Reviews of I Am Legend (Ultimate Collector's Edition) (2008)

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"I Am Legend" is not a film that sticks closely to it's source material. While that is it's biggest flaw, it is also where it shines. If you ha told me two years ago that I'd get misty-eyed watching Will Smith sing "Three Little Birds" in a big budget motion picture I'd have laughed myself silly, but this adaptation of Richard Mathson's untouchable novel that -while itself being a vampire storyinspired the entire zombie film genre as we know it takes the story we all know whether we've read the book or not and turns it into an exceptionally personal affair for all of us. One man. One dog. A familiar metropolis deserted by day, but crawling with death by nightfall. This is our setting and it's one that never gets old for me.

The plague that wipes out Robert Neville's world is never fully explained, simply inferred to be the result of some sort of failed cure for cancer. Gone from the novel and the original Vincent Price classic, The Last Man on Earth, is the long struggle of Neville to save his ill daughter, his wife's tranformation, and the shocking actions of the US government to contain the plague. What it left is simply one man, alone trying to maintain his sanity and hopelessly searching for a cure to a disease that has already wiped humanity off the face of the earth and left the "survivors" as rabid vampiric horrors. It's sad, it's pathetic, and it's perfectly human. Will Smith has a penchant for picking terrible, schmaltzy films to star in, but no one can deny his talent and charisma as a leading man. Naturally, this is a film he must carry single-handedly and he does an awesome job of it; he's dramatic, he's relateable, and at times, he is funny. The humor is that of the dark and inappropriate kind, but in a world like his, that is all there is left.

The vampires/zombies/infected in this are all CG and more than a bit reminiscent of Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. I'm not a fan of these kind of effects when practical would have been more effective and was acutely aware of the fact that I watching computer-generated monsters, but they worked nonetheless. The infected prove to be terrifying foes for Neville to face, combining suprising cunning, inhuman strength, and impossible agility (hence the CG). Their only weakness is that sunlight kills them almost instantly. Neville plays a game of cat-and-mouse with them, gathering supplies, researching cure, and searching for survivors by day while making sure to get back to his fortified apartment before nightfall when the creatures come out to hunt for his hiding place. More than a few shades of 28 Days Later are present in this film, which is funny considering the book and it's film offspring are largely what provided the elements of that film. So I guess the genre has officially come full circle now.

Ultimately, it's the personal touches that make "I Am Legend" such a treat. Bob Marley provides both the soundtrack to Robert Neville's day and the inspiration for his work, which is both ironic and uplifting at times. This may sound strange for a horror flick, but if you are a fan of Marley (himself a Legend) it makes all the sense in the world as you watch. Watching Neville attempt to interact with mannequins he's set up as he returns the movies he rents (in alphabetical order, one at a time) and seeing him snap when one of the figures is moved is both amusing and, at times, intensely disturbing. When relief finally comes, Neville finds he has lost the ability to interact with other humans at all and is relegated to performing lines from "Shrek", which is playing on his television at the time. The ending is a complete 180 from the book which is disappointing, but not as corny as it could have been. The novel I Am Legend has one of the most brilliant and darkly ironic endings ever put on paper, but director Francis Lawrence didn't ruin it by go for the happy ending either. The result is a compromise between the pitch blackness of the book and the cloying cheese that many Will Smith fans love. It turns out a bittersweet and hopeful conclsion that should satisfy both while not thrilling either. But I left the theater with "Redemption Song" still ringing in my ears and a satisfied feeling. If only every movie could do that for me.

"I Am Legend" fails to adapt the book of the same name to the big screen, but succeeds in so many other ways. I can't give it a perfect score, but I will give it a very hearty recommendation to fans of Will Smith, zombies, vampires, and Bob Marley. Enjoy.

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I Am Legend can't get a fair shake. This Will Smith-led production is the third attempt Hollywood has made to adapt the brilliant novel. None of the adaptions have truly done the novel justice (which is a shame), but this version has come the closest.

Here we have a brilliant beginning; footage of a scientist (played beautifully by Emma Thompson) saying humbly that she's discovered a way to cure cancer. Fast forward a few years, and New York is utterly devoid of human life, save for Robert Neville (Will Smith). As the first half of the film progresses, we learn about his meager living, spending the day harvesting and trying to discover a cure, even now, while spending the night huddled in his protected home as creatures prowl.

His only companion, a wonderful dog named Sam, protects Neville as Neville protects him. They have a friendship based on loneliness and the human need for someone or something to hold onto. Sam is Neville's only connection to the past and the only way to represent what little humanity is left, either in the world or Neville himself. This period in the movie is pitch perfect, puncuated by one or two terrifying sequences that instill genuine horror.

Unfortunately, the last half of the film deteriorates into an action movie that completely changes the meaning of the words "I Am Legend." Don't get me wrong, it's mostly done really well. Constantine director Francis Lawrence has a good handle on the action and delivers some good scenes. But, it becomes muddled and veers off completely from the novel. My biggest complaint, though, is the use of CGI. Instead of using real flesh and blood actors, all of the creatures are created with CG and they look incredibly fake when lined up next to real people. In the beginning, it's not a problem but as you see more of them (and you will) it's glaringly obvious. And annoying.

All of this I was expecting going in, though. Considering that the film was co-written by Akiva Goldsman who also wrote I, Robot, I knew this version would stray from the source material just as I, Robot did. As a movie, it's genuinely thrilling and creates the perfect balance of tension and action through most of its entirety. And, surprisingly, Will Smith shows that he's a really good actor as he has to not only tackle many conflicting emotions during the two hour run time but he also has to do so without having much of anyone to react to. Spending a good hour or so without another single actor for Will Smith to work with was a gamble and it paid off.

Your enjoyment of the film is entirely based on what you bring to the table. If you're coming to this film expecting to see the book come to life you'll be sorely disappointed. However, if you're looking for a good action movie that actually has a good story and a human aspect, you'll be hard-pressed to find one as thrilling recently.

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This third incarnation of Richard Matheson's masterpiece is superior to its predecessors in every way, but in spite of that achievement the film is still lacking and comes across as a disappointment in too many ways.

I can't bear to rehash the plot as nearly everyone knows this story by now, and if you are one of the few unfamiliar with this story, then please read Amazon's well-written synopsis or Trashcanman's excellent review in the Spotlight review section. I just plan to hit what I enjoyed about this film and what was so disappointing.

The Hits:

(1) Another top-notch, winning performance by the ever reliable and likable Will Smith.

(2) Outstanding set designs combined with CGI effects of a desolate and abandoned New York City make this film seem more important than it is.

(3) Best adaptation of Matheson's highly influential novel (even if it isn't the most faithful to the story in a literal sense --it captures the spirit of his work extremely well).

The Misses:

(1) The most glaring problem with this film, in my view, is the CGI effects for the vampire-like survivors of the plague. They are too cartoonish for me and appear far too much like video game villains. A good example of this for me is the early scene where Smith's character enters a building to get his dog and finds some zombies hiding in a corner. They are real people, not CGI, and they are frightening; however, later, when he's attacked by CGI zombies, it is unintentionally humorous as they appear like Gollum from LOTR on acid. The CGI effects are either not believable or just too over-the-top, thus, the scenes with them lose their punch.

(2) Uneven pacing of the story is a problem here. The opening segments give the impression that we are going to see a masterpiece here, but the second half of the film never matches the first half and it feels very rushed. It has that "hey, guys, we just ran out of money, so we have to wrap up this film up this week" feel to it. In a film with a deliberate and nearly dignified opening to fall into a shoddy rushed finale severely hurts this film and leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.

The film is still solid entertainment in spite of its obvious and significant flaws. It is probably one I will even buy when it becomes available on DVD later, but it is rather disappointing for a film that seemed to have so much going for it. Its box office receipts may reinforce that perception as it set opening weekend records with a take of about $77 million, but by its third weekend it only grossed about $15 million and that is a severe drop off. For a film that reportedly cost $150 to make it has grossed a disappointing $228 after a month at the box-office. That doesn't even qualify it has a hit with a mere $78 million dollar profit at this point. I do think it will be a hit after it's been released world-wide.

BTW: Some may ask, "What is a hit by today's standards?" That's a good question with really no one set answer, however, Hollywood traditionally likes to see a film generate double what it cost to make in order to classify a film as a hit. This film with a cost of $150 million to make is expected to earn $300 million to be considered a hit, but certain stars, like Will Smith, are expected to bring in better than double the cost of the film (hence, why this may end up being considered a "disappointment" at the box-office even if it hits the magic $300M mark).

Honest reviews on I Am Legend (Ultimate Collector's Edition) (2008)

Richard Matheson's book has a 'hook' that has never been exploited in any adaptaptation (although the Vincent Price version is the closest) and that is the variation on the 'One-Eyed Man in the country of the blind...'

The Vampires have taken over there is no cure

Accept it they have

And that's the point. When you are the only odd one in a world that has been turned topsy turvey night is day and day is night then you are the monster and the monsters are normal. Civilization continues in the hours of darkness, and mankind somehow adapts. It is perfectly logical that they would try to destroy the creature that's killing them while they sleep, and that they would fear him. Neville's final words in the book "I am anaethema I am legend." sums it all up. When mutation is normality the normal man is a monster to be feared and destroyed.

Someday, some screewriter and director will figure this out and tell Matheson's story.

This isn't it.

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Richard Matheson's novel "I Am Legend" has been made into at least three motion pictures -"The Last Man on Earth" (Vincent Price), "The Omega Man" (Charlton Heston), and "I Am Legend" (Will Smith) -and has served as inspiration for dozens of others. The story combines science fiction and horror in a bleak, pessimistic view of the future of mankind.

In the latest version, "I Am Legend," Smith stars as Robert Neville, a scientist who was unable to halt the spread of an incurable, man-made virus. Immune to the fatal virus, Neville is the sole human survivor in what remains of New York City and possibly the world. His only companion is his dog, Samantha. But mutant plague victims -the Infected -lurk in the darkness, watching Neville's every move and waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Day to day, Neville is driven by a single mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus. To do so, he must use his own immune blood.

"I Am Legend" is by far the most ambitious of the three screen adaptations of Matheson's novel. The opening scenes, showing a deserted Times Square overgrown with vegetation, are spectacular, and Smith manages to keep the story flowing in the early scenes even though he's the only person we see. Flashbacks illustrate the stages leading up to the present near-obliteration of humanity and are elaborately staged by director Francis Lawrence. The film's third act resorts to a fairly routine formula of the hero versus the monsters but, overall, "I Am Legend" is an impressive effort.

The "I Am Legend Ultimate Collector's Edition" is just the thing for sci-fi and Will Smith fans. The three-disc box set contains two versions of the movie, one with a controversial ending; a digital copy of the film; four animated comics; 12 never-before-seen deleted scenes along with filmmaker's commentary; a 44-page concept sketch book; a lucite commemorative piece featuring images from the movie; and hours of featurettes covering filming on the aircraft carrier Intrepid, canine training, making New York City look deserted, assistance provided by the U.S. Military, and the integration of CGI images with live action footage.

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Anyone who knows me, knows that I love King Diamond's records. I loved "Abigail," "Them," "Conspiracy," and "In the Shadows." I thought "Time" was alright, and I felt "Into the Unknown" had its moments. Not knowing what to expect, I bought his "Dead Again," and was shocked at the awesome return to form. I always liked the Scooby series. And I really liked "Scooby Doo on Zombie Island." I thought "The Witch's Ghost" was pretty good. But I was a little disappointed with "The Alien Invaders" and "The Cyber Chase." I thought the live movie was flat out terrible. Not knowing what to expect, I bought this tape.RED LIGHT ALERT! Ah...this may actually be Scooby's best movie! First, it was a charming bonus to get the original voice cast back! 2nd, we are presented with an awesome return to the Scooby Doo formula. In a normal situation, we are presented with the possibility of the supernatural. We also see the gang in Australia. We also get to see how their seeming vacation turns into yet another mystery! The original cast seems to have all their wonderful chemistry back. Fred's calm attitude; Daphne's kind, but unaware character; Velmah's sassy charm; and Shaggy and Scooby's constant fear and appetite. We also get to see the Hex girls again. The misleads are well placed; secondary characters like Jasper give us some comical moments; and we are given time and clues to figure out the mystery before it is revealed. I don't want to chance ruining it for you, but I will say, EVEN if like me you were disappointed by the recent movies 'Alien Invaders,' 'Cyber Chase,' and the terrible live movie, DO NOt, REPEAT DO NOT overlook this gem. It may actually be Scooby Doo's best movie!

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Just recently, a flood of Scooby films have been released, and the latest one was "The Legend of the Vampire." I didn't know how good it would be, since the last two animated scooby-films had been rather a disappointment, but when I heard the original cast was doing the voices, I couldn't stand the wait, so I saw...

Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire

Here's how it ranked...

Sound: 4/5

Well, unlike the previous films, this film used much of the same music from the original series, as well as a couple songs from previous movies. I think that wasn't what hurt the grade most, but the original songs and such were not all that great either. The ones used in the new scooby series were better, I think.

Graphics: 3/5

I was sorely disappointed with the graphics in this film. We all love the original series, but let's face facts. By today's standards, the graphics were awful, and the biggest difference between those graphics and the ones used in this movie was that the graphics in the movie may have been just a LITTLE more fluid. Overall, though, I thought the graphics in previous scooby movies were better, and the special effects, or what have you were far less dazzling than in the first four animated movies. Is it wrong to want to see something truly stunning? Overall, for a movie, the graphics were mediocre.

Story Concept: 2.5/5

EEK! Scooby and his friends tour australia, where they learn that a rock concert is being haunted by a vampire, who's kidnapping the bands. As you can tell, this is probably the worst concept they've done, if only because of it's sheer cheesyness and cynicism towards the supernatural.

Story Presentation: 3.5/5

NNNN... I was debating giving it a four, but no. Aside from a few scenes of Daphne and Velma hanging out, this was basically just an extended and more fluidly-animated episode of the series. I expected better. To be fair, it was very funny, and shaggy and scooby had some priceless lines, but the real stars of the show; Velma, Freddy and Daphne, didn't show much emotion or individuality like in previous flicks, and the fact that there was no real supernatural phenomenon (yes, I'm giving that away, because if I'd known that, I would have rented the film rather than buying it) just made things even worse. As with Alien Invaders, this film still had the classic scooby charm, but it let go of so much, becoming the second scooby film to not live up to it's name. In fact, far from not having vampires, they didn't even DESCRIBE them accurately, or even mention such words as BATS or BLOOD. I was sorely disappointed in that.

Acting: 5/5

Perfect grade here, because who plays Velma, Shaggy, Daphne and Freddy like their original voice actors? Yes, the original voices of the gang returned for this film, and that basically carries this grade.

All in All: 3.6/5

In regards to comparing it to other scooby films, I think I enjoyed it more than alien invaders, but less than the others, because frankly, this movie was funnier than alien invaders. However, Alien invaders also had some cool effects and eye candy to appease, so that's good too. Still, I was disappointed by the loss of anything remotely resembling the thrills I used to get watching Witch's Ghost and Zombie Island (the first scooby films, and still the best.) This film had the characters we love, but for me, it wasn't sufficient to really please. I'm going back and watching "Witch's Ghost" again tomorrow to remember what I love about scooby, but you might not be as disappointed with this film as I was. Rest assured, if you want to see a climactic thrill ride of kids fighting evil and solving mysteries, skip this film entirely, and watch Witch's Ghost again. However, if you want to see a lengthy episode of the original series, by all means, watch this film. In my opinion, good enough for the series, but not for a movie.

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Loosely based on the radio series I LOVE A MYSTERY and the television series THE MANY LOVES OF DOBIE GILLIS, the 1969-1970 Saturday morning cartoon series wasn't much liked by critics and educators--but it was a smash with kids. (I was a fan myself.) In each episode, the five characters found themselves dropped into an unlikely mystery, and after a good deal of running around, getting separated from each other, finding a clue or two, and (perhaps) some nifty music, they unmasked the bad guy. It was all harmless fun, and it was popular enough to come back in several incarnations.

In 1998 the characters and basic premise resurfaced as a series of straight-to-video movies. The first of these was SCOOBY-DOO ON ZOMBIE ISLAND. Released in 2002, SCOOBY-DOO AND THE LEGEND OF THE VAMPIRE is the fifth in this particular series. In this episode, the gang travels by boat to Australia, where they off-load the Mystery Machine and travel to a rock festival held in the outback at "Vampire Rock." They are pleased to meet old friends The Hex Girls, but they also stumble into a mystery: the rock is said to be home to a vampire, and a band that went missing last year has suddenly reappeared as the vampire's minions to kidnap bands of the present year.

The Scooby-Doo series may not be high art, but the animation is good and the stories are usually fun ... except for this episode. The story is ragged and the plot points don't connect up in even the most casual way, and the solution requires no fewer than six masks and a ridiculously long explanation. If you're a die-hard Scooby-Doo fan, you'll want to see it, but this probably isn't one you'll want to see more than once.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Honest reviews on Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire (2003)

Scooby fans, you will love this brand new Scooby Doo movie!

America's favorite cartoon character and the rest of the Mystery Inc gang, go down under, to Australia, where they encounter their scariest mystery yet.....The Legend of the Vampire!

Scooby and pals investigate the mysterious disappearances at a Rock festival. But to do that, Scooby and the gang must first go undercover....as rock stars!

So the Mystery Inc kids join Scooby and they don the rock star clothes and actually perform a song live on stage, with Scooby Doo on the drums! Wait till you see Velma perform on lead vocals! You will see a side of her that you have never seen before!

This movie is special for a few reasons.

First, we get to see the classic Mystery Machine Van again! In the other recent Scooby movies, the gang has used an SUV, but they are back to the classic Mystery van that we all know and love.

Secondly, this movie uses the same music that was used in the classic Scooby Doo cartoons of the 60's and 70's, thus creating the feel that you are watching the classic Scooby shows!

Thirdly, this is pure Scooby Doo...the same Scooby that we know and love. The same fearful, hungry, and humorous canine crimefighter that we have grown so used to.

You simply cant go wrong with Scooby Doo shows, and this is one that you and your family will cherish and enjoy for years to come.

The DVD has some cool extra's!

First, there is a special commentary feature, that allows you to listen to Scooby, Shaggy, and Fred, as they watch the movie with you, and talk about the movie!

Scooby and Shaggy make fun of Fred, and how he doesnt have the "look" of a rock star.

So its like getting TWO versions of the movie....the regular one, AND one with Scooby, Shaggy and Fred talking in the background as they watch the movie with you, which is very entertaining in of itself.

There is also a blooper segment, but to see the bloopers, you first play the Monster Maker game. You can use the three different images of monsters and mix them to make a funny looking monster of your own! And after you do, you will see the bloopers!

The DVD also features Scooby and Shaggy as DJ's, and they show a few musical Scooby videos, featuring recent and classic Scooby Doo footage!

It is very well done.

Also, you can see a sneak preview of the NEXT brand new Scooby Doo animated movie, which will come out this October (October 2003).

If you love Scooby Doo, you will love this DVD. And if for some reason you werent a Scooby Fan before.........one viewing of this DVD will change that.

See what all of the Scooby Doo fans know.......... That Scooby Doo rocks!!! He is an American classic, and this DVD celebrates America's love for Scooby!

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The DVD is great with the fact all the voices from the original "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" are there with the exception of the late Don Messick who did the voice of Scooby-Doo. It's also great to see the original Mystery Machine and also hearing the classic background music from the original. Anyone who is a fan of "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You" will love this movie.

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I saw this movie in theaters in Imax 3D, and I was astounded by the visuals. The atmosphere was breathtaking, and the animation of the owls was superbly done. The musical score is incredible for an animated film. This is one of the best animated films I have seen, and as for it being CGI... this is what CGI was made for. I was more eager for the release of this film to Blu-Ray than any other film this year.

What I truly enjoyed about Legend of the Guardians is that it is not just another dumbed-down children's movie. It does not look down on the intelligence of the audience. There's no blood and gore, but the owls do wield some scary weaponry and participate in some intense battle scenes, and the tone of the story can be rather dark at times. The danger to the characters is real, and there's a good deal of tension and suspense. It reminded me of some of the older animated films like The Secret of NIMH in the sense that the movie takes itself seriously. That's a refreshing change from the usual treatment that animation receives. When I learned that Zach Snyder (300) directed the movie, I understood why, and he did a superb job. I wish more film makers would take this approach.

After seeing the movie in the theater, I became interested in the books and I have read the first four so far. If you have read the books and not seen the movie you will notice some definite differences. Some characters are added, some are not present, and some have undergone some changes. The story is based around the first three books, and much of the story in the books has been condensed. This is the result of the screenplay adaptation process. There's simply no way to fit the entirety of the books verbatim into a film. The movie would be over three hours, and even at 90 minutes, the production cost is expensive. There's also a matter of pacing the film for the audience, and having a complete story for a single film. A sequel is always possible, but the screenwriters know that they need to tell a story without the necessity for a sequel. I would have preferred a longer film myself with some more fleshing out of Soren's time in the Ga'Hoole tree, but as it is, the story is fine and quite enjoyable. If you have seen the movie but have not read the books I highly recommend them. They are written for older children, but adults can easily enjoy them, and after having read the books and watching the film again I was able to appreciate the film even more for knowing some of the smaller details better.

I recently encountered a superb deal on a 3D-capable Samsung plasma TV and 3D Blu-Ray player. Tonight I watched this movie in 3D, and it was just like being in the theater again. The visual quality is just incredible. If you have a 3D-capable home theater, this is the version you want. It includes a 2D Blue-Ray copy as well as standard DVD, so if you've been considering upgrading to 3D sometime in the near future then go for this version. It's worth it if you like the 3D experience, and it's one of only a few 3D movies available at this time.

In regards to Charles Solomon's official review of this movie... potential buyers, ignore it. Read the customer reviews instead of this recycled movie-critic drivel. Amazon, if you intend to actually sell products like movies, please find people to review them that actually want to sit down and watch them, or at least have an open mind when they do so. Solomon's review sounds like he was forced to sit through a movie he didn't want to watch in the first place and then had nothing nice to say about it as a result. I wager that he's being honest in the sense that he personally didn't like the movie, but most of us feel differently about the film, and reviews like that certainly don't do much to help your sales.

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Based on Kathryn Lasky's children's series (Guardians of Ga'hoole Complete Set, Books 1-15), The Legend of the Guardians: the Owls of Ga'hoole is an epic story of good and evil, bravery, betrayal and of doing what's right.

Briefly, the story centers around Soren, a young barn owl living in the forest of Tyto, who is enraptured with the tales his father tells of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, the great warriors and protectors of the owl world who have passed into legend. When Soren and his brother Kludd are kidnapped and taken to a deep canyon where young owls are being "moon-blinked" into mindless slavery by the evil "Pure Ones", Soren escapes with another young owl and sets out to find the Guardians and plead for their help. Once they find the Guardians, a rescue is planned and the film climaxes with a soaring aerial battle between the Guardians and the Pure Ones.

The plot is not new. Fans of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, among others, will recognize many of the story elements and several of the characters common to films and books based on the classic "Hero's Journey". So, the question becomes have the filmmakers made this hero's journey one worth seeing? For me, the answer is "Yes". And that "yes" comes, in no small part, from how the film looks.

Legend of the Guardians is so completely spectacular to look at that I found myself able to ignore some of the issues with the plotting and the script and just sit back and drown in the visual feast. The "scenery" throughout the entire film so jaw-droppingly gorgeous in theaters translates very well to the home screen and the animation looks superb on Blu-ray. The flying sequences are not quite as breathtaking here as they were on the big screen, but all-in-all I think the film has made a successful transition to home viewing. Certainly it remains incredibly beautiful and exciting to look at. I wish all animated films offered the same visual pleasure.

Parents should be aware, though, that "animated" in this case does not translate into "kiddie-show". While there are moments of warmth and companionship and a few humorous bits, the film has a number of violent scenes and an overall intensity that might frighten or lessen the enjoyment of the under 8 crowd. I will volunteer, though, that my just under 8 year old granddaughter LOVED this film and didn't seem to find it too intense at all. So my age guesstimate might be a bit off. Since parents always know their own children and what they can handle far better than any reviewers do anyway, I offer the "8 and over" as a sort of jumping off point. :) I'll add, too, that the level of intensity I felt the film possessed on the big screen seemed somewhat lessened when I viewed the film at home.

A few additional notes on the film:

* There are a lot of characters with unusual names. Unless viewers (kids OR adults) have read the books, they're probably not going to catch or remember them all in a first viewing.

* There are a few instances where the dialogue is difficult to understand.

* The score suits the film. In parts it incorporates the human voice, as Lord of the Rings did, to effectively evoke an emotional response in the viewer. On the other hand, the song "To the Sky" (credited to "Owl City" on the soundtrack CD) was, IMO, the film's most glaring misstep. The chipper tune felt so out of place it actually made me cringe.

Some notes on the DVD (I bought the Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy version):

I'll admit straight off that I am not a techy person, so my comments on the quality of the video can be taken with that in mind. That said, the Blu-ray picture clarity is wonderful, the colors vivid and the sound good. For me, all are completely satisfactory. Navigation is pretty straight-forward and didn't trip me up too often something I'm thankful for and something I, unfortunately, can't say about all DVDs.

The film can be viewed in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese. Subtitles in those same languages are also offered.

Special features include:

* "True Guardians of the Earth": The animated character Digger & Rico Rodriguez (Modern Family) host a documentary about owls which presents interesting information in a kid-friendly style.

* Maximum "Kid" Mode Explore the World of Ga'hoole": Soren and other cast members act as guides for this picture-in-picture style viewing of the film. Information is offered on animation and various aspects of filmmaking and storytelling. Well done. Should be particularly interesting to young people interested in behind the scenes stuff and the nuts and bolts of filmmaking. Also included is additional scientific information about owls, their anatomy and their habits.

* Legend of the Guardians: Armor up with Soren & Eglantine: Kids can mix and match different types of owl armor.

* Match the Owl Treats: A matching game.

* "Legend of the Guardians: Rise of the Guardians": A short film about the Pure Ones and the legendary Battle of the Ice Claws between Metalbeek and Lyze of Kiel.

* Looney Tunes "Fur of Flying": The Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoon featured in theaters along with LOTG. (On the 3D version of this DVD, this cartoon is also in 3D.)

* Artwork Galleries: stills of some of the lovely artwork from the film.

* "To the Sky" music video by Owl City.

For my granddaughter and me, this film was a winner and now that it's part of my home collection, I'm looking forward to sharing it with my other grandchildren over the next few years as they grow old enough to appreciate it. While the plot may be rather familiar, IMO it avoided coming across as tired or trite. That, along with the stunning look of the film, makes it easy for me to recommend it. And I do, happily.

Enjoy!

Best Deals for Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole (2010)

I have been lured into watching chick flicks, or children's stories retold for adults (like "Where The Wild Things Are...ugh) and it is often a tortuous event. I dragged my feet (big time) on this one, but was out-voted. I just can't believe I actually enjoyed it! I mean, I really liked it. I would NEVER have picked this one on my own in a million years! If I were to say something negative, I would say that it got off to a tad of a slow start. That aside, this was totally unexpected, and the ANIMATION! WHOA! I just thought it was going to be some fluffy, foofy, silly little kid's thing. While the kids did love it, I was astounded at the solid good vs evil story, awesome flying and aerial combat scenes. The owls actually look like their speaking. The dramatic depiction of a very stormy ocean... mountains. I can't say enough about the graphic imagery. Just spell-binding. This is a winner.

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The Owls of Ga'hoole was definitely the most beautiful movie I've ever seen. And it's use of 3D was amazing. I liked the use of 3D in this even better than the 3D in Avatar. It was that good.

When I first saw it on the theater screen I was blown away, even from the first credits. This movie has a depth and "realism" that truly shows what 3D is capable of, without getting at all gimmicky.

The story is a general coming of age story, of myths and legends and people who still believe. It's about family, and dreams, and all the things that touch us most. The design of the owls was outstanding, giving a natural expressiveness and uniqueness to each owl was a big feat considering how expressionless and similar looking owls actually are. But the subtleties in the expressions in this movie were simply amazing to see, and each owl had it's own distinct character, look, and voice.

The backgrounds were beautifully rendered, but also very real looking. It was that golden mix of a fantasy world that looks real, without losing any of the power and message of the fantasy.

This is a good vs evil story, and the scenery reflects that, from the comfortable, normal, forest home in the beginning, to the dark and sinister mines of the "Pure Ones," to the busy and optimistic bustle of the great Tree of Ga'Hoole.

Even the water scenes in this movie were outstanding, and water can be a nightmare to animate, much less when animating feathers, and wet feathers at that.

I agree with the other reviewer who said they need an art book for this movie. Truly, if you see no other movie this year, go see Legend of the Guardians in 3D. This is one of those memories that stays with you forever. One of the GOOD ones.

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I watched this movie in 3d with my lady. This movie will just WOW your eyes. I am a movie buff, and this was the most stunning visuals i have ever seen. The owls are freaking gorgeous...lol...while watching this movie i thought to myself i actually wanted that white owl:0 The 2d version is great also. A friend came over and the kids were watching the dvd on their 37 inch hd tv...my friend was like WHAT IS THAT! lol. he couldn't stop looking at it(no joke it was that gorgeous). Had he seen it in 3d on my panny, he'd have tripped for real. If you want to get the most out your tv's visual's...this is a must buy. The 3d was better than Tangled 3d(which i still love) Step Up 3d(which is cool) and Tron 3d can't even come close...

The trees, water, flying and fighting of the owls, the shiny feathers of the owls...everything about this movie...ridiculous in detail. GET THIS MOVIE!!! I know my review is saying the same thing...but i mean...you just got to see it to know what I mean. I have a panny gt25 3d tv also if that helps anyone out there looking to buy this movie. The greatest thing about this movie is that the story keeps you interested. Its not a movie where you buy only for the 3d. You will actually watch this movie...the 3d and beauty will just AMAZE you and the story is quite suspenseful. Also, I treat my 3d movies like a movie theater...meaning I wait til its nighttime, turn off the lights and enjoy.

Buy True Legend (2010)

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I watched this movie a few months ago while I was on deployment. A buddy in my shop had a bootleg copy and at the time I had no idea what the movie was called. After googling the plot and some quotes I finally figured out it was True Legend.

Anyway I really enjoyed the movie as a whole. Great fight scenes and interesting story (although the story itself is pretty depressing). The background scenery and cinematography were amazing.

If you're a Yuen Woo-ping fan (The Matrix trilogy, Kill Bill Volumes I and II, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hero, Iron Monkey, Drunken Master) or just like martial arts movies in general then I'd recommend checking out this movie.

I've got this pre-ordered now and I'm really looking forward to watching a legit copy on blu-ray.

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This is a pretty strange flick. Part of it is very now and wow while other parts read like director Hark Tsui's "Zu Warrior" or "Once Upon a Time in China."

Here's the scoop. Su Can is a great warrior. He and his brother in law, Yuan Lie, finish a particularly grueling battle and Su wants to hang it up and start a school teaching the Wushu style of fighting. He takes his wife and son and heads off to the big city. Yuan, in the meantime, is starting to fume. He has always felt like a second fiddle to Su so he loads up on venom from various creatures and perfects a way to deliver it via the Five Fingers of Death. He now goes after Su and it leads to a really big mess.

This is a pretty wild ride. The opening battle uses a lot of CGI and looks as though it came from a poor man's version of "The Lord of the Rings." It then shifts to something more like "Zu Warrior" with the over exaggerated wire work, the white haired mystical dude and the "God" who will put Su through the paces to get him back up to speed after losing a fight with Yuan. I don't know where this genre is these days. I don't see enough of these to tell, but seeing a guy kick a big rock into pebbles isn't anything I've seen in "Hero" or "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon."

The story is pretty good but it takes an odd turn. It's two hours long but the first part ends in 90 minutes then veers off to an entirely different chapter where Su becomes an alcoholic and, through a changing socio-political condition in China, begins to develop the "drunken fist" method of fighting. It caught me way off guard.

I liked this movie enough. Good story and direction. Good sets and costumes with a decent score. Michelle Yeow is on hand but has a woefully small, underwritten part. Some of what is portrayed is supposed to be based on fact but the viewer can tell that great liberties were taken in the telling.

It's a fun watch, but if you're not a fan of the genre, you might end up going WTF?!

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I don't know how much of TRUE LEGEND is either `true' or which is more `legend', but I found the end result of Director Yuen Woo Ping's work to present the story as an incomplete parable one where perhaps the viewer can draw inspiration from to seek out answers to questions regarding martial arts history but certainly not a `definitive work.' Or, at least, I wouldn't hope so. I can only suspect that, if this is based on true events, there may be more story here than what made it to the screen this time around. While TRUE LEGEND has moments of great entertainment, it felt only half-baked to me, a somewhat mixed bag of effective acting, tremendous fighting, and excellent choreography. And I couldn't help from wondering what a more accomplished director may've been able to do with the material.

The biggest detraction to TRUE LEGEND is that the end result actually feels more like one, big, sprawling combination of two smaller, incomplete halves. By the conclusion, I found myself wondering if the project had originally started out as two films a first flick with a planned sequel that, for budgetary considerations, were merged together. The first half runs about one hour and ten minutes, and it deals with Su Can's conflict with a vengeful brother, Yuan; the second half runs about forty minutes, and it explores Su Can's nearly-accidental "discovery" of fighting which prompts him to modify his Wushu style combat into `the Drunken Fist' style. I say "nearly-accidental" because that's how, narratively, it's structured, with Su Can happening across a demonstration of this new style.)

On reflection, it's easy to see that the first half has plenty of meat-and-bones, though I'm not entirely certain as to how the film could've been expanded despite the fact that the lovely Michelle Yeoh was tremendously under-used here. Perhaps much of her character was left on the cutting room floor? There's no way to tell. Comparatively, the second half is spent almost entirely with fighting as Su Can finds himself battling (to the death!) China's invaders in scenes vaguely reminiscent of territory already explored spectacularly in IP MAN. Of course, the fight choreography is incredible TRUE LEGEND arguably contains some of the best hand-to-hand contact put to film but the story suffers as a consequence. These two halves are introduced and bridged by graphics which serve to `fill in the gaps' between Su Can's filmed adventures; it's a serviceable technique ... it just isn't all that interesting.

It's worth mentioning that one of the greatest strengths of the film aside from the martial arts, of course is the talent of the actors. As the Su Can, leading man Man Cheuk Chiu brings not only tremendous physical prowess to the role but also he almost exudes a classic `leading man' charisma; when he's onscreen, he owns the screen, and everything accompanying him bends to his obvious charm. As the nefarious Yuan Lie, Andy On snarls his way through scene after scene, doing his best to match Su Can's graciousness with equal parts venom; these two men are brilliantly paired for the respective roles of `good' versus `evil', and the film benefits greatly from their opposing chemistry. Xun Zhou is suitably lovely and demure as Su Can's wife and sister to Yuan Lie; she's photographed beautifully and is clearly seen as the inspiration to these two opposing forces. Like Helen of Troy, it's not hard to see how her loveliness brought these two men into conflict. The remainder of the players all perform suitably, though some feel underused (as was the aforementioned Michelle Yeoh), but they're most inconsequential to the film's narrative focus.

All in all, TRUE LEGEND is entertaining. Throughout, it's smartly photographed, well-staged, and flows gracefully like a martial arts routine from start to finish. It just felt more than a bit incomplete to me. I would rather have enjoyed a greater exploration of these characters perhaps a handful more of the subtle moments explored between husband and wife Su Can and Yuen Ying which may've ended up on the cutting room floor or were deemed unnecessary to the fight pace set by the film. A few other scenes could've pushed the creative envelope, and they could've gone a long way toward honoring the `truth' and `legend' implied by the film's title.

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I rented this movie because I am a big Michelle Yeoh fan, but she only had a small non fighting role. Nevertheless, I was still enjoying the movie a lot until the story changed into the drunken kung-fu plot line. After that, I sort of lost interest in the story and the over the top fight scenes.

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I highly recommend this movie as it's inspirational and moving. The action is great and I believe that this might have been the last appearance of David Carradine in an asian film before his passing. Vincent Zhao is an amazing Martial Artist and actor!

Discount Starchaser - Legend of Orin (1985)

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Starchaser is a space opera along the same lines as Star Wars. You have the evil villain in a cape, spaceships blowing up each other, lasers flashing with neat noises, robots cracking jokes, heroes saving the day. You have it all. What ties it all together is a rather simple story that has been executed well. While some may find Starchaser too derivative I see a lot of charm in it.

The movie's biggest claim to fame is how they rotoscoped cell animation over computer animation to make various elements of the movie have a very fluid effect. This is especially true for the spaceships, which are pretty awesome for a movie made in the mid-80's. The rotoscoping technique gives a level of freedom of movement in the spaceship scenes that really stand out from anything else in this era. It's really a treat to watch the Starchaser weave around gun turrets and blasting away the bad guys.

The rest of the animation is close to what you saw on movies like Rock and Rule and to a lesser extent Heavy Metal. Solid cel drawings with decent to good animation, but not Disney quality. The original film was in 3D, but there is no 3D here. Probably a good thing considering 3D DVD's aren't exactly popular. The movie more than makes up for the lack of 3D and non-Disney quality with a clever script and excellent voice cast. You'll find yourself loving one or more of the characters because of the voice talents and what they say.

Now it's been said that Starchaser is just a Star Wars rip-off, and if you look for it you will probably say that too. You have a young "out of touch with the modern world" hero with a sword that cuts through about anything, a wisecracking smuggler who is also captain of a starship (the Starchaser), a prissy comic foil in the ship's computer, and a villian with all the stereotypical profiles for a space opera villain (just like Darth Vader had). In all fairness Star Wars was a rip-off of the classic space operas from the old Saturday morning matinees so keep that in mind when passing judgement. Also most who make this judgement tend to not see the things that make this movie different from Star Wars, and there is enough to do so. It's not like comparing Fisful of Dollars with Yojimbo (which are practically identical movies). More like comparing Rocky with The Karate Kid (same themes, but different approach and story path).

Now that the DVD version is finally here you can get this movie in it's original widescreen format. The only copies you could have gotten in the past were full frame and were either on VHS tape or transferred from VHS tape. Now this DVD is a no frills deal. There is no remastering to clean up the picture so you will see a fair amount of dirt, which is to be expected for a long neglected title. The sound is actually pretty good and in true stereo, but it's not Dolby Digital. There are no special features that I have found. Not even a trailer. Oh well. At least we finally have it on DVD. And the price definitely makes it worth a look.

The movie is PG for violence and mild language (very mild by today's standards). I suppose the movie can be a tad too violent for the youngest of viewers, but if they can handle Star Wars there shouldn't be a problem. If you enjoy space opera this movie should suite you just fine. If you're into animated science fiction that's on the lighter side you should get a kick out this too. Personally I love it in spite of any shortcomings others might find.

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Just to let all know who already don't, Starchaser The Legend Of Orin was originally released as a 3-D animated movie spectacular (poster read "The Best 3-D Movie Ever Made!") in movie theaters back in 1985. It would be fantastic if it was 3-D on DVD, but from what is stated above, thankfully presented in the original widescreen format we all enjoy...this movie is TRULY an animated classic with definite rereleased "Star Wars" characters, though it has a completely different story and entertainment value the animation is at times old-fashioned, but all spacecraft and building interiors are in incredibly illustrated 3-dimensional artwork enhanced with CG technology. The motion is beautiful and exciting to watch and all the characters play such great parts in the film, and the whole picture changes from place to place every few minutes showing off completely different alien lands and creatures. The beginning takes place somewhere the rest of the movie doesn't, which always makes a great thrill for a space adventure about to happen...it's got creepy alien creatures, plenty of excellent action, classic super villians and anything else you'd ever want in both a space fantasy and an animated motion picture. Best replay value ever due to the extremely worn-out copy I personally have on old school VHS a 5-star family adventure film for sure (even the rest of my own family loved it!) in 3-D or not!

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Somewhere underground of a planet where a race of humans are enslaved to dig for a evil baron named "Zygon", a slave named "Orin" discovers a special magic bladeless sword that has the power to create an invisible magic blade to kill enemies as he is the master of the sword, his quest is to dig up to the upper world to find the blade that he must seek. During his mission, he joins up with a smuggler named "Dagg", two robots "Arthur" & fembot " Silica" and a beautiful princess to save his home planet, defeat Zygon and free the people of the mine-world.

Often refered to as a "Star Wars" rip-off, but i think this is a wonderfully animated and nicely made animated Korean/US produced Sci-fi fantasy romp for adults ( not really for kids). For it's time, it contained some early CGI and was originally in 3-D, But still i think it's a wonderful animated movie that i recommend for fans of "Star Wars", Sci-fi, fantasy and animation alike.

Also recommended: Heavy Metal, Rock and Rule, Star Wars saga, Titan A.E., Treasure Planet, Flash Gordon, Spaceballs, Transformers The Movie, Fire and Ice, Wizards, Princess Mononoke, Nauiscca: Valley of the Wind, Star Trek movie series, Krull, The Dark Crystal, Project A-Ko.

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This movie is enjoyable for older children as well as adults who remember both the Dragon's Lair and Space Ace Video games. Younger children may have trouble with the concepts of the movie and the undertones may not be approriate for small children. Over all, very interesting plot remiscent of Star Wars and other movies that have a "chosen one" in it.

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I had first seen this movie on TV a long time ago. I was lucky enough to catch it again and tapd it on VHS. I was thrilled when I saw that it was now out on DVD and had to buy it.

Wonderful cartoon type movie about a boy that was raised in the mines of a furture world. He finds a way out and discovers all about life above as well as his desire for revenge, to go back for his brother, and that not all things are as they seem. Very funny moments, action, some blood and death scenes are well. All in all, a great movie that you'll watch again and again.