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Crazy and fun movie for all! These guys just keep getting crazier every time. Hopefully they will make a fourth!Monday, March 31, 2014
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I wish this was actually in 3D as it was in the theaters! But it's basically more of the same, but with slightly (ever so slightly) higher production values. Lots of these idiots doing incredibly stupid stuff, and more often than not it's funny. Not suitable for women or anyone with a mind more sophisticated than a 12 year old's, or not able to teleport their mind back to that time :) It's utterly ridiculous, but hard to look away!
Review of Jackass 3 (Single-Disc Edition) (2010)
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Jackass 3D doesn't need a 5000 word review, especially one with spoilers. So from a 10-year Jackass fan, here are three simple reasons why you should watch this movie.
1. You will laugh until your face hurts.
2. 3D is a surprising fit for stunts and pranks that involve everything from paintballs to body fluids.
3. You know what type of movie it's NOT. Which means you don't have to worry about acting quality, plot holes, confusing endings.
That's honestly all you need to know. If you enjoy watching pranks, dangerous stunts and epic fails on Youtube like I do, treat yourself to Jackass 3D.
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Way to go and confuse the public again. If you have a fancy new BluRay 3D setup this will NOT PLAY. It is old analog 3DBest Deals for Jackass 3 (Single-Disc Edition) (2010)
I just got back from seeing Jackass 3D, and I must say, Knoxville and crew are back.I'll start off by saying that I wasn't a fan of Jackass before I saw Jackass: Number Two. My cousins and their friends tempted me, so I sat down and watched it with them... and within seconds I was on the floor, crying from laughing so hard. I was instantly a fan, and days after, I rented the first Jackass and laughed just as hard.
Today I went and saw the third strike at the theaters, and in Real D 3D. Of course I got hassled for my ID, 3 times actually, as it's R here in Canada meaning admittance restricted to people 18 and over. Apparently they had a real sneaking problem!!
That said, I had a total blast with this movie. If you just switch your brain off at the door, you'll laugh to the point where you're croaking!!!! There is not a single unfunny moment in the movie.
The stunts are outrageous, grosser than ever, and out there as hell. All stops imaginable are pulled out. Of course if you are faint hearted or squeamish you will want to avoid this film at all costs as it contains some truly disgusting stuff!!! Without a doubt the funniest stunt is "Electric Avenue", a stunt done in the style of a jailbreak, where the crew try to get through a hallway with beams in the middle, tires on the ground, and dangerously high-volt tasers dangling from the ceiling!!! Of course, as stated above it is absolutely NOT for kiddies under 18 or the faint of heart. This got its R here in Alberta for a good reason. The "Sweatsuit cocktail" scene alone pretty much solidifies that right there.
The 3D is great!!!! Before the movie is a nice little short from Beavis and Butthead explaining the 3D technology, which is truly hilarious. The 3D just ADDS to the ridiculousness, not only is it more lifelike, but there are a few startling "pop out" moments too and it's just hilarious!!!! They take full advantage of the 3D and therefore it's totally worth it.
In short, It did kinda make me sad that this may be the last Jackass. Hopefully it isn't, because they may be getting old but they certainly aren't declining in quality. Definitely as good as Jackass: Number Two, check it out!!
Honest reviews on Jackass 3 (Single-Disc Edition) (2010)
As the great Mike Patton once sang: "It's always funny until someone gets hurt, and then it's just hilarious!" These appear to be words to live by for the "Jackass" crew, who are back for a third round of shenanigans in "Jackass 3D." The guys that hurt themselves for laughs so you don't have to are back in full form and if you think age has tempered their appetite for danger and potty-humor, then you are sorely mistaken.Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Wee Man, Preston Lacy, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Ehren McGhehey -all the names and faces you've come to know over the years -make their return (with a few stragglers left behind, naturally) to the feature-length film format to abuse 3D technology in ways that would infuriate James Cameron. Flying feces? Check. Unnecessarily exposed male genitalia? Check. The ever-reliable vomiting of a now-sober Steve-O? You bet. If you thought the envelope had been pushed as far as it would go before, think again. This "Jackass" is a full three dimensions of dumb and disgusting.
Tastelessness aside, there's something both cinematic and slightly sentimental about this installment. Maybe it's all the slow-motion shots and Rocky references, but for the first time it appears as if director Jeff Tremaine is taking his craft a bit more seriously. The over-the-top opening and closing of the movie are nothing short of epic (at least by MTV standards) and if anything, it's the finest looking "Jackass" to date. Likewise, the cast seems to be stepping it up a notch; not only are they going to the extreme here, but they seem to be enjoying it more than ever. The film just so happens to mark the tenth-year anniversary of the franchise, so it's no coincidence that the sense of camaraderie is tighter than before. For the first time, it appears as though the guys are having as much fun laughing at themselves as we are.
There are plenty of memorable stunts -from an updated porto-potty gag dubbed "The Poo-Cocktail Supreme" to a stinker of a man-made volcano and a scene involving bees that rivals the hilariousness of Nic Cage in the infamous The Wicker Man remake -and just as many laughs to go around. Cameos from the likes of Sean William Scott, Weezer, Rip Taylor, and Beavis and Butt-Head are along for the ride, but the true stars remain the main crew and their non-stop disregard for their own well-being. Dumb and reckless, yet unrelentingly amusing, this third installment in the unlikely franchise is guaranteed to have you giggling mindlessly while simultaneously squirming in your seat.
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First, I wanted to say I've seen all the episodes of the old series and both the first and second movies, and now this, so I have a pretty good baseline by which to evaluate this.First, the content list.
1) The Blu-Ray, which contains both the theatrical release and the director's cut, with no extras. ***CORRECTION: The Blu-Ray contains multiple deleted scenes and outtakes, some funny and others just so so.
2) The regular DVD, which contains the theatrical release only, with no extras.
3) A digital copy of the movie, which you unlock using the enclosed code. (you'll need at least version 11 of MS Media Player for this).
4) Two sets of 3D glasses, the old style with red and blue lenses.
I first viewed the regular DVD, and I was a bit taken aback to see that it only contains the movie in analglyph (old style 3D), with no way to switch over to regular 2D.
That means none of the modern 3D effects, folks.
We're talking 1950s-era technology here.
I then watched the director's cut version on the Blu-Ray, which was only in 2D, as is the theatrical release available on the same disk.
Now for the movie itself.
Some of the stunts were really amusing, some were only mildly so, and others were either just plain stupid (even by Jackass standards), or too disgusting for even someone of my sort with a cast iron stomach.
I'll just do a stunt-by-stunt rundown of my thoughts.
1) Opening credits actually liked this quite a lot, with the enhanced "Phantom Camera" slow-mo effects.
2) High Five Very simple, but quite amusing, especially how they did Bam.
3) The Jet Ski Okay, but looked more painful than funny.
4) Tee Ball Steve-O takes the obligatory nut shot from a baseball attached to a swinging arm...more painful than funny.
5) The Bungee Boogie Okay, this was more like it. Not very fancy, but some surprisingly good execution on the stunt, and some good laughs.
6) The Rocky Yes, painful, but the phantom camera showed the facial contortions in all their comedic glory.
7) Beehive Tetherball More like the Jackass we all know and love. Pain mixed with some laughs. Loved Dave's screams of agony.
8) Jet Airplane Really liked the old Maxell commercial tribute at the very beginning. Really funny and even a bit dangerous.
9) Roller-skate Buffalo Yes, pointless and painful, but still pretty funny concept. Really liked Knoxville's antics leading up to the inevitable pummeling from a young bison. Roger Miller would have appreciated how his classic song was used for this.
10) Toy Train Eruption Not much more to say here but YUCK! Anyone remembering Dave's scatological stunts in the first two movies won't be much surprised by this one.
11) Midgets in a Bar Fight More classic Jackass tomfoolery. Weeman pulls this off quite well, with a little help from his friends. Especially liked the "cops" and "paramedics" showing up.
12) Electric Avenue Great stuff here. Very painful, but definitely more classic Jackass.
13) The Field Goal Preston takes yet another for the team. Very low tech, but just okay humor-wise, and more painful than anything else.
14) Super Mighty Glue Low tech, but more like the old style Jackass stunts. Pretty funny.
15) Dildo Gun Only a guy could find this funny, but even my wife laughed at this one. Great use of the phantom camera on the "projectile."
16) Buy a Scooter Saw this one coming a mile away. Obviously a setup, since the window was clearly made of sugar glass.
17) Pontius the Barbarian Good one. Two Emperor scorpions do battle with Pontius's chin, 'nuff said.
18) Sweat Suit Cocktail Yuck! Even *I* had a tough time watching this through the conclusion. This is one of the reasons Steve-O gets the big bucks.
19) The Christmas Tree The Dudesons make an appearance for this. Pretty funny, but more dangerous and painful than anything else.
20) Pin the Tail on the Donkey Okay, had to laugh at this one. Danger Ehren's leg shaking made this particularly funny.
21) Rocky 2 Same comments as for the first installment of this.
22) The Blind Side VERY low tech, and pointless, unless you just like seeing Knoxville getting laid out.
23) Bad Dog Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Very low tech, very painful, and very pointless.
24) Helicockter Pointless, but somewhat funny. Certainly no highlight.
25) Snake River Redemption Great stuff. Poignant watching the now deceased Ryan Dunn land the jump.
26) Apple of my Ass Pretty pointless. Just more of Preston humiliating himself.
27) Duck Hunting Really liked this one, especially Dunn's cartwheeling.
28) Really Bad Grandpa Pretty funny, but nowhere near as funny as the original "Bad Grandpa" in the second movie. The young woman they used in this is quite attractive, even though they used makeup to create the illusion of her being much younger than she actually is.
29) The Ram Jam Not much happening except for a pugnacious ram slamming the daylights out of Ryan carrying a tuba. Still, pretty amusing overall.
30) Golf Ball Racquetball Ouch! Nothing else to say.
31) Lamborghini Tooth Pull Danger Ehren endures some excruciating pain. Pretty funny.
32) Penis Peeing Camera Not very funny, just disgusting. The only thing moderately funny is when you realize what that object is to the immediate left of the camera's field of view.
33) Gorilla in the Hotel Room Just not buying that April and Phil didn't know right away that this was Chris in a suit instead of a real ape.
34) The Invisible Man Pretty funny, especially watching Knoxville blend into the background that matches his suit.
35) Snake Trap Bam just gets angry, and that's about it. Nowhere near as funny as the King cobra stunt in the second movie.
36) Penis Baseball What else did anyone expect Pontius to do but go completely naked once again?
37) Will the Farter Laughed really hard at this. Crude, yes, but REALLY funny.
38) Poo Cocktail Supreme Just too disgusting, period.
Having watched all three movies, I can say without qualification that the second movie is by far the funniest, even if it has what I consider the most disgusting bits of all, Dave and Bam eating horse apples and the bit with Chris and the stallion.
The first movie comes in second, with the movie being reviewed here coming in a distant third.
Also, unlike with the first two movies, you get no commentary track, which I often find this nearly as funny as the regular movie audio.
You do get a few deleted scenes/outtakes, and some of those are pretty funny, while others were little more than filler.
I should also warn those of you with young kids that there are at least two bits with complete nudity and (less important) some very foul language.
Discount Andy's Airplanes, Andy Meets the Blue Angels (2010)
I saw the whole thing on youtube. The description ends with "Please keep telling your friends about this great show and help us make more." The full episode was posted on their youtube channel back in 2011. Their website is gone, and the facebook page only has 117 likes. I loved watching the show and thought there would be more episodes, I was crushed when I found out that its been 6 years since they made this pilot and still no more episodes. It's fun to watch, accurate, informative, educational, and they do an awesome job of animating.
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TO BE TRUTHFUL, I NEVER GOT TO SEE THE MOVIE. IT WAS A GIFT TO MY ONE YEAR OLD GREAT GRANDSON WHO MY GRANDAUGHTER SAID WAS WILD ABOUT IT AND WATCHED IT OVER & OVER. SINCE I WAS A PROFESSIONAL PILOT FOR YEARS, NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS MUCH PLEASED.Best Deals for Andy's Airplanes, Andy Meets the Blue Angels (2010)
Grandchildren LOVE this DVD. I had to watch it over and over. Actually memorized lots of parts. Very interesting for kids, shows take offs and landings on aircraft carrier. A very cool story for boys and girls. If you have plane loving kids, this is one you should get them. Wish there was Andy 2 and 3. But alas, just this one.Honest reviews on Andy's Airplanes, Andy Meets the Blue Angels (2010)
You can see the whole thing (or just parts) on Youtube if you want a preview. It's a fun little movies for airplane-lovers, very good production quality, a neat story line. Our daughter (almost 2) loves it, and that's what counts.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Andy's Airplanes, Andy Meets the Blue Angels (2010)
I gave this as a gift to my friends 3yr old...well he had to watch it 6 times in the first day. He loves the movie. Now all he talks about is the Blue Angels : )Sunday, March 30, 2014
Cheap Disneynature: Chimpanzee (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray
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Just got back from seeing "Chimpanzee" with my girlfriend and our two young boys. They loved it, and so did I. The first viewing in a long while that received a standing O. I cannot wait till the Blu-Ray transfer.
This is the story(narrated by Tim Allen, "Toy Story", "Home Improvement")of a newly born chimp named Oscar. We watch him grow up with his Mother and the other Chimps among the clan. Freddy, the Grandfather-leader is my favorite.
You cannot watch this without thinking of how unbelievably human they are. Look at their eyes, their communication and feelings; its all on caught on film and wonderfully done. I loved the footage of their tool and decision making, so, so human. Though the story of Oscar is its focus, other stories such as Scar and his clan who are at a territorial war over food sources and the communication and the execution of hunting their prey is genius.
Wonderfully told by Tim Allen as he takes us through the story of the chimps with his comedic style.
My kids loved it and so did I. Its nice to watch something real and educational for a change, making this a perfect family film.
Short film but very sweet and well worth it.
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This review is based on the Instant View version of the film. . I don't know if it differs from the DVD sets which are available for purchase.Please note that I DO give away some of the plot details, although this info is also included in nearly every advertisement or trailer for the film. If you haven't seen those, you may not want to read the rest of this review but I think those with young children might want to have enough information to decide if their children are ready for the film.
Before getting into the basics of this movie, I do want to note that it is probably best suited for older children since it does have some sections that could be frightening to younger ones, including the death of a baby chimp's mother (although this is not shown but rather narrated by Tim Allen).
There are also other events which involve violence, including attacks by rival groups of chimpanzees, but as with the death of the mother chimp most of the details are left to the imagination. Still, I certainly wouldn't take a young child to this movie. Just my take.
Shown in documentary form, this is the tale of a very young and adorable baby chimp named Oscar. The earlier parts of the movie revolve around Oscar's close bond with Isha, his mother. Both kids and adults who watched this with me found the early scenes to the slower part of the film. As one kid put it " There is too much talking" and I have to agree that the narration could have been edited for better impact.
Still, there was plenty of interesting info about how chimps use tools to open fruit and poke sticks in old branches on the ground to find termites and other bugs. Scenes of baby chimps playing or pretend fighting with each other brought smiles to our faces.
It takes awhile before the crucial event in this movie occurs....and Oscar's mother dies. This info has been broadly advertised in the promos for this movie but I'll leave out more explicit descriptions here. Young children probably couldn't handle even the narration of these events. I have to admit that I found it difficult to watch Oscar's mournful search for his mother and the challenges he faced without her.
In true Disney form, there is a nice abd comforting resolution and one that is likely to surprise and amaze viewers. I certainly wouldn't have predicted it.
There is also a bonus bit at the end of the film which reveals how the film was made and some of the humorous as well as frustrating experiences faced by the documentary's creators. I do wish there had been some different and more engaging music throughout the film, similar to that used during the ending scenes.
If you are the sort who detests movies or books where chimpanzees or other creatures are given human names and their feelings are described, you will probably want to avoid the film. After all, who really knows the exact details of another's mind, including human minds? But naming the baby chimp Oscar as well as imagining his possible feelings may make the film more accessible to children and perhaps help spur a lasting enthusiasm for nature. I can certainly see the advantage of this, even though I am ambivalent about it. However, the movie does have the blessing of noted chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall and part of the proceeds from the opening week went to the Jane Goodall Institute, designated to help protect chimpanzees and their habitats.
After watching the film, perhaps viewers will also consider how they might help ensure the future of chimpanzees.
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This was really a great movie! I got it for my 6 year old (he loves nature documentary type movies) and we both loved it. It was a little sad, but it was really neat to see what happens and how Oscar perceivers. I would recommend this to anyone who likes nature movies. I've read reviews putting the narration down, but I honestly liked it.Honest reviews on Disneynature: Chimpanzee (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray
National Geographic films were a staple in my house as a child. I belonged to that monthly program where a new one was shipped to my house regularly and I indulged in whatever wildlife adventure was laid before me for that month. I ate them up and loved every second of it. When `Chimpanzee' was released I was excited. My wife was excited. My kids were excited.I was disappointed.
My problem with `Chimpanzee' is that, at the end of the day, it all feels so pointless. The story concocted by the producers to make this more `compelling' is just not that captivating and at times becomes a burden on the film itself. Creating a story with cartoonish names (Scar) and making them a pivotal role in the film took away from what could have been something truly beautiful. Instead, it all felt so forced and unnecessary. Yes, the story involving little Oscar is sweet (tragic in parts and heartwarming in others) but by the time the film was finished I found myself wishing it had been more straightforward and less intent on trying so hard to make this a `story'. It really defeats the whole purpose of watching these animals in their natural environment. Instead, you have a rather contrived `plot' laid out by Tim Allen in a way that is stiff, unnatural and awkward in parts.
They just tried WAY TOO HARD.
The cinematography is nice, but the overall effect is uninspired, clichéd and sadly forgettable.
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When the filmmakers who brought the Disneynature feature film Chimpanzee to the movie screen, they may have expected some hazards (wait until you see the eye-popping bonus feature in which they're constantly tormented by bees), but they never expected a rare and amazing story to tell itself right before their cameras.A young chimp, named Oscar for the film, suffers a difficult loss and a astonishing gain. Sorry if that's too much of a spoiler, but that is only one of the experiences you will share in this, perhaps the most remarkable of the Disneynature film series. Tim Allen narrates with a fine blend of warmth, concern and humor as this chimpanzee troup lives through various challenges, searches for food and has fun -like most families.
The film is so engrossing, the 78 minutes seem to fly by. Generous bonus sequences that chronicle the creation of the film, though not as plentiful for DVD users, are almost as fascinating as the film itself. If you see this on Blu-ray, prepare for a breathtaking ride. Some of the scenes are so lush and painterly, they look as if they came from a classic Disney animated feature -particularly a stunning long upward pan resembling a fantastic mulit-plane Disney sequence.
Young children may be unnerved by some of the material, and there is a disclaimer about the bee sequence -it's that intense.
it's nice to be able to watch this from a comfy chair in a climate-controlled room and be grateful to the filmmakers for going to such extreme lengths to capture all of this for all of us to experience.
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First things first, it was Not a cut and paste of the books.
It was as funny, as innovative, as lovable, as heartfelt, and as humble as the books.
My favorite part of the books though, was that they were just really fun. I felt a smile on my face while I read it.
The movie version doesn't lose that.
Some characters are far gayer (weird, I expected to see a red line under that word), and some characters are far less.
Some lost face time and others gained, but I can't think of a single Book-to-Movie edit that was a bad call. (considering they had to cut about 75% of all character development/back stories)
It feels inappropriate to use the same old words and phrases to praise a movie that was slathered with completely new things I've never seen in a movie or script. I owe Edgar Wright and Brian Lee O'Malley an attempt though...
-Any one scene from this movie could be viral on YouTube on its own.
-My 'Love the Movie' to 'Hate the Wait til DVD' Ratio is equal at ' : '
-If there'd been a 15 ft tall facebook "Like" button at the end of the movie, I would've thrown my full weight against it.
-There were parts were I wanted to ignore the movie just to have something new to watch when I see it again in a few days.
-I'm dude-pregnant with the movie's baby.
This movie easily makes my Top 10.
If you haven't read the books, you'll only understand about 98% of the plot and 96% of the jokes.
I'll save a spolier-laden critique of the movie for at least a week or two after the movie.
What's important now is that you understand how hard this movie does all the undefinable things it does.
Rating: Awesome
(How many reviews will have that in them? Over/Under: 249.5)
[review taken from ]
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I'd never heard of this movie or the book that it was apparently based on, but watched it last night. This movies is a weirdly appealing mishmash of twenty-something angst, a comic book plot, videogame fight sequences and hard-driving punk rock. It's also one of the funniest movies I've ever seen with a huge number of laugh out loud sequences and dialog, example:Scott, picking up a guitar: "I wrote a song about you."
(plays a tender, haunting song mostly repeating the name Ramona)
Ramona, after song ends: "That was nice, let me know when you've finished it."
Shot of Scott looking perplexed.
Ramona: "Back then I was bi-curious."
Female Evil-ex: "Now I'm BI-FURIOUS!"
I'm not going to get into the plot of the movie, which is mostly irrelevant anyway. This film is just an escapist roller coaster. Forget about anything making sense and enjoy the ride. It's a blast.
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NOTE: This is just reviewing the theatrical release, not the DVD or Blu-ray.It was with very little fanfare that I went to see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World on opening night. The ads were never really appealing to me and I felt like Michael Cera was being typecast so I figured this movie would be a flop. Still, there was enough positive buzz that I agreed to come along when a friend wanted to go and I'm floored at how opposite of a reaction I had to this film. Not only is it probably the biggest surprises of my life as far as movies go (not plot-wise, just in my feelings about it), but it's hands down one of the most fun experiences I've ever had in a movie theater.
The plot of Scott Pilgrim is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from the trailers: Michael Cera is Scott Pilgrim, who has fallen in love with a very alluring girl who, as it so happens, has 7 evil exes who have banded together to ensure that no one dates her if they can't. You really have to go into the movie accepting that this is the plot because it's not anything deeper than that, and that's a big part of what I love about it. This is one of the few movies I've seen in a long while that understands exactly what it needs to do and really nails it. It focuses on a few things and blows them out of the park. So even though the romance story is never fully fleshed out, it's the first movie I've seen that has felt like a comic book and a video game have come to life, slept together, and produced a child on the big screen.
I don't know how true it is to the comic book, but that's irrelevant because it stands on its own as something really smart if you can appreciate the references and things it tries to parody. You don't have to be a gamer or a comic book fan to enjoy the film, you're just guaranteed to love it if you are either. I never thought I'd see a movie that got so many things right about video games everything from nonsensical fights to collecting coins where it doesn't make sense to a ton of subtle things that are just elegantly done. It's either subtle or obviously over-the-top, it never beats a joke to death. I laughed a lot from even before the movie formally started but I also saw very few promotional materials.
Aside from those facets, the music is perfect for the movie. I almost felt like it had as much music as a musical without the baggage that would entail. The cast really contributing to pulling off the music though. I believed in them in their roles, as crazy as the world they lived in ended up being. I believed their passion for their music, and that was a cool feeling. The way they weaved music into the storyline was truly clever.
I can't leave out how much heart this movie had either. I don't mean gushy have-a-good-cry heart, I just mean that it actually makes you feel good to be a nerd if you're a nerd. It makes you want to go out and jam out on your guitar or play Street Fighter or something I just felt pumped and enamored with how much the director seemed to love music and video games and comics.
Unfortunately, I don't think this is a movie everyone will love. I can't imagine anyone hating it because it just makes you feel so good walking out of it, but I can see parts of it being harder to appreciate without being in your 20s or early 30s. It is somewhat of a niche movie, but I wouldn't be ashamed to show it to anyone (assuming they're at least a teenager). I will say that the writing is weak at times. Even though I did identify somewhat with the romance, it was still at times handled a little strangely. I can see people taking issue with the characters, but I actually liked how non-traditional they were. They weren't people you could totally peg down, but in a good way. One minor gripe I had was that the ending was possibly a little more drawn out than it needed to be, but I didn't really mind that much.
This movie is easily an A+ to me, and I urge you to please go and see it. It's only done like $10 million and I think it'll make it up over the course of its run in theaters and on home video, but I feel bad that the makers may not feel the love from the box office that I felt for this movie. I feel silly having had such a strong positive reaction to a romantic comedy action movie that appeals to the 12-year-old inside of me, but I can't lie: I enjoyed this film and can't wait to get it on Blu-ray.
Honest reviews on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Blu-ray + DVD) (2010)
Scott Pilgrim, Canadian slacker, has broken hearts before and had his own heart broken one too many times, but now he seems to have reached a new low. He's 22, between jobs and playing bass in a not-so-great band, and he's dating a high schooler. Sure, her name is Knives Chow, which everyone has to admit is kind of a cool name, and she's got mad skills in the arcade but they haven't even kissed, and they probably shouldn't, and everyone around him knows this is not really moving on, and it's not fair to the young woman whose heart he is sure to break. Sure enough, he does decide to move on the moment he sets eyes on the colorful and enigmatic girl of his dreams (who also happens to be around his age): but she's got some serious baggage. In order to date her, he has to defeat, in arcade game style mortal combat, her seven evil exes (all played with panache by a number of cameo stars).It's like a colorfully stylized musical, except instead of breaking into song when conflicts arise or emotions boil, they break out impossible kungfu moves, complete with colorful Batman-tv-era "kerplunks" and "pows" written onto the screen. I read a New York Times review from an unimpressed game critic who seemed to want it to mean something, or to better reflect the reality of contemporary video games. Maybe it doesn't do those things, but I don't think it needs to. My wife and I saw it and walked out enchanted and amused. (My only complaint is that I thought Scott Pilgrim and Knives Chow were in fact a far better match than he and the bright-haired Ramona Flowers. I just never saw the sparks between Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead so that in this unrealistic fantasy that was the one thing that really felt fake.) Hollywood will always be telling love stories and I hope that every once in a while they get around to making them as inventive and funny as Edgar Wright managed to make this one.
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Just got my copy on 7/21/11. To let everyone know, the packaging now says NOTHING about there being a DVD inside (no +DVD on the spine, nor DVD below the Bluray square on the lower left of the back packaging. Rest assured, the DVD is inside the packaging.Reviews of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
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Since I had to look elsewhere for DVD details (to decide whether to buy the 2-disc or one-disc film), I thought I'd post here:
1-Disc Wide screen and Full Screen DVD
*Includes both a wide screen and full screen version of the film.
*No special features
*RRP $28.98
2-Disc Digital Copy Special Edition DVD
*Widescreen version only
*Additional scenes (6:31)
*Close-Up with the Cast and Crew of Harry Potter special. Matthew Lewis ("Neville Longbottom") and Alfred Enoch ("Dean Thomas") lead us on an entertaining look at the cast of Harry Potter as they explore their interests away from acting and spend a day on set with the production team (28:30)
*J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life: A fascinating and intimate look into the life of J.K. Rowling over the last year of writing "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." (49:32)
*One Minute Drills: The cast has 60 seconds to describe their character's personality, history, relationships and other traits before time runs out (6:43)
*What's On Your Mind: Hosted by Tom Felton, the cast is put on the spot when asked a series of rapid-fire questions on their likes and dislikes. (6:41)
*Universal's "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" Sneak Peek: Get an "inside look" at the amazing world of magic and excitement being created at Universal Orlando® Resort in Florida (11:38)
*Digital Copy of the theatrical film (2nd disc)
*RRP $34.99
I can't believe the negative reviews. I read the book and thought the filmmakers did a fantastic job with it. Anyone who wants a film to be an exact replica of any book should do themselves a favor and just read the book again. Am looking forward to enjoying it again (and again) on DVD.
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First. please let me say that I adore (nay, worship) the Harry Potter stories. So, being a gen-you-wine "Potter-Head" I was first in line to see Half-Blood Prince.It was an interesting movie. Nice special effects.
Disjointed enough however that one MUST have seen all the previous movies and/or read the books to follow the plot.
...Most importantly, it bears little resemblance to the Harry Potter books!!!
Really. I can forgive replacing the actions of one character with another character, to save time, I can even forgive eliminating whole chapters for the sake of brevity, but to change scenes, edit whole parts, and invent whole chapters???
Beware, below, there be SPOILERS! Don't read if you haven't watched!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some examples of lost scenes:
-Dumbledore confronting the Dursley's? Gone.
-The invention of a fight at the burrow, including the destruction of the whole house? Really? Where's Bill & Fleur going to get married next movie? (Oh that's right, in the movies, they AREN'T! Heck, they aren't even in -thismovie!)
-The "Meeting of the Ministers" scene? Gone. Heck there's absolutely NO sign of Scrimgeour -anywherein the whole movie!
-Tonks rescuing Harry from the train? Nope, now it's Luna, looking for Wrackspurts, and removing Harry's invisibility cloak with her wand. (As A Deathly Hallow, it should be immune to summoning and/or levitation charms.)
-The slow build up leading to the Quiddich victory kiss? Gone. Now just a "close your eyes" peck in the Room of Requirement, and this was done horribly!!
-The two months of Harry & Ginny dating? Gone.
-Harry breaking up with Ginny to protect her? Gone!
-Harry's ownership of Grimmauld Place and Kreacher? (Key for the next movie) Gone.
-The Gaunt house flash-backs? Both gone. And with them any mention of Merope, Voldemort's mother. Gone too the mention of her locket by Caractacus Burke.
-The memories of Hokey the house elf, and of Dumbledore's job interview with Voldemort? (Key for the next movie) Gone. In fact, all references to the valuable heirlooms such as Hufflepuff's cup are gone.
-Crabb & Goyle polyjuiceing into girls to stand watch? (would have been funny, but...) Gone.
-Snapes "Defense Against the Dark Arts" lessons? Gone.
-Apparition lessons and test? Gone.
-Hermione & Ron's Prefect status? (Well, since it wasn't mentioned LAST film, why mention it now?)
-Harry's appointment as Quiddich captain? (Not mentioned, only implied during the tryouts)
-Mundungus stealing Sirius' property? (KEY for the next movie) Gone.
-Snap's betrayal of Trelawney's prophecy to Voldemort? (HUGE!) Gone!!!
-Harry petrified by Dumbledoor to protect him? GONE!
-The Hogwarts battle between Death Eaters and Order members? (and Bill's disfigurement?) GONE!!
-Dumbledore's funeral? GONE!!!!
...oh sure, we'll probably get to see a few of the minor bits I've mentioned in the "deleted scenes" portion of the "Deluxe" version of the DVD, but for this screen version, We get such useless add-on scenes as:
-All the trees around the burrow (HP 2/the flying car shot) have been cut down and replaced by a marsh?
-Harry wandering the underground, and chatting up a waitress??
-The aforementioned Burrow fight and subsequent burning??
Not to mention, Harry NOT petrified, but willingly hiding and watching Dumbledore's assassination? (Does anyone besides me see how that fundamentally would change Harry's view of himself?) Yeash!
And WHAT the heck was up with Jessie Cave/Lavender Brown? Worst acting since Brother Sun/Sister Moon! They tested 7000 girls, and they picked a 2nd rate ham? In fact, they tested using the hospital scene, which was single-handedly the worst scene she did in the film!
Ok, ok, on the positive side, the Quidditch tryouts and match were well done, and Dumbledore and Harry's apparition is depicted quite well.
All in all, I am happy they are making Harry Potter movies, but they are -nothingcompared to the books, and THIS one should be prefaced with "Loosely based on the novel by J. K. Rowling"!!
Best Deals for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Warner Brothers is trying to fool us again calling this an "Ultimate Edition" when it is NOT the extended version of the film. It comes with behind the scenes extras and commentaries, but the movie itself is the same! I expect this is because they decided after the first 2 Ultimate Editions that they would wait and re-release all 8 movies at once in another Ultimate Edition, but this time a Box Set with extended versions of all films to entice everyone to buy all the movies yet again. Hold off for now and watch your DVD copies next year we can all buy the REAL Ultimate Editions!Honest reviews on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
My main gripe with the previous Harry Potter movie "Order of the Phoenix" was that for some strange reason they took the longest of the books and turned it into the shortest Harry Potter movie to date. The result was that I felt like I was watching the movie fly by on a speeding train, as it rushed from one key event to another without really taking the time to explore anything in detail.Now we follow up with "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" and....what a difference. There are plenty of cuts of course, no Harry Potter movie can be free of cuts without being waaaay too long. But the movie's length was at least comparable to some of the others. The 3 lead characters were as spot on as ever. Michael Gambon finally brings a bit more warmth to his portrayal of Albus Dumbledor than he brought to the last few movies. Tom Felton played Draco Malfoy with all the depth one would hope for in his most important role in the series. Alan Rickman isn't seen too much as Severus Snape, but when he is he's as wonderful as ever.
I really think this may be the best Harry Potter film yet, and I was really starting to think after the last film that the story had gotten to big for them to manage in film. Good work guys.
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This is not a review of the movie, but rather of the poor job Warner Home Video has done with the Blu-ray video transfer. There are horizontal bands visible in various scenes throughout the movie. They are not constantly visible, but appear primarily in scenes where there are large areas of darkness though of course that means they are visible in quite a few scenes of this very dark movie.The bands are not being produced by my player I can see them on all three of my Blu-ray players, including my PS3 and two computers with Blu-ray drives. The bands are part of the image and are visible when the movie is freeze-framed.
I recommend that those considering a purchase refrain from buying this disc until and unless a replacement is offered by Warner Home Video.
I own over 200 Blu-ray discs, and this is the first time I have seen this issue on any transfer. It is obvious to me that this disc was mastered incorrectly.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Reviews of The Lion King Trilogy (Eight-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD
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So I recently watched the Lion King in the theatres, and it was still as magical as I remember it was growing up. After reading some of the reviews on here, there seems to be a little mix-up as to what you get, so I would just like to clarify in case someone is interested in this amazing trilogy, which by the way has a beautiful outer wood box.
The Lion King comes with the 3D blu-ray, the standard blu-ray, the standard DVD, and digital copy.
The Lion King 1.5 comes with the standard blu-ray and the standard DVD.
The Lion King 2 comes with the standard blu-ray and the standard DVD.
As you can tell, only the original Lion King comes with 3D and digital copy, so it is basically the same thing as the regular 4 disc 3D pack you can get. The other 2 movies only have the standards of each format, so you can treat them as basic combo packs. I hope this helps clarify a few matters and whatever you do, definately pick this movie up.
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(This review is for the films only.)Yes, I said trilogy. This set includes the Disney classic The Lion King and its two sequels,The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion King 1 1/2. All three are great films, which is surprising, due to Disney's history with doing sequels.
The Lion King is the classic story of a young lion club named Simba who is next in line to become king of the Pride Lands. As he gets older, his uncle Scar begins to despise him and Mufasa, Simba's father and Scar's older brother. Mufasa is king, which makes Scar furious, and he makes a plot to kill them both. The plot is proven to be a success. Mufasa is killed and Simba, believing it to be his fault, runs off. He leaves the Pridelands and meets Timon and Pumbaa, a meekat and warthog who eats bugs. Simba soon joins the two and adopts their "Hakuna Matata"(it means no worries)lifestyle. Soon, Simba grows up and one day comes across his old friend Nala, who tells him that Scar is destroying their home. Simba at first disagrees about doing something about it, but after meeting with a old friend of his father named Rafiki, a wise mystic baboon, Simba gets back on track and decides to challenge Scar and become......The Lion King.
This movie is truly one of the best animated movies ever made. With some amazing voice-overs(including James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, Whoppi Goldberg, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and a engaging story, The Lion King is truly a classic to behold. Five Stars.
While probably the least interesting of the set, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride is still one amazing sequel. The story revolves around Simba's and Nala's daughter named Kiara. Kiara one days ventures into the territory of the lioness named Zira. Zira is the wife of Scar and she wants revenge on Simba. Zira has a young lion club named Kovu and while Kiara is in Zira's territory, she and Kovu get to know each other. Soon, the two parents show up and Simba takes Kiara home. At her home, Zira comes with a plan: she will train Kovu to kill Simba by getting to Kiara. Years later, they are now grown up and while Kiara is on her first hunt, a fire, set off by Zira's other children, is burning the pridelands. Kiara barely makes to high ground and Kovu arrives just in time to save her. Simba sees him and Kovu tells him to give him a chance, while truly trying to kill him. Meanwhile, Rafiki is trying to get Kiara and Kovu together, beliving it could stop the feud between the two families. It proves to be a success as Kiara and Kovu fall for each other. Soon Simba tries to get to know Kovu better and finds out the truth about Kovu plans for Simba, which Kovu now doesn't want to go through with, due to his feelings for Kiara. Kovu gets banished and Kiara runs off to find him. Zira now decides to take on Simba's pride by force and kill Simba by herself. Now, Kovu and Kiara must stop this before the worst happens.
Better than most sequels, Simba's Pride brings back all the characters from the original and introduces fascinating new characters. The story, while less interesting than the first, still works for this film and the voice-overs are good as well.
Four Stars.
The newest addition to the series is The Lion King 1 1/2. This is the first film's story, told from Timon's and Pumbaa's point of view. The story begins with Timon and his life before he took on his Hakuna Matata lifestyle. He makes tunnels for a living, but always screws them up. While Timon's mom beleves he just hasn't found his place yet in the clan, Timon, along with his Uncle Max and the other meekats, believe he is just a klutz and he isn't gonna get better anytime soon. Timon decides it's time to find the home of his dreams and sets off with his mother's permission. While on his quest, he meets Pumbaa and the two form a "aquaintship", which soon becomes a friendship. They soon find their dream home and everything seems perfect until one day they find Simba and decide to raise him until that fateday when Nala arrived. When they hear Simba has gone back to the Pridelands to become king, Timon and Pumbaa must now help Simba regain his right to become the rightful king of the Pridelands.
This one is incredibly funny and also, very clever. The idea of seeing the story from Timon and Pumbaa's point of view is delightful and the laughs are plenty. Overall, a new addition to the series that is fresh and fun. I give the Lion King 1 1/2 five stars.
I hope this review was helpful. I hope you enjoy this set of movies as much as I did.
Best Deals for The Lion King Trilogy (Eight-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD
This three movie, six disc collection is definitely worth the price paid. This collection contains Disney's The Lion King, Lion King 1 ½ and Lion King 2: Simba's Pride. The Lion King is a much beloved Disney classic. And while the Lion King 1 ½ and 2 are not nearly as good as the original they are funny and enjoyable in their own right.The special features, frankly, are not that good. There's some games on them and some short montages on the characters. But mostly, I just watched the movies.
Honest reviews on The Lion King Trilogy (Eight-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD
I love The Lion King trilogy, I have no complaints about the movies. This review is reviewing the box set it comes in.The outside of the box is very lovely, with wood-like carving imagery on the outside. But once you open the case it comes in, you are in for a disappointment. The discs are in thin cardboard! There are no cases to hold the discs. You just slide them out of their "file" type thin cardbard. I can see this set getting very scratched in the near future if you watch these a lot. I only bought this set because I wanted all 3 movies. I suggest everyone wait and buy each separately in a appropriate blu ray case release. I would have rather had all three movies in actual blu ray cases inside this nice box, than this cheap, crappy drum. I expected much more, Disney...
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The Lion King is one of Disney's animated "golden age" films (along with little mermaid, alladin, etc.), and it really is a timeless classic.for the pre-order price of about $75, it's a great value considering the 4 disc blue-ray set alone is going to run you at least $30, Lion King 2 around $20 and 2 1/2 maybe $15. Shell out a few more bucks and you get a nifty box to keep everything in and you know that you have the complete collection, special features and all.
The great thing about the 4 disc blu ray combo pack for the ORIGINAL Lion King, is that it includes:
the regular 2D movie dvd & blu-ray disc, a 3D blu-ray disc, (this ensures that whatever technology you are currently using, you will be able to watch the movie, regardless. and if you are using DVD now, you will have blu-ray for later when you upgrade. or you can always give away whichever one you don't want/need.)
and the digital copy which I always love as an option. Digital copies allow you to upload to mobile devices (especially easy for itune users although it might restrict usage to apple devices), such as your phone, tables (great for keeping you or maybe your kids entertained on trips or when waiting for stuff), and of course, your laptops and computers.
for the other 2 movies, Lion King 2 and Lion King 1 1/2, there is a DVD & Blu-ray copy for each.
The set also includes all the bonus discs for all three movies, which of course has all the bonus features: deleted scenes, commentary, shorts, new songs, etc etc.
It's a great value and would make a great gift for anyone who enjoys Disney Animated Movies.
(if you dont need/want all the bells and whistles or the other movies, then another version might be better for you. the 2disc DVD/blu-ray also has the special features, just not the 3D or the digital copy)
Review of Tower of London (1939)
you cannot compare this with any of the other universal horror movies that came around the same time. This is not a horror movie but a historical drama depicting the unscrupulous rise to power of Richard the III, played in the most evil and backstabbing way by Basil Rathbone( most excellent actor of Sherlock Holmes fame and Son of Frankenstein). The plot and script are so much more intricate and intelligent than the other universal horrors, but no wonder it's not a horror movie. Some say this is a bland role for Karloff, but he plays an executioner that is the subserviant friend of Richard the III, of course he is going to come across as a brute, but what else would you expect of an executioner from the middle ages. Vincent Price(in an early role in his career) is excellent as a snivelling coward, that is in the way of Richards rise to power. Overall an excellent movie, one of Universal's best from the time period of the classic monsters.
True, he has a humpback too--in fact, his armor has a bump in it to allow for the hump--but he carries himself gracefully, as Rathbone always does. He's just as evil, though. Whereas Olivier has a number of asides to the audience through which we learn of his machination's purposes, Rathbone's got a little closet with the succession to the throne literally spelled out in dolls. Doll #1 is brother Edward played by Ian Hunter, who enjoys every trick Richard plays on everyone else, and condones all the murdering going on. It's clear he hasn't the imagination to realize that ultimately Richard will target dolls #4 and 5, Edward's own two sons, the famous Little Princes who vanished in the Tower of London. Doll #2 is the semi-senile usurped king Henry VI, played by Miles Mander, veteran of many a Shirley Temple and Sherlock Holmes movie. He gets dispatched at prayer by Richard's loyal executioner friend Mort, lovingly brought to us by clubfooted Boris Karloff. He pledges himself to Richard saying, "You're more than a prince, more than a king...You're a god to me!" Wow, how's that for hero worship? Doll #3 is the son of that usurped king, who's biggest transgression is having married the woman Richard loved. So much for him, eventually. My personal favorite is Doll #6, Richard's other brother Clarence, Vincent Price in a very early role. These two have never gotten along, so we shouldn't be surprised when a drinking bout between the brothers takes a particularly nasty turn for poor Clarence. Every time there's a victim, off the corresponding doll goes into the fireplace while the remaining dolls move up, the Richard Doll lagging behind, but making steady progress. It's a neat contrivance of the screenwriters, although Rathbone doesn't really demonstrate a need for such psychodrama.
The movie does have a major drawback, and that's the white-hat hero whom Mort puts to every torture device imaginable, for a reason I've forgotten. This guy's not so good looking (actually looks somewhat pinched faced, like a Zachary Scott type), and his character is annoying. I suppose the filmmakers felt there had to be a good character to counterbalance all the other stuff that was going on, but frankly, the other stuff is true and a lot more interesting than this fake good guy.
"Tower of London" is a great treat because it provides us another opportunity to see the always-dashing Basil Rathbone. What I found remarkable during this outing was the way that all these nefarious doings seemed perfectly justified the way that Basil was comporting himself. Ian Hunter has a lot more to do than I've ever seen in any other movie role he had, and I'm sorry for his usual underutilization; actually, he's pretty good. And Vincent? He brings much fun to his role as the pampered sissyboy brother who plays right into Basil's hands.
Chase up some courage and watch "Tower of London" to see a wonderful old movie.
Gruesome scenes abound: Karloff chops heads and even one scene where he has his henchmen kill two children, which I'm surprised got by the censors. The screams are off camera, but you get the idea.
The battle scenes are pedestrian, kinda like watching a high school football game.
Karloff excels as the sadistic executioner, sharpening his axe with glee and excitement. The torture scene of the young traitor, whom it's hard to feel sympathy for, is quite surprising. How can a guy live through the rack, hot tongs and hung by his thumbs and still not say where the stolen treasure is buried?
Vincent Price makes an early-career appearance as a dandy and a drunkard. Interestingly he would do the Roger Corman remake many years later.
If you're not familiar with English history, it would be easy to get lost in the intrigue. Overall, great to watch a classic master like Karloff, disappointed in Rathbone's tepid characterization, another bit if interest for the Universal Pictures film student.
Somewhat recommended!
And that brings us to Tower of London. Here we have a cauldron of a movie bubbling merrily away that spatters as much rancid stew on Richard almost as vividly as Shakespeare and More did. Basil Rathbone plays Richard with enthusiastic malice. As a henchman, he has Boris Karloff as Mord, a big, club-footed, bald-headed, muscular torturer, eager to use the executioner's axe or the torturer's rack and whip. "You're more than a duke," Mord tells Richard, "more than a king. You're a god to me!" Mord eagerly and admiringly acts on Richard's plans, from thrusting a dagger into the back of the mad old Henry VI to tipping Clarence, Richard's troublesome brother, into a huge vat of malmsey, then sitting on the lid while waiting for the sound of the bubbles to stop.
Just as with Shakespeare's Richard, Hollywood's Rathbonian version is great fun, at least as long as Richard has center stage. Things slow down when we spend time seeing how angelic the two royal tykes are. There also is a romantic and conventional subplot between a lady-in-waiting and a young man dedicated to helping Henry Tudor bring down Richard. This is Basil Rathbone's movie, however, and he makes the most of it with icy diction and some good lines. He hands his own dagger to Mord, then sends him to where Henry VI is praying. "A fitting occasion for a blade in the shape of a cross," Richard says. "It will insure the thrust and bless the wound." Karloff gives wonderful, dreadful support. At one point we watch him step heavily on a young royal messenger with his club foot. The boy doesn't survive.
Of course, we should know the outcome by now. And who did kill the two young princes? Some say Richard would have been foolish to do so so soon into his reign. Better to wait if he were going to do the deed. The most likely candidate may be the Duke of Buckingham, amoral, unreliable and impetuous, who was eager to have Richard in his debt. My money is on Henry VII. If when Henry won the crown and then found the two princes in the Tower, both with a much better claim to the throne than Henry's, their future would quickly have become their past...as it did.
Those who appreciate the gleeful assassination of a person's character will enjoy Lawrence Olivier's Richard III and Ian McKellan's Richard III. Those who might appreciate reading a different point of view should look up Paul Murray Kendall's marvelous biography, Richard III.
Richard III Criterion Collection
Richard III
Richard the Third
Richard III: The Great Debate
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Laurence Olivier's Richard III is fun to watch, but his Duke of Glouchester is warped inside and out: ugly and humpbacked, strutting about. Basil Rathbone's Richard is very different from that.True, he has a humpback too--in fact, his armor has a bump in it to allow for the hump--but he carries himself gracefully, as Rathbone always does. He's just as evil, though. Whereas Olivier has a number of asides to the audience through which we learn of his machination's purposes, Rathbone's got a little closet with the succession to the throne literally spelled out in dolls. Doll #1 is brother Edward played by Ian Hunter, who enjoys every trick Richard plays on everyone else, and condones all the murdering going on. It's clear he hasn't the imagination to realize that ultimately Richard will target dolls #4 and 5, Edward's own two sons, the famous Little Princes who vanished in the Tower of London. Doll #2 is the semi-senile usurped king Henry VI, played by Miles Mander, veteran of many a Shirley Temple and Sherlock Holmes movie. He gets dispatched at prayer by Richard's loyal executioner friend Mort, lovingly brought to us by clubfooted Boris Karloff. He pledges himself to Richard saying, "You're more than a prince, more than a king...You're a god to me!" Wow, how's that for hero worship? Doll #3 is the son of that usurped king, who's biggest transgression is having married the woman Richard loved. So much for him, eventually. My personal favorite is Doll #6, Richard's other brother Clarence, Vincent Price in a very early role. These two have never gotten along, so we shouldn't be surprised when a drinking bout between the brothers takes a particularly nasty turn for poor Clarence. Every time there's a victim, off the corresponding doll goes into the fireplace while the remaining dolls move up, the Richard Doll lagging behind, but making steady progress. It's a neat contrivance of the screenwriters, although Rathbone doesn't really demonstrate a need for such psychodrama.
The movie does have a major drawback, and that's the white-hat hero whom Mort puts to every torture device imaginable, for a reason I've forgotten. This guy's not so good looking (actually looks somewhat pinched faced, like a Zachary Scott type), and his character is annoying. I suppose the filmmakers felt there had to be a good character to counterbalance all the other stuff that was going on, but frankly, the other stuff is true and a lot more interesting than this fake good guy.
"Tower of London" is a great treat because it provides us another opportunity to see the always-dashing Basil Rathbone. What I found remarkable during this outing was the way that all these nefarious doings seemed perfectly justified the way that Basil was comporting himself. Ian Hunter has a lot more to do than I've ever seen in any other movie role he had, and I'm sorry for his usual underutilization; actually, he's pretty good. And Vincent? He brings much fun to his role as the pampered sissyboy brother who plays right into Basil's hands.
Chase up some courage and watch "Tower of London" to see a wonderful old movie.
Best Deals for Tower of London (1939)
"The Tower of a London" is an interesting horror film because it involves the same characters as Shakespeare's play "Richard III." Boris Karloff plays Mord, the executioner at the Tower and the ally of Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Basil Rathbone) in his quest for the crown. It is Mord who kills the aging King Henry VI and the young princes. Like "Richard III," the film ends with the Battle of Bosworth, but the chief difference between the two works are the Grand Guignol murders by Mord, such as when Richard and his executioner drown the Duke of Clarence (Vincent Price) in a vast butt of malmsey. Karloff might get to do more killing in this 1939 film directed by Rowland V. Lee, but this is very much Basil Rathbone's film and his Richard does not suffer much in comparison to Olivier's celebrated performance on film. Actually, they make a fascinating double-bill, but be sure to save "The Tower of London" for the second feature.Honest reviews on Tower of London (1939)
This slow-moving Universal picture has the evil Richard III, played by Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes) and with the aid of his club-footed executioner (Boris Karloff), he kills his way to the top to become king of England.Gruesome scenes abound: Karloff chops heads and even one scene where he has his henchmen kill two children, which I'm surprised got by the censors. The screams are off camera, but you get the idea.
The battle scenes are pedestrian, kinda like watching a high school football game.
Karloff excels as the sadistic executioner, sharpening his axe with glee and excitement. The torture scene of the young traitor, whom it's hard to feel sympathy for, is quite surprising. How can a guy live through the rack, hot tongs and hung by his thumbs and still not say where the stolen treasure is buried?
Vincent Price makes an early-career appearance as a dandy and a drunkard. Interestingly he would do the Roger Corman remake many years later.
If you're not familiar with English history, it would be easy to get lost in the intrigue. Overall, great to watch a classic master like Karloff, disappointed in Rathbone's tepid characterization, another bit if interest for the Universal Pictures film student.
Somewhat recommended!
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When that martyr to morality, that paragon of piety Sir Thomas More had his head chopped off by the order of his master, Henry VIII, it's unlikely in those last moments that he asked forgiveness for the sliming of Richard III's reputation, which he accomplished while ambitiously working to curry favor with the Tudors. Richard was the last of the Yorkist line, a capable and honest king, as ruthless in politics as everyone else was at that time, and most likely, if he had not taken action, to lose his own head to the machinations of the Woodvilles, the family of Queen Elizabeth, widow of Edward IV, Richard's brother, and mother to the two young princes who were the immediate heirs to the throne when Edward died. We know that Richard took control of the princes, that they were lodged with great comfort in the Tower, that he had them proclaimed illegitimate based on a prior morganatic marriage Edward had undertaken, and that there is no record of them having been seen during the last months of Richard's reign. We also know that Henry Tudor, a minor and ambitious offspring from the royal line, returned to England, raised an army and defeated Richard when the forces of Lord Stanley betrayed Richard and attacked his flank in the middle of the battle at Bosworth Field. Tudor took the crown, Richard's body disappeared after being abused, and the Tudor propaganda machine took over. Thanks primarily to Thomas More and, later, William Shakespeare, Richard was turned into a crook-backed, club-footed, amoral monster who slew innocent children, beheaded stalwart lovers of England, wooed widows over the caskets of their husbands and, to put it gently, was an unreliable friend. When Richard was killed in battle, the Tudors saw to it that Richard's reputation as a fair and capable king died with him.And that brings us to Tower of London. Here we have a cauldron of a movie bubbling merrily away that spatters as much rancid stew on Richard almost as vividly as Shakespeare and More did. Basil Rathbone plays Richard with enthusiastic malice. As a henchman, he has Boris Karloff as Mord, a big, club-footed, bald-headed, muscular torturer, eager to use the executioner's axe or the torturer's rack and whip. "You're more than a duke," Mord tells Richard, "more than a king. You're a god to me!" Mord eagerly and admiringly acts on Richard's plans, from thrusting a dagger into the back of the mad old Henry VI to tipping Clarence, Richard's troublesome brother, into a huge vat of malmsey, then sitting on the lid while waiting for the sound of the bubbles to stop.
Just as with Shakespeare's Richard, Hollywood's Rathbonian version is great fun, at least as long as Richard has center stage. Things slow down when we spend time seeing how angelic the two royal tykes are. There also is a romantic and conventional subplot between a lady-in-waiting and a young man dedicated to helping Henry Tudor bring down Richard. This is Basil Rathbone's movie, however, and he makes the most of it with icy diction and some good lines. He hands his own dagger to Mord, then sends him to where Henry VI is praying. "A fitting occasion for a blade in the shape of a cross," Richard says. "It will insure the thrust and bless the wound." Karloff gives wonderful, dreadful support. At one point we watch him step heavily on a young royal messenger with his club foot. The boy doesn't survive.
Of course, we should know the outcome by now. And who did kill the two young princes? Some say Richard would have been foolish to do so so soon into his reign. Better to wait if he were going to do the deed. The most likely candidate may be the Duke of Buckingham, amoral, unreliable and impetuous, who was eager to have Richard in his debt. My money is on Henry VII. If when Henry won the crown and then found the two princes in the Tower, both with a much better claim to the throne than Henry's, their future would quickly have become their past...as it did.
Those who appreciate the gleeful assassination of a person's character will enjoy Lawrence Olivier's Richard III and Ian McKellan's Richard III. Those who might appreciate reading a different point of view should look up Paul Murray Kendall's marvelous biography, Richard III.
Richard III Criterion Collection
Richard III
Richard the Third
Richard III: The Great Debate
Buy Tron: Legacy / Tron: The Original Classic (Five-Disc Combo:
This is one of the best 3D movies I have seen to date, especially considering how dark most of the movie is (note: darker movies typically don't provide good 3D quality). This pack includes the 3D blu-ray, blu-ray, DVD, and digital copy of Tron: Legacy as well as the blu-ray of the original Tron. All of these discs seems like overkill as I only watch Tron: Legacy in 3D and have watched the 2D blu-ray once for the bonus features. Having the original Tron in blu-ray is a great improvement over my original VHS!
I have found that over the years the quality of the collectitibles has gone down hill ... both in size and over all quality.
This sadly has suffered from the same fate.
Over all it comes with a number of DVD's and Blu-Ray's, The orginal special edition of Tron, the DVD of Tron Legacy (as well as a digital copy), the Blu-Ray version of Tron: Legacy, and lastly the Blu-Ray (3D only) version of Tron: Legacy. Which is great for the price.
But the disks (save the digital copy) are all located INSIDE and STACKED on top of each in the back of the Collectiable Idenity Disk and held in place with a very tough disk locking tab (I broke a finger nail in an effort to remove the disks). So do be careful removing the disks not only to prevent damaging them but also be careful with the Idenity Disk as well. I'm going to get some Empty DVD cases and place the disks in those for easier access.
Now the IDENITY DISK ... now I wasn't expecting a solid metal super, ultra, high quality item, but I was expecting the Idenity Disk to be about the size of a smallish frise-bee. BE AWARE that the Idenity Disk is only slightly (and I do mean Slightly) larger than a DVD. The overall construction is okay and it is cool looking, from a distance, but up close it feels and looks cheap. It does light up ... but just barely ... in a completly dark room it looks cool, but other wise ... meh. =/. The stand that the disk sets in is fairly cheapish and it feels flimsy but it does do the job of holding the Idenity Disk. Note: the batteries for the Idenity Disk are replaceable should you ever want or need to do so.
Overall I am satified with my purchase and the extras that entail this collecter edition ... but I am dissappointed as well.
As for other DVD collectors out there ... I would only buy this if you are a die hard collector or fan of the Tron movies ... otherwise ... save you money and get the DVD's or Blu-Ray's seperatly.
I liked Tron Legacy. I am no critic. The special effects were great, and as in the original Tron, they are part of what sells the movie, and complements the story. Having said that, I liked this movie. I found the story interesting. I thought the story moved along, the characters were fleshed out (that part I really liked), and as in the original Tron, there were subtle subplots and subtle cautionary themes. I enjoyed the movie. I was entertained, I was never bored, and when it was over, I felt watching this movies was a pleasant way to spend two hours
So I went back and saw it a second time. I came away much more impressed. The plot made much more sense to me. I began to feel more at home in the alien digital world. My wife and I saw it again -this time at an IMAX theater, and I was blown away. The visuals were so sharp and colorful and the sound was exquisite. I was completely hooked on Daft Punk's terrific soundtrack and I wanted to see it again. But unfortunately, the movie had left theaters in my area.
So I was very excited to see the release of the home collections. Obviously they won't be able to rival the IMAX experience. And I don't have a 3D TV. But the BluRay should bring clarity to the vast world of Tron: Legacy and I'll be able to watch it as much as I want. I'm glad Disney is including a digital copy, so I can travel with the movie. And I'm glad the original Tron (Why oh why are they redundantly calling it "The Original Classic"?) has been given a restoration. This should be a terrific collector's set!
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I pre-ordered this Collectible Set with high hopes that it would be a very nice additional to my wall of dvd Collectibles ... I must say that I am a little (if not a lot) disappointed.I have found that over the years the quality of the collectitibles has gone down hill ... both in size and over all quality.
This sadly has suffered from the same fate.
Over all it comes with a number of DVD's and Blu-Ray's, The orginal special edition of Tron, the DVD of Tron Legacy (as well as a digital copy), the Blu-Ray version of Tron: Legacy, and lastly the Blu-Ray (3D only) version of Tron: Legacy. Which is great for the price.
But the disks (save the digital copy) are all located INSIDE and STACKED on top of each in the back of the Collectiable Idenity Disk and held in place with a very tough disk locking tab (I broke a finger nail in an effort to remove the disks). So do be careful removing the disks not only to prevent damaging them but also be careful with the Idenity Disk as well. I'm going to get some Empty DVD cases and place the disks in those for easier access.
Now the IDENITY DISK ... now I wasn't expecting a solid metal super, ultra, high quality item, but I was expecting the Idenity Disk to be about the size of a smallish frise-bee. BE AWARE that the Idenity Disk is only slightly (and I do mean Slightly) larger than a DVD. The overall construction is okay and it is cool looking, from a distance, but up close it feels and looks cheap. It does light up ... but just barely ... in a completly dark room it looks cool, but other wise ... meh. =/. The stand that the disk sets in is fairly cheapish and it feels flimsy but it does do the job of holding the Idenity Disk. Note: the batteries for the Idenity Disk are replaceable should you ever want or need to do so.
Overall I am satified with my purchase and the extras that entail this collecter edition ... but I am dissappointed as well.
As for other DVD collectors out there ... I would only buy this if you are a die hard collector or fan of the Tron movies ... otherwise ... save you money and get the DVD's or Blu-Ray's seperatly.
Best Deals for Tron: Legacy / Tron: The Original Classic (Five-Disc Combo:
I liked the movie. I read the critics (who seemed to hate it) and listoned to friends (mixed, if passionate reviews either way). As with the original Tron, this is about a man's quest to overcome obstacles in order to get home. I liked Garret Hedlund's character, Sam Flynn. Emotionally scarred after losing his father at a young age, Sam comes off as devil may care, reckless and unambitious, at least that is how he wants to come off. In reality, he is more. Sam clearly has his father's smarts, he is brave, and though he does not want to appear it, earnest, sabotaging some of the ambitions of Encon's board members who ridicule his principled mentor, Alan Bradley. Opposite Bridges, Hedlund appears sad, bewildered, a little angry but clearly still very much loves his father. Though young, he is very much a young man with some years under his belt. His face reflects a life that includes some difficult experiences. I also liked Olivia Wilde as Quarra.She is a fierce fighter, but is also very much the little girl who looks at Keven Flynn as a father figure, a man she loves and respects and is fascinated by his stories about the outside world. Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner reprise their roles and Keven Flynn and Alan Bradley/Tron respectively. Unfortunately, the part did it for me the least was where they portrayed younger selves. Where Bridges and Boxleitner played their characters with corresponding ages, it worked, but did not work quite as well with the CGI younger versions of theirselve, Bridges as Clu and Boxleitner as Tron. CGI may still have a way to go. Bridges in particular impressed me. As Kevin Flynn, he was definitely the grieving father who never lost his love for his son and the twenty years of seperation have affected him. Those who wondered how he got his "Jedi" powers forget he showed similiar powers in the original Tron. I think CGI affected Bridges' portrayal of Clu, who is relentless, cagey and an ambitious antagonist, but the CGI does not capture nearly enough nuances of his facial expressions as Bridges was able to do as the elder Flynn. I was glad to see Boxleitner brought back to his old role, but the role was too underdeveloped. He clearly respects the elder Flynn and as a result is not popular with the rest of the boars. He has also taken the effort to look after the younger Flynn. Still, I missed the presence Boxleitner brought to the earlier movie.I liked Tron Legacy. I am no critic. The special effects were great, and as in the original Tron, they are part of what sells the movie, and complements the story. Having said that, I liked this movie. I found the story interesting. I thought the story moved along, the characters were fleshed out (that part I really liked), and as in the original Tron, there were subtle subplots and subtle cautionary themes. I enjoyed the movie. I was entertained, I was never bored, and when it was over, I felt watching this movies was a pleasant way to spend two hours
Honest reviews on Tron: Legacy / Tron: The Original Classic (Five-Disc Combo:
Beware that only tron legacy contains DVD version and digital copy with the 5 disc set. The original is bluray only.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Tron: Legacy / Tron: The Original Classic (Five-Disc Combo:
I reacted to Tron: Legacy the same way I reacted to the original Tron in 1982. At first, I didn't think I liked it much. I had difficulty relating to it because it was so visually different from anything I had seen before. The plot confused me; there was so much going on. But somehow I felt drawn to the movie. The ending moved me, but I wasn't sure why.So I went back and saw it a second time. I came away much more impressed. The plot made much more sense to me. I began to feel more at home in the alien digital world. My wife and I saw it again -this time at an IMAX theater, and I was blown away. The visuals were so sharp and colorful and the sound was exquisite. I was completely hooked on Daft Punk's terrific soundtrack and I wanted to see it again. But unfortunately, the movie had left theaters in my area.
So I was very excited to see the release of the home collections. Obviously they won't be able to rival the IMAX experience. And I don't have a 3D TV. But the BluRay should bring clarity to the vast world of Tron: Legacy and I'll be able to watch it as much as I want. I'm glad Disney is including a digital copy, so I can travel with the movie. And I'm glad the original Tron (Why oh why are they redundantly calling it "The Original Classic"?) has been given a restoration. This should be a terrific collector's set!
Friday, March 28, 2014
Discount Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (2011)
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Sequels are sometimes good, but most times not. This sequel is terrible. I just bought the original "Hoodwinked" because I loved it and have seen it at least 3 or 4 times. I have recommended it to many people. When part "Too" came out, I saw it in the theater, I was so excited about it. Man, was I blow away by how poor it was. All the ineresting angles and approach of the original was gone... it was just another animated kids movie with straight-forward, predictable plot. I recall chuckling a couple times... that is it.
I am sorry to give this such a low rating, but, to make up for that, I highly recommend you go buy the original Hoodwinked... you will be happy you did. (Just try to resist the temptation to follow up the watching of that great movie with watching this sequel.)
Note: I am a father of several small kids. I hated Hoodwinked Too (as you can tell); but my kids liked it... so I give it two stars as the average of my 0 star rating and my kids 4 stars. If you are just getting it for the kids, it could be worth it.
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Terrible sequel. All of the humor and wit of the original is gone. Parents save the money and put it in your kid's piggy bank.Best Deals for Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (2011)
While the original "Hoodwinked" might not be my favorite movie of skewed fairy tales (that place in my heart belongs to Shrek), it was a clever colliding of movie styles. With four character narratives intersecting and intertwining, the film played as an amusing riff on "Rashomon" and even "Pulp Fiction" for the animated set. It was a bit uneven, but it worked largely by pushing the boundaries with a great concept. Eschewing the charm and most of the laughs of its predecessor, the 3-D sequel "Hoodwinked Too!" arrives in an impressive DVD package. However, the film itself is all concept and no heart. But what's worse--it boasts a terrific cast of comedic vocal talent, but lacks a real sense of humor. I wanted to like this movie, truly I did, but ultimately I just didn't care about the characters.Set in the aftermath of the first movie, your favorites (Red, Granny, Wolf, Twitchy) are back and part of a elite special forces unit. Called in to rescue Hansel and Gretel from a wicked witch, the mission goes seriously awry leading to Granny being kidnapped. It's all part of a nefarious plan to get the secret ingredient for a truffle that will instill great power to those that eat it. Desperate to save Granny, Red and the crew head to the big city to do battle with ultimate evil. The plot is pleasantly silly, but the screenplay is not. Everything is staged as a loud action set piece which we're supposed to find hilarious. Look, there's Granny doing flips--ha ha. Look at Red bungee jump--hilarious. I wanted more effort to be given to the characters. Make me care and make me laugh by what they have to say. Or if it's all going to be sight gags, make them genuinely funny.
The invaluable Patrick Warburton has only a few laughs as Wolf (which is a crime in itself, the guy is genuinely hysterical), but does what he can with the material. Bill Hader and Amy Poehler get the best lines as Hansel and Gretel. Joan Cusack gives a reliably sturdy performance as the wicked witch. Twitchy (Cory Edwards) made me smile once or twice. But poor Glenn Close gets zero as Granny. And Hayden Panettiere is a very flat lead through both performance and script. What a waste of talent! Maybe the kids will like some of the frantic antics, but there are so many better options available on the animation market. I found this to be a real disappointment. While not perfect, the first one had charm and style--this is absolutely robotic and without heart.
3-D: I know this is the only element that some people care about, but what does it matter if you don't like the film? The original movie was criticized for its lack of sophistication in animation techniques. I thought it was fine, and I actually like the look of this movie. It's a bit old school, but the animation and the appearance of the characters quite appealed to me. The 3-D on the DVD presentation is serviceable, but not remarkable. There is not an over-abundance of out-of-screen moments, so most of the 3-D just layers the animation. Some of the moments where the camera glides (through the forest, etc) are well orchestrated, but nothing will move this viewing experience to the next level. KGHarris, 8/11.
Honest reviews on Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (2011)
While the original "Hoodwinked" might not be my favorite movie of skewed fairy tales (that place in my heart belongs to Shrek), it was a clever colliding of movie styles. With four character narratives intersecting and intertwining, the film played as an amusing riff on "Rashomon" and even "Pulp Fiction" for the animated set. It was a bit uneven, but it worked largely by pushing the boundaries with a great concept. Eschewing the charm and most of the laughs of its predecessor, the 3-D sequel "Hoodwinked Too!" arrives in an impressive DVD package. However, the film itself is all concept and no heart. But what's worse--it boasts a terrific cast of comedic vocal talent, but lacks a real sense of humor. I wanted to like this movie, truly I did, but ultimately I just didn't care about the characters.Set in the aftermath of the first movie, your favorites (Red, Granny, Wolf, Twitchy) are back and part of a elite special forces unit. Called in to rescue Hansel and Gretel from a wicked witch, the mission goes seriously awry leading to Granny being kidnapped. It's all part of a nefarious plan to get the secret ingredient for a truffle that will instill great power to those that eat it. Desperate to save Granny, Red and the crew head to the big city to do battle with ultimate evil. The plot is pleasantly silly, but the screenplay is not. Everything is staged as a loud action set piece which we're supposed to find hilarious. Look, there's Granny doing flips--ha ha. Look at Red bungee jump--hilarious. I wanted more effort to be given to the characters. Make me care and make me laugh by what they have to say. Or if it's all going to be sight gags, make them genuinely funny.
The invaluable Patrick Warburton has only a few laughs as Wolf (which is a crime in itself, the guy is genuinely hysterical), but does what he can with the material. Bill Hader and Amy Poehler get the best lines as Hansel and Gretel. Joan Cusack gives a reliably sturdy performance as the wicked witch. Twitchy (Cory Edwards) made me smile once or twice. But poor Glenn Close gets zero as Granny. And Hayden Panettiere is a very flat lead through both performance and script. What a waste of talent! Maybe the kids will like some of the frantic antics, but there are so many better options available on the animation market. I found this to be a real disappointment. While not perfect, the first one had charm and style--this is absolutely robotic and without heart.
3-D: I know this is the only element that some people care about, but what does it matter if you don't like the film? The original movie was criticized for its lack of sophistication in animation techniques. I thought it was fine, and I actually like the look of this movie. It's a bit old school, but the animation and the appearance of the characters quite appealed to me. The 3-D on the DVD presentation is serviceable, but not remarkable. There is not an over-abundance of out-of-screen moments, so most of the 3-D just layers the animation. Some of the moments where the camera glides (through the forest, etc) are well orchestrated, but nothing will move this viewing experience to the next level. KGHarris, 8/11.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (2011)
The original Hoodwinked was a masterpiece. It used the tail of red riding hood to present the concept that a person might look one way on the surface but the truth can change on deeper inspection. I thought it was a GREAT movie to teach the concept of not judging until you have all the information. And it was done in a fresh and entertaining way.Hoodwinked Too didn't have any point. It didn't go anywhere. It had no real underlying story to tell. It was just a pointless mish mash of plagiarized scenes from Spiderman 2, Star Wars (pod race), The Incredibles and others. About 5 minutes into the show I started thinking 'This is boring. I hope it picks up.' It did not.
Like other reviewers I had liked the original so well I was looking forward to the sequel. They must have fired the original writers. This is a looser.
Mars Needs Moms (Four-Disc Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Review
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I believe that the critics were all wrong about "Mars Needs Moms". My four year old granddaughter and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was cute, colorful, funny, and very entertaining. We both smiled and laughed all the way through. Plus the main characters were warm, loyal, resourceful, and caring--good role models for the little ones. I intend to buy it as soon as it comes out in DVD so that my granddaughter and I can enjoy it all over again!
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We all know how well Mars Needs Moms did at the box office. Sometimes, I think you really need to send in a kid to do a kids' job particularly in reviewing a movie made for kids. Adults just don't get it. Here are video reviews by 2 of our 8 -year-old youth film critics reviews and, believe me, they loved it!The DVD comes out this week so don't pass it by, give it the good old family try.
"This movie is out of this world literally, because it takes place on Mars, A.K.A The Red Planet. The movie is about a little boy named Milo voiced by Seth Dusky, who says some pretty mean things to his mom. Before he has a chance to apologize, she is Martian-napped and taken to Mars. He has 6.93 earth hours until sun rise to save her. Does he make it in time!
My favorite part is when Gribble, voiced by Dan Fogler, saves Milo's mom with the helmet that was meant for his mom. I thought that was very thoughtful. My favorite characters are Gribble, because he's just simply Gribbletastic. Ki, because she helps Milo, and she does something that no other Martain has ever done. She stands up to the supervisor. Head of all Martians, Milo, because he realizes that he needs his mom and is determined to do whatever he needs to save her.
I rate this movie 4 out of 5 stars because the Martains are a little scary, especially the supervisor. So for this reason I recommend this movie to kids ages 7 and up." Reviewed by Ny'Asia Bell, age 8, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic
"I just finished watching an excellent movie called "Mars Needs Moms." The movie is about a boy named Milo who goes on a big adventure to help save his mom from aliens. The aliens that live on Mars are not very good mothers so they look to Earth to find good mothers to steal.
My favorite characters are Milo, Milo's mom, and Gribble. I liked Gribble because he helped Milo get his mother back and he helps Milo to see how important his mother truly is. My favorite part of the movie is when Milo has to save his new friend Gribble from the aliens. Gribble gets captured and the aliens are going to shoot him. Milo swings in to save the day and it is awesome.
This movie does have some characters that are bad and try to stop Milo from saving his mom. The aliens in the uniforms are bad because they listen to the Supervisor. The Supervisor controls everyone and wants everyone to do what she says.
I would recommend this movie for ages three and up. I think depending on what age you are is how you will see this movie. For example, my brother is 5 and he didn't think the movie was scary at all. I am 8 and I found the movie to be a little scary because it made me think about how sad I would be if I lost my own mother. But don't worry everything turns out ok in the end! Go out and buy this movie when it comes out on Disney DVD and Blu Ray.
Reviewed by Anthony A, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic
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I'm giving this movie a full five stars right off the bat because when my 5 year old daughter and I saw Mars Needs Moms in a completely empty theater on opening weekend, I cried my eyes out at the ending. No, this movie is NOT a dedicated version of the Mars Needs Mom storybook; nor was it a B-grade movie in the style of the sci-fi classics Mars Attacks! and Mars Needs Women. However, it isn't the utter travesty critics and nay-sayers claim it is.Once you get over the 'weird' CGI images of the actors, and you ignore the blatant ploy to make this a hit with the 8-year-old-boy crowd, you can't help but really appreciate the details in the landscape and backgrounds (the Red Planet, the garbage 'under world', the otherworld beauty of Ki and the Martians, etc.). And the story itself really resonates with all ages courage when everything else seems lost, the support of friends, even hunger for political power, and the love between a mother and child. Yes, this movie could have been much better (by Disney standards); on the other hand, it could have been MUCH much worse if released by another studio.
No matter what your opinions of Robert Zemeckis' work, Mars Needs Moms deserves at least one viewing before you make your final judgement.
Honest reviews on Mars Needs Moms (Four-Disc Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital
"Mars Needs Moms" relates the adventures of Milo, a boy who seeks to rescue his kidnapped mother from Martians . Based on a children's book by the famous comic strip author Berkeley Breathed, this animated film, while uneven in certain respects, excels in its depiction of sacrificial family love. Milo is truly heroic in his single-minded determination to free his mother despite insurmountable odds and even a powerful temptation to give up. I also found the Martian settings to be artistically imaginative, fascinating, and impressive.The film's portrayal of the relationship between an American mother and her son was not only realistic but profoundly moving. Young Milo attempts to deceive his mother. Like all good mothers, she catches him out and holds him accountable. Like all disobedient children (which covers most of the human race at one time or another), Milo angrily lashes out at her. In a moment that rings true with my own childhood and with our own children on occasion, Milo's mother is reduced to tears by her son's cruel words. Milo tries to go to sleep but the guilt over his response to his mother troubles him. He gets up to apologize, only to discover that he is, in one sense, too late. His mother has disappeared. In another sense, he arrives in the nick of time, just able to follow after the strange beings who have kidnapped his mother. Love for his mother stoked by his remorse for his meanness fuel an unquenchable determination in Milo to rescue her. Within a fast-paced, wildly fantastic and carelessly implausible animated movie, this true-to-life family relationship comes as somewhat of a surprise. But the film succeeds brilliantly because the filmmakers remain true throughout to the theme of love between a mother and son.
Milo's mother has been kidnapped by a radical feminist Martian society that has all but destroyed maternal love in its elevation of power and technological progress. The Martians abandon their males at their planetary dump and leave their females to be raised by robot nursemaids. But little ones, even in a twisted society, need more than a robot to be cared for properly. Presumably unable and/or unwilling to provide quality maternal nature themselves, the Martian supervisors spy out likely outstanding mothers on planet Earth and kidnap the best candidates in an evil plan to enrich the maternal behavior of the robots.
In his quest, Milo meets Gribble, a fellow human stranded on Mars with his own tragic story and Ki, the Martian who has rebelled against the oppressive Martian society. The events that bring Milo and his new friends to the film's final climax uncover Mars' own dark secrets about motherhood and the family.
It is unfortunate that "Mars Needs Moms" was a dismal flop at the box office. The film's odd mix of a relatively serious theme in a wacky action-adventure animation vehicle may have hurt its reach. Some may have been repelled by its central theme of the importance of motherhood and the natural family. Surveys at a leading film website indicate that this film splits its audience, with people either loving or hating "Mars Needs Moms," with relatively few in between. Such a divergence indicates that people's fundamental views on life dictated their response to the film, not less weighty matters such as the animation style, humor, music, or plot devices.
It is my hope that the mostly brilliant folks at Disney made a few marketing errors and missed their target audience. If you believe that the natural human family is a fundamental, even divinely ordained social unit with motherhood being one of its key components, please give this film and the dvd a chance. You may find yourself not only entertained, but surprisingly moved.