D-Day the Sixth of June (1956) Reviews

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The title of this movie is deceptive advertising, the war is a backdrop to a very predictable love triangle. There is about 15 minutes of decent action which recreates (but does not credit)the Point du Hoc battle. Robert Tayor is sincere but 10 years to old to be a Captain leading troops in 1946. Dana Wynter is pretty enough to inspire two manly suitors but oddly doesn't seem to have any real passionate feelings for either. The brit commando third of this triangle is likable but out of the picture for all but a few minutes at the beginning and at the end. In short, a chic flic spun with a not very compelling tried and true wartime love triangle. Solid actors try but fail with mediocre material.

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If you're expecting anything like "Saving Private Ryan" or "The Longest Day," you've come to the wrong film. This film focuses primarily on the love interests of Todd and Taylor for Dana Wynter (a rather lovely Dana at That). The second world war focuses primarily as a backdrop.

The film takes place in England and the English are stereotyped as American loathers and ingrates. This is admittedly hard for the viewer to stomach. We are also treated to a mundane script which doesn't give the good ol' boys (Richard Todd, Robert Taylor, Jerry Paris) much to chew on.

The film redeems itself somewhat in the end with an excellent although short pre-invasion landing on one of Normandy's beaches by American and British troops. The battle sequences are effective and very convincing as the group attempts to knock out a bunker complex.

In true Hollywood fashion, the film concludes with Dana Wynter fading into the sunset, having lost both her loves, one at the Normandy landing, the other through mutual self-righteousness. There's nothing to sink your teeth into here, but if you like candy coated versions of war, this is a good place to start.

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I read many of the other reviews and I understand many thought the name is misleading and maybe is somewhat so, but that doesn't detract from the spectacular performances by Robert Taylor and Dana Wynter. What's so amazing is they capture perfectly and insightfully portray what it was like to experience the fear and lonliness many experienced in World War II. In all their emotional complexities of being away from home and family (Robert Taylor) or that of a loved one being off to war (Dana Wynters), these two heroes begin by finding comfort in their friendship. As time progresses and the pain of war begins taking it's toll on them, they find solace in each others arms. This romance is worthy of the classic movies like Casablanca and From here to Eternity where the same dilemma plagued Ingrid Bergman

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Disapointing. I was looking forward to a good action movie, but most of the movie is a love story, and the movie only gets to D-Day at the very end. The title is misleading.

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Michael Bay must have studied this film before he made his own execrable "Pearl Harbor." In both cases, the filmmakers cynically titled their product after a famous WWII battle although they were really more interested in developing a dull, cliched love triangle than honestly confronting and exploring the meaning, experience, and drama of a significant historical event. At least, Bay relieved the tedium with some action. "D-Day" director Henry Koster doesn't address the actual invasion until the final ten minutes or so of this overlong film, and by then it is far too little far too late. Robert Taylor, Dana Wynter, and Richard Todd deliver their performances with all the animation of store-front mannequins. Taylor is far too old for this role, but Wynter, at least, is very nice to look at.

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1997) Review

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This is a lushly lavish, sensuously beautiful film, superlatively directed by Mira Nair, a world class director noted for such other cinematic masterpieces as "Salaam Bombay", "Mississippi Masala", and the more recent art house feature, "Monsoon Wedding". As are her other films, "Kama Sutra" is an intelligent and mesmerizing story, peppered with excellent performances by a stellar cast.

Set in sixteenth century India, this is the story of Maya (Indira Varma), a servant girl and companion to Tara (Sarita Choudry), a Maharani destined to be Queen to a Raj. Childhood friends, they are to become palace rivals as the fates pit them one against the other, only to have them both become casualties of love. Maya, tired of being treated as a second class citizen and of receiving Tara's castoff clothing, makes a life defining decision on the eve of Tara's marriage to Raj Singh (Naveen Andrews). Sensing that the Raj desires her, Maya gives herself to him, later telling Tara that it is she who now has a cast off from Maya.

After Tara departs with her husband, Maya's perfidy is revealed to the household by Tara's hunchbacked brother, who, coveting Maya for himself, had spied upon her and saw her in flagrante delicto with the Raj. Ousted by Tara's outraged family, Maya leaves to make her way in the world. She comes across a sculptor, Jai Kumar (Ramon Tikarum), of Raj Singh's royal household and falls in love with him. Unfortunately, timing is everything. By the time Jai realizes that he, too, is in love with her, it is too late, as Maya is now the favorite courtesan of the by now debauched Raj, who is obsessed with her and cannot seem to get her out of his system, much to the dismay of Tara, as well as Jai.

Trained in the arts of love by the graceful and beautiful Rasa Devi (Rekha), Maya, as a royal courtesan, is a sensuous, beautiful sylph. Tara, now the Queen, is insanely jealous of her husband's desire for Maya, but must tolerate it, as must Jai, as it is a culturally accepted way of life. Unfortunately, when the Raj discovers that Maya and Jai are still in love, all hell breaks loose, and the piper must be paid.

This is a wonderful film of a woman's journey to find herself within culturally imposed constraints. It is a tale of the vicissitudes of life that leave imprints on one's journey. Told in the context of carnal love and desire, it also tells of a love sublime. This is essentially a woman's film, sensuous and erotic in its imagery, a veritable sumptuous feast for the senses. While there is some nudity in the film, it is tastefully and beautifully filmed, as well as highly erotic.

Indira Varma, in what is her screen debut, is sensational as the entrancing Maya, imbuing her with an impishness, as well as with a sinuous and provocative sensuality. Sarita Choudry, of "Mississippi Masala" fame, is excellent as the beautiful and exotic Tara, who appears to be relegated to a life of frigidity and jealousy. Rekha, the well known and exquisitely beautiful Indian actress, is hypnotic as Rasa Devi, teacher of the Kama Sutra. Naveen Andrews gives a good performance as the debauched Raj, and Ramon Tikarum is compelling as the conflicted artist. They both, however, take a backseat to the women in the film.

Filmed on location in India, this is a film that should be watched for its sheer beauty. Bravo!

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Hotter than "Fire", but without the same depth of emotion and not much of a story line, Kama Sutra comes over as a beautiful art movie, with magnificent scenery, brilliant color, and maximum use of nature, light and texture. Yes, there are also love scenes that are not for the prudish, and some full frontal female nudity and bare backsides, but in essence it is a story of love and loss and debauchery and death.

Indira Varma is captivating as the servant girl Maya, portraying her as young, flirtatious and resilient, while at the same time, regal and vulnerable. Her lovely eyes speak volumes, and there are entire scenes that are conveyed without the need for dialogue.

Sarita Choudhury plays a major supporting role as Tara, the intended bride of Raj Singh (Naveen Andrews). Although a lifelong friend of Maya, she turns on her in a fit of jealousy when the Raj lets his gaze wander to Maya on their very first meeting, and her reaction causes Maya to flee the room in shame.

Seeking revenge, Maya makes a pre-marital visit to the Raj, and gives herself to him in a performance that he never forgets.

She however forgets that people who live in transparent tents shouldn't fool around, and when the night's events are disclosed by Tara's humpbacked peeping tom of a brother, whom Maya has rejected outright as a husband, she has no choice but to leave her home as a fallen woman.

Unlike the popular advertisement however, she is able to get up, and thanks to the artistic skill of a stone carver Jai Kumar (Ramon Tikaram) and the friendship and teaching of Rasa Devi, (Screen legend Rehka) teacher of the Kama Sutra, she finds new confidence and a whole new attitude. She falls for Jai big time, but unfortunately for him, he doesn't react well to unconditional love and chases her straight into the open arms of Raj Singh as his #1 favorite courtesan.

Tara is now living the life of the neglected wife of a debauched husband, and has a disastrous wedding night when he calls her another woman's name. Her unhappiness is aggravated when she discovers Maya lolling off in a hot tub at the palace, and unable to cope with her situation decides on a drastic course of action.

Raj is by now totally obsessed with Maya, and when he discovers that his stone carver friend and his number one girl have not only rekindled the flames, but are busy fanning them when he's not around, he goes berserk, and orders the appropriate punishment for Jai.

To close things off, while Raj has been partying, his kingdom has been falling, and you don't need a fat lady singing to tell you that it's over for him.

Excellent performances by Indira Varma, Sarita Choudhury and Rekha make this movie worthwhile, and the attention to detail by Mira Nair makes for beautiful watching.

Amanda Richards, December 29, 2004

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This is, indeed, a Tale, a tale for adults... For in the East, it has always been known that adults NEED and enjoy tales no less than any child would.

This story is about LOVE (of course), true love broken by the society and its "powerful ones". In this case, the powerful one is a Prince, evil yet very sexy Naveen Andrews (Kip in "The English Patient"). The object of his desire is Maya, who is forced to become courtesan, after some unfortunate events. But, Maya was brought up as a princess...

Indeed, Maya grew up with the evil Prince's future wife-to-be, Tara, so it gets very complicated: Prince has beautiful Tara, but he desires beautiful Maya (they are both so beautiful, why not have them both?...Prince manages to do that for quite some time).

There is another amazingly beautiful woman in this film, whom I enjoyed seeing on screen once again: famous Indian actress, Rasa Devi, playing Rekha-older courtesan and Maya's mentor, and what a wonderful mentor she is!

In short, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, is one of the most beautiful and most sensuous films in years. It is entertaining and at the same time philosophical!

It was nice to see "making love"-scenes, as oppose to random and mostly meaningless sex-scenes that seem to dominate today's cinema.

I only regret that there wasn't more dancing in this film. I also regret over-using the word "beautiful" in my review:)....but, in this case, it is more than appropriate.

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Everyone sits down to watch this movie thinking it's going to be about sex and they're dissappointed when it isn't a kinky flick. There is some sex in the movie, however, it is about two young girls who are trying to find out who they are in a world where men control everything...even their bodies. As they become young women, they begin to take control of their own lives and take control of which man they choose to be with in life.

I loved it. I bought it. All of the characters are really beautiful and the few lovemaking scenes that were shown were very intimate and classy. The first time I watched this movie I watched it with my mom and I wasn't totally embarrassed...and we both liked the movie. I say see it for yourself. While you're at it...try and see everything ever made by the director, "Mira Nair"...you will not be dissappointed.

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Set in 16th century India, "Kama Sutra" is a seductive, sensual story of love, lust, and betrayal. Mira Nair's hauntingly erotic film brings us a low-caste girl named Maya, who functions as both a servant and companion to Tara, who belongs to the Indian nobility. Even as children, although Maya cleans up after Tara and wears Tara's cast-offs, it is Maya whose seductive charm entrances everyone who comes into contact with her; for all her family and financial connections, Tara is really living in Maya's shadow.

Tara is destined for great things; she's engaged to be married to the spoiled and dissolute young king Raj Singh, while Maya is trained to be only a courtesan; but Maya knows how to put her training to good use; when Tara is formally introduced to her future husband, it is Maya's hypnotic eyes that bewitch him. But Maya is prepared to go even further than this; for once, she will make Tara know what it feels like to feast on someone's leftovers. Maya seduces Raj Singh on the night before his wedding. By taking such an enormous step, she may become a social outcast, but Raj Singh is hooked; he will keep Tara as his wife, since he has to have a wife, but since Maya is the woman he really wants, he will keep her as his courtesan.

It's a mess all around; Tara can't win her husband's love, she's as cold and sexually frigid as Maya is enchanting; but Maya soon becomes disgusted with Raj Singh's dissipation, and at this point she meets her soulmate, the sculptor Jai Kumar. It's a love doomed from the start; the more Maya is repelled by Raj Singh, the more he desires her, and he'll never let her escape. Something has to give, and something does.

"Kama Sutra" is not an especially deep movie; it doesn't have a convoluted plot and most of the characters are pretty two-dimensional; but as a straightforward tale of love and lust, it's eminently satisfying. The setting in pre-colonial India with its exotic atmosphere and lavish costumes makes for a stunning eyeful, and the actors play their parts to the hilt. Indira Varma makes a luminous Mayra; her sensuality steams up the screen; and Sarita Choudhury is convincing as Tara, the unloved and jealous wife. The male actors, Naveen Andrews as Raj Singh and Ramon Tikram as Jai Kumar, are good, but they don't stand out as much as the women because their roles are not as compelling; "Kama Sutra" is essentially a women's film, directed by woman and telling a woman's story. It's sultry, sensual, and very much worth seeing.

Judy Lind

Reviews of SECTOR 7 (3D) (Blu-ray Version) (2011)

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"Sector 7" delivers some nice monster mayhem and a decent story too. I couldn't wait until June to buy this decent South Korean monster film on blu-ray. I ordered the region "A" Hong Kong 3D+2D blu-ray that was released on February 23. Nice transfer. Good film. Good special effects. I haven't watched the 3D version on the Hong Kong blu-ray yet to comment about it. If you enjoy films like "The Host", "Troll Hunter", "Attack The Block", "Monsters", "Chaw", "Cloverfield", "Super 8", "The Mist", "The Relic", "Mimic" and other good creature features, then you enjoy "Sector 7" as well. By the way, I am also going to buy this blu-ray version of the film to support Shout! Factory and to support South Korean Cinema as well. Buy this film. You will not be disappointed. Highly Recommended!!!

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Sector 7 is a action-horror monster film from South Korea. It's got some comedy in it as well. The movie is about an oil rig crew that has had no luck getting oil at Sector 7. Soon after most of the crew leaves the rig, they are attacked by an unknown species. There are some twists to the story pertaining to the monster that I won't spoil. Overall, the story isn't that innovative, but it is one amazing thrill ride.

What did I like? I'm a fan of monster films so I definitely liked the subject. The monster's design was also cool. The film has bits of comedy spread out across the film that I actually liked. The best part of the film was the action, though. As soon as the monster appears, it's thrill after thrill after thrill. In one word: THRILLING! It has a couple of slow-motion scenes that I actually enjoyed, even though it was over-done sometimes. Also, the pacing was fast and smooth. The whole concept of being stuck on an oil rig with a monster was creepy and effective. The acting was fine most of the time, and the music was good. Ultimately, it's an absolute blast to watch!

What did I dislike? Sector 7 really doesn't try anything new. The explanation of the monster's creation was new, but not really extraordinary. Also, some scenes just looked very bad, particularly the scenes on the motorcycles. I believe this is because I watched the 2D version, but it still looked and felt out of place. The ending was also generic and predictable, which I didn't expect coming from South Korea (they usually don't follow the same Hollywood formula).

I highly recommend checking out Sector 7. It's a great action-horror film. It had elements from movies like The Host, Relic, Deep Rising, and Aliens; it may not be better than Aliens and The Host, but it's up there with them. I'll have to try and watch it in 3D soon since it looked effective and well-made, but that's just an assumption. If you're even slightly interested, Sector 7 is available on Netflix Streaming as of 6/26/12 and I recommend you watch it whenever you have the time.

No sex or nudity, only some violence and gore. (safe compared to other monster films)

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This movie was your basic Korean sci-fi movie. The acting and plot were very straight forward and typical.The special effects were average and nothing to write home about. I found the movie watchable and would recommend it to a die hard low/mid budget sci-fi fan.

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I have seen a million sci-fi creature films because they are my favorites, Sector 7 is a movie that will have you almost falling out of your chair. The action is none stop, visual effects are top-notch and the actors are outstanding. Once into the film about 30 minutes the action takes you on a roller coaster ride that you won't soon forget. Alien's has nothing on this bad boy. The subtiles work throughout the entire film. It shows everything on my blu-ray player and it plays in U.S. dvd players.

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Compared to 'Alien' for good reason, this South Korean mega-hit (and the first film to be released in Korea in both 3D and Imax) has, as its setting, an oil drilling rig set way out to see off the coast of Korea, in sector 7. For a long time now, the drilling for offshore oil has not been going well, but when a skeletal crew is left behind to give it one last try, said crew inadvertently unleashes a very (okay, VERY) nasty creature that starts showing them what happens when you "f" around with someone's quiet time. Great action sequences, really strong CGI (that only falters in a couple of spots, otherwise very realistic), and the exact dollop of humor mixed in with the action-terror make this one I really wish I HAD seen in 3D. And DAMN can that creature even BE killed?!?

Roaring Twenties (1939) Reviews

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In 1939 the world was moving on. Warner Brothers, the Hollywood studio that owed its existence to Prohibition and the Volstead Act, was slowly weaning itself from gangster movies. The genre's greatest star, James Cagney, was heartily sick of playing gangsters How many ways can you hit a guy, anyway?

THE ROARING TWENTIES, from the story "The World Moves On" by popular Broadway columnist Mark Hellinger, was `a memory' of the era Warners mined so successfully, and profitably, in the thirties. It stars Cagney as Eddie Bartlett, a more-or-less good guy who fought in World War I only to return to a country that didn't quite know what to do with all of her returning soldiers. Bartlett's two army buddies figure prominently in his eventual rise and fall the slimy George Hally (Humphrey Bogart) and golden boy Lloyd Hart (Jeffrey Lynn). Bartlett's first touch of the Big Bottom occurs early on after his return. The job he'd thought was waiting for him when he got home is filled by someone else, and soon enough he sees and grabs at the opportunities presented by Prohibition. Bartlett's ascent begins when he begins to manufacture his own bathtub gin. Along the way Barlett enlists the services of old foxhole buddies Hally (right-hand gunsel) and Hart (legal advisor). Bartlett goes into the speakeasy business with Panama Smith (Gladys George) and falls hard for pretty young Jean Sherman (Priscilla Lane). Of course it's lonely at the top, and with treacherous associates like Hally and rivals like Nick Brown (Paul Kelly), precarious as well.

Cagney may have been sick of playing gangsters by 1939, but it's hard to tell that from his performance. There's just something right about everything he does with a character who has to travel, convincingly, from the gutter to the penthouse, and then back again to the gutter. It's a consummate performance, and director Raoul Walsh, best known as an action director, handles the intimate moments with delicacy and sensitivity. Barlett's forlorn love for good-girl Jean, with good-boy Lloyd lurking around in the background, is doomed from the start, and Walsh and Cagney explore it to good effect. Gladys George's Panama's miscast affections are also delicately painted. Walsh balances the quieter moments with action scenes that would have fit comfortably in the later-day gangster films of Coppola and Scorsese. In fact, the shootout in Nick Brown's diner is an obvious template for a similar scene in The Godfather.

THE ROARING TWENTIES is a masterpiece. The transfer print is in very good condition I was so wrapped up in the story I really didn't notice any flicks or flacks. Warners has loaded this one with fun extras. There's a twenty minute feature titled "The Roaring Twenties: Time Moves On" featuring director Martin Scorsese and film experts Lincoln Hurst, Alain Silver, Mark Viera and Andrew Sarris. The theme is the end of the gangster movie cycle and Cagney's and Bogart's careers. The other special feature is Warner Night at the Movies, which opens with a trailer; a 1939 newsreel ("Worlds of Tomorrow"); a charming Lloyd French directed "All-Girl Revue" that features a young June Allyson as `mayor for a day' singing the forgettable "We've Got to Make the City Pretty"; a Grouch Club entry titled "The Great Library Misery"; and a color cartoon, "Thugs With a Dirty Mug."

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A breakthrough for director Walsh, this classic boasts electric performances from both Cagney and Bogie. Consistent with most Bogart portrayals from the thirties, his George Hally is a low double-crosser who puts the screws to honorable (in his way) Eddie. Consistent with most Cagney roles, Eddie gets his revenge. "Twenties" is a worthy swan song to the glory days of the gangster picture--and just wait for that immortal closing line of dialogue.

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One of my all-time favorite gangster movies. The Roaring 20's features James Cagney at his best as a returning WWI vet who has lost his job , turns to bootlegging and muscles his way to the top. Cagney is at his wisecracking tough guy peak in this and he is given a run for his money by Humphrey Bogart as his WWI buddy turned partner turned rival.

The movie traces these characters through the tumultuous speakeasy days. Cagney's character falls for a young singer who is in love with a young straightshooting attorney. Eddie(Cagney) has one loyal admirer in Panama Smith an aging speakeasy manager who is played flawlessly by Gladys George. She delivers the most memorable line in the movie "Get a VictrolaJughead".

The story culminates with Eddie being ruined financially and having a showdown with Bogart's character that results in the death scene to end all death scenes. Cagney's staggeriing down the street and collapsing on the church steps after being shot has been often imitated but never duplicated.

A great movie and a piece of film history that stands up to repeated viewings.

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This movie the pluperfect example of the Warner gangster film seems a better film today than at the time it was released. Directed with flair by Raoul Walsh, it moves at a cracking pace and is especially well cast with a gallery of Warner Bros regulars. Cagney dominates the picture with one of his most likeable and poignant performances, always full of humour and above all humanity. The attention to period detail is outstanding and especially, with regard to its music score a brilliant collage of contemporaty popular songs woven into a marvellous dramatic score by that unsung genius, Ray Heindorf who also provides the knockout orchestrations.

The finale is pure magic, as Cagney dies in the arms of Gladys George, on the steps of a large church (one of the most ubiquitous standing sets on the Warner Lot Bette Davis runs up those steps at the start of Deception (1946) and it stood in as a Court House in a dozen films). Bogart makes a great ratfaced crook and his verbal sparring with Cagney is a delight.

The DVD is all one could ever wish for a sparkling restoration with terrific sound and a host of extras to delight the most discerning of buffs. My only quibble for some weird reason, my copy lost synchronisation bewween sound & picture for about 15 minutes (Reel 2?). However, I have seen other copies and it was fine.

Bravo Warners! This great film is now immortally preserved and its stature can only grow with each passing decade.

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They just don't make 'em like this anymore and the primary reason is because there simply aren't stars around like Jimmy Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. Not only were these two huge superstars, they were both phenomenal actors with rare screen presence. This is their best (and last) movie together and it works because of their dual performances, especially Cagney in the lead role. Try and take your eyes off him throughout the fil, it's practically impossible.

The script contains many instances of unintentional humor and the lingo used throughout is typical for the gangster formula of the 30's. Words like dame, broad, chintzy, dough and palooka are sprinkled liberally throughout and Cagney delivers them with his typical bravado which is so charming and so unique to him. He is a true treasure and his gangster persona reaches its apex here as the good guy gone wrong. Bogey, on the other hand, is pretty sadistic throughout and there's nothing to love about him. But hey, it's Bogie, so you love him in spite of yourself. Priscilla lane is excellent as the girl Cagney loves but who doesn't love him back. One wonders whether her character had a set of eyes: what woman in their right mind would turn down Jimmy Cagney?

Though predictable and dated in spots, the movie holds up very well and is still enjoyable to watch. Don't expect any great surprises or any deviation from the Warner Bros. gangster formula, but Cagney has rarely been better and turns in a riveting, memorable performance.

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This visually arresting film is sure to please those looking for a popcorn-y monster movie diversion. The plot's not much to write about (based on a series of graphic novels:Priest: Genesis Volumes 1-3), but the visual interpretation is at times nearly breathtaking on the big screen (especially in 3D). The priests are a special cadre of warriors commissioned by The Church (the new world's governing body) to hunt down and eradicate vampires in the land. According to the comic book-style animated backstory, they accomplished their mission and were disbanded. But wait, not so fast. Despite The Church's unexplained objections and denials, there may be vampire trouble brewing outside the protective walls of the cities. One priest renounces his vows to save a girl held captive by the marauding beasts.

This is a world that looks like Utah's stark salt flats without life or greenery, but with lots of space where one can really zip around on super-cool jet-powered motorcycles. The cities are grotesque gothic masses of steel and randomly placed video screens straight out of a monochrome version of Blade Runner The Final Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition). The sets are stark and at the same time fantastic. One feels the clausterphobia and despair of a world without natural light or color. The CGI set designers seemed to take great care in developing a convincing post-apocalyptic wasteland, but the results are uneven. Adding in great amounts of detail in some scenes (3D dust particles, stunning lighting effects) is very impressive with its realism, only to be followed by a scene that seemed blurry, monochromatic, and feeling incomplete. Overall, the visual sets and effects are easily the most impressive part of the film.

Paul Bettany is convincing as a supercharged yet tortured vampire killer who gave up a shot at a normal existence (well, as normal an existence could be with vampires roaming the open plains) in order to dedicate his life to culling vampire herds and protecting mankind. Not much emotional range is needed for the role, but Bettany does a decent job of infusing it with some humanity. Cam Gigandet plays a squinty wild west-style gunslinger/sheriff bent on saving his girl. He's good with his knife but better with his gun (so he says). His character (and how Gigandet plays him) seems more of an annoyance to The Priest (and to the audience as well). Karl Urban steals his every scene with a deliciously snarling performance of a former priest gone bad. Maggie Q stoically kicks but while trying to hide her not-so-priestess-y feelings for our hero. The performance, while they won't be in line for Oscar consideration, are strong enough to carry the relatively weak story and drive the action.

The action is propulsive, albeit sometimes disjointed and difficult to follow in the vampire combat scenes. Not to worry, there's plenty of gory death and dismemberment for the mutants, which leads to this question: What does it take for a movie to get an "R" rating these days? There were amputations, decapitations, combustions, explosions, lacerations, and lots and lots of blood. Throw in a single "F"-word and they must've given the MPAA more than a few fits. I had to recheck my ticket to verify I'd actually seen a PG-13 feature. Sure enough, but still hard to believe. Anyway, it certainly satisfied the film's action quotient.

One aspect that may offend some viewers is that there seems to be open season on the Catholic church. The film makes no bones about its scorn for all things religious, especially if religion is used (in a paraphrase of Karl Marx) as the opiate of the masses. Christopher Plummer's immense talent is wasted as the control-minded monsignor of the church's highest office. He wails mantras through ubiquitous video screens to the city's public mind-numbingly plodding through the streets, obviously attempting to overtly brain wash. "To turn against the church is to turn against God" must be repeated 20 times in the film. We get what you're saying. Move on. Alan Dale's considerable acting chops are also squandered as he plays Plummer's right-hand monsignor. There was hope for what could have been a fantastic plot twist (a mole in the highest court) that never developed as his character took the wide path that leads to destruction, one of more than a few missed screenwriting opportunities.

But that's not necessarily why one watches a vampire-slayer movie. It's that kind of poor screenwriting that kept this film from being something really special and memorable. Instead, it's relegated to the class of effective but flawed genre film.

The bottom line is: I still liked it. I'd recommend "Priest" to anyone who likes films in the genre like Blade or Underworld (Widescreen Special Edition).

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Dont get me wrong...this isnt an amazing display of acting or screenplay or what have you. However, what it definitely was....was bad ass. The imagery and landscapes were cool, the fighting was pretty neat, the characters were approachable, and the weapons were pretty awesome. It's only an hour and a half long, so you arent going to get that finely detailed development of a drama, but do you really need it? Nope. Basically, it's bad asses killing some creepy looking vampires, and feud between Priest and A) the Church (in this case, representing society and government along with the dogma and the deceit that comes with it), B) an old buddy turned nemesis, and C)occasionally with what is basically his sidekick.

I'll avoid revealing too much of the story, as sparse as it is, although you'll basically know what's going on within the first ten minutes or so.

To me,this was a movie made strictly to develop interest in a longer running series of movies, which promise to be even more bad-ass.

Excellent effort, worth the minor time commitment, pleasing to the eye. :)

Best Deals for Priest (Unrated Version) (2010)

I'm sorry, "graphic novel" action film.

All sarcasm aside, "Priest" was exactly as advertised; excellent science fiction action, well suited for popcorn. And I enjoyed the heck out of it.

In an alternate earth, the Church and vampires have been at war for centuries. Technology didn't offer the solution, recruiting and training extraordinary fighters, the Priests, did. And when the church had won, and the vampires were contained in underground reservations, the Priests were not needed. The Church marginalized the Priests, and didn't want to admit that their control was incomplete, so when the vampires escaped the reservation and raided a farm house, they didn't want to acknowledge that the vampires were loose, or that the Priests were needed again. But the settlers killed and kidnapped by the vampires were friends of a Priest.

While Paul Bettany delivered an outstanding performance (of its sort) in the title role, Maggie Q, Karl Urban, and Christopher Plummer really carried it for me. Bettany delivered the brooding warrior priest very well, delivering intensity and portraying a man trying to reconcile conflicting duties well. The role didn't allow him great range, but he did the most with it. Maggie Q was allowed a far greater range as another Priest with chaste love for the hero. Her roles are getting more serious, and she is finally getting a chance to show her abilities. Well, she's always gotten to show off her martial arts gifts, and she does again here too. Karl Urban also gets a well earned, central role in this one, but aside from saying that he does an excellent job in a different character from earlier roles, I can't go further without spoilers. Christopher Plummer, of course, was excellent, adding depth and power to the role of the senior clergyman and political leader in the Church.

The action was first rate, the plot was solid, and the actors were exceptional. OK, so sci-fi action flicks aren't for everyone, especially ones from comic books. If they are, you'll enjoy this one a lot.

E.M. Van Court

Honest reviews on Priest (Unrated Version) (2010)

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

Action Packed Gore and Horror

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

There are about 38 out of screen effects that extend about 5% of the way, from the screen to the viewer and 34 at 10%. They were hard to count because about half of each are just split second effects.

I counted another 8 OOS effects between 20% and 30%. 4 of the 8 are floating smog flakes or sparks. The maximum effect is at 52:00 minutes while sparks are floating around ONE SINGLE SPARK floats in from 50%. 2 of the 8 are vamps jumping out to 25% at 33 and 45:30 minutes. The last 2 of the 8 are throwing stars briefly floating in slow-mo at 33:20 and a cross shaped throwing knife bowing out to 25% at 75:15.

The in screen 3D depth is excellent in over half of the movie (mainly in the brighter scenes), but the remainder of the 3D is somewhat muted due to some overly dark scenes, smog, smoke or dust. The nature of the script is this films biggest 3D downfall.

With that said, I enjoyed the 3D movie for what it was and give it a 4 star thumbs up!

*** Almost no flaws in the 3D ***

*** of the clear, bright scenes ***

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

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

Click on `' for the lowdown on other 3Ds

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This is a wild sort of Steam-punk (train and all) alternative reality in the future. The movie rolls off the blocks with some intense action. After a brief narration to get the viewer up to speed. It then flips over to a calm family setting, which is then quickly shattered.

What makes this movie a cut above the typical hack and slash films is that it is able to steal away moments of intense emotional depth between the characters.

This adds texture to the film and makes it a truly enjoyable film.

Cheap Battle Royale - 3 Disc Box Set (Limited Edition) (2000)

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With the emergence of "The Hunger Games" phenomenon of the last few years, the inevitable comparisons between that franchise and the cult novel "Battle Royale" by Koushun Takami have been plentiful. Sure, the two do share strong thematic and narrative similarities, but each has a distinctly unique vibe and explores the back story behind the violence in a different way. The film adaptation of "Battle Royale" by director Kenji Fukasaku garnered almost instant international notoriety in 2000 for its disturbingly bleak portrait of kids set upon one another in a violent death match. Despite being banned and reviled by many, the story's visceral and emotional punch was hard to deny. It was nominated for numerous Japanese Academy Awards including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Screenplay and won that country's "Popularity Award." The rumor that Hollywood was flirting with an American remake has been circulating for years, but some seem to think that the film adaptation of "The Hunger Games" might have hurt the likelihood of this occurrence. In any event, I never had high hopes that an American interpretation could rival the original.

"Battle Royale" is being released in two incarnations, a film only DVD/ Blu-ray or "The Complete Collection" DVD/Blu-ray.

Film Only: This includes the Director's Cut of the film. First, the story is about a future Japan whose economy is in collapse and whose crime rate is spiraling out-of-control. In an effort to temper this uptick in violence by the juvenile population, the government has sanctioned an annual contest. In the movie, forty-two middle school aged students are dropped off and left to battle one another for survival. They are armed and coerced into fighting, for there can be only one winner left alive. As often as I've seen this movie, it never fails to shock and disturb me as it is exceptionally intense and powerful. Some complain that it isn't as "good" as the source novel (which is a pretty common argument with most translations from the page to the screen), but I think this is a daring and audacious film that succeeds fully on its own merits. I'm not, however, a huge fan of the Director's Cut. I don't think the extra footage adds appreciable value to the movie and I don't love the extended finale. This version has no special features.

Complete Collection (4 discs): The four discs are (1) Director's Cut of the film (see above), (2) Theatrical Cut, (3) 2003's "Battle Royale II" and (4) Bonus Content Disc. While I would certainly consider the original "Battle Royale" as a classic, its sequel is less so. It carries the same concept over to a new class with some variations on the original theme, but the major difference is that an underground plot by an unexpected terrorist cell plays a large part in this year's action. It's solid enough, I like it. It just lacks the emotional kick of the first film.

Bonus Disc Content included in Complete Collection only. This is on a standard DVD even in the Blu-Ray set (but all three films are on Blu-ray). The Making Of BATTLE ROYALE, BATTLE ROYALE Press Conference, Instructional Video: Birthday Version, Audition & Rehearsal Footage, Special Effects Comparison Featurette, Tokyo International Film Festival 2000, Battle Royale Documentary, Basketball Scene Rehearsals, Behind-The-Scenes Featurette, Filming On-Set, Original Theatrical Trailer, Special Edition TV Spot, TV Spot: Tarantino Version. It's a lot of Bonus Material, but it has been used on Special Edition International versions of the DVD and is not new to this set. Blu-Ray films have 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtracks. KGHarris, 1/12.

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(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)"Battle Royale" is a superb film, subtle and sad and over-the-top and loud all at the same time. The story is often compared to "Lord of the Flies," but that is a bit of a misnomer. "Lord of the Flies" was about reverting to primitivism, whereas "Battle Royale" is a futuristic cautionary tale in the tune of "1984" and "Brave New World." The caution at work here is the threat of absolute bureaucracy, and the dangers of the loss of the value of life and respect in a rules-dominated society. This is a threat quite apparent in modern Japan.

The actors in "Battle Royale" all deliver excellent performances, including the amazing talent "Beat" Takeshi Kitano playing the appropriately named "Kitano." The film was not directed by Takeshi however, so it lacks his beautiful visual style. It does however feature one of his riveting paintings. There is a good range of responses from the various actors playing the students, from outright suicide, to panic, to a drive to win to a drive to help. Unfortunately, the character of Kazuo Kiriyama (the machine gun boy) is woefully underdeveloped, and instead of the fierce, cold genius of the book he is a somewhat characterless villain.

While a violent film, I wouldn't characterize "Battle Royale" as an action film per se. Anyone looking for a Hong Kong-style action film should realize that Japan and China are quite different countries with different approach to movies.. "Battle Royale" retains the quietude and patient pacing that is the hallmark of Japanese cinema, and which leaves some viewers bored, who are used to a quicker pacing. The bloodshed, while in great quantity, is also more cartoony in nature, which is also more typical of Japanese films, which does not favor a naturalistic approach.

I think some familiarity with problems in modern Japan (ie: school violence, overwhelming bureaucracy) gives some necessary perspective to this controversial movie, and helps frame it as more than exploitation. It is a political statement, with a subtle message underlying the overt violence. Along with this, knowledge of Japanese culture deepens the understandings of certain scenes, such as when Kitano performs the prescribed exercises, and the training video shown at the beginning. Without understanding, these scenes might come off as merely quaint or odd.

Best Deals for Battle Royale - 3 Disc Box Set (Limited Edition) (2000)

Before you type out a retaliatory positive reviewread on!

I want to start off by saying I absolutely LOVE Battle RoyaleIt is most certainly on my list of favorite movies. HOWEVERthis 'Director's Cut' is total garbage.

Sadly, as with the case for many 'Special Edition' DVDs, Battle Royale: Director's Cut adds unnecessary footage that does nothing to enhance the film. The end is extending by 8 minutes or so and delves into a sort of epilogue and series of dream sequences.

The Battle Royale wiki explains the changes here: (...)

No attempt was made to clean up the subtitles: I can ignore misspellings and incorrect conjugations however at one point the subtitles ran off the screen. The subtitles in the added scenes were far worse than that of the rest of the movie.

I am not bashing Battle Royale; I want people to buy the regular version and forget that this Director's Cut is even an option.

Honest reviews on Battle Royale - 3 Disc Box Set (Limited Edition) (2000)

Very good movie. I strongly reccomend this movie to anyone who enjoys strange movies, because you've never ever seen a movie like this.

It's the future... Kids have stopped going to class, and are becoming pests. So the government has started a new program called the "BATTLE ROYALE SURVIVAL PROJECT." What happens is that one class of 9th graders a year is chosen by impartial lottery to go onto a deserted island. The kids then get 'voted off' the island. And by 'voted off' I mean they kill each other. Each kid gets a bag, inside is food, water, a map, and a random weapon. With this weapon, they are ordered to kill each other until one remains.

This movie has everything. Violence, plot, character development (somewhat -enough to satasfy me), and an amazing story. It'll keep you on the end of your seat, or couch, or whatever.

Oh, and if you go out and see the new Tarantino movie, KILL BILL, the actress that plays Liu's bodyguard is one of the kids from Battle Royale.

Buy this movie. I can't stress it enough.

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Battle Royale is a movie based on new age problems, such as teen suicide, school murders, and the lack of respect that today's youth has or has had for superiors. It's a surreal response to all of these elements of modern society (and despite being a Japanese film, this is especially true for the United States). In the near future, teenagers have decided that they don't want to follow the same rules they've been following for ages. Teachers now fear for their lives, and students boycott the system. In order to put a stop to this, the BR Act was instituted, yet none of the students have no idea about this... until they are apart of the Act. Basically, the BR Act allows the adults to send children and students off to a secluded island to kill each other off.

That's just what happens to a class of forty-two students, with two mysterious transfer students included in that. Once introduced to their class, and given the rules of game, they are sent off with a bag of provisions and a randomly chosen weapon. Sometimes, the weapons can as useless as a pair of binoculars, or as effective as grenades. It's all the luck of the draw, and whether or not the student is able to adapt to the game and earn the weapons on their own. Some students do just that, while others choose different ways of escaping the game. And then there are those who choose instead not to fight at all, but to unite and try to figure out a way to save themselves. Yet the rules of the game may force even those of a more peaceful ilk to kill the ones they trust.

What's good about Battle Royale is that, though there are numerous characters and plenty of sub-plots, it never gets bogged-down with an over-populated cast. There are heroes, neutral forces, as well as those who are pure evil. Another good part of this movie is the constantly rising tension, and how the characters react to this. As the game gets deeper, the characters emotions begin to fray. Though surely a fantasy, it seems that everything that happens to these students because of the BR Act could be possible, should our world ever reach the point it does in Battle Royale.

The one problem I had with Battle Royale, though, was the subtitles. At times they ran out of the edge of the screen, making it impossible to read, and at other times they just weren't grammatical. The wrong words were used in many places, and sometimes the subtitles made no sense at all, whether they were written grammatically or not. Though the acting makes a lot of what's being said clear, there are times when this still gets frustrating.

Despite that, though, the movie is excellent. It has plenty of surprises, a good ending, and a lot of great action. Plus, it has the common Japanese elements, like the super-violence and gore. To add, the story is great, and the characters are well-acted. I'd recommend this movie to any fan of Asian cinema, especially Japanese horror fans. Battle Royale is one of the better movies to come out of Japan.

Reviews of The Adventures of Tintin (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital

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A film by Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg, story by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish and starring Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig and Pegg & Frost. Sounds good, doesn't it? But 'ware! The subject is one of the most cherished icons of 20th century child's story-telling, held dear by pretty much anyone of a "certain age" and transferred from a distinctive style to modern CGI animation. The potential to fail is strong in this one...

Briefly, the story is a mash-up of three well known episodes in the Tintin canon, The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn, and Red Rackham's Treasure. Tintin (Bell) meets Captain Haddock (Serkis) and embark on an action packed search for the Captain's ancestor's treasure trove. They are joined by two of the more fondly remembered of Tintin's associates, Thompson and Thomson played by Pegg and Frost, (or is it Frost and Pegg?) and stalked by arch criminal Ivan Sakharine (Craig).

The film is produced using performance capture animation and it bridges the gap between a live action film and the straight "cartoon" of the Bernasconi animated series. Obviously Tintin purists will have their objections as the film does take *some* liberties with the "look", but to the ordinary audience member, the end product is both impressive and reverential to Herge. If there are any objections to the CGI animation (and there are a few minor ones) I think it's important to remember that the art and technology of CGI is still developing and it would be churlish to criticise too strongly. One criticism I have heard is that the emotional expression of the characters suffers in the CGI process. I'll have none of that! The characters' faces are expressive and readable and it is quite easy eventually to forget that they *are* CGI and my wife came out of the cinema remarking that the make-up was very good and she didn't recognise Andy Serkis at all!

Most importantly, the animation really does keep the faith with Herge's vision (Herge even appears in a small cameo in the opening sequence) in almost every way. The characters are depicted as 3D versions of his original ligne claire artwork (without the lignes) and it's a big relief that the story is set in the 1940's Tintin universe, "somewhere in Europe", plus-fours, bowler hats, rusty tramp-steamers, schmeisser machine guns and sea-planes galore. The film really retains the film noir "feel" of the original and that will be important to Tintin's fans. The "scenery" is, like Herge's comics, sumptuously populated and I was crying out for a remote control to pause and rewind the film so that I could revisit some of the little details that I half-missed the covers of magazines carelessly tossed onto desktops, the contents of the desk's partly opened drawers, little cameo sequences that take place at the edge of the screen while the main action is front and centre, the array of faces in The Milanese Nightingale's audience and so-on. The film has *huge* rewatch potential and I will be pre-ordering the DVD as soon as it becomes available for this reason alone!

The acting is brilliant and all the performers really bring their characters to life. Bell does a fine job and Serkis and Pegg and Frost convey their slapstick antics extremely well. It's good that the actors' performances don't overwhelm the characters' already well-developed personalities. While I've heard some criticism that Serkis overcooks his Haddock, I disagree the Captain is a larger-than-life personality and Serkis does a fine job with this wonderful character. I am aching, however, to meet Professor Calculus in a sequel (please let it be Destination Moon)!

Ol' Steve has been around a while, now and knows a thing or too about the action/adventure genre and he really lets rip with this one. Indiana Jones for kids? I'll say. The action is breath-taking and at nearly two hours in length it's a rollercoaster ride. The motorcycle chase scene, filmed in a single continuous take is the centrepiece of the film. Spielberg bundles you into the sidecar and takes you on a break-neck race, bouncing you off the walls, leaping chasms and leaving you, several minutes later, sitting in a small cloud of dust with steam coming off the seat of your pants and little cork-screws of sweat radiating off your head. The "Long Take" scene is becoming a bit of a cliche in modern cinematography and, I think, looks a little ostentatious in live action film, but in animation it works rather well and left me exhausted and deeply satisfied. And it doesn't let up in true Spielberg/Indy style, the film barely slows down for a minute. There's plenty of good, Herge slapstick, not too overdone and obeying the hallowed traditions of visual comedy, and genuine laugh out loud moments aplenty.

In the final analysis, The Adventures of Tintin is a top notch family film. It will, like any film of this sort, have its detractors; but what Jackson and Spielberg have achieved is a joyful, exuberant whoop of a film that will appeal to kids of all ages (i.e. anywhere between about 5 and 85) and will offend none but the hardest of Tintin die-hards.

Did we enjoy it? Ten thousand thudering typhoons! Of course we did!

Six stars

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The Tintin graphic novels follow an unlikely protagonist: a mile mannered, sharp-witted young reporter. There are about two dozen of them, artfully drawn, with a recurring cast of colorful characters woven through various tales. The books have been translated in 50 languages. 200 million copies have been sold around the world, but, oddly, not many of these are in America. That makes Tintin something of a rare gem here, and he's part of my family culture. I worried that Speilberg would spoil the magic, ruin the brand. Somehow, he didn't. At all. The film is brilliant.

Not only did it capture the tone, pace, and geographic sweep of the novels, it also caught so many details -facial features of minor characters, body posture, personalities, villains, props, gags, cameo appearances, gestures, curses. It is all there. The motion capture style made it almost lifelike, but clearly not. Just like the novels.

It's as if the books had come alive. Another clever adventure with colorful characters in foreign lands half a century ago. Nice to see so many old friends, looking good after all these years.

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The Adventures of Tintin is an enjoyable well done adaptation of the books by Herge. For somebody that knows nothing about Tintin, this is an Indiana Jones-esque story that is fun and action packed. For the Tintin aficionado, this is an amalgamation of three books with some parts that are needlessly extended.

March 13, 2012 Update: Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital Copy arrived today. The Digital copy is two different things, a real live downloadable copy through iTunes and the horrible streaming Ultraviolet copy. The "deluxe" Blu-Ray version includes an access code for both types of on computer viewing. The Blu-Ray disc is very nice. I saw the original movie in 3D at the theater. I don't miss the 3D effect, and frankly the sound was better at home on my home theater system. This is a disc well worth buying.

The opening credits are almost worth the price of admission. The roughly 3 minutes of credits go through almost all the stories. The graphics are very similar to the books.

Tintin, a journalist, buys a model ship at a flea market. It turns out a lot of other people want that ship. There is a bit of mystery, a bit of action, and treasure hunt in the story. The movie is based mostly on the Unicorn series (The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure) and The Crab with the Golden Claws. I love the homage to Herge at the beginning of the film, he is the artist doing Tintin's portrait at the flea market.

My criticism of the film is the embellishment of a number of scenes. I think the original story left the right kind of gaps in the story to keep me thinking. The film tended to fill in those gaps and lead me too much down the primrose path; I didn't have to think very much with this film. The real pleasure of Tintin is that a person has to think about these stories. The other piece I didn't care for was bringing in Castefiore the opera singer. She really doesn't belong in this story, but Spielberg and Jackson seem to have felt she was a plausible addition.

This was filmed in motion capture animation. The film looked really good. That technique has a tendency to look almost too realistic and creepy, not in this film. There was just enough cartoon character to the film, that I never thought this was trying to imitate real life. I saw this in 3D, and can't say it was necessary I think the film will work just fine in 2D.

I really liked the cast. The voices were excellent choices; Jamie Bell is simply fantastic as Tintin. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz (Widescreen Edition)) are so perfect as Thompson and Thompson.

I am a Tintin fan. We have the full DVD set of all the cartoons (these were only available in Canada for a long time and ran on Nickelodeon back in 1991). We also own many of the books. I even have some original antique paper comic books from the early days. I am not a true aficionado of the series, but have loved the original series in French and English.

The film is rated PG. Compared to television cartoons, just about any age child could watch this. There's animated violence. The story is a little bit complex, but most children will catch on easily.

Almost two years ago I heard that The Adventures of Tintin was in development. I hoped that it would eventually see the light of day in a theater. I am so happy this film was made. It is a wonderful film of my favorite comic book series. This is by far the best filming that has ever been done. The DVD cartoons are very literal translations of the books, with exactly the same graphics and almost the same dialog. The two French live action movies are both pretty campy and not exactly the best films in the world. They stick to the book story lines pretty literally. They are only available in French with no subtitles at all (Tintin: Le Mystere de la Toison D'or / Les Oranges Bleues (French Version)).

The Adventures of Tintin is a wonderful film. I enjoyed this film very much.

By the way, Marlinspike is a real chateau in France, it is Château de Cheverny. The chateau is larger than in the cartoon or books but it is the model Herge used to draw Marlinspike Hall. The grounds look exactly like the cartoon (it's pretty darn amazing to walk up to this Chateau and see exactly what Herge used as his model).

The original cartoons are available on DVD:

The DVD Box set:

The Adventures of Tintin, Vols. 1-5

The Adventures of Tintin, Vols. 6-10

The 2011 film:

The Adventures of Tintin

The new DVD releases:

The Adventures Of Tintin: Season One

The Adventures Of Tintin: Season Two

The Unicorn 2 part cartoon is also available on Amazon Instant Video:

The Secret Of The Unicorn, Part 1

The Secret Of The Unicorn, Part 2

Red Rackham's Treasure and The Crab With The Golden Claws are available on Amazon Instant Video. I've included links to those two books in the comments section below.

Honest reviews on The Adventures of Tintin (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital

I've read the Tintin comic books (have all the hardcover sets they sell here on Amazon), and have seen the Nelvana cartoon series (which is pretty much completely lifted from the comic books). Love them all! So many times I have been disappointed when Hollywood takes something I love, adapts it to the big screen, and completely ruins it so that any resemblance between the movie and the original is pure coincidence. With Spielberg and Jackson at the helm, I expected a high quality production, but what about the actual story?

This movie takes elements from three Tintin books "The Crab with the Golden Claws", "The Secret of the Unicorn", and "Red Rackham's Treasure". Most of "The Crab..." that's in the movie is about how Tintin and Captain Haddock met. In "Unicorn", the flea market scenes actually took place AFTER Tintin and Haddock met, as Tintin had bought the model ship as a gift for his friend. But in the movie, he bought the ship before he met Haddock.

But unless you are that much of a stickler for details, this shouldn't matter. With the exception of these few details, the story was very true to the books and the Nelvana animated series. What was even better was how the characters were written; I am sure Herge would have approved, as they were just as he intended them to be. All the personality quirks of Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock, Thomson & Thompson, etc all there as we remember them. I thought they did a great job with the casting, as well.

I was afraid they'd ruin this movie by doing something dumb like bringing on a love interest for Tintin (something that never happened in the books, but Hollywood often can't leave stuff alone). This is an adventure story, not a romance, and it was wise of Spielberg/Jackson to treat it as such.

The ending of the movie left me begging for a sequel. I hope they do make one, and it's to the same standards as this one. This Tintin fan loved it!

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I was amazed by the animation. However, early on, I found some of the characters and/or their actions annoying. Astoundingly, the action sequences are boring -not exciting -with too much happening for no particular point. I never felt involved in the story or really cared. Tintin has promise as a character as well as Snowy, the dog. I ran the second half of the movie at 1.5x speed and felt even at that that the movie was too long for what it contained. A thin -though visually stunning -gruel, indeed. There's a kernel of a movie in there somewhere. Too bad two of the most famous directors in the world couldn't find it.