Cirque du Soleil - Journey of Man (2000) Reviews

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The most important thing to understand about this DVD is that "Journey of Man" was originally created for an IMAX 3-D presentation. I saw it in the theaters and was blown away, and so I bought the DVD as a reminder of that experience. The sound on the DVD was spectacular, drawing out the beauty of the soundtrack, but there are inherent limitations on the visual side. Because IMAX's aspect ratio is close to that of a TV, there's no need to letterbox this feature, but there's no way to capture either the size of the IMAX screen or the 3-D effects that made it so spectacular.

All of the acts were taken from the various touring Cirque shows: The opening "Taiko" from Mystere, some synchronized swimming from "O", "Cube" from Alegria, "Statue" and "Banquine" from Quidam, and so on. I'm not sure that there were any original acts, but each of the performances here has been further stylized and put into a setting that frees the act from the constraints of the stage, making each one larger and more powerful. "Statue" is especially striking, as the performers in full-body grey makeup perform on a vivid green leaf floating in a black pool. The colors are beautiful throughout, and the performances are, of course, spectacular. The acts are connected by sequences that were amazing on the big screen but feel a little bit unnecessary in the living room.

The storyline explores the "child-like wonder" theme of previous Cirque productions, but I think that the theme is both better portrayed and has more of an impact here than I've felt in Cirque's other work. There are all sorts of amazing things in the world if you keep looking, and what you think you want isn't always what you need most.

Basically, this DVD is a good buy for rabid Cirque fans who need to have everything that Cirque has produced, people who never got a chance to see Mystere, "O", or Alegria and so can enjoy some acts they haven't previously seen, or for those of artistic bent who don't mind shelling out the money for a 35-minute presentation of beautiful staging and cinematography. I fall into all three categories and am very happy with my purchase.

However, EVERYONE should see this in its original IMAX 3-D format. On the big screen it truly is an amazing spectacle throughout. On the small screen it's more of a novelty.

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I saw "Journey of Man" in 3-D and felt I could catch the Banquine flyers in my lap. The movie is the next best thing to a live Cirque du Soleil show, even though nothing compares to the being there. The soundtrack, written by Benoit Jutras, not only proves to be a great background for the film, it is great to listen to even without visuals. I hope this movie is eventually released on DVD.

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If you are a die hard Cirque Du Soleil fan and must have everything they put out, like me, then by all means go out and buy this DVD. If not, I would strongly recommend you pass on this one.

Why you ask? Well, lets start with the fact that it is (dollar amount)and is only 35 minutes long, and it's not even in widescreen. There are only a few acts and they are very short. There are no acts in this show that aren't available in their full length in other videos or DVDs. Even the soundtrack is copied from other shows, with the exception of "Journey of Man", which is a great song, but is much better (and is complete) on the audio CD.

There are a couple of pros, though. The audio seems to actually be 5.1, not 5.0 as specified on the box, and the quality of the video is quite good, once you get past the fact that is in 4:3 format. The scenery is spectacular, it is nice to see a rich background to the acts (as apposed to the scafolding of the big top). And it is a cute story...

With a little more effort, this could have been great. Unfortunately, it's, well... not...

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The best video production of a Cirque de Soleil I have ever seen. The reason it gets 4 stars, because it's only 32 minutes long. I was still on my popcorn as the movie ended. It felt that the producers robed me. This DVD should have been called a trailer but not the whole feature. Otherwise it's so beautiful that I had to play it again. A word to the producers, please release part 2, and make it this time at least an hour long, let me finish my popcorn.

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This DVD is amazing, the visual effects, the performance of the artist, colors and the music. This DVD is a "must have" in your collection. If you don't have any of the dvd's of the Cirque du Soleil is a great buy the 3 pack (Journey of man, Dralion and Quidam) those 3 are great!

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WHAT WILL WE SEE IN THE EXTENDED EDITION:

1. More of DALE, including the BLACK ARROWS. Director Peter Jackson mentions a previously unseen character: "Girion, who is defending [the city of] Dale using black arrows against Smaug. And the black arrows play a part in an ongoing story, for they are the one thing that can pierce the dragon's hide."

2. More king of the wood elves; THRANDUIL. Peter Jackson: "There are also issues with Thranduil. We get some of the reason why he and the dwarves had a falling out to do with these white gems..."

3. More of HOBBITON. Producer Phillipa Boyens: "You are going to get more of Hobbiton. We always wanted to wend our way through Hobbiton, but in the end Bilbo has to run out of the door."

4. The OLD TOOK'S PARTY: In which we see a younger Gandalf meet Bilbo Baggins as a young child, convincing the wizard of the young hobbit's bravery and courage. I won't spoil it for you, but it involves a dragon and a bit of magic.

5. Dwarf antics at RIVENDELL. Peter Jackson: "You are going to get some serious Dwarvish disrespect of the elves at Rivendell." Bofur leads the troupe in a rowdy chorus of "The Man in the Moon", a classic Tolkien pub-song.

6. The SONG of the GOBLIN KING. Producer Fran Walsh: "You are going to get more Goblin Town, and the Great Goblin singing his song. It is a great song, but it was just another delay in terms of moving the story along." Peter Jackson: "A number one hit from the Goblin King. Barry Humphries is going to rise up the charts!"

Well, all looking good on these fronts! The roads lead ever on and on...

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The packaging is great, the slipcase is thick and sturdy and the back features an embossed acorn emblem of Bilbo's waist coat buttons. The case that the Blu-Ray discs are in is black, just like the Lord Of The Rings Extended Edition Blu-Ray set. Not a blue case like most other Blu-Ray movies which I think makes this version cohesive with the Lord Of The Rings set, which I as a fan appreciate the continuity. The special features are as follows:

-The Filmmakers' Commentary Director/writer/producer Peter Jackson and writer/co-producer Philippa Boyens provide their perspective and stories on creating the first film.

-New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth From Matamata to Queenstown, travel with Peter Jackson and his team across the stunning locations of New Zealand, transformed by the filmmakers into Middle-Earth.

-The Appendices Part 7: A Long-Expected Journey A 14-part chronological history of the filming of An Unexpected Journey, covering pre-production in the various departments of the film in the months leading up to the start of principal photography, the boot camp training for the main cast, and the work done on set chronologically through the three shooting blocks and in the world of its digital effects. Chapters include:

*The Journey Back to Middle-Earth

*Riddles in the Dark: Gollum's Cave

*An Unexpected Party: Bag End

*Roast Mutton: Trollshaws Forest

*Bastion of the Greenwood: Rhosgobel

*A Short Rest: Rivendell and London

*Over Hill: The Misty Mountains

*Under Hill: Goblin Town

*Out of the Frying Pan: The Forest Ledge

*Return to Hobbiton: The Shire

*The Epic of Scene 88: Strath Taieri

*The Battle of Moria: Azanulbizar

*Edge of the Wilderland: Pick-ups and the Carrock

*Home Is Behind, the World Is Ahead

-The Appendices Part 8: Return to Middle-Earth Another selection of documentaries and featurettes, further detailing the development, design and production of An Unexpected Journey:

-The Company of Thorin Explores the characters and backgrounds of the five families of dwarves and the company of actors chosen to play Thorin's company on the Quest of the Lonely Mountain. Chapters include:

*Assembling the Dwarves

*Thorin, Fili & Kili

*Balin & Dwalin

*Oin & Gloin

*Dori, Nori & Ori

*Bifur, Bofur & Bombur

-Mr. Baggins: The 14th Member A revealing look at the film's charismatic and talented lead actor, Martin Freeman.

-Durin's Folk: Creating the Dwarves Reveals the journey and process of designing, conceptualizing and physically realizing the dwarves in The Hobbit.

-The Peoples and Denizens of Middle-Earth Focuses on the realization of new characters and creatures encountered in the first film, from casting to characterization to physical and digital design. Chapters include:

*The Stone Trolls

*Radagast the Brown

*Goblins

*Azog the Defiler

-Realms of the Third Age: From Bag End to Goblin Town Follows the creation of the Middle-Earth locations from conceptual design to set and prop building to fully digital realities. Realms explored include:

*Hobbiton

*Rhosgobel

*The Misty Mountains

*Goblin Town

-The Songs of The Hobbit A look at the realization of Tolkien's songs in An Unexpected Journey.

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Almost clicked the order button, but due to my love of the extended versions of the original trilogy, I decided to do a little research before I made that mistake. in doing so, I discovered that the Blue-Ray/DVD set for release on March 19th will contain only the theatrical version of the movie. Warner Bros is including a teaser trailer containing Dragon Smaug with this version in order to entice people to buy it. The extended version of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' will be released in time for Christmas 2013. As with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Warner Bros. is trying to stick it to the consumer again by hoping people will buy both versions. Sorry, WB... I can wait another nine months. In the meantime, I'll rent a copy to satisfy my urge to see it sooner.

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This movie is FREAKING AMAZING!!! I was getting really worried before going to see it because of some negative reviews, but there is nothing to worry about. If you loved the Lord of the Rings movies, especially the extended editions, then you will love The Hobbit too!

A little bit about me: I grew up on the animated movies, read the books when I was in sixth grade, and have reread them several times over the years. I'm a HUGE fan, but not a "purist", and saw each of the live action films several times in the theaters. I took a class on Tolkien in college (and knew more about the books than even the teacher lol), went to view the original manuscripts at Marquette University in Milwaukee twice, and borrowed most of the History of Middle Earth books from the library but just skimmed them. I'm pretty familiar with much of the appendices/deleted chapters/abandoned attempts at revising The Hobbit and sequelizing Lord of the Rings, etc.

I've been waiting for The Hobbit since 2003, and have been following the production online. When it was announced 5 months ago that Peter Jackson was splitting the story into 3 films (after already completing production on the 2-film adaptation), my heart sank. It's not that I was opposed to turning The Hobbit into a trilogy (despite that it's meant to be a children's story and not an epic), but I just didn't think there was enough story and it seemed like a cash grab that would probably destroy the pacing. But, Peter Jackson hasn't let me down before and so I held out hope. In fact the more I heard him talk about giving the dwarves a bit more character development and backstory and adding in all the stuff about the White Council, I began to look forward to it.

When a couple weeks ago reviews starting coming in saying that, as I had first feared, the movie dragged and the pacing was terrible, I prepared myself for disappointment. Even though hardcore fans on messageboards like theonering.net who had seen the movie early kept saying it was terrific, the negative reviews from professional critics kept coming in. The movie is "bloated" and "dull" and "misses the point", they said. And so I was VERY nervous going to see the movie this afternoon.

I'm pleased to say that not only is the movie incredible, but it's on par with the Lord of the Rings movies. I haven't felt this way about a movie since Fellowship of the Ring 10 years ago. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it all night, and I can't wait till I can go see it again. I sat in the theater for nearly three hours with the biggest grin on my face the entire time. The movie didn't feel bloated or stretched thin to me. I was worried that there would be all these scenes that went on too long or belonged on the cutting room floor, but I can't think of anything I would have left out. It was like watching the book acted out on the screen in front of me with really great acting, music, and production values.

The cinematography has really improved in the last 10 years! Wow this movie is beautifully shot! Howard Shore's music is once again great, though there are some little deletions and changes from the Original Soundtrack -the only one that really bugged me though was the use of the Nazgul theme over Thorin fighting Azog. There was better music there in the Original Soundtrack and changing it was a horrible decision.

I love the added stuff with the White Council/Necromancer. It's all there in Tolkien's appendices and in "Unfinished Tales", and (blasphemy for saying so) depending on how this continues to play out over the next two movies I may end up liking this even better than the book! Either the next film or the one after that will have the Battle of Dol Goldur and, from what I've heard, we will see Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, and Galadriel battling werewolves and giant spiders as they try to drive out the Necromancer. I can just imagine how awesome that will be if Peter Jackson pulls it off!

And, yes, this felt to me like a complete movie. One of the reasons I originally hated the idea of a trilogy was I expected to feel short changed by only seeing a small fraction of the story and then having to wait another year. But I felt like there was plenty of story and they got into plenty of adventures.

My only nitpicks are few: I liked the design of the Great Goblin but I thought he acted way too cartoony. My other is there were a couple times where Bilbo and the dwarves fell from a height of like 500 feet and just got back up. They would have been killed. I also thought the character Azog was fine, but why did he have to be all CGI? Why couldn't it have been an actor in makeup like Lurtz in Fellowship of the Ring? Those are really my only nitpicks though.

As I sat in the theater I had a feeling like this is one of the best filmgoing experiences I've ever had. I had the same feeling watching Lord of the Rings. As someone who originally hated the idea of making this into a trilogy, now I say bring it on!!!

UPDATE: I got to see the movie in 48 frames per second (HFR 3D) yesterday. I had only seen it in regular 24fps 3D before. 24fps has been the standard for film since the Silent movie days. The Hobbit is the first movie to be shot at 48fps to give it a sharper look. Unfortunately the technology is new so only a few theaters are equipped to even show it at 48fps. Many of the reviewers were saying they hated it, that it looks like a BBC TV movie. I was still curious to give it a try because it's new technology and it's how Peter Jackson intended you to see the movie, but I didn't want it to distract from my first viewing if I ended up not liking it, so we saw the movie first at 24fps 3D.

Anyway, I liked it and I didn't think it looked "cheap" or like a "soap opera" at all. It looked really sharp and there were some parts where the people looked like they were really right in front of you. In addition to that, motion blur is completely gone now and I've heard from other people who get headaches from watching 3D movies that they were fine watching this one, thanks to the 48fps.

Peter Jackson has confirmed that there WILL be an extended edition dvd/blu ray like they did with the Lord of the Rings movies. So you may want to hold out from buying the theatrical dvd when it comes out and get the extended edition.

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Are you ready to return to middle-earth? Why wouldn't you be? Peter Jackson, with the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, brought us to a place that many thought wasn't possible except in the written form. A product of many of our childhoods, J.R.R. Tolkien constructed an elaborate world of wizards, trolls, elves, dwarves, humans and most importantly Hobbits. It is an elaborately detailed world of maps, homelands, stories and adventures. It couldn't possibly be realized anywhere close to what J.R.R. Tolkien's imagination did. Yet, Jackson pulled it off better than anyone could have hoped. Now, he's trying again.

"The Hobbit" is a step backward into the history of middle-earth. It is quite simply the adventure that Bilbo Baggins takes that leads to him writing his book, "There and back again". Peter Jackson is trying to do the unthinkable with this trilogy, duplicate the magic he pulled off before. Much can be told from this first installment and whether or not the magic is still there.

The movie, filmed at twice frame-speed as traditional film (48 frames) has many geeks talking about how it will look too real. Ultimately, at 48 frames, it could look as crisp and real as a soap opera. Well, first of all, with a film like this, it takes a lot of guts to attempt such a thing; a movie with such obvious special effects and makeup. Yet, the opposite could also be achieved; a level of escapism and realism that not only delivers a quality movie experience, but also sucks you into a world that you don't want to leave.

Peter Jackson has learned a few things from his first trilogy and you can see it in "The Hobbit". This world is even more realized. The characters are more fleshed out. Richard Armitage's depiction of Thorin is full of heart and passion. The faithfulness to the book itself is even more realized. More importantly, the journey is even more colorful and creative.

"The Hobbit" is a lot of the same. It's another journey full of adventure and trolls, dwarves and orcs, but again, it is a quality journey. The escapism you feel in this film is like nothing you've ever felt before. When it was time to go, at the end of the film, I didn't want to. I was there. I was in middle-earth, ready to take the journey ahead with Bilbo, Gandolff and the band of Dwarves. I didn't care about length or how long I had been sitting there. I was invested. That, is really all any movie can do.

WILD AFRICA 3D - An Extraordinary Journey (Blu-ray 3D & 2D Version) Reviews

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I was entirely disappointed by Wild Africa. It contains very few real 3d images. There are some great underwater shots and a few quick 3d snippets on land but most of it is either entirely 2d or some kind of weird, remanufactured semi 3d that looks like puppets were imposed over landscape footage. My other complaint is the script; this is not National Geographic or Myron Perkins. It is random shots taken in a couple of obscure, plain Jane fields in Africa. The animal shots are repeated like a bad old war movie; the same Messerschmitt bursting into flames over and over again. It isn't interesting to watch or listen to. How can 3D wildlife in Africa be boring? This producer has managed to pull it off. Technical background: I have a 2012 Panasonic Viera 65" flatscreen and I used 4 pairs of 3d glasses, 2 each of Panasonic's glasses and 2 of another brand. I did this just to be certain it was the disk and not my equipment. I switched over and watched a bit of Life of Pi just to be certain and I can't blame my equipment. LOPi looked brilliant but this bowser was pathetic. Doesn't somebody at Amazon watch these things to maintain some quality control? Afterall this is not a major studio's production. Drop this title Amazon

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however, too many repeat shots. Something that's becoming common these days, 'more 3D' at the expense of repeats and boredom. There was good content, the visuals were good, I just need a little more from an adventure entitled 'Wild Africa 3D'.

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It was not the best 3Dit was very bland, the same old stuff. A sanitized boring movienothing special

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A good film and educational for kids that are not fortunate to visit Africa and see its wild life .

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3d was just so so. Not enough animal views they did a lot of underwater stuff, not what I expected in a wild Africa documentary . Do not recommend at all. Very disappointed as I pre ordered this had to wait a long time, and not worth it.

Reviews of Set 2 Disc: Journey To The Center Of The Earth (2D & 3D) Includes:

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My ratings are based mainly on the QUALITY OF THE 3D, not the video content.

OOS EFFECTS:

There are about 25 out of screen effects that extend about 10% of the way, from the screen to the viewer, 44 effects between 25 and 30%, 6 at 40%, 3 at 50% and 3 more around 60%. If I had to pick just 3 of my favorite effects from this film, they would be the biting fish at up to 30%, the carnivorous plant around 35% and a glowing bird that flits around between 25% and 40% for about 20 seconds. There are lots of other nice effects for you to pick your own favorites from.

IN SCREEN / OBSERVATIONS:

The depth is, for the most part consistent from scene to scene and is natural to SLIGHTLY exaggerated looking because the footage is so crisp and clear. In fact, the live action 3D is done so well that in some outdoor scenes, the fact that it is actually an indoor set or green-screened, becomes noticeable. (Did I just complain about 3D being done too well?? Must be a full moon or something. LOL)

This is a great action/fantasy film suitable for most family members (rated PG) and I will enjoy watching this movie many times in the future. It easily makes it into my top 10 (out of 100) blu-ray 3D movies.

I should add that this is NOT a 2 disc combo set. The Amazon title is wrong, their "Product Details" are correct.

ACTIVE GLASSES USERS:

On my system, in addition to some slight ghosting that most people shouldn't notice, 5 scenes had easily visible crosstalk. I'm not trying to scare you away from this title. It's not perfect but still well worth adding to your collection.

(crosstalk varies from system to system)

*** This is a must see, Add it to your list ***

4 ½ star

MY 3D RATING = VERY GOOD to EXCELLENT (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent)

Note: As far as the percentages go, everyone's eyes are different. What I see at 25% you may see at 15% or 35%. To fully realize how far something is out of the screen for you, pause on an effect and direct a partner with an extended finger to the tip of what you are seeing. You may be surprised.

Click on `' for the lowdown on other 3Ds

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First some back-information on the releases..

Journey to the Center of the Earth has been released in at least 3 different Blu-Ray versions now:

Blu-Ray 2D (with 3D anaglyph (green/magenta glasses) + DVD + Digital Copy

Blu-Ray 2D + DVD + Digital Copy

Blu-Ray 3D + Blu-Ray 2D

The original Blu-Ray 2D w/ Anaglyph 3D wasn't so great, mainly because the required green/magenta glasses which made the video look terrible (it also showed much more ghosting and the 3D was nice but hard to watch an entire movie). This release was later replaced with a 2D only release.

The 2012 release is a REAL Blu-Ray 3D release (requires a 3DTV). The release is a single-disc with both Blu-Ray 2D and 3D versions on it (there is no Anaglyph version on here, so you will need a 3DTV to view it in 3D). It's also worth noting that there is no longer a DVD or Digital Copy included (There was, however, 8-dollars movie money for the 2nd movie coming out in early 2012).

The 3D Blu-Ray release includes a lenticular cover.

MOVIE I found the movie to be fun. Not a great movie by any means, but works nice as a "turn your brain off and just enjoy it without thinking too much about it" way. Nothing terribly memorable, but also more watchable than most of these movies (and I think a bit of that comes from the 3D I originally watched it in 2D, but enjoyed it much more in 3D). At 92 minutes, it also doesn't drag on like some movies.

AUDIO This is an improvement over the original Blu-Ray releases which only had Dolby Digital 5.1 -the 3D Blu-Ray now has DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 -audio was very nice, didn't notice any issues with it.

VIDEO Video was also good the colors seemed a bit odd at times, but still very watchable. An above average transfer.

3D Here's where the movie really shines. The Movie was filmed in 3D and combines live action and CGI elements very well. Lots of depth, lots of popout (a lot of gimmick popouts also, which I enjoy). I didn't notice ghosting/crosstalk during it (Panasonic DT30 LED TV with shutter glasses), something that is obvious during some movies. Depth seemed very natural and showed good separation.. sharpness was also very good. It was very obviously 3D the entire time, unlike some movies which seem as though 70% of them could easily be in 2D (and quite a few newer releases are just converted to 3D (this one was shot in 3D)). I'd rate it near the high end of 3D releases currently available.

Extras Extras are sort of thin (same as the original release) biggest being the commentary. The 3D release also includes a lenticular slipcover.

Overall Not a great movie, but a fun movie. If you've seen it before and liked it, you'll like it much more in 'real 3D'. I owned the prior release (2D+Anaglyph+DVD+Digital Copy) and was still very happy with this new release. Recommended!

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It's important to note straight off that this IS NOT a remake or a retelling of Verne's classic novel in any way. This story is surprisingly original.

The storyline, in brief, is about a college professor, played by Brendon Fraser (The Mummy and George of the Jungle) with his usual boyish charm who lost his brother 10 years ago when he went off to prove that Verne's novel wasn't really fiction. Now, out of a sense of guilt or obligation he takes in his brother's son each summer, well played by Josh Hutcherson (Zathura, RV, and Bridge to Terabithia. Hutcherson is in danger of being typecast as the bitter, rebellious teenager with a secret heart of gold. His acting is good, but he's been essentially playing the same role over and over again.

Well, the pair get it in their heads to try and track down the possible entry to the center of the earth and end up in Iceland trying to track down another professor who may be of help, but discover he died awhile back. They are instead greeted by his lovely looking, but rather cold exterior daughter, nicely played by relative newcomer Anita Briem, who agrees to be a mountain guide for them in what she considers to be a fool's errand.

The rest of the film is the trip to the center of the earth which only seems to take them a few minutes to get to and includes a shamelessly copied scene on mine carts from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as well as a T-rex scene lifted from Jurassic Park. I wasn't sure if they were paying some kind of homage to these films (or genre), or if they were literally just copying the scenes thinking the 3D effects would make them better somehow. Other than that the film moves along at a fun and rapid pace with several predictable, but touching moments.

The Hits:

(1) The 3D effects are the advanced type (not the blue and red glasses) that doesn't leave you with a headache afterwards. The entire film is designed with 3D in mind and while a gimmick, it is effective and fun.

(2) The special effects themselves are magnificent and would hold up nicely even in 2D. The most beautiful effect is the beach scene. It was absolutely stunning!

(3) The performances were all much better than this gimmicky action genre would normally dictate. They know it's all nonsense, but they make themselves into rather believable characters that we care about.

The Misses:

(1) Although the plot is fast-paced, it is rather silly and even ludicrous much of the time, but again, we know this going into the film.

(2) There is some really awful cliché-ridden dialogue. It's a bit of a miracle that these actors were able to deliver them without bursting into laughter and that is to their credit.

(3) In spite of the overall nice entertainment factor of this film with all it's clever special effects, decent acting, and fast-paced feel, it is a rather shallow film that is hard to recall even right after seeing it.

The problem with all gimmicky films, whether they are 3D or using camcorders to tell the story, the focus is primarily on the gimmick and little else. So much time, energy and money goes into the gimmick that the other aspects of storytelling fall to the wayside. This film does a bit better job at trying to be more entertaining and cohesive than other gimmick-driven films, but it is still rather shallow when all is said and done. I doubt very much I would have enjoyed this film much at all if not for the 3D effects and that says a lot all by itself.

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Trevor: Hey, look at all the shist.

Sean: What?

Trevor: It's a metamorphic rock. Green shist, white shist, micro-guarded shist-

Sean: Oh. Shist.

This adaptation of the Jules Verne classic novel features Trevor, a goofy volcanologist (Brendan Fraser), his nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) and Hannah, a canny Icelandic tour guide (Anita Briem).

While on a hastily arranged expedition to Iceland to retrieve data from a previously dormant volcanic sensor gadget, the trio emulates Alice by falling down a hole. Curiouser and curiouser, they end up not in Wonderland, but in a lost world, where long-extinct phosphorescent birds flutter by and the flying fish have a serious case of overbite.

Using the storyline of a missing brother and misunderstood Vernian volcanologists, the little group wanders around the treacherous terrain, overcoming insurmountable odds and horrible hardship (Eat your Trilobite, Sean) before reaching the grandly preposterous finale.

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):

1. Three down the shist hole

2. Things start heating up

3. Underground ocean crossing brings separation anxiety

4. Tyrannosaurus wrecks

5. Geyser erupts with "flare"

6. Strong hint of "to be continued"

A little Goonies, a little Indiana Jones and a lot of tongue-in-cheek adventure, this movie is great as far as light entertainment goes, and can be viewed by the whole family.

[Warning: Beware of lame lines and ridiculous situations.]

Amanda Richards, September 29, 2008

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When I saw this at the theater, I thought it was the best 3-D movie that I have ever seen. If you like amusement parks, this is the movie for you. It's good clean family fun! I was expecting it to be at least as good as Hannah Montana-Best of both worlds 3-D DVD but it blows that movie away. You use Red/Blue Anaglyph glasses for Hannah Montana but for Journey to the Center of the Earth you use Magenta/Green. WOW!!! What a difference on this movie. I tried using the red/blue glasses but they didn't work. I would say the 3-D effects (not talking about color) is as good as it can get without the huge screen. The things that are suppose to pop out at you really do. You can't expect the colors to be great because you are only using two color glasses so the colors won't be as good as the theater...but you don't notice it as much during darker scenes (when they are inside the earth) which is most of the movie. The surround sound was very good even though it does not have the TrueHD audio format...the rear speakers were very engaging. I will say that not everyone does well with 3-D some people get headaches but do those same people get headaches on amusement parks rides...if so this might not be good for you. For me, I love rides if it doesn't spin me around so for this DVD I highly recommend it on blu-ray.

*UPDATE* I now own a Samsung UN46C8000 3D HDTV and Samsung BD-C7900 3D blu-ray player and active shutter glasses...I can't wait until they come out with Journey to the Center of the Earth in real 3D blu-ray because the difference is beyond incredible. Now, I see full color and the clarity is amazing!!!

Discount The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies (2009)

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Without a doubt, this is one of the landmark nature documentaries of its kind. Extremely well photographed and edited, the whole presentation invites and then captures your attention and admiration for some of nature's most delicate creatures. Excellent for all ages!

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Indeed, it's a lovely program about absolutely amazing creatures. As always with NOVA, superbly done. One thing: In two very un-Nova moments, in two segments they use soprano vocal "singing" (over orchestral) that is ear-splitting, spine-slicing, cruelly painful to some of us with sensitive hearing! Yikes! It actually triggers a migraine. Although I've watched this episode several times, I still have never heard what Stockard Chaning says about the chrysalis and then in the mating segment because that music is unbearable and I have to mute the volume (and take an Imitrex for migraine). But the other 50 minutes of this Nova episode are wonderful.

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This was a wonderful, educational documentary of the life cycle and migration habits of the butterfly. Many of them stop here in NJ and it's interesting to know how our stopping point fits in with the scheme of this cycle.

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I purchased this video by mistake, thinking it was a different special I had seen on PBS. Nonetheless, we kept it, and watched it....over and over and over! My five year old daughter absolutely loves it. Very educational and awe inspiring!

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Our family really liked watching this about the monarch butterflies and their migration across the United States down to Mexico. My husband lived in Mexico when the butterflies passed through several years ago... when the ground looked like it was moving with so many everywhere. We enjoyed watching this amazing journey of one of God's creatures.

Review of Pocahontas Two-Movie Special Edition (Pocahontas / Pocahontas II:

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Back in the mid `90s, the Disney studio excised a pair of songs from two of their releases "Pocahontas" and "The Muppet Christmas Carol" that both negatively impacted the theatrical versions of each film. The reasoning was simple: the songs in question ("When Love Is Gone" from the Muppets and "If I Never Knew You" from "Pocahontas") were too "adult" in nature, leading some parents to take their kids out to the snack bar or the bathroom to avoid sitting in their seats for the 3-4 minutes those respective numbers were on-screen.

It didn't matter that the songs were vital to each movie comprising arguably the most dramatic moments of both stories or that anyone other than a restless five-year-old wouldn't have had a problem sitting through them. The editing shears were out, and neither song would appear in the theatrical release of either picture. Flash-forward several months. Once "The Muppet Christmas Carol" hit video, director Brian Henson insisted on the restoration of "When Love Is Gone," and the song was thankfully added into all video releases of the 1992 production (though sadly not its later DVD release). "Pocahontas," sadly, would not have its climactic song restored until a 10th Anniversary DVD release in 2005.

Unfortunately, that song Alan Menken's lovely "If I Never Knew You" is once again absent from the Blu-Ray of POCAHONTAS, which has just arrived in a BD/DVD double-pack with its inferior direct-to-video sequel "Pocahontas II: Journey To a New World."

It doesn't matter that the movie is one of the weaker Disney productions from the `90s, or that the Politically Corrected-story has numerous holes. "Pocahontas" still manages to modestly entertain in spite of its flaws primarily because of its gorgeous score by Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, encompassing "The Colors of the Wind" and "Just Around the Riverbend." Alas, for whatever reason, Disney has once more opted not to include the longer version with "If I Never Knew You," a duet between Pocahontas (sung by Judy Kuhn) and John Smith (a surprisingly effective vocal performance by Mel Gibson), sung near the conclusion of the film.

Without "If I Never Knew You," "Pocahontas" essentially has no climax. The movie's sometimes jumbled story with its one dimensional villains (gasp! That evil governor of Virginia is a nasty one!!) and confused perspective on the Pocahontas-Smith relationship reeks of the P.C. police, and minus the duet, the film also doesn't flow properly, with a particularly abrupt final third. It's a problematic but interesting entry in the Disney canon, boasting some of Menken's finest work and one of the nicest love themes you'll ever hear in an animated movie but, as was the case with the theatrical release, it's been relegated once again to a mere end credits pop duet between Jon Secada and Shanice.

With its crisp and beautiful new Blu-Ray remastering, the movie has, at least, never looked better on the small screen. The film's bold colors and striking animation are superlatively rendered, while the 5.1 DTS MA soundtrack is likewise effective in conveying the rich musical texture of the soundtrack. Extras (in addition to standard DVD copies) are mostly reprisals of material found in Disney's deluxe CAV LaserDisc box set of "Pocahontas" (likewise carried over to the 2005 DVD). These include commentary with the filmmakers (recorded in 2003) and plenty of featurettes albeit some of them only available through Disney's online "Virtual Vault" (requiring a BD Live connection). Adding insult to injury is that "If I Never Knew You" is indeed present as a supplement and in full HD making it even more frustrating the song couldn't have been included, as an option, to view integrated within the movie itself.

"Pocahontas" may always be viewed as somewhat of a black sheep, particularly compared with the high quality of Disney's theatrical output from the `90s, and it's unfortunate that the improvement yielded by including "If I Never Knew You" has been negated by the bad decision to drop it from this package. Hopefully the same situation won't repeat itself when "The Muppet Christmas Carol" arrives on Blu-Ray later this year.

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I bought this set just for the first Pocahontas movie as it's one of my favorite Disney films. There's not a whole lot of extras here, as opposed to other Disney Blu-ray releases, presumably because they felt the need to cram the sequel on the same Blu-ray; or maybe it's because Disney doesn't consider Pocahontas a strong seller. Whatever the reason, it's a bit disappointing.

On the Beauty and the Beast disc, you have the option of playing the movie with the deleted song (this is done by assembling two titles when authoring the Blu-ray with different segment mapping, and doesn't require additional room on the disc), but for one lazy reason or another, Disney decided not to do that with this disc, and instead just include the song as an extra. For what it's worth, I thought that particular animation segment was lazy, simply presenting a montage of earlier parts of the film, though the song is nice. The "deleted scenes" are hardly that, as they're mostly just black-and-white sketches with [simply put] awful songs being sung behind them.

I'm happy to have this brilliant film on Blu-ray, it looks and sounds great, but Disney really put their worst and laziest staff on this project and it shows.

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I should have read the reviews before buying this Blu-ray set. I am so disappointed that the song "If I Never Knew You" was again removed from this wonderful film. Why would Disney back-pedal by only offering the edited verions of this film? Sure, go ahead and offer the original version, but also offer the restored version with this wonderful song included back into the film and not as a "Deleted Scene". How hard would that have been? The work of restoring the song back into the film was already done with the 10th anniversary DVD release. Sometimes I just don't understand why these obviously poor decisions are allowed to follow through at Disney; "The Muppet Christmas Carol" debacle being another case in point. Also, what's with stacking the discs on top of each other in the case? How cheap can you get?!

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Note: Similar to my review of The Fox and the Hound, I won't mention or review the cheapquel that is included in this set. Is just sad how Disney pairs beautifully done films with utter disgraces.

Now I'll proceed to review the original film.

Pocahontas is blamed as the responsible of finishing the Renaissance period that began with The Little Mermaid. I find those claims utterly inaccurate. While Pocahontas did not achieve the same heights of The Lion King and is not better than that one, is still a wonderful, lush and heartfelt adventure that deserves a better reputation. The animation is just glorious and the music is one of the best Disney has ever produced.

The story has been blamed as being historically inaccurate but come on, is Disney, is any Disney adaptation faithful to its source? I don't think you can expect a history lesson from a Disney movie but you can expect great entertainment and in that front, Pocahontas delivers.

The cast of characters are great and deliver stirring performances. The characters are memorable and the love story between the two leads is credible and poignant and as whole, Pocahontas is a lush, epic and emotionally profound film that still resonates after all these years after its original release.

Video & Audio

Pocahontas looks absolutely stunning on BD. A wonderful transfer that makes the film even more enjoyable. The colors pop out the screen, detail and clarity are amazing and the picture is completely stable. A wonderful image.

The 5.1 DTS HD-MA also delivers an exceptional experience with directionality and clarity in every sound, song and dialogue. A wonderful aural experience all around!

Bonus Material

The most disappointing part of this release is the fact that the the extended cut that was offered in the 10th Anniversary DVD with the song "If I never Knew You" included in the film is not offered in this BD. Instead, the song is just offered to be viewed on its own. This is a very bad move from Disney. While the original film is still mesmerizing, the extended cut enhanced the romance between Pocahontas and John Smith and was a beautiful moment in the movie. It's a shame that some garbage is included in this release but Disney could not give us the the second cut which is beautiful. Shameful.

Here's the rest of the bonus material:

"Audio commentary" with the directors and producer of the film.

"Drawing Inspiration: The Lost Story of Hiawatha" is an all new piece where director Eric Golberg talks about the story of another native american figure, Hiawatha and how his story was considered by Walt Disney to be made into a feature film. This is an interesting piece history.

"Deleted Song: If I never knew you"

"The Music of Pocahontas"

"Deleted Scenes"

"Little Hiawatha" is a Silly Symphony from 1937

"Disney's Virtual Vault" is the useless and cumbersome tool where most of the DVDs features are housed.

A DVD copy is also included.

Final Thoughts

Pocahontas is a beautifully done film that deserves a better reputation and a better appreciation than it has now. This BD is very good but could have been a lot better. First of all a standalone release would have been much better. Second the inclusion of the extended cut and third the exclusion of the Virtual Vault and the inclusion of all the extras in physical form. Anyway, this BD features stellar video and audio and the movie is wonderful so it comes recommended.

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I was very excited about Pocahontas Blu Ray releasing because is my favorite Disney movie., but sadly I found that The 10th anniversary edition of the movie that includes new animation with the song "If I never knew you" (with voices of Judy Kun and Mel Gibson)appears in this blu ray only as a part of the bonus material, WHY DOES DISNEY DeCIDE NOT INCLUDE BOTH VERSIONS OF THE FILM LIKE IN 2005 TWO DISC EDTION?

Pocahontas is one (or the most) adult and sofisticated disney classic, with great direction and beautiful art, romantic and magical atmospheres, and a powerful story with not the tipical happyly ever after princess movie ending.

Yes, the quality of the sound and image is perfect, but I really prefer my 2 disc 10th anniversary edition. I'd rather Pocahontas II was exclude and put Pocahontas extended version, I hope they'll do it, meanwhile I returned the combo to the store because I was'nt happy with it, besides on the back cover says that includes "A making of Pocahontas" (Mexican edition) and never could find it, beacause there was not.

Buy Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)

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OK, there's been some controversy here about the quality of this release, so let me put it to rest. This DVD is spledid! I think this adaptation of Jules Verne's 1864 French novel is a prime example of 1950's wide-screen motion picture family entertainment -it's wholesome and has a little something for everyone. This is the best film version of this story, the most recent of which was done for the USA Channel on cable in 1999 and was very campy. They couldn't match the 1959 production values of this 20th Century-Fox film that has excellent color photography and art direction, and Bernard Herrmann's wonderfully atmospheric music score. These elements have continued to make it a favorite with fantasy film fans who can appreciate older movies, though it's true that some of it is silly at times, but I don't think the film's makers were trying for a serious movie. It also contains one of James Mason's best performances (He was always good). It's wonderful "Cinemascope" escapism from the bygone Eisenhower-era of the 1950s. Even though I've been watching it on TV since I was a kid in the sixties, I'd only seen pan&scan versions, and it wasn't until I got it letterboxed on laserdisc that I finally saw what a big-screen entertainment this movie was meant to be. It has splendid scope and a score by Bernard Herrmann that takes you right down into the bowels of the earth. Listen to it and you'll notice what I mean, as the movie progresses the music keeps going into a lower and lower register. Five organs were used, including one meant for a Cathedral. (The complete original recordings of the score are available on CD from Varese Sarabande.) Sure it's long in the telling and takes a while to get you down that extinct volcano in Iceland, but it's fun all the way with great special effects work by L.B. Abbott and matte paintings by Emil Kosa Jr. It's been a long wait for this to come out on DVD but it's now worth it. Although Fox should have known that fans would want more extras, including a production and poster still gallery and audio commentary by Pat Boone and Arlene Dahl perhaps?, or an expert on the production? (Perhaps we'll get it in a future release?), they have thankfully included the original theatrical trailer, whic is a lot of fun. They've also gone to great efforts to restore the color negative, and this 16X9 ANAMORPHIC TRANSFER has been struck from a newly made interpositive print, and has been further enhanced with digital video. The original 4-track MagOptical soundtrack is here offered in Dolby Digital 4.0 surround. Although the directionalized dialogue is often off the mark, the aged soundtrack sounds great and will really rumble your room if you've got a subwoofer. If you are a fan of 1959's JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, you'll be very happy with this DVD. I'd give this DVD five stars but for Fox skimping on the extras. Boy, you people at Fox can be real dummies!

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I LOVE it!. There's absolutely nothing bad to be said about this wonderful film. It's one of the 10 best movies ever made, and it's lost none of its magic.(I like it just a tiny bit more, than that other famous 50's fantasy/adventure favorite of mine: "20.000 Leagues Under The Sea".) When I'm with Mason & co., I'm like a little kid again. There are movies you never stop loving; and this is one of them for me. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. If you're "old and wise", I trust you'll agree.(I'm 32, by the way.) -They can show me all their latest computer effects, I don't care, they're all empty like a balloon, and they have no soul. Any kind of real and interesting magical atmosphere, is almost impossible to capture in modern movies. Older films have a facinating, almost other-worldly quality to them. It all boils down to the look of a movie, and today they all look the same. Sad, but true. -At least one can spend the rest of his or hers life, watching nothing but old movies; and that's just exactly what I intend to do.

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A 19th century French businessman, Jules Verne decided rather late in life to give up the stock market and write children's fantasy novels. I'm so glad he did. The movie version of his "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", in 1954, set off an explosion of major Jules Verne film adaptions(over 12 movies in 10 years). One of the finest was "Journey to the Center of the Earth". As the story opens, an Edinburgh professor receives a gift; a meteorite fragment from his student. Intuition fires Prof. Lindenbrook's imagination: Could an historic scientific message be hidden inside? After testing, the rock explodes. Lindenbrook assembles an expedition to follow an explorer's trail down into an extinct Icelandic volcano. Enemies surround him. Mysterious creatures are everywhere. For Prof. Lindenbrook and his party, a fantastic adventure is about to begin. "Journey to the Center of the Earth" stars Pat Boone, Arlene Dahl, Thayer David, Alan Napier, and the magnificent James Mason. But the real "star" is composer Bernard Herrmann, who's thundering, booming film score is nothing short of classic(and actually, only one of many). Director Henry Levin fashioned a lively, colorful saga in 1959's "Journey to the Center of the Earth". Extensive shooting in Hollywood, Scotland, and Carlsbad Caverns produced sweeping set-pieces of subterranean caverns, a giant mushroom forest, and even the lost temples of Atlantis. Special effects include miniature constructions, matte painting, and more. Sadly, the film's main draw-back is a horde of painted lizard "dinosaurs" thrown at the camera in the exciting finale. This brand new widescreen anamorphic (2.35:1) DVD is an excellent transfer. Fox found the original 1959 camera negative worn and faded. A search for viable film elements led to a black-and-white silver print; from this came a 35mm interpositive. Finally came digital restoration and video enhancement. DVD extras include 40 chapter stops, 8 trailers, and a conclusive restoration documentary. Famous and wealthy in his time, Jules Verne predicted the future use of submarines, space-travel, and crustaceous exploration. Over 80 motion picture and TV productions around the world have heralded his work. The first science-fiction movie was made in 1902 by George Melies. And yes, you're right. It was written by Jules Verne.

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Fox Studios was so successful with this film that they immediately made another Verne classic, "The Lost World" with Claude Raines as Professor Challenger. "Lost World" didn't fare as well. The reasons were obvious.

"Journey" was put together by a team of Hollywood professionsls at all levels: script, direction, actors, production deisgners. They were all dedicated to one goal: to entertain the audience while not pandering to them. The actors take their roles seriously, bringing them to vivid life.

This is a long film for a general release, family oriented project. It goes into good, solid character development, rather than settling for action over story, as they did with "The Lost World." The only thing both films have in common appear to be dinosaurs.

The special effects are excellent. Try not to compare them to what can be computer-generated today. Matte painting artists of the old Hollywood studio system could truly be called artists; this film is a prime example of this art.

Bernard Hermann's score is one of the true stars of the picture. It supports the film; it is like a character all its own; it complements the story rather than overpowering it.

This is a movie that can be seen over and over through the years and it still appeals. Once again, the DVD format presents the film in its original CinemaScope aspect ratio, which is the only way to appreciate a truly excellent example of the old Hollywood in its finest form.

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I first saw this on the "big screen" as a child, and was totally blown away by the special effects. I'm still amazed at what they were able to do given the "state of the art" at the time (1959). No, it's not precisely the way Jules Verne wrote it, but the basics of the plot and story are there. James Mason is the archtypical passionate professor, and quite good in this role. Arlene Dahl does a fine job in what could have been "just another pretty face" role. She actually gives it some character and "spunk." And Pat Boone works well in the student role, once he gets past the cheesy "Scottish" accent.

This is a great family flick -minimal violence, nothing that would tempt other than a "G" rating -and the "good guys" win in the end. Fantastic scenery, believable special effects -a great way to spend an afternoon!

Discount Due West Our Sex Journey 2D + 3D Blu Ray (Region Free) (English

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If your an Asian male you're probably going to laugh your butt off. If you like American pie it's probably just as funny if you get Asian humor and on top of it all there are beautiful mostly naked Chinese girls sprinkled all through it. I got the blu-ray version just because but it was well worth it. Being part Chinese I could definitely appreciate the cultural aspect of this and of course since this thing was filmed close to China it was very controversial to the Chinese government. However, I would recommend enjoying the coming of age story and learning a little about new cultures.

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Journey to Mecca Review

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Watched twice and loved the cinematography. Remembered of times when people travel to Mecca for 4-5 months to reach there.Excellent movie.

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We were very interested in this DVD because we hoped for a fascinating tale of that intrepid traveler--Ibn Battuta. It starts off well enough but then only gives a brief glimpse into his journey to Mecca. The story drifts from the past to the present and seems to just drop off leaving the viewers disappointed. Some of the scenery is very nice and well-photographed of that dramatic landscape but the story line is quite disappointing. From the interviews at the end of the DVD, it seems that creating a film there was not without its challenges so the producers, directors and artists do have to be given some credit for the attempt and credit must also go to the authorities, who have only a small film industry, for working with the filmmakers. If you do buy it, just know that it isn't a robust story of his journey.

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A somber yet interesting movie into the past. It shows the difference of the pilgrimage from the past compared with today. It also shows how difficult it used to be back in the days and how we take advantage of the situation today.

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This is an absolutely amazing story of an amazing journey that I wish to make some day. A must see for every muslim and non-muslim, will bring tears to your eyes! Highly recommended!

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To be quite honest, when I saw the preview I thought that this movie might be emotional and educational. But it was more of a documentary with demonstration involved. That's not what I was hoping. Other than that, the scenery were really captivating.