Review of Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

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I've reviewed quite a few films featuring the work of special effects artist Ray Harryhausen and found reasons to like them all, but Jason and the Argonauts (1963) features some of his most fantastic effects, and is considered to be one of the greatest fantasy pictures ever made. Would I say it's the greatest? No, but in terms of influencing many, including a majority of special effects artists in the business today, this film is a cinematic landmark, and deserves to be treated as such. Produced by long time Harryhausen collaborator Charles Schneer (The Valley of Gwangi, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Clash of the Titans) and directed by Don Chaffey (One Million Years B.C., Pete's Dragon), the film stars Todd Armstrong in his biggest role, but not his voice, as that was dubbed over by Tim Turner, a British actor who did a lot of voice over work on film trailers, including the trailer for this film. Also appearing is Nancy Kovack (The Silencers), and a whole bunch of British actors including Gary Raymond (El Cid), Laurence Naismith (The Valley of Gwangi), Niall MacGinnis (Night of the Demon), Jack Gwillim (Patton), Nigel Green (Countess Dracula), and Honor Blackman (Goldfinger), to name a few.

As this fantasy epic begins, we see the plight of Jason as an infant, his father slain and kingdom usurped, as so the seemingly fickle Gods have decided. Jason grows up, returns to re-take the land and peoples that are rightfully his, only to be sent on a quest, by the Gods (geez, who died and made them Gods? Oh yeah...they ARE Gods), to recover a golden fleece, one that would bring peace and prosperity to the troubled land. Only problem is the fleece is across the world, to where no one has sailed before. To meet this goal, Jason has the finest ship built, and gathers the greatest athletes Greece has to offer, and sets out on a perilous journey that involves dangerous waters, mighty bronze titans, a deadly, multi-headed Hydra, an army of skeleton warriors (can seven really be considered an army? Maybe more like a task force...), and treachery within his own ranks, among other things (as if that wasn't enough). The quest seems an impossible one, but with Jason's determination, the loyalty of his men (the non-treasonous ones, of course), and even a little help from the Gods themselves, he just may be able to survive and return with the treasure to reclaim what is rightfully his, and bring and end to the tyrant reign that has plagued his lands for the past twenty odd years.

Alright, I will say some of the acting isn't all that great (actress Kovack seems to be on some kind of depressant, as her performance is about as deadpan as I've seen), and some of the non-Harryhausen special effects are extremely noticeable (the matte usage in some scenes stands out a lot more than they probably would have liked), but despite these points, this is really a fun and exciting movie. There are elements of the story missing (the 2000 television CGI-laden version starring Jason London was a bit more inclusive in this respect, but lacked the charm, for me at least, of this one), but the makers of this film did manage to cram a lot into its' 104 minute running time, and the capable direction kept the story moving along at a rousing pace, rarely slowing down, and keeping my interest. I did enjoy the sets (especially those on Mount Olympus, and I have to say, Honor Blackman makes for one sexy Goddess, playing Hera, Zeus' wife...hotchie momma!) and the location shots where wonderful, adding a lot to the story. The Argo (the boat that carried Jason and his crew, hence the term `Argonauts') was suitable, although that figurehead of Hera (she was one of the Gods assisting Jason) freaked me out, especially with the opening an closing of its' eyelids. And I can't review this film without mentioning the work of legendary Hollywood composer Bernard Herrmann (Citizen Kane, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Psycho, Taxi Driver)...well, I mentioned him...but seriously, it's pretty rare to find a composer as `in tune' with the material he's working with as Herrmann (think how different Psycho would be without its' frightening score). The best parts of the film, by far, are the stop-motion effects by Harryhausen. What makes his work so good, in my opinion, is not only his eye for meticulous detail (it would often take months to produce a 3 or 4 minute on screen segment of stop-motion work), but also his ability to create the appropriate movements for the characters he was presenting. An example within the context of the film is Talos, the bronze titan, compared to, say, the winged harpies. The character of Talos moved exactly how you would expect a giant made of bronze to move, rigid, lumbering, and generally slow, compared to the very fluid and animated movements of the winged harpies, or even the multi-headed Hydra creature. It's the supposition of how the creatures would move, infused with the created models that set Harryhausen apart from his peers, and made him a legend in his own time, influencing so many others that came after him. It's pretty rare to see stop-motion work in major films nowadays, as it's been replaced with computer generated images (which is probably cheaper and less time consuming, but can often appear just as unrealistic as lesser stop-motion work).

The picture looks pretty good on this DVD, and is available in both widescreen (1.85:1) and full screen pan and scan formats. The audio, Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, is relatively clear throughout. Special features include subtitles (English, French, and Spanish), the original theatrical trailer, short production notes inside the case, and a lengthy interview with Ray Harryhausen conducted by John Landis, featuring clips, still photos, and even a prop or two from the films.

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I popped in this DVD very wary of how I would feel about an old childhood favorite after years of not seeing it. Well, I was pleasantly surprised that the film is still a lot of fun. Yes, a lot of the effects (blue screen, etc.) are unconvincing and show their age, but geeeez, the movie's almost 40 years old so what can you expect. This was a real stunner in it's day and Harryhausen's stop-motion sequences still outshine any boring CGI effect in today's cookie-cutter movies (just look at the awful recent TV remake with all those cheesy computer effects --there's no contest!) The skeleton battle is most well-known, but I have a special fondness for Talos which was the first scene that caught my eye as a young kid on Saturday afternoon TV in the late 60's. Glad to see that "Jason" still has it's magic (along with some acceptable campiness) and the DVD is a nice presentation (there are some slight flaws to the print materials and grain in some scenes). The Harryhausen interview (with John Landis) is interesting and the original trailer is also included on the DVD.

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One of my fondest childhood memories was to spend Christmas Eve sitting near a warm fire watching the annual screening of "Jason and the Argonauts". As a teenager I stopped watching the film deciding that I had grown beyond it. A couple of years I rediscovered the film and found that I enjoyed as much as I ever did. All I need is to find a cabin somewhere in the wilds, take my DVD player up there and spend Christmas Eve as it was meant to be next to a warm fire with "Jason..." playing away.

There is a sense of wonder and imagination to this film seldom echoed in the special fx epics of today, all bogged down with stupid (rather than stupendous) stunt sequences. This is good fun, highly enjoyable and a wonderful story.

This is a good DVD transfer the picture is excellent (finally, the chance to see it in widescreen) and the sound is good. If you remember this from your childhood and wondeer if it is as good now then let me assure you that it has lost none of its magic.

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Jason and the Argonauts is generally regarded as Ray Harryhausen's masterpiece (although my personal favorite is still Mysterious Island) and one of the greatest mythological fantasy films ever made, perhaps second only to the Kordas' Thief of Bagdad, if not better. This review, however, is not about the movie itself, but about the Blu-ray transfer versus the previous DVD release.

A number of reviewers have weighed in (both pro and con) on the Blu-ray transfer, but I wanted to add my two cents, having just cued up, synchronized, and directly compared the Blu-ray and DVD versions. Those complaining about the transfer could not possibly have compared the Blu-ray side by side with the DVD. Switching back and forth between the two, the superiority of the Blu-ray transfer is not only very noticeable, but indisputable.

The contrast, color balance, sharpness/detail, and black levels are all much improved in the Blu-ray. The DVD looks flat (low contrast) in comparison, the sharpness and detail are soft, and the color balance is considerably off, with the whole frame exhibiting a reddish-orange cast. In contrast, the Blu-ray is very sharp (even on my analog projection TV), fleshtones are natural, and the entire color palette is far more accurate (especially the blues and greens), revealing subtle gradations in hue (such as the slightly different colors of the two harpies) I had never even noticed before. I can only imagine how much better it looks on a digital TV.

Furthermore, visible film grain in a movie of this age (particularly in the optical effects and Dynarama shots) is to be expected and NOT a problem with the transfer. Grain can be reduced somewhat with Digital Noise Reduction, but applying it so heavily as to eliminate the grain will make the image look "plastic" and unnatural. A number of Blu-ray transfers have reportedly ruined the source material by trying to eliminate the grain with DNR. Personally, I think they did a fantastic job with this movie, striking a nice balance between restoring the image and respecting the original source material. Those reviewers who say it looks no better than the DVD are just flat-out wrong. If they had bothered to actually compare the two side by side, they would have seen a huge difference.

If you are a big fan of this film, the upgrade to Blu-ray is a no-brainer. I guarantee you will not be disappointed unless you are (unrealistically) expecting it to look like a movie shot in the last decade. I am very happy with the Blu-ray and can't see myself ever looking at the DVD again, especially after comparing the two.

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We refer to Star Wars as a George Lucas film, ET as a Steven Spielberg film, and Terminator as a James Cameron film. It's always "a [director's name] film."

Unless it's a Ray Harryhausen film. Because Harryhausen's spellbinding creations are always the real stars of his films, his name just has to come ahead of the director's. And nobody, but nobody will ever question that departure from protocol.

For the uninitiated, one viewing of Jason and the Argonauts will help you understand just what I mean. Employing the painstakingly difficult, low-technology method of stop-motion animation, Harryhausen delivers a fantasy-adventure that's absolutely breathtaking. Jason, leading an intrepid band of warriors that includes Hercules himself, encounters the seven-headed Hydra, the winged Harpies, the metallic 200-foot-tall Talos, the Merman Demigod Triton, and a band of sword-wielding skeletons. Not only are the creatures brought to life, they interact with the humans with seamless, eye-popping realism. And remember, this is a 1963 film.

How difficult is stop-motion animation? To give you an idea, Harryhausen took four and a half months to complete the skeleton battle scene, which lasted just over three minutes in the final edit. As for the Hydra, Jason had it easy. All he had to do was slay it. The really difficult task was Harryhausen's: he had to bring it to life, keeping all seven heads in constant, menacing motion.

The difficulty of this method naturally brings about the temptation to take short-cuts, moving the creature a centimeter here and there instead of the needed two millimeters. But Harryhausen worked hard at his craft, spending long nights in his studio to achieve the most realistic movements possible. And get this: he worked ALONE. Throughout his career, he NEVER had a staff or even an assistant.

So it was only fitting that in 1992, Harryhausen was honored by the Film Academy with a Lifetime Achievement Award. It was, to my mind, a long-delayed recognition. After the awarding, the emcee paid his own tribute: "Some say Citizen Kane, some say Casablanca, I say Jason and the Argonauts is the greatest film of all time."

The emcee: a guy named Tom Hanks.

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Tim Burton's mind must be a very strange place. Remember, it's where if you commit suicide you have to work for social services in the afterlife (Ref: Beetlejuice). I'm a social worker, so I know what that means! Men with hands made of scissors, Jack Nicholson as Batman's foil...this is one sick puppy of a director.

So when you hear Mr. Burton is directing a film based on an Eastern European folktale in which one of the heroines-the heroines, mind you---is a corpse....well, family fare is not what comes to mind.

And, although it's animated, Corpse Bride definitely is not for the younger set, 9 or so and below. These characters look creepy. The title character has a habit of losing her eye and talking to the maggot, Louie, who lives behind it. Skeletons of dogs and people walk and talk about in the "underworld".

However, like Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, older children will find the animations amusing and fascinating; and parents will be pleased with the messages packaged in the film.

Briefly, "Corpse Bride" is an animated operetta in which Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp), son of fishmongers, is engaged to Victoria, (Emily Watson) the daughter of nobles who are now penniless. Neither know each other but meet accidentally and fall in love. When Victor stumbles over his complicated wedding vows at the rehearsal, he's humiliated by a stranger at the wedding (Richard E. Grant) and walks in the woods to practice. When he says the vows, he places the ring on a "twig" that turns out to be the finger of Emily (Helena Bonham-Carter), the Corpse Bride, who of course jumps up and happily informs him they are married. (She's very pretty, by the way, dead or not).

Much of the rest of the movie is taken up by Victor trying to figure out how to get out from the Underworld and by Emily trying to either deny he's doing that or actively convince him to stay. Gradually, however, Victor finds, to his surprise, that he is falling in love with Emily.

In the end the viewers have heard some good lessons about love, and the main characters, primarily Emily and Victor, have each been willing to sacrifice greatly for the other, out of their love for each other. The importance of wedding vows is a central theme, and Victor especially gives long thought to whom his alliances lie, given what he's promised, and to whom. And those motivated by greed, such as Richard Grant's character, mostly come out empty handed.

The comedy is brilliant. In one scene, Emily's friends in the "pub" do a number quite reminiscent of the Star Wars cantina scene, given the odd-looking musicians. I'm not sure how well the "operetta" mode works with animation; while claymation gives these characters terrific means of expression, they are still limited in their ability to emote, and musical theatre may be best left to human faces. Still, Danny Elfman's score is beautiful as always.

Leave the wee ones with the other parent next door at "March of the Penguins" or "Wallace and Gromit: Search for the Were-Rabbit", then huddle with the rest of the kids to see this wonderful film.

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Corpse Bride was the first Blu-Ray movie I couldn't wait to see. I had it on DVD and viewed it many times and as I knew the movie inside and out, along with the issues with displaying the SD DVD on my HD TV, I was excited to be able to make a side by side comparison between the 2 releases.

Corpse Bride on Blu-Ray completely blows the other Blu-Ray movies I own out of the water in terms of authoring. The clarity of the image is astounding and the difference between DVD and Blu-Ray is made overly apparent when you can do a comparison of the 2 directly.

In the Blu-Ray release of CB you can see the texture of the puppets' faces, something certainly lacking in the DVD. You can also see in the skeleton dance scene some of the metal bits holding the puppets together. On the DVD you can see it but it is difficult or nearly impossible to tell what the shiny piece is.

As far as the movie, it's a great love story in Tim Burton's typical twisted fashion.

Definitely worth checking out as a movie but also worthy of checking out what Blu-Ray is capable of.

Best Deals for Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (2006)

Tim Burton creates a stunning masterpiece that keeps all the parameters typical in his productions. Combining the macabre and childish elements with stop motion animation techniques, Burton gives life to a fantastic story, just as he did in 1993 with the superb Nightmare before Christmas.

The store serves the director as an excuse to build yet another visual fantasy, supported by the voices of several of his favorite actors: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Albert Finney and Christopher Lee.

The ironic and funny style of Burton portraying death repeats itself, forming and obscure and complex world. The principal characters are no other but a dead bride, a colorful number of skeletons, some monsters and a shy and repressed young man.

The plot of The Corpse's Bride is based on a traditional Ukrainian tale about a girl murdered on her weeding day and waiting since then for her true love.

In a Victorian England village lives Victor van Dort, a melancholic young man pressed by his wealthy but uneducated family to engage to a broken but aristocrat young woman named Victoria Everglot, whose parents despise the Van Dorts but want to solve their economical problems with this convenience marriage.

During a wedding rehearsal at the Everglot's house, Victor goes out to practice his vows, and accidentally says the words on a dead bride's tomb, who has been expecting since her dead for her true love to say the words that magically will free her to be happily ever after.

From that point, Victor goes on a journey in the land of the dead with his new bride. Down there everything seems more fun and colorful that "up there", where the world of the living is, on the contrary, almost colorless, with and aesthetic close to whites and blacks, keeping the stiffness and conservative style of the Victorian Ages.

Although the title suggests otherwise, The Corpse's Bride is a sweet and sour love story with a poetic capacity very suggestive and dreamy. True to his provoking spirit, Burton bets on surprising us, letting his usual black humor to disperse over an oppressive atmosphere while the emotional theme of the film, the loss of love, is told like a musical comedy.

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This Blu-Ray version is much better than the dvd. The clarity is SUPERB. It really doesn't do it justice to try to describe it. It's like trying to compare a steak to a hamburger. You just gotta watch it. By the way, I especially liked the behind-the-scenes making of the movie and seeing the clay puppets being put together frame by frame.

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When I saw this in the theater I didn't really like the story as much some of Burton's other films but I decided to buy the Blu-ray because I had heard great things about the transfer. I can say I was not disappointed; the picture is simply amazing and I have even come to appreciate the story after watching it a few times at home.

A++ transfer and an A story; a must for any Burton fan.

Movie - Resident Evil: Retribution Blu-Ray In 3D (2BDS) BRDL-80249 Reviews

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I don't get the people who trash these movies. What are they expecting? The RE series has never been about superb storytelling, characterization, and acting. It's about style and excitement! And that's what these movies are: High-octane action movies for guys. Especially their inner 14-year olds.

People here spend a lot of time trashing the RE movies, and this movie in particular. Why? It delivers what I've come to expect here. Some awesome action sequences, an interesting (albeit completely nonsensical) storyline, and some really incredible cinematography. What else do you want? I submit that if that's not good enough for you, then you're just watching the wrong kind of movie.

Those who trash the story of Resident Evil: Retribution as "the worst of the lot", or whatever, need to go watch something else. It is what it is. I for one think it is excellent!

I like how the storylines of the movies continue from movie to movie, which each one ending in a cliffhanger. You never know what the next movie will bring! Yeah, the story is complete garbage. But that's what's enjoyable about it! Invite a few friends, have a beer, put your brain firmly in the "off position", and enjoy!

And there's a lot to enjoy here. The awesomeness that is Milla Jovovich cannot be denied. Sure, the character of Alice is weak, and in this movie, she turns into Ripley. But when she's killing zombies with a chain and pistol, it's so awesome I don't care. My brain says, "This sucks." My inner 14-year old says, "THIS IS AWESOME, DUDE!" That's what happens, man. If you want to enjoy it, you just have to surrender to the awesome.

The movie has a lot of interesting ideas. I also like that it took a lot of elements from the RE 4 video game, which I loved. Leon Kennedy is here, and so is Ada Wong. They both certainly look the part, although their characterization is actually STRONGER in the video game than in the movie! Here, they're just generic action heroes, but I'm okay with that.

Another cool element from RE 4 (the game) was the introduction of the Los Plagues (sp?) virus. A lot of people were confused by the zombie nazi's driving jeeps. But in the context of RE 4, this makes more sense. In that game, a small European village was taken over by the Los Plagues virus. It doesn't turn people into zombies exactly rather it changes their insides to be like bugs and changes their minds. So they still can operate weapons and such. And some of them were clothed in military style uniforms, same as the game and movie. If you haven't played the game, then this doesn't make so much sense. I thought it was a pretty cool tie-in.

Another thing I am really liking about the this movie and also "Afterlife" is the 3D. The 3D in these movies is really well done. Out of all the 3D movies in my collection, those two movies probably have the best 3D of all, and that's really saying something. Again, it just shows how good these movies are when it comes to the cinematography.

So the final verdict? Resident Evil: Retribution is awesome! It is my favorite of all the RE movies so far. Those who say it is "the worst" just don't know what they're talking about. They're watching the wrong type of movie, expecting the wrong things. I watch these movies with only a few expectations: Excellent fight choreography, excellent cinematography, and an interesting story (that I don't expect will make sense). This movie delivers on ALL THREE of those. And it sets things up nicely for RE 6.

So don't listen to the haters. This is not Oscar-worthy material. It doesn't pretend to be. It is a mindless-junk action movie for the mindless-junk action movie lover's soul! And it totally rocks.

Peace!

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Resident Evil Retribution 3D Review: Even better 3D than RE: Afterlife

Resident Evil doesn't cater to non-action fans, and Resident Evil Retribution proves this point with it's non-stop action onslaught from the opening credits to the ending.

STEREO 3D:

The 3D in Resident Evil Retribution delivers in spades, being filmed in three dimensions with on the set 3D camera rigs, we get a consistency of powerfully layered visuals, with clear stereo 3D distance between the objects onscreen. There are also plenty of pop outs to flinch away from as bullets and blades fly out of the screen to great effect. This is one of the best 3D movies you can get as Anderson shows he's not only a master of action movies, but stereo 3D scene composition. So if you're looking for another demo worthy 3D disc, look no further than Resident Evil Retribution, boosting the 3D up even more than Resident Evil Afterlife 3D. Exceptional 3D.

STORY:

This movie plays with your head sort of like Inception did, never letting you really know what's going on till about midway when Alice is finally let in on the reality of the situation. A bit jarring at first, but very unique for a RE Film. That aside, the story is fairly basic, from point A to B with some side stories thrown in for good measure. Finally, this fifth RE movie does a nice job paying tribute to the previous RE films in many ways as you'll see.

ACTION:

If you know the Resident Evil series, you'll know there's usually a heavy emphasis on full on action. Retribution lives up to the term "Roller Coaster" by providing nearly non-stop action, literally. Just when Alice (Milla Jovovich) finishes on action scene, another enemy shows up and attacks, leaving little room for story development in between. So think of it as a total @ss kicking action movie made for your entertainment along the lines of The Expendables 2 and you'll enjoy it.

The action sequences are incredible in terms of martial arts choreography (especially the opening attack on Alice in the white halls = amazing mix of roundhouse kicks, flipping, tossing, locking, cracking heads, chain flicking and shooting).

Then there's guns blazing every few seconds, Zombie attacks in the Suburbs, Las Plagas "Smart shooting zombies from the RE 4 game" confrontations in Moscow, fast speed car chases, stalking Licker monsters, giant butcher Axe Men attacks in the city, and an ending arctic fight scene that goes on for a glorious five minutes at least. All done with explosions, special FX and splattering blood better than before. Incredible action.

ACTING:

Milla Jovovich (Aice) and a number of returning members including Michelle Rodriguez (Rain) deliver their lines with a relaxed believability that comes off as genuine. The roles of Ada Wong and Jill Valentine however, are a bit robotic, perhaps intentionally but still mildly distracting, as they were/are under the control of Umbrella. Leon makes an appearance, but again, some of the delivery of his lines could have been more natural. Otherwise, well done.

SOUNDTRACK: TomandAndy return from Resident Evil Afterlife and compose another great industrial electronic film score that rocks and beats along with the action. Excellent and worth a purchase for the soundtrack again.

SUMMARY:

If you're a Resident Evil Fan of any of the films, this is highly recommended. One of most visceral, guns blazing action movies I've ever seen, despite the basic plot. Paul WS Anderson keeps getting better at delivering stylized, action packed movies.

MOVIE: 9/10 Wow. Incredible example of an all out action movie.

STORY: 7/10 Very basic Point A to B with some side stories added

ACTION: 10/10. Amazing and beautifully composed. Movie is 80% slick action.

SPECIAL FX: 9/10. Great monsters, explosions, fx, but zombies are mostly fresh.

STEREO 3D: 9/10. It doesn't get much better. Most shots shine for 3D.

OVERALL: 9/10. If you love action and powerful 3D, don't pass it up.

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I enjoyed Resident Evil Retribution more than any other Res. Evil. It exceeded my expectations, its a great action flick. The fight sequences were great, of course Alice does some mega moves on her enemies but shes Alice. :) It keeps your attention from start to finish. I did not see in 3D none the less I was 110% satisfied. I pressume 3D effects would have made it 100x better.

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It was entertaining for the 1+ hr, and I like Milla Jovovich, so not a waste of money in any way....for me.

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"Resident Evil: Retribution" is pretty good. This is how the story goes: The Umbrella Corporation's deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. The human race's last and only hope, Alice, awakens in the heart of Umbrella's most clandestine operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex. Without a safe haven, Alice continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak; a chase that takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow, culminating in a mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything that she once thought to be true. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, Alice must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion. The countdown has begun.

The cast led by Milla Jovovich (as Alice), Michelle Rodriguez (as Rain) & Sienna Guillory (as Jill Valentine) is pretty good. The directing & story & screenplay by Paul W.S. Anderson (who also produced) is pretty good.

The music by tomandandy is pretty good. The cinematography by Glen MacPherson is pretty good. The film editing by Niven Howie is pretty good. The casting by Deirdre Bowen is pretty good. The production design by Kevin Phipps is pretty good. The art direction by Dennis Davenport & Dan Yarhi is pretty good. The set decoration by Steve Shewchuk, set design by Evan Webber & Douglas Slater is pretty good. The costume design by Wendy Partridge is pretty good. The make-up effects design & supervised by Paul Jones is pretty good. The special effects coordinated by Tony Kenny is pretty good. The visual effects coordinated by Sarah Barber, Michael DiCarlo, Becca Donohoe, Matt Glover, Benjamin Mossman & Yi Yang, supervised by Dave Axford, Dennis Berardi, Jeff Campbell, Rob Del Ciancio & Jorge Razon is pretty good. The stunts coordinated by Nick Powell & Brett Chan (who also choreographed the fights, as well) is pretty good.

This is a pretty good sequel & movie that is just as good as the first four movies were. It is an action-packed, fun and fast-paced ride that is entertaining and well-done. Milla Jovovich is a pretty good action heroine and her husband-director has made another fast-paced action film that keeps you entertained.

Review of After Earth (Two Disc Combo: Blu-ray / DVD + UltraViolet Digital

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I'll try not to give the plot away but my overall opinion is that this is a mediocre rental at best. I had high hopes for this movie as I'm a fan of post apocalyptic movies and futuristic movies. Adding Will Smith's good acting to the mix had me thinking this was a sure hit. Unfortunately-the movie follows his son Jaden Smith, whose acting skills are less than stellar. Will Smith does start out in the movie with a majority of the scenes but 15 minutes into the film and his exposure is cut to a him communicating with his son through basically a wrist walkie talkie. He is not involved in any of the action sequences in the movie and Jaden Smith's acting skills are not developed enough to carry a movie in my opinion. I can only assume he was cast in this movie as a favor to his father. Will's performance as a strict futuristic military type father is just ok as his character is supposed to come across as a very strict-almost unfeeling father and yet it's just stiff acting at best. And again-Jaden Smith's acting is just not all that good in my opinion. He just lacks believability to me but he's young and I have hopes he'll master the trade as his father did.

While there are a few "creatures" in the movie-so much more could have been done with the premise of this movie yet the focus was generally on Jaden Smith's character rather than diving into the evolving of creatures on this planet. If you are looking for a movie with a lot of action and sci-fi special effects-there are a few but this film falls short of what they could have done with this storyline. If you're looking for a film with a deep meaning intertwined with the plot-this is not it. If you're expecting another great film showcasing Will Smith's impressive range for acting-this is not it.

What you'll get is a movie starring Jaden Smith and a few shots of Will Smith as he speaks to his son through the radio communication device (so you hear his voice a lot). It's not an awful movie but not the best and definitely not worthy of box office prices. At best this is a rental-but keep in mind that you will watch this and realize there were better rentals available.

Just for reference-I'm not a picky reviewer and like a lot of films that seem to get bad reviews. I also still enjoy films with stellar special effects even if the acting isn't the best. This movie just doesn't have that for me. I think watching 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, Battleship, or John Carter is time better spent.

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I don't know why they still give M.Night Somethingsomething yet another chance to make a movie. One horrible piece of garbage after another.

So you have M. Night's talent for producing utter trash 10 out of 10 times, then this pathetic idea of promoting Will Smith's son just because he is Will Smith's son even though he can't act better than a paper bag, plus you have a script that must have been written by someone completely stoned out of his mind and the result is predictable disaster.

To give you an example for how bad the script is the entire movie rests on the concept that in order to fight the evil aliens you have to be able to control your fear, because that controls your body odors. Because the aliens are blind and can only kill you when they smell you. Are you still with me?!?

So this is supposed to be a hard sci-fi movie, with a human civilization that has mastered interstellar travel, large-scale terraforming and faster than light communications but they have to fight some aliens with swords!

And therefore they have to walk up to them and they have never considered just wearing a suit with helmet that would just contain their odor. Or, you know, use weapons that.. are not SWORDS! They do have odor-containing plastic bubbles to protect their children when the aliens attack, so they are aware that this is a concept that would work but no, they put their children under the bubble and then the parents go and fight with SWORDS!

Not a laser gun, or even just a rifle or heck even a crossbow would do, since the aliens are actually quite vulnerable (to swords...).

No, it has to be a sword so that there can be an entire movie about Will Smith's son carrying his father's blade and then finding his own and learning to control his body odor in ways other than just taking a shower or wearing a suit and helmet.

This is how incredibly dumb a piece of nonsense this is. Now imagine adding M.Night Shalala's directing and Jaden Smith's "acting" and you understand why this will go down as one of the 3 or 4 worst movies of this decade.

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You know, there are many reasons people rate movies poorly other than the movie sucking itself. I think unfortunately because of M. Night Shyamalan as a director and Jaden Smith as the main character, whom most people feel has his career in acting due to his fathers clout, this movie has been received with a bit of negative Bias. Now, I have seen some pretty sorry movies over the years. If you ignore the bias and look at the movie objectively without consideration of cast and crew, this wasn't a sorry movie. The very first part of the story is a bit weak. Not enough character introduction was shown to get you involved in the characters lives. I am thinking the scenes that lead up to the son's dismissal were cut leaving a gap that isn't properly explained. It gives no visual representation of why Kitai (Jaden Smith) was cut from the ranks of the graduating rangers. Probably due to the finished product of those scenes not meeting the quality requirements. they were probably not filmed again due to costs. Other than this, the acting was watchable and the story (A survival story) was good and reasonably believable based on the level of technology shown during the movie and the amount of time in the future (Enough time to develop faster than light interstellar travel, find a new world to live in, run from a hostile planet that had evolved in many ways to kill humans and live 1000 years after that time). In other words a distant future. The special affects were good and believable enough to keep you involved but not spectacular.

The theme of the story is the understanding that fear is not real except in ones mind but danger is. That you can overcome the danger if you overcome your fear and learn to think clearly instead of letting fear cause you to panic and ultimately cause you to make a very fatal mistake. Not a bad survivalist way to think and live. I think the story gets this point across nicely. General Raige's son Kitai learns this as he goes to retrieve the second emergency beacon in the tail end of the crashed ship averting many dangers and barely surviving some. The ship is approximately 2 days away. Kitai's father is struggling to stay alive with 2 badly broken legs, one with arterial damage. The large bird part of the story is a bit hard to believe but, I guess it could be possible if these animals have had the time to evolve and become more intelligent. The final fight with the Ursa was done well. It brings a climax and nice ending showing the theme to the movie in action. That's what I saw. Judge for yourself, renting here in HD is only $5.99 with tax. Hope this review helps people decide.

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I'm sorry to say I paid full price to see this movie in the theater. I felt robbed. I love science fiction and I am a Will Smith fan so what could go wrong? Everything. This movie was slow and the characters were not likable. The acting was horrendous and the plot....was there a plot, I can't remember I was so bored. I'm sorry to say I will never get that hour and a half of my life back. I'm giving it two stars because the special effects were decent.

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I watched the movie first and did not read any reviews for it. I did hear this movie wasn't that good, but I gave it a shot anyways. Not surprised that there are mostly negative reviews than positive reviews on here. Anyways, let's get on with my review.

I thought this movie does have the story going for it, but you really have to "pay attention" to what is being said in the beginning of the movie. If you miss anything from what they told you, than most likely, you're going to get a little lost into it. The story is very interesting. Earth is slowly becoming an inhabitable planet, and so, the military made a department division called, The Rangers core. The Rangers go out and try to locate a new planet for Earth's people to live on. Eventually, they did find a new planet, Nova Prime, and the people of Earth move relocate there. They do find out that they were not alone on the planet. The Aliens of that world try to kill the humans by creating these new huge monsters that can locate humans and kill them off. The monsters cannot see and are blind, but they can smell fear and that's the only way they can locate the humans.

I'm thinking that it's strange that the humans don't use guns on the monsters as they don't even try to shoot it. I can only assume that guns have no affect on the monsters? Then, again, humans at that point should have powerful laser guns, but they don't even try that. They don't even try bombs or anything. Instead, what they have is Will Smith with a two-sided blade weapon going in and hack and stash his way to victory for the humans. Will Smith has an ability to have no fear against these monsters. The ability is called Ghosting. If you can forget that they don't have guns or any advance weapons in this movie and just use their concept of ghosting than maybe you're like this movie. I can't really.

Jadan Smith character is very strong physically, but mentally he's unstable and falls apart in front of danger. This is because the alien's monster killed his big sister when he was a child. He wants to be like his father, a genreal in the military and original ranger that invented ghosting. Jadan doesn't see his father much and so he doesn't know him very well, but he looks up to him a lot. That part I did like Jadan funny side, and does that well. But, I don't like when his scared acting or his fierce/strong acting. He just doesn't pull it off well.

Now basically, the story of this movie is very simple and easy to make. There are no characters besides Will and Jadan after the beginning of the movie. Every character would be a flash back after that, so pretty much 90% of the whole movie is just those two guys on the screen. I don't really like that and wanted to see more them just those two guys.

The rest of the story is Will taking Jadan on his last mission as General before retirement. They need to take a ship and just go to a planet and Will trains the new rangers about ghosting there. Simple, right. A twist is when we see that they bring the human killing monster with them on the ship. That because they want to use it for training there. Somehow the ship gets damage and they need to make emergency landing before it's too late. Closes planet is Earth, which we know that it is inhabitable, but they have no choice. The ship blows up just before the landing and it crashes onto Earth. Jadan is unhurt in the crash, but Will can't move. His legs are broken and everyone else is dead. Now, Jadan has to go get help by traveling to retrieve a bacon at the tail part of the ship, and that's 100 kilometers away from them. The bacon will send out a search and recuse signal to the Rangers for help.

Jadan journey is a simple task, but NOT supposed to be easy. Jadan isn't use to Earth's gravity, there are dangers animals and insects everywhere, the air isn't breathable, and finally, the alien's human killing monster is lose and ready and waiting to kill! Jadan has the help of his father by him carry a backpack that has cameras that lets him see and hear what Jadan may or may not see at first. He has breather devices that let's him breath on air for a short period of time. Finally, he has Will's two-sided blade weapon that can change to many different forms.

Now, some people may think this is an action movie, but there isn't that much action in this one. This movie shouldn't be in that action category at all, and it should only put in the Sci-Fi section. The action is down to the bare minimum. It is mostly about Jadan talking about himself to his father, and how scared he is doing this task. But through this, they also learn much about each other and how they both react in the same situation different. Remember, the father has NO FEAR, but his son is totally afraid. In a way, it's like a father trying to teach his son how to do his job. Of course, the son doesn't get it at first and takes time for him to learn the job. I see what they did in the movie and great writing.

Everything is done in CGI. All the monsters and locations are supposed to be sci-fi, so it's understandable that it would be like that. It's not the best CGI I seen, but it would do for this movie.

After watching this movie, I thought it's not that good. I wouldn't even say it's average. It started out great by the story they built up (forgetting about guns part), but they couldn't keep on going and deliver with the rest of the movie. It needed to be longer. They needed more background story. The plot needed to be bigger and better. They needed more characters! This movie could had been 4 or 5 stars, but it was the bare minimum to a even better movie that it could had been.

I do NOT recommend this movie.

Pina (2011) Reviews

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Finally an important show of Great Pina's work. But, why $ 37.98 for a zone 2 dvd plus shipment charges? You could get it direct from the British Amazon site for 8.99 english sterling pounds plus about $ 5,00 shipment, which altogether is about half the price what the other sellers for this item are requesting. So far, there is available even a 3D blu-ray and a regular 2D blu ray in blu-ray-zone 2. Why not for the USA blu-ray zone 1? Ah!, the merchants ... When will this nonsense about dvd and blu-ray regions stop. Greed is godd and necessary, but excesive greed is bad and stupid for everybody.

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"Pina" (106 min.) is a thrilling documentary about/celebration of choreographer Pina Bausch's work. It is important to note that Bausch herself was involved in the preparations of this movie, but she passed away just before shooting beagan after a short but devastating bout with cancer. Director Wim Wenders halted the production, but the dancers of the Wuppertal Tanztheatre convinced him to carry on and to make the movie as a tribute to Bausch. And that it certainly is.

The movie showcases 4 major pieces by Bausch, starting with The Rite of Spring, in which the dancers perform on a thick layer of dark sand. The other pieces are Cafe Mueller, Kontakthoff, and Vollmond. The latter is truly remarkable: there is a huge rock on the stage, and a continuous waterfall onto the stage, which eventually gets flooded for the most part. The dancers splish and splash their way to, through and onto it and it is an incredible visual experience. A number of scenes are also filmed in and around Wuppertal, including on the Wuppertal Schwebebahn (the "hanging monorail") as well as a number of industrial sites that are visually very powerful. The documentary includes short interviews with various company dancers on how Pina influenced them. Sadly, the are only snippets of old footage of Pina Bausch herself.

I saw this in the theatre in 3D and while the 3D was good, I will say that the 3D aspect is not essential to appreciate this movie for what it is: a love note to modern ballet and to Pina Bausch. If you have any interest in ballet, you truly do not want to miss out on this movie. "Pina" was nominated for an Oscar for best documentary, and it is easy to see why. Highly, highly recommended!

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I've never been entirely convinced by Wim Wenders as a narrative film director-his talents have always been more situated in the realm of conceptual art than that of the storyteller. Here he gets a chance to apply his conceptual art strengths to one of the few great artists of our time, Pina Bausch. The results are often startling, enthralling, and affirmative.

The opening excerpt from Bausch's RITE OF SPRING ranks as one of the greatest pieces of filmmaking I've ever seen. There is no doubt that Wenders has found the best possible use for 3D. To be frank, I would have preferred to see the entire performance rather than the documentary which enfolds it, but ideally we can have both (hint to distributors: there are at least five DVDs to be gleaned from the various dances here. I'd buy all of them!!)

The central section of the film includes excerpts from Bausch's more cerebral work, and it is here that perhaps the film is less effective. While the work itself is absolutely fascinating, the series of tableaux which Wenders constructs breaks the spell essential to fully entering Bausch's world. On the other hand, Wenders does create some extraordinary moments possible only through film-by, for example, intercutting between dancers of various ages-thus participating in the creative process and making the film itself a document keeping Bausch alive.

Meanwhile, we geta la "A Chorus Line," the dancers themselves, introduced in close ups Avedon would have been proud of. This device is interesting, if not, perhaps, in the end, terribly well integrated. Threading through the film as a leitmotif we get a processional that reminded me of the end of 8 1/2 (A.O. Scott cites "The Seventh Seal," which also suggested itself to me). It works (we are reassured that the stream of energy Bausch left behind remains) but these cinematic gestures don't approach the brilliance of the work celebrated by the film itself (which is just as it should be, I suppose).

All in all, not one of the greatest documentaries of all time, but absolutely essential, nonetheless. Magnificent!

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The other reviews are not talking about the official Criterion blu ray release, so I am putting in a review because I preordered this and have the Criterion release of the 3D and regular blu rays.

The 3D transfer is stunning, I have a number of other 3D releases, but this is one of the best I have seen. I also saw this in the theater and I almost feel I get the 3D effect better from a home theater system than what I saw in the theater.

In addition to the film, there is a 45 Making of Pina documentary, for once available in 3D also. There are some deleted segments of dances that are not in the film that run I believe about 30 minutes that you will want to see if you were a fan of the film or Bausch's work. They are also included as 3D and regular versions.

Another supplement is a promotional interview by Wim Wenders, which is 22 minutes long. If you want background of the making of this film, it is a good look into his mindset and motivations for what he put on screen.

Criterion has done itself proud in it's first 3D release because once again, they have pushed the bar so high that probably only they will be able to compete with this title.

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Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost!

PINA (2011) WIN Winders:

The great people transmuted simple action into art. Who said that Midas was a man? Wasn't she Phillipa "Pina" Bausch?

I invite you to see this film, a poem in motion, and if you're like me, that when you get excited, you cry, take enough tissue napkins, or clean socks, adsorbent gloves, all of that because the scenes of Pina are sublime, and when the epiphany bursts, usually target to the tear glands.

The choreographic capacity of Pina Bausch was unusual. She agglomerates the dancers, in one being with legs, bodies and arms in perfect synchronicity, sometimes it is a binary being, men and women, spilling emotions though their bodies. Her love of painting, leads to choreographic design like canvas, with brushstrokes perfectly designed, and time to rehearsal, which use to create elements of surprise, with shades of wonder and uncertainty.

Pina passed away five days after being diagnosed with cancer at age 68, Win Winders, the director of this film in 3D, was about to stop all the production. But Pina`s companions, dancers, and family, at least his son Solomon, and the people who admired her "Tanstheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch" fans', asked for to keep the project on, that did not stop the work of this dream-maker film director Win Winders. The result of adding two geniuses in one film, this two wonderful human beings that were born around Dresden, in East Germany, is a masterpiece of art, with the only cualification of superlatively emotional.

From the time I saw the movie "Nosthalgia" of my admired Andrei Tarkovsky, I had not felt so excited and ecstatic, for a film of any genre, until now. This movie produces inside me a sense of epiphany. Because it is full of synthetic visions of the contemporary world, that of course is not new.

Dancers participating in the documentary although hard to circumscribe this film only in a work of this genre -. Describes Pina Bausch in their words, sad and excited, they felt already nostalgia for her. I got the impression that those professionals dancers, they were depicted a kind of goddess of body movement, sets and themes linked to superb choreography poems, which implies an amazing level of cognitive complexity.

Their scenarios were unusual, for example in "Vollmond", the performance was develop on brown earth, in there a group of women have a horror and attraction as well, for a red nightie, while the men leader claims, that to be part of the dowry of the woman who will choose.

In another work of Pina: "Café Müller", that she used to be part of, Pina dance with her eyes closed, while a man is removing the tables and chairs. Pina tell us, in an off narration, that this scene, when she opened his eyes at the end of the work, she was transformed.

The choreographer also participated as an actress with film director Federico Fellini in his movie "And the Ship Sails?" As the Princess Lherimia.

Pina Bausch received several awards throughout her career, such as the "Laurence Oliver" in Britain, in the prize "Kyoto" in Japan and the Goethe Prize in Frankfurt Germany

This year the film on Pina, is already nominated for several awards, and at least four of his works will be on stage in celebration of the "Olympics" in London, 2012.

The use of basic elements, women and old men, the dynamic law of gravity, as the antagonistic natural element of the flying dancers, abundant water, earth, wind and sun. In addition to the narrative themes that humans have told us from the caves to the mobile chat and what follows, are a proof that Pina was a woman that knew to tune the limbic system of human emotions and read into her dancers and know what kind of personal stories they have and what kind of goals they would like to achieve.

Win Winders, developed an unconventional documentary, without concessions or sentimentalisms. His intention is to make us partakers of the wonderful woman who Pina Busch was, and perhaps with that improve, even slightly, the pain of his departure.

Winders is the director of "The American Friend", "Paris Texas", "Wings of Desire," "The End of the Violence" also the documentary about the Cuban orchestra of olds musicians, "Buena Vista Social Club". He was born in Dresden, close to town where Pina was born, studied medicine and philosophy, but he did not completed them. He try entering several times to formally study film, however like François Truffaut in France, it was by being a regular assistant to films and work on the drafting of Der Spiegel, that generated the basic knowledge that allow him to make his films.

Installed more from the position of an emotional and observational cinema, his films are about unusual situations of estrange people. In the film, "Paris, Texas", for instance, Harry Dean Stanton plays Travis Henderson, a subject in a state of dromomania (less intense than the one that we saw in Forest Gump, because he runs tirelessly for moths and grown beards and hair). Travis enters from the desert to a small restaurant and drink what is in the refrigerator. To learn that after the pain of neglect, indifference, or what Wajda called "No Anesthesia" Bez znieczulenia (1978), which caused such locomotors activity.

Winders, like his compatriot Herzog (The Cave of forgotten dreams), ventures under a lucky star in the technology of the third dimension, and strings sublime touches, for example, when at the end of "Pina" he made a tribute, I think consciously to Ettore Scola and his film "The Dance" (Le Bal) (1983), in which Scola narrated, through popular dance, twenty years of life in France in XX century. At the end of each French historical period, a photographer invisible takes a snapshot. In the Win Winders movie, Pina, the photographer is not invisible, as it takes pictures of the dancing couples, that letter on comments on Pina Bausch.

Human beings are not just what we see in the mirror, but how we perceive each time that we move, and each time we see the same the same dynamics in the others. That is why this movie is an special one for those who see the synthesis of arts inside a screen.

Review of Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience (Anaglyph 3D Blu-ray/DVD

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The Jonas Brothers are the hottest boy band in America.

With a large legion of fans, the group which consists of brothers Kevin, Joe and Nick, the Jonas Brothers have accomplished many things in their last three years since the release of their first album.

The group debuted on Columbia Records INO Records (a Christian Label) in 2006 and eventually received airplay on Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101: Spring Break-Up" and various Disney soundtrack and compilations. Despite the group starting to gain momentum, the group was dropped by Columbia Records and had no label until signing with Hollywood Records in 2007. And received more attention when they appeared on an episode of "Hannah Montana" and the group were playing at major televised events.

But it was until the group released their third album "A Little Bit Longer" in 2008 which gained mainstream attention (and #40 on Rolling Stone Magazine's top 50 albums in the US) and the group had their own Disney film "Camp Rock" which featured the trio with another upcoming Disney Channel starlet Demi Lovato. The group also received the spotlight on the front cover of Rolling Stone Magazine.

Needless to say, the Jonas Brothers have become popular and Disney began filming their concert tour in the Summer of 2008, preparing the film for a 3D release and starring both popular actress/pop star Demi Lovato and popular country singer Taylor Swift.

"JONAS BROTHERS THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE" came out in theaters on February 2009.

The film was directed by Bruce Hendricks (producer of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films and "Pearl Harbor") and cinematography by Mitchell Amundsen ("G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra", "Wanted", "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour", "Transformers"and "Transporter 2') and Reed Smoot "Circque du Soleil: Journey of Man", "Mystery of the Nile" and "Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs").

Needless to say, when it comes to idol-based music films or concerts, they are literally targeted towards their fandom and demographic. Those not familiar with the Jonas Brothers or care for their music are probably not going to have much of an interest in the film. But for those who do enjoy the group's music, "JONAS BROTHERS THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE: DELUXE EXTENDED MOVIE" is actually an enjoyable release. First off, you get four 3D glasses and you can enjoy the film in either its 3D or 2D presentation via Blu-ray. You get the DVD and a digital copy for a total of 3-Discs.

The following songs are featured in "JONAS BROTHERS THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE":

1. "Tonight" (Intro/Opening Credits)

2. "That's Just the Way We Roll"

3. "Hold On"

4. "BB Good"

5. "Goodnight and Goodbye"

6. "Video Girl"

7. "Gotta Find You"

8. "This Is Me" (Demi Lovato & Jonas Brothers)

9. "Hello Beautiful"

10. "Still In Love With You"

11. "Pushin' Me Away"

12. "Should've Said No" (Taylor Swift & Jonas Brothers)

13. "Love Is on Its Way"

14. "S.O.S."

15. "Burnin' Up"

Additional performances featured on the DVD Extended Version

16. "Can't Have You"

17. "A Little Bit Longer"

For the film, you get a good balance of concert and also other activities such as the guys picking up the release of their third album, the fake Jonas Brothers and a lot of footage of their hardcore fans. Also, the group performing with their band outdoors and backstage footage.

In terms of concert footage, having reviewed many concert releases on DVD, you often wonder how a concert looks like when it has a significant budget, this is a good example. There are cameras everywhere. Multiple angles, closeups, front, sideways, behind the band, above the band in a various angles you name it, there's a camera. Editor Michael Tronick (Editor for "Hudson Hawk","Bedtime Stories", "Days of Thunder", "S.W.A.T.", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith) did an absolutely great job with the cut footage. No dizzying quick cuts, gives the viewer time to adjust and enjoy the ambiance of the crowded concert with its many fans and their light sticks. The group and band with their constant movement throughout the stage. It's well done!

The lighting is well done and very good lighting from purple, pinks, greens, blues, ambers. And again, the larger production budget definitely shows with the stage set-up.

As for the 3D portion, I'm not the biggest fan of 3D because seldom does it work effectively (with the exception of the 3D shows I have seen at Disneyland) but for "JONAS BROTHERS THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE", for the most part, the 3D works. From Nick Jonas throwing a drum stick to the drummer and Taylor Swift flicking her guitar pick towards the camera. Those instances were enjoyable.

For the most part, 3D is used to show the audiences arms and light sticks and moreso, bringing out the performers and giving a visual depth when Joe Jonas is seen at the front and everyone is seen directly behind. Also, 3D is used quite a bit during the scenes with cast and crew credits. Also, seeing flames from the stage, the mic and mic stand right by you.

Where it's not effective is certain shots where you can see lines on the faces (for example, during the Jonas Brothers performance with Demi Lovato) during the 3D portion. And this happens a few times during the film. But for the most part, the 3D does work and some scenes that were quite effective. I had a few people with varying eyesight test out the 3D glasses during the play of the concert and interesting enough, each person had different experiences with the one with better eyesight feeling that everything was much more alive and coming out to them visually.

Of course, for those who don't care for 3D can select 2D on the Blu-ray disc and also, the 2D version is included on the optional DVD and digital copy.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"JONAS BROTHERS THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE: DELUXE EXTENDED MOVIE" is featured in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1). Of course, quality is a non-issue during the 3D portion but for the 2D portion included, the film is quite vibrant in colors. As mentioned above, there is a lot of lighting in this concert and colors really come out quite well in this film. If there is one thing that I'm always confident from a release from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, every Blu-ray release has had solid picture quality and this film is no exception.

Colors come out quite well during the concert, audience faces can be seen from a distance, blacks are nice and deep. No low-light noise, overall for a concert related release, this is probably one of the best looking concerts I have seen on Blu-ray but considering not many concerts are shot with this large of a budget and is shown as a feature film.

And the audio is fantastic. Disney went for the 7.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio. So you have the front channels delivering the music and vocals. The rear surrounds delivering the audience. Great use of LFE as my subwoofer was being used during the concert. It's an immersive soundtrack and if I had to really nitpick, I wish the explosions had a little more kick but overall, the concert presentation given the DTS-HD Master Audio track was quite exceptional.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"JONAS BROTHERS THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE: DELUXE EXTENDED MOVIE" comes with a few special features. Included are:

* BONUS SONGS of "LOVE BUG" and "SHELF" Both the Blu-ray and DVD feature two performances not included in the extended version of the film. "LOVE BUG" (3:41) features the group rehearsing and practicing with their band and goofing around. And then shots of the group performing live in concert with the band. "SHELF" (4:25) features the group performing live.

* BACKSTAGE DISNEY: Up Close & Personal with the Jonas Brothers (15:09) An in-depth look at the Jonas Brothers as they recall the challenges they had in their career and remembering how they performed at small venues two years ago and now they are performing at larger venues. How they planned the stage along with their crew and working together with everyone (musicians and crew) and treating them like a family. Working with Rob Brenner (Tour Director) and a behind-the-scenes look at rehearsals and challenges they had to face. Promotional tours and being thankful to their fans. An enjoyable featurette.

* Dylan & Cole Sprouse: Blu-ray is Suite (DVD Only) (5:57) A promotional by the "Suite Life with Zack and Cody" stars promoting Blu-ray.

JUDGMENT CALL:

I've reviewed many concerts on DVD and beginning to review more on Blu-ray but I have to say that this release is quite solid. The Jonas Brothers and their music may not be for everyone but for fans, this is a solid release. It's well-produced, well-edited and again, not may concerts get the higher production (nor do they get a feature film and featured in 3D). You get one of the best looking concerts on Blu-ray with a pretty awesome soundtrack.

For fans of the Jonas Brothers, you really can't go wrong with "JONAS BROTHERS THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE: DELUXE EXTENDED MOVIE". Disney went all out in giving fans the 2D and 3D version on Blu-ray, plus the Extended Movie on DVD and the DisneyFile Digital Copy.

Personally, I thought it was a well-done concert. Watching a male pop band doing acrobatics during their performance might not be for everyone but having reviewed many female and male idol concerts from Japan and other parts of world, this is pretty standard, so I was not put off by it at all.

Also, I am aware of the negative reviews from critics for this film but at the same time, older critics (or critics with little leeway with their own musical tastes) having to watch a concert featuring an idol pop band, a teen audience and having to listen to bubblegum pop and taking them out of their musical element is not going to gain any positive or favorable reviews.

I personally enjoyed the music and the film and was impressed by the overall production, lighting, editing and the many camera angles. I've reviewed many concerts worldwide and the truth is that many bands or music artists get this high of a production value in their setup (or a feature film) as the Jonas Brothers have received in this film alone. So, its always interesting to see those rare concert opportunities taken to the big screen (and in 3D) that receive such a high production and big budget boost. And of course, to see it receive the Walt Disney Pictures treatment. I was impressed!

If there is one thing that could have been focused on in the film and not put in the special features portion is showing the challenge the Jonas Brothers have faced in the last three years. From being dropped by Columbia Records and through the use of Internet grassroots marketing and receiving the opportunities on the Disney Channel shows, this group was able to go farther in their career and it would have nice to see a backstory of how these guys came from obscurity to the idol pop group phenoms they are now. But in the end, this was a film created for their fans.

Even Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift fans can enjoy their appearance in the film. The production quality is quite high with this release and with that being said, Disney goes all out once again for another awesome Blu-ray release featuring top notch picture and audio quality that the Jonas Brothers fans can and will definitely be proud of!

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The movie comes on 2 disks. One is a standard blu-ray disk. The second one is "3D experience". However, it is not recorded in a 3D blu-ray format which is quickly becoming standard; it is recorded in anaglyph, which means that left and right eye images are encoded using red and blue-green filters. No special 3D TV or 3D blu-ray player is required. Any blu-ray player and any TV will play it. The glasses are two pieces of colored plastic, red on the left eye and bluish-greenish on the right. 3D image is created at a cost of horrible distortion in color and significant artifact caused by color filters. It does not get anywhere close to real 3D blu-rays, and I would not call it 3D at all!

I will not comment on the content because it is a matter of taste.

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YOU ARE GONNA LOV IT! FIRST ITS BLU-RAY, THEN IS A DVD COMBO AND IT HAS DIGITAL COPY! CAN YOU ASK FOR MORE?...OH YEAHH,,YOU WILL SEE THIS HOT BROTHERS WHEN EVER YOU WANT

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Great value and lots of fun to watch. Disney production is flawless and contains so many extras. I have actually watched the 3D and the 2D versions in Blu Ray many times. While the original songs are aimed at teenage girls, I found them pleasant old fashioned rock. Also enjoyed the Taylor Swift and Demi Levato numbers. This DVD allows one to experience what goes into a tour production and also gives many insights into the personalities and talents of the brothers if you are not already familiar. There is a lot of hugging with each other and with others which may turn off some who are just too cool but I found the brothers a wonderful mix of teen spirit firmly rooted in decent homespun values and ethics which permeate everything they do. It is difficult to choose a favorite they are each so different and talented. I always love the clown though Joe. I love this DVD.

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I gave this to my daughter for her birthday, and figured I would go blu ray with the 3D...hoping it would work. She watched it when she had a sleepover and they started out with the 3D version, but one of her friends had trouble with the glasses, so they went back to 2D. Although by that time they were half way through the movie. As they were watching it, I would hear all the girls singing to the songs and enjoying the movie. The next day she watched it in 3D and it was really neat how the 3D version worked. I expected some cheesy 3D stuff, but it looked excellent on the screen. Now, the whole movie doesn't play in 3D, so you end up taking your glasses off now and then. From what I saw, the 3D version works fine as do the glasses, I just think the one sleepover guest didn't want to bother with them.

My daughter said she would give it 4 stars as it was a good movie and she would watch it now and then, but it wasn't the greatest movie she ever saw (she would give Coraline the movie 5 stars!).

In all, I am still glad I got this movie, the Jonas Bros seem like good kids and role models and they sing okay and are decent to look at. As a mom, this movie won't annoy me, and I think my kids will enjoy it quite a few more times.

Reviews of Dracula (Import)

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Soooo fellow geek classic monster collectors, tell me, does this sound familiar? You are perusing various sites and store DVD racks and you stumble across these 75th Anniversary editions of DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN and your geek heart starts palpitating at the thought of digitally restored version of these films and you get all excited and you start deciding which comic books you'll give up this month to buy these instead.......but then you remember you've bought the last TWO previously released DVD versions of these films and now you wonder if these are worth it? OK....well...maybe this is kind of an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. I bowed to temptation because, well....Universal has me with their monster releases from way back....period.

Soooo.....as it is obligatory when one has bought three releases of the same d@mn film, I sat down with them all and ran them through to decide which was the best of them. It is without question IMO, that the DRACULA 75th DVD is the best transfer when compared to the 90's (poster art), and the first LEGACY (green box art) releases. Picture-wise, the amount of speckles, noise and whatnot has been reduce quite a bit. This is most apparent in the darker scenes. So on a good note, seeing less snowy junk pop up is nice. Some of the scenes also look less jittery. For example, in the previous releases, the scene when Frye first comes into Drac's home and Lugosi is descending the staircase behind him, the film image is really jumpy...like watching a bad bootleg. In this 75th release it looks stable and doesn't have that funky aliasing look. The overall picture quality just feels cleaner in this release. But there is still a good amount of junk throughout the film that this cannot possibly be considered the definitive restoration. Only some making the leap from VHS to DVD will get their socks knocked of with this release. If you bought the other two, then you might be happy, but probably underwhelmed despite the good points. Like the FRANKENSTEIN release, this still feels like a money making thing than an anniversary homage to this film especially after the promise of something new from a third dip. Some people may say that we can't expect much because the film is so old. But sorry, after THREE RELEASES, and most especially since this one is clearly the supposed icing-on-the-cake release so far, well, I think Universal could have done even better than this, MUCH BETTER. Technology as it stands nowadays is very forgiving when cleaning up old films.....but companies need to be willing to put the money into using said technololgy. I would think that even if the buying public of an older film such as this is limited and Universal wasn't going to pour a ton of cash into it, well, being the third time releasing the same d@mn movie, would it be outrageous to assume they'd have enough saved in the piggy bank to do a definitve restoration instead of this continued fleecing, but hey, guess that's business. I think if they DID do much better and THEY knew it, we would have gotten NEW SPECIAL FEATURES and none of the stuff that was already on the other two releases save for the one Lugos bit that is new here.

Sound-wise, I have to agree with other reviews that I have read that mention that the 90's release had better sound. It did seem a bit crisper. But like the FRANKENSTEIN releases, picking the better sound with DRACULA is like picking the lesser o two evils.......do you want Niagra Falls somewhere in the background or do you want gentle rapids? To me, all of the background hissing and popping and rustling sounds funky on all of the releases, but they eventually just become part of the film. I don't really have much of a preference as none have ever been so clean that I could make myself care THAT much.

VALUE: Hmmmmmm........if you have the money, this is the best DRACULA to get in terms of picture and such. But one has to ask themselves how much they care about this film to fork over the cash for just one film. If you are only marginally interested in this DRACULA, but still want a copy, I'd go for the LEGACY set as that comes with other films and is the better value overall. This release is truly for the purists and gluttons for finacial punishment such as myself. Even though I have now three copies of this film, I have still only managed to watch it less than ten times since the first 90's release since, even though a classic, I find DRACULA mostly a boring affair when watched repeatedly so I hafta take it in like wine....slow...and over time. So my point is, one has to ask themselves, how much do you care to drop the cash for yet another copy of this if you already have it?

PACKAGING: For the most part, identical to the green LEGACY sets. That is, the faux hardback book case that opens up to reveal two DVD's. Only here, there is NO open window slipcover to protect the case. This seems kinda cheap since the case is a cool, leather-ish 'grained' cover printed in matte sepia, which is nice. But it will succumb to scuffs and such much faster than the better protected LEGACY set.

OVERALL: Like the FRANKENSTEIN 75th....this is cool if you got the money to upgrade. But for what it's touted as, this still is gets 50/50 from me. Just keep in mind that the 'definitve' HD/BLUE RAY versions will come at some point ........or at least the first versions of -thosedefinitve versions...so we ain't outta the woods yet.

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This DVD is the "Jewel in the Crown" of the classic Universal horror films released in that format. It includes a quality print of the Bella Lugosi DRACULA, with options to play the film with Philip Glass' recent soundtrack; the so-called "Spanish" DRACULA starring Carlos Villarias; and a fascinating documentary hosted by Carla Laemmle, who has a bit role in the Lugosi DRACULA and who was niece to Universal studio head Carl Laemmle. There is also an audio track by David J. Skal, production notes, and the like.

The Lugosi DRACULA is somewhat problematic. DRACULA had been previously (and illegally) filmed as the silent NOSFERATU, and a later stage adaptation proved a staple of the British theatre. When the stage play at last arrived in New York, the title role fell to Bela Lugosi. Although Universal optioned the material, studio head Carl Laemmle was not enthusiastic about it; although European films were comfortable with the supernatural, American films were not, and Laemmle did not believe the public would accept such an irrational story. Nor was Laemmle interested in Lugosi; if DRACULA was to be filmed, it would be filmed with Lon Chaney.

When Chaney died the screen role went to Lugosi by default, but there were further issues. Originally planned as a big-budget production, the deeping Great Depression made the film's box office possibilities seem even slighter than before and its budget was cut to the bone. And Todd Browning, who had been such a successful director of the macabre in the silent era, proved clumsy with sound. The resulting film was more than a little clunky--but it had two things going for it: a superior first thirty minutes and Lugosi. Although Lugosi's performance may seem excessively mannered by today's standards, audiences of the 1930s found it terrifying--and even today, when the character of Dracula comes to mind, we are more likely to think of Lugosi than other actor that later played the role.

For a brief time after the advent of sound, several studios made foreign language versions of their productions. The "Spanish" DRACULA was one such film, and when the English language company wrapped for the day the Spanish speaking cast arrived and filmed through the night using the same sets. This gave the Spanish company the benefit of hindsight: they were perfectly aware of what the English language company was doing, and they deliberately set out to best it. The result is a somewhat longer, more cohesive film with some of the most arresting visuals and camera work of the early sound era. But unfortunately, star Carlos Villarias was no Bella Lugosi: although much of his performance was more subtle than Lugosi's, it was also less intimidating, and where today Lugosi seems mannered, Villarias seems unfortunately comic. In a perfect world, we would be able to insert the Lugosi performance into the "Spanish" Dracula. As it is, we are left with two deeply flawed but nonetheless fascinating films.

In their own ways, both films proved incredibly influential, and it is difficult to imagine the evolution of the classic-style horror film without reference to both the Lugosi and the "Spanish" DRACULA. The Lugosi film is not perfectly restored, but the print is very, very good, easily the best I have seen. The "Spanish" DRACULA has more problematic elements, partly due the fact that the film borrowed some scenic footage from the Lugosi version and snips of footage from earlier films (there even appears to be a brief clip of the ballet from the silent PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in the film); the film is sometimes dark, sometimes very spotted, but short of a cgi restoration this is probably as good as it gets.

The Philip Glass soundtrack, which is optional, tends to divide viewers. The Lugosi DRACULA had virtually nothing in the way of soundtrack; the "Spanish" DRACULA used music to a greater degree, but even so that degree is comparative. The Glass score is often quite interesting, but it is also as often intrusive as it is effective. Some feel it adds quite a bit to the film; others find it distracts. Whatever one's reaction to the film, either English or Spanish language, or with or without the Glass score, this is a remarkable DVD package, and fans of classic horror will find it an almost inexhaustible pleasure. I cannot recommend it too strongly.

Gary Taylor (gft)

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I love all of the old Universal Monster Movies and I love all the DVD versions that Universal has issued. They have done it right, giving us deluxe editions of The Wolf Man and The Mummy with all the bells and whistles. Of all of these, my favorite is Todd Browning's Dracula. Dracula may not be considered the best of the Universal films (that title usually goes to Bride of Frankenstein) but it certainly is the best DVD.

EVERYTHING is on this DVD. There is a wonderful DOCUMENTARY, The Road to Dracula. Amazingly, this is hosted by Carla Laemmle the niece of the producer who actually ACTED in the movie. (She is the girl in the stagecoach who had the first line of dialogue in the film indeed, in any sound horror film.) Clive Barker also adds valuable commentary. Although Barker is at the cutting edge (pun not intended) of hard-core horror, he still has great appreciation and insight about the classics.

FEATURE COMMENTARY: This is provided by David J. Skal, the noted Dracula/Vampire expert. Along with the documentary, this should tell you everything you ever wanted to learn about Dracula.

SPANISH LANGUAGE VERSION: It is now a famous story that, after Browning and his crew finished work for the day, a Spanish cast and crew would come in at night to film the same movie for the Spanish-speaking markets. The Spanish crew was very competitive and many critics say that the Spanish version is actually better. I do not agree with this. True, there are more interesting camera moves, but most of what we come to Dracula for is the Bela Lugosi performance not to mention Dwight Frye as Renfeild with his inimitable laugh. The Spanish version is also great because it is a more accurate realization of the shooting script.

NEW SCORE: The old Universal movies did not yet have scored music. A few years ago, Philip Glass and the Kronos Quartet were commissioned to write a full score. It is excellent and it is also included on the disc. You can watch it with or without. I usually prefer without I'll always think of the opening set to Swan Lake.

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This is the third time that Universal has released the original Dracula on DVD. The first and second releases had problems. Both prior releases had unsatisfactory, murky and dark picture quality. There was no fine detail and objects got lost in the murkiness of the image. Also the shots of the newspaper clippings following the landing of the Vesta were off-center and cut off. The first release had a clean sounding, almost hissless soundtrack but was missing music at the end of the scene in the opera house following the line, "There are far worse things awaiting man...than death." The second release restored that music but cut out the screams of Renfield and the dying groans of Dracula at the end of the film. The second release also had hiss issues with the sound quality.

This third release, the 75th Anniversary release (which also coincides with the 50th anniversary of Bela Lugosi's death on August 16, 1956), has vastly improved picture quality. The image is now bright and full of detail. It looks like a new movie! The murkiness is gone. There are numerous shades of grey instead of the prior high contrast image. The image is almost as clean and clear as that of the Spanish language version which is also included on disc 2. Also, the shots of the newspaper clippings are now perfectly centered and fully legible for the first time on DVD! My one complaint with the picture is that if you compare this release to the prior releases it appears that the edges of the image are now slightly cropped on all four sides of the frame. This is almost unnoticeable except for the initial shot of Dracula's coffin. In the prior 2 releases, when the camera dollies into the coffin and you first see Dracula's hand emerge from the coffin, you see the pillar or base of the arch to the left of the coffin for most of the shot. In this third release, for some unknown reason, the left side of this shot has been severely cropped; the pillar is almost entirely missing from the shot leaving the composition totally off balance. This is the only time where the cropping is excessive and disruptive to the image. In all the other shots in the film, the cropping of the edges of the image is minor and actually appears to center the image better than the prior 2 releases. Unless you have seen this movie numerous times, you will not even notice it.

The third release completely restores all of the missing sound elements music, screams and groans, but the hiss has returned and the sound is not as clean as the first version.

If you already own the first 2 releases, it is worth buying this version for the improved picture quality alone! I highly recommend this version as the one to buy!

Bela Lugosi lives!

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This disc is both a wonder (primarily) and a disappointment (secondarily).

Since the disappointments are minor, I'll get them over with. These all have to do with the original English-language version of the film (there are several versions on this disc).

First, the video's fine, with the tolerable allowances one must make for a film of this vintage, putting up with the speckles, particles, and other artifacts. But the audio bothered me. It's not terrible, but the problem is that computer "noise reduction" was employed on this film to eliminate most of the extraneous sounds. This works fine when no one is speaking, and since the film has almost no music, it isn't a problem for most of the non-dialogue portions. HOWEVER, there's also a lot of speech in the film, and because noise-reduction could not be used on the dialogue without compromising the sound, the result is that when anyone talks the background noise rises, falling away sharply after the speech ends. Perhaps this won't bother many people, but it bothered me, and I'd really have preferred it if they'd let the sound alone (as Universal did, for the most part, on the DVD of "Frankenstein").

Another problem with the noise-reduction is that, intentionally or not, the process actually deleted a couple audio elements of the film. Again, these are somewhat minor, but they miffed me (in a way, even more than the former phenomenon).

The first deletion occurs during the London theatrical sequence, where four of the characters are on a balcony enjoying a show. No need to bore with details, but there's music during this sequence, and toward the end of it, just after Bela Lugosi intones "There are worse things awaiting man ... than ... death," you're supposed to hear a saturnine snippet of Schubert's "8th Symphony." But you don't, and it's very obvious that the noise-reduction eliminated it as if it were a "defect." That's carrying technology too far, and it's especially irksome here because the music has a message: it's supposed to serve as a "coda" to Lugosi's ominous words, as well as a lead-in to the sinister events that follow.

The second erasure occurs later in the film, where Van Helsing is trying to diagnose Mina Harker's weird dream. She's sitting on a couch, with Edward Van Sloan (Van Helsing) leaning toward her from a chair. At one point Jonathan Harker steps up to intervene, and Van Helsing chides him, saying "Please, please, Mr. Harker." At least, that's what he's supposed to say. But only the first syllable of the name comes through, so it becomes "Mr. Hark." Again, not a large glitch, but enough to bug anyone who's seen this film many times.

Apart from the above faults, I have nothing but praise for this disk, and that's Praise with a capital P. David J. Skal, who wrote and directed the 35-minute documentary, "The Road to Dracula," offers us many tidbits on the original Stoker novel, the various stage and screen adaptations preceding the Lugosi version, and even some comments on the producer (Carl Laemmle, Jr.), director (Tod Browning), and cinematographer (German émigré, Karl Freund). Skal is not only a first-rate scholar in the horror genre (which anyone who's read his book "Hollywood Gothic" already knows), but has an excellent speaking delivery and manages to capture our attention in a scholarly, but never dry, manner. This comes through on his play-by-play commentary on the film, as well as on "Road."

Then there's the newly-scored version of "Dracula," the new music from none other than Philip Glass (whose scoring credits include the cult documentary "Koyaanisquatsi," among others). I had misgivings about this before I heard it, and still have reservations, but I nevertheless believe Glass did a fine job, using an all-string accompaniment with many minor-key elements. The score has the good sense to be "emotional" in a rather atavistic way, but rarely calls much attention to itself. Admittedly, if you've grown up watching a film for years with almost no music, it's a bit jarring to hear a version like this, but I strongly suspect that the more I listen to it, the more I'll like it. I especially admired a couple sequences (such as the storm scene on the ship "Demeter"), where Glass uses pizzicato strings in a manner almost reminiscent of Marius Constant's "Twilight Zone" theme --it's great stuff, but you have to experience it firsthand for the full essence.

Finally, there's the almost-pristine Spanish version of "Dracula," filmed at the same time, and on the same sets, as the Browning/Lugosi version. A special treat here is the introduction by Lupita Tovar, who played Mina more than a half-century before this version was made, and who gives us some firsthand info on the making of the film. To me, it's always fascinating to see a "survivor" from cinema's early period, who can give us an inside scoop on what film-making was like in those days. And the film itself is fascinating. Virtually scene-by-scene, it replicates the Browning version, but what's interesting are the ways in which it is both superior and inferior to the "original." As Skal notes, Carlos Villarias is no equal for Lugosi in the title role, but by contrast, the cinematography is far more fluid and lends the film a poetic pace that the Browning version lacks. One might be tempted to say that Karl Freund was to blame for the pedestrian quality of the original, except that Freund was one of the greatest cinematographers who ever lived, and was a mainstay of German Expressionism before moving to America. No, the problem was with Browning, who was simply "uncomfortable" directing talkies after handling numerous films in the silent era.

Finally, a few words about Lugosi himself may be in order (to return once more to the Englishlanguage version). Whatever one could say about the hamminess of much of his acting, it still meshes well with the overall Victorianism of Stoker's tableau. Besides, the more you study his performance, the more appropriate the studied gestures and "calculated" movements seem to be (we are, after all, supposed to be viewing a walking corpse). What a shame that Lugosi, like his contemporary, Peter Lorre, rarely had much chance to expand beyond his "horror" persona.