Reviews of The Adventures of Tintin (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital

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A film by Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg, story by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish and starring Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig and Pegg & Frost. Sounds good, doesn't it? But 'ware! The subject is one of the most cherished icons of 20th century child's story-telling, held dear by pretty much anyone of a "certain age" and transferred from a distinctive style to modern CGI animation. The potential to fail is strong in this one...

Briefly, the story is a mash-up of three well known episodes in the Tintin canon, The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn, and Red Rackham's Treasure. Tintin (Bell) meets Captain Haddock (Serkis) and embark on an action packed search for the Captain's ancestor's treasure trove. They are joined by two of the more fondly remembered of Tintin's associates, Thompson and Thomson played by Pegg and Frost, (or is it Frost and Pegg?) and stalked by arch criminal Ivan Sakharine (Craig).

The film is produced using performance capture animation and it bridges the gap between a live action film and the straight "cartoon" of the Bernasconi animated series. Obviously Tintin purists will have their objections as the film does take *some* liberties with the "look", but to the ordinary audience member, the end product is both impressive and reverential to Herge. If there are any objections to the CGI animation (and there are a few minor ones) I think it's important to remember that the art and technology of CGI is still developing and it would be churlish to criticise too strongly. One criticism I have heard is that the emotional expression of the characters suffers in the CGI process. I'll have none of that! The characters' faces are expressive and readable and it is quite easy eventually to forget that they *are* CGI and my wife came out of the cinema remarking that the make-up was very good and she didn't recognise Andy Serkis at all!

Most importantly, the animation really does keep the faith with Herge's vision (Herge even appears in a small cameo in the opening sequence) in almost every way. The characters are depicted as 3D versions of his original ligne claire artwork (without the lignes) and it's a big relief that the story is set in the 1940's Tintin universe, "somewhere in Europe", plus-fours, bowler hats, rusty tramp-steamers, schmeisser machine guns and sea-planes galore. The film really retains the film noir "feel" of the original and that will be important to Tintin's fans. The "scenery" is, like Herge's comics, sumptuously populated and I was crying out for a remote control to pause and rewind the film so that I could revisit some of the little details that I half-missed the covers of magazines carelessly tossed onto desktops, the contents of the desk's partly opened drawers, little cameo sequences that take place at the edge of the screen while the main action is front and centre, the array of faces in The Milanese Nightingale's audience and so-on. The film has *huge* rewatch potential and I will be pre-ordering the DVD as soon as it becomes available for this reason alone!

The acting is brilliant and all the performers really bring their characters to life. Bell does a fine job and Serkis and Pegg and Frost convey their slapstick antics extremely well. It's good that the actors' performances don't overwhelm the characters' already well-developed personalities. While I've heard some criticism that Serkis overcooks his Haddock, I disagree the Captain is a larger-than-life personality and Serkis does a fine job with this wonderful character. I am aching, however, to meet Professor Calculus in a sequel (please let it be Destination Moon)!

Ol' Steve has been around a while, now and knows a thing or too about the action/adventure genre and he really lets rip with this one. Indiana Jones for kids? I'll say. The action is breath-taking and at nearly two hours in length it's a rollercoaster ride. The motorcycle chase scene, filmed in a single continuous take is the centrepiece of the film. Spielberg bundles you into the sidecar and takes you on a break-neck race, bouncing you off the walls, leaping chasms and leaving you, several minutes later, sitting in a small cloud of dust with steam coming off the seat of your pants and little cork-screws of sweat radiating off your head. The "Long Take" scene is becoming a bit of a cliche in modern cinematography and, I think, looks a little ostentatious in live action film, but in animation it works rather well and left me exhausted and deeply satisfied. And it doesn't let up in true Spielberg/Indy style, the film barely slows down for a minute. There's plenty of good, Herge slapstick, not too overdone and obeying the hallowed traditions of visual comedy, and genuine laugh out loud moments aplenty.

In the final analysis, The Adventures of Tintin is a top notch family film. It will, like any film of this sort, have its detractors; but what Jackson and Spielberg have achieved is a joyful, exuberant whoop of a film that will appeal to kids of all ages (i.e. anywhere between about 5 and 85) and will offend none but the hardest of Tintin die-hards.

Did we enjoy it? Ten thousand thudering typhoons! Of course we did!

Six stars

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The Tintin graphic novels follow an unlikely protagonist: a mile mannered, sharp-witted young reporter. There are about two dozen of them, artfully drawn, with a recurring cast of colorful characters woven through various tales. The books have been translated in 50 languages. 200 million copies have been sold around the world, but, oddly, not many of these are in America. That makes Tintin something of a rare gem here, and he's part of my family culture. I worried that Speilberg would spoil the magic, ruin the brand. Somehow, he didn't. At all. The film is brilliant.

Not only did it capture the tone, pace, and geographic sweep of the novels, it also caught so many details -facial features of minor characters, body posture, personalities, villains, props, gags, cameo appearances, gestures, curses. It is all there. The motion capture style made it almost lifelike, but clearly not. Just like the novels.

It's as if the books had come alive. Another clever adventure with colorful characters in foreign lands half a century ago. Nice to see so many old friends, looking good after all these years.

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The Adventures of Tintin is an enjoyable well done adaptation of the books by Herge. For somebody that knows nothing about Tintin, this is an Indiana Jones-esque story that is fun and action packed. For the Tintin aficionado, this is an amalgamation of three books with some parts that are needlessly extended.

March 13, 2012 Update: Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital Copy arrived today. The Digital copy is two different things, a real live downloadable copy through iTunes and the horrible streaming Ultraviolet copy. The "deluxe" Blu-Ray version includes an access code for both types of on computer viewing. The Blu-Ray disc is very nice. I saw the original movie in 3D at the theater. I don't miss the 3D effect, and frankly the sound was better at home on my home theater system. This is a disc well worth buying.

The opening credits are almost worth the price of admission. The roughly 3 minutes of credits go through almost all the stories. The graphics are very similar to the books.

Tintin, a journalist, buys a model ship at a flea market. It turns out a lot of other people want that ship. There is a bit of mystery, a bit of action, and treasure hunt in the story. The movie is based mostly on the Unicorn series (The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure) and The Crab with the Golden Claws. I love the homage to Herge at the beginning of the film, he is the artist doing Tintin's portrait at the flea market.

My criticism of the film is the embellishment of a number of scenes. I think the original story left the right kind of gaps in the story to keep me thinking. The film tended to fill in those gaps and lead me too much down the primrose path; I didn't have to think very much with this film. The real pleasure of Tintin is that a person has to think about these stories. The other piece I didn't care for was bringing in Castefiore the opera singer. She really doesn't belong in this story, but Spielberg and Jackson seem to have felt she was a plausible addition.

This was filmed in motion capture animation. The film looked really good. That technique has a tendency to look almost too realistic and creepy, not in this film. There was just enough cartoon character to the film, that I never thought this was trying to imitate real life. I saw this in 3D, and can't say it was necessary I think the film will work just fine in 2D.

I really liked the cast. The voices were excellent choices; Jamie Bell is simply fantastic as Tintin. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz (Widescreen Edition)) are so perfect as Thompson and Thompson.

I am a Tintin fan. We have the full DVD set of all the cartoons (these were only available in Canada for a long time and ran on Nickelodeon back in 1991). We also own many of the books. I even have some original antique paper comic books from the early days. I am not a true aficionado of the series, but have loved the original series in French and English.

The film is rated PG. Compared to television cartoons, just about any age child could watch this. There's animated violence. The story is a little bit complex, but most children will catch on easily.

Almost two years ago I heard that The Adventures of Tintin was in development. I hoped that it would eventually see the light of day in a theater. I am so happy this film was made. It is a wonderful film of my favorite comic book series. This is by far the best filming that has ever been done. The DVD cartoons are very literal translations of the books, with exactly the same graphics and almost the same dialog. The two French live action movies are both pretty campy and not exactly the best films in the world. They stick to the book story lines pretty literally. They are only available in French with no subtitles at all (Tintin: Le Mystere de la Toison D'or / Les Oranges Bleues (French Version)).

The Adventures of Tintin is a wonderful film. I enjoyed this film very much.

By the way, Marlinspike is a real chateau in France, it is Château de Cheverny. The chateau is larger than in the cartoon or books but it is the model Herge used to draw Marlinspike Hall. The grounds look exactly like the cartoon (it's pretty darn amazing to walk up to this Chateau and see exactly what Herge used as his model).

The original cartoons are available on DVD:

The DVD Box set:

The Adventures of Tintin, Vols. 1-5

The Adventures of Tintin, Vols. 6-10

The 2011 film:

The Adventures of Tintin

The new DVD releases:

The Adventures Of Tintin: Season One

The Adventures Of Tintin: Season Two

The Unicorn 2 part cartoon is also available on Amazon Instant Video:

The Secret Of The Unicorn, Part 1

The Secret Of The Unicorn, Part 2

Red Rackham's Treasure and The Crab With The Golden Claws are available on Amazon Instant Video. I've included links to those two books in the comments section below.

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I've read the Tintin comic books (have all the hardcover sets they sell here on Amazon), and have seen the Nelvana cartoon series (which is pretty much completely lifted from the comic books). Love them all! So many times I have been disappointed when Hollywood takes something I love, adapts it to the big screen, and completely ruins it so that any resemblance between the movie and the original is pure coincidence. With Spielberg and Jackson at the helm, I expected a high quality production, but what about the actual story?

This movie takes elements from three Tintin books "The Crab with the Golden Claws", "The Secret of the Unicorn", and "Red Rackham's Treasure". Most of "The Crab..." that's in the movie is about how Tintin and Captain Haddock met. In "Unicorn", the flea market scenes actually took place AFTER Tintin and Haddock met, as Tintin had bought the model ship as a gift for his friend. But in the movie, he bought the ship before he met Haddock.

But unless you are that much of a stickler for details, this shouldn't matter. With the exception of these few details, the story was very true to the books and the Nelvana animated series. What was even better was how the characters were written; I am sure Herge would have approved, as they were just as he intended them to be. All the personality quirks of Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock, Thomson & Thompson, etc all there as we remember them. I thought they did a great job with the casting, as well.

I was afraid they'd ruin this movie by doing something dumb like bringing on a love interest for Tintin (something that never happened in the books, but Hollywood often can't leave stuff alone). This is an adventure story, not a romance, and it was wise of Spielberg/Jackson to treat it as such.

The ending of the movie left me begging for a sequel. I hope they do make one, and it's to the same standards as this one. This Tintin fan loved it!

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I was amazed by the animation. However, early on, I found some of the characters and/or their actions annoying. Astoundingly, the action sequences are boring -not exciting -with too much happening for no particular point. I never felt involved in the story or really cared. Tintin has promise as a character as well as Snowy, the dog. I ran the second half of the movie at 1.5x speed and felt even at that that the movie was too long for what it contained. A thin -though visually stunning -gruel, indeed. There's a kernel of a movie in there somewhere. Too bad two of the most famous directors in the world couldn't find it.

Disneynature: Oceans (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010) Review

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On this Earth Day, let us reflect that, while environmental improvements have been made, more work needs to be done. Three scenes late in Disneynature's "Oceans" demonstrate this with chilling sincerity. The first shows a number of hapless exotic sea creatures struggling to free themselves from the snare of gigantic fishing nets. They were not meant to get caught the blue tuna were, a species endangered due to overfishing. The second scene is comprised of satellite imagery, which to the naked eye reveals nothing out of the ordinary. But with the help of scanning technologies, we're able to see black tendrils of pollution flowing out to sea from populated coastlines. The third shows an island of trash, mostly plastics, floating listlessly in the water. A sunken shopping cart seems to genuinely confuse a nearby sea lion, and it might even have affected its ability to survive.

One of this movie's strengths is that it doesn't gloss over these unpleasant details, nor does it spare the audience of unfortunate realities where there are sea lions, there are also hungry sharks and orcas, and where there are newborn sea turtles, there are also dive-bombing birds. At the same time, it doesn't bombard you with them; if anything, it's a celebration of sea life, a reminder that, in spite of humanity's interference, life does indeed go on.

It's above all a magnificently written and beautifully photographed expose of ocean life. This is the second Disneynature documentary, the first being last year's "Earth," the reedited and redubbed version of the BBC and Discovery Channel miniseries "Planet Earth." Despite its breathtaking imagery and entertaining narration, it felt terribly condensed, and the plight of the various animal families seemed manufactured, almost like ... well, almost like a Disney film. "Oceans" wisely avoids this issue by not applying human traits to the animals; this time around, they're not characters in a story so much as subjects being observed. If the filmmakers were to spend all their time following two or three animal groups over a given period of time, the movie would fail to show just how immensely diverse marine life truly is.

Over the course of four years, directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud captured footage from over fifty locations, revealing all manner of aquatic creatures both above and below the ocean surface. Some are gruff and ugly, like the rockfish. Some are surprisingly beautiful, like the blanket octopus, whose long, flowing tentacles give the appearance of a scarf lost in a current. Some are adorable, like the otters that freely float on their backs in the open waters off Monterey Bay. Some are bizarre, like the dragonfish, which can only survive in the waters of the China Sea. Some are naturally acrobatic, like the school of sardines able to form perfect cones and spheres. Some are frightening, like spider crabs that attack one another in multitudes so vast, we cannot see the ocean floor when the camera pulls up for a wide shot.

The film is narrated by Pierce Brosnan, who sounds not like a stuffy nature show host but like a man telling a story he genuinely finds fascinating. His voice has an appealing warmth to it, a soothing and clam quality that seems to be saying, "It's all right that's what we call the circle of life." Indeed, it isn't easy watching a shark make a meal out of a sea lion. It is, however, amusing to watch sea lions sunbathing lazily on the beach, getting comfortable with seemingly no effort at all. It's also heartwarming to see a mother walrus swimming with her calf. In documentaries such as this, one must take the bad with the good. This is especially true for younger audiences, who may not be aware of what happens out in the wild.

It's appropriate, then, that the filmmakers should include something about how we as a species affect our oceans. Show children the trash floating in the water, and the pollution running off from our rivers, and the animals caught in the fishing nets. This is what we have done and continue to do. It may only be a small sampling, but at least it makes them aware of it. And yet, there's no sense that the filmmakers are shaming or condemning us; if anything, they continuously try to instill a sense of optimism that we can, in fact, take steps to reverse the damage we've caused. I like this approach. We need to love our planet, but we don't need to feel guilty about who we are.

"Oceans" is not merely entertaining and wonderfully shot. It's also insightful, and it effectively covers a wide range of topics in the space of just over 100 minutes. Despite its G rating, it doesn't pander to its young audience by making the animals overly sentimental; it simply presents them as they are, good and bad alike. It also has a point that it wants to argue, namely that we must know about our oceans if we're to protect them. This movie works nicely as a standalone piece, but it might do better as the first step in an ongoing quest for knowledge. Isn't it great when a film can do more than entertain, when it can actually inspire people to educate themselves and take part in something important?

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I saw this movie with my two grandsons and can not wait for its release in October. I'm pre-ordering it now so I'll have it as soon as it becomes available. The cinematography is indeed fantastic and there is no need to rate it any lower because of the narration. This is a must have in your collection! When my son-in-law inquired if his 4 and 6 year olds thanked Papa for taking them to the movie, the six year old immediately replied "thanks Papa". After a short time, and following another request from the father, the four year old replied, "I'm NOT thanking him for making me watch a great white eat a seal!" There are a few graphic scenes but they are REAL big fish do indeed eat little fish.

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I am a fan of movies like planet earth, life. I really like this movie. But, French version BD DVD is 103 min while US theater version is 82min. I hope the US BD DVD would be full version.

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It's not a bad film, but after seeing Planet Earth, I had higher expectations, and thought Disney would be up for the challenge. I bought it for my son and thought the voice of "Thomas the Train" (Pierce Brosnan) would hold his interest, but I think it put him to sleep instead. I also didn't love the script. A bit silly, just going on about how we have to be *in* the ocean to *understand* the ocean. Got a bit old.

Seriously, Planet Earth is that much more amazing, and for a few dollars more, you get more discs and a 100 times the visuals and experience.

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At first glance I thought this movie was just rehashed footage from the series Blue Planet, or Planet Earth...I was wrong. This is not like Disney Natures Earth movie which was recycled footage from The BBC series Planet Earth, this is all new, breathtaking, gorgeous underwater footage. In my opinion, one of the most artistic beautiful nature films I have seen...and I have seen tons! This is also one of the best films to show off HD TV picture quality and sound! I did notice the look of the footage has been altered to give it a more cinematic look. it is almost like they applied some kind of filter to bleach out the whites and give the blues a richer tint. This might bother some purists, but I think it really enhances the mood of the film. Most modern nature films are altered in some way. The only negative of the film was the awful pop song in the end credits that does not fit in at all with the rest of the film...why Disney...why did you do that to this film? Oh well, at least it's only for the credits.

I rented this movie through netflix, but I liked it so much I decided to cruise over to Amazon and buy it. Man, the price of these disney nature movies are really up there! I also wanted to buy "The Crimson Wing" another great Disney nature film, but these are both in the $26-29 dollar range...What the heck disney! I can buy the whole Planet Earth or Life series for a few dollars more (If I didn't already have them). Disney is one of the few companies that could afford to drop prices a bit, but I guess that's what made them as big as they are today. I may have to buy these used or get them on ebay. I wish bluray prices would come down a bit.

Anyways, the film is great, and I can't wait to see "African Cats" in 2011!

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Julie Taymor once again uses her considerable innovative magic to create a film that not only is mesmerizingly beautiful to watch, but also a 'semi-documentary' about the world changes that occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s as young people for the first time spoke out against the war in Vietnam, the death of Martin Luther King, and the senseless mayhem that extended from the battlefields of Vietnam to the streets of America, all set to the significant, timely music of the Beatles. It sounds like an impossible juxtaposition of themes and ideas, but in Taymor's hands it succeeds.

Opening in Liverpool, England (where the Beatles began their impact on music and thought) we met Jude (Jim Sturgess), a working class boy with the gifts of an artist who decides to set off on a sea journey to meet the father he has never known. Once in New York he meets Max (Joe Anderson) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) who represent the wealthy class, but who both show roots of rebellion against the comfortable norm and an objection to the war that is festering like an abscess in the rice paddies of Vietnam. Jude meets his janitor father in a union that is anticlimactic, and in disappointment he falls in with Max, living the artists' life in the Village with free-wheeling singer Sadie (Dana Fuchs), her beau/guitarist JoJo (Martin Luther) and their newest tenant Prudence (T.V. Carpio), an Asian girl trying to find her place in a confusing world. The group eventually bond with music and rebellion mixed with free love and the passion that they can make a difference, while around them racial crises are at a peak and the draft tags many of the young men (including Max) for the war they cannot condone. From all of this turmoil the story builds to a climax leading to some very touching scenes that convey the spirit of the times and the overriding importance of love and understanding in a world torn apart by political and racial crises.

The cast is strong with each of the actors singing their own versions of various Beatle songs very well (the division between singing and spoken dialect favors the former). But the real magic comes from Julie Taymor's mixture of hallucinogenic visuals, wonderfully choreographed crowd scenes, and ingenious movement from reality scenes displayed on the television to the reactive scenes of the world as viewed through the eyes of the youths and the lyrics of the songs. It is at once touching in its ability to recreate a particular period of history and wholly entertaining in the inventive use of music/dance/visual effects/drama. This film is important now and will only increase in stature as a document of that troubled but exciting time in the history of the world. We can only wonder why the youth of today are not responding to the Iraq War in a like manner, or, more uncomfortable to consider, why we, now as adults, can't muster the same degree of distress about the myriad traumas that are still happening 'Across the Universe'. Grady Harp, April 08

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If it were possible to go into the mind and film the imagination, if one could actually get a glimpse of a creative spark and present it as a movie, the end result would look something like "Across the Universe." Here is a film so vibrant, colorful, and imaginative that it practically flies off the screen. It's not something you simply watch; this richly detailed musical fantasy is something you fully experience, from the stunning visuals to the brilliant soundtrack. Few films have successfully incorporated previously written song material into an original story; one notable exception is Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge," in which songs by Elton John, David Bowie, Madonna, The Police, and many others were interwoven. "Across the Universe" gets its inspiration from the music of The Beatles--every song fit the story so naturally, it's almost as if they were specially written for the film.

But as much as I enjoyed it, I can't help but feel that I'm the wrong person to review it; not only have I never listened to the music of The Beatles, I also never lived through the 1960s. "Across the Universe" explores the dynamic atmosphere of that era, from the artistic movements to the social unrest to the turbulent political climate. I can't pretend that I know what the filmmakers were saying or why they were saying it, and I certainly don't know what point The Beatles were trying to make. But I can still appreciate this movie. And I do; "Across the Universe" thrives on energy and ingenuity, and it isn't afraid to tell a simple yet effective love story through music.

The plot focuses on Jude (Jim Sturgess), a young dockworker and artist from Liverpool. He travels to America in search of his father, who was stationed in England during the Second World War. Jude is led to Princeton University, and it's there that he meets Max (Joe Anderson), a freewheeling college student with no apparent goals and no apparent desire to reach any goals. The two instantly click, and for a while, they have a lot of fun. So does Max's sister, Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), a college freshman whose clean-cut appearance masks a progressive mind. As soon as life in New Jersey gets boring, Max and Jude decide to leave for New York, where the Bohemian life can be lived to the fullest. They take residence in a small apartment, already inhabited by Sadie (Dana Fuchs) and her band.

After a while, Lucy joins the group, much to the dismay of her conservative parents. She and Jude quickly fall in love. But as the social climate gets more intense, their relationship gets more complex. The Civil Rights Movement is in full swing, as is the Vietnam War; such unrest cannot be ignored. Ever since losing her high school sweetheart to the War, Lucy's political views have taken a sharp turn to the left--she's now a militant activist, dedicated to bringing about social reform and an end to war and violence. Her feelings only grow stronger when Max is drafted and shipped off to Vietnam. All this puts a strain on Jude and Lucy's relationship, and it only gets worse when Lucy begins collaborating with a radical organization. Can their love survive this turmoil?

Woven all throughout is a myriad of songs, all of which perfectly capture the emotional impact of a given scene. When Max and Jude first meet, "With a Little Help from My Friends" accentuates their high-spiritedness. The drama of "Let It Be" overflows during a race riot, in which a young boy is killed. Confusion and frustration overwhelm as Jude and Max sing "Strawberry Fields," and images of dripping strawberries make an especially strong impact. A love-struck cheerleader named Prudence (T.V. Carpio) sings "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" with regret, knowing that the girl she's dreaming of will never feel the same way. The power of "I Want You" is felt as Max is dragged through an army recruitment center; dancing, squared-jawed soldiers are prominently featured, as are half naked draftees. At one point, they forcefully carry a miniature Statue of Liberty into the jungles of Vietnam.

The four most creative song-numbers feature cameo appearances. Joe Cocker sings "Come Together" just as a guitarist named JoJo (Martin Luther McCoy) enters the city. It's a highly choreographed sequence, featuring a chorus line of prostitutes and office workers. "I Am the Walrus" is a psychedelic trip featuring Bono as the leader of a busload of hippies. Eddie Izzard plays a showman named Mr. Kite, whose circus--"The Benefit of Mr. Kite"--is a bizarre mixture of the fantastic and the frightening, featuring a cast of blue-skinned performers that are anything but human. Salma Hayek appears as a nurse during Max's rendition of "Happiness is a Warm Gun." As he lies on a hospital bed, he tries to get a handle on the fear, anger, and physical pain that have been holding him back.

By the time we hear "Hey Jude" and "All You Need Is Love," the sentimental side of the story hits us like a ton of bricks. And that's exactly what we want. One of the simplest pleasures imaginable is to be young, in love, and free; this movie does a masterful job of giving the audience that same feeling, if only for a little while. "Across the Universe" is one of the most delightful, inventive, and refreshing films of the year, a perfect blend of music, story, and character. To see it is to be emotionally rejuvenated.

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There have been several movies that have tried to make the music of The Beatles a central focus of their reason d'existence. Some like The Beatles' own A Hard Day's Night and Yellow Submarine are perfect, some are not (the dismal "All This and World War Too"). Even the camp classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was so bad it was worth seeing because of the music. Heck, even the forgettable I Am Sam raked in a killer soundtrack thanks to John, Paul, George and Ringo.

But they've got nothing on "Across The Universe." Taking the turmoil and tumult of the sixties and re-imagining it through the lyrics of Beatle's songs, it is a trippy, hallucinogenic ride that is a visual and sonic feast. Jude (from Liverpool, naturally) comes to the US to find his American soldier dad (Robert Clohessy, a regular from Oz The HBO prison drama) only to collide with rich kid renegade Max and then to fall for his sister, Lucy. Suddenly, they find themselves in NYC with a Janis Joplinish landlady, Sadie, and her Jimi Hendrixian boyfriend, Jojo.

The sixties then take their turn into the war, and the drama unfolds as Jude falls for Lucy ("I've Just Seen a Face"), Max finds himself drafted ("I Want You") and Lucy falls under the spell of the anti-war movement leader. Each point is often brilliantly illustrated, and director Julie Taymor tosses subtlety out the window for several of the film's best sequences. In particular, when Prudence sings "I Want To Hold Your Hand" as a lament for a love that can't speak out loud, football players fly through the air and collide as she walks through them. When Max gets to his indoctrination and the exaggerated GI Joes march in "stomp dance" style to "I Want You," it's breathtaking. While the narrative occasionally falters, the visuals and set pieces never do.

Of course, there is the music. While there's nothing earth-shattering here, all the actors acquit themselves just fine. The small handful of cameos are great, especially Joe Cocker singing "Come Together" as three different characters, and Bono playing the Ken Keasey Electric Kool-Aid guru Dr Robert on the magic bus, promoting his new book titled (heh heh) "I Am The Walrus." (I could have done without Eddie Izzard's "Being for The Benefit of Mr Kite," even if the sequence is sufficiently madcap.) But this isn't a sloppy kaleidoscope like the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1978 Soundtrack was; other than the three men mentioned prior, there are no stars here. In particular, Sadie (Dana Fuchs) and Jojo (Martin Luther McCoy) give dynamite performances, and other than Evan Rachel Wood, the cast is relatively unknown.

I really can't say enough about the pleasure I got from "Across The Universe, and it may be the first time you walk into a theater humming the songs. I was skeptical at first, because many of the reviews I'd read were not kind. But I have a feeling many of them were written by folks of a more tender age, lacking the comprehension of the times portrayed on screen. One of the most fun things about this movie was catching the goofy Beatles' homages sprinkled in the film's dialog (favorite, when Prudence sneaks into the Sadie's communal apartment and someone asked where she comes from, Jude replies "she came in through the bathroom window").

This is also a recommendable movie for one other reason. It isn't. When I say 'it isn't,' I mean, not a sequel, not a rip-off of a TV series (old or new), not a remake and some lowbrow teen sex-romp. There isn't anything cloying or coy, and while the movie is certainly political, the politics you get from it will be what you read out on your own. "Across The Universe" is as relevant today as it was when when The Beatles sang "But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow." Grab your popcorn, sit back, relax and float downstream.

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As someone who was literally a child of the mid late 60's & and a student of the time period, I first want to thank everyone who had anything to do with the making of this film! Your timing could not of been better! You helped me to remember the fervor, passion and idealism that made up the mid-late 60's. It's been many years since I have burst out sobbing in a movie theater! Thanks for helping to lift the fog a bit! As an activist, you have collectively given me some badly needed renewed vigor!

I also feel so very, very sorry for all the critics of this movie who don't have a clue about what all this means, or whose hearts have grown so hard with such bitterness, cynicism or despair; or have just simply sold-out; or plain no longer care! All your ranting and raving and nay saying won't do a thing to take away one moment of the adventure, creativity, experimentation, excitement or passion that made this time in history so great!

I also what to thank the brilliant filmmakers for paying homage to so many important cultural icons, organizations and events of the period: Walter Cronkite, the greatest broadcaster of the 20th century. Baba Olatunji, the Nigerian Drummer and social activist, his double looked like he came right off the Drums of Passion album cover! I can now see him smiling from heaven! The tremendous scene with Bread and Puppets, a living, breathing, direct link to 1960's radicalism, warmed my heart! You even went up to their stronghold in Glover, Vermont, to film part of the scene! Bravo! The SDS (Students for a Democratic Society), which did not advocate violence, and the much smaller splinter-group that morphed into an organization advocating extreme measures, called the Weather Underground. The brave Martin Luther King, Jr. and his intervention in a labor dispute, which cost him his life. The historic occupation of the Ivy League, Columbia University by its students protesting both the Vietnam war and the intense poverty that surrounded the school. Ken Kesey and his legendary bus. The Jimi Hendrix & Janice Jopplin characters who show such dignity, and a passion for music. And, of course, the Beatles! Their music reaches deep into my soul. You gave me insights into the meaning of their tunes that after all these years never crossed my mind!

I also enjoyed being bathed in all the very colorful special affects. The 60's and early 70's were a time of outrageously bold colors and design. Something brilliantly portrayed in Across the Universe! The only film I intend to purchase on DVD that has been released this year!

Rehearsing With Gods: Photographs and Essays on the Bread & Puppet Theater, Bread and Puppet Theatre (Theater) Volume 2, The New Radicals in the Multiversity and Other Sds Writings on Student Syndicalism (Sixties Series), Drums of Passion

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For the extra money I spent on the 3 disc set, I would have been just as happy (happier) with the two disk set. Unless you are totally into listening to a music director and dance choreographer technically discuss their art, it is not worth it. The original DVD and extra disk are amazing enough.

Chronicle (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo +Digital Copy) (2012) Review

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Perhaps no other phrase in the comic book genre applies to daily life as much as Spider-Man's famous, "With great power comes great responsibility." Such a phrase has guided Spider-Man throughout his career, but occasionally the thought comes up: what if he didn't follow this famous mantra, and instead used his powers for selfish reasons? While "Chronicle" may not be related to Spider-man, it perfectly explores what would happen if the famous saying was ignored.

"Chronicle" follows three high school kids who have pretty ordinary lives: one is running for class president, one is the shy type whom nobody likes, and the last is the outgoing, energetic type. One night, while at a rave, the three come across something mysterious, and find themselves in possession of powers that allow them to manipulate things with their minds. As expected, they start off doing pranks (like using a leaf blower on skirts, for example), but as time goes on, being in possession of so much power can be dangerous...and even deadly.

Even among the glut of superhero and found-footage films, "Chronicle" manages to stand out, in most-part, due to that it's not really a superhero film: rather, it's really a story about how absolute power corrupts absolutely. While I was watching the movie, I was really surprised to find myself being more interested in the teens, rather then the powers they wield. All three are best friends, and they're good at heart, but are not above using their powers to mess with people's heads. Andrew, in particular, is one of the most interesting film teenagers I've seen in recent memory, due to his miserable home life, and how he reacts with his new-found abilities. Yet, from the beginning, it's clear that the power is inevitably going to corrupt the teens, which leads to a extraordinarily powerful third act that that genuinely had me more interested in what Andrew and the others were going to do, and not in the action that was taking place around them.

Even though there have arguably been too many superhero and found footage films over the past few years, "Chronicle" manages to feel fresh and exciting. While it's faults are few (the CGI is at times a bit obvious), the strength of it's storytelling more then makes up for any flaws. It's an unexpectedly gripping and thrilling film that focuses on the emotional consequences of how extraordinary powers corrupt ordinary people, rather then on spectacle and action, as other films would have done, and for that, I highly recommend it.

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{4.5 stars}

Reading some of the other reviews of "Chronicle," I was a little reluctant to bother watching it. Yet another "found footage" film--maaannn, when are they going to realize that this technique has been done to death?--and there's not even any logical reason to use it here. Nevertheless, I was very impressed with what this film's creators were able to do. Really fine acting and storyline: The way the three very different protagonists interact is quite convincing. "Chronicle" also aptly portrays adolescent/high school existence, an age so many films screw up with clichés and stereotypes. Very true-to-life dialogue: Whoever wrote the script did an outstanding job. All the Greek morality play elements, the theme of hubris, etc, add a great deal. Special effects are good but not too Hollywood-slick, which makes them all-the-more convincing. Humankind's common desire, unaided flying, is portrayed without strings attached: The flight scenes are, well, awesome, and they also capture the complications of achieving this dream. Plenty of surprises--love the ending.

Still, "Chronicle" would benefit from a little more-in-general (only 84 minutes?!), which is, I suppose, the best sort of flaw a film can have.

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I'm pretty sure that I've seen most if not all of the genre now called "found footage" films, going back the grandmother of them all "The Blair Witch Project." I've liked some and not others pretty much like any other film. One common thread is a theme of dread, relatively unknown actors and filmmakers, and low budget. Fine, no problem. Director Josh Trank throws a few wrinkles into the camera footage by not limiting the filming to just one camera. This iteration incorporates a friend's use of a camera (school reporter doncha know), hospital security cameras, helicopter cameras, etc. and then shows it edited together to get the movie.

Our 3 teenage "heroes" being a little tipsy coming from a party find a big hole in the ground and decide to slip into it and see what's what. Some alien remnants (I guess) are discovered that put out some intergalactic emission that gives the 3 boys supernatural powers. As they discover their powers, they begin to innocently play tricks on each other and eventually other people. As their use increases, so does their strength. As one points out, the gift is like a muscle. The more you use it the stronger it becomes. Eventually they do attain strength and even the ability to fly. In other words, Superman/boy without the costume.

One of the boys, Andrew (Dane DeHaan) has always been an outcast and socially shy. His mother is gravely ill with some undisclosed respiratory problem and his father is an out of work fireman who hits the bottle and his son. His cousin Matt (Alex Russell) is one of those cool kids but not in the athletic hierarchy. Finally there is Steve (Michael B. Jordan) who is at the peak of high school cool. An athlete, class president and on his way to a political career. Eventually, Andrew realizes by using his powers he too can become cool, but alas he stumbles when he tries to bed one of his classmates. He's never the same. He becomes violent and tragedy ensues.

Cousin Matt becomes the eventual voice of reason and tries to reel in Andrew. The film certainly has its moments. The interaction between the guys seems legit. Yet there is something not quite right about Andrew complete personality change. It's like Bruce Banner changing into The Hulk. The other two are not affected this way. Even at a crisp 84 minute running time, the final flying/destruction sequence seems to go on forever. And I couldn't help thinking; did we really need to use the "found footage" technique with this story?

Honest reviews on Chronicle (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo +Digital Copy) (2012)

Another in a line of films portrayed as actual footage later found. Filmed documentary styles, the movie tells the story of three high school boys who encounter some sort of alien ship or something, and then acquire superhuman powers of telekinesis. Predictably, things spiral out of control for the three. This is a realistic, and quite good film about a young man with problems who is unable to control the powers he discovers. His two friends try to help, but they are unable to control him. This one was a pleasant surprise and is the best movie of its kind since Paranormal Activity.

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Action/adventure, huh? More like suspense/horror with elements of drama! Chronicle is one of the craziest films I've seen in a while. It's about three teenage boys who happen to stumble across telekinesis powers hidden deep in the ground that was apparently brought to earth by aliens (though it was never actually stated but we can only assume since all logic points to alien creatures). When the teens leaves the hole... let's just say, they'll never be the same again! The movie takes the familiar theme of having one of the characters walk around holding a home video camera, which reminds me of the Blair Witch Project but a *thousand* times more exciting and suspenseful.

Some of these segments will truly blow your mind. Everything from money being ejected from a cash register, to a bus way up high in the air flying through a building, to the teenagers learning they have the ability to fly, to windows exploding and police officers and cars flying backwards... everything that makes special effects entertaining is right here. These powers are also used to trick people such as a lady who comes out of a grocery store and discovers that her vehicle had been parked in another spot, lol. The boys also use these powers in a negative way such as pushing an impatient driver off the road and over a guardrail. Not to mention they find out the hard way what happens when they exploit these special powers and believe they're unstoppable. Let's just say, the consequences will HAVE to be taken into consideration then.

The one thing that sort of bugs me is that the teen whose mother was lying hopelessly sick in bed... shouldn't he have at least *tried* to use his special powers to save her life? Anyway this same boy has a father (or stepfather) who's an absolute jerk and doesn't mind smacking his son around, and the telekinesis powers are most rewarding during this segment. Whereas the first 10 minutes are really boring and lousy, the final 20 minutes that show the ultimate confrontation on the streets of Seattle are enough to elevate the overall rating to 5 solid stars. Really strange movie. I'll have nightmares tonight! Recommended to everyone!

Buy Megamind (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010)

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I'm not going to go into a play by play detail of the movie. There are plenty of them out there. In my opinion, the movie was outstanding. It was so much better than what you would expect upon seeing the advertisements. So if you had planned on not seeing the movie because of the advertisements or you just don't dig on "kid movies" I suggest you throw those thoughts out the window and watch the movie and judge for yourself. It has a lot of action, of course, but it also has a lot of heart. Plus, if you're a fan of excellent animation, MegaMind is above the curve in that department. Such expressive facial features and body movements, little details that would be easy to forget or overlook, you realize add so much richness to the experience. As for the storyline, it had a lot of heart. You feel for the characters. There's a realness to them! And the music! This movie has a phenomenal soundtrack. The music covers a range of music types from artists like Ozzy, AC/DC, Guns n' Roses, Michael Jackson, Elvis, ELO, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Minnie Riperton, and George Thorogood and the Destroyers. Plus, the original score is really really good too.

When I was sitting in the theatre, not knowing what to expect, hoping it would be good, anticipating it would be just another CG kids' movie, I discovered within the first 10 minutes or so that this movie was going to be good. I went back 4 additional times to see it in the theatre after that. I absolutely cannot get enough of this movie. So it being released with a bonus episode, that is just thrilling for me. A little extra MegaMind! Gotta get my fix!

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After some waivering, I decided to see Megamind 3D. I'm a big fan of 3D, and the 3D is done very well. There is no reason to see the 2d version when the 3D is available.

As I said the movie is funny, but not by telling jokes. It's funny in a real way, generally done via sarcasm, goofy grammar usage, and self-deprecation. The plot is a nice change from the typical hero/villain plot, and will keep you interested!

The biggest thing that not many people are mentioning is how brilliantly done the animation is. The images, and scenery are so crisp and vivid, it really is mind blowing. Paired with the 3D effects, this is a visually stunning movie.

I regret waivering on this movie. I almost didn't even bother with it. I'm glad I listened to the good reviews, and took the plunge. It was worth every penny, and every minute spent.

Dreamworks is on a roll.

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I've always loved Dreamworks Movies, with Monsters VS Aliens, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon being the best of the bunch. But Dreamworks has reached a new level of awesome with Megamind.

The movie is not only hilarious and entertaining, but it also has a lot of emotion. There are scenes where you really feel for the main character. You relate to him, everyone can relate to being pushed into becoming something you didn't want to be. All the characters are strong and not annoying at all. The action is superb, and I am so getting this on Blu-Ray because the animation is just great! You can tell Dreamworks has come a long way since Shrek. The relationship between Megamind and Roxanne (the female lead) is funny and sweet at the same time. I love everything about this movie, and I don't think I can find anything wrong with it if I tried. Critics may say it's predicable and cliched, but there are a few twists thrown in that even I didn't expect. This movie, like Megamind, is something special :)

The lesson "Choose your own Destiny" shines through in this movie, and it's great for both kids and adults. I would definitely by the Blu-Ray dvd (comes with a mini movie and a ton of extras) or at least buy the single disc. This movie is just great, and everyone who loves animated movies, superhero movies, or just loves having a good time will love this movie.

Good job Dreamworks, keep it up! (and if it's possible, PLEASE make a sequel!)

Honest reviews on Megamind (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010)

I love Megamind.

I shouldn't. I'm not particularly fond of Will Ferrell, who often seems to be adlibbing to amuse only himself. I'm over the whole "superheroes are celebrities" angle. And at this point I think we all know most villains are just misunderstood.

But Megamind nails it. Ferrell, as Megamind, is a giant blue-headed geek that's easy to sympathize because he's not a muscle-bound villain. He's the scheming nerd to rival Metro Man's (Brad Pitt, but it should have been Bruce Campbell) ridiculous physical stature. Megamind, you see, is a victim of his upbringing, raised in a prison, unlike his rival Metro Man who was raised on a farm. The two go to school together and Megamind learns quickly that being smart isn't the same as being popular.

Tina Fey is pitch-perfect as Roxanne Ritchi, lending a cute lisp to a gal reporter that has played the damsel in distress a dozen times too many. She has the majority of the dialogue and shoulders it well.

Rounding out the cast is Minion (David Cross), a fish in a robotic gorilla suit. Cross, like Ferrell, can occasionally overdo it, but here his comedy is perfectly nuanced as a worrywart mother-figure that happens to be a fish in a gorilla suit. He and Ferrell are a great team, like an old married couple that just happens to share a supervillain lair.

All these characters' fates collide when Megamind finally succeeds in killing Metro Man. Momentarily elated, Megamind discovers that life isn't quite the same without his archnemesis. It leaves him feeling hollow, and Megamind soon comes to realize that the issue isn't Metro Man, but himself. Two competing interests help fill the void in the form of his burgeoning romance with Ritchi (disguised as Bernard) and his mentoring of new superhero Tighten.

There are two other characters that actually carry much of the plot: Bernard (Ben Stiller) and Tighten (Jonah Hill). Bernard is the alter-ego of Megamind, who puts his hologram device to work by disguising himself as a hapless museum curator. Tighten (originally Titan, but kids these days!) is the inverse of Megamind if Megamind is a nerd with outside ambitions, Tighten is a geek with no ambition whatsoever.

What Megamind does so well is contrast the supervillain archetype. Every nerd has faced off against a jock and felt inferior. Every geek secretly harbors a brilliant, raging Megamind-like ego and a needy, insecure Tighten. And for every clean-cut celebrity espousing healthy living and high morals, there's a heavy metal opposite who craves the same spotlight. Megamind and Metro Man are also Gen X heroes, representing the uncertainty of thirty-somethings trying to figure out what they want to be now that they've grown up. The contrast is heightened by Tighten, a Gen Y punk who would rather waste his superhero powers playing videogames (kids these days!).

In the end, what Megamind does best can be summed up in the one word he uses to distinguish a true supervillain from a jerk: PRESENTATION!

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I have hundreds of blu ray discs and its always the animation ones that always look the best. Megamind sets a new standard for animation on blu. Toy Story trilogy was the best looking blu ray by far, but Megsmind to me, blows the others away! The clarity in this 1080p presentation is phenomenal! I cannot get over the detail. I kept getting lost in the imagery, I forgot to pay attention to the movie. And not only is the video awesome, the Dolby Tru HD sound is 7.1 and is spectacular on my 6.1 receiver. I still can't get the best of the soundtrack due to lack of HDMI input on my audio receiver, could only imagine how better this soundtrack could be! The surrounds and subwoofer is really used. If you have blu ray player, do not think the DVD 'upconverted' will be good enough. Wrong! You cannot add video image that is not even there in the first place. I get fed up when people settle for so less when it comes between DVD and blu ray. Hands down, blu ray is FAR superior and this blu ray of Megamind proves my point. It is outrageously awesome!!

Super 8 (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011) Review

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Super 8 is admittedly not a perfect film, but I enjoyed it so much, and was so taken by the characters and the actors playing them, that I didn't really mind the occasional inconsistency or lingering "awed expressions" scene.

Set in a small town in Ohio in 1979, the basic plot centers around Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), a 13-year-old boy whose mother recently died in a factory accident, leaving him with only his father, Jackson (Kyle Chandler), a sheriff's deputy who's a more than decent man but who has never known how to really be a father. Jackson's escape is burying himself in his work, while Joe's is helping his best friend Charles (Riley Griffiths) make an amateur zombie movie with the help of their other friends Preston (Zach Mills), Martin (Gabriel Basso) and Cary (Ryan Lee). But Joe's involvement becomes truly committed when Charles persuades Alice Dainard (Elle Fanning), a girl he secretly has a crush on, to join the project.

Things taken a sudden turn when, in the midst of shooting a midnight scene at the local railroad depot, Joe sees a pickup truck suddenly drive onto the tracks, directly in the path of an oncoming freight train, resulting in a spectacular crash that sends freight cars derailing everywhere and the shocked kids running for cover. The plot quickly thickens when Joe gets a glimpse of something bursting out of one of the freight cars, and when they find the driver of the pickup, badly injured, is Dr. Woodward (Glynn Turman), their biology teacher, who warns them to get away and to never speak of what they've seen to anyone or they and their parents will be killed. And then there's the knocked over Super 8 camera that has been continuing to roll throughout everything, capturing something that no one else saw while they were busy tried not to get crushed by flying debris. Something that will become important later as strange things begin to happen: dogs fleeing the town for no apparent reason, car engines and other pieces of machinery being stolen, people suddenly disappearing. And of course the massive influx of military personnel who are crawling all over everything while their commander, Col. Nelec (Noah Emmerich) blandly insists that there's _nothing_ going on.

The characters are well drawn, fleshed out with real personalities, quirks and flaws, and you very quickly come to care about them. And the actors, most of them either fairly unknown or newcomers, are marvelous, the kids in particular as they're at the heart of the film, but also the adults, particularly Kyle Chandler and Ron Eldard as the two fathers linked and separated by tragedy, each not doing so well at dealing with it. Joel Courtney as Joe has one of those faces that projects everything he's feeling, from the distance he's experiencing with his dad to the secret yet painfully obvious crush he has on Alice. Riley Griffiths as his best friend Charles is a perfect counterpoint, pursuing his film with single-minded determination but holding other things in. Ryan Lee's pint-sized braces-laden (and explosives-crazy) Cary is a riot, as is Gabriel Basso's Martin as the zombie film's leading man who has an unfortunate tendency to puke a lot, while Zach Mills' Preston has the healthiest fear-instinct of the crowd. And last but not least, Elle Fanning's Alice is a wonder, a sensitive girl with her own father issues whose unexpected natural talent at acting leaves the boys with their jaws hanging.

Super 8 is highly derivative, but in a good way. It draws on the best parts of any number of movies from the past, most notably E.T. (1982) and The Goonies (1985) but also films like Joe Dante's Explorers (1985) , The Bad News Bears (1976) and, more recently, Son of Rambow (2007), a little seen but marvelous independent British film about a couple of boys with family issues who bond over making an amateur movie.

Note: in one scene, there's a definite tip-of-the-hat prop taken right out of Spielberg's E.T. Just keep your eyes peeled when the camera closes in on the water tower near the climax of the movie and see if anything looks strikingly familiar.

There are admittedly weak points in the film, mainly where it seems uncertain of just which direction it wants to take or where inconsistencies tend to be glaring. Is the alien dangerous and deadly... or just misunderstood? Is the alien killing people... or just holding on to them for a while? The trouble is that in different parts of the film it's definitely one, but in other parts of the film it's the other. And the climactic lingering "awed expressions" scene does feel at odds with the the life-threatening dangers the characters were experiencing earlier (not to mention the burning shambles half the town has been reduced to). Another weak point is the villain, Col. Nelec (I suspect the name Nelec is an in-joke of some kind), who is never anything but a cliched military bad guy. But as I said, while these things do keep it from being a perfect film, they don't in the end get in the way from it being an engaging and enjoyable one.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes an engaging film that sucks you in and keeps you involved all the way through, and that values story and character over special effects and stars.

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I saw Super 8 at IMAX today. LOVED it and want to see it again, soon! I laughed, I cried, and I jumped up out of my seat 8 times! It was a fun, fun nostalgic ride on an early summer afternoon. The late 1970's music, costumes, location, and set props were right on. Fantastic cinematography, sound design, and special affects.

Ahhhh, but this movie has heart in the story and in the acting. Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, and the new young actor who plays Joe Lamb steal the movie. This 'coming of age' story is set in a more innocent time, before middle schoolers began 'hooking up.' The rest of the kids who make up the motley film crew are believably hilarious. Each cleverly has his or her own specialty in film making. You can only imagine a young JJ Abrams doing the same thing when he was a boy.

Super 8 is not the BEST movie I've ever seen, and the ending is somewhat predictable. But it is the BEST movie I've seen in a long, long time.

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First off, I just finished watching an advance blu-ray copy of this film and the movie and blu-ray transfer blew me away. IMO, this film is one of the very best of 2011 and if you are a fan of "old-fashioned" type drama/suspense films that have to do with extra-terrestrial life and what happens to a small rural community in the late 1970's is truly a film that will stay with you long after the movie's end. To give any more away would be a sin, so I won't.

The blu-ray video and audio is fantastic. The aspect ratio is what appears to be 2.35:1 or thereabouts (Amazon has it wrong at 1.85:1). The video throughout is pristine with vivid colors in the daylight scenes and ink blacks in the night scenes. Details are vivid as you would expect from a top-notch blu-ray transfer. The audio equals the quality of the video and I've had to monitor the volume because I live in an apartment and use a 9.1 speaker configuration. Vocals came mainly from the center speaker along with the two front speakers that sometimes spilled over to the speakers located in the right and left middle ends of the room. Music and sounds were extremely active in all the remaining speakers. This film's sound truly rocked my movie room.

I have over a thousand blu-rays and this film is in the top two of all films made and released in 2011. YES, it is that good!!!

I just pre-ordered this from Amazon.com at the price of $24.99 and that's more than I usually pay for a new movie on blu-ray. I usually wait until the price comes down (which almost always happens) a few months down the road. But this is one film I have to have on release day.

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Super 8 is a remarkably entertaining movie, especially for those of us who lived through the '70's, before working class became coterminous with working poor. If you missed that decade, the ambience provided by the old steel mill town of Weirton, West Virginia may seem implausible and a bit hokey.

The plot line is pretty simple, and I admit that it does invite comparison with another of Spielberg's films, namely the blockbuster hit E.T. The parallels are not so close, however, as to legitimate the suspicion that

Spielberg is just stealing from his past successes and recycling old ideas. After all, the kids in Super 8 are older, the action scenes are astonishing, viewers are treated to a really cleverly done instance of a film within a film, and we've even got romance.

I have no idea where the kid actors came from, but they are very good. Each in his or her own way is engaging and, for the most part, quite believable. The kids are at their best when appearing in their own zombie-themed movie, so be sure to watch it along with the closing credits. It's really interesting to see them portray kid actors making a kid movie -stilted, stiff, and stammering -after they've shown us that none of these afflictions of youth and inexperience hamper their performances in Super 8 proper.

Glyn Turman does a fine job as Dr. Woodward. (He's probably best known as the mayor of Baltimore in the HBO series The Wire, and fans of In Treatment will also recognize him.) The rest of the adult cast is adequate, but it's the kids who steal the show.

I first saw Super 8 in a theater and a year or so later on DVD. I loved it both times. It is, indeed, a lot of fun.

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I think of myself as extremely lucky to of been a little kid when I was in the 80s. It was the perfect time. I was experiencing first hand the filmmakers (and films) that formed my childhood (Spielberg, Lucas, Zemeckis, Dante, etc.) at the height of their powers. E.T., The Goonies, Back To The Future, Gremlins, Stand By Me, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, The Monster Squad, et al. Movies were magical. Going to them was an event. Standing in line was exciting. They stayed with you, and are still with you today. Sadly, that's been gone for a long time. Sure, there may be a summer blockbuster that's fun, but it doesn't have 'it'. Most are just empty, soulless CGI-fests that won't still be lauded 25 years from now. J.J. Abrams decided to do something about it. Let's get to it.

Set in 1979, we meet Joe, a young boy who just suffered a horrible loss. He lives with his sheriff father (Kyle Chandler) and has a few friends. One night, he and his friends decide to go out and make their own zombie movie. While shooting down by the train tracks, they witness a horrible accident as a truck collides with an oncoming train in a truly spectacular crash. Little do our little friends know that they captured what was in the train's cargo, and mysterious and strange things begin to happen in town. I'll just stop there and let you experience the rest.

"Super 8" is nostalgic and fun just not for the times, but for the type of filmmaking on display here. Spielbergian shots and lens flares, story over spectacle (although there is that), and real humanistic kids you instantly like, care for, and you want to see what happens to them. Back when kids were kids and they talked and acted like kids, just like those great films of the 80s. It was so refrshing to see this instead of the typical modern kids in movies who like so polished and like they just stepped off of the newest low rated CW show. These kids are from 1979, but I find them more relatable and interesting than anything I have seen in the last decade or more. Obviously, there is an homage to producer Spielberg here, and even though there is that, the film is still it's own movie. The fact that it appears to be a love letter to E.T.'s dad is not a deterrent. It's a great, new, original movie from J.J. wrapped in touches to Spielberg and other films from that era. And what touches. I can't say that I am familiar with Abrams' work. I have never seen anything he has ever done before. I will now! He is a director to be reckoned with here. The love and detail he puts into his scenes, characters, and era the film is set in, is so lovingly detailed. It's quite an accomplishment.

"Super 8" harks back to a time when these films meant something to the audience. Meant something to the kids. Nowadays, it's all about cartoonish CGI, 3D, and what young adult novels a studio can get their hands on and everything else comes after. Abrams and company were brave to make an original and secretive film and release it in summer. Brave to actually make it with heart, passion, emotion, and characters that actually came first. The ending and eventual outcome may not of been as great as it could of been, but that's okay. With a movie this lovingly skilled and well done in every other place, and the fact they we just got such a film like this in the first place, made up for it for me. It's not going to take away anything from the movie. The acting is top notch. These kids are great. These are the best set of kids I have seen in a movie in a long time. The actors, most of whom have never been in a movie, just shine. Kyle Chandler also does very well in his role. Ron Eldard is also on hand. More brave points to Abrams for casting the movie with no real marquee name star.

"Super 8" is an exceptional movie that really delivers what I was hoping it would. It's funny, sweet, adventurous, exciting, scary, and interesting. Is it too self indulgent in it's homages of films past? Of course not. A good movie is a good movie however it's told and made. It's a movie that we should embrace and hold dear because it's unlikely we are going to get another movie like this for a long time....if ever. Abrams and his cast and crew should be proud of the film they made. As a child of the 80s, this movie made me feel like a kid again. The first summer blockbuster movie I have seen in eons where I kept thinking about days afterwards. I really don't know what else to say except that "Super 8" is a gift.

Best Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Two-Disc Edition) (2009) Deals

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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Phil Lord and Chris Miller, 2009)

There are some movies where you come out of the theater talking about the camerawork and the acting, discussing plot points, picking things apart, arguing whether it was really the seventy-eighth best movie you've ever seen. And there are some movies where you exit the theater and say "Dude. That was AWESOME." Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is very much of the latter variety; no matter how silly and/or stupid the final half-hour may be (as the few critics who didn't like it have pointed out), it's still a blast.

Flint Lockwood (voice of Bill Hader, recently of Tropic Thunder) is a bumbling inventor who comes up with things that are kind of useful ("The Hair-Unbalder!" is the movie's first big laugh), but generally stupid. He lives on a small island just off the coast, the entire economy of which is derived from the sardine industry. It collapses, we learn, when the rest of the world realizes that sardines taste horrible. Inspired, Flint turns his attention to devising a machine that can turn water into food (in order to give the islanders some respite from eating three meals a day of sardines). Meanwhile, his father (voice of James Caan) wants him to go into the family business (bait and tackle, naturally), the local cop (voice of, yes, Mr. T) has an eye and a half on Flint thanks to previous experiments, and the Mayor (voice of Bruce Campbell) has staked the island's meager savings on the construction of an amusement park, which he hopes will begin a tourism industry. A station from the mainland has sent an enthusiastic weather girl (voice of Anna Faris, recently of The House Bunny) to cover the story. Flint's machine looks promising, but needs more power than he can get at home, so he decides to take it down to the power station on the day of the unveiling. Mishaps occur, the machine ends up shooting into the atmosphere, and just as inventor and weather girl meet, cheeseburgers begin raining from the sky. Oh, yes, there will be tourism.

My favorite thing about Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is that the obvious social-consciousness implications (without which, of course, one cannot make a kids' movie these days) aren't shoved into your face (unlike such recent movies as Cars and Wall-E). Yes, they're there, but they're played with the same humor as everything else. More to the point, Lord and Miller, adapting Judi and Ron Barrett's classic childrens' book, trust their audience, young as it is. They figure the kiddies will pick up on the "overeating is bad, mmkay?" subtext, and just give it to us in sight gags (none of which feel mean-spirited). Even the "uncommunicative father" stereotype, which normally grates on me so hard, didn't really bug me here, maybe because Flint's father is usually seen and not heard; they take the stereotype and make him into an almost silent-film character for most of the film's length, conveying emotion with facial expressions (which is pretty darned hard when... oh, you'll see) and body language. They obviously put a lot of thought into this, and a lot of right thought at that. Add in the voice talent (which I've barely touched on; you can add Benjamin Bratt, Lauren Graham, Al Roker, Neil Patrick Harris, and a couple of others you'll recognize in cameos) and some really appealing animation and you've got yourself a bang-up kids' movie. I haven't seen too many of this year's offerings in that vein, so I don't know how it stacks up against, well, Up, but I liked this one very, very much. ****

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First, I loved the movie. My complaint is not with the film but with the so called digital copy that is indicated as included on the cover. The "Digital Copy" included with this blu-ray can only be used on a Sony PSP when installed via a Sony PS3. I often preorder these family movies because I want to have the digital copy for my son to watch on my laptop or iPod. Had I known that this digital copy would not work like every other digital copy I've purchased; I would not have paid retail. I will certainly be thinking twice before purchasing another Sony blu-ray with a "Digital Copy."

Best Deals for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Two-Disc Edition) (2009)

In 2009, the animated film "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" was released in theaters. Adapted from the popular book from 1978 by Judi Barrett and illustrations by Ron Barrett, CWACoM took three years to develop and feature animation by Sony Pictures Animation.

The film adaptation and direction is by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (both are executive producers of the popular CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" and also the MTV animated series "Clone High"). Music is by Mark Mothersbaugh ("Fanboys", "Mama's Boy", "Lords of Dogtown") and the film is produced by Pam Marsden (producer of "Dinosaur" and "Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas").

"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" received positive reviews from critics and debuted at #1 in the box office, raking in $180+ million worldwide. Now the film gets its first Blu-ray release and includes the Blu-ray, the DVD and a digital copy (a code is provided to download a digital copy from the PlayStation Network) for those who own a Sony PSP or Playstation 3 System.

AUDIO & VIDEO:

"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is featured in 1080p High Definition and I know that Pixar and DreamWorks animation gets a lot of attention for their animated work but Sony Pictures Animation has done a remarkable job with this film.

The picture quality on HD is absolutely vibrant and colorful. Water and liquid effects look absolutely terrific and realistic while the detail of the town Swallow Falls during its normal appearance of a seaside town to a town filled with food and sporting different scenery.

In fact, things look absolutely amazing during the second half as we see solid animation being utilized throughout the film. From the outdoor mayhem to the overall details of the various foods (especially when larger) causing destruction around the town area, it looks absolutely great. Awesome picture quality for this Blu-ray release.

As for the accompanying DVD, the DVD is featured in 16×9 Full Screen (1:78:1) and also anamorphic widescreen (2:35:1).

As for audio, the Blu-ray is featured in English and French 5.1 DTS-HD MA and Spanish 5.1. Dialogue is clear and understandable through the front and center channel, music definitely sets the mood as it plays from the front channels but good use of special effects such as the clouds rumbling, the sound of thunder, flying vehicles flying through the clouds through the surround channels. Good use of LFE for nice low rumbles coming from the subwoofer.

Fans of the film will enjoy the immersive soundtrack from this film as there is very good use of the various channels throughout the film, especially during the film's latter half.

The accompanying DVD is presented in English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital.

Subtitles are featured in English, English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" features special features in High Definition and Standard Definition. Audio is in English stereo and subtitles are in Spanish:

# Directors' Commentary with Bill Hader In this audio commentary, you can listen to Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Bill Hader talking about the film. A fun commentary with humor and also good insight by the director's about how their personal enjoyment of things in their childhood ended up in the film and more.

# Interactive "Splat" Button While watching the film, you can throw food at the screen using Flint's Food Throwing Machine.

# A Recipe for Success: The Making of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (10:50) Interviews with the voice talent and crew about the film. Discussions about the original book, the music, visual effects and more.

# Key Ingredients: The Voices of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (12:39) Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller talk about working with the talents and the talents talk about their experiences providing the voices for the characters. Interviews with Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Mr. T, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Al Roker and Bruce Campbell.

# Flint's Food Fight Game Enhanced for Blu-rayIn this game, you can use your remote to help Flint stop the food storm cooked up by the F.L.D.S.M.D.F.R.

# Extended Scenes (2:36) Featuring "Elevator Joke" and "Twister-Early Cut with Awesome Food Fight" extended scenes.

# Early Development Scenes (5:47) Featuring Flint's Letter to Super Scientist Vance LeFleur and Early Storyboard Version of Twister. Featuring the voice acting but these scenes are in sketch format.

# Progression Reels with Introductions by Visual Effects Supervisor Rob Bredow (8:09) Visual Effects Supervisor Rob Bredow showcases the color script and explains what the reference paintings are and how the color is compared and how the final cut matched the original production design. Also, discussion of a new software used for lighting and using global illumination.

# Interactive "Raining Sunshine" Sing-A-Long (3:45) For those who want to sing along with Miranda Cosgrove, a sing-a-long karaoke track is included. Using your angle button, you can switch the icon from cheesburger, ice cream, a meatball and more.

# "Raining Sunshine" Music Video by iCarly's Miranda Cosgrove (3:45) The music video.

# Behind the Scenes of Miranda Cosgrove's "Raining Sunshine" Music Video (2:17) Interviews with Miranda Cosgrove in regards to the making of the music video.

# Make It Rain Food (:32) A trailer for fighting hunger (using clips from the film).

# DVD-Rom Link To Exclusive Online Fun

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is an enjoyable family film. The children will love it and even the adults. The film is well-written and Sony Pictures Animation really went all out in making sure this film looks visually appealing. Artistically, the animation and artistic backgrounds are just spectacular.

As mentioned before, there is so much positive press for Pixar films and also DreamWorks animated films but Sony really pulled off an awesome 3D animated film with "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs". Definitely a unique presentation in terms of characters but it's just the overall look of the film with its vibrant colors and look that gives a fresh feel for this film.

And on HD, the film looks and sounds incredible. There are a good number of interactive special features and with the Blu-ray coming with the DVD and a digital copy of the film, that's another plus as well.

It's important to note that "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is not just visual and audio eye candy, the film features a solid performance by the voice talent and most of all, a solid screenplay that remains faithful to the popular book. A lot of humor (safe for children) and for the most part, a fantastic family film that both children and adults will enjoy.

This is possibly the best animated film not made by Disney/Pixar and if anything, Sony Pictures Animation did a wonderful job and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what film they will be animating next because what they did for "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" looks magnificent.

Overall, this is a solid Blu-ray release that is just worth having in your collection and a release that is great for the entire family. Highly recommended!

NOTE: It was announced by Sony during CES that in conjunction with the release of their 3D hardware, they will be releasing "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" in 3D Blu-ray later in 2010.

Honest reviews on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Two-Disc Edition) (2009)

Very good movie, liked it in the theater. I wanted to post this right away, though. Buyer Beware, digital copy works only on PS3 to download to PSP. I'm very disappointed. This is in fine print on the back of the case. Deceptive on Sony's part. Really reduces value of Blu ray in my book.

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Cloudy with a chance of meatballs in Blue-ray 3D is the first 3D Blue-ray alvailable outside of a 'bundled with hardware' set. I have the 'Aliens VS Monsters' that came with my saumsung 3D glasses, so I have something to compare it to.

The 3D effect is better on the 'Cloudy with a chance of meatballs' disk than the 'Aliens VS Monsters' disk. Better left and right eye seperation, no noticable '3D is lost for a moment' points (the 'Aliens VS Monsters' disk has about 3 of these they are minor, but there).

I first saw this movie in 3D at the theater, then watched it about 6 times on 2D on Blue-ray, and my wife begrudging watched it again with me because it was in 3D (she asked how many times was I going to buy this movie?). The 3D at home for this movie was a superior experience then the 3D at the theater. Honest and I am using a LED-LCD 3D tv (those with Plasama 3D tv's will be even more impressed).

Here is the thing if you have a house full of kids that would just break the 'over a hundred bucks each' 3D glasses, do the 2D blue-ray or only watch this 3D blue-ray in 2D mode when they are awake. If you are a kid at heart (like me) the 3D is fun. It will not make a bad movie good, but it can make a great movie (which 'Cloudy with a chance of meatballs' really is) even more fun.

I think I will just go watch it again writing this review got me in the mind set. Few things are as visually amazing as the chese burgers falling from the sky and breaking up in slow motion.

Discount Cars 2 (Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (2011)

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I had a very unusual experience seeing this movie in theaters.

I watched it, I had a great time, I laughed, cheered, was thrilled, and the moment the credits started to roll the people in the row behind me IMMEDIATELY started spouting off how much they HATED it. I was flabbergasted. I was sorely tempted to turn around and ask them if we even just saw the same movie? How could anyone hate something that's so much FUN?!

But after thinking about it, I could see actually why they didn't get into it. Cars 2 is the first Pixar movie where you really have to 'get the joke' of the premise, or the whole thing falls apart like a house of cards. What this movie is, is the best James Bond movie of the last 15 years (not counting Casino Royale which transcends Bond movies to be just a great spy movie), with a bit of The Accidental Spy thrown in.

I LOVE Bond movies. The crazy opening sequences, the insane gadgets, the quippy lines. And Cars 2 hit pitch perfect parodies of every Bond standard. But you could never say of any Bond movie that it's got a deep emotional core, that's not how they're made. They're made to be balls to the wall fun and thrills, and that's what this movie is. Which of course makes it the polar opposite of the original Cars. It could hardly be more different.

If you get the joke, that this is a James Bond movie with cars, it's a riot. Loads of fun. It's not deep, it's not going to tug at your heart strings, it will not make your mother cry three or four times (as virtually ever Pixar movie ever made prior has done to my mother, I take her to Pixar movies with a bucket). It's just riotous fun. And I'm amazed that people are punishing Pixar for making a movie that's just pure fun. Granted Pixar is famous for it's deep emotional stories, and I suppose people expect that sort of thing every time. Even if you make a fun and entertaining movie, if you don't do what people expect, they bite your head off for it.

I went in with few expectations cause the early reviews bashed it to pieces, and I was frankly not that big a fan of the original movie. In the first Cars McQueen spends an enormous amount of the movie whining, and I found him generally unlikeable until fully halfway through the movie. It was a good movie, with a lot of heart and a message, but not one I would describe as a lot of FUN. Mater especially, a little of him went a long way in the first movie, and I was really worried about him being the star of this movie, because if a little of him annoyed me in the first movie, this one has 10 times more of him.

And yet, he actually annoyed me LESS this time around, cause he had something to do instead of just hanging around being Mater. They struck a perfect balance in his 'mater-ness' where the Accidental Spy nature of his story is charming instead of just annoying. And even more to my amazement, Mater's unique perspective DOES actually help solve the mystery. He's not just a bumbling idiot gumming up the works, he does actually help.

I was also constantly amused at the imagination that went into Cars-ifying the world. Even little touches like the swanky party in Towkyo (not a typo! ha!), the elevators are giant pistons that come out of the floor. I didn't expect it at all but once I saw it was it was so perfect.

To sum up, I have to say, I enjoyed this movie MORE than the original Cars. Yet at the same time I'll fully agree that the original is a technically superior film in writing and character, but Cars 2 is way more fun. If you go into this with the right attitude, that you're seeing a James Bond movie with Cars, that it's meant to be pure fun and embrace it on that level, there's a lot to love.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is it IS shallow. I won't say it's a perfect film on every level cause it's not. But it doesn't deserve the hate it's getting, it's just a fun movie, and there's nothing wrong with that. If it doesn't quite transcend to the levels of brilliance of The Incredibles or Wall:E, that doesn't make it BAD, it suffers only in comparison to other Pixar work, compared to anything else, it rocks. :)

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To be fair, Cars 2 is not a dud. But it's not a hit either. As someone who's loved everything Pixar has heretofore come up with, it pains me to say it, but I think Cars 2 will be remembered as Pixar's first miss. It's one of those films that, if you've seen the trailer, you've already seen ninety percent of what there is to see in the movie itself. The rest, unfortunately, is tedium.

The plot, such as it is, is as follows: Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) invites his best buddy from Radiator Springs, Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), to accompany him on an international racing event. In Japan, Mater is mistaken for an American spy by two British agents Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) who are investigating a criminal conspiracy involving oil rigs, alternative fuels and a mysterious secret weapon.

Every now and then, a film comes out where you look at it and wonder how it got into production in the first place. You keep thinking why didn't someone in the early stages come out and say "You know, this is a bad idea. A really, really _bad_ idea." And so many things about Cars 2 were bad ideas. Taking the story out of the intimate and uniquely original setting of Radiator Springs and sending it through Tokyo, Italy and London, which we recognize because they're already so familiar? Bad idea. Reducing all of the other residents of Radiator Springs, who were so memorable from the original Cars, to little more than cameos? Bad idea. Making the movie an action-driven parody of James Bond spy films? Bad idea. And last but not least, making Mater the center of everything? _Really_ bad idea.

Everything that made the first Cars film so memorable and enjoyable is missing here. Most particularly Doc Hudson (Paul Newman) who was part of what gave Cars its heart and gravitas. There's no character development in Cars 2, and no heart. There's just mindless action across dazzling settings, with repeated heavy-handed beatings over the head of _message_: "Friends are important!" and "Be Yourself!"

If the blame for Cars 2 failing to match its predecessor in quality can be laid at the feet of anyone, Brad Lewis as co-director/writer is probably most deserving of that dubious achievement. Why he was chosen is beyond imagining as his only previous work as a director was on a short video documentary on food and he apparently has no other credits as a writer. The original Cars, it must be noted, was co-directed and written by Joe Ranft, whose previous work as a writer includes a host of great films as The Brave Little Toaster, Oliver & Company, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Toy Story and A Bug's Life. And the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Mr. Ranft, having passed away in 2005, was unfortunately not available for Cars 2, but you'd think that Pixar would have at least tried to get someone of the same caliber for Cars 2.

Again, Cars 2 not a bad film, not in the strictest sense anyway. On a technical level, the look is both lush and dazzling. But beneath the dazzle, there's just no 'there' there. It's not bad; it's just boring. And because it's a sequel of a very good and enjoyable film, it's also more than a little disappointing. Recommended only for those who want to see everything Pixar and who have time to kill.

Best Deals for Cars 2 (Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (2011)

Violence is everywhere in our current world. It's a fact of life, and as adults we all learn how to cope with it, avoid it, or confront it when we need to. I accept this fact. But I can't accept that in a movie rated "G", there are multiple scenes of violence, death, even torture. I'll need to explain these concepts to my child at some point, but I'd certainly prefer that I be able to wait until he's beyond the age of four. I'll be explicit so that other parents who are considering this movie will know exactly what they're in for: there are several scenes in which the "bad guy" pointedly tells his subordinates to "kill him" (directed a Finn McMissile and Mater). There is a full-blown torture scene in which a car is restrained, heated to the pain point, and then destroyed (the actual death is shown only as a reflection). There are a lot of guns, bullets, and missiles. There's plenty of hand-to-hand (or wheel-to-wheel) combat, which seems like a picnic after the other stuff.

I'm not anti-violence, and I appreciate a good action movie. But I'm 35 and my kid is 4. We have different perspectives on life. When a movie is rated "G", I expect something significantly less violent than James Bond.

The first Cars movie is among my favorites. It's a fantastic story that has a great message and doesn't rely on explosions. Are Pixar and Disney really so short of ideas that they need to blow things up to make money? Come on...I know they can do better.

Honest reviews on Cars 2 (Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (2011)

If you are an adult and like James Bond movies with a touch of Transformers action, you'll like Cars 2. For everybody else, this movie was just wrong. As has been said by other reviewers, this movie drops everything good about the original one: the characters, the setting, the mood, the pace, the soul. My fiveand three-year old daughters -great fans of the first installment -got up and walked away 20 minutes into the movie. Looks good, but no soul.

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Having to explain to my 4-year old Cars-aholic daughter why bad guy cars were out to "kill" other cars in Cars 2 was a little unsettling and unexpected. I was very surprised by the amount of automobile "deaths" and threat of "deaths" in the film. Cars were always out to get other cars. The spy genre was just not right for a Cars themed movie. My daughter LOVES the firetruck character Red, but he only appeared, what? A total of 2 minutes? I felt so bad for her. All those familiar and loved characters from the first film were castaways in Cars 2.

With that all said, we still enjoyed the movie. Finn McMissile became her newest favorite Car. She even calls him Finn McMiss-Sile, as Michael Caine pronounces it. We will still buy the BluRay and enjoy it at home.