Review of Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

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'The Prisoner of Zenda' is one of the most fondly-remembered films of the '30s, and for good reason! It offers Ronald Colman, one of Hollywood's most beloved British stars, in the dual role of Rudolf, crown prince of a small European kingdom, and Rudolf Rassendyll, his look-alike British cousin, end product of a brief affair of an ancestor (as the Englishman puts it, "Fishing in forbidden waters!"); the radiant Madeleine Carroll, best-known as Robert Donat's leading lady in Hitchcock's classic 'The 39 Steps', as the royal betrothed, who falls in love with the pretender; Raymond Massey, Canadian star of H.G. Wells' SF masterpiece, 'Things to Come' (and, 3 years later, the quintessential Abraham Lincoln on stage and in film!), as Black Michael, Rudolf's scheming half-brother; and, best of all, a youthful Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., son of silent Hollywood's greatest swashbuckler (and a pretty fair swashbuckler, himself!), as the suavely villainous ally of Michael.

The story is simple, and has been done many times before, but never with such elan; drugged monarch-to-be must be impersonated by look-alike for coronation, lest kingdom fall into hands of evil half-brother. In the hands of this PERFECT cast (with terrific support by C. Aubrey Smith, a young David Niven, and Mary Astor) the tale becomes a stylish tale of love, intrigue, and derring-do! High points include an astonishingly beautiful Royal Ball, where Colman and Carroll reveal their love; a very funny yet menacing meeting between Colman and Fairbanks, as they discuss the real King's potential fate; and best of all, a MAGNIFICENT climactic swordfight between the pair, as they lunge and parry furiously through the halls of a castle, while exchanging quips and one-liners!

This is swashbuckling at it's finest, and is a MUST for any adventure fan's collection! If you are unfamiliar with Ronald Colman's work, you're in for a treat! Don't miss it!

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The 30s and 40s were they heyday of the swashbuckler and The Prisoner of Zenda is certainly one of the finest. It combines the action, the intrigue and the melodrama that makes a swashbuckler so irresistable.

Based on the short novel by Anthony Hope, The Prisoner of Zenda is the tale of an Englishman (Ronald Colman) who discovers that he resembles his distant cousin, the heir to the throne of Ruritania, a small eastern European kingdom. The plot is of course very familiar, the use of look alikes as a plot device is older than the hills. But, in both the book and the movie, the plot is handled in such a jaunty manner that it is thoroughly charming.

Though slightly older than the character in the book, Ronald Colman as Rudolph Rasendyll brings a worold weary charm. He is an ordinary man thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Colman is also good as the drunked heir to the throne though this character does not receive nearly as much screentime.

Madeleine Carroll is a lovely leading lady. Raymond Massey plays a plotting villain. Mary Astor is marvelous as the woman scorned. A young David Niven is one of Colman's earnest friends.

But the movie belongs to someone who was a minor villain in the book. (Though the full fledged heavy in the sequel) Rupert of Hentzau, the flashy, wild and wicked right hand man to Massey's evil Duke Michael. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was generally cast as the boyish hero, as Rupert he is still boyish but in a rather twisted way. While he works for Michael, he is still in it for himself. He wants Michael's position, Michael's lands and Michael's girlfriend. (Mary Astor who, ironically, was the leading lady in Son of Zorro starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr.)

The movie is for the most part faithful to the book, it's main departure is in making the final duel between Rasendyll and Rupert. In the book, Rupert was one of six henchman and Rasendyll battled and English rogue. I must say, putting Rupert in the spotlight was a very good choice.

It's not giving anything away to say that the final duel is just marvelous. As he was in the book, Rasendyll is no master swordsman. He gets by, but he is forced to cheat (throw furniture, etc.) in order to survive against Rupert. There is the expected banter between the antogonists and several close calls. Perfect display of 30s showmanship, right on par with The Adventures of Robin Hood and Captain Blood.

In short, this is the definative version of the classic. It is certainly not perfect but it is so enjoyable that any minor flaws are smoothed away. If nothing else, see it for Fairbanks's delightful acting and the great golden age sets and costumes. A swashbuckling fan's delight!

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An old "Variety" review described this 1937 classic as "24 carat hokum". That it is, with the emphasis on the 24 carats. The plot revolves around Ronald Colman, an Englishman on a hunting vacation in an eponymous Eastern European country. The about to be crowned king vanishes and Colman is persuaded to take his place until the true monarch can be rescued. (It's the missing King who is the "prisoner" of Zenda). The acting is outstanding all around, particularly by Madeleine Carroll in the role of the lovely young handpicked Queen with a strong sense of duty. An august C. Aubrey Smith and an astonishingly young David Niven ably play the good guys. The roles of bad guys are equally well portrayed by Raymond Massey and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. The latter is actually a semi-likeable villain. A key character is that of Mary Astor but this reviewer won't divulge her actions. Viewers should watch her closely! The final scene with Smith, Niven and Colman is an absolute classic with a dashing fadeout. We all know they don't make movies like this anymore. Where could present day Hollywood find a cast of this quality and stature?

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This movie has passed the test of time and fashion. My grandparents saw it long before I was born and yet re-run after re-fun, generation after generation, it still supplies on the edge of the seat action from beginning to end. Giving a lasting thrill to the heart and soul, without bad language or nude bodies that is hard to forget. Adventure packed with complete top marks viewing that wouldn't embarrass you to watch with your mother or your children. This movie doesn't need our 2001 technology to carry it or the unique style of filled with energy and life acting that makes you want to be Douglas Fairbanks Junior sword fencing his way to victory over evil. Superb viewing by anyones definition of family entertainment. Old style craftmanship and moral chivalry that should never in our modern world be allowed to die. It depicts what life is all about. Love, honour, duty, personal and social moral respect for one another that is sadly lacking in our modern times. Comes highly recommended across the families of the ages and I'd say, they can't all be be wrong. Dare to live the adventure time after time. This movies impact never wares out.

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This is the only one and true version of this timeless classic. It takes you back when "Politics had not yet outgrown the waltz". Ronald Colman is outstanding in a dual role as both Rudolf Rassendyll and King Rudolf. He should have received the Academy Award for this excellent performance. Colman plays the role which such charm and flair. It is a perfect portrayal of a King. The supporting cast is awesome: Madeleine Carroll as Princess Flavia, the most beautiful princess I've ever seen on screen. David Niven as Capt. Fritz Von Talinheim and C. Aubrey Smith as the faithful Col. Zapt, loyal officers of the King. Raymond Massey as Prince Michael, the evil half brother of the King and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as Count Rupert, Prince Michael's henchman. The Coronation and Royal Ball scenes are breathtaking! And the classic sword fight between Colman and Fairbanks is exciting to say the least! Such a classic treasure of film making. I highly recommend this classic film. You'll want to see it over and over again!

Best The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935) Deals

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I first saw this film as a boy, and it immediately struck me; then I remembered it for years as one of the best films I had ever seen in terms of plot, characters, exoticism, and historic appeal. Twenty five years later I was able to purchase a copy and saw the magic working all over again, this time with my children. It is a story of friendship, courage, cowardice and redemption. Lieutenants Stone and Forsythe are assigned to the 41st Lancers in Bengal. The tribes under Mohammed Khan are on the verge of rebellion. A Russian spy tries to promote her country's interests in the region. Then Lieutenant Stone is captured and Mc Gregor -played by Gary Cooper, superb as usualand Forsyth try to find him and defuse the crisis ... One scene of torture (Mohammed Khan inserts burning sticks under the nails of his prisoners one after the other) makes the film unsuitable for younger children -with a traditional education I supposeas nightmares are likely to follow. Recommended age bracket 10-15 and older of course ! The film (1935) is of course in black and white good for your children's artistic education and never a hindrance to their pleasure. What makes the film a classic is that it embodies the spirit of 19th century colonization the British are of course right, Mohammed Khan is of course cruel and wily. The film can therefore -with older children ?be used to start a discussion on historical perspective and the use of national and cultural stereotypes. But above all, this is a well-played, attractive, breathtaking film with a superbly moving finale and good action scenes without the special effects you would expect from much, much later years which too often prove disturbing for children.

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Gary Cooper playing Lieut. MacGregor is his strong, stoic self in the 1935 British colonial adventure set in India, "The Lives of a Bengal Lancer". The free spirited MacGregor is too random and impulsive for his straight laced, principled commanding officer Colonel "Ramrod" Stone played authoritatively by Sir Guy Standing. Cooper is compelled to nursemaid Col. Stone's son, a junior officer new to the regiment and fresh out of military school, played by the baby faced Richard Cromwell. The cocky smart aleck Franchot Tone playing Lieut. Forsythe aids Cooper and completes the trio around which the plot is based.

The Lancers are guarding the northern frontier of India and have been menaced by Oxford educated Afghan prince Mohammed Khan. Khan, leader of a large band of rebellious zealots has designs on capturing a huge supply of ammunition meant for the British.

He kidnaps the younger Lt. Stone to force his fathers hand. Cooper and Tone obviously go to his rescue against orders.

"Lives" is a noteworthy B&W period piece from the 30's but is slightly inferior in its scope and magnitude to both Gunga Din and The Four Feathers, which were both unquestioned cinema classics

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The best of the lot (IMHO much better than Gunga Din). Great action scene, and a pretty good story line. None of the philosophical insight of the original novel, but hey, who watches this stuff for inner wisdom anyway? Watch out for a uncredited appearance of Myrna Loy as a native Pathan Temptress (do I get extra points since this is not in IMDB?)

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I give extra points to this movie for just its one famous line, Mohammed Khan threatening his captives with the little phrase, "We have ways to make men talk."

But thinking about it's how silly is it to cast Douglas Dumbrille as Mohammed Khan, the radical Moslem leader of the rebellion? Didn't they have any Indian actors in Hollywood who could have played the part? Dumbrille made quite a career out of ethnic types, but he was actually from Hamilton, Ontario. Abbott and Costello fans will recall him playing the Sheik in ABBOTT & COSTELLO JOIN THE FOREIGN LEGION, and he was also menacing (though Russian) in CHARLIE CHAN CITY IN DARKNESS. I gues he could play just about everything, but it is really a stretch to make him the Islam insurgent who wants to capture two million rounds of ammo from the British to whom it "properly" belongs.

Nowhere in the movie is there any attempt to make sense out of the fact that the British are fish out of water in Afghanistan. None of the characters ever says to each other, "Why are we here in the first place?" They just act like it's their duty to save Asia from itself--the white man's burden. That said, Cooper and Tone have tremendous chemistry together, like Newman and Redford, only more or less the same age range. But as British soldiers? I don't think so!

Why didn't they just say they were Americans? Richard Cromwell makes a strong impression--he was the fellow who married Angela Lansbury without telling her he batted for the other team (they divorced after a year or so). Here he's fresh, vigorous, very much the tenderfoot to Coop's strawfoot. The casting works here, and he even sounds a bit more British than the others, even though he was born about two miles from the studio where they shot this super action adventure. Another who makes a strong impression is the one and only "Panther Woman" from ISLAND OF LOST SOULS--Kathleen Burke, whose mysterious and exotic beauty always got her cast as something "special." She was the pride of Hammond, Indiana, a suburb of Chicago and at one time one of Indiana's largest industrial centers. The Doublemint Twins are from there, and also the famous Xmas movie A CHRISTMAS STORY is laid in Hammond.

LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER became a classic in its day, even though people were wondering, what about that plural "lives" in the title. Shouldn't it have been "LIVES OF SOME BENGAL LANCERS"? Others were sure it evoked the specter of reincarnation. It is one of director Henry Hathaway's perennial crowd pleasers and now, at last, it is available on DVD!

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Cary Cooper does a restrained slow burn as an independently-minded but highly capable colonial soldier, stationed in the remote, volatile edges of the far-flung and perpetually shaky British empire. The locale is the rugged, untameable mountain terrain of Kashmir and Afghanistan, where local warlords and would-be kings wreck havoc with the disciplined, top-heavy imperial armies. Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought it might. Anyway, this is a thoroughly enjoyable, good old-fashioned, black-and-white adventure flick, which includes a few interesting character studies inside the barracks walls. Franchot Tone is particularly appealing as the tart-tounged newcomer who antagonizes Cooper, but inevitably becomes his best friend and comrade in arms. Recommended!

Little Rascals: Best of Our Gang (1930) Review

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****Note: This review is for the LEGEND release The Little Rascals: Best of Our Gang, not the 3-D release that Amazon has grouped it under****

I give this only **** four stars because most of these films have already been released on DVD restored from 35mm. There is little new here.

The thought is that kids won't watch B&W films, so lets COLORIZE The Litle Rascals. Purists can watch this in B&W also, which is good since the colorization looks cartoony & unnatural.

I just could not pass up the extras that are included on these DVDs.

BEST OF OUR GANG has

Alfalfa short soundie "The Singing Lesson",

Broadway Highlights short clip of Pete the Pup becoming a member of a entertainment night club,

"You Asked For It" clip of the segment with the OUR GANG REUNION showing the silent stars (Jackie Condon, Joe Cobb, Farina & others) as they are in 1955.

Our Gang clip from "The Stolen Jewels" ( o.k. this is the only clip un necessary as the complete short is widely available ).

Oh, yes.. there are the comedy shorts. These are all from 35mm 1950's RE-ISSUE PRINTS, not the same MGM transfers as the Cabin Fever / Hallmark DVDs. But they are 35mm prints and they look very good. There is a variety of title sections representing almost every company that re-issued these shorts in 35mm, including Official Films which I never knew made 35mm prints.

BEST OF OUR GANG

"FLY MY KITE" Official 'Famous Kids' titles The rascals help Grandma save her property from the evil banker.

"A LAD IN A LAMP" ERKO 'Kids 'n Pets' titles (1st time on DVD?)Spanky & the gang find a 'magic lamp'. Spanky whishes Buckwheat was a monkey and thinks his wish came true when a real monkey comes in (there is always one around in a Little Rascals comedy).

"KID FROM BORNEO" Monogram titles a short that has been long banned from television due to racial jokes & the main character being a wild man from borneo who goes around saying "Yum , Yum , Eat'em Up" while chasing Spanky & the gang. It is unlikely that Hallmark will do an official release of this on their DVD sets, so you might want to consider this if you don't have the old Cabin Fever videos.

"HI! NEIGHBOR" Allied Artists titles The gang gets a new neighbor, who owns a shiny new kiddie firetruck.

"HIDE & SHRIEK" Official 'Famous Kids' titles another classic featured on this disc starring Alfalfa, Buckweat & Porky. Alfalfa plays a sherlock holmes type of detective and hires Buckweat & Porky to investigate some missing candy.

The shorts are offered in both Colorized & original B&W restored versions, but switching back & forth while playing the short is not possible. The bonus material is B&W only.

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You probably remember the Cabin Fever tapes from back when you were a kid. After all, where can you find a more wholesome piece of Americana than in the Depression-era antics of Spanky and company? Now that you're grown, you probably want to introduce your kids to Our Gang the same way that your parents introduced them to you, as a part of their socialization as equally wholesome, proud citizens. There's only one problem, I suspect: kids today have no tolerance for "antiquated" black and white cinema. And really, who can blame them? Color, the de facto standard to which they were raised, lends life, vibrancy and realism to anything that it glazes.

Thanks to this DVD, you can now bridge that generation gap by watching this newly colorized version of the Little Rascals' greatest shorts (even on the kids' Playstation if need be!). The drab, depressing black and white of '30s film suddenly comes to life in a full rainbow. And, should you succeed in making your kids into new fans, you'll always have the option of graduating them to the thoughtfully included black and white versions of the colorized material. From what I can tell, there's simply no other DVD that allows you the same flexibility.

Hardcore fans of Our Gang should take note of this disc's special features, which include clips of the gang's twenty year reunion and a hilarious skit where they encounter peer jokesters Laurel and Hardy.

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I wanted to share what Jamie at Legend Films advised me -

that the 3D Blu-ray will not include a 2D version.

Hope this helps you decide to buy or not to buy.

UPDATE 11/2/12

I received another call from Jamie who advised me that

if you play this in a NON-3D BLU-RAY player, it WILL

play in 2D!

Count me in!

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This is a video for both young, and old. A surprise feature is the ability to watch in color. I would have liked the contents more detailed...more info about each clip. But, this aside, I highly recommend buying this. It's a good watch for...oldsters...boomers...children...grandkids!

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As a Little Rascals fan, I was mesmerized by how these selected episodes came out in color. It would be nice to see further episodes done likewise. I highly recommend this product to both the fan and the occassional viewer of the Little Rascals

Best The Blair Witch Experience Collection Set (1999) Deals

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If I'm the last person on earth to have seen this, let me know, but I thought this box set was a terrific value. would never have bought the DVDs separately or the computer games, but thanks to this package, I now have the original, the sequel, and the games. After watching the original Blair Witch disc, I found the main attraction was the movie commentary. It is very interesting, and it provides insight and facts about the movie and how it was really made. As for the sequel, it wasn't all that bad, nor was it that great either. As the movie started, I thought that it could turn out to be a pretty good but that promise faded as the movie progressed. Still, it's very watchable and you do get a bonus with the Book of Shadows DVD. The flip side of the disc contains four songs along with the score from the movie in regular CD format.

5 stars for Blair Witch 1

3 stars for Blair Witch 2

4 stars for the PC games

4 stars for the extras

Good value over all.

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If you're going to buy The Blair Witch, you might as well try to get your hands on The Blair Witch Experience. I personally was not a big fan of Blair Witch Two, but you can buy this "Experience" boxset from one of the independent resellers for the same price, if not cheaper than buying Blair Witch by itself. Basically, you can get Blair Witch Two for free, plus the three Windows-based games. When I bought this, I really did it because I figured I could get Blair Witch Two for free why not, right? Although I love games, I really didn't these games would be anything special at all. I gotta tell ya, I was pleasantly surprised very Resident Evil esque.

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I found this set in the bargain bin. It was inexpensive enough, so I bought it, being a fan of the original Blair Witch Project (and also coming from Orlando, like the film-makers), and having no idea what the sequel was like -other than most people said it stank up the joint.

The set is a mixed bag. Despite some genuine hackle-raising moments (when the video camera is hunting in the dark and we hear, for God's sake LAUGHING CHILDREN in the woods), the original Blair Witch is uneven, with the improvised dialog occasionally backfiring. There are moments when the spell breaks and we can tell that the actors are self-consciously going for moments, rather than remaining immersed in their characters. But these are quibbles. The Blair Witch Project remains a stunning acheivement if for no other reason than its sheer audacity. The nerve of these guys, Myreck and Sanchez. The chutzpah. I admire it.

Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows is almost a good movie, and probably would have been, were it not for idiot studio bean-counters A) rushing the production (soup to nuts in ONE year), and B) interfering with the creative process. Listen to director Joe Berlinger's somewhat pained commentary track and you'll understand what I mean. His intent (which probably would have worked), was to go for a subversive, darkly satiric take on the so-called "Blair Witch phenomenon" and its subsequent backlash, while at the same time making a genuine psychological thriller on the nature of evil (human? occult? a mixture of both? he wanted it ambiguous).

Alas, while creative people and thoughtful film-goers like philosophical ambiguity, studio bosses don't. So they made him dumb it down. Berlinger is a gifted documentarian who should have been allowed, for his first feature film, to exercise his creative muscles in the realm of a fictional narrative. As it stands, a lot of carefully modulated effects are placed out of their original sequence. Only a viewing of his original cut would tell us if they would have worked better as originally conceived, but as it stands, Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows, is a noble ruin -a film with some very good ideas that are not allowed to get very far. It's a shame.

The DVDs are chock-full of extras, including some nifty puzzles and creepy, hidden images. Overall, it's worth the purchase, if only as a cautionary tale to other would-be film-makers -be they from Orlando, Florida, or anywhere else.

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This "sequel" to the Blair Witch project should not have been made.

The movie had absolutely NOTHING to do with the advertisement for it, it was as if the advertisements had been talking about an entirely different movie.

There was talk of a third Blair Witch movie in the works, but nothing came of it.

After viewing this bomb, you will know why.

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This "sequel" to the Blair Witch project should not have been made.

The movie had absolutely NOTHING to do with the advertisement for it, it was as if the advertisements had been talking about an entirely different movie.

There was talk of a third Blair Witch movie in the works, but nothing came of it.

After viewing this bomb, you will know why.

Reviews of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Two-Disc Edition) (2009)

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Yesterday, I received my 2 disc edition of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and I looked over the sleeve and it looked nice and got me all excited, reminded me of the G.I. Joe days of when I was a kid watching the cartoon! Then, I later last night put the second disc in to check out the extras! HA that was a joke! The only extras on this 2 disc is the making of the movie, and the special effects behind the scenes thing. Now granted those were cool, but the only real reason for the second disc is for the digital copy! I honestly think this movie is not worth at all, maybe 16.99! Big deal you get the digital copy! How many of us out there really use the digital copy? Where was the deleted and alternate scenes? Is it really coming to the point where things are going to Blu Ray and not to regular dvd which their are a heck of a lot more dvd player owners then blu ray! I say if you are looking at this review on deciding whether to purchase the 2 disc, wait till it goes cheaper and get it! Don't spend over 10 bucks for it! Thanks for your time I hope this helps!

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I am a fan of this director-Stephen Sommers...."Mummy", "Mummy Returns", "Van Helsing". He really knows how to direct an action pic.

Based upon, yes, the popular action figure for several generations. This film throws a lot of CGI effects (which are impressive) and good-looking actors on the screen. I enjoyed all the eye candy and the action scenes.

the story has something to do with good guys protecting an ultimate weapon from the bad guys; the usual chaos follows.

this movie is a nice way to warm up your cold winter days with heavy action.

recommended mood to be in when you are about to watch this movie: lethargic. You won't feel lethargic after watching it!

fun, energetic film..

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This is a good action movie, but it's not GI JOE. I don't know why they even bothered to call it GI JOE if they weren't going to stick closely enough to the original source material. Sure you can change things up a bit, but you don't need to go this far. The only time I got the chills at the sight of something that even vaguely represented GI JOE was when Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow were on screen, but that didn't make up for it. The other thing about this film is that it's for the kids. Gritty and real this is not. Some might say it's a bit harsh but I think it's only a hop skip and jump away from Power rangers territory. Even the Fantastic Four seems more serious, and more convincing, at times (much better acting played a big part in this) and even they stayed closer to the source material (Yes, even the one with Silver Surfer). So if you're looking for a good action movie this is good, but we've yet to see something that brings GI JOE to the screen. To be fair, the biggest departure is the visual aspect, but that's so important in capturing the feel. If no one looks like the characters you were expecting, then it feels like you're watching something completely unrelated. I was dying to see the Vipers as they really looked and many other characters too. It's possible to do it without it being a kiddie flick if they can make 3 foot tall people with hairy feet who go around fighting goblins convincing then there's no excuse why GI JOE couldn't stay much closer. I give it 2 stars for a GI JOE film and maybe 4 for an action film so evens out to about 3. Don't expect GI JOE, or anything adult, and you won't be dissapointed.

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The main problem with G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA? It's not a G.I. JOE movie. At all. Somewhere along the way, the studio probably decided (correctly, it seems) that they could tack the G.I. JOE label on this baby and make a few extra bucks. This story line could be told with any characters, and it would still make no sense whatsoever.

Let's face it: you don't watch films like this for the story, the plot, the acting, the dialogue, or anything that you would watch a decent movie for. You watch it for cheesy lines, lots of action...basically something to watch while eating nachos and drinking beer. And, on that level, God help us all, THE RISE OF COBRA works.

I won't bother rehashing the plot; there isn't one. There's a whole lot of miscasting--Marlon Wayans? Really?--and way, way too many flashbacks; we don't care about Snake-Eyes's past, we only care about how much a** he kicks in the present (and, thanks to Ray Parks, he kicks a lot). There's too much back story between Duke (Channing Tatum, as reliably wooden as always) and the Baroness (Sienna Miller, slumming it hardcore), and eventually a showdown between Duke, Cobra-to-be Rex (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and Destro-to-be McCullen (Christopher Eccleston) involving who loves the Baroness the most (did I just ruin things?). Yeah, even for an action-and-no-brains flick, it's far-fetched. And don't get me started on the excelerator suits.

But there's something to be said for actors who know they're making a horrible movie. Gordon-Levitt is a pure and under delight, hamming it up almost as much as he did in (a far superior film) KILLSHOT; Eccleston is pure and utter camp, as is Dennis Quaid as the leader of the Joes. We also get cameos from Sommers mainstays Brendan Fraser and Kevin J. O'Connor, and you know you're watching crap when you think to yourself: "This film could use more Brendan Fraser." Fraser's MUMMY nemesis Arnold Vosloo is grossly under-used as Zartan, Cobra's shape-shifting wild card, as is Jonathan Pryce as the U.S. president. Ultimately, we are left with a movie that means little or nothing to those of us who grew up with G.I. JOE, but is still valuable as mindless action schlock that appeals as a 2-hour distraction from reality.

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I liked the special effects of this movie but that was all it had going for it. I didn't like the characters, the plot was as stupid as stupid can be and I felt that a lot of good actors were wasted in minor or ridiculous parts. Christopher Eccleston, my favorite Doctor Who of the recent regenerations, was wasted in this movie. Dennis Quaid was a stereotype and Brendan Fraser was in and out of the movie on the blink of an eye. The major characters were silly and I didn't care for or even like the "Duke" character wearing his self-assured, cocky smirk throughout most of the movie, with the exception of the scenes where he attempted to make doe-eyes at his lost love. In fact, this whole movie was one long action sequence interlaced with soap opera mini stories in between to make a sad and half hearted attempt at character development. I kept yelling at the screen, "Oh, come on!" It was so predictable and obvious how the movie makers were trying to manipulate the viewer. Even the end was a blatant setup for a sequel, which I hope never comes to pass. Don't bother seeing this movie unless you are addicted to CG actions scenes. The rest is a waste of time and talent (which was not evident in any performance here.) If I could give it a 1/2 start I would!!

Discount The Rescuers (A Walt Disney Classic) (The Classics) (1977)

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When a little orphan girl falls into the hands of Madame Medusa and sends a message in a bottle, the Rescue Aid Society answers in the form of Bernard (Bob Newhart) and Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor). What can two mice possible do to help the little girl? It turns out they can do a lot.

The movie starts on a reasonably funny note, as the rodent duo hop aboard an albatross to head for the swamps. Albatrosses are incredibly aerodynamic, but they are less then stellar at takeoffs and landings, and Orville the Albatross (Jim Jordan) proves no more adept than his brethren. After a plummet off a building that thrills Miss Bianca and petrifies Bernard, the journey has begun.

In the swamps the duo marshals the other animals to take on Madame Medusa (Geraldine Page), who needs the little orphan Penny (Michelle Stacy) to fit into a hole that leads to a cave. In the cave is located a quantity of jewels, but Madame Medusa is interested only in a huge diamond called the Devil's Eye. The Rescue Society mice and their swampland friends must overcome Madame Medusa and her aids Mr. Snoops (Joe Flynn) and a pair of alligators, who also frequently play babysitter to Penny.

Madame Medusa never realizes that the mice and swamp animals are trying to rescue Penny, which makes this movie more interesting to watch. As happens with many such movies, Madame Medusa's henchmen are cerebrally challenged and the animals are able to plan around them.

The ending of the movie contains a few surprises, and I found the end interesting. This movie also nicely sets up the excellent sequel "The Rescuers Down Under."

The real star of this clever movie is Eva Gabor. Bob Newhart gets top billing, but Eva was perfect for her role and seems to get the best lines in the movie. She is clever, funny and fearless as compared to Bernard's timid character. Only when Miss Bianca is in trouble does Bernard seem to rise to some measure of courage. There were a variety of other notable characters. Evinrude (James MacDonald) the dragonfly was cute and funny. George Lindsey was classic as Deadeye the Rabbit. Other supporting characters gave this movie depth and interest.

The art of this movie is also unusual in that the artist drew some of the characters in a rough style. I am unsure of the reason, but I found the art style to initially be distracting. I eventually became accustomed to the style and no longer noticed it as the movie went on. The music was also notable. A song from this movie was nominated for an Academy Award.

This movie is clever and funny. In places the movie is tense and suspenseful. There are a few places where the alligators are a little bit scary, but I believe this movie should be suitable for all family members in line with the movie's G rating. I would recommend this movie for any collection of family-oriented movies and for those who collect animated movies. Most families will want to see this movie more than once.

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This is such a heartwarming story of two mice, (the voices of Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor), to set out to rescue little Penny from Madame Medusa on Devil's Bayou, that's it brings sentiment to my eyes when I think of it.

There's wonderful music, and the ensemble cast of the folks in the Bayou is terrific. Then of course there are the two crocodiles who are just as mean and evil as Madame Medusa, and all for what the Diamond and Medusa is going to never let Penny see her little Teddy again if she doesn't produce it.

This is classic melodrama for children, although not too heavy handed. It's a nice movie, but maybe a little too intense for the real small kids.

Highly recommended!!!

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The Rescuers is Disney's most underrated work! It was the last great feature film before what became a strings of forgettable works like The Black Cauldron, The Great Detective, Oliver and Company in which the Disney studio was trying to break into new ground but somehow was unable to find the right formula.It wasn't until The Little Mermaid that Disney Studio has reclaimed it's number one position as the world's greatest cartoon creator.Having said that, The Rescuers Down Underproduced after The Little Mermaid is a thorough disappointment, both in its story and in its style of drawing. This always seems to be the curse of sequels! The Rescuers, however, has all of the Disney's magic! Medusa is possibly one of the greatest of Disney's villains, yet somehow she doesn't catch on as did the others.T he only criticism I would make is the opening of The Rescuers. It seemed that the studio had run out of money when they were doing the opening scene, for all we have is a collage of storybook sketches from an artist's impression.

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The first time I saw this movie I fell in love with it, it bacme my favorite Disney film of all time. The two main characters Bernard & Bionca were the most likable of all Disney characters & Madam Medusa though not the most evil Disney villin was pretty scary. The story starts with the kidnapping of young orphaned Penny who was taken straight out of a public orphanege. When the authorites give up on her search the Rescue-Aid Society which is run entirely by rodents decide to send two agents to find her pretty Bionca volunteers at once and her chosen parter is Bernard basicly the custodian for the Rescue-Aid Society.

The two find that Madam Medusa, a pawn shop owner kidnapped the girl and has hidden her in her boat which is located in a desserted swamp. The two mice fly to the swamp on a gull were they find a young Penny trying escape the evil Medusa put is caught by Medusa's pet crocadiles. Bernard & Miss Bionca befriend a group of rodents who help the mice get on board the boat. There they over-hear that Medusa kidnapped Penny so that she could get her hands on the largest un-cut diamond in the world, the Devil's Eye, and that Penny is the only one who can fit in the cave. When the two help Penny get the diamond they call upon their rodent friends to help them catch & turn Medusa over to the police.

The movie was followed by a sequel in 1990 "The Rescuers Down Under" which was probally the only ever decent Disney sequel.

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After all of these years, Madame Medusa is still the scariest Disney villian hands down. Aside from the fact this film is overall darker than it's modern counterparts, I've always thought she was purposefuly drawn to resemble one of her beloved crocodiles. Even her bumbling co-conspirtor Snoops is more humane, and he is no model of morals either.

Whenever this film came on as a little girl, I could not watch it because it gave me night mares. Even if there were real kids who were in horrible (but obviously not the same) experiences, I had no way to relate to it. Yet looking back, it was a perfect offering for the decade.

I largely developed my current hypothesis about this film from realizing (as sad as it seems) compared to the nightly broadcast of the vietnam war and other urban/social programs---this WAS very kid friendly for it's time. In a time when American social protest was still very visible, the children's fare Disney itself had previously produced seemed outdated and simplistic.

It's also worth noting that efforts in locating missing and exploited children really did not begin until this time, even if it certainly was not Disney's intention to bring issues to the forefront. Again, the somber screenplay and emphasis on social justice owes much to the day's politics where many social safeguards we are accustomed to were non-existent.

The fact that Penny was adopted from an orphanage with little or no safeguards and subjected to such intolerable conditions for so long without any human contact other than the two creeps is another really telling area of the movie. To some extent it was hollywood dramatization, but to another extent that was how things were back then. Thankfully, world governmental bodies (such as the rescue aid society) are around.

Many years later, I like this movie, but am convinced it is more adult oriented. I am now fancinated by this screenplay and see something new each time I am watching. While it might not work for somebody accustomed to the light hearted nature of today's Disney movies, anybody willing to open their mind would love this movie.

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My daughter introduced me to THE VELVETEEN RABBIT when she was five and we read it together until she knew it by heart. I was reluctant at first to view the filmed version of the story; too many of my favorite books had been badly adapted to the screen, their plot telescoped to accommodate intrusive songs and music and irrelevant characters. However, this animated version of THE VELVETEEN RABBIT has managed to keep the emotional content and magic of the original story. The graphics are predictable and rather trivial except for the RABBIT himself who is very appealing. END

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I bought this for my niece and nephew for my brother and I loved it as young children!

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We got this for the kids to watch and they all enjoy it and how the bunny turns real. As my wife would say..."IT'S A HOOT!!!"

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I grew up watching this movie, when I moved from CA I lost it and was heartbroken that I wouldn't be able to share it with my kids. I'm so glad that I was able to find it again!!

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So excited to show my daughter one of my favorite childhood movies.I loved it as a child and I hope she does too! Great product!