Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (Special Edition) (2003) Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $16.98
Today's Bonus: 15% Off

I bought this DVD blind just because I wanted to see it and I've been getting into animation lately in my DVD collecting. Let me tell ya folks, this is a great series...for several reasons.

1) The CG animation, although a bit awkward at times with "regular" human movement and such, it really shines during the Spidey and villian "battles". Just the fact that the animation is all in 3D (put with a 2D look), allows the camera to do some really interesting things, from pans, to spins, to rotations, and fly-thrus, and of course, the ultra-cool slo-mo effects. This kind of camera control is something that just isn't possible in a traditionally hand-drawn cartoon.

2) The action sequences in general. This isn't your grandfather's Spider-Man. Much like Mainframe Entertainment's other CG shows, the action is much more mature than your ordinary animated show. By that I mean the fight scenes and the "chases" are much more intense and, shall I say, violent than anything else I've seen in a cartoon such as this. In fact, there's actually moments of blood from both Spidey and his enemies. And as some of you may know, blood is almost always a "no-no" for childrens' animated shows. So just with that, the viewer can easily tell that this show was made for a much more mature audience, which is always good in this circumstance, especially for comic book heroes.

3) The audio and video presentation. The video is presented in 1.78 anamorphic widescreen and is extremely sharp. Even looks good on a computer via DVD-ROM drive. And the soundtrack is recorded in both DTS and DD 5.1 (always a plus for any show, eh?) Also the widescreen presentation gives the show a bit of a epic cinematic feel to it. How many cartoons do you know that were created in widescreen?

4) The villians. The villians, some classic (with new looks), others new, were all great with maybe the exception of one, but that's to one's taste. I thought the Terradax group were awesome. Their suits and weapons were just too cool. And again, the maturity of the dialogue for the villians and actions are just what makes these villians great.

So with all that said, let's all hope that this series gets picked up by some outlet for another season or more. I'd love to see what the creators could do with the Venon and Carnage saga. Hell, even Doc Oc, Green Goblin, and Hobgoblin would be great. But can we get Parker out of college? Being almost 10 years out myself, I despise the college atmosphere anymore. Too many crazy activists and party animals.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

This was the most perfect Spider-Man series of any yet made. Though it lacked the jazzy tunes of the original sixties series ;-), it far surpassed the convoluted mess that Marvel gave us in the early 90s.

With Brian Michael Bendis as an executive producer, how could this not be good? The visuals were excellent, lending a nifty neo-comic-book feel to the environments. The stories were inventive, coming up with some nifty new spins on classic pieces of the Spidey mythos. The best revision, of course, was that written by the not-infalliable-but-close BMB himself; taking the one-d villain Electro in a direction different from either the main or Ultimate comics stories but no less entertaining.

The Legion of Super Voice-Actors is in great form here: Neil Harris, Lisa Loeb, and Ian Ziering turn in performances that are almost always sonically superior to Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco respectively. The guest stars shine, most notably Stan "the Man" Lee himself as Ezekiel (or whatever they called him, the guy who advised Peter to kill Kraven).

In short, if you're any sort of Spider-Man fan and you didn't catch it the first time around, I highly recommend purchasing the DVD of this series. It's something for everyone: a continuation of the movie in bite-size chunks, an animated adaptation of Ultimate Spider-Man, a way to get pumped for 2004's Spider-Man 2, and just a rollicking great cartoon all around. Five stars.

A single caveat: If you didn't know, this cartoon originally aired on MTV. With that sort of a target audience in mind, it should be no surprise that they made this series

UNSUITABLE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN.

If you're a parent who considered 2002's Spider-Man movie too intense for your child (as many, quite reasonably, did) this series is not a wise investment. Rather, find some of the other fine animated Spider-Man DVDs avaliable on Amazon.comthe ones you're looking for say (Animated), in parentheses, after the title, and are suitable for all ages.

Best Deals for Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (Special Edition) (2003)

One Word...AWESOME!!! I was a bit skeptical at first, it being on MTV and all, but I was impressed. I've been a big fan of spider-man since I was like 4 or 5, and I got to see all the reruns of Spider-man and His amazing Friends(ok, it was just ok...), and the original 1968 series.

When they came out with the SPIDER-MAN THE ANIMATED SERIES show, I was excited with the premiere episode in December with the Lizard. Then Feb 4th of 1994 I was pumped. The show ended on a clif hanger. The that horrible show, SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED came on...Oh, the animation was ok, but the plots, the characters, Venom and Carnage in general, were HORRIBLE!!!, thank goodness it only lasted like 41-43 episodes. I watched it, but I was kinda freaked out by all that went on in it, being like Marvel didn't even have a hand in the series...

It's been a few years since it ended, and after the Spidey movie came out, I couldn't wait for something else to come out...then, this past Summer, SPIDER-MAN came out on MTV(the horror something like that on MTV, but I dealt with it...)...MAN THIS SERIES ROCKED!!!, I mean it was GREAT!!!...by the time the series ended, at the end of September, early October, I was like, WHAT, THAT'S IT?!...I was bummed out, and then like a week or so later, I looked up what would become of it, and lo, and behold, IT'S COMING OUT ON DVD!!!! I can't wait to get it on DVD!!!.

This series is gonna be great when they get the second season rolling. I thoroughly enjoyed the first season, and the animation was a bit wierd at first, but I got used to it in like 3-5 minutes, the cell shading is great, I like that it's like watching video game-type graphics, and the stories are great...I MEAN, WITH THE GREAT BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS WRITING THIS, HOW CAN IT BE BAD!!!?!?!? He is a great writer, being his older series and his newer work in the new ULTIMATE UNIVERSE...I think this series is really gonna stick this time, with an actual Spider-man Comic book writer writing it, instead of someone just pulling stuff from the comics, or just out of thin air. That's why I think Spider-man 2 the movie is gonna be better than the first(well, how much better do you want it other than organic web fluid, but hey, beggars can't be choosers...)...J. Michael Straczynski lending a hand with the movie, I think it'll be so much closer to the comics than ever before, which for some people, might be bad, but for me, I'll be a happy person...lol

So, Kudos to this DVD, I'll be waiting for with baited breath for it's arrival...and until Batman runs off with Wonder Woman, Make Mine Marvel!!!

Honest reviews on Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (Special Edition) (2003)

The series is entertaining for adults, however, you may not want to buy

this for kids. I bought it for my 9 yr old son. The story lines and animation

are good... but... lots of sexual innuendo. And some curse words. Why the

cursing is in there is beyond me. must be an MTV thing. but it ruins

the show for broad viewing. The sexual implications are also unnecessary but added in to entice hormone-overdosed kids.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (Special Edition) (2003)

When I ask people if they remember this version of Spider-man from Mtv, most of them usually(and here I'm guessing) just shake their heads. But if you haven't seen this shortlived hit, you need to experience it. This version has more of a comicbook feel to it because it was geared toward an older audience. Young adults, I believe. But it felt more real than any other animated version I've been introduced to. I grew up watching the animated series seen on Fox and that will always be my favorite, but until they release that on dvd, like they're ever going to, we have this to enjoy. And in this version, Spidy gets to punch out the villains as much as his heart desires. That's one thing the creaters of the 1994 animated series were forbidden to do... To allow Spidy to throw a punch because those were the days when all that antiviolence stuff was going on.

But anywho, this set features all 13 episodes from the series. I only wish that more had been created. That's the problem with American animated series today. Too many people enjoy Anime and don't give stuff like this a chance anymore.

We get to see such clasic villains as the Lizard, Kingpin, and Electro. New but interesting villains include the Terradax organization, and a few more surprises as well. So you'll enjoy this series if you purchus it. The audio commentaries are great too. So check it out!

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

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $22.98
Sale Price: $15.92
Today's Bonus: 31% Off

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

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

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

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

Best Deals for Super 8 (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011)

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

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

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

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

Honest reviews on Super 8 (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Super 8 (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011)

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

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

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

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

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

Review of National Geographic: Sea Monsters- A Prehistoric Adventure (3D)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.98
Sale Price: $10.99
Today's Bonus: 45% Off

I first saw this movie in IMAX 3D and was truly impressed with a really good storyline and amazing 3D effects. When I saw this movie was released on Blu-Ray in 3D I was hesitant thinking the 3D at home would be a joke. I was proven otherwise. Even on the comfort of my couch the 3D is amazing. You still get all the feelings of the screen coming to life as well as objects projected so close you feel could be hit by them.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Stunning, amazing, informative and spectacular! Comes with 4 pairs of cardboard glasses. Do NOT use those (they're OK, but not great though!), Get plastic ones instead! Better fit, better view! Turn all your lights off, watch that DVD at night! It'll take your breath away! I really enjoyed it! Highly recommend!

Best Deals for National Geographic: Sea Monsters- A Prehistoric Adventure (3D)

If you like 3D in Blue/Red colored glasses, this is for you. This is NOT for use in the new 3D movie technology (i.e. Samsung LED TV's).

Honest reviews on National Geographic: Sea Monsters- A Prehistoric Adventure (3D)

This release is not in the new checkerboard 3D format -the format is the traditional red/blue color shift.

That's good news if you want to use this on a BluRay player that's not 3D Ready, but is not what we were looking for as a demonstration disk for our shop.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for National Geographic: Sea Monsters- A Prehistoric Adventure (3D)

I purchased the blu-ray version thinking that this would play perfectly on my new 50in Samsung 3d TV . Unfortunatley this turned out to be one of those red-blue 3D movies where you'd need to see it with the cardboard supplied glasses. The 3D effects are outdated and its just not that great after seeing some of the later movies with 3D effects.

Actually shame on me for not reading the product details before buying it.

but even with the supplied blue-red glasses on, the 3D effects are mediocre. The documentary is way too short and for the price i paid , it definitely feels like a rip-off.

Reviews of Life (David Attenborough-Narrated Version) (2010)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $26.99
Today's Bonus: 61% Off

Over the past two decades, the BBC Natural History Unit has become a prolific documentary factory of the highest order, with ever-improving skills and increasing dedication. Some of their productions are relatively minor, but this is one of their flagships, and you can tell this because they use David Attenborough as the narrator (who is still in top form).

The theme for this 10-part series is the challenges of life and how various animals and plants solve them. This includes unusual and extreme food gathering techniques, hunting strategies, surprising evolutionary weapons and defenses, adaptations to harsh environments, mating rituals, and the lengths they go to in order to pick the right breeding partners.

Each episode covers this vast topic in specific areas: The first episode is an overview and top-20 hit parade of the upcoming episodes. Each of the ensuing episodes then cover a branch of the animal kingdom, including reptiles, insects, mammals, plants, birds, fish, with additional specialized episodes covering hunting, sea-life and primates.

This will obviously overlap with many of their previous releases, especially The Trials of Life, Attenborough's series covering the animal kingdom, and even The Living Planet and Planet Earth. But their approach here is interestingly well-chosen: Previously covered footage and educational information is usually summarized, before continuing with the more obscure, the upgraded, and the exciting new details.

For example, The Private Life of Plants is obviously much more comprehensive and educational, but this show's episode on plants features things like a 60-second time-lapse shot of growing life in the woodlands that took two years to create, new information on the strange shape of the Dragon's Blood tree, and more footage on the Venus Flytrap, this time its dual use of insects complete with tiny sound recordings.

Now, I have a pet peeve about repetition. This show's annoyingly useless overview episode, and the fact that much of the information and footage lacks freshness and has been covered before, all tempt me to rate this show lower. But the combination of nicely summarized educational information, a good theme and structure, new amazing cinematography that uses the latest skills and technology, and some new exciting footage that I don't think I have ever seen before, compels me to give this top marks. This is a much better release than Planet Earth.

In addition, while many nature documentaries have elements of drama and laughs, this show has more than usual, and you will find yourself frequently touched, horrified or very amused by all of the amazing behaviour on screen, all obviously very real.

The BBC also continue their recent trend that devotes the last 10 minutes of each episode to a 'making of' featurette. These are usually just as interesting as the footage and you can always stop watching if you aren't interested, so I suppose I can't complain. But keep in mind that if you subtract the overview episode and diary scenes, you are actually getting 450 minutes instead of 600.

In summary: If you are relatively new to BBC documentaries, this will amaze you to no end AND provide a nice informative summary of life on earth. If you are a seasoned watcher of Attenborough's series, you can still enjoy this series as a combination of educational summary, a provider of new, complementary and upgraded information with some of the most beautiful, rare and amazing footage ever recorded, and even as a highly entertaining natural drama and comedy, or 'nature dramedy', if I may coin a phrase.

However, if you place emphasis on educational and more comprehensive information, Attenborough's previous Life series still reign supreme and will probably remain unequalled for a long, long time.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

The Life series is fantastic, but it comes in two versions -this one, narrated by Oprah Winfrey for the US market; and the original version as narrated by the naturalist David Attenborough.

While the cinematography remains unchanged, Oprah's narration lacks the depth that Attenborough's years of experience as both naturalist and narrator brings to the table. I strongly recommend waiting for the US release of the original BBC version, narrated by David Attenborough.

Best Deals for Life (David Attenborough-Narrated Version) (2010)

This is atrocious. I'm watching "Life" on Discovery channel right now, with Oprah narrating. Some of the reviewers said that the script was re-written for her, and I can believe it. I can't believe Attenborough saying lines like "hunting crab seals is toooo much work!" Oprah narrates this thing as if she were reading a bedtime story to little kids and comes off as snarky and condescending. In the opening segment, she's discussing a fox chasing an ibex kid and it's basically like "heeeere comes the fox! UH OH!!"

The most embarrassing thing is that I'm thinking that British people think that Americans demanded this. Who's going to be doing the next special, Dr. Phil? "Oh-kaaay, here comes the alee-gaytor, it's prey tries to run, but that neeeever works! HAW HAW HAW!" Don't get this. Get the real version.

Honest reviews on Life (David Attenborough-Narrated Version) (2010)

As a frequent watcher of nature programs over the last 30 years, I have to say that this is one of the all time greats. Attenborough docs are always solid and there's no shortage of the usual charm, but the filming techniques have really come to the fore on this effort. There are utterly spectacular moments in each of the episodes. Yes, the overview episode is redundant, but there's very little else to be critical about. One for the ages, this.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Life (David Attenborough-Narrated Version) (2010)

Why on earth have they decided to dub the documentary into American English baffles me. Is British English appallingly obscure and incomprehensible?

First Harry Potter and now this. What a shameful way to undermine language for the sake of a couple of bucks?

I have various BBC Documentaries I LOVE them, and despite the fact that I am not British I understand everything, and David Attenborough's voice in much more credible, isn't this what he does professionally?

Oprah would probably be more suitable for bedtime story recordings for sleepy youngsters.

I suggest getting the original David Attenborough version (Check the star rating and compare!)

Best Days of Thunder (1990) Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $22.98
Sale Price: $19.95
Today's Bonus: 13% Off

First of all... The movie is quite good, with great performances from Robert Duval, Tom Cruise, and Nicole Kidman. The film has great racing footage (with a few inconsistencies) and is all in all, a good movie... Now let's talk about the DVD... This is one of the best sounding DVD's that I've ever put in to my home theater! The sound in the 5.1 surround sound will absolutely have you looking around for the race car!!!!! As "Cole Trickle" first gets in the car at the vacant raceway, test driving "Rowdy Burns'" car, you will absolutely be beside yourself!! The sound is unreal! You will love this DVD just for the fact of showing off your home theater to friends! The picture has a few flaws, but nothing too noticable! (mainly aspect ratio) That's what gave it the 4 stars instead of 5. Buy this DVD for your theater... You won't be disappointed!!!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Okay, let's talk about plausibility for a minute here. People who don't like this movie seem to talk about the fact that the plot is implausible. How many movies today have plausible plots? Are you telling me that I shouldn't like Aliens because the plot is unreal? Yes, this movie does not have Academny Award winning acting or a thick and deep plot, but it serves the purpose it was made for -to be a thriller. It combines suspense, action, and fun, and although it's not the best in any of these, it combines them seamlessly into an extremely fun ride. Personally, I just don't want to watch an epic everyday, and if you're looking for a REAL fun ride -this is THE movie.

Best Deals for Days of Thunder (1990)

I loved this movie at the cinema and rushed to get it on DVD. So why is it grainy, with bad sound, no extras to speak of and just feels very poorly done. Really really disappointed with it and have taken it back to the shop for a refund. The studio have cheated the fans on this one!

Honest reviews on Days of Thunder (1990)

Fist of all , this movie is perfect for a racing fan. it has action, comedy, romance and so on. Now all of you people who think that NASCar is the WORST sport ever, think about this. Get in a car and drive 200+ MPH and tell me its the worst sport. so i dont even want to hear it.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Days of Thunder (1990)

lets face it people tom always plays the cocky gun in every movie he has played in. this movie is good (i liked it) but its like top gun with race cars, which doesn't make the movie bad just another "same part" played by tom (=

Cheap Monsters, Inc. (Four-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2001)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $45.99
Sale Price: $34.20
Today's Bonus: 26% Off

Before anyone starts saying this has not been released yet and there cannot be a review of the Bluray edition let me tell you this, this movie has been available in Japan and Mexico for quite some time now, and I was able to get a copy of the Mexican edition, which was at one time, identical to the one to be released in the US. It is a 3 disc edition (2 BD plus DVD copy of the movie), this has now been changed to a 4 disc set in the US to include the additional digital copy.

Disc one starts with an intro by director Pete Docter, in which he pretty much explains all the contents in this 'glorious' high definition version of the movie. A mini documentary on the 'Monsters, Inc: Ride & Go Seek ' ride in Disney Japan is also included. The highlight to me was the creators 'Round table' in which they talk about the process of creating the movie, some deleted scenes not included in prior DVD versions are shown here and they finally explained to me why is it so difficult to get a reservation at 'Harryhausen's' if all the staff from the scare floor seems to hang around there!

The Pixar shorts 'For the birds' and 'Mike's new car' (originally made on 4:3 format) are also included in HD format (as previously released in 'Pixar shorts)

The movie is presented in 1:85:1 aspect ratio. The word that comes to mind to describe how this looks is simply 'Beautiful', the colors, the textures, Sullivan's fur, the character's skin textures, Roz' sweater. Details pop up, colors are bright and clear. I had never noted that the real name of 'Boo' is actually in the movie until I saw it on Bluray!

The audio is another improvement of this BD edition. Presented in an uncompressed 5.1 track, the music by Randy Newman and the sound effects (check the audio in the door chamber sequence or every time 'Boo' laughs/cries and there is a power variation) sound just great. Spanish and French Dolby Digital tracks are also included. An audio commentary with the creators provides a lot of details of the movie, since I have watched this over and over with my 2 year old kid I have been able to play the commentary a couple times so he watches the movie and I learn about how it was made.

One thing I noted though, the end credits in the Bluray are not the same as in the DVD. The DVD will have the bloopers play while the credits roll, while the Bluray does not. Those 'Bloopers' though are included in disc 2 as additional features.

Disc 2 includes a feature called the 'Employee's manual' Additional spots created to promote the film are included too. Storyboards and drawings from the artists in HD as well as the '100 doors challenge', which is like a trivia game in which based on your responses you will be offered a position in Monsters Inc. Disc 3 as mentioned earlier, is a DVD copy of the movie (in the Mexican edition the 4:3 presentation is included, NOT widescreen) which is great as my kid can have that to watch it as many times as he desires.

Fans of the movie or any Pixar movie should not miss this!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Admittedly, I am a fan of Pixar's work. Their artists have done some incredible animated features over the years. Between the "Toy Story" movies and "A Bug's Life," they have managed in a short time to build an impressive track record. Their shorts are also among the best ever produced. So my expectations going into this movie were very high.

The story concerns the monsters in your closet. The theory being that their world runs of the energy produced by children's screams. Sulley (John Goodman) is number one at getting screams. His main rival (Steve Buschemi) will do anything to gain the top spot. Oh, and they consider the touch of a human child to be toxic.

While not as instantly relatable as "Toy Story," the movie builds on the talents of Goodman and Billy Crystal (Mike) to bring you into this make-believe world as Sulley and Mike try to get little Boo back through the closet door to the safety of her bedroom.

Disney/Pixar has presented this well on DVD. Both Widescreen and Pan & Scan versions are available on the first disc. The second disc has games, outtakes, an award winning animated short, and a fun (easy to find) Easter Egg.

All in all, if you enjoy Pixar's work, or animated features in general, this is a must have for your collection.

Best Deals for Monsters, Inc. (Four-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2001)

If you look at my other Amazon[.com] reviews, you will notice that I don't review movies and truth by told, I watch very few movies. Perhaps 2-4 per year, including both in the theater and at home on video or DVD. I'm just not a movie fan.

But tonight, we rented the Monsters Inc DVD and I absolutely loved it! Clever, hilarious, touching, innovative, unique, imaginative those words don't begin to tell about this movie! You just have to see it.

It's such a pleasure to see a G-rated movie doing so well, both at the box office and also sales of the products for home viewing. This movie is totally free of sex, profanity, and substance abuse. Some of the action could be called violence, but not in the sense we usually define violence in movies! This movie might scare a 4-year-old, however. You need to know your own child to know if he's ready for this action-packed, laugh-a-minute masterpiece!

I watched this with my husband and two of our older kids (ages 19 and 21). We all enjoyed this movie immensely and can't wait to watch the extras on the other DVD. I can actually see watching this movie again, as the humor flies fast and furious and I know I missed a some good lines!

You will be touched by the relationship between Sully (the big blue monster) and the little girl he affectionately names Boo. He puts her safety above his job and above the good of the company. This little girl they created is nothing short of charming and endearing. You will instantly love her and cheer Sully on as he does everything he can to protect her.

The premise of the movie that the Monsters collect screams of children which in turn power the city that the Monsters live in, is nothing short of genius. This DVD would be a great gift for many people on your Christmas List regardless of their age!

Honest reviews on Monsters, Inc. (Four-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2001)

This is one of the best DVD's I've gotten to date. The movie itself is wonderful and includes the voice talents of Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, John Ratzenberger, Jennifer Tilly, and James Coburn. As you probably already know the storyline, I'll just talk about DVD.

You get 2 discsone contains the movie itself (with the "full screen" or "widescreen" versions, as well as a director's commentary option)and the second disc is chock full of goodies! You get "For the Birds" the 2001 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Short Film (shown in theaters before the movie), and "Mike's New Car" (exclusively created for the video and DVD release, as well as an exclusive sneak peek of "Finding Nemo", the newest upcoming release from Disney starring Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, and Willem Dafoe. Plus, if you choose the "Human Door" option, you get a tour of the Pixar animation studios by the makers of the film. They'll show you deleted scenes, 3-D location flyarounds, and animation gags and "inside" jokes. The "Monster World" door is where the real fun startstrain for your first day at Monster's Inc.; see the employee handbook, and play the "Boo's Door Game", which works like a CD rom-type game. Use your remote control to go through doors and find pieces of Boo's door that come together like a puzzle. The kids and I had tons of fun playing this together. Even our 4-month old son laughed heartily while rocking in his swing. Definitely a DVD for familes to ownworth every penny for the amount of material you get. Buy it, buy it, buy it now!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Monsters, Inc. (Four-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2001)

DISC ONE: For moviegoers during summer of 2001, the marquee was packed with animated options: Shrek, Atlantis, Final Fantasy and Monsters, Inc. If you disect the movies, the first two end up being dissapointing when viewed in the small screen and Final Fantasy is just made with a different public in mind. Now, Monsters, Inc. achieves in DVD format the same feel you got when you (hopefully) saw it in theaters: the movie IS a great movie for all ages. No bells and whistles: simply brilliant!

The script is very funny, clever and innovative (it is worth seeing on the DVD how much it evolved from the original treatment it was going to have...), turning around the ageless childhood fear of monsters into a fear of kids BY monsters, who need kids' screams in order to power their society. Top ranking scarer, big, blue and furry Sulley (voiced by John Goodman) and his one-eyed assitant, Mike Wazowski (brilliantly played by Billy Crystal) see their "monstrous" lives turned around when Sulley accidentally brings a little girl (Boo) by accident into their monster world.

Complementing the script and the voices, the animation is incredible. The faces of the characters, the blinking of the eyes (the red in the eyes, when Mike sprays antibacterial stuff on his face, the glassy look in Sulley's eyes toward the end of the movie), the fur of Sulley (every hair moving just as if he were real), the illumination all through the movie. Plus the persecution scene leaves you speechless: there's SO MUCH happening in it, and it's so seamless: one of the great animation accomplishments of the movie without any doubt.

DISC TWO: One element that powerfully called my attention is the very human (is that ironic or what?) touch that the second disc has. For example, the Director, the two Co-Directors and the Producer appear in the very beginning, showing you how to find your way around the DVD. It's not that it's a convoluted DVD or anything of that sort: simply the two discs are packed with all sorts of goodies and they are making an effort to have you find it all.

One of the best things included in disc 2 is the Oscar-winning animated short film "For The Birds" which we all enjoyed in theaters so much right before Monsters started. Also included are the complete outtakes (call them "bloopers" from the movie, if you may, whose concept alone makes you scratch your head in surprise while you laugh till it hurts). But the fun to disc two doesn't end there: there is a wealth of details for the more technically-inclined or those who simply are curious about the way animation is done, with a whole tour through the process, from story reels, to layout, animation, simulation (a key component in the level of perfection accomplished with Sulley's fur and the way Boo's big shirt works) ahd shading/lighting. Same thing is done with design and music & sound. Wrapping up the goodies is a pretty fun tour of Pixar studios where you can catch a glimpse of why these guys are able to come up with such a funny movie: they're having a blast there! :D

Technical comments

-If you view the DVD on a computer (as I did), the first time you do it, you will go through the installation of the InterActual player software. Hit "Accept" at every step of the way: whether you like it or not, you won't be able to take advantage of all the elements in the DVDs unless you view it using this software...

-Another detail for computer users: the "Peek-A-Boo Door game" was useless on my computer. It's designed to be played when viewing the DVD on a DVD player. In fact, it almost brings my laptop to its knees. So, my recommendation to you DVD-viewers using a computer to go past the intro page with all the games on it and click on to view the movie.

-Subtitles included are in English only, so that probably will not make Spanish-only or French-only-speaking viewers too happy, n'est-ce pas? Verdad?

In general, though, excellent! Five stars to this incredible production by Disney and to its Two-Disc Collector's Edition. You will enjoy every bit of it and watch it several times over.

Gangster Squad (Blu-ray/DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy Combo Pack) Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.98
Sale Price: $14.16
Today's Bonus: 29% Off

This film has received many bad reviews, but not because it's a bad movie. The truth is it's just not what people expected it to be. When you hear about a mafia movie, you expect an epic, inside look like with Goodfellas or Casino, but Gangster Squad is from the cops point of view and more like The Untouchables. Gangster Squad is based on a novel and is about an off the books LAPD operation aimed at bringing down Micky Cohen. In the 1940s, LA had a growing mafia problem on it's hands, and Mickey Cohen was set to become the next Al Capone. Unbeknownst for decades, the LAPD sent a group of cops, who didn't play by the book, after Cohen and by going after his business interests, they attempt to destroy his growing empire. The story is a great one, well deserving of a film adaptation, but what people didn't like was how it turned into an action film. This story has all the makings of an epic mafia drama, an you will be hard pressed to find a better performance than the one Sean Penn gives as Mickey Cohen. It was somewhat disappointing that they didn't get more into Cohen and his operation, but for what it was, it was a great film. As for the cast, it features some of Hollywood's best an brightest as old school meets the up and coming stars of the big screen. Every one from the stars to the ancillary characters give Oscar worthy performances that will be sadly overlooked. because of the nature of the film. If you're looking for a classic mob drama, you're going to be disappointed, but if you want to see an action packed cop movie with a mob element, then Gangster Squad is the film for you.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

"Gangster Squad" is an old-fashioned crime-fighting thriller set in the L.A. of the late 1940's, complete with period sets, a solid cast, and a suspenseful story. It claims to be based on a true story, but the average viewer probably won't worry about the history. The average viewer will be too busy wondering just how vicious the fight between two-fisted mobster Mickey Cohen and a group of vigilante cops is going to get, and who might get hurt in the process.

As the story opens, Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) is staking out his criminal turf, while most of the police force has been paid to look the other way. The police chief (a grizzled Nick Nolte) taps honest police sergeant John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) to set up an off-the-books gangster squad. With the help of his wife, O'Mara picks five other police officers prepared to take on Cohen and his mob. Among them is Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), O'Mara's army buddy, who also happens to have a very dangerous thing going with Cohen's moll (Emma Stone). The gangster squad gets to work, and Mickey Cohen soon becomes aware that his operation is being dismantled right under his nose. Cohen will come after the gangster squad, and their friends and families, setting up a big finale at an L.A. hotel.

The pacing of the movie is perhaps a little uneven, but its best moments make up for it. The gunfights are pretty exciting, and the movie makes the good guys worry about the collateral damage. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are quite good together, as in a different way are Josh Brolin and Mireille Enos, who plays his wife. The movie has an old-fashioned ending, but that is the point. Recommended.

Best Deals for Gangster Squad (Blu-ray/DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy Combo Pack)

This is a fictionalized version of the story of LA gangster Mickey Cohen, excellently portrayed by Sean Penn who looks nothing like him. The action takes place in 1949/1950 and is not shot in black and white. Combat veteran Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) is asked to form a squad of elite men to take down Mickey Cohen, but not as cops, but as a gangsters hitting his places one by one.

John has a pregnant wife (Mireille Enos) who would rather leave town than have her husband take on the mobster. Saddled with the fact it won't happen, she helps her husband assemble a squad which includes Jerry (Ryan Gosling) a playboy cop who is seeing Mickey's girlfriend (Emma Stone). Emma Stone has played too many down to earth women to pull off a swanky mobster girl. She looked like a kid who was playing in her mommy's make-up box. Perhaps that was the genius of the film as she was to suppose to be a small town girl out of place.

Jerry uses a pick up line from 1941 comedy "Hold That Ghost" when he talks about playing post office. Again, was this bad writing or would have someone used a line from a film? At times the characters acted like they came out of "Sin City," stereotypes of themselves. Where do they get all these new Packards to shoot up?

The film had some good lines such as Sean Penn: "All good things must one day be burnt to the ground for insurance money." There is enough humor in the film to keep it from becoming dry.

Now the bad news is that Mickey Cohen was actually brought down by the IRS and not the gangster squad. His girlfriend Liz (not Grace)did three years because she wouldn't testify against him. So as far as facts go, rate this well below an Oliver Stone film. I liked the film, but not because there was any truth to it.

Parental Guide: F-bombs. No sex. Stripper with large pasties.

Honest reviews on Gangster Squad (Blu-ray/DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy Combo Pack)

This is a violent, bloody R-rated territorial squabble set in the late 1940s between the Los Angeles Police Department and the Mickey Cohen/Bugsy Siegel East Coast Mob. This humor-laced (and bullet-ridden) outing pits East Coast gangsters against ...hmm... not really a Dirty Dozen, more like a Slightly Soiled Six-Pack, of cops who have been anonymously recruited to run organized crime out of Los Angeles.

This is a highly fictionalized story inspired by real events. We see:

* Sean Penn ("Milk") is Mickey Cohen, a former professional boxer with a nasty temper, brutal and merciless. I must say, Penn has become a caricature of himself....and he has NEVER learned to enunciate!

* Nick Nolte ("Warrior") is Police Chief Parker, the guy determined to keep Cohen and his cohorts from setting up shop in LA.

* Josh Brolin ("W.") is Sgt. John O'Mara, an Army vet, now a cop for the LAPD. He is hand-picked for the job, and he in turn hand picks his own squad (with some help from his wife).

* Ryan Gosling ("Drive") is Sgt. Jerry Wooters, who first declines the "honor" of serving on the team, but then he gets mad... (with the Hollywoodland real estate development sign shining in the background.)

* Emma Stone ("The Amazing Spider-Man") is Grace, a favorite of Cohen's; Sgt. Wooters likes her, too.... Vintage clothing looks good on this gal!

* Robert Patrick ("Trouble With the Curve") is Max, otherwise known by this little gang as "Hopalong" because a six-gun is his weapon of choice.

* Michael Peña ("End of Watch") is Navidad, who nominates himself to join up when Max is recruited.

* Giovanni Ribisi ("Avatar") is Conway, a technician who is invited into the project because he understands telecommunications...and our geek accepts because he would like to be a hero to his son.

* Anthony Mackie ("The Hurt Locker") is Coleman, the only law in his tough neighborhood. He just wants to stay OUT of Burbank!

* Yvette Tucker ("Me Again") does a perfectly splendid turn as Carmen Miranda, complete with a towering headgear of fruit, singing at Slapsy Maxie's nightclub during a raid.

This shoot-em-up is almost non-stop gunfire interspersed with blowie uppie stuff. There isn't as much profanity as usual, but the vehicular mayhem is sorta fun with those big old 40s vintage cars swaying and lurching around corners.

Be sure to suspend disbelief, but be prepared to laugh more often than you might expect. Despite all the blood and gore, the screening audience was mildly entertained, and that's what it's all about, ...isn't it? ...Maybe? Amazon will notify me when this is available on DVD so I can notify my folks on JayFlix.net.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Gangster Squad (Blu-ray/DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy Combo Pack)

Old fashion great entertainment. Not a lot of high tech graphics but good movie making. I recommend it. Do more like this...