Review of Cosmic Voyage (IMAX) (2002)

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What does the universe look like at the scale of atoms, or that of galaxy superclusters? What did the early universe look like, and how did it evolve into the cosmos we know today? What other life may have evolved and be wondering about our universe as we do?

These are deep questions, and no short film can possibly do them all complete justice. Instead, in its 35 minutes, Cosmic Voyage flies through a summary of what we know--just enough to whet your appetite for more.

Starting in Galileo's Venice, with familiar everyday scales of time and space, the IMAX film employs a common technique: expanding our perspective by successive factors of 10, until the screen encompasses the largest structures scientists know of today, and our own Earth is utterly lost in the deep expanse. A similar voyage takes us from the waterways of the Netherlands down into the nucleus of the atom, where (somewhat paradoxically) our knowledge comes from some of the largest experiments in the world.

The simulation of the early universe and the numerous galactic collisions is especially awe-inspiring. Usually, documentaries of this sort employ artists to bring the words of astrophysics journals to life; Cosmic Voyage was the first movie to make use of scientific computing and cosmic simulations on such a large scale. The sequence was computed under the direction of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), which also had an early hand in popularizing the World Wide Web. The result is an accurate and breathtaking depiction of how the oldest and largest parts of cosmic architecture took shape.

The temptation with any such documentary is to compare it to Cosmos, the PBS documentary hosted by Carl Sagan that ran in 1980. But the comparison is unfair. Sagan had 13 hour-long episodes, with a sweep at once broader and deeper than anything since. With only 5 percent of the length, Cosmis Voyage can't expect to duplicate that sweep, and to its credit, it doesn't try. It just stuns you with its imagery and inspires you to find out more, and it does so without straying from scientific accuracy. Provided you keep in mind the length and scope of the film, you won't be disappointed.

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I have used this DVD for the past several years in my science classes. After introducing my students to the metric system, and doing labs to reinforce this new concept, I show COSMIC VOYAGE as a culmination to the metric system, and as an introduction to the Astronomy Unit. The metric system is based on Powers of Ten. The scene that starts in Venice and expands outward into space by powers of ten is effective for my students. Conversely, to watch a water droplet and decrease by powers of ten is also important for students to see. After watching this, my students are jazzed and can't wait to learn about the universe. At the end of the school year, many cite COSMIC VOYAGE as one of their favorite DVD's and the Astronomy Unit as one of their favorite units.

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In this incredible journey the viewer travels from the outer reaches of space down into the nucleus of a carbon atom. Cosmic Voyage is able to explain, in layman's terms, the theory of how the universe began the "Big Bang" and how the entire mass of the universe could have been compressed into a space the size of a tennis ball. Parallel worlds? Life on other planets? Cosmic Voyage answers all these questions. Teachers will rate this film five stars and a must have for the classroom.

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I've bought several Imax DVDs over the last year, and I've found all of them impressive. This one is no different in the impression department, but I felt that the overall tone of the video was directed much more towards education than the previous videos. The text or the narration (performed wonderfully by Morgan Freeman) sounds like it was written for one of those old videos we were forced to watch in science class as kids. While I always found those videos to be so poorly produced they became boring this film has such amazing video that you become engrossed in the movie, even with the educational tone. I would have given it 4 stars because of the educational feel, but after thinking about it for a few minutes, I decided that it still deserved 5. If you have children, I doubt you could find a better movie to inspire them with science. If I were a science teacher today, I'd start the term with this video to motivate students who might otherwise shy away from sceince.

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This DVD version of the IMAX film, "Cosmic Voyage," will dazzle the eyes with it's incrediable pictures of outer space, micro sized atoms, and digital photography. Morgan Freeman narrates with his lovely, deep voice and keeps the film's slow pace at a more interesting flow. The music is also enchanting and helps it be a smoother ride. I never saw this at the IMAX theatre, but at school on a projecter about 10x smaller than the IMAX. But, nevertheless, it still captivated me and took me far, far away. Cosmic Voyage doesn't delve deep into Astronomical findings or anything excitingly new, but it does give us information that we see everyday and puts a spotlight on itmaking our world ever more visible than we imagined.

Discount The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)

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If there's anything that Walden Media's CHRONICLES OF NARNIA movie franchise (based on C.S. Lewis' timeless novels) is known for lately, it could very well be that it ever continued at all. The first film, THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE, was a box office smash, but successor PRINCE CASPIAN didn't achieve the same success. But when Disney, who distributed and funded both films, decided not to participate in anymore NARNIA adventures, it seemed as though Lewis' tales were destined to remain forever frosted by the White Witch. But thankfully, Walden Media refused to let NARNIA die so easily, and so they've teamed up with 20th Century Fox to complete the third movie in the series, THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER. It could also very well be the last entry; critics have been lukewarm to negative on this film, and faced with so much competition this year from family films such as TRON LEGACY, HARRY POTTER, and even upcoming duds like YOGI BEAR and GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, this film could very well have a hard time finding its audience. Whether the franchise continues or not is ultimately irrelevant, however, because what ultimately counts is that THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER is a wonderful way to spend another two hours in the world that Lewis conjured up so many years ago.

I knew it would happen. From the moment the opening titles came across the screen, I could feel the nostalgic magic so prevaliant in the first NARNIA movie seeping in, and it stayed that way for me the whole time. The major difference, of course, is the set-up of the story. Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund Pevensie (Skander Keyes), both approaching adulthood, are staying with their snarky, obnoxious cousin, Eustace (Will Poulter) when they notice a beautiful painting of a fantastical ship sailing on the ocean waters. And of course, the picture comes to life, resulting with the squabbling children washed on the deck of the ship in question, the Dawn Treader, where their old friend, Caspian (Ben Barnes), now a bonafide king, welcomes them. It turns out that Caspian is searching for the seven lords that were banished from Narnia during the reign of his evil uncle. Acompanied by the swashbuckling mouse warrior, Reepicheep (voiced by Simon Pegg), the youngsters travel to various islands across the oceans in search of them. And will Aslan (voiced, once more, by Liam Neeson) be there to help them? You betcha.

In addition to being a seagoing adventure (inevitable since most of the action takes place on the titular vessel), this tale also deals with spiritual matters. Rather than matching wits against an evil menace as with the last two films (although the White Witch does make some brief cameo appearances), the major conflict deals with Lucy, Edmund, Caspian, and especially Eustace, all dealing with their own inner demons. Each island adventure places the quartet through a series of psychological trials that they must overcome. The lands they visit are a strange, yet fascinating lot. There's the Lost Islands, operated by greedy slavemasters who make fortunes out of auctioning kidnapped people to baddies. Another is seemingly deserted, trippy-looking place that looks as though it could come from ALICE IN WONDERLAND inhabited by invisible creatures as well as a magician (whose book can conjure up all kinds of spells, including one that grants pure beauty). Still others include a cave with a pond that turns everything into gold, a dragon's treasure horde, an abandoned temple that turns out to be under a spell, and, ultimately, a thick fog of darkness in which one's worst fears comes alive. It is within these places that each character undergoes some growth. One of my particular favorite scenes involves Lucy wishing she could be as beautiful as her older sister Susan (Anna Popplewell, in a brief cameo), until Aslan admonishes her for stealing the spell from the magician's book. This is very powerfully depicted through dramatic lighting and emotionally charged acting. At one point, Edmund and Caspian both become jealous of each other when they are tempted by greed, but it's ultimately Eustace who shows the most growth in the picture.

In the beginning of the film, Eustace is just about what you would expect from Lewis' text--he's snobbish, selfish, and condescending, delighting in bullying others while declaring himself superior. He hates his cousins and quickly makes an enemy out of Reepicheep, who, at one point, chastises him for grabbing his most precious attribute: "No one touches the tail!" And just when you've had enough of him, he is transformed into a fire-breathing dragon midway through the film. This is where Eustace's character development really begins, as Reepicheep takes him under his, well, paws, and inspires him to do the right thing. This abovementioned dynamic is the heart of the entire picture, and most of the credit goes to Will Poulter and Simon Pegg for their chemistry. Poulter does a bang-up job of making Eustace bratty and unlikeable, and his maturation is a joy to behold. This guy seriously needs an award for his performance. Pegg, although vocally different from predecessor Eddie Izzard, is a delight as the mouse warrior; his voice is a cross between John Cleese and Cary Elwes, which captures his attitude to a T and beyond. He has the best lines in the picture and obviously has fun with his role--although the real success to the character is the very convincing computer-animated effects that bring the mouse to life.

That's one of the many memorable aspects of VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, which isn't to say that it is without its faults. The film is directed by Michael Apted (the previous ones by Andrew Adamson), and he moves the tale along at a rapid pace, making it the breeziest (and shortest) of the NARNIA films. However, I do have some qualms about both his direction and the adaptation; one of them is the scene where Eustace shows himself as a dragon for the first time. Rather than having him see his reflection in the water, Apted decides instead to show Eustace's charred clothes, and then have his dragon form fly out of nowhere. This disappointed me somewhat, as I felt that Lewis' original description of this moment was more powerful. Furthermore, the encounter with Lilandi (Laura Brent), Caspian's future queen, is dealt with rather quickly. An extra five minutes to show Caspian's affection for the girl wouldn't have hurt. Finally, although the film is faithful to the novel for the most part, there is at least one addition that felt very pointless--a girl named Gael (Arabella Morton) who stows away with her father in search of her missing parents. The new character doesn't have a particularly compelling personality and feels so irrelevant that one wonders why the screenwriters included her at all.

But those are, truthfully, the only quibbles I have with THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER. Other controversial changes are nowhere nearly as bothersome. At first I wasn't so sure about the newly invented subplots concerning the search for the missing swords of the seven lords or a menacing green mist that appears every time a character is tempted, but in the end, I ultimately approved them wholeheartedly. This especially works in favor of the climactic fight against one of the ugliest sea serpents ever committed to film (particularly when it literally tears apart into the likeness of a centipede), which is occasionally interspersed with ghostly images of Tilda Swinton's White Witch tempting Edmund to join her. Although longer than in the book, this sequence is nonetheless very thrilling and arguably a more epic scene than in the original. (It should be known, though, that this scene may be too scary for the young.)

Every other aspect of the picture is exactly what one would ask for from a NARNIA adventure. The cinematography and visual effects are both breathtaking and gorgeous to look at (there were a couple of places where some CG was obvious, but not enough to detract--the film was made on a smaller budget than predecessor CASPIAN), and David Arnold's score is amazingly epic, occasionally using some of original composer Harry Gregson-Williams' original tunes at various points in the movie. Finally, the performances are top-notch. Henley's Lucy has always been the most appealing attribute about the whole story, and she is no different here. Every minute she is on screen is a pure delight, and her expressions and emotions are perfectly conveyed. Keyes, who had a much smaller part in the previous movie, gets to do a lot more in this third chapter; granted there are some moments where one feels that his character briefly reverts to his old self, but Keyes handles that very effectively. Barnes mysteriously loses the Spanish accent he was criticized for in the last film, yet it is hardly noticeable, as his performance is much more confident this time around. The chemistry between all three is fantastic and, after Eustace and Reepicheep, provide the film with a warm, emotional ebb that works effectively in the final parting scenes at the end of the film.

Overall, THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, although not quite as magical as the first movie, is still a very entertaining, joyous escapist fantasy which provides a lot of fun for every second of its 115 minute running time. There are some differences from the book that purists may quibble with, and a couple of scenes that could stand to be either better or at least more fleshed out, but nonetheless it is a pleasure to join the Pevensies on one final adventure in the world of talking animals, monsters, prophecies and enchantment. Whether the series continues or not, this is a fitting end and a delight from start to finish. Now if only the film could be about 30 minutes longer....

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Right off the top, if you're looking for a literal book-to-movie adaptation, you're going to be very disappointed. Aslan may as well be a tiger. There are countless modifications that did not completely align with the book and numerous subtleties noticeable to anyone familiar with the story.

For the most part, however, TVOTDT stayed true to form, following Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) along with their easy to hate cousin Eustace (Will Poulter) through the fabric of a family painting and into the vast tapestry of the Narnian world created by C.S. Lewis and onto the Dawn Treader (the ship in the painting). Aboard the ship the join forces with recently crowned a year in Earthly time, and three in Narnia King Caspian (Ben Barnes) who, along with his crew of sentient beasts and willing sailors, seeks out seven Telmarine lords and swords. Almost immediately after they board the Dawn Treader, and unequivocally after they disembark for their first island excursion, the movie begins to take liberties with the original tale. Speaking of tales...Eustace did NOT spar with Reepicheep; he swung the mouse around by the tail. This sort of misguided subtraction by addition is why many fans of the original storyline could be displeased by this movie. Nonetheless, it's still a fantasy-adventure tale in which the characters grow and learn from their tribulations.

Acting-wise, everything was professionally done. Actors and voice actors alike were entertaining (Simon Pegg was particularly good as the voice of heroic Reepicheep), but Will Poulter absolutely stole the show as the obnoxious cousin. I'm not sure I've ever wanted to punch an animated character before. Maybe Scrappy Doo. Anyway, Poulter is either as pompous and irritating as Eustace in real life, or idiot savant, Rainman brilliant.

CGI is naturally prominent in a movie about talking animals, dragons, and magic. None blew me away like in Avatar or Tron, but considering the target audience the realism presented was, in my opinion, nearly perfect. Scary, but not quite nightmare-worthy. The characters that were supposed to be terrifying (i.e. sea serpent) were shrouded in shadows and those who had redeeming qualities were shown in triumph and sunlight, and ways that capture the audience's attention.

Considering its engaging story and alignment with Christian allegories, this is a very good movie, an easy recommendation for families, and a worthy addition to the Chronicles of Narnia canon, despite not completely faithful to the book.

For thoroughness, a few of the differences...

MAJOR DIFFERENCES

The addition of the green mist and the sword collection was neither necessary nor a substantive improvement. The extra subplot about a father, and his stowaway child, who joins to save a wife captured by the mist was completely pointless and distractive.

MINOR DIFFERENCES

-Edmund had no big problem with his king-kid-king timeline

-No mention of the Dufflepuds giant foot looking like a mushroom.

-The sea serpent didn't die; it got tricked

-Eustace attempts steals water, not an orange

-Where is the old dragon that croaks near the water?

-The end mentions nothing about light and water

-The end mentions nothing about a marriage

-There was no prisoner/slave saving; it was a purchase

-Multiple island substories are intertwined and/or out of order

-Lord Bern got married and settled down on Felimath; he didn't get imprisoned

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For those seeking a good fantasy/adventure film, this is definitely worth it the acting, casting, special effects, visuals, etc. are all great; the basic plot of a voyage to uncharted isles in a magical land is just ripe for entertaining movie-making I'd probably give it at least 4 stars if I wasn't so attatched to CS Lewis's book. But, to me, the book this is based upon is such a great adventure story, and a classic favorite of my (and many other people's) youth, it seems a sin to make a movie adaptation and not try to stick with Lewis's original. They got the main plot sequences in, but they rushed through them in order to add a completely unneccesary plot of their own: that Caspian and friends have to collect 7 swords and arrange them on a table to stop some magic mists that are threatening Narnia. Now, for a series with a Christian subtext, it seems particularly stupid to have this meaningless mumbo-jumbo added when there are plenty of meaningful themes there that this will only detract from.

So overall, an entertaining fantasy film, but a disappointment to those who like Narnia as C.S. Lewis wrote it.

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Of all the Narnia books "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is not an exciting Hollywood adventure. I have read the books many times since I was a child and I have listened to them on audio cd's. I love them and I love the movies.

I doubt people, these days, are going to sit through a movie based exactly on this book. The book is a series of small self contained adventures with no kind of antagonist present. Its a good read but not much of a Hollywood movie. So they changed it, just like the second movie. Big deal.

There were plenty of advance reviews warning people about this. I have never gone to a movie, based on a book I have read, and expected it to be the same. If it is, great. If not, no big deal, because I go without expectations. It's much more fun if you leave your expectations at home.

Besides, it's just a movie. If you can't deal with the fact that you are going to see someone's interpretation, other than your own, than don't go to movies based on books you have read. Or at least check the reviews before you go.

I sure hope some studio gives the "Silver Chair" and "The Last Battle" a go. I'm sure they would be fun to watch.

That's why I go to the movies.

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POST-PRODUCTION 3D (converted from 2D to 3D)

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

There are about 51 out of screen effects that extend about 10% of the way, from the screen to the viewer and another 14 ranging from 15% to 25%. Most of the 25% effects are very quick though.

The quality of the in-screen 3D is excellent for a post-production (FAKE 3D) film. This movie was never intended to be in 3D evident by the camera angles and scene framing but the conversion only had one easily noticeable flaw and the cardboard cut-out syndrome seemed somewhat less evident than in other converted films. I'm not a fan of 2D to 3D conversions but you could do much worse.

*** Everything considered I'm stretching ***

*** this one to a 4 star/very good ***

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

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

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Best Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Remastered) (2010) Deals

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With many fans disappointed following the release of the third "Star Trek" film in 1984, "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock", Paramount Pictures produced one of the best "Star Trek" films of all time in 1986: "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home". Returning to the director's chair for what was only his second directorship of a big-screen motion picture was Leonard Nimoy, but this time, Nimoy had much better material to work with from the films many writers. Nimoy (who actually took on-screen credit for writing) worked with returning writer Harve Bennett to write a brilliant story, and Bennett worked on the screenplay along with three additional writers: Steve Meerson, Peter Krikes and Nicholas Meyer (who directed the highly successful "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn" in 1982). Under the watchful eye of Gene Roddenberry, these men were able to recapture the spirit of the original "Star Trek" television series more than any other preceding or proceeding "Star Trek" film.

Having restored Spock's (Leonard Nimoy) life via the Genesis planet and a return to the planet Vulcan during the third film, the crew of the lost U.S.S. Enterprise now waits on Vulcan for repairs on their captured Klingon scout-class ship, as well as for Spock to retrain his mind, before returning to Earth to face various charges for having disobeyed orders. The crew includes Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Commander Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott (James Doohan), Commader Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), Commander Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Commander Uhura (Nichelle Nichols). The Klingons are also very angry with Kirk as expressed by the Klingon Ambassador (John Schuck) to the Federation President (Robert Ellenstein) in front of the full Federation Council, but the cool logic of Vulcan Ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard) prevails. While on Vulcan, Spock gets to spend time with his human mother, Amanda (Jane Wyatt, who once played his mother in the 1967 "Star Trek" television series episode "Journey to Babel"). Also, a brief appearance is made by Lt. Saavic (Robin Curtis), who unfortunately never returns in any other "Star Trek" film. With their Klingon ship ready for departure, Spock and his Enterprise shipmates begin their voyage to Earth; but unknown to them, a bizarre space probe also en route for Earth has been wreaking havoc on any ship that approaches it. Arriving at Earth first, the probe turns Earth's atmosphere into chaos as it waits for a signal that the Federation cannot discern. Receiving a planetary distress call from Earth, Spock identifies what the probe wants: communication with long extinct whales. To save Earth, Kirk makes the decision for them to travel back in time to bring back whales to the present.

"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" has more memorable scenes than could be mentioned here, but some of the best include: McCoy's conversations with Spock, the crew on the streets of twentieth-century San Francisco, Uhura and Chekov looking for nuclear vessels, McCoy and Scotty visiting the production facility, Kirk & Spock on a city bus, Kirk & Spock's conversations with Dr. Gillian Taylor (Catherine Hicks), Kirk's dinner with Gillian, and McCoy with Kirk & Gillian at the city hospital. Everyone's acting (including Shatner) was very good for this film, but what makes this film stand out from the rest is the emphasis on all of the original crew members. Each of the crew members have time on screen, contribute to the story and have a reasonable amount of dialog. Other familiar "Star Trek" characters have cameos in the film: Dr. Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett) and Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney). Another cast member in this film who later plays a pivotal role in the sixth "Star Trek" film is Admiral Cartwright (Brock Peters).

Overall, my rating of for "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" is a resounding 5 out of 5 stars. This film, along with the 1982 film "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn" and the later 1996 film "Star Trek VIII: First Contact", are the three best films ever made of the franchise; but this film will always stand out as being the most humorous, having the best & most memorable dialog and having the greatest spirit of the three. I highly recommend it to everyone who, in any form, has liked "Star Trek".

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Star Trek IV The Voyage Home, in my opinion, is clearly one of the best out of the TOS six. Although not as high in the suspense aspect, like Leonard Nimoy says, it was good to lighten up a bit and have a good time with Star Trek. While other reviewers might feel the humurous aspects of this film wearout after repeated viewings. I understand that statement, but don't feel the same. I can still get a laugh out of these scenes even though I've seen them more times than I can remember. I especially love the scene with Scotty being handed a mouse and him trying to talk to it. Again, one of the best Star Trek films out of the original six. If you're one of the few people who've not seen this or are new to the genre, I definitely suggest you add this DVD to your collection.

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Who cares if it's the best Trek movie or not? If you've been watching the special features on the past three special edition DVDs, you know that the best part of them is Shatner's comments on the movies. He's a nutbar and immensely entertaining because of it. I can't wait to hear him on a commentary track for the whole movie. That's why I'm going to buy this thing. And that's why I can't wait for the special edition of the next one (IT'S THE ONE HE DIRECTED HIMSELF!!!). This is a must own for anyone with a morbid sense of humor and curiosity.

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I was completely astounded by the quality of this DVD. This is the first time Paramount has used a dual-layered disc for the "Star Trek" films. The quality is 2 times better than the other Trek DVDs because they use 2 times the data. It's unfortunate that Paramount didn't have the foresight to use dual layered discs for their other Trek DVDs. Popping this DVD in the player was like watching the movie for the first time. The sound quality and picture quality is absolutely flawless. The quality of the transfer is remarkable. I've been use to watching the film on fuzzy VHS and poor quality broadcasts, so this was an exciting discovery for me. I can't wait for the ST III to come out on DVD, I'm sure the film quality will also be a big improvement. Go buy this DVD, you haven't seen this film until you buy it.

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Star Trek IV Review

With the success of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, writer-producer Harve Bennett and director Leonard Nimoy were given the green light by Paramount to wrap up the storyline that began with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. There were several plot strands left to tie up, after all, what with Spock having to be re-educated and Kirk and his crew facing a court-martial for the actions they took in the rescue of their half-Vulcan comrade.

Set barely three months after the events of the third film, Star Trek IV opens with a mysterious alien probe cruising toward the Terran system. Its passage immobilizes any starship it passes as it inexorably makes its way to Earth.

Meanwhile, on Vulcan, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) hurriedly undergoes retraining of his mind. In a wonderfully written scene, the former Enterprise science officer breezes through the quizzes a computer tosses at him until he is stumped by the question "How do you feel?"

Spock's human mother, Amanda (Jane Wyatt, reprising her role from The Original Series' "Journey to Babel") hears the computer repeating the question over and over and sidles over to her son. "What's wrong?"

"I do not understand the question, Mother," says a puzzled Spock.

Amanda explains that the retraining of Spock's mind has been in the Vulcan way, but that the computer knows that Spock is half-human, and that his feelings will surface. Spock is skeptical about the concept of having human emotions (since in the series he strived to be more Vulcan-than-thou), but his mother explains that he is alive at that moment because his friends acted out of their emotional nature, disregarding the "logic" of simply obeying Starfleet orders and refraining from fetching Spock from the Genesis planet.

On Earth, the Klingon ambassador (John Schuck) warns the Federation that there will be no peace while Kirk remains alive and unpunished for stealing the Klingon Bird-of-Prey and defeating its crew (preventing Cmdr. Kruge from obtaining the secrets of Genesis). The Federation president promises there will be a court martial, but the Klingons scoff at this.

Even as the Enterprise crew aboard their stolen Klingon vessel races home to face the consequences of their actions, the alien probe arrives. Sending a signal to Earth's ocean, it disrupts the planet's climate, causing chaos and world-wide disasters.

The Voyage Home had a tortuous development. At first, the original screenplay by Peter Krikes and Steve Meerson focused on a time travel story tailor-made for guest star Eddie Murphy. Fans heard about this and as with the death of Spock and the destruction of the Enterprise protested. Paramount also resisted the idea of mixing two of the studio's franchises, so Murphy and Star Trek never did mix. There was also some nasty behind-the-scenes wrangling about the screenplay, because the Krikes-Meerson version was heavily rewritten by Nicholas Meyer and Harve Bennett an incident overlooked in the documentaries and commentaries. Eventually the original writers won shared credit for the screenplay, and The Voyage Home was released in the summer of 1986. Notably, this more light-hearted film had major crossover appeal, charming not only Star Trek fans, but also wider audiences.

With its clever script and wonderful mix of sci-fi adventure, social commentary, comedy, romance, and drama, Star Trek IV became the most popular entry of the 10 movies made between 1979 and 2002.

This Collector's Edition offers one disc with the theatrical cut of the movie, enhanced with a new menu, Dolby surround sound, a commentary track by director Leonard Nimoy and actor William Shatner, plus a text commentary by Star Trek Encyclopedia authors Mike and Denise Okuda. The second disc comes with the usual documentaries, interviews, and the theatrical trailer.

Cheap Long Voyage Home (1940)

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If this is the movie I think it is (in how many movies did Johh Wayne have a Swedish accent?), it wasn't but a few years ago when I got a chance to see it from beginning to end as an adult.

When I think of this movie, there is one scene that stands out from all the rest; and it is the haunting musical score that caused this. The scene, as I said, is quite simple. We see nothing but the ship itself leaving a dock in the harbor at night. And then the music "Those Harbor Lights" begins in what strikes me as a bitter-sweet tone building gradually during its short duration in such a fashion that it left me feeling almost empty, desperate, hopeless, helpless for want of better adjectives. I had heard that tune many times over the years but never as so hauntingly and piercingly as it was performed in that movie and without words, too! It turned out to be one of those tunes that once it entered my head would bounce around and around taking me days to finally purge it from my system.

Not too many movie scenes have affected me this way.

I highly recommend this movie for this scene alone. To me it is a different type of John Ford movie, but with top-notch acting, including Thomas Mitchell, Barry Fitzgerald, Barry's brother Arthur Shields, and John Wayne (and with a Swedish accent in the bargain!). A real joy to watch.

Enjoy!

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The Long Voyage Home is yet another film featuring John Wayne and director John Ford, and though it may be very different from the other movies the duo made, it is as good, if not better, than some of their other collaborations. In the early years of WWII, the SS Glencairn, a freighter in the Atlantic, receives a shipment of ammunition to transport to England from the West Indies. The ship must then sail through the dangerous waters of the Atlantic, hoping to not run into German subs. This simple plot is very much secondary to the real storyline, the lives of the crew of the Glencairn. Over the course of the film, the viewer comes to know all of the crew pretty well through four separate stories from writer Eugene O'Neil; a party with local girls on the boat before setting sail, the accidental death of a crewman during a storm, a possible German spy posing as one of the crew, and the efforts of the crew to get one of their own on a boat home after the Glencairn docks. Don't go into this movie expecting action, it is a character driven movie with many great scenes of dialogue that lets the cast do their thing. It might not be your typical John Ford and John Wayne teaming, but The Long Voyage Home is a worthy addition to any fans of the director/star combo.

While John Wayne gets top billing, he really has a somewhat smaller supporting part. Wayne plays Ole Olsen, a Swedish sailor trying to save money to get back home to Stockholm. The Duke pulls off a good Swedish accent, and does an excellent turn overall in his supporting part. The star of the movie is Thomas Mitchell as Aloysius Driscoll, "Drisk" to the crew, a veteran Irish crewman who stands as the crew's leader through the movie. Ian Hunter is also very good as Smitty, an educated man who comes under the suspicion of the Glencairn's crew. The rest of the crew is a who's who of John Ford stock company actors including Barry Fitzgerald as Cocky, John Qualen as Axel Swanson, Ward Bond as Yank, Arthur Shields as Donkeyman, Joe Sawyer as Davis, and Jack Pennick as Johnny Bergman. The ensemble cast works perfectly together and holds the movie together through the four episodic storylines.

The DVD only offers one special feature, a featurette called "Serenity at Sea: John Ford and the Araner," which has some home movies of Ford on his personal ship. The B & W presentation looks really strong overall for a movie made almost 70 years ago, and shows what a good job cinematographer Gregg Toland did in shooting the film. So for a good ensemble character study that is beautifully shot and all builds to a surprising ending, check out The Long Voyage Home! John Ford and John Wayne fans will not be disappointed!

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Although a slow paced movie, there is an underlying tension as everyday life of merchant sailors as they labor and die to deliver crucial supplies as war rages far away or is it just over the horizon. From one scene to another, the dreams and fears of crew members are exposed. Many of the crew show their emotions as tension peaks and wanes. These are men here who would rather be somewhere else or who don't know any other life or who have hidden from the reality of their lives on a ship that is sailing in waters where U-Boats could be sighted at any moment. The Kreigsmarine is looking for you as the Nazi's have declared an open season on you and other Allied shipping. Will the next ship torpedoed and sent to the bottom be one of those others or will it be you? Enjoy the sound track as it has some wonderful music that you might otherwise miss. It is a gem of a movie you will be able to appreciate, if you just take the time.

Honest reviews on Long Voyage Home (1940)

I've just recieved my DVD copy of John Ford's,forgotten masterpiece,"The Long Voyage Home",from 4 short playlets by the noted Irish author Eugene O'Neil,adapted by Dudley Nichols,with a cast filled with "The John Ford Stock Company",John Wayne,Thomas Mitchell,Ward Bond,John Qualen,Joe Sawyer, Mildred Natick(her first film),Barry Fitzgerald,Arthur Shields,and (non Ford stock member) Ian Hunter,in perhaps his greatest role(aside from Frank Borzage's "Stange Cargo",with Gable,Crawford,and Lorre.Another film in which much of the action takes place at sea)as "Smitty",a tormented Englishmen.

This is a story of a merchant marine ship,and its mixed nationality crew, at sea,carrying a cargo of munitions,during WW2.Some of the crew,especially a young John Wayne,with a Swedish accent(!)are eager to get home and stay as from the sea as possible!NOT ALL of the crew makes it back home.

Before this DVD viewing I've seen this film at least 20 times(more like 40!),and my heart is tugged EVERYTIME,in the same places,even though I KNOW what is about to happen.A great film,director,a great director of Photography(Greg Toland-Citizen Kane),a great musical score by Richard Hageman,a Fantastic motion picture event.JOHN FORD AT HIS BEST AND YOU CAN'T GET ANY BETTER!!-----THe DVD transfer is very good!

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Based on four of Eugene O'Neill's one-act plays, director John Ford presents a magnificent portrayal of humanity at sea and its struggle to not only survive but remain civilized during the early stages of WWI. Wayne was cast as a young Swedish sailor, and Ford insisted that he employed an accent which Wayne resisted fearing he would appear comical. The resulting performance is one of Wayne's best: very reserved and effective as Ole Olsen, who's essentially a simple man. Mitchell is wonderful as the old salt, and Hunter is moving as the tortured seaman who has ruined his life on land. This was playwright O'Neill's favourite film and he wore out a print of the film Ford gave from watching it over and over!