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Captain Blood is a great film, let alone a tremendous pirate film. There's something about the plot that has a certain resonance today as much as that of Robin Hood, namely that age-old sense of justice triumphing over rigid law and order, of robbing the rich to feed the poor. Yet Captain Blood is a little rougher edged, a little crueler in its machinations. Peter Blood (Flynn) is a well-meaning doctor who happens to aid the wrong side in one of Britain's innumerable civil wars, and is sentenced into slavery in the outer colonies along with a pack of other unfortunates. Right from the moment you see him level his icy gaze at the consumptive, soon-to-be dead Royal judge who passed the sentence, you know this party is just getting started.

Hollywood has used the 'good-man-wronged' scenario countless times since this movie, but rarely to such effect. Battered, beaten, but never broken, Dr. Peter Blood transforms into Captain Blood, the terror of the high seas that crushes his enemies without ever letting anyone affect his high-minded moral core. It was not his choice to become an outlaw, but if he has to become one, he will be the best one there ever was. Redemption, honor, and love all make their appearances in the fine script enacted by a worthy cast, but at every point Blood is a man in control of, and therefore responsible for, his own destiny. It's a great film and one you definitely should check out.

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This was Errol Flynn's first big film, and he is dazzling in it. Michael Curtiz and MGM were not able to get the actors they wanted for the part of Captain Blood (at the top of the list was Robert Donat), and took an enormous risk in hiring this unknown, inexperienced young man, as the star of the film. The results are fantastic, and "Captain Blood" was a huge success, and is perhaps the best swashbuckler ever made. Olivia de Havilland had only played minor roles before her part as Arabella, the niece of the evil Col. Bishop (Lionel Atwill), and this film also established her career. She is sweet and lovely, and the scene where Blood and Arabella finally confess their love for one another is unforgettable. They make a gorgeous pair, and were to make 7 more films together.

The plot centers around a doctor (Blood), who is unfairly sentenced by a corrupt judge for being "a rebel against the king". His life is spared, and he is sent to Port Royal, Jamaica, to be sold as a slave, and after escaping, piracy becomes his only means of existence. "And thus Captain Blood began his piracy...with a ship, a handful of men, and a brain." Basil Rathbone is marvelous as the bad guy Captain Levasseur, and the swordplay on a rocky shore between Blood and Levasseur (Laguna Beach substituting for Jamaica) is superb. Others in the supporting cast include J. Carrol Naish and Guy Kibbee.

With fast paced direction by Curtiz, a stupendous debut film score by classical composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and cinematography by Hal Mohr, with clever use of miniatures in the seafaring scenes, this film will stand the test of time for generations to come. Nominated by the Academy for Best Picture and Sound, total running time is 120 minutes. DVD extras include an interesting featurette, with commentary by film historian Robert Osborne, among others.

Best Deals for Captain Blood (1935)

Captain Blood is the kind of movie that I like to pop in the VCR on a Saturday afternoon when I need a couple of hours of down time. Errol Flynn stars as Peter Blood, a doctor wrongly imprisoned who turns to piracy in the seventeenth century. Flynn was the perfect actor for a role like this, because he had the athleticism and charisma to make this character come alive, and he manages to deliver some "goofy" dialogue without making it sound "goofy". Olivia deHavilland plays his love interest (as she often did), and she's well cast as the proper, yet spunky young lady. It's hard to imagine a couple of actors more suited for each other. Physically, they look incredible together, and the chemistry between them is obvious. Their youth and energy keep the film moving, as do the well-directed action sequences, the rousing musical score, and the playful humour. There are a lot of familiar character actors in the cast, including the always great Basil Rathbone. Captain Blood is the kind of movie you don't get tired of watching, because it entertains every time.

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In his autobiography, Jack L. Warner said Errol Flynn's sudden rise to stardom was like a "wildfire" sweeping across the landscape. In "Captain Blood," a 26-year-old Errol Flynn burst on the scene with drop-dead good looks, a knack for generating excitement, and one of the most powerful screen personas of any star in the history of film. This story of a doctor-turned-pirate is rousing entertainment from beginning to end, and represents a milestone for both Flynn and Warner Brothers. For Flynn, the movie made him an international star. For Warner Brothers, it gave them their first matinee idol and one of their biggest income-producers. "Captain Blood" also began the wonderful partnership of Flynn and Olivia DeHavilland, who would go on to make another six films together. NOTE: Beware of 99-minute versions of "Captain Blood." At all costs, get the full, 119-minute version. It's like a whole different film. END

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I think that this is one of the greatest action adventure films and perhaps the greatest adventure-epic film about pirates ,ever made in cinema's history. Adapted from Raffael Sabbatini's homonymous novel, "Captain Blood" introduced 26 years old Australian-born actor Errol Flynn, in Hollywood as a great star and it was the first of a movie-series that granted him the title of "swashbucklers's king".The film also created Flynn's image (solidified in the next years) as the dashing young romantic adventurer hero who always saves the day. Flynn plays the Irish doctor Peter Blood who becomes the handsome gentleman rogue pirate of the Caribbean with bravado and charisma ,appearing his great talent that made him a legend. But here we can locate some historical inaccuracy , (an inheritance of 19th century's romantic literature ) because the real pirates were quite repulsive, poor , illiterate and not fascinating and educated sea knights. The historical background on the contrary is quite accurate and very interesting. The film beggins in 1685 when Duke of Monmouth organised an unsuccessfull rebellion and portrays England during the 1680s, the reign of James II before the advent of the Glorious Revolution which sees him removed in favor of William III of Orange and Queen Mary. An other notable point is that the film portrays pro-catholic King James II as an evil and cruel tyrannical persona ,a fact that might be seen as a film's pro-protestant position on history, yet don't forget that this story is adapted from a novel and this was Sabbatini's view on historical facts.

Curtiz's direction is excellent and impressive,especially at the great terrific sea battle which is amazing. Olivia de Havilland is brilland and adorable as Flynn's sweet love interest ,with astonishing beauty. Even she is only 19 years old ,she plays her role with maturity and high professional capability. Basil Rathbone is perfect as the villain-fond of women French pirate Levasseur (and as swordfighter) using a peculiar french accent . Lionel Atwill as de Havilland's uncle is very convincing as a brutal plantation owner who finally reconciles with Captain Blood (Errol Flynn).You have also to notice the great performances by the actors who compose Captain Blood's crew. They're really charming.

A must-see high entertaining master piece epic. I give it all the stars I can . Enjoy it and love it.

Cheap Def Leppard - Visualize / Video Archive (2001)

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I love Def Leppard!!! They are my favorite band of all time!!! I have had the Visualize and Video Archive on VHS but when it came to DVD in one collection, I bought it right away. This DVD is one of the best DVD's from Def Leppard. It has the music video's for Rocket, Switch 625 which is a tribute for Steve Clark, Let's Get Rocked (one of their coolest videos with really cool and humorous animation!!), Make Love Like A Man (another favorite of mine), Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad (My favorite rock ballad of all time next to Love Bites, I love this video and Joe Elliott looks so good in it!!!), Tonight, Heaven Is (a video I never saw on MTV, maybe it was never shown?), I Wanna Touch U (another video I never saw on MTV), Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion), When Love & Hate Collide (the original video), Two Steps Behind (a song that was from the Last Action Hero soundtrack), Action (another cool video that I never saw on MTV), Miss You In A Heartbeat(the MTV video), and an epic 8 minute version of When Love & Hate Collide that is like a small movie with dialog throughout the video.

There are tons of live performances of Two Steps Behind, Love Bites, Photograph, Let's Get Rocked, Foolin', Rocket, Armageddon It, Pour Some Sugar On Me, and Rock Of Ages which are from a concert in Sheffield, England. There is also an acoustic performance from Sheffield, England of songs Two Steps Behind, Armageddon It, When Love & Hate Collide, Animal, Pour Some Sugar On Me and a cover of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust.

In addition to the music video's and live performances, there are tons and tons of interviews, behind the scenes footage, a few shots of perfomances with Ben E. King (Stand By Me) and some other live perfomances they did. They also tell what inspired the song Let's Get Rocked and how the video was made. There are so many funny and informative things on this DVD and any fan of Def Leppard must get this DVD, it's awesome. And some people say that the sound quality is very poor but let me tell you something. I have watched this DVD without having a surround sound system, only on my 5 year old 25" TV and it sounds perfect just that way and when I did watch it once at my friends' house using his surround system, even though the DVD isn't really made for surround sound, the audio sounded even better than on my TV. Even if the DVD doesn't say surround sound 5.1 or whatever, if you do play it with surround sound speakers, you will hear sound and music coming out of every speaker and it will sound almost exactly the way surround sound sounds. There is no problem with the sound. It's perfect! I own both the Visualize/Video Archive and Historia/In The Round In Your Face DVD's and both are must buy's for any Def Leppard fan. These are the ultimate collections of Def Leppard Videos and footage you could ever want. I will be watching these DVD's for years and years to come. I also own the Classic Albums DVD Hysteria which just basically has everything you could want to know about the making of the Hysteria album and so all three DVD's are in my collection and are must buy's but definitely the Visualize/Video Archive and Historia/In The Round In Your Face DVD's are the best!!

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Both of the Def Leppard DVD's ("Historia/In The Round, In Your Face" and "Visualize/Video Archive") are excellent; the high point of "Visualize/Video Archive" has to be the amazing live version of "Rocket" from the band's homecoming performance in Sheffield, England, with Joe Elliott throwing in a few verses from Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love", Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell tearing a hole in the sky with some killer solos, and Rick "Sav" Savage and Rick "The Thundergod" Allen proving why they are the best rhythm section in rock. Just do yourself a favor and buy these excellent DVD's they are more than worth it!!!

Best Deals for Def Leppard - Visualize / Video Archive (2001)

I am a major fan of Def Leppard, so this DVD is awesome for me. I especially enjoyed the clips of them behind the scenes and doing interviews over the years. It took me a minute to realize that these vignettes are at the end of the videos, so you either have to watch the video, or go to the end and rewind back into it. The live performances were good. I have never had the chance to see them live, so this was great. The accoustic performance was excellent. I wish it had more "bonus materials" than one interview and the discography. Overall, it was great and highly recommend this to anyone who likes good music.

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Thanks to DEF LEPPARD, we have a 2nd DVD chock full of more LEPPARD music videos and concert footage....even some acoustic playing! SWEET! I had waited for years to get a DEF LEPPARD collection on DVD, I wasn't even expecting to see 2 DVD collections from the band....but, they put it out for their fans, and we are so grateful! This is the 2nd DVD and continues where the incredible "Historia/In-The-Round, In Your Face" DVD left off! This collection shows the band continuing their success in the 90's....music videos: Let's Get Rocked, Two Steps Behind, Stand Up Kick Love Into Motion and more! The DVD also features a great deal of concert footage both electric and acoustic of these later hit songs! They even featured an intimate acoustic set, with fans, from their 1995 return to a hometown pub, in Sheffield, England, where they got their start in 1978! What more could you ask for?!! This, and the 1st DVD, brings the DEF LEPPARD visual experience full circle! Be sure to get both! Get yours here, today, fans!

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More videos and performances showcasing one of the greatest hard rock bands. The sound quality is better than the other DVD of videos and performances, likely because this has videos and performances mainly from the 90's and late 80's. The performance clips of the band's triumphant return home to Sheffield are probably the best of the bunch. Nevertheless, it's still an excellent DVD and a must have for fans.

Best Madagascar: The Complete Collection (Madagascar / Madagascar Escape Deals

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I bought this for my husband for Christmas because he loves the Penguins. I just wanted to point out for those that have written that the Penguin Christmas Caper is not included, it actually is. It is a special feature on the first DVD 'Madagascar'. It is a short (10-15 minute) cartoon, but it is definitely there, we watched it earlier today.

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I have a 2 year old and she is obsessed with Madagascar! And the best part is that I love it too! We enjoy watching this DVD together and have lots of laughs and giggles with all the characters :-)

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My grandson loves these movies! This has become a favorite, I am glad there is more than one, because we end up watching them over and over again.

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I've seen all of these movies and found it easier to give as a gift in this convienent pack as it was harder to find disks 1 and 2 together in my local stores.

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This is such a cute movie for kids. My toddlers love these movies. There isn't a ton of potty humor or rudeness amongst the characters. It's nice to find them in a set like this.

Review of Objective Burma (1945)

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Finally--the great Errol Flynn is becoming available on DVD. One can only hope that Warner Bros. will be releasing more classic Flynn titles in the near future. Except for late in his career, when Errol's excessive lifestyle took its toll, we are looking at one of the most exciting stars to ever grace the "silver screen".

As other reviews will tell you, this is a truly memorable World War II drama about American soldiers successfully accomplishing a dangerous mission against the Japanese in the jungles of Burma, only to face the daunting task of returning to home base alive. The film is exciting, touching, sad and uplifting--and if ever there was an actor that men might follow even through the gates of hell, it is Errol Flynn. I agree that this is one of his best performances. At first, we get the famous Flynn bravado, but as the story progresses, we see more desperate human qualities and ultimately a world-weary resignation. The scene where he discovers that one of his men has been tortured to death does not really show the victim--it doesn't have to--the horror and disbelief on Flynn's face says it all.

The film is long--but even when there is no action taking place, the combination of suspense and sharply-drawn characters keeps a firm grip on your attention. You can feel that oppressive heat--the dense jungle--the biting insects--and the constant threat of a ruthless enemy. In many ways the atmosphere foreshadows another nasty war for Americans, in another Asian jungle, some twenty years later.

The DVD is excellent--the picture is very clear and stable for a 58-year old film.

I know that this movie was vilified in the UK for ignoring the huge role played by British troops in this theatre of the war. I don't pass historical judgments--I simply review the film. As such, "Objective Burma" is a powerful statement, and an excellent vehicle for a truly great star.

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Raoul Walsh directed this gruelling, gritty, compelling war story, produced during World War Two, as the fight in the Pacific was still in full swing. Errol Flynn, in one of his least glamorous roles, stars as a hard-bitten Captain in charge of an American paratrooper unit that gets sent on a commando mission into Japanese-occupied Burma. They easily achieve their goal of destroying a strategic radar post, but are decimated while trying to return from enemy territory. The film is remorselessly well paced, tense, and manages to transcend the conventions of Hollywood's WWII combat melodramas: it is propagandistic and uses certain formulas, but it is also earthy and anxiety-provoking in a way that the grade-B war films of the era were not. The predicament of the soldiers -stranded behind enemy lines and cut off from their support -is made visceral in a way which few movies manage to convey, making this film a clear precursor to "Platoon" and "Black Hawk Down." It's bleak tone and realistic portrayal of the foot soldiers, with their dark humor and fatalistic resolve, all rings true. Highly recommended.

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OK, so it does give an impression that only Americans fought the Japanese in Burma. (The British most certainly fought there, too, especially since Burma was THEIR colony, part of the Indian Empire.) I personally don't mind that at all, after all, this was a story about ONE company of paratroopers taking out ONE Japanese radar station. They did not even represent the entire American presence in that front. So I have no problem with that.

But when you consider the time this movie was made, you cannot help but admire the no-nonsense, straightforward manner it was told. Not an ounce of excess fat (OK, maybe a little, but forgivable). This movie simply means business. The language is spot on. The other reviewer's remark about salt tablets was right on the mark. (Who would have thought salt, which terrifies some people today, was so vital to some people, once upon a time?) Equipment checks, last minute reminders, "hook up", "stand in the door", the burying of parachutes, tactics, the positioning and pulling out of machineguns, you'll have to make a great leap forward, to "Band of Brothers" in the 21st century, to find something this sound, this honest. I don't know how technically authentic it was, but I know it just feels so authentic.

No superheroes. Even the lead character, Capt. Nelson, is your average (G.I.) Joe. The only thing that makes him special is his ability to focus on the mission and to put the welfare of his men above all things. Yes, during the scene where they were ambushed after supplies were dropped, you wish Nelson had been more active in saving those stricken men. But when you really think about it, what he actually did, saving those who can still be saved, avoiding an engagement when they were poorly positioned and low on ammunition (they did not get the supplies, remember), is what YOU would have done. No blind, heroic charges against entrenched enemies. No unnecessary displays of gung-ho. Even without all those, you still feel their peril.

(And thankfully, no silly encounters with snakes, scorpions or God Almighty rhinos as in most "jungle" war movies. I don't know where the crocodiles in the Editorial review came from, though. Never saw one.)

Obviously, the audio will not match that of modern war movies, such as "Saving Private Ryan", the current standard. Some of the props are poorly done, such as the TNT, which look like wooden blocks painted over. On the other hand, you get a war movie that is nothing short of a breath of fresh air in a world choked by the smoke of "Windtalkers", one that does not rely on special effects to hold you in its grip. Highly recommended.

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Errol Flynn made several films about World War II, but two of them are considered classics. One was "The Edge of Darkness," and the other was 1945's "Objective, Burma!" While the film was angrily pulled from theaters in England because it largely ignored British efforts in the fight against the Japanese in Burma, it did a resounding business in the United States.

In the film, Errol Flynn's character leads a group of paratroopers on a mission behind Japanese lines in Burma. When they are stranded there, only one recourse is left to them: to fight their way out. The ensuing struggle to get back to friendly lines presents some of the most tense and action-packed battle scenes in WWII film history.

Note: Watch for the scene in which Errol Flynn weeps. He is watching one of his men, who has been mercilessly tortured by the Japanese, die. The camera moves in on Flynn's face, an extreme closeup. Watch closely, because the scene is dimly lighted and the moment is brief. Big tears of grief roll from Flynn's eyes, indicating he was a much better actor than many critics gave him credit for. END

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When I read histories of the Pacific War, I frequently come across passages telling of a rage held by allied soldiers against the Japanese, more intense than that held against the Germans (though had they known at the time about Malmedy and the Holocaust, it might have been a different story). There is a scene in "Objective Burma" which conveys to me, more effectively than any other film, how that rage was born.

This is a Warner Brothers "A" picture, directed by the great Raoul Walsh, and it shows. The acting is superb, and the locations are totally convincing. The framework for these is a conventional story of an allied patrol's sabotage of an enemy radar station, deep in the jungle, and its harrowing trek back to safety. What sets "Operation Burma" apart is its concentration on the humanity of the characters within an "action film" context, without resort to melodrama. It is a delicate balance, that many films fail to maintain, and it is perhaps why Errol Flynn is ideal as Captain Nelson, leader of the patrol. Flynn's screen persona as a swashbuckler was always tempered by a disarming mildness, which not only made the ladies swoon but enabled him convincingly to reveal the human frailty behind the bravura. And nowhere else does he display this double facet to better effect than in "Operation Burma". It is said that the best commanders are those who only have to ask in order to be obeyed. Flynn is this kind of commander.

Other fine players should not be neglected. There is a standout performance by Henry Hull, as an elderly journalist whose ambition to cover the war from the ground leads him to the realization that in war it isn't just combat that kills. I also like Warner Anderson, both grim and sympathetic as Flynn's commanding officer. And the uncredited Erville Anderson's "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell is so convincing, I fancied the general was playing himself!

I like to have films representing each of a broad range of interests. For Errol Flynn, I have "The Adventures of Robin Hood," "Operation Burma" and "That Forsyte Woman". As well as any others, these three films define Errol Flynn's career. For World War II, I have "Operation Burma," "They Were Expendable" and "Saving Private Ryan". As well as any others, these three films define World War II. They are musts for any comprehensive film library.

Cheap Alice in Wonderland (1999)

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In 1999, NBC broadcast a new version of Alice in Wonderland, created by the same folks who produced Gulliver's Travels, Merlin, and Noah's Ark. This star-studded version had Tina Majorino (from Waterworld) as a winsome Alice, and other stars like Whoopi Goldberg as the Cheshire Cat, Miranda Richardson (Crying Game) as a rather high-pitched, shrill Queen of Hearts, and Martin Short as a very amusing Mad Hatter. There are plenty of other stars, of course, but these are the ones you will notice the most. This particular production is a loose adaptation, really. It incorporates portions of both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. And it adds a new twist Alice runs after the White Rabbit not out of curiosity from boredom but rather to escape from having to sing a song in front of many strangers at her parents' party. Her adventures in Wonderland as thus partially about how she summons the courage to overcome this stage-fright, and when she does, she returns to the real world. In the meantime, we see the usual interesting episodes in Wonderland the Mad Tea Cup party, the croquet match, Twiddledee and Twiddledum, the trial of tarts, the Duchess and her baby pig and cheshire cat, etc. There are even a few songs scattered here and there in the film the songs, for the most part, are nothing special but they do not distract much from the movie (some folks may also remember a 4-hour TV miniseries on the Alice books, filled with songs, from the 1980s; this was also star-studded and probably more faithful to the books but the songs were annoying).

The best thing about this new Alice film are the special effects. They are amazing and create a most bizarre, surreal, and colorful version of Wonderland. This makes the film great fun to look at. Also, Tina Majorino does a great job as Alice, and we really grow to really like her and sympathize for her as the film progresses. Martin Short, as I mentioned, is pretty funny, too. This is definitely a film the whole family can enjoy, and there is nothing offensive in the film at all. If you liked this film when you first saw it on TV, purchase it! I did! Currently, it sells for less than 10 dollars on some internet sites! Quite a bargain.

Finally, just a few words on the DVD itself. The colors are superb and the picture quality is clear and outstanding. Sound quality is quite good it won't give the subwoofers any workout, but nonetheless, it sounds very good for a TV broadcast. Extras on the disc include the usual suspects film production notes, cast notes, trailer, close captioning (instead of subtitles). There is also a small section showing the original illustrations of the Alice books, and lastly, a small section about the inspiration for the Alice books (quite informative for those who do not know about the real-life inspiration for Alice).

So, all in all, the DVD is worth the purchase and makes for many fun re-watching sessions for the kids. A good family recommendation!

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Lewis Carrol,when entertaining the liddel children one summer came up with a rather novel little story in which Alice Liddel would find herself in"wonderland",a place not entirely unlike Victorian England,but odd and charming(which 19th century England was not)...later Carrol(who was in fact the ,an Oxford Don,noted photographer,and local celebrity),would fill out the story told to little Alice Liddel and the charming"alice through the looking glass"was born..Apparently the book itself is no longer read,inasmuchas most of the reviews of this,the only really faithful adaptation of the work,compare it badly to the cartoon version by Disney...Carrol's humour was always grounded in 19th century current events,and many of the curious little poems included in the work were not so much"nonsense"as they were clever adaptations of events and personalities of the time period...The fact that young children,like Alice Liddel(then about ten years old) could recognise the grown-up aspects of the Carrol story while at the same time being entertained says much for the level of education given children then(and says much about the ABSENCE of such education now)..If one wants an entertaining,but largely gutted version of "Alice in wonderland" one should skip this film and opt for the Disney product...it is slick and uncompicated,and requires no thinking whatsover,a perfect film for the MTV generation...If ,on the other hand,YOU HAVE ACTUALLY READ THE BOOK,and want a film that reflects what Carrol actually wrote,then skip Disney & buy THIS version...you won't be disappointed...

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If you are reading this you are probably trying to decide if this 'Alice' adaptation is worth watching or you may have already watched it and are wondering about the reaction of other viewers.

It is the most faithful (to the book) adaptation so far (faint praise as most efforts might as well have been original screenplays) and the sets, special effects, make-up and Muppets are light-years better than what others have tried.

But all is not right with this version of 'Wonderland' so Carroll fans should not get their hopes up too high. The adaptation involves some subtraction and a lot of addition (or as the Mock Turtle would say some 'Ambition and Distraction'). Unfortunately what was added does not begin to compensate for what was left out, it only pads the running length.

They added three scenes from 'Through the Looking Glass'. Stuck between the 'Lobster Quadrille' and the 'Who Stole the Tarts' chapters are: 'Tweedledum and Tweedledee', 'The Walrus and The Carpenter', and 'It's My Own Invention' with the White Knight. So the original story takes a not very entertaining detour-although the Walrus-Carpenter bits are fun and it is interesting to see a pre-Hagrid Robbie Coltrane as Tweedledum. Fortunately they group the three scenes together and it is not as disruptive as placing them separately at different points in the story.

Historically, the model for the characters are the illustrations that Carroll commissioned John Tenniel to carve on wood blocks. Although Carroll based the personality of his title character on ten-year-old brunette Alice Liddell, Tenniel used another model and gave the illustrated Alice her features and her long blonde hair. Although the movie generally deferred to Tenniel's illustrations, they made a critical error in casting Tina Majorino as Alice. She was 13-14 during the filming and looks ludicrous in the role. She was also quite homely at that age and you are thankful that the director used mostly wide shots so you don't have her face filling the screen. Thankfully her acting is so flat that she does not call much attention to herself. But the overall effect would have been so much better if they had used a younger actress (could they have made it three years earlier and used a 10-11 year-old Kiera Knightley).

The movie works in spite of a poor Alice, in large part because of the other major deviation from the Tenniel look. That would be casting Miranda Richardson as the Queen of Hearts. Instead of a fat and ugly queen we get a delicately beautiful one, and a hauntingly over-the-top performance. But it works because the performance is consistent with Carroll's idea of the queen as: 'a sort of embodiment of ungovernable passion-a blind and aimless Fury'.

And in her surreal make-up you can't take your eyes off Richardson (you literally focus on her face and see nothing else that is in the frame). Her performance was so inspired that she has been playing fairy tale queens ever since.

All the Muppet characters are excellent but for some reason they made Bill the Lizard a man instead of a muppet lizard. Did the producer owe someone a favor? Bill's scene at the Rabbits's House is the third best in the movie; only the croquet match and the trial are better.

And they messed with Carroll's dialogue for no useful purpose or discernible logic. For example they kept all the 'Mock Turtle's' puns, which are hard to follow even in print, while deleting some of the best lines from Alice's scene with the 'Cheshire Cat'; and the tea-party dialogue (and editing) is a shambles. You can't always tell when an original line was omitted but you can tell when something was added by the hack they hired to do the adaptation-all are stupid and some so modern that they are like hearing an off-key note on a flute.

Carroll's dialogue and Alice's thoughts are really the essence of the story.

Someday a director will shoot this thing with mega-reaction shots of Alice (played by a pleasing looking 'young' actress) and with voiceovers of her thoughts-then we will have something that really communicates Alice's curiosity, courage, kindness, intelligence, dignity, and sense of justice. Most important is to communicate her simple wonder (the only wonder about Majorino is how she got the role). The reader was meant to identify with these qualities but only Disney's Alice effectively exhibited them. It's sad when it is easier to identify with the book and with a cartoon Alice than with any of the actresses who have played the role.

Although some part of each chapter is included (Down the Rabbit-Hole, The Pool of Tears, The Caucus-Race, Little Bill, Advice from a Caterpillar, Pig and Pepper, A Mad Tea-Party, The Queen's Croquet-Ground, The Mock Turtle's Story, The Lobster Quadrille, Who Stole the Tarts, and Alice's Evidence), the bookend pieces of the story where Alice is not dreaming are missing. Instead there is a 'Wizard of Oz' kind of scene with the actors out of costume, playing guests at a garden party. This is done entirely to tie in with the writer's annoyingly artless addition of a preachy "the show must go on" theme which works to deflate each scene in which it is inserted.

This is the only unforgivable change to the story. Wonderland was not a process of self-discovery or personal development, it was a gift to the real Alice (and to future children) and should always end with the thoughts of Alice's older sister after hearing the details of the dream: 'Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman, and how she would keep, through all the years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood; and how she would gather about her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago; and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days'. This is Carroll telling us why he made up the story.

Bottom line it is the best of the Alice films, a little too long but still worth watching-especially for the Miranda Richardson scenes.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Honest reviews on Alice in Wonderland (1999)

When I first read of this adaptation in 1999, I was so excited to hear of a huge Hollywood version of my favourite book of all time. Another Wonderland to get lost in, another Alice to follow on her nonsensical, whimsical journey. What I ended up with was another reason not to trust American telemovies.

The last telemovie attempt at 'Alice In Wonderland' was in 1985 when Irwin Allen made a very admirable attempt at recreating both 'Wonderland' and its sequel 'Through The Looking-Glass'. In comparison to modern film technology, the sets are a bit plastic looking and there are one too many distractingly sickening songs, not to mention some embarrassing moments of 'special effects' (see the model train used to cringeworthy effect in 'Lookin-Glass'). However when stacked up against this travesty, Allen's creation is an absolute opus.

The biggest problem with this latest Wonderland is it gets lost in its own surface. As a result, it is a horribly stilted, detached and depthless rendering of one of the most exciting fictional worlds in modern literature. Nearly every setting is CGI'd beyond recognition, with unnecessary inclusions and digital touch-ups in almost as many scenes. As for the cast, for a group of actors who are arguably the cream of the Hollywood crop they turn in rather unimpressive performances. Tina is a solid Alice, but talented actors like the divine Whoopi Goldberg are wasted on parts like the Cheshire Cat. It comes off as another reviewer stated like a furry grey Whoopi Goldberg, not Goldberg playing a role. Unfortunately, this can be said for most of the other famous names in the film as well. As for the White Rabbit, I don't think I've ever seen a more unconvincing and irritating creature in my life. It looks like the perverted brother of the Energiser Bunny.

My other peeves with this version lie in the seemingly obligatory 'American-isation' of the original text, with the pointless and insulting inclusion of a journey of self-discovery to somewhat validate Alice's encounter with Wonderland. This not only subverts but trivialises the genius of Carroll's novels set against the backdrop of the morally-conscious Victorian world.

I will give props where necessary, however. Miranda Richardson's reading of the Queen is at first jarring with her high pitched screeching, but by the end of the film it becomes rather appealing. Her make-up and costume is not what is usually rendered as the Queen of Hearts, but quite a stellar variation. The card-house / court scene at the end is wonderful, as is the gloriously sensitive portrayal of the Mock Turtle by Gene Wilder (accompanied by one of the more convincing Henson creature creations as the Gryphon). If there is one reason to see this version of 'Wonderland', it is Martin Short as the deranged Hatter. His Hatter and his friend, a mildly psychotic, slightly disturbing reading of the March Hare is for me the perfect portrayal of Carroll's character and John Tenniel's original illustrations. The entire tea party sequence is delicious, pivotal, and embodies everything that Wonderland is nonsensical, entertaining and slightly darker than you'd first realise.

Shame the rest of the film is miles away from this superb scene.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Alice in Wonderland (1999)

What a trip!!.. i just love this adaptation; although it wasn't the same as the book (maybe some lines were). The plot was a little altered in the sense that she enters wonderland to overcome her fear of performing in public, but it doesn't matter. The performing was good specially whoopy goldberg as cheshire cat, Martin Short as mad hatter (my fave), Ben kingsley as caterpillar and the tweedle brothers. For a 1999 version, the visual effects were awesome (in my opinion)and this is what i like the most. The bright colors and visual mind altering eye candished style makes you go with Alice to wonderland!!.. jeje. Anyway, i fully recomend this version if you like tripity sense of nonsense and love lewis carroll mind whoobling imagination.

Ez..

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I agree with the other comments about poor video quality.

An LSU friend of mine had a different complaint. They kept trying to watch the DVD, but it kept stalling about halfway through.

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The quality of this recording is terrible. I can't believe the BCS would knowingly license a DVD this poor. It's a real stretch giving it even one star.

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I was excited about being able to have this game on DVD (especially since I was actually there). However, I am extremely disappointed by the quality of the video. Atrocious. Its like I am watching something in lower resolution on YouTube. I had previously downloaded a HD copy from iTunes and the quality is much better. This DVD was produced by XO Digital and they apparently have the exclusive rights to the BCS and SEC game reproductions. XO clearly dropped the ball and has put forth a very poor quality product apparently in an effort to make a quick buck from the fans. To make matters worse, the DVD could not be detected and was unplayable by the DVD drive of my new Dell laptop.

Honest reviews on 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship Game (2012)

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