Buy Thomas & Friends: Carnival Capers (2010)

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The Thomas DVD was as expected, our 2 year old grandson loved it. But the vender left much to be desired. The shipment toke an unacceptable amount of time to arrive, almost 2 weeks. It missed the intended birthday altogether. To boot...the vendor combined 2 shipments into one undersized package but stil charged us two full shipping charges. Made a "note to self",never deal with them again!!

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Winnie the Pooh (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2011) Reviews

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We took our 4 year old to see this movie in the theater. It was so cute! We read the original stories at home and it was neat for him to see them come to life on the screen. (Albeit with a few tweaks and changes.) He enjoyed the play on words and seeing the words on the screen. He has since been trying to sound out words more and asking how to spell things. The movie theater had people of all ages in it and we heard more laughter during the movie than we did at the theater during Cars II. It was refreshing to see a kids movie without explosions or violence. I recommended this movie to a lot of friends and for once I didn't have to say "it was a great movie except...". There was nothing in the movie that scared our little one at all. We will be purchasing this DVD as soon as it is available.

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I have to say that Winnie the Pooh haven't been much appealing to me like other Disney films and characters have. Mostly relegated to direct-to video market, Pooh is somewhat kiddie fare without much transcendance. Still, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) remains an endearing classic with excellent stories and appealing characters. The Many Adventures approaches Pooh in a very low-key manner but this is an excellent way to envision Pooh, a low key affair that nontheless provides good quality entertainment for everyone and that's why this film succeds where all the other Pooh films have failed.

When I heard that Winnie the Pooh was returning to theaters this year, I approached the news cautiously, as I said before, Pooh is not my cup of tea and aside from The Many Adventures is just not appealing to grown ups. Here in Latin America the now simply titled "Winnie the Pooh" premiered on May 6 (it opened in the States on July 15). I have to report that Disney Animation Studios did an excellent job with this film. Instead of a compillation of short films like its predecessor, this one takes some A. A. Milne original stories and mesh them in one single long film (although long is not the appropiate word because the film runs barely 70 minutes). Although it's not a compillation of shorts, the film feels a little episodic with Pooh & Co. stumbilng into one problem after another. I won't give away any spoliers but let me tell you that this film not only feels true to its original source, it also feels true to the original film. The same low key approach is seen here so don't expect a grand spectacle like last year's Tangled. The animation is remiscent of the original film with of course a newer quality on it. The characters are endearing and not obnoxious (except for the Owl but only in some scenes) and the Hundred Acre Wood retains that magic quality of the first film. Also the characters address the audience and the voice cast is remarkable. Kids will surely enjoy it and grown ups will also smile looking at this level of innocence and simplicity that will remind them what was to be a kid. The new songs are not memorable but serves the film right.

Video & Audio

Winnie the Pooh looks absolutely spectacular in HD. Detail, colors and contrast are exquisite in every scene, in every character. This is another top-notch transfer from Disney.

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA is also excellent. This is not a bombastic film but sound is great with no signs of compression and good directionality.

Bonus Material

Winnie the Pooh does not come as packed as other Disney titles but has some good bonus material including:

"Winnie the Pooh and his Story too" is a kind of making of featurette of the film that is too short but still informative.

"Deleted Scenes": You have five deleted scenes each one with an introduction from the director.

Bonus Shorts: This BD comes with two shorts. The first one is "The Ballad of Nessie" that accompanied Winnie the Pooh in theaters, the other is Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Pooh's Balloon that features Pooh, Christopher Robin and a blue balloon.

You also have a sing along option, Disney's song selection and a featurette of how to create a Pooh nursery.

A DVD and a Digital Copy are also included.

Closing Thoughts

Winnie the Pooh is a great film that breathes new life to the old bear. It has a lot going for it and I really recommend you give Pooh a chance especially if you have kids, you won't regret it. The BD features an amazing presentation of the film with stellar picture and sound and a healthy collection of bonus material. Highly Recommended!!

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We took our two children for a super extra special treat a trip to the theater to watch Winnie Pooh, a character they had previously only seen in books. I had high hopes for this movie and they were exceeded.

I love the animation. I love the styling and the fact that it looks like they are in a book.

I love the story. I love the plot and I love the character development and I love how close to the original books they are.

I love the length. One hour is just long enough to be a sit down movie but not so long my children completely lose interest.

Overall I loved this movie. It was nostalgic, classic, clever, and funny in all the right ways. I don't buy a lot of videos, but this one is definitely going on my shelf!

Honest reviews on Winnie the Pooh (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2011)

It wasn't loaded with special effects, blaring music, big splashy stars or explosions. Summer 2011's Disney theatrical release, "Winnie the Pooh," was exactly the kind of animated film Walt Disney was making in the late '50s/early '60s -not sweeping epics, nor pop music short packages, but simple, glowing stories packed with rich characterizations (both in writing and animation), superb voice work and hummable tunes.

Some found this film to be too much of a throwback, but how many modern films can truly rekindle the texture and charm of a classic without succumbing to the present day trappings and trends? Like the TV series "Seinfeld" was in its deceptively self effacing claim to be "about nothing," Pooh's power lies shines his basic plotlines, only without the cynicism. A.A. Milne's books had slim storylines, too, and attempts to clutter them have met with mixed results.

First and foremost, "Winnie the Pooh" is one of the funniest movies of the year. I don't say this with any hint of irony or sarcasm, it's just true. Without messing around with the characters or updating the humor, you find yourself laughing at the clever "who's on first" wordplay. Pooh and pals may be guileless, a bit deluded and sometimes clueless, but they're not stupid or held to ridicule. This is very, very hard humor to pull off successfully.

The most clueless character of all is Owl, a character never fully realized in past "Poohs" but brought to scene-stealing fervor by the sharp vocal timing of Craig Ferguson, who with narrator John Cleese and Zooey Deschanel, are as far as the voice casting ventured into celebrity (but with respect to suitability, not just fame). Cheers to the creative team for retaining the seemingly endless talents of Jim Cummings as Pooh and Piglet rather than hiring a marquee name and wrecking the character for an easy marketing hook. Tom Kenny also does a wonderfully neurotic Rabbit, and my kids got a kick out of hearing wisps of his Spongebob voice peeking out within the characterization.

The musical score by Robert Rodriguez and Kristen Anderson-Rodriguez (she also voices Kanga) is a tribute to the Sherman Brothers' art of the deceptively simple and infinitely singable song. I can't help but assume that the chorus singing "hunny, hunny..." was a nod to the Wonderful World of Color theme ("color, color...").

The Blu-ray looks marvelous, but I was a little let down by the lack of extras. No commentary, not much behind the scenes stuff, pretty lacking all around. Most interesting were the deleted scenes. Charming as they were, the scenes were cut because, it seems from the explanation, to keep the story focused and evenhanded. Although Owl is a scene stealer, he's never the complete focus. Each character gets a sufficient time to shine, even "B'loon." The filmmakers even resisted padding the feature to make it longer, instead adding on The Ballad of Nessie (another film that could have been released in the early Disney/Pooh days). Historically, "Dumbo" was a short feature too, but it's a gem at its ideal running time.

I can only hope they're saving some additional features for a reissue in the future, because this Pooh should not get lost in a sea of direct-to-video movies. Not to slight them all (many were very nice), but it's pretty crowded out there with Pooh videos. Maybe that's why the title is simply "Winnie the Pooh" with no subtitle, in order to set it apart from the pack.

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I bought this movie, not having seen it in the theater, because of all the raves I read about how faithful it was to the style of the original. Now that I've seen it, I'm not that impressed. It's good that the story is based on material from the original book, and visually it's mostly there, but the dialogue and the jokes are decidedly modern. It's all stuff that I wouldn't mind at all in another movie, but in this context it constitutes a failure to recapture the spirit of the original stories. In fact, it makes it seem like they weren't even trying that hard. The movie falls victim to the modern "edginess" which I think is the opposite of the charm and innocence that made the original Pooh stories so special.

I think the example that stuck with me the most is the scene where Pooh is stuck in a hole, and the others are arguing over who should investigate whether he was the monster they were trying to catch. At one point, Roo says "Send the pig", referring to Piglet. That just strikes me as far too callous a thing for little Roo to say.

Comin' At Ya! (1981) Reviews

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First of all, I had never seen this film in any version, until I bought the DVD release. After sitting through the opening credits, it became clear to me, that since Rhino(again) has no idea whatsoever, about releasing 3-D films on video(and now, DVD), that they shouldn't have bothered in the first place.

Secondly, this edition is a complete insult to the film in question, as NOTHING works about the 3-D process, despite it's letterboxed presentation. Sad, as I am a huge fan of 3-D films, not the IMAX ones, but the real ones("JAWS 3-D", "FRIDAY THE 13TH, PART III", "AMITYVILLE 3-D", "CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON", "PARASITE", "HOUSE OF WAX", "METALSTORM: THE DESTRUCTION OF JARED-SYN", "HONDO", et cetera). I guess I will never get a chance to see this particular film in it's proper acceptance. Ho-hum.

For those of you, who are interested in purchasing it, PLEASE, do not. Unless, you enjoy a double-image presentation, reminiscent of the reception to the local PBS channel, in my home town. There is no need to adjust anything on your television to view this DVD/video, as you will only be wasting your time, after, of course, your money.

I'd also like to take an opportunity to thank Rhino for another wasted 3-D video release, "ROBOT MONSTER". They've managed to make a "so bad, it's fun" film, completely incomprehensible.

I relish the olden days of Rhino Video, when the likes of Johnny Legend ruled the show.

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First off let me state that I am reviewing "Comin' at Ya" from the perspective of someone who has seen it in the theatre. With regard to the DVD, I do own a copy and can agree with many reviewers that color films do not give a good 3-D effect when viewed in an anaglyph presentation. The main problem of the presentation is the color. Since the objective of the 3-D presentation is to completely seperate the images that the left and right eyes view respectively, you can see that red/blue glasses (also red/cyan) cannot accomplish this. Since each eye is seeing parts of both images you end up with double images. This is simply because the red and blue block each other but cannot block out some of the colors in both images effectively giving each eye two images to view. Irregardless of this, those of us who are fans of 3-D and 3-D movies are just happy to have a copy of the movie and will muddle our way through a viewing for what effect we can get. The year was 1981 when "Comin' at Ya" was released to the theatre. I was in high school at the time and like others my age who saw the commercials for "Comin' at Ya" was wondering what this was. It was a Friday afternoon when I had finished work at the mall. I happened to check out the theatre and that movie "Comin' at Ya' was playing. Since the commercials (a good ad campaign) had me curious, I decided to see it. That day I had one of the most fun experiences if not the most fun I had ever had in a theatre. The audience was filled with both types of 3-D viewers, the screamers and the cheerers. The guy behind me was shouting "don't do it", I on the other hand was shouting "do it" (this was in the opening scene when Tony Anthony was pointing a shotgun at the audience). "Comin' at Ya" made no pretense as to what it was; it was a 3-D movie that was simply going to throw everything at you and use a simple plot so you would not miss anything while you were busy ducking. This was an entertaining, interactive thrill ride that lasted 90 minutes and left you wanting more. Dan Symmes in Cinefantastique magazine referred to "Comin' at Ya" as bad 3-D (due to vertical and horizontal convergence) and since viewers like myself had not seen good 3-D we were apparently too ignorant to know the difference. Well smack me in the face with a brick, I along with the rest of the audience were too stupid to know that we really weren't enjoying ourselves. My thoughts toward his remarks involve the words egotistical and jealous. Tony Anthony wanted to make a 3-D movie. Not only in 3-D but entertaining as well. "Comin' at Ya' was an experimental film that took a basic western plot of the bad guy steals good guys bride, so good guy tracks down bad guy and applies several forms of justice (western justice...he..he). They made a fun movie that was soley responsible for revamping the interest in 3-D movies only to have it put down by those who tried to copy what they did and most of them failed miserably and destroyed any interest in 3-D movies. "Comin' at Ya' succeeded in the task of simply being a movie that was a lot of fun for an audience and did not pretend to be anything else-Bob

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Originally, this was released to theaters in color, but using Polarized glasses for the 3D effect. The glasses looked gray, but allowed you to see two images (left and right) both projected on the screen at the same time (with corresponding Polarized lenses on each projector). This is how all of the "classic" films are done in the theater.

This video version uses what is now the only widely available means for producing 3D on television: red and blue glasses. (Polarizing lenses are difficult, if not impossible, with a TV screen.) The result is about par for the course with most color films in 3D I've seen on TV (such as the 3D showing of John Wayne's "Hondo" a few years back.) Black and white films (such as "The Mask") fare better with red/blue glasses, since there's no color in the actual film to throw off your eyes.

"Comin' At Ya" wasn't shot well in the first place -the plane of focus changes to fast and too often and most of the film is spent sticking things into the lenses of the camera. But, it's still fun nonetheless.

Two points about the DVD release:

In my copy, the lenses in the glasses were reversed; it took awhile for me to figure out that *duh* the red lens goes over the right eye.

Secondly, adjustment of your TV set is critical to get any effect at all. The tone of the reds and blues must match the glasses fairly closely and the color intensity on your set probably needs to be turned town slightly. On practically all TV presenations I've seen of 3D films, a segment is shown with a test pattern to allow you to adjust the color on your TV for the movie. (Even if your set is calibrated, it probably still needs tweaking to match the glasses you have, since there are variations in these things.)

Rhino should include such a test segment on future releases.

If you're a fan of Spaghetti westerns, it's well worth a look and is considered by afficionadoes as a "late entry" in the Spaghetti western cycle.

All in all, it's a pretty good presentation of the film, and the film itself has limitations in its 3D format.

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Most of the reviewers seem to say this movie is bad and the 3-D did not work for them. I got a copy of this, and surprisingly the movie is not THAT bad and the 3-D works! Comin At Ya was billed as "The First 3-D Movie of the 80s!". It was actually made in Italy, and was put in 3-D just to give it an edge in theatres. It's a spaghetti western! The plot is about a gang of woman-stealing banditos that raid small border towns looking for girls to sell to Mexican whorehouses. They pick the wrong man's wife to steal at a wedding, and he goes after them to save all the women! It's a basic plot, and R-RATED. Not for the kids, unless you let them watch this sort of thing. I saw most all of these movies in the theatres Comin at Ya, Metalstorm, JAWS 3-D, Amityville 3-D ... etc! Back then they used the polarized lenses which were gray. On DVD they have to use anaglyph 3-D which means you wear red-blue glasses. Both in the theatres and on TV the worst part always comes when they stick something in your face. It rarely works, and you see 3 or 4 images coming at ya! But the depth of the backgrounds work pretty darn well, and now and then the effect is pretty good! The bat attack scene has some hay falling that looks good, any of the wide shots look pretty good, and they dump some beans on you that works too! Here are the tricks: make sure the red lense is over your right eye closest to your right handdon't use other glasses than the ones that come with the set different movies have different glasses and they rarely work interchangeablysit back at least 2 yards from the television, and make sure you are center to it. Sitting close or too far left or right kills it adjust the colors to your liking. You should see color almost normally, but it will always look funky! Do not view on an HDTV! It won't workIf your eyes get tired either close your right eye and watch it through the blue lens for about 10 seconds. Watch it in bursts if you get a headache. Watch this in the dark! Daylight will not help at all. Enjoy it for what it is! The 3-D was almost as problematic in the theatre as it is here. Few people have figured out how to do 3-D well especially with these movies that were never shot well in the first place... This is a drive-in movie with a little more depth at times think of it like that and you'll be fine!

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Comin' At Ya! is a scream. Not only is the 3-D nearly unwatchable, but the movie has a camp, over the top quality which is all the better because it seems unintentional.

When it was first released to theatres, "Comin At Ya!" made a big splash because 3-D hadn't been seen on theatre screens for several decades. The novelty was enough to bring people in, but the poor quality of the film was enough to nearly squash the return of 3-D before it even got started. That wouldn't have been a bad thing, necessarily, because it would have meant that Jaws 3-D, Parasite and The Man Who Wasn't There would never have been made.

3-D is a valid technical adjunct to filmmaking, but only when it is "tamed" and the filmmakers resist the temptation to throw things at the heads of the audience. There ARE good movies in 3-D. Excellent 3-D films include such classics as "House of Wax", "Dial 'M' For Murder", "Creature From the Black Lagoon" and "Kiss Me Kate", films which stand on their own merits, and which are actively enhanced by the addition of the third dimension.

Then there are the so-so 3-D films. Films which are not particularly memorable, but which are workmanlike and entertaining. Films in this catagory would include "The Maze", "Fort Ti", "Revenge of the Creature", and "It Came from Outer Space" (I know, I know. ICFOS is your favorite film. This is just a personal assessment.)

Then there are the 3-D IMAX films. Most of these have excellent quality 3-D, but little cinematic value. Such IMAX films as The Haunted Castle and Encounters in the Third Dimension are little more than 3-D roller coasters -good at what they do, but not "Citizen Kane" by any stretch of the imagination, nor are they intended to be.

Finally, there are the totally junky low-budget films with no redeeming value whatever except for unintentional hilarity as in "Comin' At Ya!" and "Robot Monster" Everything about these films is terrible -the movies are awful, and the 3-D is unwatchable and headache inducing. If the movie is funny or gosh-awful enough, it becomes a good party film. That is the case with "Comin' At Ya!" It's so bad it's good. My favorite scenes are the "bat attack" and the very long 3-D effects laden scene as the bad guys wait till "high noon."

Hint, though, don't watch it on a big-screen TV. It will look better on a 13 inch TV set clear across the room as far away as you can get it. Anaglyphic 3-D is a lot like life -the farther you are from it, the better it looks.

Buy Disney's A Christmas Carol (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2009)

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As another reviewer stated I also consider myself a Christmas Carol afficionado. I read the book each season and watch every version I own, which is substantial. I find it to be quite faithful to the book exept for the few instances he mentions. Yet, the film does contain other minor details such as the fact that Scrooge was suffering a cold at the time. However, they do not ruin the movie for me at all. Can I do without them? Yes, I can but they do not in any way detract from a wonderful movie that stays very close story-wise and dialogue-wise.

This movie is absolutely gorgeous to view. I can not wait to get this on Blu-Ray. It completely captured the feel of an 1800's England Christmas. I found the ghosts to all be unsettling and as my wife said "That was actually scary!" It may not be for kids to be honest. And I think that was the point this wasn't originally written for children, it is a Christmas ghost story which was a very popular thing to do at the holiday times then. The ghosts weren't there to be nice and helpful, they were in Scrooge's life to matter-of-factly show him how he screwed up. I never got the feeling in any CC media that the ghosts truly cared for Scrooge's well-being.

Anyways, this is now an annual staple for my holiday traditions. P.S., I never really cared for Jim Carrey either.

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I couldn't disagree more with those who have given this a low rating. I saw this movie in the theater, in 3D and thought it was one of the better movies of the holiday season. Although I couldn't quite understand why it was released so early, it should have been more of a Christmas time release instead of Thanksgiving. As far as the film itself I thought it was a good update on a classic story. While I don't consider myself an aficionado, I do know the story well and found it stayed true enough to it. The warmth and humanity of the characters is definitely still present. Then of course there is the 3D aspect, which completely blew me away. I've seen most of the 3D releases in the last year or so, and with the exception of Avatar this movie did the best job of utilizing it. Actually, I am more excited about this movie being released in 3D than any other movie, including Avatar. I'm just happy you'll be able to buy this movie alone and not bundled along with a TV. Hopefully this is the start of 3D Blu Ray movies be released minus the bundle. And I know Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is currently available but it's no where as good as this movie is.

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I came with an open mind. This, after all was the story my father had told us children, when we were snuggled up warm in our beds. He would plant a dining room chair in the hallway. And from memory he recited "the story of Scrooge." It was a little frightening, to be lying there in darkness, a bit of light streaming in from the hallway, as your father's voice suddenly turned all funny. He became, in turn, three spirits voices different from Scrooge's own.

Dad did that each Christmas eve. Until we grew "too old for that," as he explained one year while putting his shaving soap on the tree, after putting up all the decorations, including the battered angel the one my Mom got, that first Christmas in 1936 when Dad planted his first kiss on her lips, as they danced (he said) to English band leader Ray Noble's THE TOUCH OF YOUR LIPS.

Pardon my reverie . . . I just wanted to establish my credentials, for saying . . .

This is not merely the best version of my favorite story (Dad would tell you that; if he were alive this would be his 92nd Christmas). No, no. This is the most amazing "movie experience" that I have ever known. I cannot imagine how any film maker(s) could ever top this.

They had me hooked from the opening. The camera shows a beautifully bound copy of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. An invisible hand opens to the first page and those very words my own father composed . . .

Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good . . . for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

We see a corpse, its eyes held shut with pennies. Scrooge himself removes them from the eyes, at the end of the scene saying, without shame to the undertakers, while rubbing the coins together between thumb and finger, "Tuppence is tuppence!" The subtle change in the undertaker's face -so subtle you might miss it in the half light of the almost dark room -is one of dismay at seeing someone THAT cheap. The facial expression borders on horror.

Out in the street, children stop playing and dogs duck into alleys at Mr. Scrooge's approach, on his way to his place of business, with its gilt-lettered sign, "Scrooge & Marley Co." That will also be the closing scene of the movie, with Scrooge seen through frosty windows to be dancing with sheer, child-like joy, while outside, Bob Cratchit, for the very first time, turns to the `camera' and addresses us:

(Those very words my father composed out of thin air, Christmas 1949!)

"Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew [and] ever afterwards, it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!"

I could share with you a hundred little details (the sort of details that otherwise concern "God and the Devil"). But "Let there be light!" sums up the effect on your eyes, as we see clearly despite only the very faintest light sources: and that is what sets this movie apart from any other ever made.

You're not conscious of it at first. Then it dawns on you. An entire scene has been done in the light of a distant street lamp. The lamp (never seen) is about 50 feet to your left. Your eyes are drawn to the wrought iron fence outside Scrooge's rather magnificent home. The camera goes in tight, and the texture of the wrought iron you know the tiny little waves made by a ball peine hammer on the surface of the metal when it was forged . . . the light from that unseen street lamp, 50 feet distant, is just enough for you to see a glint of yellow on the shiny black metal finish.

This `cinematography' working at light levels so low, they could never be captured by a digital `film' camera is repeated in scene after scene. It makes the sunshine on Scrooge's face, and on Tiny Tim, held aloft on Scrooge's shoulder at movie's end so . . . welcome! Light has been used (finally!) to underline Scrooge's utter, endless joy (your own too).

I don't know if you, like me, will sit there, tears of joy streaming down your face, watching the closing credits. Only three other people were left in the theatre as the scroll of credits reached its end. (I watched this one with my mentally-handicapped friend "Michael" please see our review of the last `best' Christmas movie "POLAR EXPRESS").

A couple and their 14 year old son sitting just ahead of us, delayed their departure, putting on their coats, discreetly so as not to block the view of the only two persons left watching intently. As if to explain my tear-stained face, I said to the woman (an investment counselor as it turns out): "I have to see who wrote that stirring `carol' --a (mainly) men's choir led by a truly great tenor. Sure enough, the music was written by the last great film score composer, Alan Silvestri. He co-wrote all those wondrous songs like "When Christmas Comes to Town" for Polar Express; all the great incidental music for "Forrest Gump" too!

The couple's son explained how the 3-D glasses work. Oh yes. His mother had opened our conversation saying, "I actually caught one of those snowflakes" (felt it in her hand). Her son said (not convincingly to his Dad) "the snow looks (better) the closer you are to the screen." Together, they noticed that my friend Michael was still wearing his 3-D glasses, while sipping the last of his diet coke.

"Michael," I said, "is from a L'Arche home," waiting to see if the term `registered.' "That's for mentally-handicapped," volunteered Michael. Oh yes, and Michael agreed with me when I said, "that's the best movie I have ever seen."

Mark Blackburn

Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

Honest reviews on Disney's A Christmas Carol (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2009)

I was expecting to dislike this film. The trailers for it made it seem like sugar-coated ephemera with little relation to Charles Dickens' original novella. Thankfully, the publicity was misleading. Dickens' subtitle for his tale was "A Ghost Story." And indeed he filled his prose with deliciously grotesque descriptions of London's dark alleyways (think Jack the Ripper's Whitechapel), a brooding sense that Scrooge has long been due his comeuppance, and, of course, the ghosts themselves. This film doesn't shy away from these darker elements of the story and perhaps comes closer than any other version to capturing its suspense. (The one exception is the classic 1951 Scrooge, directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Alistair Sim, with its atmospheric black-and-white cinematography.) On one hand, this is a plus for fans of the book. On the other hand, as with 2007's Bridge to Terabithia, parents unfamiliar with the source material may be misled into thinking the film is lighter than it actually is, resulting in much disgruntlement. I fall into the former category and was able to relish the film as a genuine ghost story. Unfortunately, I found the film's stylistic and cinematic finesse often came at the expense of narrative depth.

The title sequence displays Zemeckis' eye for detail. He quite effectively evokes the Dickensian London: dirty, mean, teeming with life and social inequity. This is no idealized, picturesque Christmas town, but a city in the midst of an Industrial Revolution. Once the dialogue ensued, I was pleased to see the script was not watered-down for younger viewers, but borrows liberal chunks of Dickens' prose. Nuances in the text left out of other versions are presented here. We also see, for instance, Bob Cratchit "[go] down a slide on Cornhill, at the end of a lane of boys... in honour of its being Christmas Eve" and how "the fog and frost so hung about the black old gateway of [Scrooge's] house, that it seemed as if the Genius of the Weather sat in mournful meditation on the threshold."

The performance capture cinematography itself can be quite stunning. Zemeckis' intention seems to have been to bring to life the classic illustrations of John Leech and Arthur Rackham as opposed to straight realism. The result is somewhat uneven. While some of the character designs seem strikingly realistic, others (like Scrooge himself) are exaggerated caricatures. It takes some time to adjust to this half-realistic, half-illustration approach. Jim Carrey's performance (as Scrooge and all three ghosts) is impressive in its range and ability to convey subtext. At points I feel he's let down by his age (or lack of it) when his voice doesn't quite convey the gravitas of years of loneliness. At other points, elements of his shtick poke through in Scrooge's face and mannerism. Although such moments break up the heaviness of much of the film, it sometimes seems anachronistic. Overall, however, he lends genuine depth and pathos to Scrooge and mirth with a slight undertone of grim seriousness to the Ghost of Christmas Present.

One misstep in the design is Jacob Marley's Ghost, which I found more hokey than frightening. Gary Oldman's voice performance is certainly no patch on the hair-raising portrayals of Michael Hordern (1951) or Frank Finlay (opposite George C. Scott in the brilliant 1984 television version). But the three Spirits of Christmas are imaginatively done. This may just be the first time the Ghost of Christmas Past has been depicted as Dickens described him, dunce cap and all. The Ghost of Christmas Present's aging is quite effective, evoking elements of symbolism lacking in other versions. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come gets an interesting treatment, emerging out of Scrooge's own shadow. Also of special note is the musical score by Alan Silvestri which incorporates traditional Christmas carols at key moments. At points, the music can be a little overwrought, insisting too emphatically that the audience notice aspects of the unfolding drama that might be better accompanied by silence, but generally Silvestri alternates between festive buoyancy and ghostly suspense quite effectively.

All that said, the film unfortunately wastes a lot of time on gratuitous scenes that do nothing to advance Dickens' story and exist solely to justify the 3D experience for moviegoers. I wouldn't have a problem with this (the scenes are thrilling enough on my moderately large HDTV; I can imagine they'd be amazing on the big screen in 3D), except that these scenes often come at the expense of narrative. As faithful as the screenplay is in places, a lot of good material is sacrificed for scenes in which Scrooge is flying, falling, or fleeing for no apparent reason. The most conspicuous is one other reviewers have mentioned: a large chunk of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come sequence is devoted to a scene in which Scrooge is chased by a black hearse. On one hand, this underscores the fact that Scrooge does not have many Christmases left. On the other hand, the scene was several minutes long and wastes valuable time that could have been spent on a touching moment from the book in which Bob Cratchit mentions having met Scrooge's nephew Fred at Tiny Tim's grave site. The result? The characterization loses out much of the time to the visuals. The scenes depicting Ebenezer's past and fall into his present miserly loneliness and those featuring the Cratchit family at home, for instance, feel much less developed than in other versions. Tiny Tim himself, the subject of much anxiety and affection in the original novella, gets almost no treatment here at all beyond his obligatory "God bless us, everyone."

This lack of characterization is what prevents this version and Carrey's Scrooge, impressive and insightful as it is, from becoming as iconic as Sim or Scott or Patrick Stewart in his one-man audio version or even Michael Caine in the surprisingly faithful Muppet version. With all the attention paid to the stunning 3D effects, Carrey's Scrooge doesn't get the opportunity to be fleshed out into all of its three dimensions. Less time devoted to scenes extraneous to the action and more devoted to the preliminary damning and ultimate reclamation of his soul (the terms in which Dickens described this story), and we could had something more substantial. It's definitely not a lost opportunity. What's here is engaging and often gripping, but I didn't get the sense of catharsis I had with more dialogue-driven (as opposed to visual-driven) versions of the work. If Amazon would let me, I'd rate it 3.5 stars.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Disney's A Christmas Carol (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2009)

The story of "A Christmas Carol" and its themes haven't been fresh in people's minds for well over 100 years, which is why the new film adaptation by Robert Zemeckis is so surprising. This is, from my perspective, the definitive version a sumptuous visual feast that in no way compromises the drama, excitement, and hope of the Charles Dickens classic. Its greatest achievement is not reducing itself to the level of jolly Christmas clichés. The streets and buildings of nineteenth-century London are brightly coated with snow, yet they betray the cold reality of poverty and despair. And Ebenezer Scrooge, having been played by many, many actors over the years, finally looks like the ancient, decrepit, bitter man I always imagined him to be; his face doesn't show the slightest trace of warmth, humor, or charm.

The film's success can be attributed to Zemeckis' love affair with special effects, which in this case involves the same motion capture technology he employed in "The Polar Express" and "Beowulf." This allows for the creation of characters caught in that delightful gray zone between real and unreal. Some are more exaggerated than others; Scrooge a little too tall, a little too thin, a little too hunched over is a menacing physical representation of his own anger and resentment. The Ghost of Christmas Past, an elfin wraith with a breathy voice and a head made of fire, is as slight, slender, and soft-spoken as a candle. The Ghost of Christmas Present is a loud and jovial Father Christmas figure, whose laugh is just as big as his body, perhaps bigger. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is a silent yet frightening skeletal phantom made out of shadows.

Scrooge and the Ghosts are all played by Jim Carrey, which hardly comes as a shock since he has an affinity for variety of character and over the top performances. Other actors include Gary Oldman as Bob Crachit, Tiny Tim, and Jacob Marley, whose postmortem appearance in Scrooge's bedchamber is intensely creepy, just as it should be. Robin Wright Penn plays both Scrooge's younger sister, Fen, and his neglected fiancée, Belle. Bob Hoskins plays old Fezziwig, a man so thoroughly in the Christmas spirit that he and his wife defy gravity as they dance. Colin Firth plays Scrooge's hopelessly optimistic nephew Fred, quite possibly the only person who thinks his uncle is worth addressing in a friendly manner.

As Scrooge is taken on his journey of redemption, both he and the audience are treated to fantastic aerial tours of London, with shots that swoop and soar over rooftops, through windows, and around street corners. 3-D technology, normally so unimpressive, is here perfectly utilized, allowing for one of the most immersive environments of any recent animated film. One of the most stunning sequences involves a spectral carriage chasing a shrunken Scrooge up and down dark, snowy cobblestone streets; it's not only an astounding visual achievement, it's also an exhilarating thrill ride. Harkening back to the roller coaster train sequences created for "The Polar Express," Zemeckis proves that you should stick with what works best.

There are also some equally effective quiet moments, such as the opening shot, which pays homage to classic Disney animated films with the opening of a book. Other moments are surprisingly powerful, as when a grieving Bob Cratchit, his eyes red with tears, seems to be staring directly at Scrooge even though he can't really see him (Cratchit, in that moment, is nothing more than a vision of the future). I also appreciated the shot of doomed ghosts floating just outside Scrooge's window; some of them act humorously, banging their heads against their chain boxes, and yet we can't help but feel sorry for them.

The entire film embodies a darker, shivery tone not to the point of becoming a computer-animated horror film, but certainly beyond the colorful whimsy of the average Christmas special. This, I believe, truly captures the tone of Dickens' original story, which doesn't spare the reader the hardships of destitution, disease, and loss. Consider Bob Cratchit's family; they do make merry of themselves on Christmas Day, but they also live a meager existence, and there's always the sense that, should nothing about their situation change, they could end up with even less.

Robert Zemeckis created a perennial holiday classic with "The Polar Express," and I think he may have done it again with "A Christmas Carol." Yes, we have seen this movie before, and yes, its message is far from original. But there's no denying the fact that it's sending a good message, where love, compassion, and the possibility of hope reign supreme. There's also no denying that, with visuals this striking, it practically begs to be seen, especially in 3-D. This is one of the year's best looking animated films, so richly detailed, so sharply defined, so gloriously shot. It creates a mood, effectively evoking feelings of warmth and tenderness without becoming sappy or mindlessly cheerful. That above all made seeing this film an absolutely beautiful experience, one that I recommend to everybody.

Buy Casino Royale (2006)

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I was beginning to wonder if James Bond was dead, but along comes Daniel Craig to breathe new life into the role, giving us a lean, mean 007 that blows previous Bonds away. Martin Campbell went back to the basics, retooling Bond and giving him a much more physical presence, reminiscent of Sean Connery. From the opening sequence we see we are in for a real treat, as Campbell takes nothing for granted. He knows he has to earn the audience's respect, and he does with a thrilling chase scene in the chaotic urban center of an African republic.

Bond really comes across as a rogue agent in Casino Royale, stealing his way into M's apartment to leave her coded messages, taking risks that threaten painstaking operations and getting himself into jams that require MI6 to bail him out. This is a young impetuous Bond, overanxious and thrilling to watch as Craig fills his role with the energy of a stage actor.

There is also one of the best villains in recent years with Mads Mikkelsen as the cold blooded Le Chiffre. He heads an international cartel not so much bent on world destruction as on taking advantage of the chaos in which we live. He is a much more believable villain than Spectre and relies on much simpler methods of getting his piece of flesh from someone.

It is also refreshing to see Bond have a real love interest in Eva Green, not the usual banter that rings hollow. Bond is not afraid to expose himself in this movie, revealing a much more vulnerable figure than we have seen before.

MI6 also finds itself as a much more porous organization, capable of being infiltrated so that Bond doesn't know who to trust in key moments. All he has is the support of M, played to deadpan perfection by Judi Dench.

Everything about this movie is fresh and clean, including the opening credits. Bond hasn't looked this good since the early films in the series with Sean Connery. There is even an amusing scene where Bond wins a 1964 Aston Martin in a poker game, a tip of the hat to Goldfinger.

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I loved the first Blu-Ray edition. I have not seen the Collector's Edition yet, but they have added so much more to this. I got this from the BluRay.com website....

*Bonus View Picture-in-Picture visual commentary with Director Martin Campbell and Producer Michael G. Wilson (BD Exclusive)

*"Know Your Double-O" the Ultimate James Bond Trivia Quiz, a BD-Live enabled multi-skill level, multi-player trivia game (BD Exclusive)

Documentaries

*Ian Fleming's Incredible Creation A remarkable look at the birth and continued success of James Bond, including never-before-revealed information about Bond's creator and the origins of 007.

*The Road to Casino Royale The story of why it took over 50 years for the Bond filmmakers to bring Ian Fleming's first 007 novel to the big screen, featuring the amazing behind-the-scenes stories of the many attempts to make the film.

*James Bond in the Bahamas A fascinating examination of the links between the the cinematic Bond and the Bahamas, with never-before-told behind-the-scenes stories from Casino Royale, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, For Your Eyes Only and The World Is Not Enough.

*Ian Fleming: The Secret Road to Paradise A revealing exploration of the world of James Bond's creator. In this documentary, discover why Ian Fleming was drawn to the Bahamas, and learn the cinematic Casino Royale's unique link to an important chapter in 007's secret history.

*Death in Venice A break down of one of the key scenes in the film.

*Becoming Bond An intimate look at how Daniel Craig stepped into the role of James Bond.

*James Bond: For Real A behind-the-scenes look at the ground-breaking action and the stunts in Casino Royale.

*Bond Girls Are Forever An extended version of the 2002 AMC television special, with new footage and interviews of the new Bond Girls.

---Featurettes---

*The Art of Freerunning An in-depth look at the freerunning chase and the freerunning technique with the sport's founder, Sebastien Foucan.

---Filmmaker Profiles: in-depth conversations with key creative forces behind Casino Royale, including never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage:

*Martin Campbell, Director

*Chris Corbould, Special Effects

*Phil Meheux, Director of Photography

*Gary Powell, Stunt Coordinator

*Alexander Witt, Second Unit Director

*David Arnold, Composer

---Deleted/Extended Scenes---

"Rescue & Recovery"

"Squandering Government Funds"

"Cricket Pavilion"

"Gettler Raises Bond's Suspicions"

---Storyboard Sequence---

Freerunning Chase -Watch the storyboards presented in animatic form, or view them in comparison to the finished film sequence.

---Scene Deconstruction---

Catching a Plane: From Storyboard to Screen, featuring outtakes and never-before-seen footage.

---Music Video: Chris Cornell "You Know My Name"

---Crew Commentary: Audio Commentary with scene-specific comments and observations from many of Casino Royale's creative team.

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I like James Bond as much as the next guy. I've read a couple of Ian Fleming's novels, have seen all the films (many in the theater), and have all the box set DVDs. I don't consider myself obsessive, however, Bond to me has always been a bit of a lark--adrenaline style entertainment. From the serious Bond to the cheesy Bond, there's always some action or outrageousness to admire. So I was mystified when so many people were absolutely indignant that Daniel Craig was signed for the role. I'm not saying I supported the ouster of Brosnan, I'm just saying I was pleased that a talented actor was taking his place. And the idea of rebooting the series wasn't controversial to me, but an ingenious way to reinvigorate the franchise.

Now having seen "Casino Royale," I stand firm in my opinion that Craig makes an excellent 007 (even though he's blonde and not Clive Owen). He demonstrates a real brashness as the newly promoted Bond--defiant, cocky and tough as nails. But the character has many shadings which Craig pulls off effortlessly. The flirtatious womanizer, the tender romantic, the brutal killer, and the betrayed lover are all well played and believable. He inhabits Bond with a realness, a personality--it's more than the casual quip, there's something going on in his brain. But maybe Craig's strongest asset is his physicality. Not only has he given Bond emotional resonance, but his physical presence make his action scenes and tough guy performance much more realistic.

The movie's plot is somewhat superfluous to me--it's a pretty standard setup. The film kicks off with a tremendously staged chase, however. The stunts and choreography are excellent--it's exciting when necessary and amusing where appropriate. You know instantly that you're in for a thrill ride. As we settle in for the main story, Bond meets with Vesper Lynd--played by Eva Green. Green is a good match for Craig, and her character is written well--their relationship can be surprisingly sweet. The major plot point revolves around a poker game which Bond must win. Within this card game, an interesting psychological contest is developed with the villain. I liked the blend of action and cunning gameplay.

The third act for me, while necessary to the development of Bond's character, did play on a little long and held no real surprises. But that said, it was particularly well acted. Overall, I found the Bond reboot amazingly successful. Craig makes Bond human again and ruthless, too. Recommended as a solid action picture, and one of the stronger entries in the series! KGHarris, 11/06.

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I saw this movie in the cinema and was eagerly awaiting the Blu-Ray release. After viewing the disc played back on my Panasonic BD Player and viewing on a 50" Pioneer plasma along with the 5.1 LPCM soundtrack I can say that this movie blew me away. Not only is this the best Bond movie to date but the transfer on Blu-Ray disc is top notch. The picture is STUNNING to say the least with every possible detail replayed in crystal clear HD and the sound is unbelievable... If you are a fan of this movie and you have a Blu-Ray set-up then I recommend you order this title today if you don't already have it in your collection.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Casino Royale (2006)

There was never any doubt in my mind that Daniel Craig would make a sterling James Bond as I have seen most of his edgy, out of the box film roles in "Layer Cake," The Mother," Sylvia," "Munich," "Road to Perdition" to name several. Craig is and has always had weight, focus and importance on the screen. And as James Bond he brings all of these qualities to bear and "Casino Royale" is the better for it.

Many actors were rumored to have been considered for the re-inventing of James Bond and Daniel Craig was not a popular choice but his interpretation here should put all the naysayers at bay for Craig more than re-invents...he makes this part his own.

Martin Campbell ("Goldeneye," "Beyond Borders") stays clear of all the wham-bam, thank you M'am special effects of all the former James Bond films and concentrates on the things that make all films important: character, relationships and emotional commitment.

The James Bond of "Casino Royale" (it was the first in Ian Fleming's series of books on Bond) has just been given the so-called honor of the "007" impranteur and, though he has been an operative for a time, he is still considered the odd man out, the dangerous one, the one who will stop at nothing to solves his cases. On the surface this would seem like the ideal government spy but the operative word here is "government," the biggest block of bureaucracy there ever is or was and as such "it" requires Bond to follow procedure as M (Judi Dench) reminds him time and again.

The Bond of "Casino Royale"is physical, violent, without too much conscience, sexy, fit: more likely to kick you in the groin than serve you a glass of White Burgundy. But this Bond also has a heart and, though he has a couple of dalliances with women, he makes a real connection to one in particular, Eva Green as Vesper Lynd. Though I would have liked somone with a warmer, cushier screen presence than Green, this romance also sets up what is to become of Bond, romance-wise for the rest of the Bond series of novels and, I assume....films.

The action sequences are personal and physical (the kind that you never saw Brosnan do) as well as excitingly staged and produced. "Casino Royale" marks a change of direction and focus of the Bond franchise and from the evidence on the screen, I would have to say it looks like the producers have a winner in Daniel Craig and a homerun in their first outing with him.

Discount Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience (Single-Disc Edition) (2009)

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I would highly recommend this to any Jonas Brothers fan who can't get enough of them. Knowing how expensive (and coveted) their concert tickets are, this gives you a behind the scenes, front row thrill. Nothing beats seeing them live (seriously, nothing compares!), but the 3D is a close second.

I saw this opening night in LA and the boys stopped by to play us an acoustic set...not your average night at the movies! Needless to say, I enjoyed every minute of the film and sang along to every word. I went to their tour the day before this concert was filmed, so I felt like I was reliving the summer tour. Also, don't be fooled by some of the fan sequences -just watching all the screaming, running fans is entertaining in itself, even if I am one myself!

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I really enjoy their music and this not only had great music but some nice behind the scene parts. I also like the "extra" where they explain all the went into making the tour such a success.

Best Deals for Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience (Single-Disc Edition) (2009)

Even if you did catch the Jonas Brothers on their Burning Up Tour last summer (like I did), this is STILL worth the purchase. It's like reliving the surge of excitement over and over again. It never gets old. It's got tons of behind the scene stuff, plus it has 2 bonus songs which were NOT released in the theaters.

If you're a JB fan, and did NOT get to catch them on their Burning Up Tour, then I don't know what you're waiting for! ORDER THIS DVD and experience Kevin, Joe, and Nick up close and personal. Honestly, isn't that what EVERYYYYY Jonas Brother fan wants? :P

Honest reviews on Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience (Single-Disc Edition) (2009)

This movie was horrible like omg the jonas brothers suck live

Nick should be the singer. Joe is just a no. I have had this movie for 2 years and have yet to finish it. And probably never will watch it again, waste of 3 dollars

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience (Single-Disc Edition) (2009)

I like Jonas Brothers they have a good voice and they are good singers. I like it because is a DVD. If it is a VHS I will not enjoy it.

I will recomand I to the people and I will give five stars.

Discount Pinocchio (Gold Classic Collection) (1940)

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I just saw a special engagement of this latest 70th Anniversary version of Pinnochio at Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood in advance of the DVD re-release. Though I am happy to see the movie be given public exposure on a big theatrical screen, over the years I have seen many theatrical screenings of the movie on at least 12 different occasions including an original nitrate 3-strip Technicolor studio vault print in the early 1980's (before the studio dismantled its last nitrate screening room) and non-digital film restorations and was shocked to see that this latest restored version has digitally tampered with the film's original color palette for no justifiable reason.

Some of the chosen character hues are modern day, popular color hues, but look out of place in this early animated classic including certain pinks, reds and blues which are reused so often in identical shades that to classic animation buffs it becomes distractingly noticeable. For those animation buffs who know about Pinnochio, Walt intentionally muted colors in some of the scarier or sadder scenes. In the restored version, for example, when Pinnochio gets locked in Geppetto's "birdcage" the nighttime scene is bright and garish where it should intentionally be darker and muted.

The original movie had hand inked character outlines in colors that matched the interior ink colors, none of that is apparent in this restoration. The characters, though admittedly sharper and clearer, look color-wise like they were electronically tampered with, then reinserted in front of the original backgrounds.

At this point, the damage is done and obviously this restoration was "stylistic." But in any case, it might be compared with someone redoing the Mona Lisa with more modern color hues for the purpose of improving the artwork or making it more modern day acceptable. Either two things, perhaps no one at Disney was knowledgeable enough to notice what the outside restoration company was planning to do with the film in early test segments or maybe they figured that modern day DVD audiences would not know the difference or care, but this is the first "DIGITALLY RESTORED" classic Disney film that I have ever taken issue with. What a let down since it is my very favorite Disney film of all!!!

P.S. I was the founder of the former, long time Disney employees' Animated Film Club (later referred to as the Disney Film Club) which included Disneyland and Walt Disney Studio employees. It was founded in 1976 and continued on and off for many years afterward with visits from surviving original Disney animators, screenings of rare Disney footage and more.

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The one-two whammy of audience and critical indifference to "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia" killed Walt Disney's desire to experiment with the limits of animation in the 1940s. From then on, play it safe was his motto. This may be one of the greatest tragedies to beset popular American culture in the 20th century; despite the depths of pretension and kitch in "Fantasia," it was at least evidence of a spirited mind in pursuit of the unattained -but "Pinocchio" must have broken old Walt's heart. There are visual effects in this movie that remained unchallenged until the digital age, and it's worth recalling that every single one of them was drawn by hand. It has one of the most beautiful and exciting musical scores in the history of the movies (I can't hear Cliff Edwards' high, pure falsetto holding that final note of "When You Wish Upon a Star" without chills), a deeply plangent sense of emotion that never tips over into bathos, and a wealth of detail that is still staggering after 65 years. But it may be too dark a movie to attain the popularity of more cheerful Disney cartoons like "Snow White" -although even that one can frighten the tots. Now: where is the double-disc Special Platinum Edition???

Best Deals for Pinocchio (Gold Classic Collection) (1940)

Disney has restored this all-time classic to its original brilliance. The universal themes of love, family, friendship and good vs. evil make this educational and enjoyable. Yes, there are some quite scary scenes and evil is shown for what it is. However, just as in most fairy tales, good triumphs over evil in the end.

The story is told by Jiminy Cricket and the start of the movie is peaceful. He arrives at Geppetto's home where there are music boxes, toys, amazing clocks and a puppet who is just "all strings and joints." Geppetto is just painting on the finishing touches before he heads off to bed. The "cutest" black and white cat named Figaro adds warmth and amusement to the story. The sassy fish Cleo is a visual delight.

As the woodcarver drifts off to sleep, he says: "Wouldn't it be nice if he was a real boy?" He then sends Figaro to open the window and sees a wishing star. He makes a wish and while he sleeps, the Blue Fairy brings the Marionette Pinocchio to life. He then must learn to have a conscience, so it is decided that Jiminy Cricket will be his guide so he will know what is good and what is evil.

Pinocchio begins his journey to become a "real boy," but first he has to learn to be brave, loyal and honest. He is kidnapped after he joins a traveling show so he can become a famous actor, but escapes with the help of the Blue Fairy. She is the most beautiful animated fairy I have ever seen. Pinocchio then must learn to survive on his own. He takes a trip to Pleasure Island. This is a place where children go and they are allowed to play and never work, but the sinister truth is that they are all changed into donkeys and end up being shipped off to the salt mines. While he seems to keep making the wrong choices, once he realizes he will be turned into a donkey (his ears and tail already have grown), he goes back home. (Not unlike the prodigal son in a way, yet he is so young.)

When he arrives home, he finds cobwebs and the house has been empty for some time. A note arrives that tells him where he can find his father, so he jumps into the ocean to find Monstro the whale, where his father, Geppetto is trapped. Once under the sea, things get a bit scary and the whale is quite evil, not unlike other creatures from the sea in Disney's movies. Will he find his father? I won't give the ending away.

This is about the magical power of believing in your dreams and also will teach children to be moral and choose the good in life. I have to wonder if some politicians forgot to watch this movie as children. It teaches that lying is wrong and that a lie keeps growing and growing once it is told.

There are messages that reading is good and education is something you should strive for. The illiterate Red Fox is hilarious as he tries to read the ABC book upside down! The fox tries to tell Pinocchio that education is not good for him. I also noticed that because Pinocchio could not read (because he didn't go to school!), he could not read the note about his father and therefore, Jiminy Cricket had to read it for him. See a similar scene in "Mulan" where the lucky cricket in that movie types out the letter like a typewritter, which is also a beautifully animated movie with snow scenes similar to the wave scenes in this classic. I could see many details in this animation which have carried over into other movies.

There are many messages for adults in this movie....I doubt children will pick up on (Note the song that talks about "There are no strings on me!." This seems to be talking about our responsibility to others.)

As an adult, you will find them amusing and thought provoking. I had to laugh when I heard the Cricket say: "What does an actor want with a conscience anyway." That hit the mark! I would like to see more actors develop a conscience.

One of my favorite quotes by Jiminy Cricket is: "A cricket can't be too careful you know." It is laugh out loud funny when he says it.

The first part of the movie is hilarious, the middle is a big adventure and the ending is a wonderful surprise for children. There are a few politically incorrect items, but they are almost tongue-in-cheek and you have to think about when this movie was made!

If you have ever wished upon a star, or a falling star, this is for you! I agree, this is a masterpiece of animation....unlike anything you will find today. It is so detailed and moves at a pace where it is comfortable to watch. This is a thoughtful movie, unlike some of the more fast paced extravaganzas you see today.

~The Rebecca Review

Honest reviews on Pinocchio (Gold Classic Collection) (1940)

I am 70 yrs. old, and saw all of the great Disney movies on their original release as a child. Lest my qualifications are questioned, I have TWO PhD's, and am a retired professor who at the moment am building computers and reading at least 2 books a week. I've travelled all of the "lower" 48, and visited over 20 (again) in the last 3 years.

We have become a nation so frightened and split into groups that teach children fear and hatred. I'm afraid of what the children will become. I have a dozen grand children (at the moment) and have bought them all copies of the my fovorite Disney movies, with Snow White, Pinnocchio and (original) Fantasia at the top. Neither I, nor any of my friends my age, thought of those early movies as anything but what they were--wonderful stories. An example of the worst of our society is Eisner--a monster who takes movies off the market for years, and has stated he won't release the great folk tale "The Song of the South" because it MIGHT be "politically incorrect," an ugly concept that divides our country into "clans" walking on eggs in fear of "offending" some other group. I have watched most of the movies with each of my grand children, and SURPRISE, they loved them and are growing up to be intellegent and open minded, without fear or hate or whining. They learn their values from parents,grand parents and friends, not from movies and not from the twisted ideas of people they are pushed to associate with.

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A timeless classic that has been entertaining audiences for 70 years, Walt Disney's "Pinocchio" gets the High-Definition treatment and with Disney's classics on Blu-ray known as "reference" disc's among high-definition fans, "Pinocchio" is the second animated film from Walt Disney to hit theaters (back in 1940) and the oldest Walt Disney animated film to be released on Blu-ray. This Blu-ray disc comes with two Blu-ray discs plus a DVD disc of the film.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

So, far the Walt Disney Blu-ray disc animated (as well as theatrical) releases are among the best in picture and audio quality.

With the 2008 Blu-ray disc release of "Sleeping Beauty" (1958) which definitely benefited from the High-Definition remastering and many videophiles putting it among their top 10 of "reference" Blu-ray discs for picture quality, "Pinocchio" (1940) is a much older release, this film presented in multiplane Technicolor just looks absolutely fabulous on Blu-ray.

For nearly a year, an expert restoration team digitally scanned 380,334 frames of four and half miles of 71 year-old film negative, cleaning 126,778 frames, realigning each scene, removing dirt, scratches and dust and matching colors to the original cels and backgrounds. The clarity of "Pinocchio" is just amazing and I was just impressed how clean the animation was.

From the details of the backgrounds to the vibrant colors used, picture quality was just spectacular.

And the audio is no slouch either as the audio is featured in English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48 kHz, 24-bit) or a restored original theatrical soundtrack. Of course, the film is primarily a dialogue based film but also a classic known for its music.

So, for those who have been enchanted with songs such as "When You Wish Upon A Star" to "I've Got No Strings", fans of Disney composer Leigh Harline, Ned Washington and Paul J. Smith are going to enjoy how beautiful the music sounds on their home theater setup. The music from "Pinocchio" earned the film two Oscars in 1941 for "Best Music, Original Score" and "Best Music, Original Song" for "When You Wish Upon a Star" which would become Disney's anthem.

For those wondering if there are any audio tracks in any other languages, unfortunately there is not. Although the bonus features do include English, French and Spanish 2.0. The same can be said for subtitles featured in English SDH (for the film) and the bonus features in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Pinocchio" is just loaded with special features. Here is what is included:

Blu-ray Disc 1:

* "When You Wish Upon a Star" An all-new music video starring Meaghan Jette Martin (Camp Rock) performing an all-new version of "When You Wish Upon A Star!" Obviously a version to bring any the younger listeners but really, nothing can beat the original version sung by Cliff Edwards.

* Pinocchio's Matter of Facts Learn fun facts about Pinocchio and other related subjects as you watch the movie.

* Optional Video/Audio Commentary An all-new audio commentary with Leonard Maltin, Eric Goldberg and J.B. Kaufman. A very informative and also enthusiastic commentary in which the three discuss their feelings of the film, what scenes touched them and also some informative facts about the film. The optional video commentary allows people to have a picture-in-picture display in which you can watch the three discuss the film and then also some interviews with the original crew involved with the film.

* Disney Song Selection This section allows the viewer to listen to the music portions from the film.

Blu-ray Disc 2:

* No Strings Attached: The Making of Pinocchio Witness the behind-the scenes magic that transformed Carlo Collodi's popular book into a classic animated film. About an hour long and very informative featurette about how the film cost Disney over $2 million to make but the film didn't do well in the box office until later as the music became a big part of Disney and people started to discover it's technical, artistic and musical merit and having become a Disney masterpiece.

* Deleted Scenes In the Disney vault, storyboards for deleted scenes and an alternate ending were found. Without spoiling any of these, the following scenes are:

The story of the Grandfather Tree Kindly Geppetto tells Pinocchio about the Great Pine Tree from which Pinocchio is descended.

In The Belly Of The Whale The most elaborate of Pinocchio's deleted scenes that remain in the Disney Archives, these recently discovered storyboards reveal a different version of Geppetto inside Monstro.

Alternate Ending A recently uncovered set of small storyboard panels reveal plans for a different version of Pinocchio becoming a real boy.

* The Sweat Box The Sweatbox was a small projection room at the Disney studio where Walt critiqued story reels, rough animation, and dailies of films in progress with his anxious artists. This piece traces the history of the Sweatbox and brings to life this important part of Walt Disney's artistic process.

* Geppettos Then And Now A look at the art of toymaking as it has evolved into the 21st Century. A fun featurette showcasing those who make toys, those who still carve wooden puppets to those who have created the Wall-E robot toy and I-Sobot.

* Live Action Reference Footage Older footage of how live action was used in the film, especially with the movements of Jimini Cricket.

* Pinocchio Art Galleries The hand-drawn conceptual art of "Pinocchio" is fantastic. Absolutely beautiful!

* Pinocchio's Puzzles Hosted by Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio's Puzzles is a multi-tiered Puzzle game that contains six unique wooden puzzles for the viewer to assemble. Each puzzle forms an image from the film that comes to life once they are complete.

* Blu-ray Exclusive Bonus Features -Includes all DVD Bonus Content (*BD-Live not available in Canada)

* Disney BD-Live Network The Disney BD-Live Network is just one of the many ways movie lovers, families, and loved ones can continue to stay connected and engage in their favorite movies.

* Movie Chat Communicate with your remote friends on-screen while in a synchronized viewing party using your remote control or any text enabled device such as a laptop,

desk top or any PDA device such as a Blackberry, iPhone or most other regular cell phones. Your chat session will appear over the movie and occur in real-time while watching the movie together.

* Movie Mail Blu-ray owners will be able to record a personalized video message of themselves, superimpose that capture onto one of many pre-selected clips of the movie, and send it off to a friend, colleague, or relative. This specific feature enables Pinocchio Blu-ray Disc owner to personalize a very special greeting as never before.

* Disney Movie Rewards Live Pinocchio Blu-ray owners will be able to accumulate Disney Movie Reward Points by participating in many Disney BD-Live Network activities. In return, viewers can redeem points for exclusive content such as Avatars, downloadable extras and many more exciting possibilities.

* Disney View A new viewing experience for future generations of home audiences, Disney View brings classic Disney films to the modern era of widescreen high definition viewing by allowing the user to expand their viewing experience beyond the original aspect ratio of the film. Utilizing Disney Blu-ray(tm) technology, artists are able to `draw' beyond the borders of classic full frame cinema and fill the otherwise dark edges of the screen with beautiful original imagery, giving audiences a new view on their animated classic favorites. Legendary artist Toby Bluth is the first artist's work to be featured on Disney View. I hope "Disney View" is a continuous feature because instead of watching the black bars on the sides of your widescreen TV, by having these borders and have it match with the scene was well-done!

* Cine-Explore

* Pinocchio Knows Trivia Challenge 1 to 4-player trivia game that can be played locally or online with your friends. Try to be the first to shrink Pinocchio's nose by answering challenging questions while watching the film.

* Pleasure Island Carnival Games Best the Evil Coachmen at four challenging Carnival games to earn your freedom and escape Pleasure Island.

Also, included is a song that was not used in the final cut for the film and more!

Again, another Disney masterpiece that has its definitive release via High-Definition on Blu-ray. This release is absolutely wonderful!

I was awestruck by how brilliant the film looked and how clean and pristine this 70-year-old film was on Blu-ray. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment really showed us how brilliant their restored films would look on Blu-ray starting with "Sleeping Beauty" but since "Pinocchio" was a much older film, it wasn't known if it could benefit from the restoration but sure enough, this release is yet another "Grand Slam".

To have a such an important classic animated film released on Blu-ray to look this spectacular is impressive but to go back into the sealed archives of Disney and to find any video or any type of existing artwork or storyboards was just amazing. This release is just jam packed with special feature and you learn so much about the behind-the-scenes making of the film from the artistic and musical direction, to casting and even Walt Disney and his involvement as well.

Learning how Walt Disney wanted to immediately change his version of "Pinocchio" from Carlo Collodi's original 1911 story "avventure de Pinocchio" (which featured an unlikeable, wiseguy Pinocchio and dark stories about abductions and murders) to learning also how strict Walt Disney was in making sure his staff knew what he wanted and did all he can to bring the best out of them.

Now, as a parent, I did watch this film with my child. For those who are not familiar with the classic Disney films, although Disney films are rated G, Disney films from the past versus a Disney film like "Wall-E" or a modern Disney animated film that is generally fine for children will need to know that back then, Walt Disney's animated films were created for people of all ages and not just children (which was discussed on the commentary).

So, therefore Walt Disney's first film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" had dark content. Disney's second film "Pinocchio" has its share of scenes that may make some parents uncomfortable. For example, in one scene, Pinocchio follows a wiseguy who likes to smoke and thus Pinocchio starts smoking a cigar (and of course getting sick by it), scenes with beer drinking and then of course, a scene where the word "jackass" is used a few times. Some may feel the content is inappropriate for their children, so I will leave that up to your discretion.

But overall, there's really nothing negative that can be said about this Blu-ray release. It's everything that a fan of the film can ever want with a High-Definition release. Digital restoration of video and audio, informative commentary, special features and much more!

Absolutely wonderful! Highly recommended!