Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles /

Ever since I started watching blu-ray last year, I had always wondered when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies would come out on blu-ray. They've been overdue for a remastering, and plus, their anniversary is this year, so what better timing? I saw this set pop up right here on Amazon and I saw that my wish had finally been fulfilled. The question is, though, did they get the remastering they deserved?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The classic that everyone knows and loves. It's darker in tone than the other three, thus capturing the original comic book feel that Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman gunned for back when they did the original comics. Of course, parents didn't like it, so the tone didn't stay in future sequels. However, the literal darkness of the film happens to be the achilles' heel of this release. There's grain all over the place. It looks as if they transferred some of it, but didn't bother to do it on some scenes. One scene where Raph wanders out in broad daylight wearing a trench coat is where the grain is at it's worst, believe it or not. The dark scenes ALL have grain all over them. Some scenes are entirely devoid of any grain, though. So, what gives Warner Bros.? Couldn't touch all of it up? Now, believe me when I say this: This is the best the movie has ever looked. However, it lacks the detail of better blu-ray releases (though some of the detail is noticeable in the costumes of the Turtles), and the grain was to be expected, considering how dark the movie originally was, and as well as it being rather low-budget when it was first shot. The animatronics still stand the test of time, and this is the best they've ever looked, but I still wish more effort was put into reducing the grain and enhancing the details in a lot of scenes. Overall, if you don't mind grain in your films, you'll be fine with it, but this could be better.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze My personal favorite of the collection. I've watched this countless times growing up on VHS. It looked rough then, but blu-ray has done it some justice. The grain isn't nearly as bad as the first movie, which is a plus, and it's not even noticeable much at all in brighter scenes. Plus, the detail has been enhanced to a fault. It's still not quite perfect in any regards, but I was satisfied overall withe visual quality. Tokka looks great with ever little greasy detail on his scaly body, and in the opening scene in the robbery, you can actually make out the faces of the robbers through their panty hose masks. This is also the best animatronics of the three live-action movies, and is timeless in it's execution. This is the best the movie has ever looked, though there are still some steps that could be made to better the picture just a little more. I was happy with it, though.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III I'm not typing "Turtles in Time" next to it because some idiot at Warner Bros. put that on the box. That is not the official subtitle to the movie, it's the name of the Arcade/SNES video game, and it's a very good one, at that. Anyways, this is the most hated of the series, and within good reason The plot features absolutely no key villains from the Turtles universe, the animatronics are terrible (their lips flap around like Big Mouth Billy Bass) as they weren't Jim Henson's work like the previous movies, and the plot overall is so-so. However, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I don't really remember watching it as a child, just the first two movies, so I'm really taking this viewing as a first, to my recollection. As for the transfer, it's the best of the three live-action movies by far. Besides a tiny bit of grain in the opening scene with the samurais riding in the sunrise, there's no more to be found. The Turtles looked highly detailed, right down to the pores on the costumes. The lush Japanese setting looks gorgeous in this transfer, and it really makes the movie that much more bearable to watch. While it lacks a sound plot and has laughably bad animatronics, it looks very well done. If only this much effort were put into the previous two, this would be the best package possible.

TMNT I actually saw this in theatres the day after it came out, I owned it on DVD first day, and I got it on blu-ray last Christmas, so this is actually a triple-dip retail buy, for me. The plot is solid, though it it is reminiscent of the goofy single episode plots they used to have in the 80's cartoons, mixed in with some internal struggle amongst the Turtles, especially Raph and Leo, of course. Some say Mike and Don play nothing but mere cameos, but they make a significant enough appearance to make an impact. There's enough laughs to know that at least Mikey is around in good quantity. As for the picture quality, it looks exactly as it did before on blu-ray, and that means there's nothing wrong with it. It is blu-ray perfection. Screenshots do not do it justice. Every turtle is brilliantly detailed, you can see every hair on Splinter, every detail in every wall, and don't even get me started on one key fight over halfway through the movie that I will not reveal due to possibly spoiling the movie. This fight, which takes place in the rain, is one of the single most gorgeous pieces of CG work I have ever seen. It's brilliantly animated, just as the rest of the movie is, and the amount of detail is mind-blowing. This movie is one of the greatest showpieces for the blu-rat format you will ever find, only to be rivaled by Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, which still stands as the most gorgeous movie of all time, in my eyes. A perfect picture for a great CG movie, overall.

As for extras, you get everything previous releases got. That's it. The only difference is that there's a trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up, coming to the Wii and PS2 next month, on the first movie's disc, but it's the very first trailer released, so its nothing new. It's just mastered in hi-def, though the actual game will look nothing like it, so what's the use? Overall, Warner did a terrible job for adding any special interviews, featurettes, or commentaries to commemorate the 25th Anniversary. I could personally care less about extra features, but those that are steamed about it are within good reason.

The extras we DO get, however, is part of the packaging. As you can see in the pictures one member nicely posted, it comes in a pizza box-esque design. I love it. It's actually much sturdier than you'd think, and the discs hold into their trays rather tightly. You also get 8 collectible cards, a reproduction sketch signed by Peter Laird (though it's printed, not actually signed), a reproduction of the original comic by Eastman and Laird that is based off of the original movie, an a beanie hat, which looks like it'd fit a younger head rather than an adult head, though I haven't unpackaged it for collectible reasons. It's a nice package overall, though many have complained about it not being in normal elite cases. You can always do custom cases, but this works perfectly fine and suits the collection well.

You may be wondering "Why the 4 stars?" after the first two movies weren't done as well as they could have been, but it's simple: This is the best they've looked. If you want a better picture for all of them, this is the only way to go, and they all look better, especially the last two. I did knock off a star because they didn't go the extra mile for the release by adding extra bonus features nor remastering the first two movies as thoroughly as they should have. However, hardcore Turtle fans like me will love it, I can say that much. It's worth the $60, in my eyes, but if you're only particular of getting the first movie (which I have found many are), wait up on this release. One can hope that it will get a re-release down the line from Warner like 300 and The Matrix have gotten, and hopefully, with better quality, as it's the one that got the short end of the stick, and the one most people will likely not be that satisfied with. However, if you want Turtles II and onward, they all look good to fantastic, so it's worth the purchase.

If you're a fan of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" films, this Blu-ray set is extremely, highly recommended. Me, I would have been fine having the first film separately, but the two live-action sequels ARE relics of my past, and ones I like to dabble in every few years or so, so the fact that all the movies are bundled together isn't a huge problem for me. Plus, I kinda like that pizza box cardboard case and the goodies inside, which include:

*a mini reprinting of the full Mirage Studios 62-page black and white comic adaptation of the first film made by TMNT co-creators Peter Laird (script) and Kevin Eastman (layouts) who also ink--along with the very talented Eric Talbot--the exceptional pencils by Jim Lawson

*a black beanie with the old school cartoon and movie Ninja Turtles logo printed on the front

*an envelope with a cool drawing of the Turtles on front, the contents inside being some pretty neat character cards, but the coolest item being a small reproduction of a drawing penciled and signed by Peter Laird

But the biggest aspects of this Blu-ray set to get excited about are the quality transfers of the films, the main reason for buying a Blu-ray Disc. All four films are recreated accurately in the digital medium with a great level of grain and detail on the first three films, and an understandably sharp, grain-free image for the CGI film.

From now on I'll only focus on the first film, released in 1990, as that is by far my favorite of the four.

Taking into account the low-budget nature of this film and its use of soft light, the Blu-ray accurately brings the look of this film into the living room, as if a film reel were being projected onto your HDTV. A nice layer of natural grain, exceptional detail, accurate color reproduction, and so on--this movie looks beautiful, and alone is worth the purchase of this box set if you're a hardcore fan of the film. The review by Kenneth Brown strikes me as odd, as I do not notice grain zapping/reduction and heavy use of edge enhancing to compensate. I've seen plenty of such HD transfers, and this looks NOTHING like what the reviewer describes. The grain is very natural. And the "inconsistent contrast" and "poorly resolved blacks" are due more to the nature of the lower quality film stock as well as the soft lighting. Do these "professional" Blu-ray reviewers not know anything about film???

Being now a fan of the original Mirage Studios comics by Eastman and Laird, I appreciate this film even more now than I did as a kid considering how faithful it is to the source material. The tone is decidedly more adult, though not something that kids aren't welcomed into enjoying (most of the comics were the same way, barring some exceptions like Eastman and Simon Bisley's "Bodycount" miniseries); the story follows closely a select few issues, with any additions and changes gelling with the source material exceptionally well and being necessary for the plot to carry on without hampering (e.g., April O'Neil being a news reporter a la the cartoon series, rather than a computer programmer working for Baxter Stockman--that whole plot would not have worked here in 90 minutes for what they aimed for, and is ultimately unnecessary in this telling); Raphael is the main protagonist, with his journey to quell his anger and understand himself, standing out amongst his brothers, and his hard-shelled loyalty to his brothers and master as well as his meeting and friendship with Casey Jones driving the plot forward (after all, in the comics, Raphael in the "Return to New York" series is the one who drove the other Turtles to go after Shredder after their defeat at April's store/apartment); implementing the Turtles' and Splinter's origin story in the comics real closely with, again, some necessary changes to keep the plot and film pacing flowing; and, man, I could go on and on!

What I'm trying to say is, it's faithful to the source material, it doesn't pander to the kiddies (though again is a great movie for kids) unlike the two live-action sequels did, and in addition to that, it's written, directed, acted, photographed, scored, and edited exceptionally well. There's also those cuh-ray-zee special effects by Jim Henson and company, which are a marvel to behold.

1990's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" is an incredibly well-made low-budget film which became a smashing success, understandably so due to the popularity of the Turtles at the time, but I believe also because of how competently made it is. Call me crazy, but I think it's one of the absolute finest films ever made, and I thought that even before I got all nutty over the original Mirage comics. It's not just some old flick to enjoy for nostalgia factor or to tout around on college campus while wearing a TMNT T-shirt, fondly joking about how "Radical!" the Turtles are; this is expert filmmaking at its finest, and the Blu-ray of the film is beautiful and totally faithful to the low-budget film source.

One thing that I'm a little disappointed about--and this isn't enough to bring it down a star or anything, it's still a 5-star product regardless--is that there are no alternate or deleted scenes. The movie was originally supposed to end differently, and there were some censorship issues as well. These missing scenes and edits would be great to see. I love having the theatrical cut of the film, but I hope that someday in the future we'll see a proper Steve Barron director's cut.

As said in the beginning: Extremely, highly recommended! While I'm not as big of a fan of the other movies, and really kind of despise the third, I'm happy to own all four of them in the best quality possible; and really, the rest of the three look as faithful as the first.

If you're familiar with the live-action films but not the CGI one and are looking for an opinion on that: It's a good film. If you follow the 2003 cartoon series at all, it's a welcome addition to that, with some cool designs and animation. It's a whole lotta fun, and definitely my second favorite Ninja Turtles movie (with third being "Turtles Forever", fourth "Secret of the Ooze", and fifth the dreaded turd/third movie).

Buy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Now

**WARNING TMNT FANS**

--This set contains absolutely nothing new from the previous 2 releases of the live action films and the cgi movie is simply a port of the standalone disc with regards to special features and the transfer--

I'm not sure what all of the 5 star reviews are all about for this so called 25th anniversary boxset so far, but let me be the first to offer a counter to those "generous" scores with a dose of the reality of the situation.

This set offers nothing new from what is already available on the standalone dvds, safe for a few cheap gimmicks like 4 cloth masks and some temporary tattoos. The only thing new here is the package art and believe me it isn't worth $30, which is actually Amazon's price, the MSRP is actually more. There is no commentary on any of the movies except the most recent one which is simply ported over from the other single disc release. The transfers are the same that was used for the initial 1998 dvd releases of the 3 movies and the age really shows on the films, especially that of the live action ones. No deleted scenes or making of featurettes talking about Jim Henson's creature shop for the live action films. No Elias Koteas (Casey Jones) interview or anything. Nothing but the theatrical trailers.

Here's a fun fact for all of you turtles fans. The director of the 1st turtles movie (the best one) has come out publicly and stated that he has deleted and extended scenes in his possession that he would like to contribute to a special edition of the 1st movie along with contributing directors commentary if WB were interested. Apparently they are not. They would rather whore out this franchise and continue to kick loyal fans in the face. The only shellebration going on here is one of greed and laziness on behalf of WB Studio with there franchise. This franchise deserved much better for it's 25th anniversary than a cheaply slapped together rerelease. One can only hope that for the 30th anniversary and no doubt next "shellebration" that WB will decide to put together a real boxset as opposed to expecting fans to "shell" out more money for nothing new. I hope if anything that the 1st movie gets an eventual 2 disc special edition that it so richly deserves with a new hi def transfer and all the special features that the director has and wants to contribute because it is the only one that really holds up anyway today. Thanks for nothing WB.

1 out of 5 stars for the piss poor effort by WB for this storied franchise that deserves better. For those of you who already have 1 of the 2 prior releases of the live action movies, stick with your previous copies and don't contribute a dime to Warner Bros. Studio. They put no effort into this boxset. For those of you who don't own any of the movies yet, I urge you to go and pick up the standalone movies for dirt cheap. You can find them for $5 a piece on most retail sites and brick and morter stores and you'd be getting the exact same content on them that is on this boxset as well as the same transfer so you're not missing a thing and saving your money. Don't contribute to WB's lazy and cheap triple dip. Show them we expect more for this franchise and maybe they will listen for the next go round.

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Ok, I admit, I'm a bit biased as I grew up watching TMNT on saturday mornings, playing with the action figures, and dressing up as Mikey on halloween. Yes, I'm a teenage mutant ninja turtles fan-boy. This package is everything a turtle fan could ask for. All films look great on Blu-ray, especially TMNT (when Raph and Leo are fighting in the rain, the detail is amazing!). You even get some cool gear like a comic, photos, pictures, even a beanie hat! But that's all just icing on the cake. Just all 4 movies on blu-ray is awesome enough. Buy it, you won't be disappointed. Turtle power!

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Below is a review of this product: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Collection (alt listing). Amazon may display this review on the page of another version of this product, for which this review may not apply. After reading this review, please click on the link so that you can be assured that the product this review applies to is the same one you thought it was for.

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This set consists of the three original live-action Turtles films from the early-to-mid 1990s, and the computer-animated TMNT film from 2007, along with a sheet of temporary tattoos all packaged in a standard plastic keepcase, with two double-sided pages inside, one disc per side. The tattoos are stored under the literature clips on the inside cover, and there's nothing on the inside back cover.

Each of the four discs is a bit-for-bit copy (a "disc image") of a previous DVD release. All four movies are 16:9 widescreen, with Turtles 2 & 3 also containing 4:3 fullscreen versions. (Full disc specs are below.) Apparently in the original releases, Turtles 1 & TMNT were dual-sided discs with widescreen on one side and fullscreen on the other and they only used the widescreen sides for this re-release. That's fine with me.

These same four discs (with the same disc art) and temporary tattoos are also available in a "25th Anniversary Collector's Edition" box set, which adds in some cloth masks and puts the discs in what appears to be a round CD holder, which is then apparently stored in an outer cardboard box with the masks. I bought this for 25 bucks at Walmart, which had a sticker on front proclaiming "Only At Wal*Mart Includes Turtle Tattoos". Since the tattoos are available in the "25th Anniversary Collector's Edition" box set, it must be the standard packaging that's exclusive to Walmart.

I like that it's in standard packaging, and doesn't include the masks and CD holder that I have no desire to buy, but I wish the price were significantly cheaper. What hurts even more is that less than a year after I bought it, Warner Bros. put out the 4 Film Favorites Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles two-disc set, which includes all of the same video content (one "disc image" per disc side), but usually sells in Target for 9.99 two and a half times LESS than what I paid!

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

* Year: 1990

* Runtime: 1:33:23

* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen

* DVD Production Date: February 27, 2003 (Nero InfoTool gives this date, but it should be 1998 or 1999)

* Region: 1

* Layers: 1

* Audio Languages: English, French

* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French

* Extras: The T-Files (character biographies of Donatello, Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, Splinter, The Shredder), Theatrical Trailer, "Sewer Maze" Game, "Monkey Trouble" Trailer, "The Adventures Of Pinocchio" Trailer, "Theodore Rex" Trailer.

* Notes: This is a live-action movie.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II: THE SECRET OF THE OOZE

* Year: 1991

* Runtime: 1:28:19

* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen, 4:3 Fullscreen

* DVD Production Date: July 2, 2002 (Nero InfoTool gives this date, but it should be 1998 or 1999)

* Region: 1

* Layers: 2

* Audio Languages: English

* Subtitle Languages: English

* Extras: Theatrical Trailer, "Pick That Flick" Game.

* Notes: This is a live-action movie.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES III

* Year: 1993

* Runtime: 1:35:33

* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen, 4:3 Fullscreen

* DVD Production Date: July 18, 2002 (Nero InfoTool gives this date, but it should be 1998 or 1999)

* Region: 1

* Layers: 2

* Audio Languages: English

* Subtitle Languages: English

* Extras: Theatrical Trailer, "Pick That Flick" Game.

* Notes: This is a live-action movie.

TMNT

* Year: 2007

* Runtime: 1:26:45

* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen

* DVD Production Date: May 18, 2007

* Region: 1

* Layers: 1

* Audio Languages: English, Spanish, French

* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French

* Extras: Commentary with writer/director Kevin Munroe, Alternate Opening (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), Alternate Ending Temp/Scratch Test (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), "Mikey's Birthday Party" Full Sequence (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), "Raphael's Rough House Fight" Test (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), "Monsters Come Alive" Storyboard Comparison (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), "Donny's Digital Data Files" Featurette, "Rooftop Workout" Rough Scene (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), "Still Wanna Fight" Temp/Scratch Test (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), "Splinter Gets Cake" Additional Scene (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), Internet Reel, "Voice Talent First Look" Featurette

* Notes: This is a computer-animated movie. The back of the case incorrectly lists a Fullscreen copy, in addition to the Widescreen copy.

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Guns, Girls and Gambling (2011)

This is an action comedy thriller with a good plot laughs written and directed by Michael Winnick about Elvis Impersonators , A Gorgeous Blond Assassin , A Cowboy , Two Corrupt Sheriffs , The Girl Next Door , The Rancher , Frat Boy and Prostitute chasing a Million Dollar American Indian Artifact stolen during a poker game from an American Indian Casino .

Starring Christian Slater as John Smith , Megan Park as Cindy the girl next door , Helena Mattsson as The ( Gorgeous ) Blonde , Gary Oldman as The ( King ) Elvis Impersonator , Powers Boothe as The Rancher , Jeff Fahey as The Cowboy , Dane Cook as Sheriff Hutchins , Sam Trammell as Sheriff Cowley Paulina Gretzky as The Deputy , Tony Cox as Little Elvis , Anthony Brandon Wong as Asian Elvis , Chris Kattan as Gay Elvis , Gordon Tootoosis as The Chief , Matt Willig as The Indian , Danny James as Moe , Anthony Azizi as MR Crow , Edie Spears as Dark Eyes & Michael Spears as Red Foot ,Heather Roop as Vivian and Marc Wilnnick as The College Kid .

Better than expected with a good clear picture sound and plot approx 90 minutes , not rated and no especial features .

A wonderful complex plot, a hot assassin, and some really stupid Elvis's.

Oh, yeah! Some unbelievable plot lines.

Everything is explained in full detail though, perhaps too much so, in a never ending ending.

It was a fun watch though

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I liked the acting, the plot of the movie was well done, so thought was the end

where every thing was tied together

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Really enjoyed this movie, so did my friends very funny and worth the wait and the price which was also great

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Watched this movie for the first time last night and it was a lot better than I thought it would be. A lot of sloppy action but at least it had some name recognized stars attached to it. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an easy to swallow action movie.

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Gigi (2009)

For those wondering why they should purchase another edition of "Gigi" on DVD, here are all the extras; however, if you own a Blu-ray, you might want to wait and pre-order Gigi [Blu-ray]. Other than the technical specs, the extras are the same on both versions.

Winner of 9 Oscars, "Gigi" was produced after the demise of the original 3-Strip Technicolor system, and photographed in the industry-standardized Eastmancolor process, which had a tendency to fade to reds and purples. For this new DVD release, Gigi has been photo-chemically restored from its original camera negative and safety separations to produce a much sharper and colorful image than has been seen in decades. It also contains a 5.1 audio mix created from the original multi-track source elements.

Disc 1 (Gigi '58): 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen * English DD5.1 Surround * French Mono * English, French and Japanese subtitles * Bluray specs: 1080P 2.40:1 Widescreen, English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, English 5.1, French 2.0, Spanish 1.0 (Both Castilian and Latin), German 1.0, Italian 1.0 Dolby Digital, Subtitles (Main Feature): English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Subtitles (on Select Bonus Material): English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese

*New Commentary with Leslie Caron & Film Historian Jeanine Basinger

*The Million Dollar Nickel [1952 MGM short]

*The Vanishing Duck [1958 MGM cartoon]

*Theatrical Trailer

Disc 2: "Thank Heaven! The Making of Gigi" The story of how 1958's Best Picture winner (the last of the classic MGM musicals) survived a turbulent production that included censorship battles over its daring sexual content and creative struggles between a studio in turmoil and a demanding, visionary director. Featuring an all-new interview with star Leslie Caron, and a rare interview with Oscar-winning director Minnelli

Original 1949 Nonmusical version of Gigi starring Daniele Delorme in the title role and directed by Jacqueline Audry (in French Mono with English subtitles)

For those not familiar with the plot, Gaston (Louis Jordan) is the descendant of a wealthy Parisian family who rebels from the superficial lifestyle of upper class Parisian 1900s society by socializing with the former mistress (Hermoine Gingold) of his uncle (Maurice Chevalier) and her outgoing, tomboy granddaughter, Gigi (Leslie Caron). When Gaston becomes aware that Gigi has matured into a woman, her grandmother and aunt (Isabel Jeans), who have educated Gigi to be a wealthy man's mistress, enjoin on him to become her provider and on her to accept such a golden opportunity. However, true love adds a surprise twist to this Cinderella story that was actually filmed in Paris.

This review is of the DVD. If you haven't seen this 1958 classic in widescreen format, you really haven't seen it. Director Vincente Minnelli (Liza's father) fills each frame beautifully, often composing scenes reminiscent of the impressionist painters he so loved, such as Renoir or Seurat. Letterbox-haters, this is a good test of the superiority of seeing a movie the way the director intended, not crammed into the 1:1.33 TV screen. (The DVD includes both versions, so comparison comes cheap.)

The year is 1900. Gigi (Leslie Caron) is a pubescent young woman who becomes more and more attractive to millionaire Gaston Lachaille (Louis Jordan). But Gigi's family has a tradition of "Instead of marrying at once, it sometimes happens we get married at last." Making the tradition from pre-teen to beautiful young woman, awkward Gigi is "trained" in the arts of catering to men, such as choosing a cigar, walking elegantly and pouring coffee in the best French manner. The payoff for this kind of training is to occupy a rich young gentleman's bed--until he tires of this courtesan and moves on. While still in favor, the lady in question lives in luxurious style: tutor Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans) advises her charge to "Wait for the first-class jewels, Gigi. Hold on to your ideals."

The team of Lerner and Loewe wrote songs for this musical that include such favorites as "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" and "The Night They Invented Champagne." On its initial release "Gigi" was touted as the cinematic equivalent of their smash Broadway play "My Fair Lady," as the movie trailer on this DVD makes apparent. Gigi won a slew of Oscars, beating out the presumed favorite, Susan Heyward in "I Want to Live."

It is no mistake that the compilation film of MGM's best musicals, "That's Entertainment," features Gigi as the last chronological example of the MGM high-quality, lavish musical. Minnelli would go on to direct many more films, including the 1960 musical "Bells Are Ringing" with Judy Holliday and Dean Martin, but "Gigi" was really MGM's "swan song" for expensive musicals, which were getting harder and harder to mount because of television and changing musical tastes (like Elvis).

With a lot of begging and pleading from the director and producer, the studio spent enough money in Hollywood to duplicate Maxim's restaurant and the Ice Gallery, a favorite meeting-place for the 1900 elite. Minnelli's visual wit is visible in the way he frequently uses real Parisian backgrounds of fountains and statuary, indirectly symbolizing and commenting on the mental state of the actor in front.

The whole cast is marvelous, including Hermione Gingold as Gigi's grandmother and the incomparable Maurice Chevalier as Gaston's uncle, Honore Lachaille. It is small wonder that this film is the very favorite--or close to it--among lovers of musicals. "Gigi" is first-class all the way. Even people who don't often purchase musicals may well enjoy the film for its masterly visual style and recreation of turn-of-the (last) century Paris.

What more can I say? Get ahold of this film RIGHT NOW while the price is so good. I don't think you'll regret it.

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Although MGM and other studios would continue in the genre for several more years, GIGI is the last great musical of Hollywood's golden age. It is also one of the few titles consistently mentioned when critics dispute which film should be considered the single finest musical ever created by Hollywood, a film that rivals the likes of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS. Based on a novella by Colette, GIGI tells the story of a French family of the belle epoch--a family, it seems, of women who have made their living from the favors of famous men. Still something of a gawky schoolgirl, Gigi (Leslie Caron) is being trained to become a courtesan, and when she suddenly blossoms she captures the heart of Paris sophistocate Gaston Lachaille (Louis Jourdan.) But much to her family's horror, when the arrangements are completed Gigi suddenly declines!

The cast is absolutely flawless. Caron was born to play Gigi, and is as charming as the awkward youth as she is as the suddenly beautiful young woman; Jourdan's appeal as the worldly and world weary Gaston is tremendous. But the real joy of the cast is in its supporting cast, which includes Maurice Chevalier as Gaston's uncle; Hermione Gingold and Isabel Jeans as Gigi's grandmother and great aunt; and Eva Gabor as Gaston's current mistress. Chevalier and Gingold play their roles with precisely the right mixture of charm and severity, and their duet "I Remember It Well" is among the highlights of the film, while Jeans and Gabor give such memorable comic turns that their small roles become as memorable as the leads.

The Learner & Lowe score is equal their great Broadway success MY FAIR LADY, and offers such enjoyable and memorable songs as "Gigi" and "The Night They Invented Champagne," and the script equals and merges with the music to considerable effect. Filmed largely on location in Paris, the look of the film is incredibly rich, and director Vincent Minnelli maintains a sprightly sense of humor with just enough darkness behind the bubbles to make us aware of the seriousness of the tale. Mixing intimacy with tremendous surface splash, GIGI is a cultural treasure, a film to enjoy and cherish forever and certainly a worthy contender for that disputed title of "Hollywood's finest musical." A personal favorite and highly, highly recommended.

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The blu-ray of Gigi is a spectacularly beautiful job. The reds in Gigi's apartment almost overwhelm you. The beautiful pastels of the women's clothing are perfect, the blacks are deep and inky. I found no visible grain in the picture. My only real disappointment was that the Dolby-TrueHD soundtrack was pretty much all centered in the front speakers. There was very little surround to it, but after all, the source was not surround to begin with.

The extras area decent with a couple of commentaries and a half hour documentary about the making of the film, going over the casting, problems with the filming in Paris and the Hayes code restrictions and getting around them. A documentary short and a Tom and Jerry cartoon round out the extras, plus a theatrical trailer for the movie.

Gigi is a classic movie that has a beautiful release on blu-ray with this disc.

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Lerner and Loewe, and the scrumptious Nouveau brilliance of Cecil Beaton...what's not to like? I love this movie, and have owned this edition for some time. However, it seems to be missing two segments that I recall from seeing the movie in the theater at revivals: 1) There's an extended soft-focus montage of shots of Gigi in the middle of the musical number, "Gigi," in which Gaston (Louis Jourdan) is supposedly flooded with memories of the girl and realizes he's been in love with her for some time. This appears to have been cut from this DVD edition. 2) Though I can't be 100% certain, I believe Gigi wanders around the gardens a bit more, before launching into "I Don't Understand the Parisians," harumphing at length about her countrymens' insatiable appetite for amour. I don't see this on the DVD either. The DVD itself is pretty stripped-down, with virtually no extra features (except for some footage of an opening-night gala).

Many negative reviews here have commented on the inaccessibilities of a story set more than a century ago in a remote culture, or the inappropriate relationship between Gaston, ostensibly in his mid-30s, and the 15-year-old (in the Colette novella, anyway) Gigi. I suppose everything has to be about us, our times, and our mores?

"Thank heaven," not every story is about our own lives, our own cultures, or our own times. Life would be unbearably dull if all the world's stories were updated to add that focus-group-tested current of feminism, or attitudes about relations between the sexes that were carefully shopped by marketing flunkies to reflect prevailing American tastes. This story is a macro-focus view of a unique sliver of history and culture that, had it not been for Colette's sketch of it, none of us here would have any experience of, whatsoever. It might flatter us to have Caron, in her 1900 couture, suddenly rattle off pert Rory Gilmore-isms about dating and equality, but is that why we read and watch movies? To be flattered? To have ourselves and our beliefs reflected back at us, without exception? I'd hope not!!

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The Stool Pigeon (2010)

A 2010 Hong Kong crime drama "Stool Pigeon" follows the story of a police detective Don Lee (Nick Cheung) and his newly recruited informant, an ex-convict Ghost (Nicholas Tse). Don wants to bring down the criminal gang led by notorious Barbarian (Lu Yi) who has returned from Taiwan, and to do so the detective uses Ghost, who infiltrates the criminal gang as a getaway driver.

Things get complicated when Ghost gets involved with Ah Di (Kwai Lun-mei), Barbarian's lover. And the detective, who strictly orders younger officers not to be emotionally attached to the informants, has some past he has to deal with.

If you are looking for big shoot-outs and car chases, perhaps you will be disappointed with "Stool Pigeon," which is, like critically acclaimed "Infernal Affairs," about the characters torn between the conflicting values. Yes, there are action scenes and they are competently done, but they rather serve to show how these characters, trying to run away from the past, get driven into corners. Sorry for my vague descriptions, but in short, this is a Hong Kong noir, where there is no easy way out.

Despite the several lulls, director Dante Lam keeps the tension throughout, with the excellent acting from Nick Cheung and Nicholas Tse. My complaint is that the film has too many subplots and flashbacks. Kwai Lun-mei's character needs more depth. The sentimental dancing class episodes are pretty incredible, even by the standards of crime suspense. With a simpler plotline "Stool Pigeon" could have been more thrilling and involving.

Quite good acting and cinematography. Script and directing were well done but not on a par with the acting and filming. Some of the editing made following the storyline a bit more confusing than it needed to be and to that add a storyline that's a little too shallow at times particularly the different character subplots.

Informants and their interaction with police is the primary storyline whereas that story is customarily a secondary thought in crime genre movies. Heavily tragedy oriented, so be prepared.

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I recommend this movie it is awesome and action packed. You will be thrilled from beginning to the end! This is truly a movie that is worth the money. You will definately enjoy the movie.

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i just loved this movie from start to end. similar movies like' the departed' where the character plays a deep undercover assignment always interrested me. this story is about a guy who just been release from prison to help the police infiltrate a group of thieves. theres even a bit of fast and furious type scenes in this. loved the chracters and the edge of your seat action and chase scenes. and for the gamers reading this i also recommend playing 'sleeping dogs' game for a similar experience.

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The Stool Pigeon is a well directed taut cop drama , with heavy emphasis on the characters that drive this thriller ,the flashbacks pieces together this story and make for some compelling action sequences thru out this film,there no redeeming characters in this film ,which was quite alright with me, this story was about an informant and the hell he goes thru ,because of his past.That's about all of the movie I will talk about!A suggestion is to seek out all of DANTE LAM'S action/crime drama's he's is the best out there right now in my opinion,this Director's movies get better with each one,also looking forward to viewing the Viral Factor in the near future his latest crime epic, Stool Pigeon is a solid entertaining crime film......peace

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Driving Miss Daisy (2013)

Lovely is such an old fashioned word, I know. But that's the word that describes this film, for me. The story of the developing friendship over many years between the black chaueffeur and the older Jewish woman is very heartwarming in its simplicity. Jessica Tandy is marvelous as "Miss Daisy" the fiercely independant, irascible widow, whose advancing age requires her son to employ, against her wishes, a driver/companion for her. Miss Tandy, who originated the role of Blanche DuBois on Broadway in "A Streetcar Named Desire", was a wonderful actress. This was one of her last films, and all the skill, sublety, and experience of her life-long craft come together to create a living, breathing "Miss Daisy." Morgan Freeman meets her skill in his portrayal of "Hoag", the accomodating chaueffeur. He has the manner of a certain resignation that an older black man may have felt in the turbulent, prejudiced south in which he lived, yet exudes dignity. He has the manner of "Hoag" down pat, right down to the closed mouth laugh that I have seen in the old black men who hang out on the corner. This is not a caricature, he IS "Hoag." His relationship with Miss Daisy starts out very rocky, to say the least, but, as time passes, their places in each others lives develope into almost a "marriage", with a quiet understanding of, and dependence on, each other. And though Miss Daisy insists she was not prejudiced, and inherently wasn't, it is touching to see her slowly let go of her last universally accepted beliefs of peoples place in society, where the "colored" help were always servants of some sort, and the line was just never crossed. Scenes such as the one where she and "Hoag" are both eating their dinner in the house, she in the dining room, he , alone in the kitchen, express this. The very thought of them dining together, it just wasn't done. As time goes on, and she becomes quietly aware of the similarities of the prejudices against her religion and the prejudices and injustice against Hoags race, the differences that seperate them become insignicant. Dan Akroyd and Patti Lupone are fine as Miss Daisy's son and his typically '50s wife, who admonishes her black maid for the unforgivable sin of forgetting to tell her she was out of coconut for the ambrosia she was serving to her guests... a '50s hostess' nightmare. There are a few moments when their performances threaten to lapse into parody, but one is only aware of this because this is basically a two person play, and the skill and realism of Tandys and Freemans performances just eclipse the others, they are basically props compared to the skill and, yes, sublety of the leads . The exception is Esther Rolle as "Idella" , Miss Daisys black maid. Though her part is small, and her lines few, she manages to convey a resigned dignity also, and her dead-pan delivery of several one liners is very humorous. Miss Daisys affection and respect for Idella is clearly etched upon her face, however, at Idella's funeral. This is just a wonderfully simple, beautiful film. It never treads into being overly sentimental, thanks to the casting of two very special stars. This film took many by surprise by winning the Oscar for best film of the year, proving that a movie with no special effects, and, that actually tells a story, can still move audiences. The final scene, where their years-long friendship comes full circle, will have tears in your eyes, as Miss Daisy conveys the sweet sad wisdom of the old, who know that "all shall soon pass...."

Superb casting of Jessica Tandy as a stubborn elderly Southern woman of privilege and Morgan Freeman as her loyal and capable and patient chauffeur makes this one of the best dramas and character studies of all time. Tandy won an Oscar for this 1989 performance and Freeman was nominated for one. This is a movie of wonderful spirited characters, people who demonstrate sassiness, independence, tolerance, admiration, and respect for each other but only after a few years of working together. It all started when Miss Daisy crashed her car and her son, Dan Aykroyd, a pompous banker type, declared she absolutely could drive no more. So he hired a chauffeur for her. At first, all the old Southern prejudices came into plan, prejudices of class, race, and education. But gradually the wisdom and quiet patience of Freeman's character won her over.

At its core, this is the story of an unlikely friendship that shows it's possible to transcend prejudice and appreciate the human being within.

Highest marks.

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Driving Miss Daisy is one of my all-time favorites. I bought the Special Edition widescreen DVD (ISBN 0-7907-7237-X, UPC 0-85392-33402-5) and was horribly disappointed. It shows less picture than does my old fullscreen VHS tape (and I seem to be the only one who has noticed)! Although the image is with a widescreen aspect ratio, the left & right sides of the picture do not extend beyond those of the VHS. And the top & bottom letterbox black bars on the DVD image are actually covering up parts of the picture that I can see on the VHS. In other words, THE PICTURE BETWEEN WIDESCREEN DVD AND FULLSCREEN VHS IS IDENTICAL, EXCEPT THAT THE DVD HAS BLACK BARS LITERALLY COVERING UP THE TOP & BOTTOM. For instance, at the end of the movie, the VHS tape clearly shows Miss Daisy's hand fumbling with the fork, and her slice of pie sitting there on the table. On the widescreen DVD, this is all covered up by the bottom black bar, so all you see of the pie is the few bites that Hoke raises (out of the void) to Miss Daisy's mouth. The touching scene is completely ruined. I'm not exactly sure what's up with this pseudo-widescreen version, but it stinks.

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This is simply a wonderful film! The performances by Jesica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, Dan Ackroyd and Esther Rolle are top-notch. The pace of the film is magnificent; there is not a dull moment in the entire one and a half hours. The set is lovely and period correct, as is the music and even the automobiles (mostly vintage Cadillacs). The chemistry between the two lead characters is very special, and Jessica Tandy certainly deserved the Academy Award for her performance. It is wonderful to see the progression over the period of several decades, and the friendship that develops between a proud, old Jewish widow and her newly appointed chauffeur. Dan Ackroyd as Miss Daisy's son is surprisingly effective also. An all round gem of a movie that deserves to be seen again and again.

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Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman will light up your heart in this sweet and charming tale. It was nominated for nine Oscars in 1989 and deservedly so. Four were bestowed including Best Picture and Best actress for Tandy. Freeman was also nominated.

The story,based on Alfred Uhry's award winning play, begins in early 1950's Georgia. Miss Daisy is getting on in years,her dutiful but tiring son(Dan Aykroyd, also nominated) feels she needs a chauffeur,as her driving isnt exactly up to par. Being a very proud and stubborn woman, she resists the idea,would rather walk than be seen being driven around. Even after Hoke Colburn(Freeman) is hired,she refuses to give in.

Hoke is also proud and stubborn, he is hired to do a job and by george he's gonna do it! So eventually he brings her around and little by little she gets comfortable with him.They form a unique and lasting bond.Over 25 years we watch their relationship grow. Daisy teaches Hoke to read. Hoke Brings out the best in Daisy.He is ALWAYS there for her. Daisy is Jewish, and for the first time in her life is witness to hate crimes. Hoke is no stranger to that and can empathize with her.She gains some understanding of him.

The cast also includes fine performances from Esther Rolle and Patti Lupone. The musical score by Hans Zimmer is delightful.

So the film by itself is 5 stars. But I went with 4 stars because the DVD "Has been formatted to fit your screen"(In other words..no widescreen) That takes away from the original theatrical version. Other than that the DVD(WB) is very good. The picture was sharp and clear with nice color. The sound in the Dolby Surround(2.0) was good.Dialouge was crisp. There's a few extras, theatrical trailer, awards and cast. There's also subtitles. So even without the widescreen I'm glad I got this edition, it's just too good of a film not to be watched.

Kick back and enjoy....Laurie

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August Rush (2008)

"August Rush" is a fairy tale. It doesn't have princes, princesses, evil stepmothers, witches, or big bad wolves, but it's a fairy tale nonetheless. And as such, it tells a story that resonates so strongly with its audience that it casts a magic spell. This movie is told in the language of music, and it exemplifies the harmonic connections between people, the rhythmic bonds that can never be broken in spite of distance and time. It's also told in the language of faith, of the belief that love will indeed conquer all. No, this is not a realistic idea, but that's not the point. Isn't it nice that we have films like this to escape to when realism is bringing us down? Isn't it wonderful when we find that one film that can raise our spirits? "August Rush" was that film for me, and I recommend it to anyone in need of a rejuvenating emotional boost.

The film stars Freddie Highmore as an orphan named Evan Taylor, a quiet yet determined musical prodigy. He was born as the result of a chance encounter between two musicians: an Irish rock guitarist named Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and a classically trained American cellist named Lyla Novacek (Keri Russell). While living in New York City, they met and separated through twists of fate--Lyla's controlling father (William Sadler) doesn't take the news of her unplanned pregnancy very well, and when she's hit by a car and injured, he uses that opportunity to make her believe that her baby did not survive. In reality, the baby was delivered and put into the legal system as a parentless orphan. Lyla and Louis go their separate ways, believing that they would never see each other again.

In the present day, their eleven-year-old son Evan lives in an orphanage with a number of broken-spirited boys. They're so disillusioned that they bully him into believing as they do. They constantly tell him that no one is coming for him, that his ability to hear music in everything makes him nothing more than a freak. And they will not stand for his belief that he actually hears the music of his parents calling out to him. But Evan refuses to sink to their level of hopelessness; he runs away to New York City, where the music seems to be beckoning him towards his destiny. It's there he meets Wizard (Robin Williams), a shady musician who houses a number of musically inclined children in an abandoned theater. He, too, is beaten down by life, so much so that he uses these children for his own financial gain. When he discovers Evan's natural ability to play the guitar, he gives him the pseudonym August Rush and forces him to perform in parks and on street corners.

Lyla, meanwhile, is living in Chicago as a music teacher. Single and without any children, she seems complacent yet stable in her new life. But all that changes when (1) she's offered a change to once again play with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and (2) she learns that her baby did not die eleven years ago. With a powerful yet unexplainable determination, she travels back to New York on a quest to find her long lost son, a quest that will hopefully be added by her playing of the cello. Hoping to help find Evan is Richard Jeffries (Terrence Howard), a social worker who met the boy when he was still living at the orphanage.

And then, of course, there's Louis, who has since gone on to be a businessman in San Francisco. His band members haven't forgiven him for leaving, least of all his brother, Marshall (Alex O'Loughlin). But worst of all, Louis hasn't been able to forgive himself, and upon seeing footage of himself performing on stage, he remembers the love he felt for Lyla. The memory is so strong that's he vows to reunite with her. This journey of finding lost love leads him from Chicago back to New York City, where he's inspired to rejoin with his band and restart his singing career. Much like his son--whom he doesn't know exists--Louis is a gifted guitar player; one can hear his passion and energy with every chord, and his music operates at the same frequency as Lyla's cello playing.

As you can probably tell, most of the film thrives on serendipity, and it gets more and more prominent with every passing scene. A kind-hearted pastor eventually takes Evan in, and when made aware of his musical genius, they send him to the Julliard School of Music. He composes a piece within the first six months of his stay, one that the faculty believes is good enough to be performed. Thus sets into motion the events leading to one of the most satisfying endings of any movie I've seen this year, a scene so touching that I was in awe. As I listened to Evan's "August's Rhapsody," I felt as if I had been enveloped in the folds of hope, love, and happiness; the earthiness of the chimes blended perfectly with the smoothness of the violins and the energy of the guitars, all of which made his unwavering faith in the power of connection perfectly clear.

This is the magic of "August Rush," a film so wonderful that I cannot recommend it enough. It's a modern day fable with a timeless message, and it comes across so well that I never once stopped to consider how implausible it is. Plausibility doesn't even come into play, here. What does come into play is the emotional impact, the sense that we can get something out of it if we surrender to pure fantasy. Evan opens the film by saying, "Music is all around us--all we have to do is listen." This is one of the year's best films, and if you keep that quote in mind when seeing it, you'll be more inclined to agree.

AUGUST RUSH will not go down in history as a profound film: many will even go so far as to dismiss it as kitsch, maudlin, and a simpleton take off on 'Oliver Twist', and other pejoratives. For this viewer the little film is tender and frequently requires suspension of belief, but in the end the idea of the story does indeed bring a tear to the eye.

Based on a story by Paul Castro and Nick Castle and transformed for the screen by Castle and James V. Hart, the premise is that of a fairytale, but an unusual fairytale built around the impact of music. On one magic night in New York City classical cellist Lyla Novacek (Keri Russell) and popular Irish guitarist/singer Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) meet on a rooftop, languishing in their own disappointments with life and finding solace in each other's arms, and that night Lyla becomes pregnant, never to see Louis again, and struggling to keep her baby despite her father's demands to abort. Lyla delivers her baby boy, but the child is immediately taken away (Lyla is told the child was stillborn). 'Evan Taylor' AKA August Rush (Freddie Highmore) is placed in an orphanage, longing for parents he believes he can 'hear' in the music of the spheres. Compelled to find his parents he escapes the orphanage after eleven years and is taken in by Faginesque Maxwell 'Wizard' Wallace (Robin Williams) who teaches his street urchins the fine art of pick pocketing and playing music on the streets as buskers. Renamed August Rush, Evan has uncommon musical talents and rapidly becomes a big money maker for Wizard while at the same time being discovered as a potential pupil for Juilliard by Reverend James (Mykelti Williamson) and his girl singer Hope (Jamia Simone Nash) with assistance from kindly social worker Richard Jefferies (Terrence Howard). August Rush composes a rhapsody that is to be played in Central Park, a chance to place his music before the world and attract his parents, both of whom have returned to music careers after eleven years absence and learn of the existence of August Rush, their 'unknown son'. And yes, the ending is a happily ever after one...

Kirsten Sheridan directs with a sure hand and a keen eye toward make believe. The cast is strong, especially Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and the musical score, a very mixed bag, provides a suitable background for the story. This is one of those movies that asks us to go along with a lot of improbable events, but the pleasure of the experience is worth the journey. Grady Harp, March 08

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Some people hear the rhythm in a step, the strident beauty of a police siren, the whip of a powerline in the wind. Evan Taylor (Freddie Highmore) doesn't get a decent night's sleep in the orphanage because of it. His fellow inmates call him freak because he believes both his parents are living and they'll come for him--if only he call out with the music that connects them.

As he says, "I believe in music the way some people believe in fairy tales." So, Evan decides after eleven years and some days to escape the orphanage and go find the music--and his parents.

Even ends up in New York City with zero street smarts. He really doesn't even know how to cross the road. A fortunate encounter puts him near Arthur (Leon G. Thomas III), a street busker his age who's willing to help--for a price. Arthur introduces him to Wizard (Robin Williams) who gives musically talented street kids a place to stay in exchange for half their take. The Wizard quickly discovers that Evan, who he renames August Rush, is a prodigy and is making some plans for the lad.

Meanwhile, we learn that Even's mom Lyla Novacek (Kerri Russell) had only been with Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) one night. The Julliard educated cellist was in an accident while pregnant and her father decided to sign her name and give up her son--telling Lyla that he'd died. Instead of the stage career her father envisioned, Lyla mostly gave up music and taught--til Julliard called her for a special concert in Central Park.

Louis has always longed for Lyla, the girl who got away. He gave up his music and became a manager. When he brings a girl to meet his family, they play a song he'd written for the band after Lyla's departure from his life. He's determined to find Lyla. When he believes she is married, he ends up in New York with no particular goals in mind except to find his music again.

"August Rush" is just as much about the musical ties that bind us as the three people whose stories it tells. In my opinion, the best performances were the kids: Evan-August, Arthur and Hope (Jamia Simone Nash). This trio kept you captivated and cheering.

Of course, the soundtrack is fabulous. You have Kaki King on the guitar as well as vocals from John Legend and John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting fame). I'm ordering the soundtrack tonight and I really don't often like movie soundtracks well enough to order.

I wasn't the only person who'd give this film 5 stars. This is one of the rare films I've attended where many of the audience stood and applauded at the end. While this is a family film, I did notice that some of the younger children got restless and needed some explanation of what was going on.

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11-year-old Evan wants nothing more in life than to find his parents, or for them to find him. Labeled a freak by his fellow boys home residents it isn't long before he finds himself on the streets of New York in search of the mother and father he never knew. Like a fish out of water, the sights and sounds of the city that never sleeps are at once overwhelming and intoxicating. In every thumping foot, squealing tire, barking dog and rattling chain he hears a rhythm. Music. Harmonics no one hears but him. He knows if he just follows the music somehow his parents will find him. What he doesn't know is that his parents have no idea he exists.

Ten years ago his mother, Lyla (Keri Russell), a gifted celoist, was a young prodigy herself when she met Louis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), the talented lead singer and guitarist for an Irish rock band. Immediately they share a bond, and their night together changes everything. Can the power of music bring this family of strangers back together again?

Don't let the somewhat un-inspiring title August Rush fool you. This movie is a heart-warming film with a rich narrative, visually diverse settings, and a lush original music score. Freddie Highmore's spot-on performance as Evan, who soon takes up the moniker August Rush, immediately invokes our sympathy. We truly care what happens to this bright-eyed, innocent boy who hasn't let himself become jaded by his harsh environment. (If he looks familiar it's probably because of his Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Finding Neverland fame. He played the lead child roles in both.)

But it's not just Highmore who carries this movie. Every actor nails their role beautifully. Keri Russell (perhaps known best for the TV show Felicity) is a natural on the screen, skillfully bringing to life the character of Lyla both as a naive young woman and a passionate mother. Robin Williams' supporting role as a music pimp to a brood of unwanted yet musically gifted children cinches that he can play the deeper roles right alongside his lighter comedy ones. You'll also want to take notice of Terrence Howard's performance as social worker Richard Jeffries, a man in the system who genuinely cares for the kids under his care but often finds his hands frustratingly tied.

A few times suspension of disbelief is called for as August Rush is more about the fantastic than the realistic. It's a little hard to believe Evan is able to play both the guitar and organ like a master (not to mention conduct an orchestra) without ever having seen or touched the instruments before in his life. But you really don't mind. This movie has enough heart to carry it above and beyond those moments. Its portrayal of music's magic, that powerful tug on the human heart and soul, sets it apart from your average film tackling the same subjects.

Parents will appreciate the filmmaker's tact in portraying Lyla and Louis' one-night stand. No more than the beginnings of a passionate kiss are shown. A few swear words (h-and d--) probably aren't appropriate for youngsters since several are uttered by children, but they really did have their place in showing you the hard existence of some of the street kids.

August Rush reminds us that amidst the hardships there truly is some good left in this world. You'll come away from this movie with a greater appreciation of music's power, not to mention the power of love and family. Definitely worth seeing more than once.

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for TitleTrakk

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It's easy to point out the incongruities of Kirsten Sheridan's magical "August Rush"...an 11-year-old who learns guitar in one night, and piano and musical composition in another...but this is not a movie for nitpickers, but for dreamers, and all of us who hear music in everything we experience. And boy, does this film deliver!

I wasn't surprised to see Nick Castle's hand in the screenplay, as he is an old hand at finding magic in our cynical world (he wrote and directed "The Boy Who Could Fly"); here, we have the story of two incredibly gifted musicians, a Julliard-trained cellist (Keri Russell), and a self-taught Irish rock singer/composer (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), who bond under the stars in New York City, then are torn apart by families with their own agendas. She carries his child, but after an accident, her ambitious father (William Sadler) steals the newborn, dumps the baby into social services, and announces to the daughter that the child had died. What is MEANT to be, never happens, the lives of both musicians unravel, and they soon give up their gifts, for mundane careers...as their unknown child (the remarkable Freddie Highmore) grows into a musical prodigy, on a mission to find them.

The bulk of the film deals with the child's search, and the remarkable people he meets along the way, from a sympathetic welfare worker (Terrence Howard), to a gifted child guitarist and his Fagin-like mentor (Leon Thomas III and Robin Williams, who is creepy, but excellent), and finally, a powerful child gospel singer, and her pastor (Jamia Simone Nash and Mykelti Williamson). Dubbed 'August Rush' by Williams, the boy harnesses his prodigious musical talents, even as his parents individually renew their own musical careers, and are drawn back to New York City, and a tear-inducing, spectacular climax. Predictable? You bet, but I dare you not to be moved, anyway!

The performances are first-rate, particularly from the child actors, and the music is awesome. This is unabashedly a 'feel-good' movie, the perfect flick to pop into the DVD player when you're feeling down.

My only real quibble is the lack of Special Features; extended scenes are all that are offered, and this is a film I'd have loved learning more about...

"August Rush" is a wonderful film that shouldn't be missed!

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Soul Men (2008)

"Soul Men," a 2008 release, is a musical comedy road picture, with a template of sadness behind it. It stars more frequent action hero, Samuel L. Jackson, and the late Bernie Mac. It was written by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone, and directed by Malcolm Lee, noted American filmmaker Spike Lee's kid brother. Jackson plays Louis Hinds; Mac, Floyd Henderson. Together, they were once "The Real Deal," popular soul singers, and released a single record album. But it's been decades since they were together. Then the death of the supposedly legendary Marcus Hooks (John Legend), once their lead singer, gives them a very good reason to reunite: there's to be a memorial concert at New York's famous Apollo Theater, at which they've been invited to sing. It might just jump start their fallow singing careers.

So, quick as you can say Jackie Robinson, it becomes a road picture, as the quarreling ex-colleagues jump into a Cadillac in California, with four days to reach New York. There is lots of grumbling and fighting, and, be warned if it bothers you, a great deal of obscene language: with m-----f----in almost every scene. Along the road, they will bump up against Rosalee, played by Jennifer Coolidge, in a distasteful sexist interlude that I could have done without. Also Cleo (Sharon Leal, Dreamgirls ), who is supposedly the daughter of one of the leads; they're initially not sure which; Lester (Affion Crockett), Cleo's none too bright, abusive boyfriend; Danny Epstein (Sean Hayes), their new manager, and Philip, (Adam Herschman), Epstein's gofer. Towards the end of the picture we meet the late great funk/soul musician Isaac Hayes, playing himself.

Hayes is very visibly ill and weak he is used to do little more than walk across the screen. And I wish the producers had spent more money on the actors playing Philip (Herschman) and Cleo (Leal): they appear in many scenes, and granted, Leal is certainly pretty enough and sings very well; but they don't bring much to the screen.

However, the charismatic leads do bring a lot to their parts. Their comic timing is spot-on; Jackson's a good straight man, yet he can both pitch and catch: go know. The singing is fine, and the movie boasts a nice sound track of 1970's funk/soul hits. All in all, it's an enjoyable film. And, while it is the last film appearance of Mac and Hayes, I can recommend it as worth seeing for more than curiosity. Nevertheless, at film's post script, as the final credits roll, the interviews with Mac and Hayes are likely to bring tears to your eyes: they did to mine.

What can I say but simply Hilarious! These two guys put together was just perfect! There was never a dull moment with them! I've always loved Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac (Bernie is missed greatly!) this movie never made alot of attention but it should have cause this is one of the best comedy movies I've seen in a long time!

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This movie is so funny that it had me and my family crying

from laughter, holding onto our sides and rocking

back & forth in our chairs!

This is a fitting tribute to the comic genius of the

late great Bernie Mac, who had such chrisma and that good ol'

down home humor like a crazy uncle who always comes to the

family reunions and lights it up!

He's in great form here and it seems to me, a bit reflective,

as if he knew that this would be his last statement to the world!

If you watch the special features, you'll see what I mean.

Samuel Jackson plays the grizzled world-weary sidekick with finesse!

He and Mac shared a great chemistry and comraderie and boy, it shows!

The supporting cast all pulled their weight too and delivered

funny moments as well. Also, this movie was the swan song for

one of the latter 20th Century's great musical minds...

The Black Moses...Issac Hayes!!

In the late 60's thru early 70's, he was a musical & cultural

force to be reckoned with!--Later he proved himself to be

a good actor, and of course the younger generations knew him

as the voice of "Chef" from the now iconic "Southpark".

It's uncanny that both he and Bernie Mac passed away right

after this movie was finished, on the exact same weekend!

Well, if ever there was a time capsule for these two..here it is!

Hayes' music is featured throughout as well.

This is definitely one to add to your collection.

RIP BERNIE MAC (1957-2008) and Issac Hayes (1942-2008)

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I was kind of skeptical about seeing this movie because usually when an actor or comic passes on their last movie is questionable but Soul Men is one of the few exceptions.

The story chronicles Lewis Hinds(Samuel L. Jackson) and Floyd Henderson(Bernie Mac)two members of the group "Real Deal". Floyd pays a visit to Lewis after the death of a soul singer legend Marcus Hooks(played by John Legend) to perform at an event at the Apollo because they believe they can get paid. Lewis is still bitter with Floyd about an incident involving his former wife. They reluctantly team up and go performing state to state before they reach the Apollo.

I wont say that I always laughed but there are plenty of times where I laughed especially with the interaction between Bernie Mac's character and Samuel Jackson's character. Cleo's bumbling, abusive boyfriend Lester(Affion Crockett) had some funny moments too. Both Floyd and Lewis's misadventures are humorous also. There are times when i laughed and times where I smiled. Lewis's interaction with Cleo(played by the attractive Sharon Leal who somewhat resembles Kerry Washington) was sweet. The songs Lewis and Floyd sung were cool and they seem to have a ball performing them and not phoning in their performances(like some entertainers tend to do). Its a shame that Bernie Mac passed before the release of this film. He would have been proud of the final product because the movie was pretty good.

REST IN PEACE BERNIE MAC, ISAAC HAYES and RUDY RAY MOORE!!!

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I'm a huge fan of Bernie Mac and this has got to be his best work ever! This movie is what you would call a real laugh out loud till your sides ache comedy!

Bernice Mac and Samuel L. Jackson are both ex-soul singers who only put out one record back in the seventies and went their separate ways there after. Due to the death of their previous lead singer they are asked to perform at his funeral and are therefore asked to reunite, even though they are not on the best of terms.

Even though I really enjoyed this movie greatly, I must warn everyone there is a considerable amount of adult scenes in the movie and a prolific use of abusive language (m*****f***er) in almost every scene... I think they would have even worked that word into the title if they could!

The movie does a great 70's soundtrack which I really enjoyed especially the one when they first hit the road!

A great comedy, there is not denying that at all, but it could have done with less obscenity!

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