Is Trouble with the Curve cliched and predictable? Maybe it is, but since when was there a rule that every single movie had to be original and inventive to make for an enjoyable time? Trouble with the Curve is carried by a great cast. The cast manages to keep its melodrama at bay, making for a touching little family story. It should certainly strike a nerve with anyone who has actually been through something similar to our lead characters, or knows someone who has.
Clint Eastwood revived the persona of one of my all-time favorite roles of his. He's doing a tamer version of Walt Kowalski from Gran Torino, with less war, and more baseball. He basically grumbles and growls his way through the movie, further solidifying my desperation for him to play an old Bruce Wayne in the Batman Beyond movie that WB is taking entirely too long to make. He has already more than mastered the infamous "Bat-growl".
Opposite Eastwood is Amy Adams. She's a delight as always, and makes the perfect counterpart to Eastwood's grumpy old fart. I quite like Amy Adams in this, and it's a great indication of what to expect from her Lois Lane. Justin Timberlake moved past 'bringing sexy back' and has become one of my surprisingly favorite young actors in the business today. He's had quite a few hits with me now; The Social Network, Alpha Dog, Friends with Benefits, and now this.
I don't know what to say for the mediocre reception this film has received. "Underrated" is overrated, so I won't call it that. Like I said, it's fairly cliched and predictable, but not enough to make it a bad movie. If you are looking for feel good family drama with a sports backdrop, then this is it. At least in my opinion. See it for yourself, be your own judge.
The Blu-ray transfer is strong, with lots of warm hues and sharp detail. The audio is what you'd expect from a recent release. The extras is really the only sore spot on the disc. Even so, I can't say I'm too disappointed by the lack of extras, because I don't see myself wanting to watch a comprehensive making of documentary for this film. Anyway, I Recommend it.
Universal Studios | 2006 | 110 min | Rated R | Region free
| May 26, 2009
A futuristic society faces extinction when no children are born and the human race has lost the
ability to reproduce. England has descended into chaos, until an iron-handed warden is brought
in to institute martial law. The...
Children of Men is a brilliant post-apocalyptic drama. It's undoubtedly Alfonso Cuaron's best film to date, at least in my humble opinion. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite installment in the series, and is a fairly close second in my mind. This film portrays a scary world where new children have not been born in eighteen years due to a pandemic flu that has made its way across the entire globe. Because of that, humanity is on the verge of extinction after the remaining life has died off.
Worldwide stability has collapsed, but the United Kingdom remains one of the last countries with fight left in it. It is the only livable country left in the film. The British government is doing all it can to keep the endless flocks of immigrants who seek refuge out, meanwhile an anti-government group called Fishes is plotting an up rise to fight for the immigrants who do not get treated fairly. It's a very heavy plot to grasp. Not complicated, but the tone of this film is so somber, and it never lets up.
The world portrayed in this film is quite depressing. Ironically, for such a dark toned film, it has a beautifully bright appearance. It has some of the greatest cinematography I've ever seen. The color scheme is muted, with the drab grays and browns you would expect from a post-apocalyptic film like this. Even so, it truly is one of the most beautifully shot films I have seen.
The story is also quite touching. The scariest part to me is that it was set only seventeen years from now. This is, without a doubt, one of the best post-apocalyptic movies ever made. It may be too soon to call it a classic, but I'll do it anyway. I am confident that this is one of the greatest films to come out of the first decade of the 20th century, and will be remembered as a pillar of its genre for many years to come. I haven't been so enthralled with a post-apocalyptic film since The Matrix.
The cast is wonderful, and adds another layer of depth and brilliance to an already spectacular story. Clive Owen, Michael Caine, Julianne Moore and Chiwetel Ejiofor were the only recognizable actors the first time I saw it, but everyone who had the slightest bit of screen time was phenomenal. This is a damn near perfect film. How it didn't go home with a single Academy Award is far beyond me. I Highly Recommend Children of Men to everyone.
Ultimate Edition
Paramount Pictures | 2008 | 126 min | Rated PG-13 | Region free
| Sep 30, 2008
Billionaire industrialist and genius inventor Tony Stark is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, he builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. When he...
Iron Man was a huge surprise, and a very pleasant one at that. Going into the summer of 2008, my attention was completely preoccupied with The Dark Knight, The Incredible Hulk, Kung Fu Panda, Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, Indiana Jones 4, Wanted, Hellboy II, Wall-E, Step Brothers and The Mummy 3. All of which were very hyped up titles that had people lining up for them. But, among them was one of the best comic book movies ever made. As much as I love The Dark Knight and Tropic Thunder (they're in my top three favorite all-time movies), I think that Iron Man is superior to both of them in some ways. It is highly entertaining all the way through.
It doesn't matter if you like Superheroes, or not. There is something in this film for just about everyone. The few action scenes are top notch. My personal favorite is the scene when Iron Man returns to the Middle East to destroy all of his weapons. The acting is phenomenal. Robert Downey Jr. was beyond perfect as Tony Stark. I am always glad to see A-listers give their all in these types of films because it proves that they are not just for children and geeks (honestly, we all still have a little of both in us).
The rest of the amazing cast consists of Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard and even Samuel L. Jackson in a surprise post-credits cameo. I also have to mention the director, Jon Favreau. I only knew him from comedies and television, but he did a great job with this big blockbuster. Despite the great action, direction, and superb casting, the real key to this movie's excellence is the script. The writing is not quite as deep and dark as The Dark Knight, but for a supposedly "summer popcorn action flick", it is right on par.
It never hurts to get a team of actual comic book writers along with the creator himself, Stan The Man, to guide you and tell you what fits, and what doesn't. That is the only way to make a comic book character come to life, just as he is on the pages. And in the end it will always pay off with the most important group in the audience, the fans. I cannot say that without admitting something though. I was never an avid reader of the Iron Man comics, although he does make an appearance in a lot of my books, but I am very familiar with the character.
Not only am I familiar with him from my comics that he is in, but also the cartoon from the 90's. I still try to catch episodes of the cartoon to this day. The reason I never got into his comic arc is because, I honestly had no interest in the villains he fought, except for the Hulk. Most of his villains were just big robots and monsters (Godzilla was actually one of them). With that said, I was still happy to see that they chose a very conventional first villain, Iron Monger. As long as they never make a movie with M.O.D.O.K., I will be happy.
My only complaint about this movie is how scarce the action is. There are only really three scenes of action in total, but to be fair, the few action scenes it has are beautiful and character driven. I just think Jon Favreau is not an action director, so he played it safe. In the end, that may have been why Iron Man was so great. I was just really surprised that Iron Man became one of my favorite movies. It reminds me of how I felt about Star Trek. I had my doubts, but those doubts were completely shattered after seeing it.
The picture and audio quality are practically reference material. Grain is persistent throughout, but that only means that they didn't scrub this beautiful transfer clean, which would have taken details away along with the grain. The beautiful effects by ILM are on full display, and I saw no obvious flaws. I may be working with a very modest Home Theater, but I can tell the difference between a good and poor soundtrack. I couldn't hear any apparent flaws. Fine work.
I loved the supplemental features, plain and simple. I just wish there was a damn audio commentary.
Commentaries are essential to me, and I cannot help but dock the extras a whole point for there not being one. The one that Favreau did for Iron Man 2 was exactly what we want in a commentary, so it was a missed opportunity. Otherwise, the extras were brilliant.
Single Disc
Paramount Pictures | 2008 | 126 min | Rated PG-13 | Region free
| Mar 22, 2011
Billionaire industrialist and genius inventor Tony Stark is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, he builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. When he...
Iron Man was a huge surprise, and a very pleasant one at that. Going into the summer of 2008, my attention was completely preoccupied with The Dark Knight, The Incredible Hulk, Kung Fu Panda, Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, Indiana Jones 4, Wanted, Hellboy II, Wall-E, Step Brothers and The Mummy 3. All of which were very hyped up titles that had people lining up for them. But, among them was one of the best comic book movies ever made. As much as I love The Dark Knight and Tropic Thunder (they're in my top three favorite all-time movies), I think that Iron Man is superior to both of them in some ways. It is highly entertaining all the way through.
It doesn't matter if you like Superheroes, or not. There is something in this film for just about everyone. The few action scenes are top notch. My personal favorite is the scene when Iron Man returns to the Middle East to destroy all of his weapons. The acting is phenomenal. Robert Downey Jr. was beyond perfect as Tony Stark. I am always glad to see A-listers give their all in these types of films because it proves that they are not just for children and geeks (honestly, we all still have a little of both in us).
The rest of the amazing cast consists of Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard and even Samuel L. Jackson in a surprise post-credits cameo. I also have to mention the director, Jon Favreau. I only knew him from comedies and television, but he did a great job with this big blockbuster. Despite the great action, direction, and superb casting, the real key to this movie's excellence is the script. The writing is not quite as deep and dark as The Dark Knight, but for a supposedly "summer popcorn action flick", it is right on par.
It never hurts to get a team of actual comic book writers along with the creator himself, Stan The Man, to guide you and tell you what fits, and what doesn't. That is the only way to make a comic book character come to life, just as he is on the pages. And in the end it will always pay off with the most important group in the audience, the fans. I cannot say that without admitting something though. I was never an avid reader of the Iron Man comics, although he does make an appearance in a lot of my books, but I am very familiar with the character.
Not only am I familiar with him from my comics that he is in, but also the cartoon from the 90's. I still try to catch episodes of the cartoon to this day. The reason I never got into his comic arc is because, I honestly had no interest in the villains he fought, except for the Hulk. Most of his villains were just big robots and monsters (Godzilla was actually one of them). With that said, I was still happy to see that they chose a very conventional first villain, Iron Monger. As long as they never make a movie with M.O.D.O.K., I will be happy.
My only complaint about this movie is how scarce the action is. There are only really three scenes of action in total, but to be fair, the few action scenes it has are beautiful and character driven. I just think Jon Favreau is not an action director, so he played it safe. In the end, that may have been why Iron Man was so great. I was just really surprised that Iron Man became one of my favorite movies. It reminds me of how I felt about Star Trek. I had my doubts, but those doubts were completely shattered after seeing it.
The picture and audio quality are practically reference material. Grain is persistent throughout, but that only means that they didn't scrub this beautiful transfer clean, which would have taken details away along with the grain. The beautiful effects by ILM are on full display, and I saw no obvious flaws. I may be working with a very modest Home Theater, but I can tell the difference between a good and poor soundtrack. Unfortunately, this set drops the second disc that comes with the Ultimate Edition. I loved the supplemental features, that were on the second disc, so that is a reason to skip this particular version and pursuit that one at an affordable price.
Trying to outdo his main rival Vector, serial villain Gru hatches a plan to steal the moon, aided by his army of minions. About to set his dastardly plan in motion, and bristling with his arsenal of freeze-rays and sci-fi...
In my opinion, Despicable Me is yet another heartfelt, hilarious animated comedy for us to sink our teeth into this year. I thought to myself at the end of the movie that it felt a lot like the live-action version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. So I dubbed it, "How The Gru Stole The Moon". Anyway, this is a fantastic film, but the cuteness can be a bit much from time to time. I don't think they needed the added "aww" moments. It's obviously marketed for very young children, but like so many other animated films, there's plenty of material here to keep the adults happy.
In the theatre, I laughed out loud in the more at this one, than I have at an animated film in a very long time. After rewatching it at home, it hasn't lost its spark. The voicework is just under terrific. I love Steve Carrell (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Office), but at times his fake accent can be a little overdone (especially with all of the sayings). I love Jason Segal (I Love You Man, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) just as much, and his work is actually perfect. His voice fit Vector to perfection. Once more, I love Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek) and Kristen Wiig Adventureland, MacGruber), so their voices were a welcome treat.
Last, but not least, the minions. Their voices were done by the two directors. As you can see, I had high expectations for this ensemble of hilarious comedians going in. They didn't disappoint. Like I said, Steve Carrell's choice of accent may be annoying sometimes, but it didn't ruin the experience at all. The think this movie had a very good script as well. The dialogue, the pacing, everything was well written. The editing is perfect. It does start off a tiny bit slow, but still not dull. It's funny all the way throughout.
The music was great as well. Rapper/Producer/N.E.R.D. lead Pharrell Williams did the music, and it was excellent. Nice mix of a variety of music genres, all toned together perfectly. There are plenty of winning concept in the film. I mentioned that it reminded me of The Grinch, but it was still very creative. It was a lot better than Megamind. And I say that because the two are both told from a villains perspective, so they're bound to be compared.
I think it's a great movie for the whole family. The show stealers by far are the minions. I loved the minions so much. They never ceased to make me smile, crack up, or flat out bust out with laughter. They were awesome. Easily the best thing about the movie, which means a lot. I also liked the little girl, Agnes. She was cute, and actually a strong character. So, I highly recommend this movie to anyone, and everyone, young or old.
As everyone should expect, the transfer is perfect. At least it is to someone like me, who isn't a video or audiophile (with that being said, I should add that I watch my Blus on a 46" Samsung LCD and have a 5.1 receiver connected with four speakers, so I can tell the difference). The picture is as sharp as any of the Pixar or Dreamworks films I own. There really aren't many different textures in this movie. After watching the four Shreks on Blu this week, I have a certain standard of texture variations that I prefer to see in animated films. In the four Shreks you see fur, skin, scales, different clothings, and much more.
So with that said, Despicable has a very plain texture palette, which probably won't bother anyone. It didn't really bother me, but I noticed it. Anyway, the colors pop off of the screen, and detail is above par. The audio is equally impressive. There are a lot of mixed sounds that intersect. At any given moment, voices, sound effects and music will all play at the same time. Yet, not once was I unable to decipher any of it. All around, it's a perfect transfer in my book.
There are not a whole lot of extras, but what's there is decent enough. Compared to the features on Pixar's library, I cannot bring myself to be too generous with my rating of the extras. There just aren't enough. I love the minions (like I said before), but their three mini movies combined only last a good 8 or 9 minutes (with at least 3 minutes added from the credits). There is a commentary with the directors and the minions. There are the above mentioned three minion mini movies (Orientation Day, Home Makeover and Banana).
There is a 16 minute documentary on the voice talent of the film (The Voices of Despicable Me), a 15 minute documentary on the story (The World of Despicable Me), as well as a 3 minute clip of the composer, Pharrell Williams, and his music (Despicable Beats). I really liked the fact that a Hip-Hop/R&B artist did the music, but this clip (I call it a clip because it's too short to be considered a documentary) did not give any useful information. There are also a few games and other activities for kids. It's really a well-rounded package. Definitely a must own for families (or 19-year-old college students like myself).
Warner Bros. | 1995 | 178 min | Rated R | Region A (B, C untested) | Jan 01, 2013
In the late 13th century, William Wallace returns to Scotland after living away from
his
homeland for many years. The king of Scotland has died without an heir and the
king of
England, a ruthless pagan known as Edward the...
Say what you want about Mel, but we all say dumb offensive things from time to time. He just happens to do it more often than others. Okay, maybe I'm making excuses for him, but that doesn't change the most important fact that Braveheart is everything its title promises. It's brave, and it has heart. I bought this movie as a blind buy, hoping it would fill the void that Ridley Scott's Robin Hood left in my soul, or heart, or wherever people say that void is.
Anyway, I also went in expecting Mel Gibson to completely butcher his accent. I'm happy to say that I was surprised on both front. Mel Gibson was amazing as William Wallace, the famous Scotsman who lead his people to fight in a bloody revolution against the King of England who unfairly took over his land around the early 13th Century. I won't pretend to know a thing about history, beyond the propaganda I was taught in school growing up. So, I went into this with a blank slate.
I have to say, I'm quite interested in learning a bit more about Wallace and the events that the film are based on. Mel Gibson also directed Braveheart, for which I believe he won the Oscar for Best Director, along with the film winning Best Picture, Best Cinematography (and rightfully so, because it was gorgeous, especially in high def), Best Sound Editing and Best Makeup. That epic blue battle makeup will forever be burned into my memory whenever I hear Mel's name. I really enjoyed the epicness of the film. Large scale, gruesome battles always help me sleep soundly.
The love story that motivated Wallace to go on his freedom "rampage", I'll call it because he basically slaughters hundreds of men for a woman. Reminds me of Wolverine, but that's beside the point. As far as the Blu-ray transfer goes, it's certainly a gorgeous one. The picture quality is amazingly clear, and accurate to its source. Paramount's Sapphire Series rarely delivers anything less, and when it does, they tend to respond to fan outcry (see the Gladiator reissue). Colors and textures are perfectly presented.
The audio is top notch as well, very atmospheric. When I say it's atmospheric I mean that the sharp contrasts between epic battles on the hilsides and in villages, and the quiet subtle moments of dialogue is ever apparent when listening to the lostless soundtrack on this disc. Both the picture and audio quality do their parts in adding to the immersive effect this film has. Beneath its rugged masculine hetero manliness, there's a beautiful delicate tale to be heard. I highly recommend it.
In the late 13th century, William Wallace returns to Scotland after living away from
his
homeland for many years. The king of Scotland has died without an heir and the
king of
England, a ruthless pagan known as Edward the...
Say what you want about Mel, but we all say dumb offensive things from time to time. He just happens to do it more often than others. Okay, maybe I'm making excuses for him, but that doesn't change the most important fact that Braveheart is everything its title promises. It's brave, and it has heart. I bought this movie as a blind buy, hoping it would fill the void that Ridley Scott's Robin Hood left in my soul, or heart, or wherever people say that void is.
Anyway, I also went in expecting Mel Gibson to completely butcher his accent. I'm happy to say that I was surprised on both front. Mel Gibson was amazing as William Wallace, the famous Scotsman who lead his people to fight in a bloody revolution against the King of England who unfairly took over his land around the early 13th Century. I won't pretend to know a thing about history, beyond the propaganda I was taught in school growing up. So, I went into this with a blank slate.
I have to say, I'm quite interested in learning a bit more about Wallace and the events that the film are based on. Mel Gibson also directed Braveheart, for which I believe he won the Oscar for Best Director, along with the film winning Best Picture, Best Cinematography (and rightfully so, because it was gorgeous, especially in high def), Best Sound Editing and Best Makeup. That epic blue battle makeup will forever be burned into my memory whenever I hear Mel's name. I really enjoyed the epicness of the film. Large scale, gruesome battles always help me sleep soundly.
The love story that motivated Wallace to go on his freedom "rampage", I'll call it because he basically slaughters hundreds of men for a woman. Reminds me of Wolverine, but that's beside the point. As far as the Blu-ray transfer goes, it's certainly a gorgeous one. The picture quality is amazingly clear, and accurate to its source. Paramount's Sapphire Series rarely delivers anything less, and when it does, they tend to respond to fan outcry (see the Gladiator reissue). Colors and textures are perfectly presented.
The audio is top notch as well, very atmospheric. When I say it's atmospheric I mean that the sharp contrasts between epic battles on the hilsides and in villages, and the quiet subtle moments of dialogue is ever apparent when listening to the lostless soundtrack on this disc. Both the picture and audio quality do their parts in adding to the immersive effect this film has. Beneath its rugged masculine hetero manliness, there's a beautiful delicate tale to be heard. I highly recommend it.
Miramax | 2007 | 114 min | Rated R | Region A (B, C untested) | May 03, 2011
Gone Baby Gone is Ben Affleck's directorial debut, based on the novel from the acclaimed author of Mystic River. It is an intense look inside an ongoing investigation about the mysterious disappearance of a little girl. Two young...
Ben Affleck's directorial debut was a magnificently powerful one. This being the beginning of his directorial career is what the title of my short review is referring to. Child abduction and abuse is such a dark and depressing subject, and that is captured very well in this film. Casey Affleck was also great. I'm glad his big brother gave him a shot, instead of starring in it himself.
Michelle Monaghan, Amy Ryan, Ed Harris and none other than Morgan Freeman top off a superb cast that is more than sufficient to make any film fanatic blush. What drives this film just as much as, if not more than, its gritty dark Boston slum setting is the power of choice that is displayed throughout. We watch Casey's charatcer, Patrick, make so many tough decisions that shape who he is, and it's really a great journey. This one is not to be missed. The transfer is more than sufficient as well. Highly recommended.
Warner Bros. | 2007 | 104 min | Rated PG-13 | Region A (B, C untested) | Jan 01, 2013
After his father's accidental death, Kale (Shia LaBeouf) remains withdrawn and troubled. When he lashes out at a well-intentioned but insensitive teacher, he finds himself under a court-ordered house arrest. His mother continues...
Disturbia was not the resurgence of the suspense thriller genre, but for what it set out to be, I think it serves its purpose quite well. This is a well-done, teen suspense flick. It's good to entertain for a couple hours every now and then, and not much more. But that's all it set out to do, so that is quite alright. In fact, "quite alright" is a great way to describe this fun little movie.
Why people feel the need to constantly insult Shia Labeouf is beyond me. I don't find him to be the douche bag that many others call him. But what do I know? I don't track the man's every move. As far as this film goes, I liked him a lot as the lead. His hot-headed, youthful charm added a lot to the movie, in my opinon.
For how frequently these types of teen thrillers turn out to be duds, I was pleasantly surprised to find this gem. The humor is sophomoric for the most part, but still fresh. The suspense is great. I never really clinched up like I did the first time I saw it in the theatre, but i still enjoy it nevertheless. My mom loves this movie, and Shia, for whatever it's worth. The transfer is nothing to write home about, and neither are the extras. All considered, I Recommend it.
Disney / Buena Vista | 2007 | 122 min | Rated R | Region free
| Mar 11, 2008
Llewelyn Moss finds a pickup truck surrounded by a sentry of dead men. A load of heroin and two million dollars in cash
are still in the back trunk. When Moss takes the money, he sets off a chain reaction of catastrophic...
"You've been putting it up your whole life, you just didn't know it."
No Country for Old Men is one of those films that take a couple of viewings to fully grasp the profoundness, and the depth of the picture. As far as I am concerned this movie is a modern classic. I went into it with a blank slate, having never seen a Cohen Brother film, but this movie automatically made me a fan. That was when it first came to theaters and I was virtually ignorant of film history. Today, the Coen's are some of my favorite filmmakers and No Country For Old Men has held strong as one of my favorite Western Thrillers, and one of my favorite films of all-time.
The suspense is terrific. It is constant throughout the entirety of the film's runtime. Even after the numerous viewings that I have had, the suspense holds true. The drama is also superb, and the acting is top of the line. Tommy Lee Jones was the perfect choice to play the small town Texan sheriff. Javier Bardem is scary good as a sociopathic man on a mission to find the two million dollars that our lead protagonist (played by Josh Brolin) stumbled across. Every line he speaks is with purpose.
Bardem's character, Anton Chigurh, speaks in riddles for the majority of his dialogue. The only thing scarier than him taking lives without second thought, is the fact that a lot of what he says makes sense. No Country is the perfect fit in any film collector's library. And the Blu-ray treatment is sublime. This film, with its drab, monochromatic desert set design, is a top notch disc. My main complaint would be the lack of extras. There are a few featurettes with good bits of background information, but i wanted more. Nevertheless, this is a Must Own.
Miramax | 2007 | 122 min | Rated R | Region free
| May 03, 2011
Llewelyn Moss finds a pickup truck surrounded by a sentry of dead men. A load of heroin and two million dollars in cash
are still in the back trunk. When Moss takes the money, he sets off a chain reaction of catastrophic...
"You've been putting it up your whole life, you just didn't know it."
No Country for Old Men is one of those films that take a couple of viewings to fully grasp the profoundness, and the depth of the picture. As far as I am concerned this movie is a modern classic. I went into it with a blank slate, having never seen a Cohen Brother film, but this movie automatically made me a fan. That was when it first came to theaters and I was virtually ignorant of film history. Today, the Coen's are some of my favorite filmmakers and No Country For Old Men has held strong as one of my favorite Western Thrillers, and one of my favorite films of all-time.
The suspense is terrific. It is constant throughout the entirety of the film's runtime. Even after the numerous viewings that I have had, the suspense holds true. The drama is also superb, and the acting is top of the line. Tommy Lee Jones was the perfect choice to play the small town Texan sheriff. Javier Bardem is scary good as a sociopathic man on a mission to find the two million dollars that our lead protagonist (played by Josh Brolin) stumbled across. Every line he speaks is with purpose.
Bardem's character, Anton Chigurh, speaks in riddles for the majority of his dialogue. The only thing scarier than him taking lives without second thought, is the fact that a lot of what he says makes sense. No Country is the perfect fit in any film collector's library. And the Blu-ray treatment is sublime. This film, with its drab, monochromatic desert set design, is a top notch disc. My main complaint would be the lack of extras. There are a few featurettes with good bits of background information, but i wanted more. Nevertheless, this is a Must Own.
Single-Disc Release
Universal Studios | 2008 | 113 min | Rated PG-13 | Region free
| Mar 13, 2012
The Incredible Hulk kicks off an all-new, explosive and action-packed epic of one of the most
popular Super Heroes of all time. In this new beginning, scientist Bruce Banner (Edward
Norton) desperately hunts for a cure to the...
The Incredible Hulk is the kind of film that seems to get better each time I watch it. I am a huge fan of the character, but Ang Lee's Hulk did not completely capture the essence of the Hulk I love. To a degree, he did the emotional struggle between Bruce Banner and the beast inside him justice, but his approach of making a slow-burning action art film out of this material was misguided from the start. I respected his care and attention, but I needed a film like The Incredible Hulk to come along and balance it out. One of the main issues is the fact that Hulk was not as long as it felt. That is not a feeling filmmakers want to elicit in a comic book action film.
Director Louis Leterrier's take really made me happy. It was joyous to see such a devoted team work to bring fans the movie they deserved, even if there were some issues in the crafting of the final product that led to Ed Norton eventually being replaced in The Avengers by Mark Ruffalo. It also made me happy to see that it was more of a continuation of where Hulk (2003) left off in the South American jungle, rather than a standard reboot. That makes the two films compliment each other even better.
Ed Norton is to this film, what Ryan Reynolds will be to the planned Deadpool film that is taking forever to come out. He actually cared about the character, and had previous knowledge of who Bruce Banner and the Hulk were, which made for a more intriguing performance. Unfortunately, as stated above, he may have been too vested in his character for the producers. Otherwise, we may have seen him reprise the role. That is always better than an actor who has to play catch up before shooting begins. I love Ed Norton, so it was disappointing that he did not make a second, and makes an appearance in The Avengers. But nevertheless, this review is for the film at hand.
Another huge plus this movie has going for it is Tim Roth as the villain. He is just a fantastic character actor, as seen in Reservoir Dogs, Rob Roy, Pulp Fiction, etc. And say what you want about Planet of the Apes, but he was very convincing as the main villain, Thade. William Hurt is also impressive, even if a little dry and stiff. That is expected of a military general in a film like this. Sadly, my biggest gripe would have to be Liv Tyler's phoned in performance. Rarely does she impress me, but that is most likely just because of her form of delivery. She is not a bad actress, and I liked her performance in The Lord of the Rings, but after Jennifer Connelly being fantastic in Ang Lee's Hulk, Live Tyler just failed to meet the mark for me.
Another thing I really like about The Incredible Hulk is how tightly edited it is. The cinematography is beautiful, albeit not nearly as expansive as Ang Lee's camerawork. The editors did a great job at cutting the scenes together. Of course, I wish there was a little more film for them to cut together though, especially after hearing about a rumored Director's Cut or Extended Edition that would have included the darker suicide attempt opening scene that is referenced by Banner in The Avengers. Nevertheless, it had a consistent flow in the pacing.
There was a fair amount of breathtaking action, in my opinion. Sometimes I just want to see stuff getting wrecked, and the Hulk is ideal for that. My favorite action set piece would be the college campus, but the final New York fight between the Hulk and the Abomination would probably rank among the top three finales of the Marvel Phase One series. The narrative is definitely the star of this one. It brings joy to my heart that writers are taking comic book movies more serious. I never felt like the story was getting off track, or boring.
There's a lot of things that I love about this movie, but there are definitely a few flaws. Another issue, besides Liv Tyler's performance, was that there was not enough character development for the Hulk, himself. Sure Bruce Banner was well developed, but what about the Hulk? In the comics and cartoons he held full conversations, but in the live action movies he can only utter two or three words. I also felt that there wasn't enough variety. To me the movie went by too quickly, which is both a complaint, and a compliment that I wanted to see more of it.
I don't know, but I like this movie a whole lot, and do not get why it gets treated as just another dumb action movie by a lot of people. Although the character is special to me, I am not biased in my views of the film. I am not just a "yuppy fanboy" that ignores flaws in favor of praising it just for bringing a favorite of mine to life. Of course, this movie does not reach the acclamation of Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, or even the better films in Phase One, but it is a nice addition to any comic book, or comic book film fan's library.
The Incredible Hulk has a just about pristine transfer. The picture was fantastic, albeit minorly flawed. There were not enough issues with the PQ for me to dock the transfer any points. The audio is perfection. Loud, bombastic, and it just abuses the Home Theater. You want to wake your neighbors? Put on the scene where we see Bruce change into the not-so-jolly green giant for the first time. When he lets out the bellowing roar, my windows rattled. There's nothing else I can say about it. It's pure demo material.
The extras are very well done. I enjoyed the featurettes, but I really wish the "making of" was longer. Hey, a half hour is better than some half-assed little interview right? Also, I was disappointed that Ed Norton didn't take the time to input his opinions in the otherwise engaging and entertaining audio commentary. All in all, The Incredible Hulk is a fun action film with a top notch Blu-ray treatment. Highly Recommended.
Based on a short story by the late Philip K. Dick, this science fiction-thriller reflects the writer's familiar
preoccupation with themes of concealed identity and mind control. Tom Cruise stars as John Anderton, a...
Minority Report is yet another notch on Steven Spielberg's very long belt. I cannot think of many other American directors currently working who have managed to consistently impress critics and excite fans simultaneously, throughout their entire career. What I do know for sure is that Spielberg certainly ranks among them. When I first saw Minority Report a few years back, I was surprised that it took me as long as it did to see it. But in the case of this film, as well as any other classic out there, better late than never.
I respect Spielberg's accomplishments as a dramatic director with fantastic films like Munich, Saving Private Ryan, Amistad, Schindler's List, and The Color Purple, but in my opinion his true calling is Science Fiction. Not since E.T., Close Encounters, and Jurassic Park have I been so ecstatic after watching one of his Sci-Fi movies. There are so many good things to point out out about this film.
One of the best aspects of it is the dreamlike cinematography. Simply put, it's beautiful. Not only the angles that the camera shoots from, but also the white glow of each scene, and the grain that covers them. The entire movie looks like it is taking place in one of the precog's dream visions. Movies like this one really clarify the difference in quality between themselves and others of the genre that don't measure up.
Besides the cinematography and camerawork, there is another thing that brings Minority Report to life, the score. The dynamic duo of Steven Spielberg and John Williams will forever be my favorite team of director and composer. With his orchestra, John Williams can evoke any type of emotion in an instant. I love to just listen to his various uses of classical orchestral music, despite anyone's complaints that he recycles thematic sounds, etc. What composer doesn't? This is coming from someone who primarily listens to Rap and R&B, so it means even more (and judge that as you will).
What I like most about his score is that there are many different musical themes for different situations throughout the film. And it pulls the viewer in even deeper. One scene in particular where robotic spiders are raiding an apartment complex is fantastically exaggerated by Williams's fast tempo classical music. the score is just perfect, in my opinion, and will be one that I refer to whenever discussing brilliant film scores of the last decade, or so.
The acting is pretty good as well. I have consistently grown into more, and more, a fan of Tom Cruise's with each passing film I see. He delivers each, and every, time he steps in front of the camera, and whatever personal opinion you may have of him as a person, or his religious beliefs, should not have any kind of bearing on how you judge his films and performances. There is no argument to be had in the case of Minority Report, he is phenomenal. This is his movie. Obviously, because he is the main protagonist, but besides that, his character goes through so much and Cruise does a fine job at keeping you intrigued.
The rest of the cast was not bad either. I still don't know who the hell Samantha Morton is all these years later, but she was pretty good as Agatha, the primary precog. Colin Farrell was great as a government agent trying to shut Precrime down before the incident that the film follows even occurs. Max von Sydow was a stand out as the man behind the entire Precrime organization and invention. All around, great supporting cast.
I can only think a few complaints about Minority Report. For one, the first half hour, or so, are devoted to setting up how the Precrime system works. That means we spend the majority of that time watching a single case, unrelated to the plot of the film, as it is solved. So, if you are not completely intrigued from the start, do not fret, because you should be as the story progresses and John Anderton becomes the focus. Once the wheels get rolling on this one, they don't stop until the final frame. It's an adrenaline rush of entertainment. As stated above, the cinematography is a major drawing point for the film, and fortunately, the pristine Blu-ray transfer provided courtesy of Paramount perfectly captures Spielberg's vision.
It is a very gritty, grainy image, and colors are rarely completely accurate, but those should not be negatives if you understand that they are intentional. Some people mistake heavy grain as a minus, and that is the wrong way to approach a film like this. The audio is top notch as well. And the supplemental package on the second disc is well worth digging into. Great set. Minority Report is one of Spielberg's greatest Sci-Fi efforts to date, and while you're at it, check out Total Recall (whichever version appeals most to you), as it is a spiritual predecessor to this film. Highly Recommended.
Paramount Pictures | 2002 | 145 min | Rated PG-13 | Region A (locked) | Apr 20, 2010
Based on a short story by the late Philip K. Dick, this science fiction-thriller reflects the writer's familiar
preoccupation with themes of concealed identity and mind control. Tom Cruise stars as John Anderton, a...
Minority Report is yet another notch on Steven Spielberg's very long belt. I cannot think of many other American directors currently working who have managed to consistently impress critics and excite fans simultaneously, throughout their entire career. What I do know for sure is that Spielberg certainly ranks among them. When I first saw Minority Report a few years back, I was surprised that it took me as long as it did to see it. But in the case of this film, as well as any other classic out there, better late than never.
I respect Spielberg's accomplishments as a dramatic director with fantastic films like Munich, Saving Private Ryan, Amistad, Schindler's List, and The Color Purple, but in my opinion his true calling is Science Fiction. Not since E.T., Close Encounters, and Jurassic Park have I been so ecstatic after watching one of his Sci-Fi movies. There are so many good things to point out out about this film.
One of the best aspects of it is the dreamlike cinematography. Simply put, it's beautiful. Not only the angles that the camera shoots from, but also the white glow of each scene, and the grain that covers them. The entire movie looks like it is taking place in one of the precog's dream visions. Movies like this one really clarify the difference in quality between themselves and others of the genre that don't measure up.
Besides the cinematography and camerawork, there is another thing that brings Minority Report to life, the score. The dynamic duo of Steven Spielberg and John Williams will forever be my favorite team of director and composer. With his orchestra, John Williams can evoke any type of emotion in an instant. I love to just listen to his various uses of classical orchestral music, despite anyone's complaints that he recycles thematic sounds, etc. What composer doesn't? This is coming from someone who primarily listens to Rap and R&B, so it means even more (and judge that as you will).
What I like most about his score is that there are many different musical themes for different situations throughout the film. And it pulls the viewer in even deeper. One scene in particular where robotic spiders are raiding an apartment complex is fantastically exaggerated by Williams's fast tempo classical music. the score is just perfect, in my opinion, and will be one that I refer to whenever discussing brilliant film scores of the last decade, or so.
The acting is pretty good as well. I have consistently grown into more, and more, a fan of Tom Cruise's with each passing film I see. He delivers each, and every, time he steps in front of the camera, and whatever personal opinion you may have of him as a person, or his religious beliefs, should not have any kind of bearing on how you judge his films and performances. There is no argument to be had in the case of Minority Report, he is phenomenal. This is his movie. Obviously, because he is the main protagonist, but besides that, his character goes through so much and Cruise does a fine job at keeping you intrigued.
The rest of the cast was not bad either. I still don't know who the hell Samantha Morton is all these years later, but she was pretty good as Agatha, the primary precog. Colin Farrell was great as a government agent trying to shut Precrime down before the incident that the film follows even occurs. Max von Sydow was a stand out as the man behind the entire Precrime organization and invention. All around, great supporting cast.
I can only think a few complaints about Minority Report. For one, the first half hour, or so, are devoted to setting up how the Precrime system works. That means we spend the majority of that time watching a single case, unrelated to the plot of the film, as it is solved. So, if you are not completely intrigued from the start, do not fret, because you should be as the story progresses and John Anderton becomes the focus. Once the wheels get rolling on this one, they don't stop until the final frame. It's an adrenaline rush of entertainment. As stated above, the cinematography is a major drawing point for the film, and fortunately, the pristine Blu-ray transfer provided courtesy of Paramount perfectly captures Spielberg's vision.
It is a very gritty, grainy image, and colors are rarely completely accurate, but those should not be negatives if you understand that they are intentional. Some people mistake heavy grain as a minus, and that is the wrong way to approach a film like this. The audio is top notch as well. And the supplemental package on the second disc is well worth digging into. Great set. Minority Report is one of Spielberg's greatest Sci-Fi efforts to date, and while you're at it, check out Total Recall (whichever version appeals most to you), as it is a spiritual predecessor to this film. Highly Recommended.
Warner Bros. | 2010 | 138 min | Rated R | Region A (B, C untested) | Jan 01, 2013
It's 1954, and up-and-coming U.S. marshal Teddy Daniels is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a
patient from Boston's Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital. He's been pushing for an assignment on the island for...
A lot of people (both critics and moviegoers) were calling Shutter a middling, mediocre film when it first hit theaters. I guess when you compare it to Martin Scorsese's classic films, which have become some of the best ever made, it may seem that way. In my opinion, this is a damn fine movie. It does start off kind of slow, only at times. I have to say, I was pretty disappointed at how short Jackie Earle Haley's role was, considering he was one of the draws for me. I thought he would have a little more time at least, but he only had a brief cameo.
That doesn't really matter because Leonardo DiCaprio completely owned this one. He was just fantastic. I've never gushed over any of his performances before (even though The Departed is one of my all-time favorite films), but there is absolutely no denying his talent in this one. His character covered every emotion that I can think of, and DiCaprio did a fine job at keeping us along for the ride. Actually, to be fair, the entire cast was perfect.
Everyone from Ben Kingsley, to Mark Ruffalo. They all give convincing performances. There really is no reason for me to even talk about the acting. It was simply perfect. As for the screenplay. It was gripping. I don't read many books (except for graphic novels), but this movie made me seriously consider picking up the novel.
Now I've read a few reviews for this movie, and complaints about the music being intrusive came up a couple times. Some people said that it was distracting at times. Well, I tried very hard to hear what they were talking about, but I didn't. I do have a couple of complaints though. I actually have the exact same complaint about this film, that I had about The Bad Lieutenant.
Personally, I like it when nightmare and hallucination scenes appear real, but in Bad Lieutenant, and some of them in Shutter Island are obviously not. In the movie we are supposed to believe that some of the hallucinations are actually happening, but you can tell that they are not right of the bat. That's not my only problem with them. Some of the hallucinations (especially the ones we are not supposed to believe) are just stupid. Like why did we need to see a thousand rats on the cliff, or his wife turn to ash and crumble?
That's just me though. That's probally a complaint that not too many people share. And it really isn't a major problem, because it was not an accident. It was just a directional decision that I do not necessarily agree with. Nevertheless, that did not ruin the movie for me.
I'm surprised at how alot of critics and moviegoers are reacting so negatively to this film. It's certainly not a bad movie. Not in the slightest. Of course if you compare it to Scorsese's other films, it will not hold up. But if some rookie director would have been behind the camera, alot of people probally would not have been so harsh on it.
I think this movie has one of the biggest, and best mind-f**king end twists that I have ever seen, although it's not hard to see coming. It's still a must see. And the transfer, as expected from a modern release, is top notch. Beautifully translated to Blu-ray. The extras on the other hand are lacking. Very much so in fact, but that doesn't hinder this from being one of the better thrillers on the market. Highly Recommended!
In the year 2042, a mob hitman assassinates targets that arrive from the future of 2072. For him it's just a job... till he receives a new target: himself from the future.
Looper is a Science Fiction gem. Writer/Director Rian Jonson's personal passion project possesses one of the rarest traits in today's film industry, originality (apologies for all the p's). I really liked Looper a lot when I first saw it in the theater, and I loved it the second time at home. I loved it because it drew me in. Not only the story itself, or the plethora of rich characters, but also the dark dystopian future world that Johnson created. I totally bought into everything I saw, and it made the story feel more personal to me.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of my favorite young actors working. He brings a charisma, and a maturity to the screen every time. He's uniquely great here because of the Bruce Willis impression he is trying to pull off, meanwhile still adding a personal touch to his younger version of the character that he and Bruce share. Not only are they great, but also the supporting cast which consists of Jeff Daniels, Paul Dano, Emily Blunt, Noah Segan and great kid named Pierce Gagnon who does one of the most intense creepy looks. He's truly a good find for the role he plays.
I will avoid any sort of plot description, because one of the greatest parts of the film is discovering everything as the plot unfolds. What I will say that the film is complex without being complicated. It's nice to be able to think and analyze while watching a modern Sci-Fi flick. That's not as common as it used to be. As for the Blu-ray treatment, it's top notch.
The disc is practically reference material. The picture quality is sublime. Detail is sharp, and colors are rich. The audio definitely is, it's sonic. The sound design is sure to rumble some home theaters. As for the extras, they are pretty good as well. I am a sucker for commentaries, especially on personal projects like this. Johnson delivers a fascinating commentary during both the film and the deleted/extended scenes.
The featurettes are fairly short, which is the biggest drawback, but there should be enough here to satisfy most who even bother to venture into the special features section of the disc. I do not have much else to say about this film, because my gushing over how great the film is would probably grow tiresome, but I can't recommend it enough. Quite simply, Looper is an original time-travel thriller with heart. Must Own.
Single-disc
DreamWorks | 2010 | 98 min | Rated PG | Region A (B, C untested) | Feb 08, 2011
A young Viking named Hiccup lives on the windswept island of Berk, where his father Stoic the Vast is the tribe's feared chief, and fighting dragons is part of every young warrior's training. But Hiccup's destiny of becoming a...
How To Train You Dragon is my second favorite animated DreamWorks film, just after Shrek 2, but it's a very close second. Pixar is still the animation powerhouse, but DreamWorks has been doing very well as of late, with a few exceptions. Stereotypical, yet likable, characters and a slightly predictable story did not hurt this one at all, in my opinion. I loved Toothless, the elusive an mythical Night Fury Dragon. He didn't utter a single word, yet I could see every emotion that went through his mind, and connected with him as a character. And Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) was a fine lead. There was nothing extremely inventive in his misunderstood loser-becomes-hero character, but I still liked him quite a bit. I pretty much liked everything about this film. What's not to like? It's a fun, yet emotionally capable film. You really feel the progression of our lead, Hiccup. You go where he goes, and his arc is well fleshed out, especially for an animated film. This was like an animated character study. The other supporting teen characters are not up to par with Hiccup, but they are serviceable and a likable group.
Gerard Butler would be just as good a Viking in live action, as he was in this one. It was just like King Leonidas put on a few pounds. And I have to mention Craig Ferguson. I watch his late night show every once in a while, and the guy is funny. His voice brings smile to my face, so I was happy to hear him in this film and in Pixar's own Scottish fantasy, Brave. I loved how this film leaned more towards drama and action, than comedy. That really made this a unique experience to me. The 3D was beautiful too. It was more like Avatar's, with depth. Finally a 3D animated movie that doesn't throw stuff at you for an hour and a half! This story would be amazing in any D, but if you can, go see it in 3D. It really accentuates the digital effects perfectly. Unfortunately, I have only seen the 2D Blu-ray, so I cannot speak on the 3D version, but I would assume it's amazing. Nevertheless, this version has outstanding reference video and audio. The extras are well-done, even if they are a little on the light side. The audio and picture-in-picture commentaries are top notch, but the featurettes are short, even if sweet. How To Train Your Dragon is, simply put, a fun, heart warming tale that should not be missed. I Highly Recommend it.
Blu-ray + DVD
DreamWorks | 2010 | 98 min | Rated PG | Region free
| Oct 15, 2010
A young Viking named Hiccup lives on the windswept island of Berk, where his father Stoic the Vast is the tribe's feared chief, and fighting dragons is part of every young warrior's training. But Hiccup's destiny of becoming a...
How To Train You Dragon is my second favorite animated DreamWorks film, just after Shrek 2, but it's a very close second. Pixar is still the animation powerhouse, but DreamWorks has been doing very well as of late, with a few exceptions. Stereotypical, yet likable, characters and a slightly predictable story did not hurt this one at all, in my opinion. I loved Toothless, the elusive an mythical Night Fury Dragon. He didn't utter a single word, yet I could see every emotion that went through his mind, and connected with him as a character. And Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) was a fine lead. There was nothing extremely inventive in his misunderstood loser-becomes-hero character, but I still liked him quite a bit. I pretty much liked everything about this film. What's not to like? It's a fun, yet emotionally capable film. You really feel the progression of our lead, Hiccup. You go where he goes, and his arc is well fleshed out, especially for an animated film. This was like an animated character study. The other supporting teen characters are not up to par with Hiccup, but they are serviceable and a likable group.
Gerard Butler would be just as good a Viking in live action, as he was in this one. It was just like King Leonidas put on a few pounds. And I have to mention Craig Ferguson. I watch his late night show every once in a while, and the guy is funny. His voice brings smile to my face, so I was happy to hear him in this film and in Pixar's own Scottish fantasy, Brave. I loved how this film leaned more towards drama and action, than comedy. That really made this a unique experience to me. The 3D was beautiful too. It was more like Avatar's, with depth. Finally a 3D animated movie that doesn't throw stuff at you for an hour and a half! This story would be amazing in any D, but if you can, go see it in 3D. It really accentuates the digital effects perfectly. Unfortunately, I have only seen the 2D Blu-ray, so I cannot speak on the 3D version, but I would assume it's amazing. Nevertheless, this version has outstanding reference video and audio. The extras are well-done, even if they are a little on the light side. The audio and picture-in-picture commentaries are top notch, but the featurettes are short, even if sweet. How To Train Your Dragon is, simply put, a fun, heart warming tale that should not be missed. I Highly Recommend it.
Dave Lizewski, a comic-book fanboy, decides to take his obsession as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. As any good superhero would, he chooses a new name -- Kick-Ass -- assembles a suit and mask to wear, and gets to...
Kick-Ass may not blow your mind due to the hype that surrounds it, but it certainly is an entertaining ride. Of course Hit-Girl stole the show, so beyond saying that Chloe Moretz was amazing, and worth the price of admission by her self, I won't even bother. Enough has already been said of her incredibly unique and exhilarating character. In fact, the whole cast was damn good, in my opinion. I especially liked Clark Duke. As far as the story goes, it's fresh enough to keep things interesting throughout, even when it gets somewhat predictable. Having read the Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. comic, I can say that I actually liked the film more than its source material. Ironically, the comics and the screenplay were actually written around the same time, so it is not a direct adaptation anyway. Just to put it out there, I think this movie is a cross between a Tarantino film and an Apatow production. Somewhere along the lines of Kill Bill and Superbad. If you're not into comics at all, some things may go over your head, but if you are into comics...well, you've probably already seen it anyway. The disc is a dream. Amazing picture and audio quality, amazing extras. Enough said, Highly Recommended.
Universal Studios | 2010 | 95 min | Unrated | Region A, B (C untested) | Sep 07, 2010
Only one American hero has earned the rank of Green Beret, Navy SEAL and Army Ranger. Just one operative has been awarded 16 purple hearts, 3 Congressional Medals of Honor and 7 presidential medals of bravery. And only one guy is...
I'll start of by declaring my fandome of Saturday Night Live, which admittedly has its highs and lows...very lows. I started watching the show when I was in high school, during which the cast still included Kristen Wiig and Will Forte who starred in the MacGruber skits, and likewise star in this film. Needless to say, I was looking forward to this. I was also just as doubtful as almost everyone else, espeically when dreadful reviews started pooring in. But you know what? Comedy is probably the most subjective form of film out there. What makes one person laugh is guaranteed to make another person shake their head and scoff in disgust. That is exactly the case with MacGruber. This film is essentially tasteless. It has every kind of middle school joke one could think of, and that usually make me laugh, but I had a ball with this one.
The premise is beyond stupid, and the actors don't pretend to be thespians of the highest order. That is the foundation for so many spoof films in the market, so I do not get why some are accepted, like Austin Powers and Naked Gun (two of my favorite spoofs), but others like MacGruber are shunned and forgotten. I could see this movie possibly finding devoted cult followers later on down the line (maybe...hopefully). Seriously, Anchorman is considered a comedy classic, but it missed the mark on just as many occasions as this film, in my opinion. I'm saying that to say that I think MacGruber is just as good as Anchorman, if not better because it went for the R rating, while the theatrical cut of Anchorman played it safe for a PG-13, albeit a daring one. Oh well, it's a box office flop, and it may not be a big seller on Blu-ray, but I still find it hilarious and quotable. Stupid? Yes, but also hilarious. I recommend it as a rental for the curious.
Hit men Ray and Ken have been ordered to cool their heels in the storybook city of Bruges, Belgium, after botching a big job. But since hit men make the worst tourists, they soon find themselves in a life-and-death struggle of...
Quite frankly, In Bruges is a well done film. It took me a little while to process it, but it really does leave an impact. I had to re-watch it a couple of times as well, just to fully grasp it and appreciate its subtlety. The acting is phenomenal. Colin Farrell was surprisingly great. He has never made me laugh much at all, but he was pretty funny in this film. Brendan Gleeson was phenomenal as always. He may just be my favorite actor that isn't a household name. A few years ago, prior to seeing this and then going on to recognizing him in many more films afterwards, I only knew him as that weird professor from The Order of the Phoenix. But he has certainly moved up my list with each subsequent film I see him in. Ralph Fiennes had a fairly short amount of screen time, but he made the most of it. Very menacing, and dare I say ordinary villain. Not to mention, he delivered the film's absolute best line. Wife: "Harry, it's an inanimate f**king object." Harry (Fiennes): "You're an inanimate f**king object!" Classic line.
The performances absolutely make this movie, but there are many other good feats to mention. The script was very well written. It's not exactly a laugh out loud comedy, but there are some tongue in cheek moments that made me pause, smile, then after processing what I had heard, or seen, bust out with laughter. This is dark comedy at its best. It really is funny. That doesn't take away from the dramatic elements at all though. It does get very dramatic. The worst part is that you don't even expect to get hit with an emotional scene directly after a funny one. It's a great combination. I did like it a lot, but it's not something I'd recommend for everyone. I'm not sure if I'd call it polarizing, but it's the definition of "see it for yourself, and you be the judge." Obviously, there are better dark comedies out there. This movie actually has a bit of a Coen Brother feel to it, which is always a major compliment, at least to me. In fact, quite a few of their films are the better dark comedies I was referring to.
I had a little trouble getting past some of the music choices. I think the composer and music supervisor could have done better jobs. That said, I got past the music pretty quickly once the characters and story itself sucked me in. I also think there are definitely questionable moments. Therefore, a little suspension of disbelief is required. In other words, you can't be one of those nitpicking people who know how to ruin the experience and immersion. Despite my complaints, the good very much outweighs the bad. There are plenty of redeeming qualities. I think this is still a movie that everyone should see. It's well worth the time, and money (if you have to spend it). I highly recommend In Bruges.
Batman faces his ultimate challenge as the mysterious Red Hood takes Gotham City by firestorm. One part vigilante, one part criminal kingpin, Red Hood begins cleaning up Gotham with the efficiency of Batman, but without following...
Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy Meets Batman: The Animated Series
Under The Red Hood is a great addition to the collection of animated comic book films. The dark, gothic presentation of the film is quintessential Batman, and I feel that they nailed that with this film. The pacing is perfect as well. Sure, it is still a mere hour and fifteen minutes, but considering the budget constraints the animators deal with when they produce these, I thought it was perfectly paced, and ended when it should have. Under The Red Hood is more mature, and that's what we want when it comes to Batman. Superman can be less dark and gritty, but Batman is supposed to be just those things. As a huge fan of Marvel's Deadpool, I could not help but see him in the Red Hood. In fact, no matter how much was drawn from the DC comics, I still felt aspects of Marvel in this film every once in a while. The Red Hood also reminded me of Daredevil a little, especially when he and Batman faced off on the roof of a church.
The Black Mask made for an intriguing mafia boss-esque villain. He ran the crime in Gotham like the Kingpin runs Hell's Kitchen in Daredevil comics. There was also a brief fight between Batman, Nightwing and a Superman-like android called Amazo, who happened to do the Hulk Smash. He was also very much like the Terminator. He rises out of fire with half of his metal face exposed and a bright red eye.When something reminiscent like the aforementioned occurred, I considered them welcome homages. There are some nice winks to other science fiction flicks. The action was great. My only complaints about the action were when explosions would occur, some of which the characters were actually inside the exploding building, and the damage to characters was minimal to basically non-existent. A few scratches on the face aren't good enough when a character is literally in an exploding building. Again though, that's a minor complaint. It is all but expected in a film marketed to children. There is a bit of mild profanity, so at times I did wonder who the target audience was, but nevertheless, it never loses touch with its darker, more mature tone. It is very much a great watch for older fans, like myself.
The positives far outweighed the negatives. The writing is actually pretty good for a direct-to-video animated film, with a couple of unnecessarily sour spots. There was a good amount of humor, even though some of the more juvenile jokes fell flat. There was also a fantastic mystery aspect to the movie, which I loved because he is supposed to be the world's best detective, but unfortunately it didn't last long at all. We find out who the Red Hood is way too early, in my opinion, but as I stated earlier, the pacing was still great. It's not a long movie anyway. I also think fans will be satisfied by the long list of characters who make an appearance. The Joker, the Red Hood, the Riddler, Ras Al Ghul, the Fearsome Hand of Four, Amazo and Black Mask are all of the villains that make an appearance. Don't worry though, they are balanced very well, and it never felt crammed or overstuffed. Batman, Robin and Nightwing are the heroes that make an appearance. Of course, what is a Batman movie without Alfred? So all in all, I great roster of supporting characters.
I loved the connection to the Gotham that Christopher Nolan created in his Dark Knight Trilogy. There were a few scenes very reminiscent of scenes in the trilogy, namely those in the deteriorated urban areas of town, and near the monorail that played an integral role in Batman Begins. If you've seen those movies as many times as I have (which any fan has), then you should spot them right away. The score was another aspect that seemed very reminiscent of Hans Zimmer's. As for the actual disc. It's phenomenal. DTV animation is getting more and more gorgeous with each release, as long as they stay away from the cheap CG integration that does not blend well. I can't say I understand these professional site reviewers. This movie has gotten mediocre picture quality score on a few different sites, but I don't see it. It's definitely not my television, so I'll just say that I'm glad I'm not as much of a videophile that I would like to think I am. This one is amazing in high-def to me. Detailed illustrations and vibrant colors bring it to life. It also has some pretty good bonus features, like the Jonah Hex short, background featurettes on both versions of Robin, and a little more. Plus the four episodes of the original Batman cartoon from the 90's. They are more than serviceable, but nothing to write home about. This is certainly a must own for fans. Highly Recommended.
Batman faces his ultimate challenge as the mysterious Red Hood takes Gotham City by firestorm. One part vigilante, one part criminal kingpin, Red Hood begins cleaning up Gotham with the efficiency of Batman, but without following...
Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy Meets Batman: The Animated Series
Under The Red Hood is a great addition to the collection of animated comic book films. The dark, gothic presentation of the film is quintessential Batman, and I feel that they nailed that with this film. The pacing is perfect as well. Sure, it is still a mere hour and fifteen minutes, but considering the budget constraints the animators deal with when they produce these, I thought it was perfectly paced, and ended when it should have. Under The Red Hood is more mature, and that's what we want when it comes to Batman. Superman can be less dark and gritty, but Batman is supposed to be just those things. As a huge fan of Marvel's Deadpool, I could not help but see him in the Red Hood. In fact, no matter how much was drawn from the DC comics, I still felt aspects of Marvel in this film every once in a while. The Red Hood also reminded me of Daredevil a little, especially when he and Batman faced off on the roof of a church.
The Black Mask made for an intriguing mafia boss-esque villain. He ran the crime in Gotham like the Kingpin runs Hell's Kitchen in Daredevil comics. There was also a brief fight between Batman, Nightwing and a Superman-like android called Amazo, who happened to do the Hulk Smash. He was also very much like the Terminator. He rises out of fire with half of his metal face exposed and a bright red eye.When something reminiscent like the aforementioned occurred, I considered them welcome homages. There are some nice winks to other science fiction flicks. The action was great. My only complaints about the action were when explosions would occur, some of which the characters were actually inside the exploding building, and the damage to characters was minimal to basically non-existent. A few scratches on the face aren't good enough when a character is literally in an exploding building. Again though, that's a minor complaint. It is all but expected in a film marketed to children. There is a bit of mild profanity, so at times I did wonder who the target audience was, but nevertheless, it never loses touch with its darker, more mature tone. It is very much a great watch for older fans, like myself.
The positives far outweighed the negatives. The writing is actually pretty good for a direct-to-video animated film, with a couple of unnecessarily sour spots. There was a good amount of humor, even though some of the more juvenile jokes fell flat. There was also a fantastic mystery aspect to the movie, which I loved because he is supposed to be the world's best detective, but unfortunately it didn't last long at all. We find out who the Red Hood is way too early, in my opinion, but as I stated earlier, the pacing was still great. It's not a long movie anyway. I also think fans will be satisfied by the long list of characters who make an appearance. The Joker, the Red Hood, the Riddler, Ras Al Ghul, the Fearsome Hand of Four, Amazo and Black Mask are all of the villains that make an appearance. Don't worry though, they are balanced very well, and it never felt crammed or overstuffed. Batman, Robin and Nightwing are the heroes that make an appearance. Of course, what is a Batman movie without Alfred? So all in all, I great roster of supporting characters.
I loved the connection to the Gotham that Christopher Nolan created in his Dark Knight Trilogy. There were a few scenes very reminiscent of scenes in the trilogy, namely those in the deteriorated urban areas of town, and near the monorail that played an integral role in Batman Begins. If you've seen those movies as many times as I have (which any fan has), then you should spot them right away. The score was another aspect that seemed very reminiscent of Hans Zimmer's. As for the actual disc. It's phenomenal. DTV animation is getting more and more gorgeous with each release, as long as they stay away from the cheap CG integration that does not blend well. I can't say I understand these professional site reviewers. This movie has gotten mediocre picture quality score on a few different sites, but I don't see it. It's definitely not my television, so I'll just say that I'm glad I'm not as much of a videophile that I would like to think I am. This one is amazing in high-def to me. Detailed illustrations and vibrant colors bring it to life. It also has some pretty good bonus features, like the Jonah Hex short, background featurettes on both versions of Robin, and a little more. Plus the four episodes of the original Batman cartoon from the 90's. They are more than serviceable, but nothing to write home about. This is certainly a must own for fans. Highly Recommended.
Blu-ray + Digital Copy
Warner Bros. | 2010 | 75 min | Rated PG-13 | Region free
| Jul 27, 2010
Batman faces his ultimate challenge as the mysterious Red Hood takes Gotham City by firestorm. One part vigilante, one part criminal kingpin, Red Hood begins cleaning up Gotham with the efficiency of Batman, but without following...
Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy Meets Batman: The Animated Series
Under The Red Hood is a great addition to the collection of animated comic book films. The dark, gothic presentation of the film is quintessential Batman, and I feel that they nailed that with this film. The pacing is perfect as well. Sure, it is still a mere hour and fifteen minutes, but considering the budget constraints the animators deal with when they produce these, I thought it was perfectly paced, and ended when it should have. Under The Red Hood is more mature, and that's what we want when it comes to Batman. Superman can be less dark and gritty, but Batman is supposed to be just those things. As a huge fan of Marvel's Deadpool, I could not help but see him in the Red Hood. In fact, no matter how much was drawn from the DC comics, I still felt aspects of Marvel in this film every once in a while. The Red Hood also reminded me of Daredevil a little, especially when he and Batman faced off on the roof of a church.
The Black Mask made for an intriguing mafia boss-esque villain. He ran the crime in Gotham like the Kingpin runs Hell's Kitchen in Daredevil comics. There was also a brief fight between Batman, Nightwing and a Superman-like android called Amazo, who happened to do the Hulk Smash. He was also very much like the Terminator. He rises out of fire with half of his metal face exposed and a bright red eye.When something reminiscent like the aforementioned occurred, I considered them welcome homages. There are some nice winks to other science fiction flicks. The action was great. My only complaints about the action were when explosions would occur, some of which the characters were actually inside the exploding building, and the damage to characters was minimal to basically non-existent. A few scratches on the face aren't good enough when a character is literally in an exploding building. Again though, that's a minor complaint. It is all but expected in a film marketed to children. There is a bit of mild profanity, so at times I did wonder who the target audience was, but nevertheless, it never loses touch with its darker, more mature tone. It is very much a great watch for older fans, like myself.
The positives far outweighed the negatives. The writing is actually pretty good for a direct-to-video animated film, with a couple of unnecessarily sour spots. There was a good amount of humor, even though some of the more juvenile jokes fell flat. There was also a fantastic mystery aspect to the movie, which I loved because he is supposed to be the world's best detective, but unfortunately it didn't last long at all. We find out who the Red Hood is way too early, in my opinion, but as I stated earlier, the pacing was still great. It's not a long movie anyway. I also think fans will be satisfied by the long list of characters who make an appearance. The Joker, the Red Hood, the Riddler, Ras Al Ghul, the Fearsome Hand of Four, Amazo and Black Mask are all of the villains that make an appearance. Don't worry though, they are balanced very well, and it never felt crammed or overstuffed. Batman, Robin and Nightwing are the heroes that make an appearance. Of course, what is a Batman movie without Alfred? So all in all, I great roster of supporting characters.
I loved the connection to the Gotham that Christopher Nolan created in his Dark Knight Trilogy. There were a few scenes very reminiscent of scenes in the trilogy, namely those in the deteriorated urban areas of town, and near the monorail that played an integral role in Batman Begins. If you've seen those movies as many times as I have (which any fan has), then you should spot them right away. The score was another aspect that seemed very reminiscent of Hans Zimmer's. As for the actual disc. It's phenomenal. DTV animation is getting more and more gorgeous with each release, as long as they stay away from the cheap CG integration that does not blend well. I can't say I understand these professional site reviewers. This movie has gotten mediocre picture quality score on a few different sites, but I don't see it. It's definitely not my television, so I'll just say that I'm glad I'm not as much of a videophile that I would like to think I am. This one is amazing in high-def to me. Detailed illustrations and vibrant colors bring it to life. It also has some pretty good bonus features, like the Jonah Hex short, background featurettes on both versions of Robin, and a little more. Plus the four episodes of the original Batman cartoon from the 90's. They are more than serviceable, but nothing to write home about. This is certainly a must own for fans. Highly Recommended.
Teenage social outcast Peter Parker spends his days trying to unravel the mystery of his own past and winning the heart of his high school crush, Gwen Stacy. Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase belonging to his father, who...
As a huge fan of Raimi's trilogy, yes even the well hated third, I was cautious and skeptical about this reboot. That isn't to say that I wasn't excited about it though. I was very much looking forward to Mark Webb's take on the classic lore of such an awesome character. Off the bat, I preferred the casting and cinematography in this film to Raimi's, but I questioned if Webb (who gave us one of my all-time favorite romantic comedies in (500) Days of Summer) could deliver the action that a high-flying acrobatic hero like Spidey should bring. I'm happy to say he did. There are a good number of Spidey moments and poses that should excite any geek that has a history with the comics. And the web-shooters, yes! Finally non-organic web-shooters. The classic idea of Peter running out of his webbing when he was in the heat of battle was captured very nicely in this film. I've read the complaints about the teenage love between Gwen Stacy and Peter being too Twilight-esque, and to those people I ask, "Have you ever read a Spider-Man comic?" The love stories between he and his different love interests (be it Gwen Stacy, or Mary Jane Watson) have always been prominent. And believe it, or not, teenage love did exist long before Twilight was ever conceived, and it will be around for many decades to come. So let's end the constant mentioning of Twilight every time teenagers in films have romantic relationships. Besides, I felt like Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone were so well casted and played so well off of each other, that I believed their characters.
As for our villain, the Lizard was a villain that we had been waiting to see manifest ever since we first caught a glimpse of the one-armed Dylan Baker in Spider-Man 2, and I feel like Rhys Ifans take on the character was as good as I expected it to be. Sure, there is room for improvement (namely the physical design, and his speech -- I wanted to hear hisses when he spoke), but that's just my opinion. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the film. The CG was very good, from his scales and wounds, all the way down to peeling skin and wrinkles. And at least Conners was a very well fleshed out character with his alter-ego having a sense of genuine purpose and presence, as opposed to being a hulking brute that only served as fight scene fodder. And best of all, he's still alive. So will we see more of him in the future? Maybe, maybe not, but he's still alive in that universe for possible future exploration. The connection we get to Peter's quest for self, and to his relationship with his birth parents and adopted parents are wonderful, in my opinion. I loved Martin Sheen, Sally Field, and Andrew Garfield's charisma and interaction. As for the Blu-ray treatment, it's a technically flawless presentation. There should be no questioning of the audio or picture quality. And thankfully, the extras are thorough! A great commentary and an in-depth Making-of documentary. Plus other little extras, like Deleted Scenes, etc. I highly recommend this one. Pick it up!
Single Disc
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | 1986 | 120 min | Rated R | Region A, B (C untested) | Oct 04, 2011
In Platoon, Chris Taylor is a young, naive U.S. soldier who, upon his arrival to Vietnam, quickly discovers that he must do battle not only with the Viet Cong, but also with the gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and intense...
I'll start this critique off by declaring that I love this movie. Platoon is the epitome of not only the war film genre, but also controversial director Oliver Stone's body of work. There are so many great things to say about this movie, and as far as I am concerned, not too many negatives that I can think of. For starters, Platoon is a strong number one as my favorite Vietnam war film of all time. Its message was simple, yet powerful. "The first casualty of war is innocence." For a story so emotionally impactful, how can it also be so entertaining? Well, it was mainly because of the characters. They were all different, with various personalities. And I give all the credit to the incredible cast of young guys that made up the infantry unit that the film centers around. I'm pretty sure it was not as fantastic when it first came out because half of those guys had not yet made names for themselves and become the enormous stars that they are today, especially a fresh faced Johnny Depp. But I was still pleasantly surprised to see so many great actors, and even in their youth they cranked out some high caliber, phenomenal performances.
Charlie Sheen was a perfect choice as our impressionable lead, Chris. I felt like I was progressing through the story with him, rather than just watching him mature into who he became. Willem Dafoe was one of my favorites as Sgt. Elias. His character was a bit of an oddball, if you will. Going off on his own to flank the VCAs and take them out alone. He served as one of cooler, more sympathetic soldiers in the platoon. Another one of my favorites was Keith David as King. I have been a fan of his since I first heard his unmistakably iconic voice. There was also the young hot head, played to perfection by Kevin Dillon of Entourage fame. And another fantastic performance that is officially an addition to my list of Favorite Movie Villains was Tom Berenger as Sgt. Barnes. When I first I saw this film it happened to be just one week after I watched The Deer Hunter for the first time as well. The Deer Hunter, while an excellent character study, left me feeling like something was missing from the middle section of the story. I felt like Platoon filled that gap perfectly. If I could insert Platoon into the center of The Deer Hunter, that would be the perfect Vietnam war movie. I'm kidding, but honestly, I cannot think of much to complain about. Platoon is just an all around excellent war film, in my opinion. And even though it is my number one favorite Vietnam war film, I think it falls just behind Saving Private Ryan as my favorite war film period. Still, this is a classic, and it definitely deserved every award it received.
Platoon is a classic, and I'm sure whoever I'm lucky enough to have reading my late review has already seen it and is aware of how great the film is. What's more important here it the transfer. While the transfer may have its ups and downs, it certainly is leaps and bounds better than the old DVD. When it is at its best, the picture quality is phenomenal. It's sharper than ever, detailed, and the colors are very well represented. When the picture quality is at its lowest, it's not terrible, but I would say it's more like just okay. Perhaps it's a bit uneven. This is similar to how I feel about the original 2008 Predator Blu-ray release that got its fair share of hate. There is a constant layer of grain throughout, and it looks thicker at some times than others, but like I said, this is never a terrible looking Blu-ray transfer. As for the audio, it is not as good as the picture quality, sadly, but it isn't terrible either. It's decent, and gets the job done. I would be willing to bet that the picture and audio's faults lie within the original cinematography and recordings, so I doubt there is much they could have done to improve upon what the Blu-ray has to offer. The extras round out a very good Blu-ray package with a nice variety of features. So I have to give Platoon my Highest Recommendation.
In Platoon, Chris Taylor is a young, naive U.S. soldier who, upon his arrival to Vietnam, quickly discovers that he must do battle not only with the Viet Cong, but also with the gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and intense...
I'll start this critique off by declaring that I love this movie. Platoon is the epitome of not only the war film genre, but also controversial director Oliver Stone's body of work. There are so many great things to say about this movie, and as far as I am concerned, not too many negatives that I can think of. For starters, Platoon is a strong number one as my favorite Vietnam war film of all time. Its message was simple, yet powerful. "The first casualty of war is innocence." For a story so emotionally impactful, how can it also be so entertaining? Well, it was mainly because of the characters. They were all different, with various personalities. And I give all the credit to the incredible cast of young guys that made up the infantry unit that the film centers around. I'm pretty sure it was not as fantastic when it first came out because half of those guys had not yet made names for themselves and become the enormous stars that they are today, especially a fresh faced Johnny Depp. But I was still pleasantly surprised to see so many great actors, and even in their youth they cranked out some high caliber, phenomenal performances.
Charlie Sheen was a perfect choice as our impressionable lead, Chris. I felt like I was progressing through the story with him, rather than just watching him mature into who he became. Willem Dafoe was one of my favorites as Sgt. Elias. His character was a bit of an oddball, if you will. Going off on his own to flank the VCAs and take them out alone. He served as one of cooler, more sympathetic soldiers in the platoon. Another one of my favorites was Keith David as King. I have been a fan of his since I first heard his unmistakably iconic voice. There was also the young hot head, played to perfection by Kevin Dillon of Entourage fame. And another fantastic performance that is officially an addition to my list of Favorite Movie Villains was Tom Berenger as Sgt. Barnes. When I first I saw this film it happened to be just one week after I watched The Deer Hunter for the first time as well. The Deer Hunter, while an excellent character study, left me feeling like something was missing from the middle section of the story. I felt like Platoon filled that gap perfectly. If I could insert Platoon into the center of The Deer Hunter, that would be the perfect Vietnam war movie. I'm kidding, but honestly, I cannot think of much to complain about. Platoon is just an all around excellent war film, in my opinion. And even though it is my number one favorite Vietnam war film, I think it falls just behind Saving Private Ryan as my favorite war film period. Still, this is a classic, and it definitely deserved every award it received.
Platoon is a classic, and I'm sure whoever I'm lucky enough to have reading my late review has already seen it and is aware of how great the film is. What's more important here it the transfer. While the transfer may have its ups and downs, it certainly is leaps and bounds better than the old DVD. When it is at its best, the picture quality is phenomenal. It's sharper than ever, detailed, and the colors are very well represented. When the picture quality is at its lowest, it's not terrible, but I would say it's more like just okay. Perhaps it's a bit uneven. This is similar to how I feel about the original 2008 Predator Blu-ray release that got its fair share of hate. There is a constant layer of grain throughout, and it looks thicker at some times than others, but like I said, this is never a terrible looking Blu-ray transfer. As for the audio, it is not as good as the picture quality, sadly, but it isn't terrible either. It's decent, and gets the job done. I would be willing to bet that the picture and audio's faults lie within the original cinematography and recordings, so I doubt there is much they could have done to improve upon what the Blu-ray has to offer. The extras round out a very good Blu-ray package with a nice variety of features. So I have to give Platoon's 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release my Highest Recommendation.
20th Century Fox | 1986 | 154 min | Rated R | Region free
| May 10, 2011
Elllen Ripley, the sole survivor from the original "Alien", is awakened after 57 years of drifting through space. Her experiences with the deadly creatures are disbelieved by Company executives who inform her that the aliens'...
James Cameron's sci-fi action thriller, Aliens, is well deservedly held as one of the greatest action films ever made. The man undoubtedly has a way with sequels, no if ands or buts about it. When I first saw this film, a few years back, I went to it thinking I was about to watch a straight action film. Well, I was quite wrong. There are some great scenes involving guns and big mechanical suits, but I would still argue that the strongest aspect of this film is its thrilling suspense (and 80's vibe...I kid). What I would call it, besides science fiction and action, is one of the best horror films involving aliens that I have ever seen. There were a few scenes that got my heart racing. For it's time, the visuals are not half bad, but that doesn't make a movie. The character development is all there. Even the characters that were bound to meet their fates early in the mission are given depth that you do not see in many movies like this. I got to know every crew member's personality, and that's a big plus. Not to mention the actors did a fine job at bringing the characters to life. Sigourney Weaver is a damn fine lead ad Ellen Ripley, finally back home only fifty-seven short years after her previous encounter with the Xenomorphs on the planet LV-246. It's quite apparent that she did NOT have fun on her trip.
She's tough, yet very complex. And we see that complexity when she finds Newt, the only survivor from her colony on the planet. The supporting cast was very good as well. Particularly, Michael Beihn as Hicks. I was glad to see he and Cameron working together two years after their success with The Terminator. Bill Paxton was also a pleasant surprise as an annoying meathead named Private Hudson. Besides the character development and acting, there was another big plus. Something I mentioned before was that the movie was actually scary. Alot of these types of movies go for cheap scares, and end up coming off very cheesy. Not the case here. If it didn't scare you, that's fine, but I don't feel bad admitting that it scared me a few times. The Xenomorphs are not creatures I'd go after, no matter how many weapons I had. Something else important that I have not mentioned is the cool factor that Aliens has. I mentioned there were guns and mechanical suits, but that's completely downplaying it. The flamethrower was awesome, and it seemed like the characters were using it in a practical way, rather than just showing it off. The grenade launcher was cool too. But none of that outdoes the mech suit that Ripley used to fight the Xenomorph Queen. That was a tense, and exciting scene. The other aliens scared me a little bit, but when the queen detached from her body from the egg pump and chased Ripley and Newt to the ship, I was intense. Perhaps I'm exaggerating a bit, but it was still pretty awesome.
The score was terrific as well. The music is one of the most important aspects of a horror movie, well every genre really, but horror even more. If the music was not so eerie and tense, I wouldn't have been as scared those few times that I was. James Horner and James Cameron work very well together. As far as I'm concerned, James Cameron could make all science fiction movies for the rest of his career. He has quite the track record for classics in the genre. Now for the transfer of this iconic classic. Simply put, it's fantastic. The restoration was very well done, and Aliens looks and sounds ever better than expected. Definitely a Must Own.
Hulk Vs. exceeded my expectations. Considering the fact that all three of the main characters have live action movies under their names, to see them kick each other's asses in a couple of "too violent for Saturday morning" animated short films brings pure joy to my geeky little heart. Of course, my my favorite was Hulk vs. Wolverine, but both are a must for any fan of the Marvel Universe, and particularly its animated offerings. Both are surprisingly entertaining throughout, but the icing on the cake for me was Nolan North's portrayal of Deadpool. His appearance in Hulk vs. Wolverine was just what I'd want from my favorite psychopathic Merc with a Mouth. Every line he spoke was just classic Deadpool. My biggest complaint would probably be the runtimes. Hulk vs. Wolverine is 38 minutes, and Hulk vs. Thor is a slightly better 45. Because of budget constraints, the filmmakers are forced to keep the lengths of these releases around 70-80 minutes, so I wish they would have went ahead and broke this into two separate releases and fleshed the stories out more. As they stand, they feel more like the best multi-part episodes of a Hulk animated TV series, but not actual films. Like I mentioned before, they're short films (obviously, given the runtimes). But still, that is only a minor gripe in the grand scheme of what this entertaining package has to offer. It's very entertaining, and has pretty good supplements. The picture quality is as expected, but the audio is robust. This is a beauty to listen to. Pick it up if you're a fan of the Hulk, Marvel, or comic book animation.
A modern twist on a classic tale, set in the great city of New Orleans, where a beautiful girl named Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) meets a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again. A fateful kiss leads them both on a...
When The Princess and the Frog first came out, I went to see it with my hopes pretty high. Disney has set the bar extremely high for animated films, both traditionally hand drawn and computer generated, over the course of almost an entire century. This film was obviously a revolutionary first step for them, being the first black mainstream Disney princess to grace the big screen. What resulted was not quite the classic Disney I grew up with, but still a terrifically fun and vibrant trip to the city I grew up in, New Orleans. As odd as it may sound, I am sort of disappointed to say that this movie was very good, but not as great as I wanted it to be. Everyone has come to expect Disney's animated films to be automatic masterpieces, and we should. I enjoyed almost every single animated Disney movie I have ever seen, especially the Pixar collaborations. I loved the animation a lot, but the music was just okay to me. Maybe I'm an unfair judge, since I don't usually enjoy musicals. The story I could leave, or take, but where this film shines is in its voice overs. The actors sound like they had a good time making it, and that adds quite a bit to an otherwise slightly middling experience. All in all, I still really enjoy this one. I was just happy to finally see, not only the aforementioned first black Disney princess, but the first Disney animated feature set in the south. Of course it wouldn't be right if there were not a bunch of southern cliches, but none were offensive to me. The transfer is excellence. The Blu-ray package does live up to Disney's reputation. This one comes highly recommended.
Disney / Buena Vista | 2009 | 97 min | Rated G | Region A (B, C untested) | Mar 16, 2010
A modern twist on a classic tale, set in the great city of New Orleans, where a beautiful girl named Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) meets a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again. A fateful kiss leads them both on a...
When The Princess and the Frog first came out, I went to see it with my hopes pretty high. Disney has set the bar extremely high for animated films, both traditionally hand drawn and computer generated, over the course of almost an entire century. This film was obviously a revolutionary first step for them, being the first black mainstream Disney princess to grace the big screen. What resulted was not quite the classic Disney I grew up with, but still a terrifically fun and vibrant trip to the city I grew up in, New Orleans. As odd as it may sound, I am sort of disappointed to say that this movie was very good, but not as great as I wanted it to be. Everyone has come to expect Disney's animated films to be automatic masterpieces, and we should. I enjoyed almost every single animated Disney movie I have ever seen, especially the Pixar collaborations. I loved the animation a lot, but the music was just okay to me. Maybe I'm an unfair judge, since I don't usually enjoy musicals. The story I could leave, or take, but where this film shines is in its voice overs. The actors sound like they had a good time making it, and that adds quite a bit to an otherwise slightly middling experience. All in all, I still really enjoy this one. I was just happy to finally see, not only the aforementioned first black Disney princess, but the first Disney animated feature set in the south. Of course it wouldn't be right if there were not a bunch of southern cliches, but none were offensive to me. The transfer is excellence. The Blu-ray package does live up to Disney's reputation. This one comes highly recommended.
Disney / Buena Vista | 2009 | 97 min | Rated G | Region A (locked) | Feb 08, 2011
A modern twist on a classic tale, set in the great city of New Orleans, where a beautiful girl named Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) meets a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again. A fateful kiss leads them both on a...
When The Princess and the Frog first came out, I went to see it with my hopes pretty high. Disney has set the bar extremely high for animated films, both traditionally hand drawn and computer generated, over the course of almost an entire century. This film was obviously a revolutionary first step for them, being the first black mainstream Disney princess to grace the big screen. What resulted was not quite the classic Disney I grew up with, but still a terrifically fun and vibrant trip to the city I grew up in, New Orleans. As odd as it may sound, I am sort of disappointed to say that this movie was very good, but not as great as I wanted it to be. Everyone has come to expect Disney's animated films to be automatic masterpieces, and we should. I enjoyed almost every single animated Disney movie I have ever seen, especially the Pixar collaborations. I loved the animation a lot, but the music was just okay to me. Maybe I'm an unfair judge, since I don't usually enjoy musicals. The story I could leave, or take, but where this film shines is in its voice overs. The actors sound like they had a good time making it, and that adds quite a bit to an otherwise slightly middling experience. All in all, I still really enjoy this one. I was just happy to finally see, not only the aforementioned first black Disney princess, but the first Disney animated feature set in the south. Of course it wouldn't be right if there were not a bunch of southern cliches, but none were offensive to me. The transfer is excellence. The Blu-ray package does live up to Disney's reputation. This one comes highly recommended.
Paramount Pictures | 2009 | 118 min | Rated PG-13 | Region free
| Oct 19, 2010
From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses
the
latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer
Destro
and the growing threat of the...
When G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra first hit theaters I ignored it. It looked as bad to me as everyone was making it out to be. But then I actually went to see the movie near the end of its theatrical run, well after hearing and reading all of the negative feedback ang giving the negative feedback time to sink in. I decided to see it any way because it was one of the last few movies in theatres that I hadn't seen that summer. I had a choice to see G.I. Joe, or whatever chick flick my mom was going to see. Obviously, I chose the former. It actually turned out to be a pretty big surprise. I definitely liked it about as much as I liked Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which I still like to this day, despite the never ending insults from people who hate the movie. Going into it with low expectations turned out to be a very good thing. There were complaints about the quality of the CGI, but I didn't have any problems with it. Even with near reference picture quality, I stil don't find much to complain about in the special effects department. They aren't flawless, but they are still very convincing, and not distracting at all. There were also alot of complaints that important G.I. Joe material from the cartoon and comics was missing, but people should understand that this should really be considered a prequal to what fans of the old cartoons and comics consider "the real G.I. Joe". It's the "Rise of Cobra".
In the end, Rise of Cobra was actually a fun summer blockbuster, in my opinion, because it doesn't take itself too seriously, they experiment with creative ideas for futuristic military technology, and when the big budget of this movie is on display, it really becomes a visual treat. There were some nice flashbacks that filled in all the gaps, and the end was a nice lead into part two. I also liked that Stephen Sommers had a few cameos of a few of his Mummy stars. Speaking of The Mummy, that's the type of feel this movie has. The material is obviously cheesy, but it's all about having fun while you're watching it. I also liked how fleshed out the story felt, from start to finish, with intercut flashbacks to fill in backstory. Marlon Wayans and Channing Tatum are well hated among the geek community, but while I didn't find their acting impressive, I still don't think they were bad enough for people to get so riled up. I don't know. Maybe there are more important things worth hating to me. So overall the story is pretty solid, in my opinion. I'm sure that's pretty much everyone would beg to differ, but I'm okay with that. At least we can all agree that this Blu-ray has a terrific all around transfer. The extras are a little light though. The few extras are interesting though. So in the end, I recommend G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra as a rental for general film enthusiasts. For lack of a better term, snobs should avoid it completely.
DigiBook
Warner Bros. | 1994 | 142 min | Rated R | Region free
| Dec 02, 2008
Framed for murder, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at Shawshank prison, where he slowly comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older lifer named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense...
The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest films that I have ever seen. It may well be the best period. For quite a while it has ranked at #1 on the internet movie database, and with good reason. Not often does a film seamlessly blend gripping dramatic storytelling, with moments of lighthearted humor, as well as moments of deep sadness like this one does. I'm sure that just about everyone has seen this film, but I'll still run through the main plot really quick. An intelligent banker named Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) discovered that his wife was stepping out on him with another man. After a night of drinking, and misguided decisions, he ended up in front of a judge and jury for their murders. In prison for life, he befriended a guy named Red (Morgan Freeman), and eventually the Warden (Bob Gunton). And the journey goes on from there. There are so many great things for me to address, but my favorite is the acting. The entire cast was perfect. Tim Robbins gave probably the best performance of his entire career. At first his character appeared quiet and timid, but after while he seemed to loosen up, and grew as a person from then on. Character development does not get any better than this. He also grew on me, and I felt like I was on the journey with him. Because of how great Robbins was at being secretive, I could not tell if his character was really innocent, or guilty. He also could not have done better at portraying Dufresne's deceptive intelligence. Andy Dufresne was definitely the whole package, and so was Robbins.
When an actor gives such a powerful performance, there usually are not any other actors that stand out in the film, but The Shawshank Redemption is exceptional in many ways, including this one. Beside Tim Robbins's, there are a few more perfect performances. There could not have been a better choice for the supporting role than Morgan Freeman as Ellis Redding, or 'Red'. I was really convinced that he was a veteran inmate. His specialty was smuggling in things that his fellow inmates requested. Usually for cash, but cartons of cigarettes seemed just as important as cash in Shawshank Prison. I enjoyed watching Red grow throughout the story, right alongside Andy. In the beginning, Red was as guilty as they come. He knew what he did was terrible, and regretted it, but he didn't know how to convey that sorrow to the parole committee. Honestly, I'm not even sure if he was regretful for his crime, or the fact that he was in prison for life. Every ten years when he got his chance to face the committee, he was rejected because he wasn't confident enough with himself to prove that he was ready to be a member of society again. But he grew as a character and finally proved worthy, simply by admitting that he was young and stupid, and there's nothing he can do to change what he did.
Bob Gunton was great as Warden Norton. He wasn't brutal and violent like his head guard Captain Hadley, but he still as sinister as your typical movie villain can be (without being one note and cheesy). He definitely earns his place on my "Favorite Movie Villains" list. Speaking of Captain Hadley, Clancy Brown's performance as the prison guard who enjoyed his authority way too much was quite memorable. Not often in film, does the secondary antagonist stand out as much as the primary. But like I said, The Shawshank Redemption is exceptional in many ways. Captain Hadley is right on par with Warden Norton, in my opinion. I cannot give so much attention to the characters without mentioning one of my favorites, Brooks. James Whitmore gave a solid performance as an inmate spent nearly fifty years of his life in Shawshank Prison. He appeared to be just a poor sweet old man that walked around with a bird in his pocket, but we later saw how institutionalized his time behind bars made him. It was really sad, and one of the most effective parts on the story. But enough of the actors. I always pay attention to the music in films. So with that said, I have to mention the wonderful score done by the legendary composer Thomas Newman. He has composed some beautiful scores for big films like WALL-E, American Beauty, Finding Nemo, The Green Mile, Road to Perdition and Jarhead. But the music he did for The Shawshank Redemption ranks among his best, in my opinion.
I don't know what else to say about this wonderful film, besides how beautiful it is. I cannot think of anything at all to complain about. It's one of my favorite films because it never gets dull, and it never gets old. It's a film that needs to be watched, and rewatched. Director Frank Darabont has not done many films, but I doubt he will ever be able to top this one anyway. The Shawshank Redemption is a classic that should not be missed by anyone. And the Blu-ray presentation should not be missed by anyone either. This is a gorgeous looking transfer. A beautiful transfer for a beautiful film. Highly Recommended!
Warner Bros. | 1994 | 142 min | Rated R | Region free
| Nov 16, 2010
Framed for murder, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at Shawshank prison, where he slowly comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older lifer named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense...
The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest films that I have ever seen. It may well be the best period. For quite a while it has ranked at #1 on the internet movie database, and with good reason. Not often does a film seamlessly blend gripping dramatic storytelling, with moments of lighthearted humor, as well as moments of deep sadness like this one does. I'm sure that just about everyone has seen this film, but I'll still run through the main plot really quick. An intelligent banker named Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) discovered that his wife was stepping out on him with another man. After a night of drinking, and misguided decisions, he ended up in front of a judge and jury for their murders. In prison for life, he befriended a guy named Red (Morgan Freeman), and eventually the Warden (Bob Gunton). And the journey goes on from there. There are so many great things for me to address, but my favorite is the acting. The entire cast was perfect. Tim Robbins gave probably the best performance of his entire career. At first his character appeared quiet and timid, but after while he seemed to loosen up, and grew as a person from then on. Character development does not get any better than this. He also grew on me, and I felt like I was on the journey with him. Because of how great Robbins was at being secretive, I could not tell if his character was really innocent, or guilty. He also could not have done better at portraying Dufresne's deceptive intelligence. Andy Dufresne was definitely the whole package, and so was Robbins.
When an actor gives such a powerful performance, there usually are not any other actors that stand out in the film, but The Shawshank Redemption is exceptional in many ways, including this one. Beside Tim Robbins's, there are a few more perfect performances. There could not have been a better choice for the supporting role than Morgan Freeman as Ellis Redding, or 'Red'. I was really convinced that he was a veteran inmate. His specialty was smuggling in things that his fellow inmates requested. Usually for cash, but cartons of cigarettes seemed just as important as cash in Shawshank Prison. I enjoyed watching Red grow throughout the story, right alongside Andy. In the beginning, Red was as guilty as they come. He knew what he did was terrible, and regretted it, but he didn't know how to convey that sorrow to the parole committee. Honestly, I'm not even sure if he was regretful for his crime, or the fact that he was in prison for life. Every ten years when he got his chance to face the committee, he was rejected because he wasn't confident enough with himself to prove that he was ready to be a member of society again. But he grew as a character and finally proved worthy, simply by admitting that he was young and stupid, and there's nothing he can do to change what he did.
Bob Gunton was great as Warden Norton. He wasn't brutal and violent like his head guard Captain Hadley, but he still as sinister as your typical movie villain can be (without being one note and cheesy). He definitely earns his place on my "Favorite Movie Villains" list. Speaking of Captain Hadley, Clancy Brown's performance as the prison guard who enjoyed his authority way too much was quite memorable. Not often in film, does the secondary antagonist stand out as much as the primary. But like I said, The Shawshank Redemption is exceptional in many ways. Captain Hadley is right on par with Warden Norton, in my opinion. I cannot give so much attention to the characters without mentioning one of my favorites, Brooks. James Whitmore gave a solid performance as an inmate spent nearly fifty years of his life in Shawshank Prison. He appeared to be just a poor sweet old man that walked around with a bird in his pocket, but we later saw how institutionalized his time behind bars made him. It was really sad, and one of the most effective parts on the story. But enough of the actors. I always pay attention to the music in films. So with that said, I have to mention the wonderful score done by the legendary composer Thomas Newman. He has composed some beautiful scores for big films like WALL-E, American Beauty, Finding Nemo, The Green Mile, Road to Perdition and Jarhead. But the music he did for The Shawshank Redemption ranks among his best, in my opinion.
I don't know what else to say about this wonderful film, besides how beautiful it is. I cannot think of anything at all to complain about. It's one of my favorite films because it never gets dull, and it never gets old. It's a film that needs to be watched, and rewatched. Director Frank Darabont has not done many films, but I doubt he will ever be able to top this one anyway. The Shawshank Redemption is a classic that should not be missed by anyone. And the Blu-ray presentation should not be missed by anyone either. This is a gorgeous looking transfer. A beautiful transfer for a beautiful film. Highly Recommended!
Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no less
dangerous, and with two professional assassinations in quick succession, he is elevated to "00"
status. "M" (Judi Dench), head of...
I imagine something along these lines happened in a nice boardroom in one of the office buildings on the Sony Pictures studio lot: It's June 2002, and audiences across the nation are being swept off their feet by a deadly government assassin with a serious case of the forgetfuls. There's a deadly agent that people are falling in love with, who has "J.B." as his initials, and it ain't James Bond. I imagine that didn't sit well with those suits in that boardroom, and it promptly urged them to begin their search for the next British actor to don the classic black tux and shaken, not stirred, martini. Fast-forward four years, to 2006, and we arrive at Casino Royale. After saying all of that, I still have to admit that Casino Royale is one hell of a remarkable film. Daniel Craig is exactly what I feel James Bond should be. It's funny that not many people had faith in him, until they saw the movie for themselves. I really wanted to see an actor put a new twist on the character, rather than copying the tried and true smooth-talking 'Bond, James Bond' from the older movies. I have to say, Daniel Craig did not disappoint me in the slightest. He radiates cool, and badassery, while managing to eliminate the main thing that I had problem with in older 007's. The over-the-top gadgets were the only thing that prevented me from loving earlier Bond films, as silly as that may sound. I just could never take them seriously in the contexts of the films.
For instance, the car that could become invisible and the surf boards with weapon compartments in Die Another Day, and the wheelchair with a missle as a leg cast in GoldenEye, just to name a couple. I'm not very familiar with the oldest Bond movies, but I'm pretty sure they had even whackier gadgets than that. Anyway, the closer to realism, the better, in my opinion. At least for this particular property. I would not say that philosophy translates to every rebooted franchise out there, but I certainly think that mentality has worked wonders for this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the action sequences in Casino Royale, as well. They were very extreme, yet remained so believable. One of my favorite movie scenes of all time is the scene when Bond parkour chases the bomb maker in Madagascar. That scene was so mind-numbingly awesome that I immediately realized that something special was in out midst. Ironically, action is not this film's only strong point. I also love the tension, especially in the poker scenes. To this day, those moments make my heart rate increase slightly. No spoiler intended, but in one scene Bond's heart rate gets a bit of a boost as well. To further adress my inference that the Bourne series was an inspiration for this one to be rebooted the way it was, I want to add that I never got a Bourne vibe from this film. This movie more than stands on its own two feet, and did not copy Bourne in any way. I just credit the Bourne series for inspiring the producers and filmmakers to revamp this franchise the way they did.
I so love the way this movie came from basically nowhere, to pretty much blew the minds of fans around the world. It reminds me of what Wb, Christopher Nolan, and Batman Begins did for the Batman franchise. All I can say is, thank God for Jason Bourne. If Bourne had not come along and set a new bar for secret agent/government assassin action thrillers, I seriously doubt that 007 would have been rebooted with such a vengence. And boy was it. Casino Royale actually surpasses all of its predecessors (at least the ones I have actually seen) and the Bourne series. In my humble opinion, it's a near perfect masterpiece. And the gorgeous Blu-ray transfer is nothing short of amazing as well. Reference quality audio and video. This Collectors Edition adds a plethora of special features for fans to dig into, greatly boosting the quality of the set as a whole. Highly Recommended!
Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no less
dangerous, and with two professional assassinations in quick succession, he is elevated to "00"
status. "M" (Judi Dench), head of...
I imagine something along these lines happened in a nice boardroom in one of the office buildings on the Sony Pictures studio lot: It's June 2002, and audiences across the nation are being swept off their feet by a deadly government assassin with a serious case of the forgetfuls. There's a deadly agent that people are falling in love with, who has "J.B." as his initials, and it ain't James Bond. I imagine that didn't sit well with those suits in that boardroom, and it promptly urged them to begin their search for the next British actor to don the classic black tux and shaken, not stirred, martini. Fast-forward four years, to 2006, and we arrive at Casino Royale. After saying all of that, I still have to admit that Casino Royale is one hell of a remarkable film. Daniel Craig is exactly what I feel James Bond should be. It's funny that not many people had faith in him, until they saw the movie for themselves. I really wanted to see an actor put a new twist on the character, rather than copying the tried and true smooth-talking 'Bond, James Bond' from the older movies. I have to say, Daniel Craig did not disappoint me in the slightest. He radiates cool, and badassery, while managing to eliminate the main thing that I had problem with in older 007's. The over-the-top gadgets were the only thing that prevented me from loving earlier Bond films, as silly as that may sound. I just could never take them seriously in the contexts of the films.
For instance, the car that could become invisible and the surf boards with weapon compartments in Die Another Day, and the wheelchair with a missle as a leg cast in GoldenEye, just to name a couple. I'm not very familiar with the oldest Bond movies, but I'm pretty sure they had even whackier gadgets than that. Anyway, the closer to realism, the better, in my opinion. At least for this particular property. I would not say that philosophy translates to every rebooted franchise out there, but I certainly think that mentality has worked wonders for this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the action sequences in Casino Royale, as well. They were very extreme, yet remained so believable. One of my favorite movie scenes of all time is the scene when Bond parkour chases the bomb maker in Madagascar. That scene was so mind-numbingly awesome that I immediately realized that something special was in out midst. Ironically, action is not this film's only strong point. I also love the tension, especially in the poker scenes. To this day, those moments make my heart rate increase slightly. No spoiler intended, but in one scene Bond's heart rate gets a bit of a boost as well. To further adress my inference that the Bourne series was an inspiration for this one to be rebooted the way it was, I want to add that I never got a Bourne vibe from this film. This movie more than stands on its own two feet, and did not copy Bourne in any way. I just credit the Bourne series for inspiring the producers and filmmakers to revamp this franchise the way they did.
I so love the way this movie came from basically nowhere, to pretty much blew the minds of fans around the world. It reminds me of what Wb, Christopher Nolan, and Batman Begins did for the Batman franchise. All I can say is, thank God for Jason Bourne. If Bourne had not come along and set a new bar for secret agent/government assassin action thrillers, I seriously doubt that 007 would have been rebooted with such a vengence. And boy was it. Casino Royale actually surpasses all of its predecessors (at least the ones I have actually seen) and the Bourne series. In my humble opinion, it's a near perfect masterpiece. And the gorgeous Blu-ray transfer is nothing short of amazing as well. Reference quality audio and video. Highly Recommended!
James Bond
Sony Pictures | 2006 | 144 min | Rated PG-13 | Region A (locked) | Mar 13, 2007
Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no less
dangerous, and with two professional assassinations in quick succession, he is elevated to "00"
status. "M" (Judi Dench), head of...
I imagine something along these lines happened in a nice boardroom in one of the office buildings on the Sony Pictures studio lot: It's June 2002, and audiences across the nation are being swept off their feet by a deadly government assassin with a serious case of the forgetfuls. There's a deadly agent that people are falling in love with, who has "J.B." as his initials, and it ain't James Bond. I imagine that didn't sit well with those suits in that boardroom, and it promptly urged them to begin their search for the next British actor to don the classic black tux and shaken, not stirred, martini. Fast-forward four years, to 2006, and we arrive at Casino Royale. After saying all of that, I still have to admit that Casino Royale is one hell of a remarkable film. Daniel Craig is exactly what I feel James Bond should be. It's funny that not many people had faith in him, until they saw the movie for themselves. I really wanted to see an actor put a new twist on the character, rather than copying the tried and true smooth-talking 'Bond, James Bond' from the older movies. I have to say, Daniel Craig did not disappoint me in the slightest. He radiates cool, and badassery, while managing to eliminate the main thing that I had problem with in older 007's. The over-the-top gadgets were the only thing that prevented me from loving earlier Bond films, as silly as that may sound. I just could never take them seriously in the contexts of the films.
For instance, the car that could become invisible and the surf boards with weapon compartments in Die Another Day, and the wheelchair with a missle as a leg cast in GoldenEye, just to name a couple. I'm not very familiar with the oldest Bond movies, but I'm pretty sure they had even whackier gadgets than that. Anyway, the closer to realism, the better, in my opinion. At least for this particular property. I would not say that philosophy translates to every rebooted franchise out there, but I certainly think that mentality has worked wonders for this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the action sequences in Casino Royale, as well. They were very extreme, yet remained so believable. One of my favorite movie scenes of all time is the scene when Bond parkour chases the bomb maker in Madagascar. That scene was so mind-numbingly awesome that I immediately realized that something special was in out midst. Ironically, action is not this film's only strong point. I also love the tension, especially in the poker scenes. To this day, those moments make my heart rate increase slightly. No spoiler intended, but in one scene Bond's heart rate gets a bit of a boost as well. To further adress my inference that the Bourne series was an inspiration for this one to be rebooted the way it was, I want to add that I never got a Bourne vibe from this film. This movie more than stands on its own two feet, and did not copy Bourne in any way. I just credit the Bourne series for inspiring the producers and filmmakers to revamp this franchise the way they did.
I so love the way this movie came from basically nowhere, to pretty much blew the minds of fans around the world. It reminds me of what Wb, Christopher Nolan, and Batman Begins did for the Batman franchise. All I can say is, thank God for Jason Bourne. If Bourne had not come along and set a new bar for secret agent/government assassin action thrillers, I seriously doubt that 007 would have been rebooted with such a vengence. And boy was it. Casino Royale actually surpasses all of its predecessors (at least the ones I have actually seen) and the Bourne series. In my humble opinion, it's a near perfect masterpiece. And the gorgeous Blu-ray transfer is nothing short of amazing as well. Reference quality audio and video. Highly Recommended!
Single Disc
Paramount Pictures | 2009 | 127 min | Rated PG-13 | Region free
| Oct 19, 2010
The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent,
thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society
that rejects all emotion. As fiery...
First let me say that I have never been a fan of anything Star Trek related, until I saw this movie when it hit theaters in the summer of 2009. I've been a fan of the Star Wars saga for a while, and have never even made an attempt to get into Star Trek. That said, this is one of the greatest science fiction films to be released in the last couple of decades. Without a shadow of a doubt, it's definitely in my top ten of 2009, and that's saying a lot because that was a stellar year for film, and the sci-fi genre (with Avatar, Moon and District 9). This is what summer action blockbusters are supposed to be. The action is not the only thing that makes Star Trek amazing though. In my opinion, it's not even the best thing about the movie. I love the multi-dimensional relationships between the eventual crew of the Enterprise. Zachary Quinto's casting was a questionable decision at first, but he soon proved to be the perfect choice to play Spock. Chris Pine shot up to number two on my list of favorite overly self-confident, cocky leads. Right behind Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man, and before Christian Bale in Batman. His portrayal of James T. Kirk is simply brilliant. The two of them share some of the best scenes, bickering throughout the film, like an old married couple. The rest of the cast is fantastic as well.
Zoe Saldana is great as Uhura, in the first of her two amazing sci-fi movies of 2009. The unrecognizable Eric Bana is terrifying as the Romulan villain Nero. My second favorite performance in the film is Simon Pegg as a hilarious Scottish engineer, cleverly named Scotty. These are just a few names in a cast full of great performances, and surprising cameos. The first time I watched it in theatres I had a little trouble getting past Anton Yelchin's accent as Chekov, but after a few more views it stopped bothering me. Overall, I love JJ Abram's Star Trek. Abrams is already one of my favorite filmmakers of this generation. I consider him one of the best science fiction minds we have in the industry today. Before I saw this film I would never have imagined myself getting excited for a Star Trek movie. It's good enough to turn a devoted Star Wars fan into somewhat of a Trekky. I still can't watch the tv series though. Honestly, it bores me. But as far as the rebooted franchise goes, it's gold. Great Movie. And the transfer is pure reference quality. But the lack of extras on this release is a very good reason to stay far away from it. Definitely seek out the three-disc version. If extras are of absolutely no concern to you, then pick this one up.
Blu-ray + Digital Copy
Paramount Pictures | 2009 | 127 min | Rated PG-13 | Region free
| Nov 17, 2009
The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent,
thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society
that rejects all emotion. As fiery...
First let me say that I have never been a fan of anything Star Trek related, until I saw this movie when it hit theaters in the summer of 2009. I've been a fan of the Star Wars saga for a while, and have never even made an attempt to get into Star Trek. That said, this is one of the greatest science fiction films to be released in the last couple of decades. Without a shadow of a doubt, it's definitely in my top ten of 2009, and that's saying a lot because that was a stellar year for film, and the sci-fi genre (with Avatar, Moon and District 9). This is what summer action blockbusters are supposed to be. The action is not the only thing that makes Star Trek amazing though. In my opinion, it's not even the best thing about the movie. I love the multi-dimensional relationships between the eventual crew of the Enterprise. Zachary Quinto's casting was a questionable decision at first, but he soon proved to be the perfect choice to play Spock. Chris Pine shot up to number two on my list of favorite overly self-confident, cocky leads. Right behind Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man, and before Christian Bale in Batman. His portrayal of James T. Kirk is simply brilliant. The two of them share some of the best scenes, bickering throughout the film, like an old married couple. The rest of the cast is fantastic as well.
Zoe Saldana is great as Uhura, in the first of her two amazing sci-fi movies of 2009. The unrecognizable Eric Bana is terrifying as the Romulan villain Nero. My second favorite performance in the film is Simon Pegg as a hilarious Scottish engineer, cleverly named Scotty. These are just a few names in a cast full of great performances, and surprising cameos. The first time I watched it in theatres I had a little trouble getting past Anton Yelchin's accent as Chekov, but after a few more views it stopped bothering me. Overall, I love JJ Abram's Star Trek. Abrams is already one of my favorite filmmakers of this generation. I consider him one of the best science fiction minds we have in the industry today. Before I saw this film I would never have imagined myself getting excited for a Star Trek movie. It's good enough to turn a devoted Star Wars fan into somewhat of a Trekky. I still can't watch the tv series though. Honestly, it bores me. But as far as the rebooted franchise goes, it's gold. Great Movie. And the transfer is pure reference quality. No question, this is a must own Blu-ray. The extras are so incredibly thorough that it's worth it to search for this release, and stay far away from the single disc version. Highly Recommended!
Top reviewer
