. The movie never lets up and is always interesting, funny and strangely endearing. It is also hilarious watching the two cops return to high school and finding the ways of the past to be just that. Jenko blames the phenomenon simply on the television show, "Glee".

Sure the movie is offensive at times, but the chemistry between Tatum and Hill is authentic and fun to watch. You get invested in their characters personalities early on and you are with them to the end.

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This movie is the funniest movie i have seen in a while. It really relates the characters to the high school days. It has great humor and some action. I don't understand why people dislike the movie. It's different than the 80's show, but it's a new spin that makes it very interesting. You must buy this movie! It is hilarious and has a great storyline.

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Be real. When you first heard that Jonah Hill was planning to remake 1980s era, Stephen Cannell produced cop series, 21 Jump Street, you probably scoffed and wrote it off immediately. You wouldn't be alone, and the reaction isn't without justification. Helping to launch the career of Johnny Depp and being the highlight for others like Holly Robinson and Richard Grieco, the show was ridiculous on its face, centered on a special crime unit of youthful looking adults infiltrating colleges and high schools. Frankly, the show was more cool than good, and neither by the final season. Fortunately, Jonah Hill and writer Michael Bacall knew there was no reason to revere the source material, deciding to go for something akin to Superbad meets Police Academy. It was a gamble, but a gamble that paid off as 21 Jump Street isn't just hilarious, it's a modern day comedy classic.

Achieving the heights of hilarity that 21 Jump Street does couldn't have been accomplished by simply bringing the same old tired idea and plopping it onto the big screen. Too many other attempted remakes have made that mistake, thinking adding a few modern wrinkles will suffice. High school is nothing like it was twenty years ago. The social dynamics are different, the students are different, and the idea of who should be popular has experienced quite a shift. Setting up the change beautifully, we are first introduced to Morton Schmidt(Hill) and Greg Jenko(Channing Tatum) in high school, where Morton is an nerd doing his best Eminem impression, while Greg is the prototypical popular jock stud.

Fast forward a few years and both are enrolling in the police training program, and both are terrible for reasons the other can compensate for. Greg becomes the brawn, and Morton the brains. After proving they don't have what it takes to handle the rough 'n tumble beat as bike cops, they are unceremoniously dumped into a rehashed program to use young looking cops as undercover agents in high schools. Wearing a sense of self awareness on its sleeve, the film takes a few jabs at itself for being a warmed over rehash as well, up to and including the use of Ice Cube as the token angry, African-American police captain. Cube, who has become an expert at playing off his old N.W.A. persona, is in rare form here, snarling and sneering at every opportunity. If there's a scene stealer, it's him.

When it comes to comedy, it's the little details that matter the most are often the funniest. Greg is hyped for an opportunity to go back to high school and be the popular guy again, while Morton is justifiably terrified of reliving those traumatic years. What they discover upon arrival is that the entire culture is different. Greg's bullying antics make him a loner, while Morton's brains and gentle nature earn him cred with the cool kids, which he uses to try and infiltrate their drug ring. In a lot of ways, 21 Jump Street has smarter insights into the ways teens think than some documentaries dedicated to the subject. You know from the start that Greg is going to get drunk off his new found popularity, and while it plays out like something out of Can't Buy Me Love, it works.

Insightful thought it may be, there's plenty of room for gross out gags, penis jokes, and toilet humor. Hill is old hat at this type of thing by now, although it's unfair to say he's playing the same role here. His character is a little less self confident than usual, and not at all the miscreant he played in Superbad. Tatum, a better actor than many want to give him credit for, shows an affinity for physical comedy we haven't seen from him before. It's hilarious to watch his blank, clearly confused face as the world he thought he knew is flipped upside down. Even more so, he's a ball to watch leaping over cars and beating up rowdy teenagers. The jokes at his expense, since he clearly has the body of a thirty year old man and towers over everybody, are some the film's best. Tatum seems more than willing to roll with the punches and cut loose. For the most part, the supporting cast shines as well. Bridesmaids co-star Ellie Kemper is equal parts sweet and filthy as a teacher with a Mary Kay Leternou style obsession with Tatum. Dave Franco doesn't have much to do, but Brie Larson gives a winning performance as Molly, the girl who falls for Hill's charms.

With so much attention focused on Hill, Tatum, and Bacall, it's easy to forget that the glue holding this madcap adventure together are directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Their only gig up to this point was the animated Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and you can see they brought some of the comic madness of that film into 21 Jump Street. The action sequences, of which there are plenty, are fast paced and splashed with a little bit of Looney Tunes wackiness.

You don't have to have been a fan of the show to appreciate this 21 Jump Street, but if you were then the film will feel even more special. Cameos are sprinkled throughout, including one especially brilliant appearance special for 'Jump Street' die-hards. There's practically nothing this film gets wrong. Even the closing credits rock. If there's one thing that they can do to screw this up it's making us wait too long for a sequel.

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