The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (2011) Review

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NOTE: Some are claiming that the 3-disc edition is edited. IT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT EDITED. There are no missing scenes. There is an international version available that is somewhat less than complete (edited for gore), so beware of third party sellers. It appears that some U.S. copies may have a playback quirk, though (mine doesn't). On the episode "Guts," if you Play All you might see some material edited. If you select the individual episode from the menu (instead of Play All), there is no issue. Otherwise, the official U.S. release is absolutely fine.

So now that all The Walking Dead TV fans have purchased Season One, here comes the inevitable double dip for the 3-Disc Special edition. I always find this a dubious way to reward fans, by making them regret buying your initial product. It does, however, seem to be a commercial reality that continues to disappoint and exploit consumers. Whether or not you will indulge in the new version will depend on how appealing its additional material strikes you. Here is a run down of the new features with the old features (also included) to help you decide.

5 Stars for the show itself, 1 Star for the repeated practice of double dipping.

NEW Material for this re-issue:

Pilot Episode: The B&W Version

Audio Commentaries On All 6 episodes

We Are The Walking Dead

Bring Out The Dead: KNB And The Art of Making Zombies

Digital Decay: The VFX of The Walking Dead

No More Room in Hell: The Walking Dead Phenomenon

Adapting The Dead

Killer Conversations: Frank Darabont & Greg Nicotero

ALL Previous Bonus Material Also Included:

The Making of The Walking Dead

Inside The Walking Dead: Episodes 1 6

A Sneak Peek with Robert Kirkman

Behind The Scenes Zombie Make-Up Tips

Convention Panel with the Producers

The Walking Dead Trailer

Extra Footage (Zombie School, Bicycle Girl, On the Set with Robert Kirkman, Hanging with Steven Yeun, Inside Dale's RV, and On Set With Andrew Lincoln)

Original Review:

When I heard that AMC was going to produce a television series based on the zombie epic "The Walking Dead," I was both concerned and delighted. A bona fide classic in undead lore, Robert Kirkman's "The Walking Dead" graphic novels are brutal and surprising--not really what I would picture for a basic cable TV show (the first season is only 6 episodes, we'll see where it goes from there). But AMC has produced terrific and prestigious shows like "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad," so I was pretty stoked to see what they do with this. Add Frank Darabont of "Shawshank Redemption" fame as the creative force behind the show, and I'm pleased to report that we've got a winner!

For years, I've maintained that the principle themes of Kirkman's vision have little to do with actual monsters. This is a story of human survival, of morality, of loyalty, of sacrifice--of doing anything necessary to carry on without losing the basics of what makes life worth living. The fact that this is occurring within the midst of a zombie apocalypse is just a bonus! Darabont and team are fully on board with the notion that it is humanity, not the undead, driving this epic struggle. So while "The Walking Dead" expertly crafts its horrors, the real emotional weight is conveyed through its characters and the decisions they face on a daily basis.

The story in these six episodes, for the most part, adheres to the first few individual comics or the collected "Volume One: Days Gone By." This is the series' jumping off point--and, in truth, sets things up in a fairly typical way. After being involved in a shoot-out, cop Rick awakes from a coma isolated, but not alone, in a local hospital. Apparently, in the time he was out, something has shifted in the world and now the dead walk. The program introduces Rick and many other principles as he tries to figure out what is happening while he crosses the state to locate his family. On the outskirts of Atlanta, Rick is reunited with his wife Lori, son Carl, and police partner Shane with a group of other survivors. I was afraid, with so much story to draw from, Darabont might rush things. Instead, "The Walking Dead" takes its time setting up the premise, introducing the cast, and establishing a bleak new world. It is a tremendous accomplishment that really allows the viewer to identify with the action, to become emotionally connected with the horror.

There are a few diversions from Kirkman's text, but they actually enhance the drama. I particularly enjoyed the possible introduction of one of the series' greatest villains at a much earlier point--rounding off his back story for a reemeergence in the future. With such a large cast, the standouts in the beginning have got to be the leads--Andrew Lincoln as Rick and Jon Bernthal as Shane. Hopefully, should there be a second season, more of the supporting cast will get to shine--but their early contributions are uniformly fine. Lincoln displays an intriguing balance of strength and vulnerability, but it's Bernthal who is the break-out star for me! The gore and effects are absolutely top notch and should be appreciated by horror aficionados. Those that love zombie mayhem should have more than enough to whet their appetite. But, and this I stress, "The Walking Dead" is sophisticated, adult entertainment that should appeal to viewers who might not ordinarily target this genre as well. This is just great TV, plain and simple, and something unexpected fresh (if you can call rotting flesh fresh) on the TV landscape. KGHarris, 11/10.

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When I heard that AMC was going to produce a television series based on the zombie epic "The Walking Dead," I was both concerned and delighted. A bona fide classic in undead lore, Robert Kirkman's "The Walking Dead" graphic novels are brutal and surprising--not really what I would picture for a basic cable TV show (the first season is only 6 episodes, we'll see where it goes from there). But AMC has produced terrific and prestigious shows like "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad," so I was pretty stoked to see what they do with this. Add Frank Darabont of "Shawshank Redemption" fame as the creative force behind the show, and I'm pleased to report that we've got a winner!

For years, I've maintained that the principle themes of Kirkman's vision have little to do with actual monsters. This is a story of human survival, of morality, of loyalty, of sacrifice--of doing anything necessary to carry on without losing the basics of what makes life worth living. The fact that this is occurring within the midst of a zombie apocalypse is just a bonus! Darabont and team are fully on board with the notion that it is humanity, not the undead, driving this epic struggle. So while "The Walking Dead" expertly crafts its horrors, the real emotional weight is conveyed through its characters and the decisions they face on a daily basis.

The story in these six episodes, for the most part, adheres to the first few individual comics or the collected "Volume One: Days Gone By." This is the series' jumping off point--and, in truth, sets things up in a fairly typical way. After being involved in a shoot-out, cop Rick awakes from a coma isolated, but not alone, in a local hospital. Apparently, in the time he was out, something has shifted in the world and now the dead walk. The program introduces Rick and many other principles as he tries to figure out what is happening while he crosses the state to locate his family. On the outskirts of Atlanta, Rick is reunited with his wife Lori, son Carl, and police partner Shane with a group of other survivors. I was afraid, with so much story to draw from, Darabont might rush things. Instead, "The Walking Dead" takes its time setting up the premise, introducing the cast, and establishing a bleak new world. It is a tremendous accomplishment that really allows the viewer to identify with the action, to become emotionally connected with the horror.

There are a few diversions from Kirkman's text, but they actually enhance the drama. I particularly enjoyed the possible introduction of one of the series' greatest villains at a much earlier point--rounding off his back story for a reemeergence in the future. With such a large cast, the standouts in the beginning have got to be the leads--Andrew Lincoln as Rick and Jon Bernthal as Shane. Hopefully, should there be a second season, more of the supporting cast will get to shine--but their early contributions are uniformly fine. Lincoln displays an intriguing balance of strength and vulnerability, but it's Bernthal who is the break-out star for me! The gore and effects are absolutely top notch and should be appreciated by horror aficionados. Those that love zombie mayhem should have more than enough to whet their appetite. But, and this I stress, "The Walking Dead" is sophisticated, adult entertainment that should appeal to viewers who might not ordinarily target this genre as well. This is just great TV, plain and simple, and something unexpected fresh (if you can call rotting flesh fresh) on the TV landscape. KGHarris, 11/10.

Best Deals for The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (2011)

++++ NO SPOILERS ++++

I love horror and outre film and television, but, no pun intended, I thought until "The Walking Dead" that the zombie genre was a played out mining town. Starting far back with Bela Lugosi's fantastic "White Zombie" all the way up through the masterpiece "Night of the Living Dead" and ending in satire with the hilarious "Army of Darkness" and "Shaun of the Dead," I thought myself to be on safe ground in this harshly critical assessment. Sometimes, it's a pleasure to be flat wrong.

I watched all six episodes of this, and cannot wait for the next season. It's an ensemble acting piece, so focus never lingers too long on any one particular character. This is a brilliant opening gambit for television since the viewer can, in a way, vicariously share the dread of "just getting to know someone" and then have them ripped away, either by the evil of men, mischance, or zombie attack. Some think that the acting is contrived. I do not. All of the characters are on edge, just up to the point of hysteria, and played consistently thus. True, it can make for one-note dialogue and predictable, archetypal situations, but what other notes might there be in the opening month of the end of the world, and a world not only ending but grown hideously hostile to boot? It will be interesting to see how the actors manage the change into something "else" as they adapt to a zombie-filled world, and I hope they are up to the challenge. From the looks of things thus far, they are.

And this makes the title especially provocative. One would assume that "The Walking Dead" refers to zombies. I am not sure of that at all. Here, the undead are the backdrop to the action, not the action itself. The action lies in the excellent ensemble acting and cleverly turned scripting. It may well unfold that the living are the ones who end up truly meriting that disturbing title, not the once-human shambling mounds of flesh haunting the desolate streets of "Necropolis Atlanta." I have an odd suspicion that by the end of season two, the mindless juggernaut of zombie hordes will be a pale shadow compared to the darker and more malevolent forces that can shape the human soul into something far more fearful and terrifying. And these six shows set up that subtle possibility with suprising elegance as the normal turns suddenly abnormal and the "brave new world" or both urban and rural America comes bloodily undone.

This is not a show for the faint of heart. The make-up and effects for television are very well done and almost entirely convincing. The adult situations, profanity, and desperate sexuality also make "The Walking Dead" unsuitable for minors. But for adults, this is nothing less than a treat and not a "guilty pleasure."

So spread the word. Zombies are back, and very scary again. Almost as scary as the people trying to outlive them. Five stars.

Honest reviews on The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (2011)

First off let me say I love the series. I like the writing, directing, and the in your face style of filming.

I purchased the "The Complete First Season 3-Disc Special Edition, based on the reviews here.

While watching my new purchase I was EXTREMELY DISAPOINTED while watching Ep.# 2 "Guts" in the scene where they run into the alley to grab the walker to dismember and use his guts and body parts for camouflage, that entire sequence is edited out of this supposedly complete special edition.

It shows them grabbing the walker and bringing him into the building and closing the door and the next thing you see is them walking out the door covered in the guts and parts.

The whole 3-min+ scene is gone where they talk about who he(the walker) was before and starting to chop him into pieces.

One of the most graphic scenes in the series so far and its not on the complete special edition discs!!!

I am equally dumbfounded that previeous reviewers failed to mention this.

Had I known this was an edited edition I would have purchased a non-edited version.

I feel totally ripped off and let down by Amazon and previous reviewers not to have disclosed this until now.

BUYER BEWARE THIS 3-DISC SPECIAL EDITION SERIES IS EDITED !!!!!!!!!!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (2011)

When I heard that AMC was going to produce a television series based on the zombie epic "The Walking Dead," I was both concerned and delighted. A bona fide classic in undead lore, Robert Kirkman's "The Walking Dead" graphic novels are brutal and surprising--not really what I would picture for a basic cable TV show (the first season is only 6 episodes, we'll see where it goes from there). But AMC has produced terrific and prestigious shows like "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad," so I was pretty stoked to see what they do with this. Add Frank Darabont of "Shawshank Redemption" fame as the creative force behind the show, and I'm pleased to report that we've got a winner!

For years, I've maintained that the principle themes of Kirkman's vision have little to do with actual monsters. This is a story of human survival, of morality, of loyalty, of sacrifice--of doing anything necessary to carry on without losing the basics of what makes life worth living. The fact that this is occurring within the midst of a zombie apocalypse is just a bonus! Darabont and team are fully on board with the notion that it is humanity, not the undead, driving this epic struggle. So while "The Walking Dead" expertly crafts its horrors, the real emotional weight is conveyed through its characters and the decisions they face on a daily basis.

The story in these six episodes, for the most part, adheres to the first few individual comics or the collected "Volume One: Days Gone By." This is the series' jumping off point--and, in truth, sets things up in a fairly typical way. After being involved in a shoot-out, cop Rick awakes from a coma isolated, but not alone, in a local hospital. Apparently, in the time he was out, something has shifted in the world and now the dead walk. The program introduces Rick and many other principles as he tries to figure out what is happening while he crosses the state to locate his family. On the outskirts of Atlanta, Rick is reunited with his wife Lori, son Carl, and police partner Shane with a group of other survivors. I was afraid, with so much story to draw from, Darabont might rush things. Instead, "The Walking Dead" takes its time setting up the premise, introducing the cast, and establishing a bleak new world. It is a tremendous accomplishment that really allows the viewer to identify with the action, to become emotionally connected with the horror.

There are a few diversions from Kirkman's text, but they actually enhance the drama. I particularly enjoyed the introduction of one of the series' greatest villains at a much earlier point--rounding off his back story for a reemeergence in the future. With such a large cast, the standouts in the beginning have got to be the leads--Andrew Lincoln as Rick and Jon Bernthal as Shane. Hopefully, should there be a second season, more of the supporting cast will get to shine--but their early contributions are uniformly fine. Lincoln displays an intriguing balance of strength and vulnerability, but it's Bernthal who is the break-out star for me! The gore and effects are absolutely top notch and should be appreciated by horror aficionados. Those that love zombie mayhem should have more than enough to whet their appetite. But, and this I stress, "The Walking Dead" is sophisticated, adult entertainment that should appeal to viewers who might not ordinarily target this genre as well. This is just great TV, plain and simple, and something unexpected fresh (if you can call rotting flesh fresh) on the TV landscape. KGHarris, 11/10.

Buy X-Men: First Class (+ Digital Copy) (2011)

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The X-Men films are kind of a huge letdown as a whole, aren't they? The first two are pretty good, but everything good they had going for them was completely destroyed once The Last Stand came to fruition. Thank you, Brett Ratner. And X-Men Origins: Wolverine just drove the franchise even further into the ground; kudos, Gavin Hood. So there probably isn't any reason to get excited over a new X-Men film even if it is a prequel to the X-Men films people actually enjoy. Why would we want to see another comic book movie with limitless potential only to drop the ball yet again? Not only does X-Men: First Class take that ball and run with it but it uses it in all the right ways and reminds you why you loved the X-Men in the first place.

The cast is way better than it has any right to be. Everyone fits their character incredibly well and works fantastically as a cohesive unit. Kevin Bacon seems like a bit of an odd choice for Sebastian Shaw at first, but any doubt you may have is washed away once you finally see him absorb energy. His role as the main villain may be significantly smaller than you may imagine, but his more than qualified acting chops make nearly every scene he's a part of memorable (nothing really tops his first scene with young Magneto though). James McAvoy does an excellent job handling Charles Xavier. He's gentle, kind, and really seems to care about helping his fellow mutants. Michael Fassbender as Magneto manages to have the strongest on-screen presence. He's intense, powerful, and emotional; the best-rounded character of the film.

It was gratifying to see McAvoy and Fassbender make the roles of Professor X and Magneto their own without completely rehashing what Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan established the first time around. That is often a problem when it comes to prequels; these younger actors wind up focusing on mimicking the older version of who they're meant to portray without putting their own spin on it. Luckily, that wasn't an issue here.

No expense was made when it comes to the special effects either; Azazel is a perfect example. By the end of the film, you still won't know anything about the character other than the fact that he can teleport like Nightcrawler and is a master swordsman. His teleporting ability is just as fun to watch as Nightcrawler's was in X2 and his fight sequences (especially the one with a particular blue mutant) are always quite engaging. Most of Magneto's scenes involve some pretty hefty CG and it's pulled off rather well. The metal fillings scene is a personal favorite along with the Argentina bar scene (pay particular attention to the slow building yet unnerving music used during that scene along with the weapon used at the table). Then there's the obvious scene of Magneto reversing the missles that's being shown in nearly every advertisement these days. Beast is probably a high point of the special effects. Nicholas Hoult portrays Hank McCoy rather flawlessly (other than one scene that I won't spoil); brainy, shy, not sure of himself, and ashamed of his mutation. Beast's transformation is one of the best scenes in the film though. It gave me flashes of An American Werewolf in London. It's a shame we didn't get to see more of him as Beast because the one good long scene we see of him is really impressive.

One of the things that make X-Men: First Class so good is that we get to see how these characters grow into the superheroes and super villains that we know and love today. And again, while the film loosely follows the comics it still manages to blossom and mature into something exceptional on its own while also planting the appropriate seeds to line up with the Bryan Singer X-Men films.

So by now you have an idea of how good the film is, but is there anything bad about it? Some characters feel really underdeveloped; Riptide, Darwin, and Angel come to mind, but the biggest disappointment is Havok. There are no connections that he's actually the brother of Cyclops and many will be upset about that. Plus his character doesn't really feel very useful in comparison to both Beast and Banshee who at least put their powers to good use on several occasions throughout the film. Other than a few minor gripes about certain characters, which could surely be rectified in future installments; there really isn't much to complain about with X-Men: First Class.

Do not let other 20th Century Fox comic book related films put you off, X-Men: First Class deserves to be held in the highest regard right next to Marvel's best. The cast is practically overflowing with talent, the storyline is both sharp and absorbing, the special effects are probably the best they've ever been in any X-Men film, and the appropriate connections are made to the best parts of the original films. X-Men: First Class should be the standard for all X-Men films from here on out. It's intelligent, engrossing, and spectacular. It's easily the best X-Men film yet.

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What drew me to check out X-Men: First Class was not any particular love of comic books nor any particular fondness of the previous films. What drew me to this film was the presence of actor Michael Fassbender, whose increasingly eclectic work has continued to impress me more and more with each new film he appears in. I recall little about the first three X-Men films, besides that I found them enjoyable and I admit that I haven't even bothered to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I figured it was only a matter of time before Fox rebooted the X-Men series after the lackluster reception of the last two X-Men films. Bringing in director Matthew Vaughn, the director of 2010's cult hit Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class is a summer blockbuster that delivers on all fronts, while reinventing and re-energizing the series.

The film opens with the same scene that opened the first film, introducing us to Erik Lehnsherr as he's separated from his mother at a Nazi prison camp. These first scenes, particularly Erik meeting his mortal enemy Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), are surprisingly effective. Several years later, the film sets itself up against the backdrop of the 1960s Cuban Missile Crisis as Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) is recruited by CIA agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) to assemble a team of mutants for the purpose of stopping Shaw from triggering World War III. Charles forms a partnership with the vengeful Erik (Fassbender) to help him assemble the team, which already consists of Charles' adopted sister Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), and the film leads us through the events that culminate in Charles, Erik, and Raven becoming Professor X, Magneto, and Mystique, respectively.

The story and screenplay give credit to six people total and the key to the success of this movie may be that one of those six people is Bryan Singer, the director of the first two X-Men films whose absence may have been what guided the last two films into mediocrity. His involvement, Vaughn as the director, and the changing of the time period all have significant impact on the film's success. The material seems much more at home in the 60s time period, while also helping to establish a different atmosphere and tone that separates it from the other films in the series.Vaughn emphasizes a steely, gray palette, an atmospheric visual aesthetic that gives the film a much bleaker tone than it's predecessors. He's assisted in establishing this effective atmosphere by the ominous musical score by Henry Jackman that lends to the atmosphere and builds the suspense.

There is some great talent in front of the camera. Lawrence, a recent Oscar nominee is a perfect fit for the young Mystique and Kevin Bacon gives a diabolical performance as the antagonist, but it is Michael Fassbender whom I believe will walk away from this film a star. It's sad that with so many great roles behind him in the last few years Fassbender has to play Magneto to finally get the recognition he deserves. With that said, Fassbender's performance as Magneto is fascinating to watch and brings a new level of depth to the character. His charismatic performance shows Erik as a tortured soul, but also a (forgive me for not being more eloquent, but no term I can think of is better) bada**. Furthermore, he shares remarkably strong chemistry with McAvoy and these two work well enough together to carry more films in this series.

What really elevates the material beyond it's predecessors and, for that matter, most superhero movies, is the level of drama and genuine humanity it contains. It's a complete success as a summer action film, but it's much more than that; it's a genuinely good, well-made film. In addition to that, it's almost unbearably entertaining. I found it riveting for it's entire 132-minute running time, while marveling at how it's so insanely entertaining without relying on contrived, repetitive, action sequences to guide its entertainment value. There are some negative elements; Mystique's makeup looks much cheaper than it did in previous incarnations and there is the occasional cheesy line of dialogue, but none of this was substantial enough to negatively impact my view of the film.

X-Men: First Class is exactly what it's title implies; first class. Backed by a script that is both entertaining and intelligent, guided by great direction, and brought to life by a tremendous cast, I have no reservations calling this the best X-Men film yet. It has all the things you could want from a summer blockbuster; action, adventure, intelligence, soul, Magneto exacting revenge on Nazi's, great performances, and one of the funniest cameos I've seen in a long time. It's not a masterpiece, as it sticks a little too close to the summer-film template but, be that as it may, the heart must rule the head and I have no qualms admitting that I loved it.

GRADE: A-

Best Deals for X-Men: First Class (+ Digital Copy) (2011)

For those of you who don't know, this edition of X-Men: First Class is not available at all stores, thus why the price is more expensive. I was fortunate enough to get this edition at Target, and they have a ton of them there, so if you live near a Target store, check there and get yourself a copy!

Anyways, for those of you who aren't aware, the normal Blu-Ray release of this film does not include a DVD copy of the film, which may be an inconvenience to some. However, this release does, as well as the Blu-Ray disc and Digital Copy Disc from the normal release. Unless you need a DVD copy of the film, you don't need to get this release. However, I think that this should have just been the original release, because it is convenient to get a DVD copy of the film. The film itself is fantastic, one of the best comic books ever made along with The Dark Knight, and it is presented in beautiful 1080P HD, with one of the best transfers released this year. The audio quality is also fantastic and will shake the walls with it's fantastic mixing and volume levels. As for the special features, they are solid if not a little underwhelming. The features on the disc are great, such as the X marks the spot viewing mode that has X's placed in specific parts of the movie to show a behind the scenes feature (kind of like on The Dark Knight release), a documentary on mutants, and some stunt work stuff. It was overall solid, but I wish there was more. Still, it is worth the price if you are an X-Men fan or enjoyed the film.

Again, I don't know why the original release didn't come with a DVD copy of the film, I think that it is somewhat ridiculous. And if you are buying this product online, don't even bother because you will most likely feel ripped off. However, if you have a Target store nearby with copies of this edition in stock, it is worth picking up. It's the same price as the other release and includes a DVD copy of the film. If, however, you don't have one near you or any copies in stock, the normal release should be just fine.

Honest reviews on X-Men: First Class (+ Digital Copy) (2011)

From reviews I expected a pretty decent movie. Surprisingly, it was even better than I expected. I liked all 3 original movies, btw, and I really have to say this was a much better quality movie still. Good casting and acting. Good story. Great introduction to characters and tie-ins to the comic book universe. Also didn't do anything to upset the time line with the original movies, which I appreciated. It was also neat to see actors I didn't even know would be in this movie, plus a ton of good actors who are somewhat recognizable but not enough that I could tell you who they were. Some things in the story didn't fit 100% with the comics, but just pretty insignificant things, and I really didn't mind at all. For instance, it would appear that Scott Summers' brother Alex was older than him? Aah, that's alright, Havoc was never that big a deal anyway. And I have to say I liked Banshee in the movie much more than I ever did in the comic. Not that he really had any lines, it was just really fun seeing him fly and do his scream thing...it always seemed a little lame in the comics.

UPDATE: Just wanted to add that it's been almost a year since this was released and it's now continually playing on cable and I find myself getting stuck watching it every time I flip by it. I really don't think this movie, the story, the casting and acting, all of it, could have been done any better.

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Can't believe I paid to rent this movie. What rubbish.

I love the X-men franchise so was looking forward to this movie.

No character development, not as you should see between Xavier and Erik, as is hinted at in the trilogy. And it even contradicts already created facts and scenarios within the movies, places, times, powers. Dumb.

Discount X-Men: Evolution - The Complete First Season (2000)

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I am a big X-Men fan, i like almost anything Marvel has done, and it is true, this series cannot compare to the older x-men cartoon.

this one is better.

now, i will watch the older one whenever i can, it has started coming back on tv recently and i watch it almost every day, but honestly, there are many times that i find it...boring. i mean, i love the plot lines, but there is far too much talking, far too many flashbacks for no apparent reason, and far too much jubilee, and not nearly enough gambit.

but this review is supposed to be about the new series, sorry i got off topic there for a minute

x-men evolution, as the other guides have already mentioned, portrays the x-men as high schoolers (with the exception of a few), and gives some great development for characters. i especially like nightcrawler in this series, often times he is betrayed as a thing to be scared of, and very serious, but in evolution he is the fun loving character he should have been all along, a big furball, or the fuzzy blue elf as he is sometimes referred to. cyclops is very serious, and looks out for everyone alot, like always. jean grey is pretty much on the same level as cyclops, but not quite as extreme. they also have a on and off relationship, but they were always destined to be, right? spyke is new, basically a teenage boy form of marrow, big trouble maker and storm's nephew, though he has a few good plot lines through out the show. then shadowcat is also a main character, the girl that can walk through walls (or any other solid object), who is an average teenage...mutant...ninja tur-oh wait, i mean girl. wolvie is the same old guy, as is professor X, and storm is pretty much the same as always too, but luckily she has left her "catch phrases" such as "power of wind, get real windy!" back in the older show. oh yeah, and rogue, at first she is with the brotherhood, but then she joins the x-men, never really sure where she belongs. i guess never being able to touch another person will freak you out some.

there is also a large selection of bad guys. there is the "brotherhood of mutants" who at first is led by magneto, but they tend to go off on their own alot. they are made up of blob, fat and stupid, quake, he can...make earthquakes and has a thing for shadowcat, quicksilver, magneto's beloved (or not so) son, and toad, who has all the powers, and intelligence, of a toad. magneto has the same old plans for global domination for the "homo-superiors" (mutant kind), and mystique is his loyal as ever follower...when we know who she is at the time. there are also others that follow magneto, but arent part of the brotherhood (not in high school with them...) including sabertooth, wolverine's arch foe, pyro, the australian with attitude, colossus, the guy with the awesome body armour that comes out of no where, and gambit. this was a huge problem with alot of people, putting gambit as a bad guy, but i rather like it. gambit was trained by his father to be a theif, and as a bad guy he really got the opportunity to use those skills, and do some very cool moves with his powers besides throwing cards at everyone like when he was a good guy (dont worry, he still does though)

now i know i didnt tell you any of the plots of the episodes, but hopefully all you x-men fans that are afraid to try this show will see that despite some changes, it isnt the bane of x-men history like some have suggested. it is a great show.

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Season One of X-Men Evolution is undoubtedly the weakest season of the show. The voice actors have not settled in to their roles (most notably Professor X and Wolverine), the show introduces a lot more the high school aspect of X-Men, and its constant changes to X-Lore take a lot of getting used to.

But Evolution will eventually win you over. It's fun to see the high school setting, the different interpretations of the characters and the show itself is good fun. X-fans may have to grin and bear at some of the more "unwise" decisions (most painfully the season finale with Magneto), but I think overall that this is worth any X-fans hard earned cash. It's a thoughtful show, unique, and never lets itself get pretentious, preachy, or too serious.

Best Deals for X-Men: Evolution - The Complete First Season (2000)

I won't try to talk you into liking Evolution, other reviews have done that.

I'll just say that if you're already an Evolution fan, these DVD's are excellent.

Each DVD has a special features section, and this is why you want to buy them.

There's a director's overview of every episode talking about the decisions they made during the creation, which is cool. It gives you more insight into the show that just makes it all the more enjoyable. Why is Spyke like Marrow? They answer that.

But by far the best are the other features, 1 per DVD. They talk about the art of the X-Men, how they settled on the character's appearences and animation styles and best of all, some face to face interviews with several of the voice actors (including the actors behind Wolverine, Xavier, Shadowcat, Spyke, Rogue and Mystique). They discuss what it's like to work on a show like this, how they were selected for their voice role and how they handle different voicing scenarios.

For the $... Amazon wants I'd say this is a good buy, just for these special features. I hope we see more interviews like these for the next seasons!

Honest reviews on X-Men: Evolution - The Complete First Season (2000)

I've seen almost every episode up to date, and i feel that this is a great version of the x-men! Even though some characters are different from the comic versions, I feel that this show does its justice. Even though some characters are not shown to be as powerful as they can be, you have to keep in mind that most of the characters are still in high school. This season is an introduction to all of our favorite characters, as well as others that were not seen in the last cartoon version of the x-men. The last two episodes are great and are a must see. All together, if you are a fan of the x-men, this is a must have!

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Many of the reviews here comment on the poor quality of the animation in this series. While the animation isn't as great as something like "Justice League," it works for the series, and the storylines more than make up for it. I never thought the animation was poor, and it looked like any other superhero cartoon to me.

Although I have never seen the original X-Men cartoon, I don't think it's fair to compare the two. "Evolution" focuses on the origins of the X-Men, and while not entirely true to the comic book, it makes for some great stories. The writing on it is incredible. The characters are very well developed. Over the first 4 or 5 episodes, Scott Summers and Jean Grey's relationship is developed even moreso than in the current X-Men films. This holds true for all the characters, and doesn't limit the amount of action in the series. However the show does focus a bit more on the inter-relationships of the mutants than on the whole "Good Mutant vs. Evil Mutant" concept. And that's what makes the series so great.

As far as the DVD goes, it contains solely the first season, with no extras, which is unfortunate. There's no real enticement for buying this set over simply watching the series (if it's still available in yor area). But if you have missed some episodes or have seen the series out of order, I definately recommend starting here. Unlike many cartoons, this show follows a storyline that makes more sense if you see the episodes in the order they were originally shown.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes Review

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Episodes:

1. Help Wanted / Reef Blower / Tea at the Treedome

2. Bubblestand / RippedPants

3. Jellyfishing / Plankton!

4. Naughty Nautical Neighbors / Boating School

5. Pizza Delivery / Home Sweet Pineapple

6. MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy / Pickles

7. Hall Monitor / Jellyfish Jam

8. Sandy's Rocket / Squeaky Boots

9. NaturePants / Opposite Day

10. Culture Shock / F.U.N.

11. MuscleBob BuffPants / Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost

12. The Chaperone / Employee of the Month

13. ScaredyPants / I Was A Teenage Gary

14. SB-129 / Karate Choppers

15. Sleepy Time / Suds

16. Valentine's Day / The Paper

17. Arrgh! / Rock Bottom

18. Texas / Walking Small

19. Fools In April / Neptune's Spatula

20. Hooky / MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy II

21. Your Shoe's Untied / Squid's Day Off

22. Something Smells / Bossy Boots

23. Big Pink Loser / Bubble Buddy

24. Dying for Pie / Imitation Krabs

25. Wormy / Patty Hype

26. Grandma's Kisses / Squidville

27. Pre-Hibernation Week / Life of Crime

28. Christmas Who?

29. Survival of the Idiots / Dumped

30. No Free Rides / I'm Your Biggest Fanatic

31. MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy III / Squirrel Jokes

32. Pressure / The Smoking Peanut

33. Shanghaied / Gary Takes a Bath

34. Welcome to the Chum Bucket / Frankendoodle

35. The Secret Box / Band Geeks

36. Graveyard Shift / Krusty Love

37. Procrastination / I'm With Stupid

38. Sailor Mouth / Artist Unknown

39. Jellyfish Hunter / The Fry Cook Games

40. Sandy, SpongeBob and the Worm / Squid On Strike

41. The Algae's Always Greener / SpongeGuard on Duty

42. Club SpongeBob / My Pretty Seahorse

43. Just One Bite / The Bully

44. Nasty Patty / Idiot Box

45. MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy IV / Doing Time

46. Snowball Effect / One Krabs Trash

47. As Seen On TV / Can You Spare a Dime?

48. No Weenies Allowed / Squilliam Returns

49. Krab Borg / Rock-A-Bye Bivalve

50. Wet Painters / Krusty Krab Training Video

51. Party Pooper Pants

52. Chocolate With Nuts / MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy V

53. New Student Starfish / Clams

54. Ugh

55. The Great Snail Race / Mid-Life Crustacean

56. Born Again Krabs / I Had An Accident

57. Krabby Land / The Camping Episode

58. Missing Identity / Plankton's Army

59. The Sponge Who Could Fly

60. SpongeBob Meets the Strangler / Pranks a Lot

61. Fear of a Krabby Patty / Shell of a Man

62. The Lost Mattress / Krabs vs. Plankton

63. Have You Seen This Snail?

64. Skill Crane / Good Neighbor

65. Selling Out / FunnyPants

66. Dunces and Dragons

67. MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy VI / Enemy In Law

68. Patrick SmartPants / SquidBob TentaclePants

69. Krusty Towers / Mrs. Puff, You're Fired!

70. Ghost Host / Wishing You Well

71. Chimps Ahoy! / Whale of a Birthday

72. Karate Island / All That Glitters

73. New Leaf / Once Bitten

74. Bummer Vacation / Wigstruck

75. Squidtastic Voyage / That's No Lady

76. Hocus Pocus / The Thing

77. Driven to Tears / Rule of Dumb

78. Best Frenemies / Born to be Wild

79. Squid Wood / The Pink Purloiner

80. Best Day Ever / The Gift of Gum

81. Friend or Foe?

82. The Original Fry Cook / Night Light

83. Rise and Shine / Waiting / Fungus Among Us

84. Boat Smarts / Good Ol' Whatshisname / Spy Buddies

85. New Digs / Krabs á la Mode

86. Roller Cowards / Bucket Sweet Bucket

87. To Love a Patty / Breath of Fresh Squidward

88. SpongeBob vs. the Patty Gadget / Money Talks / Slimy Dancing

89. The Krusty Sponge / Sing a Song of Patrick

90. The Krusty Plate / The Donut of Shame / A Flea in Her Dome

91. Le Big Switch / Goo Goo Gas

92. Atlantis SquarePantis

93. Pat No Pay / Picture Day / Blackjack

94. Blackened Sponge / MermaidMan vs. SpongeBob

95. The Inmates of Summer / To Save a Squirrel

96. Pest of the West

97. The Battle of Bikini Bottom / 20,000 Patties Under the Sea

98. What Ever Happened to SpongeBob?

99. The Two Faces of Squidward / SpongeHenge

100. Banned in Bikini Bottom / Stanley S. SquarePants

Bonus Features:

-All 100 episodes (207 segments) on 14 discs

-All shorts (Unconfirmed)

-All bonus features from the first 5 season DVDs (Unconfirmed)

-Pilot Episode "Help Wanted" in regular and 7 Seas Edition

-Documentary "SquareRoots" in original, uncut widescreen format

-Animation Art Galleries

-Music Videos

-More to come!

It is unknown the status about the features labeled "unconfirmed", and what the disc break-up is going to be. My guess is if it includes way more bonus features than listed, then it would be discs 1-10 are the episodes (half a season per disc) and 11-14 are bonus discs, but only time will tell.

There will be a setup menu on each disc with audio and visual options, and presumably captions, and the packaging will be a 3D-lenticular slipcase housed in plexiglass. It sounds like a deal to me, and I'll be picking this up despite the fact I already own seasons 1-5 on DVD.

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We own all of the original seasons (1-5) currently offered of SpongeBob SquarePants. We love them but they take up a lot of space and we constantly have the discs rotating throughout our house. We definitely will keep the originals but this set is just a little wider than the box of the 1st season set. Now when our son asks for a certain episode (which he does often) we can actually find it!

I just unpacked this item so I am not sure if discs 1-13 contain bonus features (other than commentaries). There are no extras listed and I haven't found any other extras on the discs with episodes. Also, the menus aren't animated as elaborately as the originals. I prefer the original menus on the previous separate season releases; they are animated (moving pictures) as opposed to one static picture and it is easier to select the specific show that you want on the older version menus. Although, the new menus seem to load more quickly.

* I added some screenshots of the menu to the "customer images" section of this item's listing.

Disc 14 contains the following special features:

Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants

"Help Wanted": The Seven Seas Edition

Life Lessons from Bikini Bottom

Kick-Wham-Pow-Bob Music Video

My bottom line opinion: If you are a huge fan, get the original set AND this set -now at amazon.com for $65. If you don't care about the space or price and want just one set get the originals. If you have kids and a budget or you like to just "play all" of the episodes I would recommend this one because it takes up so little space and the price is really good right now a lot cheaper than if you bought all of the seasons separately.

Best Deals for SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes

I already owned the first three seasons on DVD, but I bought this set for two reasons:

1. To save space

This set is just barely wider than either the first or second season boxsets, by about one thinpack DVD case at most. The third season is roughly half the width of either the first or second season boxsets. 'The First 100 Episodes' boxset takes up a little less than half the shelf space of Seasons 1-3 combined (and it also includes Seasons 4 and 5, but that's a moot point because they plain suck).

2. Because I'm a freak about keeping things in mint condition

This boxset at one point came in a plexiglass hardcase with nice bubble cutouts, and a lenticular 3D slipcover. I'm not sure if that was a limited first print run, or maybe it was exclusive to certain retailers, but the boxset I got from Amazon did NOT have a hardcase or a lenticular splicover. That was half the reason I ordered this set, I really wanted the hardcase because I'm obsessive-compulsive about keeping all my media in absolutely pristine condition. I handle my DVDs like they're glass babies, and I hate it when boxsets come in cardboard cases (especially digipacks, those are the worst). By the way, the cardboard shell on my set did arrive all wrinkled/creased along the bottom, with the corners all squished in. I know there are people out there like me that feel my pain on that one... so just be warned, if you were expecting a hardcase, there's a good chance that you won't get one if you order from Amazon. Go to a store and try to find one on the shelves.

Edit: I went to Best Buy to see if I could find a boxset with a plexi case and there weren't any. They had about four sets that were identical to the one I received from Amazon. Two Wal-Marts and a Target didn't even have it in stock.

Honest reviews on SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes

If you are trying to look for any Spongebob DVD's, stick with this one. It'll be the only Spongebob DVD you'll ever have. Episodes inculde:

Disc 1:

1. Help Wanted / Reef Blower / Tea at the Treedome

2. Bubblestand / RippedPants

3. Jellyfishing / Plankton!

4. Naughty Nautical Neighbors / Boating School

5. Pizza Delivery / Home Sweet Pineapple

6. MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy / Pickles

7. Hall Monitor / Jellyfish Jam

8. Sandy's Rocket / Squeaky Boots

Disc 2:

9. NaturePants / Opposite Day

10. Culture Shock / F.U.N.

11. MuscleBob BuffPants / Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost

12. The Chaperone / Employee of the Month

13. ScaredyPants / I Was A Teenage Gary

14. SB-129 / Karate Choppers

15. Sleepy Time / Suds

16. Valentine's Day / The Paper

Disc 3:

17. Arrgh! / Rock Bottom

18. Texas / Walking Small

19. Fools In April / Neptune's Spatula

20. Hooky / MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy II

21. Your Shoe's Untied / Squid's Day Off

22. Something Smells / Bossy Boots

23. Big Pink Loser / Bubble Buddy

24. Dying for Pie / Imitation Krabs

Disc 4:

25. Wormy / Patty Hype

26. Grandma's Kisses / Squidville

27. Pre-Hibernation Week / Life of Crime

28. Christmas Who?

29. Survival of the Idiots / Dumped

30. No Free Rides / I'm Your Biggest Fanatic

31. MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy III / Squirrel Jokes

32. Pressure / The Smoking Peanut

Disc 5:

33. Shanghaied / Gary Takes a Bath

34. Welcome to the Chum Bucket / Frankendoodle

35. The Secret Box / Band Geeks

36. Graveyard Shift / Krusty Love

37. Procrastination / I'm With Stupid

38. Sailor Mouth / Artist Unknown

39. Jellyfish Hunter / The Fry Cook Games

Disc 6:

40. Sandy, SpongeBob and the Worm / Squid On Strike

41. The Algae's Always Greener / SpongeGuard on Duty

42. Club SpongeBob / My Pretty Seahorse

43. Just One Bite / The Bully

44. Nasty Patty / Idiot Box

45. MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy IV / Doing Time

46. Snowball Effect / One Krabs Trash

47. As Seen On TV / Can You Spare a Dime?

Disc 7:

48. No Weenies Allowed / Squilliam Returns

49. Krab Borg / Rock-A-Bye Bivalve

50. Wet Painters / Krusty Krab Training Video

51. Party Pooper Pants

52. Chocolate With Nuts / MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy V

53. New Student Starfish / Clams

54. Ugh

55. The Great Snail Race / Mid-Life Crustacean

Disc 8:

56. Born Again Krabs / I Had An Accident

57. Krabby Land / The Camping Episode

58. Missing Identity / Plankton's Army

59. The Sponge Who Could Fly

60. SpongeBob Meets the Strangler / Pranks a Lot

61. Fear of a Krabby Patty / Shell of a Man

62. The Lost Mattress / Krabs vs. Plankton

63. Have You Seen This Snail?

Disc 9:

64. Skill Crane / Good Neighbor

65. Selling Out / FunnyPants

66. Dunces and Dragons

67. MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy VI / Enemy In Law

68. Patrick SmartPants / SquidBob TentaclePants

69. Krusty Towers / Mrs. Puff, You're Fired!

70. Ghost Host / Wishing You Well

71. Chimps Ahoy! / Whale of a Birthday

Disc 10:

72. Karate Island / All That Glitters

73. New Leaf / Once Bitten

74. Bummer Vacation / Wigstruck

75. Squidtastic Voyage / That's No Lady

76. Hocus Pocus / The Thing

77. Driven to Tears / Rule of Dumb

78. Best Frenemies / Born to be Wild

79. Squid Wood / The Pink Purloiner

Disc 11:

80. Best Day Ever / The Gift of Gum

81. Friend or Foe?

82. The Original Fry Cook / Night Light

83. Rise and Shine / Waiting / Fungus Among Us

84. Boat Smarts / Good Ol' Whatshisname / Spy Buddies

85. New Digs / Krabs á la Mode

86. Roller Cowards / Bucket Sweet Bucket

Disc 12:

87. To Love a Patty / Breath of Fresh Squidward

88. SpongeBob vs. the Patty Gadget / Money Talks / Slimy Dancing

89. The Krusty Sponge / Sing a Song of Patrick

90. The Krusty Plate / The Donut of Shame / A Flea in Her Dome

91. Le Big Switch / Goo Goo Gas

92. Atlantis SquarePantis

93. Pat No Pay / Picture Day / Blackjack

94. Blackened Sponge / MermaidMan vs. SpongeBob

Disc 13:

95. The Inmates of Summer / To Save a Squirrel

96. Pest of the West

97. The Battle of Bikini Bottom / 20,000 Patties Under the Sea

98. What Ever Happened to SpongeBob?

99. The Two Faces of Squidward / SpongeHenge

100. Banned in Bikini Bottom / Stanley S. SquarePants

The 14th disc has special features.

Yep that's 100 episodes all right. These include all episodes from 1999-2009. Atlantis SquarePantis is a TV movie too.

Great DVD to add to a Spongebob collection.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes

OMG over 38 hours of Spongebob in one neat shelf friendly set! How could any Spongebob fan not afford to buy this? You get 100 (more like 200) episodes of Spongebob essentially seasons 1-5 altogether.

The quality is amazing and the packaging is honestly some of the best I have ever seen. I would say buy it if you don't already own seasons 1-5 (I already owned season 1 + some Spongebob dvds, but after owning this will give them to my younger cousins). This set is definitely worth owning if you can find it for under $70 and can be a great thing to show your kids someday.

Review of Captain America: The First Avenger (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D

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A good bit of this film is a superhero-origins story, in which we follow Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a plain-featured young man of about 20 years old who is a classic "90-pound weakling," as he tries five times to enlist in the Army during the early part of World War II. He is consistently rated as "4F" because of his size and various health issues, including asthma. Inside that small, frail body, however, resides outsized courage, honor, loyalty and persistence. During Steve's fifth trip to the Army recruiters, those virtues in Steve draw the attention of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), a German scientist who escaped the Nazis and is working on a top-secret program to develop super soldiers. Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones), who is in charge of the program, wants to use a soldier who is bigger, stronger and has more training for the first human experiment with the Dr. Erskine's super-soldier formula, but the doctor strongly disagrees. He says the other soldier is a bully, but Steve is a good man. It is crucial that anyone receiving the formula be of good character, because the formula enhances the existing personality traits of whoever receives it. Steve would become even more of a good person, but a bully could become a villain.

The experiment is a success, but immediately after Steve is transformed into a handsome, ripped, perfect specimen of manhood, a Nazi spy assassinates Dr. Erskine and steals the formula. Though Steve manages to stop the assassin from escaping, in his first act of heroism as a newly minted superhero, the flask breaks in the process. Without a sample of the formula, it cannot be replicated because the doctor never wrote down the whole formula. Steve is now one of a kind. Unfortunately, the military can't think of anything to do with him other than turn him into a US-flag-wrapped peddler of war bonds appearing in USO shows with chorus girls, until Steve is sent abroad. He finds himself entertaining the recently decimated troops of Col. Phillips and is horrified to discover that his best friend James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes (Sebastian Stan) has been captured with 400 other Allied soldiers and is being held prisoner in a massively defended fortress deep in enemy lines. Col. Phillips insists he would lose far more men than he could save going after his captured men, and refuses to do anything. But the colonel's assistant, a female military officer, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), encourages Steve to fulfill his destiny as the super-soldier Dr. Erskine created him to be by staging a one-man rescue raid.

On every level this film is outstanding. It is directed by the talented Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III, Jumanji ). The screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (the writing team best known for the three Chronicles of Narnia films) is an excellent adaptation, staying true in every important way to the world of a comic-book icon with a 70-year history of stories in Marvel Comics since the Captain's first appearance in 1941.

All of the actors are terrific, but the star, Chris Evans (who played the comic-book superhero, Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in the two Fantastic Four films), is superb. Evans gives a depth and breadth to his performance that is remarkable for any genre, but especially for a superhero film. In his capable hands, Steve is endearingly humble, yet enduringly determined to have a chance to contribute to the worldwide struggle against the Nazis in the beginning, origins part of the film. And after the transformation, he compellingly presents Steve as a fascinating contradiction of a relentless, manly warrior who is still emotionally innocent and naïve.

Steve's relationship with Peggy, as his romantic interest in the film, has significant barriers to their connection that makes it both amusing and exciting to watch. She is his superior officer and, for a young man who has barely even had a conversation with a woman before her, it takes more bravery than going to war for him to aspire to a relationship with a woman like Peggy. She is not only gorgeous, but a formidable warrior in her own right. What I found as intriguing as the romantic potential between these two, however, is the fact that they bring out the best in each other. Peggy gives Steve the inspiration to seize his destiny as a super-warrior when the colonel and other leaders have ordered him to sit out the war, and Steve's innate sensitivity and goodness soften the shell of cynicism Peggy has developed around her heart in the harsh, man's world of the Army.

The incredibly versatile Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada, The Lovely Bones) is terrific as Dr. Erskine. Hugo Weaving (who played V in V for Vendetta and Agent Smith in The Matrix movies) is his usual brilliant self as the villain Red Skull. Anytime he appears in anything it is a gift, but he is particularly skilled as a comic-book super villain. As for Tommy Lee Jones, he was simply made for the part of Colonel Chester Phillips. Sebastian Stan (Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl) is a convincing choice as Bucky. He and Chris Evans have excellent buddy chemistry as best friends since childhood. All of the other supporting actors are great, too, including Neal McDonough (Traitor) as Timothy 'Dum Dum' Dugan, Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) as Gabe Jones, Kenneth Choi (Street Kings) as Jim Morita, and JJ Feild (Northanger Abbey) as James Montgomery Falsworth.

Finally, the special effects in the action scenes, aided by computer-generated imagery (CGI), are absolutely breathtaking, making this movie a must-see on the big screen. There is also one other CGI effect that I found awe-inspiring. The real, buffed Chris Evans is trimmed down via CGI to the pre-formula Steve. "It's pretty amazing," Evans told Reuters. "They took shape out of my jaw line, they shrunk my skeleton, and they made my shoulders less broad." They certainly did. The skinny Steve has the body of a prepubescent boy. As for the actual physique of Chris Evans--he went through a specialized training program to put on 15 pounds of muscle on a physique that was already quite ripped.

Among the multiple feature films already done on the Captain, this should delight fans as a standout contribution.

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When I was a kid in the 60's, Batman, Spiderman, and Captain America were my 3 favorite superheroes, and remain so to this day.

No need to rehash the other great reviews, but IMO, what they got SO RIGHT here was the CHARACTER of Steve Rogers BEFORE he becomes Captain America.

Just as Batman Begins had us totally invested in Bruce Wayne BEFORE he ever donned the cape and cowl, Marvel works the same type of magic with Steve Rogers & THAT (along with stellar performances by ALL the supporting cast) is what makes this a truly great film.

After suffering through the badly done CA movies of the past, it is a dream fulfilled to see the character brought to life so fantastically By Chris Evans & Joe Johnston.

And the Red Skull--OMG--Incredible makeup & Hugo Weaving shines as always to make the character come across as one of the premiere villains of the Marvel Universe.

Finally--watch the deleted ending scene to see how they really SHOULD have ended the movie--THAT was my only gripe--the truncated ending in the theatrical version.

So, to sum up--FINALLY a GREAT, FUN & FAITHFUL rendition of Captain America.

Bring on the AVENGERS!

It's time to ASSEMBLE!

Best Deals for Captain America: The First Avenger (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D

Well, the summer will soon be nearing its end, although the temperatures outside don't seem to agree. With the changing of the seasons also comes the inevitable conclusion to the summer of superheroes (that's what I dubbed it a few weeks back). And now, with the release of "Captain America: The First Avenger" this year's heroic reign over the box office for beloved comic book icons will soon be coming to a close.

"Captain America: The First Avenger" is the story of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a young man who wanted nothing more than to fight alongside the brave soldiers in World War II against the Nazi onslaught. After being rejected repeatedly due to his frail physique, Steve volunteered for an experimental treatment that would transform him into a living, breathing super-soldier. Meanwhile, a Nazi scientist named Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) is attempting to harness power beyond anything this world has ever seen, and Captain America may be the only one strong enough to stop him.

After so many entertaining entries this summer ranging from Marvel's "Thor" and "X-Men: First Class" to DC Comics' "Green Lantern", did the heroic summer end with a triumphant victory or a disappointing defeat?

The answer, as evidenced by the movie's opening weekend box office victory over "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2", combined with mostly positive reactions from critics, is that the summer of heroes definitely ends on a high note. And I for one wouldn't have expected anything less from the star-spangled avenger.

Taking heavy cues from classic Hollywood escapism, the likes of which haven't been seen in quite some time, the film embraces its more traditional atmosphere without being heavy-handed or cheesy in the process. Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely ("The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader") this film easily feels right at home in the ever-expanding pantheon of Marvel's self-produced comic book movies, but with some noticeable differences in storytelling.

One of the big differences you'll notice, aside from the aforementioned atmosphere, between this movie and the ones Marvel Studios has released prior (including this summer's "Thor"), is that the story is much more serious-minded than the others. The majority of the previous films tied into this universe featured serious dramatic story arcs, but always with heavy doses of humor laced throughout to keep things sort of light-hearted.

That type of approach worked fine for those characters, and in the case of Thor it probably made his transition from comic book page to big screen that much easier to believe. However, for Captain America, a story filled with jokes, one-liners and sarcasm, even if they feel appropriate to the story, would have been completely wrong for the ever-stoic soldier and future leader of the Avengers.

Thankfully, the writers paid attention to this (most likely with some heavy hints from Marvel) and avoided those mistakes. While there is still the occasional joke, they are few and far between; leaving us with a movie that captures the essence of Captain America perfectly. Plus, having a little joke here and there is good to break up the potential monotony of the drama unfolding, I was just glad Cap wasn't the one cracking wise.

Another major difference between this film and the others, is that here we are presented with a hero who always dreamed of doing nothing more than fighting for what's right. In today's comic book movie landscape I can't think of any characters with this mindset. To me this was so refreshing because finally we get to see one of the few characters that's doing precisely what he's always wanted and sought after. As opposed to having the heroic mantle thrust upon him by circumstances (Iron Man or Spider-Man) or being born into it (Thor).

Now, to clarify I am a comic book fan so I already knew that Captain America was one of the few heroes that willingly accepted the heroic mantle placed before him. I just wasn't sure if the movie would keep this aspect intact or change it to be more cookie-cutter and follow the tried-and-true recipe of so many of the other adaptations over the years.

Despite my foreknowledge of that particular character trait for Cap, I still found it a fresh approach to a genre that has so many similarities within origin stories. After all, there are only so many types of origins one can tell before you become repetitive.

One last difference with this film, that I shall touch upon briefly, is that this was a pure origin story from start to finish. With most other comic book films the origin portion of the character's first movie comprises approximately half to two-thirds of the overall running time. This movie doesn't finish Cap's origins for this cinematic universe, meaning taking him from first becoming the hero to being ready for next summer's "Avengers", until the credits roll.

This was important because the other Marvel Studios movies featured stories set in the modern day; whereas, Captain America was created during World War II. So, for him to believably fit into the modern day landscape of 2012's "Avengers" team-up film, the movie had the unenviable task of introducing the character and doing justice to his time in World War II. All the while, somehow bringing him up to the modern day setting we've become accustomed to with the other films. Not an easy set of tasks, but one that the writers and director Joe Johnston pulled off quite nicely.

Speaking of director Joe Johnston, I was personally a little skeptical when he was handed the reins to this key piece of the "Avengers" film puzzle. He's a director that has been hit-and-miss with big budget franchises or franchise makers throughout his entire career.

Sure, he did an admirable job taking over for Steven Spielberg to helm "Jurassic Park 3", but even so, the movie wasn't as strong as its predecessors. Most recently he was responsible for what ended up being a snore-fest of a reintroduction to a classic movie monster with last year's "The Wolfman". But, after watching this film, I have to say that I don't know if anyone else could have handled the movie any better.

Truth be told, whether you like or dislike some of the movies in Johnston's filmography, one thing is for certain, he may have been preparing for this movie his entire career. With his work on the two movies I mentioned a moment ago, and his history with visual effects during the original "Star Wars" trilogy, all of that served to prepare him for the numerous action sequences and vast CGI work necessary for bringing such a character to life. But, perhaps the most pivotal point of preparation for him may have occurred during his directorial work on 1990's "The Rocketeer".

That film was by no means a financial success, and ultimately failed to kick-start a franchise for Disney. However, the movie's perceived shortcomings were not a fault of the director in my opinion. Reason being, the film was actually quite entertaining, but the marketing done by Disney was poorly planned and failed to really sell audiences on the vast adventure awaiting them inside the theater. Despite all that, the film's retro style, attitude, and timeframe are comparable to "Captain America: The First Avenger", and may have been the key to Johnston's success on this picture.

Speaking of the film's success, much of the movie's box office victory over the final "Harry Potter" installment could easily be laid upon the shoulders of its star, actor Chris Evans. Even though Chris had already become known to comic book fans for his spot-on portrayal of the Human Torch, I personally believe that it will be his performance here, and in the sequels to follow (including "Avengers"), that Chris will be remembered for in the eyes of comic book fans.

Chris' portrayal is the perfect blend of idealism, strength, honesty, and authority that makes Captain America one of the purest heroes in comics and film. Now, it was a going concern among fans that perhaps Chris was miscast given his penchant for sarcasm. However, for Cap, Chris reportedly chose to remove several humorous lines of dialogue in order to stay true to the character. That choice was one that I personally appreciate, because it shows a respect for the source material; a trait which will always be pivotal to any comic book film's success.

Fighting alongside Chris and serving as a potential love interest for Cap is actress Hayley Atwell (TV's "The Pillars of the Earth"). Hayley brings a strong sense of authority to the role of Peggy Carter, but with a touch of vulnerability for being a woman amid a predominantly male setting (i.e. fighting in a war). Not to mention, a slight playfulness that belies the soldierly outward appearance and exposes a young woman who would at times like nothing more than to flirt with a guy, namely Steve Rogers/Captain America.

In the other major supporting roles are some terrific actors; such as, Tommy Lee Jones ("The Fugitive"), Stanley Tucci ("The Road to Perdition"), and rising star Dominic Cooper ("Mamma Mia!"). Each of these supporting players is responsible for the film's few humorous bits, while still delivering very entertaining, solid performances.

As always veteran actors Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci elevate any project they appear in, but it is Dominic Cooper that surprises me the most. His portrayal as Howard Stark (Tony Stark's father) is great, especially as he infuses shades of Robert Downey, Jr's portrayal of Tony from the two "Iron Man" films. For me this nod to his future son's personality further cemented the cohesive nature of these interlinked films that Marvel has been producing over the last few years.

Now, I mentioned that Captain America was a great hero and Chris Evans perfectly captured all of the qualities necessary to make him so; however, every hero is only as great as his villain. For this purpose, actor Hugo Weaving brings the supremely evil and despotic Johann Schmidt, also known as the Red Skull, to sadistic malevolent life.

When playing a character codenamed Red Skull, and one that has the physical qualities to inspire such a moniker, I think it could conceivably tempt an actor to sort of ham it up. Basically, go into a scene-chewing mode as the sneering bad guy who does everything evil just for kicks and all that's missing is a handlebar mustache for him to twirl in his fingers. Thankfully, as with many other potential pratfalls that could have plagued this movie, this one was avoided as well.

Actor Hugo Weaving, who is no stranger to playing a major villain (he was Agent Smith in "The Matrix" trilogy), portrays Schmidt in a way that is obviously sinister, but without becoming an over-the-top caricature. This was vital to making his character more believable to audiences given his garish appearance and thirst for other-worldly power beyond belief.

What I mean is that his motives are deeply twisted and malevolent, he is a Nazi after all, but you see the sincerity in how deeply he believes in what he's doing. That he's not just doing these evil things just for the sake of doing them. He has a purpose and he believes it to be right. Thus, as a character he is much more believable, amidst all of the more outlandish elements surrounding him, including his own appearance. Again, just another aspect that was pivotal to making this film work.

After all that being said, as I mentioned earlier, the summer of superheroes definitely ended on a high note. Plus, with a movie this solidly entertaining, featuring a home-grown hero, to bring the season to a close is perfectly fitting.

So, as you have undoubtedly figured out by now, "Captain America: The First Avenger" is an excellent adventure film. And one that serves as a fun throwback to classic escapism from Hollywood's past. The movie easily lives up to its Marvel Studios predecessors and firmly cements this hero from a bygone era's place in this hyper-real cinematic universe that began back in 2008's "Iron Man".

"Captain America: The First Avenger" is rated PG-13 for violence and brief language.

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The movie starts at its WWII origins. Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers a puny 4F man who has lied his way into a military science experiment. Tommy Lee Jones plays an excellent Colonel. Meanwhile evil Nazi Hugo Weaving believing he is Darth Maul, has his own plans for world conquest using sharks with frickin' laser beams. (Just kidding about the sharks.) Rogers is a 90 pound weakling who displays intellect, courage, and guts. He is selected for the military's secret program and is transformed into a muscular super hero. The special effects were very good, although we do know from "Last Action Hero" you can't really jump around car roofs. After Rogers is transformed he becomes Captain America to be used as a recruiting tool, as Tommy Lee still has his doubts about the 90 pound weakling.

Of course things change and the rest of the story shouldn't be too hard to figure out, even if you don't read comics. Now the very end utilizes the one-eyed Samuel L. Jackson from Iron Man 2 which hints at an ultimate sequel providing everyone isn't dead by then.

The movie combines action, drama, light comedy, and light romance. Good acting, good dialouge, good frickin' laser beams.

No swearing, nudity, or sex. Safe to drop off the kids.

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This is the best movie I've seen this year and, for me, that is big. I've watched The Rise of The Planet of The Apes and the new X-Men movie, but I really liked Captain America. It has a lot of positive messages and different scenes and action parts that keep you interested. It isn't the same old thing.

Although, I wish Captain America would have said, "I love you," to his girlfriend, when talking on the phone. It seemed like they were getting to that point but he never confessed it. I think that would have been a heartwarming moment.

Other than that..... the movie was great! It's a family friendly video and you don't have to worry about your kids hearing or seeing anything bad. I can't recall any curse words and there were no inappropriate scenes or jokes. The women in the film were also well dressed and I didn't see any women dressing provocatively.

I give this movie an A plus and I recommend this movie to anyone!

Buy Star Trek VIII: First Contact (Remastered) (2010)

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This two Disk DVD Set is extraordinary. The Picture and Sound quality are so very good that you feel as though you are watching it in a theater. Because it's a widescreen picture the closed captioning doesn't interfere with the picture. It's jam packed with all sorts of extra bonus special features. Everything you ever wanted to know about First Contact and weren't afraid to be told. Let's not forget what a wonderful job Jonathan Frakes did directing. He truly proved himself a more than qualified director for feature films. We all know what a great job he did behind the cameras on the T.V. show. My boyfriend and I watched it together and he was really impressed. He asked me how much it cost. When I told him how inexpensive it was he bought two copies. One for a gift to another Treky fan. I highly recommend this two disk set and suggest you buy it right away before they run out. If you're not satisfied with it, I'll pay you for it. That's how much confidence I have that you'll absolutely LOVE it. Believe me when I tell you this is one purchase that you will never regret. ORDER NOW!!! In response to your comment first of all thank you for reading my review and please feel free to check them all out. You are correct I didn't leave enough information on my personal feelings. I thought the film was terrific. It lived up to the quality that we are used to getting when we see anything that starts out with the heading Star Trek. The storyline was very entertaining, it was as usual well acted, written, directed, great effects. I agree I could have done a better job on the body of the review itself. I'm busy writing another review as we speak. Thank you for taking the time to read my comments and I will strive to do better in the future!

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I'm not going to review the movie itself as it's clearly been out long enough I'm just going to give a quick review for those curious as to the bluray transfer. I picked up the disc yesterday and watched it last night. The quality of this bluray disc is stunning! The clarity is top quality and the color vibrance is amazing, without looking fake or hyped. I didn't notice any unusual artifacts like edge enhancement nor any noise reduction I watched it on my 52" Samsung LCD but didn't get right up at the screen to examine for these things. But from where I was sitting it looked flawless. The sound is also fanstic and what I noticed the most is that the movie doesn't suffer from the irritating dramatic volume changes. Yes, during action scenes things get louder as they normally should but it wasn't so much that I had to ride the volume control, which is hugely irritating and becoming more common in today's new releases. If you still don't get what I mean I'm referring to the dialog being much lower in volume to the tremendously loud action scenes. Anyhow, this disc doesn't suffer from that, yet there is still a good amount of bass to put you into the feel of the action scenes.

I highly recommend this disc!

*EDIT forgot to mention there are several extras listed on the back of the box and all of them are listed as being in HD as well. Being that I don't have the case in front of me though I can't list the extra's titles.

Best Deals for Star Trek VIII: First Contact (Remastered) (2010)

Even though Star Trek: Generations was a good first entry in The Next Generation era of feature films, it wasn't until Rick Berman, Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga wrote Star Trek: First Contact's story and screenplay that Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew proved that they could carry a Trek film without help from The Original Series' cast.

It also helped that the film was more action-oriented than Star Trek VII. Sure, the last battle of the NCC-1701 D was impressive and the brief meeting of Captains James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Picard did provide Trek fans with some exciting and moving moments, but what fans really wanted was a muscular...action movie with a mission (and antagonists) worthy of the Next Generation crew and the new, top-of-the line Enterprise E.

Star Trek: First Contact brings back the Borg, a race of half-organic, half cybernetic beings whose goal is to destroy other races by assimilating their technology and transforming the survivors by injecting microscopic nanoprobes that turn humans, Vulcans, El-Aurians -anyone, really -into unfeeling, relentless drones. As fans of the 1987-1994 syndicated series know, Capt. Picard was once captured by the Borg and transformed into Locutus, a Borg strategist/spokesdrone whose intimate knowledge of Starfleet technology,its tactics and its officers nearly spelled certain defeat for the Federation at the Battle of Wolf 359.

Now, several years later, the Borg are back and meaner than ever. Having been thwarted more than once in the 24th Century by Picard and his crew, the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) leads a single-cubeship invasion force into Federation space, hoping to defeat the Federation by either conquering Earth in a battle against Starfleet...or tinkering with the timeline and going back to the 21st Century to prevent humanity's first contact with another spacefaring race.

Actor Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. Will Riker) makes his feature film directing debut in this eighth installment of the Star Trek movie series, and although he would only direct the weaker Star Trek: Insurrection, he does a great job at helming a very high-octane action flick that involves time travel, space battles, a strong Picard/Data storyline and elements from The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and the then-still new Voyager.

Guest stars James Cromwell (The Sum of All Fears, Babe) and Alfre Woodward join the cast of TNG as warp-drive inventor Zefram Cochrane and his friend and assistant Lily, who add a certain mixture of edginess and wit to the film. Cromwell fares particularly well as Cochrane, a character first seen in The Original Series episode Metamorphosis. While Cromwell doesn't remotely look like the then-30 or 40-something Glen Corbett, he portrays the legendary "father of warp drive" as a very human and flawed genius -he is cranky, cynical and drinks way too much -who is bemused by the hero-worship he receives from the Enterprise crew. He also gets some of the best lines. (My favorite: "You're astronauts...on some kind of star trek?")

Also contributing to the excitement is Jerry Goldsmith's score, a mixture of a lovely new main theme and such familiar touchstones as Alexander Courage's fanfare for the Original Series theme and Goldsmith's own "Main Theme" for Star Trek's first feature film (and later adapted as The Next Generation's main title).

Although First Contact does require some familiarity with the Star Trek universe and its history, it's clearly among the best of the 10 in the series.

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While "Star Trek: First Contact" rewrites too much of the original TV series' history--a debilitating addiction the current production people can't seem to shake--it delivers a rollicking adventure that is more in keeping with Captain Kirk's episodes than any other "TNG" film. That's really good because on TV, talky Captain Picard and crew often seemed better suited for Monday morning board meetings than the intergalactic perils of space opera. In this one, a race of cybernauts called the Borg decide to revise Earth history by stopping the first human excursion with warp drive. Picard and crew follow the aliens back in time, meeting with a cynical, drunken inventor (a laconic James Cromwell) who revises their assessment of his place in history. Unlike the other TNG films, this one's plotted more like a film than a TV show, meaning that the pace is less likely to put you to sleep, even if Star Trek still can't quite escape cornball humor or pure cheese. (How many times does Data have to discover his humanity or Worf be told he's a warrior worthy of respect? Why do characters rely so often on a pregnant pause and one last line before exiting? Just how much technobabble can we really take?) The regular cast is as good as it's always been--which is to say, adequate--but Alice Krige stands out as the creepily sexy Borg queen and though she's frequently bug-eyed with excitement, Alfre Woodard deserves more screen time as Picard's potential love interest. The real stars here, though, are Jonathan Frakes as director, who seems to actually understand and respect the material he's working with, and Jerry Goldsmith, whose score is among the better in the series. When the humans meet up with a surprise alien race at the end, the moment might actually give you goosebumps.

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But this--this movie turned me from being a casual Trek fan into a huge Trek fan. I saw this movie in the local theater at a formative age, and I remeber being amazed not only by the remarkable visual effects and perfect dramatic pace, but also by the intelligent story and rich character study. It has been noted that Star Trek movies can often turn into long episodes you have to pay to watch, but this movie certainly can't be accused of that--it's bold, daring, and exciting, not to mention nearly perfect. Nearly--there are a few minor logical flaws in the plot, but this movie truly is space opera, and as with most opera, you have to suspend your disbelief a little.

The movie revolves around Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) battling the Borg physically and psychologically. After foiling a Borg plot to assimilate Earth, the Borg go back in time to stop a pivotal moment in Earth's history from occurring, thus making Humanity an easy target. So, it's up to the Enterprise crew to a) get history back on track and b) defeat the Borg. It could easily have been standard-issue thriller material, but it is intelligently handled, emphasizing the characters rather than the action. We see Picard go from the stoic renaissance man to revenge-obsessed Ahab, and Data from loyal officer to Sampson (with the terrific Alice Krige supplying the Delilah as the sensual Borg Queen). The planet-side sequences have their moments, too, but like all the Next Generation movies, this is the Picard and Data show, and for good reason--the actors' obvious talent at making characters they had played for near a decade come up with new facets to explore. It's certainly a trip.

Of all the Next Generation movies (heck, all the Trek movies, excepting Wrath of Khan), this movie is the most evenly paced and best plotted. Considering that this movie underwent half a dozen different shifts in what it was meant to be about--at one point it was going to take place in the middle ages and be called Star Trek: Renaissance--it's a testament to the actors and writers that the material never gets away from them--a temptation that proved all too powerful in the next installment (Insurrection). On the technical side, the direction from Jonathan Frakes (a.k.a. Commander Riker) is superlative--he manages to draw out Patrick Stewart's most complex performance as Picard, and the lighting, camerawork, and sound are all impeccable. The special effects, of course, are still impressive a decade later, thanks to George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic studios (this was the last Star Trek film they did). The Enterprise-E looks fabulous, and thankfully, there are no trips to Bronson Canyon in this movie (why do all the deserts in the Star Trek series look similar? Well...). Although it doesn't quite beat out the slightly more literate and philosophically dense Wrath of Khan for the title of Best Star Trek Movie, it finishes a solid second in my book. If you only buy one Star Trek movie, buy Wrath of Khan. But if you buy two, buy this one in addition to Wrath of Khan. You'll be really glad you did.

Best L5 - First City in Space (IMAX) (2005) Deals

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I first saw this movie at Moody Gardens at Galveston, Texas in the original IMAX and 3-D format. I've been pestering Sony ever since with enthusiastic inquiries as to when it would be available on DVD. At long last our wait is over.

The plot: Chieko is a little girl living on L5, and we see the colony through her eyes. The voice-over narration is her as an adult. A crisis arises: They need more water for their life-support system (and evidently can't afford to lift it up from Earth). Chieko's grandfather (also Senior Scientist of L5) makes a proposal. There's a comet passing by Jupiter. He advocates attaching a rocket to the comet to make it swing past Jupiter in such a way as to slingshot it around to where it will pass by L5 at regular intervals, and hence can be conveniently mined.

A robot spacecraft implants the rocket. But it won't fire. Chieko's father, Flight Commander Mori, is dispatched to repair the rocket. She is very concerned about him making it back safely, as indeed is everyone. As bad luck would have it, a solar flare interrupts communications at a critical juncture.

This is a great movie, in addition to being a wonderful introduction to the "High Frontier" concepts of Gerard O'Neill. Many aspects of the design of the L5 habitat are taken from an actual NASA study which looked with great detail into the necessities for sustaining human life in orbit. The plot is simple, but then the movie is only 35 minutes long, so it's the fault of the medium, not the writer (in the days this movie was made, it was the rare IMAX feature which went any longer than 40 minutes). There are the few inevitable science blunders, but they're very minor compared with most other shows set in space. For example, L5's depiction of the surface of a comet nearing the sun is a good deal more realistic than the considerably-hyperbolized version we saw in "Armageddon", or even "Deep Impact". By and large, these people did their research, and got it right.

There's only thing in this movie which I dislike: a brief jaunt into Virtual Reality (VR). Chieko discovers a snow globe which her mother has bought for her. Later on, she plays with friends on Earth in a simulated reality comprised of the snow globe, only life-sized with the children inside. Ever since "Star Trek: The Next Generation" there seems to have arisen a common belief that no one will want to go into space until there's a magic room which can simulate any reality. I hope not.

I would have far preferred to have seen Chieko ask if it could ever snow in L5, to be told, "No, we could make it cold enough, but there isn't enough water vapor in the air." Then later, after the comet retrieval, and when water is in greater supply, Chieko's grandfather could have arranged for it to snow on Christmas Eve. We could have had a very touching, human scene out of this more-realistic approach. But instead, "L5" chose to jump on the same VR bandwagon the rest of Hollywood was scrambling over at that time.

But don't get me wrong. This is a truly outstanding movie. The competent acting (Chieko's grandfather is particularly likeable) will pull you into the story, largely compensating for the simplicity of the plot and characterizations.

There are two bonus features on this DVD. One is a Korean educational short named "Journey to the Planets". It combines traditional animation (in the form of funny little space creatures) with the same kind of computer animation derived from actual space probe photography which we saw in "L5" (but in this case we get treated to fly-overs of Venus in addition to Mars). The space creatures are searching for a new home. As various planets of the solar system are encountered, the outstanding features of each are discussed. It's a curiously sedate short, with soft-spoken characters and periods of quiet.

The other bonus is the standard (but quite thrilling) trailer for the "IMAX Films on DVD" series.

"L5: First City in Space" offers a realistic glimpse of a possible future for us beyond our planet of origin. If you want a view of the High Frontier... this is the best we're going to get for a while.

I hope it's not a long while.

Mike Combs

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I am one of the firm believers in the dream of Gerard K. O'Neill to colonize space. As no planets known to us have atmosphere or sufficient gravity to support human life, and Gravity itself is a burden, the only means to colonize is to manufacture colonies of our own in space from the materials of the cosmos, Space Islands.

In my life I have collected numerous books on the subject, each of which has been a joy reading and dreaming with.

When Imax came out with this I was happy as it shows this vision.It often frustrated me greatly that I was never able to see this at Imax as I have never been near to any place showing this film. As soon as it became available on DVD I put it in my budget to acquire a copy.

Imagery is good, even spectacular.

I must confess some disapoinments. I didn't like the 'futuristic' clothing of the characters. I would have been happier if it were off the rack. I would have prefured more of a tour of the place besides a farm, a lab and a home. I would have liked to have seen more people and more children. More of the common areas perhaps in line with the vision of what things might look like as found in the various sights on the internet, or for that matter the July 1976 National Geographic article on this subject.

Most of all, I thought the story too simple for my liking. I certainly don't like where it's going. L5 and L4 are not Spaceports for a few thousand people as this story goes staying in the Islapnd One Phase, they are Space Continents for Millions if not Billions of people to live and grow first in Island Ones of Ten Thousand Souls, then Island Twos of over a hundred thousand, followed by huge Island Threes of One and a Half Million, perhaps even larger Island Fours.

Mobile Suit Gundam gives a better vision.

Still if it does get people L5 minded then that will get it my applause.

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The following is from my Xanga site AeroGo, which gives helpful info to students and others interested in going into the aerospace field:

I don't try too hard to turn my kids into space cadets, but when this film came out I took all but the youngest to go see it, way down at Moody Gardens in Galveston.

For those familiar with Gerard O'Neill's concepts for space colonies, much of it will be familiar, but the film is well-scripted and the graphics are great, especially in 3D if you can find it. Apparently a lot of the graphics were from veteran space artist Pat Rawlings, and quite good, but my favorite is a scene of Saturn and rings, from its moon Enceladus, created by Fujitsu. I wonder if there's a poster of that somewhere.

There's a dramatic part of the film where the hero lands on a comet, which in 3-D looks pretty harrowing, with chunks of ice and snow floating all over and hitting everything. Of course, with the results from the recent Deep Impact mission, scientists now think comets may be more like puffballs or "dirty dustballs" or even "brittle sponges" than "dirty snowballs" with large ice chunks, though water and organic molecules were found on Tempel I. Nevertheless, the film was a huge step forward for promoting space awareness; I'm just sad to say there's still nothing else like it.

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I first saw L5 at the IMAX in 3D. It is set in the late 21st century and is seen through the eyes of a young girl who has always lived in the city in space. She has never been to earth except in a virtual sense. It is interesting in that the scenario is quite possible and shows most of the technologies we might expect to see in a space city. The story centres around the need to find more water and maintain the supply indefinitely. It is like a documentary with a bit of drama.

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Sorry to all those overly-judgmental viewers who gave this movie negative marks, I thought this little film was stupendous. In fact, i liked it so much in 3D that I saw it every chance I got--In Wash D.C., at Kennedy Space Center (at least four times there), and at Johnson Space Center. I'm a space junkie who will never get the chance to go out there. L-5 is the next best thing, with an upclose look at Saturn's rings and the inside of a habitable space station. I crawled inside and lived there for the 35 minutes or so of the film. I only wish I could get it in 3D for my home. A future remake?