Cheap Battle Royale - 3 Disc Box Set (Limited Edition) (2000)

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With the emergence of "The Hunger Games" phenomenon of the last few years, the inevitable comparisons between that franchise and the cult novel "Battle Royale" by Koushun Takami have been plentiful. Sure, the two do share strong thematic and narrative similarities, but each has a distinctly unique vibe and explores the back story behind the violence in a different way. The film adaptation of "Battle Royale" by director Kenji Fukasaku garnered almost instant international notoriety in 2000 for its disturbingly bleak portrait of kids set upon one another in a violent death match. Despite being banned and reviled by many, the story's visceral and emotional punch was hard to deny. It was nominated for numerous Japanese Academy Awards including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Screenplay and won that country's "Popularity Award." The rumor that Hollywood was flirting with an American remake has been circulating for years, but some seem to think that the film adaptation of "The Hunger Games" might have hurt the likelihood of this occurrence. In any event, I never had high hopes that an American interpretation could rival the original.

"Battle Royale" is being released in two incarnations, a film only DVD/ Blu-ray or "The Complete Collection" DVD/Blu-ray.

Film Only: This includes the Director's Cut of the film. First, the story is about a future Japan whose economy is in collapse and whose crime rate is spiraling out-of-control. In an effort to temper this uptick in violence by the juvenile population, the government has sanctioned an annual contest. In the movie, forty-two middle school aged students are dropped off and left to battle one another for survival. They are armed and coerced into fighting, for there can be only one winner left alive. As often as I've seen this movie, it never fails to shock and disturb me as it is exceptionally intense and powerful. Some complain that it isn't as "good" as the source novel (which is a pretty common argument with most translations from the page to the screen), but I think this is a daring and audacious film that succeeds fully on its own merits. I'm not, however, a huge fan of the Director's Cut. I don't think the extra footage adds appreciable value to the movie and I don't love the extended finale. This version has no special features.

Complete Collection (4 discs): The four discs are (1) Director's Cut of the film (see above), (2) Theatrical Cut, (3) 2003's "Battle Royale II" and (4) Bonus Content Disc. While I would certainly consider the original "Battle Royale" as a classic, its sequel is less so. It carries the same concept over to a new class with some variations on the original theme, but the major difference is that an underground plot by an unexpected terrorist cell plays a large part in this year's action. It's solid enough, I like it. It just lacks the emotional kick of the first film.

Bonus Disc Content included in Complete Collection only. This is on a standard DVD even in the Blu-Ray set (but all three films are on Blu-ray). The Making Of BATTLE ROYALE, BATTLE ROYALE Press Conference, Instructional Video: Birthday Version, Audition & Rehearsal Footage, Special Effects Comparison Featurette, Tokyo International Film Festival 2000, Battle Royale Documentary, Basketball Scene Rehearsals, Behind-The-Scenes Featurette, Filming On-Set, Original Theatrical Trailer, Special Edition TV Spot, TV Spot: Tarantino Version. It's a lot of Bonus Material, but it has been used on Special Edition International versions of the DVD and is not new to this set. Blu-Ray films have 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtracks. KGHarris, 1/12.

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(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)"Battle Royale" is a superb film, subtle and sad and over-the-top and loud all at the same time. The story is often compared to "Lord of the Flies," but that is a bit of a misnomer. "Lord of the Flies" was about reverting to primitivism, whereas "Battle Royale" is a futuristic cautionary tale in the tune of "1984" and "Brave New World." The caution at work here is the threat of absolute bureaucracy, and the dangers of the loss of the value of life and respect in a rules-dominated society. This is a threat quite apparent in modern Japan.

The actors in "Battle Royale" all deliver excellent performances, including the amazing talent "Beat" Takeshi Kitano playing the appropriately named "Kitano." The film was not directed by Takeshi however, so it lacks his beautiful visual style. It does however feature one of his riveting paintings. There is a good range of responses from the various actors playing the students, from outright suicide, to panic, to a drive to win to a drive to help. Unfortunately, the character of Kazuo Kiriyama (the machine gun boy) is woefully underdeveloped, and instead of the fierce, cold genius of the book he is a somewhat characterless villain.

While a violent film, I wouldn't characterize "Battle Royale" as an action film per se. Anyone looking for a Hong Kong-style action film should realize that Japan and China are quite different countries with different approach to movies.. "Battle Royale" retains the quietude and patient pacing that is the hallmark of Japanese cinema, and which leaves some viewers bored, who are used to a quicker pacing. The bloodshed, while in great quantity, is also more cartoony in nature, which is also more typical of Japanese films, which does not favor a naturalistic approach.

I think some familiarity with problems in modern Japan (ie: school violence, overwhelming bureaucracy) gives some necessary perspective to this controversial movie, and helps frame it as more than exploitation. It is a political statement, with a subtle message underlying the overt violence. Along with this, knowledge of Japanese culture deepens the understandings of certain scenes, such as when Kitano performs the prescribed exercises, and the training video shown at the beginning. Without understanding, these scenes might come off as merely quaint or odd.

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Before you type out a retaliatory positive reviewread on!

I want to start off by saying I absolutely LOVE Battle RoyaleIt is most certainly on my list of favorite movies. HOWEVERthis 'Director's Cut' is total garbage.

Sadly, as with the case for many 'Special Edition' DVDs, Battle Royale: Director's Cut adds unnecessary footage that does nothing to enhance the film. The end is extending by 8 minutes or so and delves into a sort of epilogue and series of dream sequences.

The Battle Royale wiki explains the changes here: (...)

No attempt was made to clean up the subtitles: I can ignore misspellings and incorrect conjugations however at one point the subtitles ran off the screen. The subtitles in the added scenes were far worse than that of the rest of the movie.

I am not bashing Battle Royale; I want people to buy the regular version and forget that this Director's Cut is even an option.

Honest reviews on Battle Royale - 3 Disc Box Set (Limited Edition) (2000)

Very good movie. I strongly reccomend this movie to anyone who enjoys strange movies, because you've never ever seen a movie like this.

It's the future... Kids have stopped going to class, and are becoming pests. So the government has started a new program called the "BATTLE ROYALE SURVIVAL PROJECT." What happens is that one class of 9th graders a year is chosen by impartial lottery to go onto a deserted island. The kids then get 'voted off' the island. And by 'voted off' I mean they kill each other. Each kid gets a bag, inside is food, water, a map, and a random weapon. With this weapon, they are ordered to kill each other until one remains.

This movie has everything. Violence, plot, character development (somewhat -enough to satasfy me), and an amazing story. It'll keep you on the end of your seat, or couch, or whatever.

Oh, and if you go out and see the new Tarantino movie, KILL BILL, the actress that plays Liu's bodyguard is one of the kids from Battle Royale.

Buy this movie. I can't stress it enough.

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Battle Royale is a movie based on new age problems, such as teen suicide, school murders, and the lack of respect that today's youth has or has had for superiors. It's a surreal response to all of these elements of modern society (and despite being a Japanese film, this is especially true for the United States). In the near future, teenagers have decided that they don't want to follow the same rules they've been following for ages. Teachers now fear for their lives, and students boycott the system. In order to put a stop to this, the BR Act was instituted, yet none of the students have no idea about this... until they are apart of the Act. Basically, the BR Act allows the adults to send children and students off to a secluded island to kill each other off.

That's just what happens to a class of forty-two students, with two mysterious transfer students included in that. Once introduced to their class, and given the rules of game, they are sent off with a bag of provisions and a randomly chosen weapon. Sometimes, the weapons can as useless as a pair of binoculars, or as effective as grenades. It's all the luck of the draw, and whether or not the student is able to adapt to the game and earn the weapons on their own. Some students do just that, while others choose different ways of escaping the game. And then there are those who choose instead not to fight at all, but to unite and try to figure out a way to save themselves. Yet the rules of the game may force even those of a more peaceful ilk to kill the ones they trust.

What's good about Battle Royale is that, though there are numerous characters and plenty of sub-plots, it never gets bogged-down with an over-populated cast. There are heroes, neutral forces, as well as those who are pure evil. Another good part of this movie is the constantly rising tension, and how the characters react to this. As the game gets deeper, the characters emotions begin to fray. Though surely a fantasy, it seems that everything that happens to these students because of the BR Act could be possible, should our world ever reach the point it does in Battle Royale.

The one problem I had with Battle Royale, though, was the subtitles. At times they ran out of the edge of the screen, making it impossible to read, and at other times they just weren't grammatical. The wrong words were used in many places, and sometimes the subtitles made no sense at all, whether they were written grammatically or not. Though the acting makes a lot of what's being said clear, there are times when this still gets frustrating.

Despite that, though, the movie is excellent. It has plenty of surprises, a good ending, and a lot of great action. Plus, it has the common Japanese elements, like the super-violence and gore. To add, the story is great, and the characters are well-acted. I'd recommend this movie to any fan of Asian cinema, especially Japanese horror fans. Battle Royale is one of the better movies to come out of Japan.

Spears & Munsil High-Definition Benchmark Blu-ray Disc Edition Reviews

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Im an dedicated reader of "Home Theater" magazine and they wrote an article for this BD. So being the enthusiast I am, I purchased this BD with in minutes of reading the article. I'm glad it did! Spears & Munsil have definitely set the standard for HDTV calibration. I have used other cal BD's and they were great, but none come close to this one. The BD offers a array of test patterns to calibrate/adjust your TV. It even prove that my TV "Cine-motion" feature was better turn "off". They are also video in 7.1 Dolby HD and DSP HD to test your surround speakers. They dont offer test tones, thats my only complaint. But don't let that stop you from getting this BD. I'm still a fan of ISF calibrations, but if you don't have $400.00 to invest in a full "ISF" cal, then I would highly suggest you buy this BD.

Sony XBR6 52" is perfect after Spears & Munsil.

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I suppose I really should have chosen a different title for my review as I have not tried the Digital Video Essentials one; however, I have tried Avia, one from Monster, and of course the THX and Disney optimizers that come on various dvds, and this one makes those look like a joke. It's easy to navigate through the various test patterns, and within each pattern is readily available help information with correct and incorrect examples to give you an idea of what you should be looking for. I found the majority of them easy to use and helpful, though I must confess that with a couple of them (I think one was the chroma one) I couldn't tell any difference, either with the examples or with the actual test pattern. Additionally, some of them (e.g., the cadence ones) seemed to me essentially pointless in that they tested performance aspects not readily correctable; however, I suppose they would be useful for deciding whether or not to keep or return a product. With this disc, I was able to dial in a noticeably improved picture. I personally don't care about the lack of audio test tones as I leave audio calibration up to Audyssey and my receiver, but the DTS Master Audio and to a lesser extent the Dolby TruHD clips are fun. Oh, yeah, and they include the blue filter glasses too, which is great. Not having the glasses included in any of the calibration discs I have bought previously, until now I had always just skipped over those patterns. I highly recommend this calibration disc. It has given me confidence that I am getting the best performance possible from my setup.

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I have mixed feelings about this disc. I bought it expecting a simple to use disc that you pop in your Blu-ray player and calibrate your TV according to the different tests that are performed.

It's not quite that simple. First off, a large section of the tests appear to test items on your TV that you have no control over. This is confusing to those new to "calibrating" your TV. There should be a section called "This will test stuff you can fix" and "This will test stuff you can't fix" to clarify. Example: a section will say "you should not see stepping of shades in the following test" and then refers to NOTHING to fix the problem. Ok, my TV is showing the stepping or sectioning of shades, so what do I do to fix it?

Also, the disc comes with what looks like 3-d glasses that are blue-ish in color. Nowhere, I repeat nowhere, in the booklet does it explain what these do. It refers to a "blue filter" in the booklet at one point, but it does not say it's the film that came with the disc and that you should, oh, you know, put it up to your eyes in some of the calibration tests!

A helpful manual or booklet would remedy all of the issues I've experienced thus far, but the booklet is simply made for those who have done calibration before.

I did perform the brightness, contrast, and coloring tests with relative ease and this did improve the picture on my TV. But it doesn't look better to the point of paying for this disc. I even reverted my changes back to how I had it before and could make an argument that it looked just as good.

Another complaint most TVs nowdays have built-in adjustment features that automatically change the brightness, contrast, back-light levels, sharpness and other items. The booklet doesn't even tell you you should probably turn these off, as they counteract the progress you are attempting to make with the calibration. I fiddled with the disc for an hour before realizing the TV was adjusting to the picture by itself.

I understand TVs and monitors but I still feel like I'm lost with this disc. I know what brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, black levels, geometric warping, sharpness and all that stuff is but I can't seem to get the hang of this disc. That's bad. Better instructions are needed for those who don't do this as a hobby. 3/5 stars.

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This technical Blu Ray is a great reference to have when doing your own home calbiration of your TV. For years, people have had to use (and it was an excellent product for the time) the Joe Kane Video Essentials set up. It first came out on Laserdisc, then on DVD, then (briefly) on HD and is now available on Blu Ray. Ironically the Blu Ray version was the cheapest of all ( LD and DVD versions sold at $49.95 retail) What makes this disk special is that it is $10 cheaper than the Blu Ray version of Kane tech spec Blu Ray (Suggested Retail is(or was)$39.95) is that you get everything the Blu Ray DVD essentials disk (in sound and technical specs) But you also get a prgram designed with Blu Ray in mind. The DVD essentials series, by comparison, was the same old Laserdisc version, re-done for each new medium, with little, if any, bnew material for the specific medium. (The DVD version was the exact same as the LD version except the chapters were different becasue you didn't have to flip the DVD over as you did the laser disc.) This disk was actually produced in Hi Def for Blu ray. Spears and Munsil is a West Coast Company and they have produced a DVD version in the past. This Blu Ray version expands on the older title by adding technical test patterns for deinterlacing performance ( you cant use it on SD TVs) All test patterns have been recreated in 1080p for the best calibration. A booklet of tech term glossary and descriptions has also been included along with a pluge test tool

(The Krane discs supplied you with a 35mm film strip tool)that resembles a pair of 3D Glasses. An added bonus is that if you are using HDMI cables to send both audio and video information to your receiver ( or 5.1 capable TVS)you can watch the Promotional trailers for both Dolby Digital HD and DTS HD master audio and calibrate your system. As an added bonus (and I consider a plus over the Kane productions) is different video clip examples showing you the differences of types of video displays (described in detail in the booklet) and a short video clip at that plays when you first put the disc in that is a video mnntage of great sights of the Pacific Northwest. The easy access menu system is also easier to understand and navigate to the desired chapter. Kane's DVD is still is technically sound as always, but this is a better product in that it was produced with HD equipment and is more user friendly than the Kane product

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I own both this disk and also the DVE (Digital Video Essentials) blu-ray test disk as well as the WOW (Disney) test disk.

If you are debating between the three pick this disk the Spears & Munsil if you have a technical background and some instruments. This disk has not only good on-screen help but excellent web based help and discussions. The DVE disk has NONE. The Wow disc is easiest to use and will give as good results as the Spears and Munsil if you don't have instruments.

But the real question, for most people, is whether this disk will help them set up their HDTV in a user friendly manner? The answer is "maybe" and at best, ONLY in a very limited manner.

What can an average user expect to accomplish WITHOUT INSTRUMENTS? Not that much. Here is a list.

1.) Adjust the black level. Black level is an adjustment (using your brightness control no that is not a typo) so pure blacks are as dark as your TV can present them while near black (dark grays) can still be seen. This is not as simple as you might suspect. Your blu-ray player and HDTV must first pass the "below black" test signal. This disk, at least warns that some HDTVs or blu-ray players may not pass that signal, while the DVE disk does not even mention it. This disk also provides a work-around if your player/HDTV does not pass this signal. However this adjustment can be effected by an LCD's back-light and no mention or help is provided to deal with that complexity. So you may or may not get this adjustment right.

2.) Adjust the white level. This is controlled by your TV's picture or contrast control. Your goal here is to be able to detect shades of white above/below reference white. I have philosophical problems with their suggestions but you can probably get this right yet no mention is made (again) of an LCDs back-light which also effects this adjustment

3.) Sharpness patterns are provided and you are instructed to look for halos and edge sharpening. Remember to get within a foot of the screen to do this right. Often the changes you make are hard to see and the instructions are far from perfect.

That is about all an average user will get from using this disk and it is debatable whether they will ever achieve those modest goals.

I've dismissed tint/color as a possible adjustment. Even with the supplied filter I doubt any color balance will get close to being accurate given the limitations of the filter, itself.

For the hard core enthusiast or professional this is a superb test disk with very carefully generated patterns. I think it is pretty clear these are the most sophisticated patterns available and there are a large number of tests I have not even attempted to discuss. But if you are not technically sophisticated and don't have the needed instrumentation ---I really wonder how much utility this disk will have for most users.

I applaud the care and detail of the tests and the superb white papers offered on the Spears and Munsil web site -------but this disk, in my view, has very limited use for most users.

Frankly, if most TV owners understood they should adjust their brightness control to get their blacks as dark as possible while still being able to detect a very dark shade of gray they would get close to what this disk provides. Certainly the test patterns make this much easier! The same advice applies to your whites adjust the contrast or picture control so you can see the differences in shades of bright whites and you'll get close to what this disk offers. But again, test patterns make it easier. Sharpness control if you are using a digital (HDMI) input in all likelihood you can just turn your sharpness control to zero and you'll be fine. But a test pattern verifies that.

If you are calibrating your own HDTV, have the instruments --then you don't need me or anyone else to tell you this is a disk you should have. If you are technically inclined and want to see how your current HDTV fairs on a variety of tests then this is also a disk that you might want to purchase with the following caveats. You'll need to put in a great deal of time to understand all of these tests and should be fully aware that there are often NO adjustments available to improve upon any deficiencies you may find.

If one was looking for a self-guided college level course on HDTV this disk fits the bill assuming the purchaser is willing to do a lot of independent study that would start by studying the excellent white papers at this disc's web site, then joining various forums and working up from there. As with all technical topics how successful you will be will depend on your technical background and diligence.

The Wow disc is easier to use and will give excellent results because it is so much more user friendly. But if you want a journey into the technology of HDTV, want to buy an instrument, maybe even adjust your HDTV using its hidden service menu and read some excellent white papers then I'd get this disc

UPDATE (August 2013) Spears and Munsil has recently released their second editon of this disc. It is even better, by a wide margain, than this disc. Truly a new standard. The second edition at $30.00 is the best disc on the market bar none! The fact that anyone is still buying the first edition of this disc mystifies me.

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.

Prometheus (4 Disc 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Ultraviolet Collector's Review

Customer Ratings:

I'm reviewing the 4-Disc Collector's Edition. I'll go through each disc individually to give you a good idea of what you will be getting, and which version you should purchase. But first, let's briefly discuss the movie itself.

If you haven't seen the film yet, you will still undoubtedly be aware of the polarized reception it received. Some love it, some hate it. Instead of giving you another opinion on why it's the best/worst film ever, let me tell you what to expect. PROMETHEUS is not a horror film. Certainly it has structural similarities to ALIEN, and there is one scene that I would consider very "stressful." But overall, the film is what I would classify as a "concept drama." That is, a drama that doesn't focus on characters, but rather on concept. Don't let any of the tense trailers fool you, this movie was meant as a discussion piece, not an adrenaline rush. You can decide whether it succeeds or fails when you watch it yourself.

Onto the discs ...

DISC 1 3D Blu-Ray (ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE 4-DISC VERSION)

A lot of critics commented that PROMETHEUS had some of the best use of 3D they have ever seen. Many compare it to AVATAR or animated films. With expectations set so high, I was expecting quite a lot out of the 3D version of the movie. I don't know that it fully delivered on what I was expecting, but here is my take on the 3D presentation seen on this disc.

1) 3D isn't used as a gimmick where things jut out of the screen at you, which is a plus in my book.

2) There are a few sequences that look absolutely gorgeous in 3D, usually involving holograms or "projected" images. I also think that the medpod scene benefits particularly by the use of 3D.

3) I feel like the depth of the 3D was under-utilized. Almost everyone seems to disagree with me, but I felt that throughout most of the film, the 3D was a bit flat. That being said, if you prefer 3D, you should get this disc in order to fully appreciate the aforementioned scenes.

The image quality was near perfect, and there were no noticeable signs of ghosting on my TV setup. Audio quality was fantastic, the mix sounded nearly identical to the 2D disc, so I'll comment more on it in my review of that disc. Subtitles are also included.

DISC 2 2D Blu-Ray (AVAILABLE IN ALL BLU-RAY VERSIONS)

The image quality here is near perfect. Most important for me are the blacks, which are quite striking on this transfer. Definite reference quality material here. As far as audio clarity goes, it's spot on. The dynamics are up to a bit of interpretation, but it is worth noting that the speakers are seperated with precision. And there aren't any silly choices made like dialogue coming only from the front speakers, or the back speakers being dedicated exclusively to music. Subtitles are again included.

The primary draw of this disc, apart from the film itself, is the surprisingly large wealth of bonus features. We have two audio commentaries: one by director Ridley Scott, and one by the writers. In addition, there are more than 30 minutes of alternate and deleted scenes (although many scenes have incredibly minimal changes) with optional audio commentary, and The Peter Weyland files. For those who have not yet seen the movie, I would actually recommend watching The Peter Weyland files before delving into the film itself. It's comprised of four videos (created for the express purpose of promoting the movie) that play very much like deleted scenes or webisodes. None of the content is necessary to understand the film, but they certainly help give further context and depth.

For any casual fan, this disc includes all of the elements comprising of PROMETHEUS's "canon." So unless you want a 3D copy of the movie, or are into bonus features, the standard Blu-Ray release should be more than satisfactory.

DISC 3 Blu-Ray Bonus Disc (ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE 4-DISC VERSION)

As far as completionists go, this disc is solid, if not perfect. I was hoping that FOX would come out with an extended cut of the film to be released six months down the road, but this seems to be the definitive home video release for the foreseeable future.

The good news is that it's the most COMPLETE wealth of bonus features I have seen since the transition of home video to the Blu-Ray format. From the "Behind the Scenes" documentary, which performed beyond my wildest dreams, to an incredibly massive collection of pre-vis sequences, artwork, stills, storyboards, promotional content, and more. (Side-note: I love when they're willing to include marketing material like trailers, tv spots, and posters, because those so often shape our opinions of the final product.)

So why do I think that the disc is imperfect? Because there is more content that we were told that we would get that we're not getting. In an interview, Ridley mentioned at least one deleted scene that would appear on the "special edition" that we're not getting here. We were also promised an early version of the script, while the film was still a hardcore ALIEN prequel. That was supposed to be on the "second screen" app. Due to ambiguous legal reasons, that's not happening.

(On that note, the second screen app is a nice supplement, but really isn't necessary to have a complete viewing experience.)

DISC 4 DVD + DIGITAL COPY DISC (AVAILABLE IN THE 2 & 4-DISC BLU-RAY VERSIONS)

This is a bare bones version of the DVD and includes a digital copy. It doesn't include any of the special features that are on the standard DVD release, but those are all included on the 2D Blu-Ray disc anyway. (Still, it would have been nice to have them in DVD form as well.) The advantage I see with these combo packs isn't that I need to watch the same movie on a billion different devices, but if I currently have only a DVD player, and plan on upgrading to Blu-Ray eventually, I can buy the special edition now for only a few dollars more than buying the DVD on its own.

Both the two and four-disc version comes with an Ultraviolet copy of the movie IN ADDITION to the standard digital copy.

As a final thought, here are the different home video releases available for purchase:

1) Standard DVD Version

2) 2-Disc Blu-Ray (Standard Release)

3) 1-Disc Blu-Ray (Walmart Release)

4) 4-Disc Blu-Ray (Collector's Edition)

There are also various digital copies available from Amazon or iTunes, but those have been available for some time, and like the standard DVD release, do not come with much in terms of bonus features.

[EDIT AS OF OCT. 21st] Some have reported macro-blocking and various other issues with the 2D Blu-Ray disc and the Extras disc. Not all copies are affected, but if yours is, and you don't wish to exchange your discs, you should be able to fix it by turning off your Blu-Ray player's internet connection. It apparently has something to do with new copy protection protocal. In addition, there have been reports of these discs working well after updating the firmware, and/or on different Blu-Ray players.

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Are your survival skills as finely honed as the scientists aboard Prometheus? Let's find out...

You, a scientist, have landed on a distant planet with a team of fellow scientists in search of alien life. What would you do in the following scenarios?

1. Upon first arrival and entrance into what appears to be a manufactured cave structure, you deploy very high tech scanning and mapping probes. Do you:

A) Also send out your android crew member to evaluate any possible danger and then wait for the probes to finish scanning and mapping before you begin exploring?

B) Brazenly charge forward into the unknown and maybe consult your equipment's discoveries later, shrugging off any blips of alien life as an equipment malfunction?

2. While traveling through the cave structure on this alien planet you discover the presence of oxygen in the air. Do you:

A) Keep your space helmet secured tightly because there may be any number of unknown elements, pathogens, bacteria, contagions, and other toxic substances in the atmosphere that are undetectable by your equipment?

B) Quickly remove your helmet AFTER stating what an idiotic idea it is because a fellow teenage scientist, who has properly tested the air by taking a few shallow breaths, peer-pressures you into it?

3. Your android crew member appears to have quickly learned the language of the inscriptions found within the cave. Do you:

A) Ask him to translate everything and share his wealth of knowledge from that point forward?

B) Treat him like a red-headed step child and ignore him for the rest of the mission?

4. As scientists on a mission in search of alien life, you stumble upon a deceased alien life form in the cave structure. Do you:

A) Restrain your excitement at the discovery and prepare to study, take samples, and test further?

B) Piss your pants in fear and then while attempting to return to the ship you run in random directions until you are lost within the caves, refusing to consult the mapping tools you brought with you even though you happen to be THE expert in their usage?

5. After becoming lost within the caves you learn of a storm outside that will prevent you from returning to the ship until morning. Do you:

A) Break out your mapping tools to help determine your location and plot your exit strategy; or still refusing that logic, simply ask the crew on the ship to help guide you through the caves with their 3D map which includes your location?

B) Decide that exploring deeper into the caves to frighten yourself further with more deceased alien discoveries is probably the most logical thing you can be doing with your spare time?

6. After wandering through the entire haunted-house cave structure you decide to enter the initial room that frightened you off in the first place; unfortunately you then come face to face with a living alien that resembles a large snake which begins posturing and hissing at you like a king cobra. Do you:

A) Shoot it in the face and run for your miserable life?

B) Decide that you are only afraid of dead aliens and not live ones, and then try to pet the aggressive alien snake with your hand?

7. Upon the discovery of a 2000 year old decapitated alien head which has been wondrously preserved, you bag the head in your trusty ziplock and return to the ship with your trophy for testing. Do you:

A) Take a sample and have a look at its DNA first?

B) Recalling your fond memories of Frankenstein, you inject stem cells into its locus coeruleus to re-animate it and increase the amps until the alien head explodes; and then you run your tests?

8. You manage to collect a small sample of a strange black goop in the caves, which appears to be alive. Do you:

A) Put a drop onto a slide and take a look under a microscope?

B) Decide that the scientific method of small children will yield the best and quickest results and so you secretly put a drop into a drink which you then give to a scientist to see what happens?

9. You have become incredibly sick with some unknown illness and witness an alien larva worm crawl out of your eye. Do you:

A) Quarantine yourself and ask the other crew members to help treat your condition immediately?

B) Pretend that nothing is amiss and you feel fine, then romp about as usual with the rest of the crew until you collapse half-dead?

10. After a contagion outbreak and another scientist lost to death-by-alien-snake, the missing scientist left for dead in the caves returns to the ship as a zombie spider monkey. Do you:

A) Leave the door tightly secured until you can determine the status of the unresponsive crew member with the variety of cameras located on the ship?

B) Open the door and go out alone to investigate, then kick the creature while turning your back to it until it smashes your face in with its zombie strength?

11. You come face to face with an Engineer, the creator of humans, after waking him from hypersleep. Do you:

A) Attempt to speak his language and introduce yourself, your crew, and your mission?

B) Barrage him with fat mama jokes until he becomes an enraged Neanderthal and tears your head off with his bare hands?

12. A disc shaped spaceship rolls towards you in the final moments of its crash landing. Do you:

A) Run ten yards to the right or left, perpendicular to the ship's path, and let it roll on by?

B) In the heat of the moment you forget about the steamroller scene from Austin Powers, and so for a full minute you attempt to outrun the crashing town-sized spaceship by following its trajectory as it slowly barrels towards you?

How did you do? Total your score and share it in the comments!

All A's = 1 point

All B's = 0 points

Hopefully you managed better than the total of ZERO scored by the characters plucked straight out of a teenage slasher film to masquerade as scientists in the movie Prometheus!

"On behalf of scientists everywhere, I am ashamed to count you among us." -Milburn

[If you enjoyed this review, I highly recommend The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe Podcast #363]

Best Deals for Prometheus (4 Disc 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Ultraviolet Collector's

"Prometheus has landed." You've all no doubt seen the bombardment of television advertisements ranging from ESPN collaborations with the NBA Finals to Coors Light ads featuring the impressive ship landing on an alien surface. Ridley Scott defined the science fiction horror genre when he gave us an absolute perfect film in 1979: "Alien." There is nothing I can fault with this film. It's the perfect blend of science and horror. It uses suspense rather than gore. It rarely shows us the creature lurking aboard the ship, yet we feel like we've been forced to stare at it's disturbing makeup for hours. In fact, the alien (or "xenomorph") is only seen on screen for a total of 4 minutes. In a two plus hour film. You'd swear he was staring you in the face the entire time. So, when Scott announced two years ago that he would be revisiting the universe he helped redefine, I was ecstatic. I followed the film when it was known simply as "Alien 5," then "The Untitled Ridley Scott Alien Project," the "Alien Paradise," and eventually, "Prometheus." It was penned to be a prequel to "Alien" wherein we'd get the story of how the xenomorphs came to be, who that big guy in the pilot seat of the alien space ship was, and then a beautiful segue into the opening sequence of the original film. But then it changed. Scott decided to widen the scope and take the story much further than we ever imagined.

An "Alien" prequel, this is not.

Those of you expecting to see the iconic creature roaming around the ship and picking off crew members one by one, will be sorely disappointed. Those of you who are open to seeing something wholly original, with some very creative DNA strands connecting it to the "Alien" universe, will be incredibly impressed.

The connections are few, but they are big, in my opinion. You have Weyland Industries playing a major role, which it did in the original film, you've got androids, you've got LV-223, a moon in the same solar system as LV-426, the planet on which the original takes place, you've got the "Space Jockey's," (or the big, fossilized creature in the pilot seat of the original film) and yes, of course, you've got a host of strange, bizarre, and disgusting creatures that are recognizable, yet unique, to this universe.

The film's major drawback, for me, would be that it asks too many questions, gives us a half-ass answer to some of them, and then forgets about the rest. However, since Scott has publicly stated the film is to be a new trilogy, it does make sense that we'd have to learn more from sequels to come. This is just part one of the prequel to "Alien." This is part one of three, that will eventually lead us to the opening sequence of the original film. But we're still a hundred years away from that universe in "Prometheus." The xenomorphs haven't even been created yet. And yes, I said created. It's hard to discuss this film without giving away major spoilers, so I won't say anymore about that. But the creatures you do encounter are equally as strange, dangerous, and one of them (when we see it in great detail) is one of the most disgusting and revolting things to look at on screen that I've ever seen.

The performances are, for the most part, very good. Idris Elba as the captain of the ship is brilliant, Noomi Repace is very good as the naive young scientist who is trying to balance her faith in God with her work in science, Charlize Theron plays the ice-cold bitch perfectly, but it's Michael Fassebender's performance as the quasi-evil android, "David," that steals the show. It's nothing short of Oscar worthy, in my opinion. His walk is reminiscent of Olympic swimmer Greg Luganis' and he parts his hair and models his dialect after Peter O'Toole in "Lawrence of Arabia." He is amazing to watch on screen.

What really shines in the film, though, is the incredible visuals. It is a pure eye-gasm for two hours with the special effects. For the first time, the computer generated creatures look and feel like they have real weight and substance to them. It's hard to tell if they are animatronic or computer rendered. Every detail (down to peeling placental tissues on a "squid baby") is in place and makes you feel like you're there. And the 3D is mesmerizing and the best use I've ever seen, even trumping "The Avengers." The sound is deafening and it all comes together for a true masterpiece of artistic genius.

As for the "squid baby." Yeah, I'm not going to say anything else, other than the scene will surely go down as one of the great horror moments in the history of film, and that it easily rivals the shock of the original "chest burster scene" from "Alien," when poor John Heard starts...choking. This will be a scene talked about for years to come, I know it.

In closing, "Prometheus" is a genius piece of science fiction art. It's for the hardcore sci-fi fans, not for the folks who just want to see a horror movie with slimy monsters roaming around. It's got incredible substance, it's got the most beautiful opening sequence to a film I can think of, and it's got top notch special effects that are unmatched, in my opinion, to date. And even amongst all of the great acting, deep story telling, thought provoking ideologies and gorgeous set pieces, we still get a couple of nasty little creatures to help us get that "Alien" vibe. And the last thirty seconds of the film REALLY give the fanboys what we were after.

4.8/5 Stars, losing a tiny portion because of some big plot holes, but hopefully regaining it when the sequel answers those burning questions.

Honest reviews on Prometheus (4 Disc 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Ultraviolet Collector's

The purpose of Ridley Scott's film "Prometheus" apparently is to explain the origin of what was found on the hostile planet by the group of space travelers in the beginning of the original film "Alien" (1979). The conclusion of "Prometheus" may be rather ambiguous to those not have seen it and seems to be setting us up for yet another sequel.

There are, as expected, amazing optical effects compared to the earlier "Alien" films, but I had difficulty in becoming emotionally involved with the characters in "Prometheus" as I did not in "Alien" and especially in the later film "Aliens." I have had the complete Alien collection for a couple of years now and I still haven't gotten around to watching the third and fourth films in the series and possibly never will.

I'm not sure why, but I am coming to regard "Bladerunner" as my favorite Ridley Scott sci-fi film. In its odd way it perhaps creates characters and a universe you can believe. The Blu-ray release of this film is especially impressive and greatly encourages repeat viewing. While "Bladerunner" cannot boast of the technical sophistication of "Prometheus" there is an atmospheric aspect to "Bladerunner" that cannot be denied that "Prometheus" somehow lacks.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Prometheus (4 Disc 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Ultraviolet Collector's

While most of the reviews I have seen so far regarding the release of Prometheus on Blu-ray have done a fine job at criticizing much of the movie and director for some reason, I would just like to review the features list for this release in particular. According to recently released specs, the 3D 4 disc set is the one to go for. On Amazon.com there is no indication of the special features list for either the 2 or 4 disc versions, but evidently this release, the 3D version, is the one that will have an extra special features disc and is actually referenced as the "Collector's Edition" release. The additional features available on both the 2 and 4 disc sets are as follows:

Disc 1

*Theatrical Cut

*Commentary by Director/Producer Ridley Scott

*Commentary by Writer Jon Spaihts and Writer/Executive Producer Damon Lindelof

*"The Peter Weyland Files"

*Deleted and Alternate Scenes that include an Alternate Opening / Ending

*Prometheus Weyland Corp Archive Second Screen App

Disc 2

*DVD / Digital Copy

The four disc has these additional extras:

Disc 3

*3D Theatrical Cut of Movie

Disc 4

*"The Furious Gods: Making Prometheus"

*Enhancement Pods

*Weyland Corp Archive

*Pre-Vis

*Screen Tests

So for those of you, like me, that really enjoy the extras (and by the way the trailer video for the 4 disc set leads with the words "questions will be answered" and references Planet LV-426 and the Alien tie-in questions that other reviewers mention as faults with the movie), this is the one to go for.

Buy BluScenes: Coral Reef Aquarium 1080p HD Blu-ray Disc (2012)

Customer Ratings:

This disc has one purpose to make your TV look like a fishtank. Other discs from this company make your TV look like a fireplace, etc. It's not a disc that is designed for you to sit and watch like a movie.

A few of the reviews here scored low because they said that the video did not amount to much more than a selection of aquarium tanks being filmed straight-on with a camera, which happens to be what I was looking for.

If you are not trying to literally make your TV look like a fishtank, look elsewhere. However, if constantly changing views annoy you and you want a stationary shot that makes you feel like you are looking at a fish tank, then this is a great disc.

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I'll write this review in three parts, so that I can address the content, the picture quality and give some suggestions to some of the other reviewers who had problems.

1) The coral and fish: This is why I bought an aquarium Blu-ray disc, and it's also why I reviewed this disc very highly. You can tell that the habitats are in excellent health, and the fish and coral are very well lit. A little internet sleuthing shows that these tanks are also known as the "Pratt Reef," at Pratt Art Institute, and I'd have to say that those students are very lucky to have these tanks in their presence. I could never make my tanks look like that, so I have to experience them on my TV!

2) Regarding picture quality, some of the reviews seem to be all over the place. I tried this out on two TVs -one with a matte screen and one with a glossy screen. You owe it to yourself to view these with a GLOSSY screen. Only then do you experience the true color and contrast of the disc. Glossy screens allow for truer blacks, and if you think about it, aquarium tanks are always glossy.

These tanks are well-lit, and look fantastic in kitchen where I have very bright full spectrum lighting. If you are looking for darker, moodier tanks, this is probably on the opposite end of that spectrum, but the light serves the important purpose of keeping the coral healthy. There are some darker blu-rays like HD Moods Aquarium that use artifical coral inserts and have less fish. HD Moods is a bit darker and might be better in a darker room as it's harder to see in a bright lighting.

Each of the 3 Bluscenes aquariums plays in a loop, and it's done in such a way that its hard to tell where the disc is looping (Hint: the loop freezes for a fraction of a second while the laser moves back to the beginning of the loop. If you are not looking for it you will miss it. None of the other aquarium discs that I own have done that, and hopefully more will add it in the future).

3) Regarding reviews that say that this looks like someone just aimed a camera at an aquarium tank, that's what I was hoping for, so I am pleased. For me the closeups that are on some of the other discs, or pan-and-scan ruin the illusion of the TV being an aquarium. As far as those saying it's not colorful and then others saying that it is, I think that a lot of it has to do with your TV (and maybe partly based on whether your TV is glossy or not). It definitely looks hi-def though because you can make out the individual scales on the fish and also the pieces of gravel. It's very clear.

So anyway, maybe if you think it looks dull on your TV and you have a matte screen, you might be able to tweak the contrast a bit to darken the blacks a bit.

Best Deals for BluScenes: Coral Reef Aquarium 1080p HD Blu-ray Disc (2012)

I absolutely LOVE this DVD. The picture is clear and sharp and the sounds are so soothing. There are different choices of aquarium background for you to choose. When it is playing, I find that people can't stop staring at it! Definitely worth the purchase! It's great as a background for a party, instead of a black widescreen TV screen in the room, you have a gorgeous, colorful and soothing aquarium with (or without-you choose) bubble sounds! And the best part? No cleaning or replacing of fish!!! :) I wish the creators of this DVD would create a Beach DVD, too! You can also get a sneak peek at this DVD if you look it up on YouTube (just search under BluScenes Aquarium), that's what I did!

Honest reviews on BluScenes: Coral Reef Aquarium 1080p HD Blu-ray Disc (2012)

Picture quality is amazing and stunning. I ordered my copy straight from Bluscenes who made this. Its awesome. You will be amazed on these 3 tanks that they show. I watch this on my 60 INCH Sharp Aquos 120 HZ. One review who gave this a 1 STAR said this "Fish are not realistic in their movements." I'm not a fish expert, but the fish sure did moved naturally to me. One reviewer "Booyah Guy" pretty much says it all.

Specs on the Bluray Disc

VIDEO: 1080p24

AUDIO: 7.1 DTS-HD MA (Music + Aquarium only), 5.1 Dolby Digital (Music only), 2.1 Dolby Digital (Aquarium only)

3 Tanks to choose from, play or loop as preference.

*************

The cinematographers at BluScenes combined the renowned coral reef tanks of Advanced Aquarist and Senior Editor of Reefs Magazine, Randy Donowitz, with the crystal-clear image quality of the RED One(tm) 4k camera to create the ultimate Coral Reef Aquarium Blu-ray Disc. Featuring three unique and colorful aquarium tanks, teeming with amazing fish dancing before a canvas of living coral. You can seamlessly loop each chapter and enjoy the speciallycommissioned ambient soundtrack with numerous surround and stereo audio options or experience the soothing hum of each aquarium tank.

Play a trick on your guests: At about 18:30 minutes into the first tank, we dropped a little bit of fish food into the upper lefthand corner of the tank. Set your watch alarm when you start the disc and tell your friends that it's time to feed the fish. Watch the fish, and your guests go crazy.

How else is this disc different from other aquarium discs?

1080p content shot on a RED One camera

The tanks and lighting were designed by an advanced aquarist, and look more like real coral tanks, because they are real coral reef tanks. Coral reefs tend to be very close to the surface and in sunny climates.

Interesting fact: While each tank appears very different under the aquarium lighting, the same type and number of lights are installed on each tank. The different corals and fish simply reflect the light differently!

**Taken from Company's website

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for BluScenes: Coral Reef Aquarium 1080p HD Blu-ray Disc (2012)

I bought the set of 3 from the website during a sale got all 3 for $15 shipping included.

The full set is Aquarium, Fireplace, Space (planets, etc.). All of them are high quality.

Just realize it is what it says it is..an aquarium it's not a documentary...it's a fish tank.

A beautiful, clear, clean fish tank with very pretty fish.

55" TV sets look great while you are watching them but when you aren't there's a lot of really black dead space in your living room. This dresses up the space while you aren't watching cable or a movie. It is very peaceful has music and bubble sounds that you can listen to or not. Options are Music + Bubbles Bubbles Music No sound at all.

I am very glad I got this particular aquarium screensaver.

It would also be perfect for a doctor's waiting room or business foyer.

Reviews of The Princess and The Frog (Three Disc Combo: Blu-ray/DVD + Digital

Customer Ratings:
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Bam! It's appropriate that Emeril Lagasse plays a (bit) character in The Princess and the Frog, voicing Marlon the `gator. This film proves that Disney's once-vaunted hand-drawn animation is back with a vengeance.

The film has gorgeous visuals, engaging characters, a palpably evil villain and gags galore. Randy Newman's New Orleans-influenced score perfectly complements the story. It is laugh-out-loud funny. The romance between leads Tiana and Prince Naveen is touching and believable. The film's strong, down-to-earth message: You can't just wish upon a star for your dreams to come true. You'll have to work. Hard.

Folks looking for a quality, old-school Disney film will not be disappointed. Like all the best Disney classics, The Princess and the Frog adapts a classic fairy tale and adds twists and wit. This story of hardworking Tiana, aspiring New Orleans restauranteur, and her froggy adventures will engage children and charm their parents. It's a movie that both kids and adults will enjoy.

The supporting characters nearly steal the show. Tiana's friend Charlotte is a hoot: "I'm sweating like a sinner in church!" as she sops up the armpits of her Cinderella-esque ballgown. A trumpet-playing alligator, a jowly old lady steeped in hoo-doo, and, especially, a cajun firefly named Ray are originals. Ray's fantasy girlfriend: Evangeline, the evening star.

The visuals have such power. One shot of dandelions covered with droplets of dew is as sumptuous as anything in Disney's Fantasia from 1940. Psychedelic scenes with villain Dr. Facilier rival the bizarre scenes in 1944's The Three Caballeros or 1941's Dumbo. A silent funeral in a swamp has a misty, magical beauty.

As the first major Disney movie with African-American lead characters since 1946's The Song of the South, the film doesn't sidestep the race and class issue. At the beginning of the movie, young Tiana and her seamstress mother leave the opulent home of Big Daddy La Bouff to travel to their tiny tract home. Tiana's daddy has to work multiple jobs to support his family; as does the grown-up Tiana, trying to save up enough money to realize her dream of opening a restaurant. Later bankers tell Tiana that a girl of her "background" may be better off not having such a dream.

Where have these gifted Disney animators been all these years? It seems they've picked up right where they left off, adding another thoroughbred to the stable of modern-day Disney classics such as 1989's The Little Mermaid, 1991's Beauty and the Beast and 1994's The Lion King. Maybe it's producer John Lasseter's influence, with his insistence on excellence, especially with story and visuals. Whatever the reason, Walt Disney himself must be smiling in the heavens. Right next to Evangeline.

-Julie Neal, author of The Complete Walt Disney World 2010.

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I don't understand why people complain about the lack of good family fair and then shy away from going to see "The Princess and the Frog", the new traditionally animated film from Disney. This is a good film and the lack of business it is creating may cause Disney to rethink their current change in course.

A few years ago, John Lasseter, the force behind all of the Pixar hits, was promoted to oversee many different aspects of Disney. He did something I don't think a lot of people expected. He restarted production of traditionally animated, hand drawn feature films, a type of filmmaking all but abandoned (due to cost; computer animation is a lot cheaper) at a studio now making digital animation. He hired the team behind "The Little Mermaid" and they chose to make "The Princess and the Frog", the first Disney film featuring an African American heroine.

New Orleans, the 20s. Tiana (Anika Nani Rose, "Dreamgirls", "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency") is a practical girl. As a child, she accompanies her mom (Oprah Winfrey) when she goes to Big Daddy's House (John Goodman) to make a dress for his daughter, Charlotte. Tiana and Charlotte are best friends and listen enraptured as Tiana's mom tells them the story of "The Frog Prince". Charlotte immediately announces she will kiss every frog and find her prince, but Tiana can't stomach the thought of kissing a frog. Tiana also shares her hard working dad's (Terrence Howard) dream of opening a restaurant. Flash forward ten years and we rejoin Tiana as she works multiple jobs trying to save enough money to open her first restaurant. She wants to keep her dad's dream alive and has found a spot she knows will be perfect, an abandoned waterfront warehouse. Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos, lots of parts on TV shows), the prince of Moldavia, arrives in town with his aide, Lawrence. Naveen wants to play jazz and has all but given up his ties to the throne of his country. A witch doctor, Dr. Facilier (Keith David) spots an opportunity. If he gets Charlotte to marry a fake Prince Naveen, he can take over Big Daddy's fortune. But first, he has to turn the prince into a frog and find a replacement to play Prince Naveen. Charlotte hears of the prince's arrival and gets her dad to throw a costume ball during Mardi Gras. Big Daddy is only too happy to oblige for two reasons; he has been chosen the King of Mardi Gras again and anything his Charlotte wants, she gets. Throw in Louis, an alligator who also wants to play jazz and Ray, a wise Cajun firefly and everything starts to get complicated.

Written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the team behind "The Little Mermaid", "The Princess and the Frog" bnngs the same sort of magic and beauty back to the silver screen.

There are a lot of things to like and celebrate about "The Princess and the Frog". The animation style seems almost romantic, in a way, perhaps because it has been so long since we have seen this type of animation used to any great extent. It also allows the film to look softer, almost as though it is glowing, which helps evoke the rose colored portrait of New Orleans the film puts forth. Everything about the film helps to give a romanticized vision of the great city and it is nice to see this celebrated.

One of the best and most consistent things about Disney animation is the music. In a time when there were virtually no other musicals being created, Disney Animated features continued the legacy, allowing some of the best and brightest performers, composers and writers to work, to continue their craft. In the last few years, live action musicals have started to enjoy a small renaissance at a time when animated features began to cycle away from using music. In "Princess", each song seems to celebrate a different kind of music which is fitting and a great idea as New Orleans is also a melting pot of music. In this way, the filmmakers celebrate and pay tribute to all of the different musical influences of this city, zydeco, ragtime, jazz, Cajun and more.

The characters are all funny, memorable and interesting. A few years ago, someone in the Disney Marketing Machine came up with the idea of marketing all of the "Princesses" from the different films plastering their pictures on every conceivable piece of merchandise. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Belle, Snow White and the Little Mermaid are extremely popular so putting them all together is an even bigger draw for the millions of little girls who snap up their merchandise. So, any new animated film with a Princess is going to be considered a boon to the ongoing marketing machine that is Disney. Add Tiana to the group and everything can be redesigned, remade and resold. But Tiana is also the first African-American princess providing even more attractive marketing possibilities. She is a great marketing tool. When you become a fan of Disney, you quickly realize that everything in the kingdom is about marketing: if a film is a success, the characters go on to live in television, theme park rides & attractions, video games, clothing, DVDs, costumes and so much more. When you realize this, you can quickly move on and allow the films to create memories and magic. And Tiana is a very good addition to the Disney family.

Tiana is head strong, independent, goal-oriented and very busy. From her early days, listening to her dad talk about his dreams of opening a restaurant, she quickly adopted the same dreams. Now that he has gone on, she continues to press forward, working two jobs, saving every penny for a down payment. Only when the two men who promised to sell her an abandoned warehouse for her restaurant threaten to pull out, does she become desperate and start to look for some more money. Early on, Tiana brings her mom to the space and they sing a song about what the restaurant will become. Throughout this number, there are references to the sacrifices the young woman has made and it becomes a celebration but also a poignant illustration of this character's strong will.

Anika Nani Rose is very good as the voice of Tiana, giving her a lot of energy, a lot of pluck and a lot of intelligence. When Tiana meets the Frog Prince at Charlotte's house, she is reluctant to believe the talking frog, but her need for financial help gives her the little push she needs. She reluctantly bends down to give him a smooch

Bruno Campos is good as Naveen, providing a soft accent for his character. But he is unremarkable. So many others could have done the role, his performance isn't distinctive enough.

Keith David is fantastic as the voice of Dr. Facilier, the witch doctor who hatches a plan to steal Big Daddy's fortune. His big musical number helps to illustrate his connection to the dark arts of voodoo. His character brings to mind some of the elements of Jafar from "Aladdin" and his number brings back memories of Oogie Boogie in "The Nightmare Before Christmas".

As "Frog" is a Disney animated film, there are talking animals. When Naveen is turned into a frog, he talks and Tiana understands him. Later, they meet Louis, an alligator who just wants to play music for people. Voiced by Michael Leon-Wooley, the character is funny and fun to watch, especially every time he tries to sneak into a jazz band and begin to play, trying to remain unnoticed.

Ray, a Cajun firefly, has been dubbed the Cajun Jiminy Cricket. I guess there is a little truth to that. Ray is the guide for Tiana, Naveen and Louis, helping them navigate their way out of the swamp and back to New Orleans. Voiced by Jim Cummings, Ray is funny and touching.

While in the swamp, the team decides to try to get Mama Odie to help them. Odie is a Cajun woman who lives in the heart of the Bayou with her pet python and is basically the good counterpart to Doctor Facilier. Voiced by Jennifer Lewis (the original "Dreamgirls"), she provides a couple of funny moments and even some sage advice.

John Goodman is also very good as Big Daddy. A New Orleans native, he clearly understands and has met people similar to Big Daddy.

I am only touching the barebones of the story. There are a number of twists and turns that should even keep the adults entertained. In fact, it might be a little too complicated for most kids. And because there is a lot of story, it seems slightly rushed at times, like they are trying to get too much story into a running time of 100 minutes.

But these are small complaints for a film that is this much fun to watch, to listen to, to experience.

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The Disney Studio has made a return to its hand-drawn roots (with the aid of some computer technology of course) with its first hand-drawn animated fairy tale in many years. It is also the first time the studio has set one of their fairytales in America. Tiana (voiced expertly by Anika Noni Rose of Dreamgirls[Blu-ray]) is a young girl in 1920's New Orleans. She is focused on making her late father's dream come true of opening her own restaurant; this leaves no time for love or fun. Enter Naveen of Maldonia, a handsome prince who has been disinherited by his family for his laziness. Tiana and Naveen are brought together even though they are polar opposites because of the black voodoo magic of the evil Doctor Facilier. The two are forced to journey together to get what they both think they want...which naturally changes along the way. No plot spoilers here...this rich movie needs to be experienced personally. Although I am generally not a Randy Newman fan, his music here is memorable and toe-tapping. New Orleans provides the perfect atmosphere for the music showcased here: love songs, blues, jazz, and more. You will end up singing more than a few of the wonderful tunes you hear. My very favorite number is "Almost There," which is sung by Anika's Tiana as she helps her mother (voiced by Oprah Winfrey) envision her dream restaurant. This sequence is done in an art deco poster style and just blew me away.

The hand animation is also memorable; the frogs come to life and you believe the emotion that they express; the eyes...the smiles...the movements, all delicately rendered with time and love by the Disney animation team. New characters also join the classic library of Disney: Mama Odie (the blind voodoo priestess), Charlotte (a rich girl looking for her prince voiced by Jennifer Cody), Ray (a firefly in love with Evangeline the Evening Star), and Louis (trumpet-playing alligator). A trumpet playing alligator? Sure sounds stupid, but the animation team pulls off every unbelieveable thing you could imagine with their talents. On Blu-ray, the lush painted backgrounds bounce off the screen, and the music will make your speakers rock. Note of caution; as with almost every Disney movie, there are some dark and very sad elements. Parents should definitely be nearby for the young ones.

Specs:

Bluray is 1080p High Definition/1:78:1 with English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio (48kHz/24-bit) * French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital * English SDH and English 2.0 DVS, French and Spanish Subtitles. Bonus features on bluray are 1080p High Definition/1:78:1 with English 5.1 Dolby Digital * English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles.

Bonus Features: Quite a few here shown in high definition on blu-ray; interestingly enough though, the clips from the older Disney library are still in low pixelized quality.

-Deleted/Alternate Scenes: with introductions by co-writers/directors Ron Clements & John Musker. These are shown in rough storyboard form with "scratch dialogue" (not voiced by the actors in the movie). 4 scenes are shown: "Advice from Mama," alternative version of Louis' introduction, "Stop and smell the roses," and "Naveen confides in Ray." The last one is the only one that I would say is missed; it is a different version of what is scene on screen of how Naveen reveals his feelings to Ray (and the audience) about Tiana. It is more touching and tender than the final version. The other deletions were made wisely!

-Music and More: "Never Knew I Needed" music video by Ne-Yo. Shot in New Orleans, this really has very little if anything to do with the movie. Ne-Yo is shown romancing a girl, and other than them eating beignets and seeing the evening star at the end, there is not much of a connection to the film. This is the one musical number that really doesn't fit stylistically; mercifully it is shown over the credits at the end.

-Bringing Life to Animation: live action reference footage is shown and introduced by Clements & Musker. They stress that this footage was not traced, but used as an aid and point of departure especially for the dance numbers. See the live footage for "Dig a little Deeper" (Mama Odie's showstopping number) and Charlotte's proposal scene. Very interesting to see how the movements of the live dancers and actors inspired nuances that translated to the animation. Sherry Butler, in her 20's, takes on the role of dancing Mama Odie the voodoo priestess.

-Audio Commentary by Musker, Clements, and producer Peter Del Vecho

-Magic in the Bayou: The Making of a Princess (22:11): Excellent featurette! Executive Producer John Lasseter tells of how he wanted to bring back hand-drawn animation to the Disney Studio, and accomplished this by bringing back Musker & Clements. Don Hall, in charge of the story, relates how the classic elements of a fairy tale were twisted here, such as the typical fairy godmother becoming Mama Odie, the sassy voodoo priestess. Mark Henn, Tiana's supervising animator, tells how difficult it was to convey a frog without having the frog look ugly. A similar situation was handled back in 1940 with Jiminy Cricket in "Pinocchio." New Orleans is a character itself, although the animation team stylizes it as well. Because of the choice of New Orleans, the rich "gumbo" music (a plethora of styles) fits like a glove here. Animator Eric Goldberg tells how they painted what it "feels like" to be in New Orleans, capturing its essence rather than some of the uglier details. Anika Noni Rose is pleased to be part of the production that uses African-American characters; she correctly feels that it's important for ALL people to be able to feel the "fairy dust" fall on them too. Thrilled to work for Disney, she talks about how they have a way of teaching children about hope, dreams, and perseverance. She also wisely tells us how this movie isn't necessarily about finding a prince as it is about finding love, whatever that is for each person. You'll also see Betsy Baytos, the choreographer responsible for the "eccentric dance" (comedy in dance) of Mama Odie and the other memorable characters. Most of all in this featurette you'll learn that hand-drawn animation is an art form that is back with style!

-The Return to Hand-Drawn Animation (2:43): Andreas Deja leads off with a recreation of his victory dance that he performed when it was announced that the studio was returning to hand-drawn animation with "The Princess and The Frog." Making drawings come to life is the ultimate magic and illusion. As animator Bruce Smith says, "We're back!"

-The Disney Legacy (2:31): very short featurette about the influences of the Nine Old Men on the younger animators who are carrying on the legacy for Disney, "The Rolls Royce of Animation."

-Disney's Newest Princess (2:51): Princess Tiana's supervising animator Mark Henn is interviewed here as well as Anika Noni Rose who says that working on this picture "was a dream come true."

-The Princess and the Animator (2:26): featurette about Mark Henn, who has animated other famous Disney princesses such as Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, and Mulan. "I carry a soft spot in my heart for princesses." Tiana is a strong character because she is proactive; rather than waiting for her dream, she works hard and is determined to get it on her own.

-Conjuring the Villain (1:50): Animated by Bruce Smith and powerfully voiced by Keith David, Dr. Facilier is Disney's latest villain.

-A Return to the Animated Musical (3:13): Randy Newman is the man behind the music of this film. Having spent summers as a youth in New Orleans, the music there is in his blood. Local talent from the area was used in the movie, including Dr. Johnny. It is related that the theme of gumbo in the movie also applies to the music's diverse mix of songs: gospel, blues, cajun waltz, and romance.

-Art Galleries: quite a few images to see here; the only disappointment is their size. Plenty of room to have made them bigger. Galleries are: Visual Development, Character Design, Layouts & Background, Storyboard Art

-Game: What do you see? Princess Portraits: Guess which princess (or non-princess) the lightning bugs (Ray's family) are creating bug-by-bug.

-Sneak Peeks: Genuine Treasure: Tinker Bell, Disney Movie Rewards, Old Dogs, James & The Giant Peach Special Edition, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Treasure, Fantasia & Fantasia 2000 Diamond Edition, Disney Parks, Beauty & The Beast Diamond Edition, Toy Story 1, 2, and 3

Final summary: hands-down no-brainer get this Disney Animated Classic TODAY!

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Being in my mid-twenties, I think I'm much older than the intended audience for this movie, but I have fond childhood memories of Disney, so the rave reviews for this one led me to see it in the theatre. And I absolutely loved it! It had everything I wanted in a Disney movie: fun songs, a creepy villain, and a touching plot that made me cry at least once but ultimately left me fully satisfied.

The best part for me, though, was the rich historical setting--1912 New Orleans. Disney has been praised for taking a bold step with a black heroine, but even more important for me was the fact that her station in life was portrayed realistically. Rather than trying to hide historical injustices, The Princess and the Frog faces them head on and shows that it's possible to achieve happiness despite all difficulties.

Tiana is not only black but poor, working multiple jobs in the hopes of one day saving enough money to start her own business. The ditzy white Charlotte, on the other hand, has plenty of money and gets everything she wants from her indulgent father. We see at the very beginning that white people lived in fancy mansions, while black people lived in tiny shacks. And yet we also see that Tiana's childhood was a happy one, with a loving family and a close-knit community. There are some powerful messages throughout the movie about how hard work is important, but a loving family is more important by far.

I don't want to spend too much time summarizing the plot; suffice it to say that one character's greedy attempt to use voodoo for personal gain results in both Tiana and a foreign prince being turned into frogs. The majority of the movie consists of their travels through the bayou, searching for a voodoo priestess to turn them back. Of course, they encounter all sorts of interesting creatures in their travels--the firefly Ray was possibly my favourite character in the movie--and learn some valuable lessons about themselves on the way.

I was really intrigued by the whole voodoo aspect; it's a belief system that I don't know anything about, but just being aware that the magic system of the movie had a whole history behind it gave the story a satisfying sense of depth. I came away from the movie wanting to learn more about both voodoo and the general history of race relations in the American south (and have, in fact, purchased books about both topics since then). This, to me, is the mark of a good story: The Princess and the Frog not only is rewarding in its own right, but leaves the viewer inspired to explore related areas. I'll definitely be purchasing this movie once it becomes available, because I know it's one that I'll want to see again.

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I'm very lucky to have been the perfect age to experience, firsthand, Disney's early 90's Renaissance. I remember finding out about Aladdin for the first time in the previews of the VHS copy of Beauty and the Beast. I remember hearing the song "Circle of Life" for the first time in the groundbreaking (at the time) trailer for "The Lion King," before anyone had ever seen a mandrill holding a lion cub on top of a rock over kneeling animals. I actually remember wondering what Sebastian was saying when he sang "Unda-da-sea," and whether King Triton was a good guy or a bad guy. These movies shaped the consciousness of my generation. Just go up to anyone between the ages of 22 and 28 who grew up in the Western World, any frat boy, any prissy girl, any former cheerleader, any computer nerd, and find me one who doesn't know the lyrics to Hakuna Matata. From 1989 to 1995, the question of next year's Disney movie was an exciting topic for everyone I knew. What would the next one be about? And, more importantly, would it be as good, both in my eyes and at the box office, as the one before? And (allowing for the less well-known Rescuers Down Under in 1990) the answer was always "yes," until 1995 when suddenly Pocahontas hit the screens, leaving everyone to think, for the first time, "Meh."

Starting with Pocahontas, with the exception of Mulan, the films showed a slow and steady decline, trying too hard to be zany (Hercules), dark (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, possibly the worst subject choice ever for a Disney movie), action-packed (Tarzan), expensive (Dinosaur), or offbeat (Lilo and Stitch)... In short, trying too hard to be anything but the instant classics of the early 90's. Things went from bad to worse (in a curiously correlated decline of quality and box office performance), until finally, following the fiasco of "Home on the Range" (am I the only one who saw it?), Disney announced it would no longer make traditional animated films, in a move that, to me, still sounds like Ferrari announcing it's going to keep making everything except cars. Yes, there were still Pixar movies, but for all their wit and beauty, these always felt like high-tech consolation prizes for anyone who grew up with magic carpets and singing candelabras. With the end of 2-D animation came the end of a collective, global childhood, and for a few years it looked as if, much like the real one, the Disney childhood was gone for good.

Until John Lasseter, the brilliant visionary behind Pixar, announced a new dawn of hope for Disney animation. The first project for the newly revived traditional feature animation department would be a real fairy tale, hand-drawn for the screen, with an old-school villain, a love interest, a fairy-godmother figure, talking animals, and, yes, even song-and-dance numbers in which the characters suddenly break into music. In short: a real Disney movie. And the result, ladies and gentlemen, titled "The Princess and the Frog," just came out in theaters yesterday, following a two-week limited release in NY and LA. Of course, as anyone who's read this post so far must have already guessed, I wasted no time in seeing it the day it came to my city.

And here's what I thought:

"The Princess and the Frog" is good. Yes, it's actually good, and anyone who's prayed for the return of traditional hand-drawn animation should see it without fear of disappointment. The movie looks beautiful, without even a hint of CGI (though I'm sure there must be some lurking here and there below the surface). The characters and backgrounds exist, seamlessly and breathlessly, in the wonderfully lawless physical universe where Ariel sang under water of her longing for the human world, where Mrs. Potts managed to look plump and made of porcelain at the same time. The movie is a visual journey through the glorious folklore of New Orleans, making ample use of the mythological arsenal at its disposal, from the dangers of the bayou to the double-edged dealings of voodoo, from Mardi Gras to gumbo. All the best Disney movies create self-contained universes where you simply want to immerse yourself, and "The Princess and the Frog" achieves this with class and charm. The stylized characters who walk down the street and into the restaurant where the heroine works wouldn't belong in any other movie, not even Aladdin or The Little Mermaid, and yet they're unmistakably Disney.

The entire feel of the movie is as bouncy and buoyant as its visuals, thanks in great part to its hardworking and determined heroine, Tiana. Much has already been said about her historical role as Disney's first African-American leading woman, but few reviewers seem to mention another very important aspect of the character: she's an exceptionally admirable protagonist. Regardless of race, color, or background, few Disney leads of either gender show as much pluck, energy, and perseverance as Tiana. As the movie points out, she's been so busy working all her life that she can't even dance! Why does no one consider that to be innovative for a Disney princess? Yes, Tiana's black, but that's just one of several reasons for which she's such a great addition to the canon. The characters around her are all serviceable, at the very least, but the movie's most memorable character is undoubtedly Tiana.

Now, I've mentioned my two favorite aspects of the movie, but I chose my words carefully when saying "The Princess and the Frog" is good. Sadly, it's not great. It's obviously head and shoulders above any hand-drawn feature the studio has released in the past 10 years, but it's little more than halfway to the brilliance of the early 90's pictures. One very noticeable difference lies in the music. The movie has numerous songs, and they all contribute to its overall stylistic cohesion, but they sadly justified my misgivings when I first heard they would be written by Randy Newman (of the "Toy Story" soundtrack) instead of Alan Menken (of everyone's favorite songs ever). What can you tell me about the song "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story? How does it compare, say, with "Part of that World," "Kiss the Girl," "Prince Ali," or "A Whole New World?" Fatally, the show-stopping production numbers in "The Princess and the Frog" invite comparisons the music just can't live up to. This isn't a statement about the quality of the composer's work, but there's something distinctly lyrical, memorable, and infectious about other Disney soundtracks that just doesn't happen in this movie.

There are also some weaknesses in the story and character department. Most of the great Disney stories can be summarized in a very short sentence that every character's motivations can be deployed around. Though it's very clear what Tiana's conflict is (she wants to open a restaurant but doesn't have enough money), the balance of the plot is surprisingly complicated. Even the bad guy, Doctor Facilier, who's been given all the trappings of a great Disney villain (and score: even a song!), has too many agendas, too many tricks, and too many issues of his own, to seep under the viewers' skin. The love interest raises more questions than he answers (Where's he from? Why, if he's a Prince, does he have no money? Whom does he want to marry? Why?). For all the crap good old Prince Charming in Snow White received for having no personality, at least everyone knew exactly what he was about. The movie's comic relief is, though it pains me to say so, unfunny and forgettable, and it's instantly obvious why these characters are there. The genie, for example, had soul beneath all the jokes, and, from a purely pragmatic point of view, there'd be no Aladdin story without him.

Characters' motivations are not the only issue in the story department. The plot involves many deals, many conditions, many detours, many distractions. For example, before anything has even happened to her, Tiana finds that she can afford the down payment on the building she wants for her restaurant by selling cakes to her friend Charlotte, who wants the cakes in order to win the Prince's affections but then Tiana is outbid and she must match the other prospective buyer's offer before it's too late. What happened to straight up "Belle needs to break the spell!" or "Simba needs to reclaim the kingdom?" There are so many technicalities in this movie that I'm still not sure what exactly sealed the characters' fates at the end (for both the good guys and the villain). And the vast majority of the plot seems to rest on the shoulders of Charlotte, the ditzy rich childhood friend, who's unwittingly at the center of several convoluted schemes simply because her dad has a lot of money. Again, the simple universality of Ariel's dream, or Cinderella's, for that matter, is far more engaging, not to say intelligible (especially for children, while we're at it).

Nonetheless, the Princess and the Frog is pure, well-intentioned, and fun. It's not grand, it's not spectacular, it's not haunting, and it's trying to resume the legacy of movies that were all of these things. But in spite of its shortcomings, its release is still the best news that's come out of Disney in a long time.