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Famed Royal Shakespeare Company director Peter Brook helms this multinational production of India's greatest epic myth. A seemingly simple tale of two sets of semidivine brothers vying for the throne spirals out to include wider themes of fate, free will, and the problems of behaving dishonorably to preserve the greater good. The film, adapted from Brook's stage production, uses a presentational style, with the epic's narrator slipping in and out of the action and characters stopping to address the camera. The international cast and simple costuming add to the timeless, dreamlike feel of the story. The Mahabharata does an excellent job of reverently presenting a cherished myth without losing the passion and excitement of the story. The DVD edition includes "The Making of The Mahabharata," an interesting look at both the layers of meaning to be found in the story and the challenges in adapting it for a Western audience. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Essence captured
I was entranced by The Mahabharata, as presented by Peter Brookes. Since my childhood, I have heard, read and seen The Mahabharata in my mother tongue, English and Hindi. Irrespective of the medium, it has always impressed with the great canvas on which human yet larger than life characters are etched but the grandeur of the drama has often masked the underlying philosophy - that the difference between humans and gods is infinitesimal, that every person is imbued with some qualities that are god-like (so that depending on circumstances anybody can appear god-like), even the so-called gods have human frailties and can be touched and befriended.
Peter Brookes has successfully denuded the characters of their physical attributes and forced us to really understand this philosophy that we too can become gods depending on which qualities we care to nurture within our selves.

Indian philosophy come to life
This excellent multinational production of the Mahabharata feels almost Shakespeaerean at times - the language so eloquent and poetic, the themes so profound and universal, the action so epic. Truly great literature brought to film.

Briefly, the Mahabharata is a tale of two rival sets of brothers, cousins to eachother, each born into royalty and with divinely guided paths in life. The result, however, is a great war, death, destruction, but a final glimmer of light preserved. Vishnu after Shiva.
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Peter Brook's five-hour version of the Mahabharata is theatrical, philosophical, spare, poetic. It is rendered in gentle, nearly monochromatic hues and with often silent backgrounds, interspersed with periods of hauntingly beautiful music. The actors are gifted, if a bit too grand and mythic in their presentation. As in the written versions, the characters motives are seen to be, in turns, grounded and human, and unearthly and enlightened.

Such a powerful mix, and such a penetrating vision of life -- all from over three thousand years ago!

I highly recommend this film, anbd the special features of the DVD make it that much more valuable.

Not the Mahabharata, but good on its own terms
Responses to this film tend to be bipolar. On the one hand there are those--usually, but not always South Asian--who find it downright offensive, a baffling misrepresentation of one of the world's great classics. On the other are those who are taken in by the film's sumptuous artistry and pronounce it profound and life-changing and...if they are daring or ignorant...claim that it manifests the essence of Indic philosophy and sensibilities.

I think a more balanced view would go like this. Firstly, nearly everything about Brook's presentation is dissonant with the real character of the Mahabharata and of its cultural matrix generally. Brook himself has said that he interpreted the Mahabharata as a metaphor for nuclear holocaust in the modern age, and indeed he seems determined to transform the work into a Greco-Shakespearean tragedy. The characters are uniformly ashen-faced throughout the film, even *before* anything bad happens, and the score is downright elegiac. Characters mumble on and on about the "savagery of this world", its loss of youth, and we get many closeups of faces paralyzed in existentialist anguish. Krishna--one of several characters terrifically miscast--is not even likeable. The presentation is claustrophobic and minimalist, in stark contrast to the dizzying variety and vastness of the original. Beyond this, the Mahabharata (the real one) is simply not a tragedy. If anything, it is a Divine Comedy. Far from Homer's heroes, the characters are not properly viewed as 'mere men' at all: they are incarnations of gods, demons, and assorted beings whose dramas extend in all directions of time and space, literally into infinity. The true multiplicity of 'Hinduism' shines forth in the work: we get to sample every item on the spectrum between the One Being and the infinity of worlds. The problem of dharma or rightness, meanwhile, is quite beyond Brook's purview. He has ripped the epic too far from its Indic roots, and what he gives us is very definitely a postmodern European imagination.

So, hats off to all those who feel betrayed.

But there is another story to tell. Considered by itself as a work of art, this film has to count among the most visionary and fascinating in recent decades. The visual and aural elements--the spare, elusive sets; the cool Mughal-inspired wardrobes; the gorgeous music which took literally years to produce--are a marvel, and create a world like few seen on the screen. Brook isn't famous for nothing, and his stage-honed directorial skill shines in every scene. I won't spoil the surprise at some of his choices, but they are consistently evocative and turn on the smallest gestures. The film is simply a feast. The characters are not particularly deep--though perhaps a little deeper than the originals--and the 'philosophy' tends to be half-baked and even self-obsessed. But stylistically it stands to challenge anything I've ever seen.

Putting this on my wishlist right now
I rate this a 4 only because I haven't seen the DVD yet, but a friend once loaned me the VHS version. I think I watched it three times over the course of a couple months. In one case, I watched all 6 hours straight through (minus bathroom breaks of course). Another reviewer used the phrase "life changing", and I agree completely. I have continued to draw inspiration from this film for 5 years. With the DVD, maybe I can go for another 50. PS: The soundtrack for this film is out on RealWorld. Also recommended.

Worst version of the great epic that I've ever seen.
I'm totally baffled that people actually enjoyed this movie. The Mahabharata is the greatest epic of all time and this movie did not do it any justice. First of all, I think it's really hard to take the longest epic in history and make it into a 6 hour movie. It leaves too many important aspects out. That was my first problem with the movie. My second problem is that the characters were totally miscast. Anyone who has ever read the many different English translated versions of the Mahabharata or even the original in Sanskrit will tell you that Bhishma was a strong and powerful man who in this movie has been reduced down to looking like a beggar you see on the streets. The Pandavas and the Kuravas were Princes yet none of their clothes or anything in their appearance made them look like they belonged in a King's court. They lived in palaces yet in this movie, they were living in dimly lit areas that looked nothing like the magnificent palaces of ancient India.

I have been a fan of the story of the Mahabharata since I was 5 years old when my grandfather would tell me the tales. When I first heard about Peter Brook's movie, I was about 13 years old and I couldn't wait to see the movie when it played on PBS. I was greatly disappointed. Nothing lived up to my expectations. The grand places and the beautiful Kings and Queens I had pictured my whole life as I had heard the stories were not there. The translation of the word Mahabharata literally means Great(Maha) India(Bharat), yet I found nothing in this version of the movie to be great. Brook's version waters down the magnificent tale and turns it into something very simple and common which this story never was.

If anyone is actually interested in the story of the Mahabharata, I would highly recommend the many books that are out there, including the version by Krishna Dharma that you can buy here on Amazon. Now if you are the type that does not like using your own imagination to picture the story in your head and instead want to see a movie version, then I highly recommend BR Chopra's version which was originally a TV series on Indian TV that can now be purchased on a 16 DVD set. It's in Hindi but has English subtitles and does an amazing job of portraying the true characters of the Mahabharata the way it was intended. ... Read more

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Disney's 1977 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh may be the last word on (animated) Pooh because it so faithfully honors the first word on Pooh, penned in the 1920s by British storyteller A.A. Milne. Gently paced, subtly humorous, and blessedly understated, this adaptation reflects Walt Disney's original vision to develop the beloved British bear for a wider audience. The film is essentially a collection of the original Pooh shorts, "The Honey Tree," "The Blustery Day," and "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too." These storybooks are presented in seamless "chapters," narrated by the timeless Sebastian Cabot. The familiar musical score and original voices of Sterling Holloway as Pooh, and Paul Winchell as Tigger, cap this enchanting keepsake. (Ages 2 and up). --Lynn Gibson ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Nothing Like Pooh Bear turning a Blustery Day into Sunshine
Winnie the Pooh has always been my favorite playmate and all his friends at enchanted Pooh Corner-Christopher Robin, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga and Roo, Owl, Rabbit and Tigger, too. This is Walt Disney's 22nd full-length animated movie masterpiece. Winnie the Pooh was created in the 1920s out of British author A.A. Milne's whimisical stories he told to his son Christopher Robin. The character Pooh was created from Christopher's toy bear Edward Bear, and from his favorite London zoo friend "Winnie," a black bear. The name "Pooh" came from a swan residing also at the zoo. The film is a gathering of these wonderful moments and Disney's magic weaves them into this joyful feature-length movie.

This edition includes footage of behind the scenes interviews and how the story of Pooh all started. The original stories are "The Honey Tree," "The Blustery Day" and "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too." "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day" was nominated and won Best Cartoon Short Subject in 1968. If you're a lover of enchanted days take a journey to the Hundred Acre Wood with the most huggable, lovable bear of very little brain for a wonderful adventure and lots of honey pots! Complete with the magical music score theme song and the Tigger song, too. It's the best fun you'll have in your entire childhood with none other than that willy nilly silly old bear. Guaranteed!

Disney Has The Magic And The Charm!
The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh is a very good movie for the whole family. It is so wholesome and filled with basic messages and foot tapping music that all ages will enjoy.

It has great character actors doing all the voices and who could every forget Tigger! Or Eyor or Piglet or Rabbit or Roo! Such a fun more even as I watch it as an adult today. The story of Pooh is a classic and it wasn't until Walt Disney created these three mini features and married them till the US populous catch on to Whinnie's adventures. And they are fun.

Winnie is lovable and adorable and has the biggest of all hearts of all the characters in the Disney line of magical memories I have ever seen! This movie is really special.

The DVD extras are just as good as the film. It has a storybook for the kids a music video by Carly Simon and series of games for children to figure out and even a Tigger sing-a-long. Also there are several previews for the kids to see the new Piglet movie, a new Pooh Christmas video due out this fall and Lilo and Stitch preview. With a lot of fun extras. This is a must for any collector of Disney or animated features overall.

For people who are blind or have low vision.
I just found out that there are tapes like this (For people who are blind or have low vision.) on sale at Amazon.com! It's very great help for those kids!

Great collection of Pooh stories
Yes, we all love Winnie the Pooh. However, the main reason I prefer "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" over any of the other Disney movies featuring Pooh Bear is the way this movie is set up. It's a compilation of several of the classic Pooh short stories, instead of one long movie. I find my two-year old gets much more out of watching the individual 10 minute stories, as opposed to attempting to sit through a full-length, animated film.
Thus, keeping the little ones (ages 1-5) and their attention spans in mind, I highly recommend "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" to be a must for any family video collection!

Gotta see this one!!!!
Winnie the Pooh is one of the most lovable characters there is and this DVD showcases his sweetness. Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and all their friends romp and frollic through a series of stories that kids of all ages, even grown up kids, will enjoy. The stories are very entertaining and the voice talents who bring the characters to life are awesome. Most touching of all is Pooh and Christopher Robin toward the end of the movie discussing the fast approaching arrival of Christopher's departure to "school". My entire family loves this movie!!! ... Read more

Reviews (247)

Kidnap the Sandy Claws!
This is my favorite animated film and in my opinion the best to come out of the Burton/Elfman team. The plot is... well... "different": The denizens of Halloween Town kidnap Santa Claus and have their way with Christmas. i.e. make a complete mess out of it. The visuals are spectacular (if a little dark) and the music and songs are wonderful and fit right in with the action. Regarding the "family appeal" of this movie: just keep in mind that this is a Tim Burton creation (Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow) and therefore it is dark, a little scary and the humor is on the sarcastic side. Oh, and if you absolutely can't stand musicals, then this movie will either make you a believer (like it did to me) or will put you off.

About the DVD edition: I've seen this movie in the theater, on TV, on VHS and now on DVD and I must say that the DVD edition had the best sound quality. They could have included some bonuses (a "the making of..." type of feature is really missing) but the excellent sound and decent picture quality was good enough for me.

Go ahead and give it a try, especially if you're a Burton/Elfman fan!

Fantastic, wonderful, and moving...
I've not seen this movie in a very long time, and it wasn't until just recently that I revisited it. The Nightmare Before Christmas' title sounds like something from a horror movie, but it certainly isn't one. Sure, everything looks grim and creepy, but that's just the setting. The story of Jack Skellington feeling as if everything is a routine for him and wants to experience something different was kinda touching, as is with the songs he sings to himself in the film. The music is creepy at times and is beautiful when needed, and it's all composed by Danny Elfman; who in turn also wrote the songs, and does Jack Skellington's voice. TNMBC was skillfully animated, using the stop-motion style, which most likely took them quite a while to finish. The end product looks pretty good too, especially for a movie released back in '91. Tim Burton has always been one of my favorite directors, and this film didn't let me down. Not only did it bring back some nice childhood memories, but it also made me feel good in the process. Those parents who aren't sure of showing this film to their kids because it may scare them, at least consider that the movie has NO violence either than a stitched-up lady jumping from a building, but she doesn't get harmed as she puts herself back together. If your kids can handle the creepy looking monsters and creatures, by all means let them watch this movie. They most likely will never forget it.

the best christmas and halloween movie ever
wellllllllllllll.the guys from halloween land go to x-mas land and kidnap santa and do x-masup thier own way.its animated or something so no stars per say.this one is for some kids and not for others.the sensitive types need to be in bed.it is another one of tim burtons abselute masterpieces.there are basicly 2 kinds of movies.your julia robetrs-sell out-hollywood-junk and movies that actualy required some thought.so anyone with an imagination will like it.this is themost over the top and wild x-mas movie ever.

Spellbinding
This movie is beyond enchanting, delving into the realms of spellbinding. I never thought that an animated film could be so stunning with its cinematography mixed with the music. That's the amazing beauty of Tim Burton's world: it's filled with contrasts. In particular is Sally (voiced by the Canadian goddess Catherine O'Hara) the ragdoll who externally is not the most beautiful thing with her stitchings and patched clothes, but internally she is pure and filled with love for Jack. Even her singing (again Catherine) sounds like an innocent child, straight tone (no vibrato) and a flowing, velvet soprano.
The world of Halloweentown is dark, but filled with beauty and rich melodies straining through (by the genius Danny Elfman). The construction of the film is so perfect making Halloweentown filled with browns and blacks whereas Christmastown is bright and cheerful, joyful as we expect Christmas to be and the real world is somewhere in between. All of it pulls together beautifully to create a timeless story and the most magnificently filmed ending with Sally and Jack in the snow.
Just proves the genius of the film makers.

yuck
Why does "everyone" love this movie? It's not that good. Not at all. I saw this when I was four and I absolutely hated it when I found out they kidnapped Santa Clause. The zombie girl taking her head off at one point in the movies was pretty gross too...yuck. I don't reccomend this film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hail, Taxi. It's great to finally have one of the defining sitcoms of the 1970s available on DVD to take out for a spin. This character-driven humane comedy from the creators of The Mary Tyler Moore Show rolled out of the garage with a full tank of gas: a lightning-in-a-bottle ensemble, smart, witty, and compassionate writing, and extraordinary characters. The Sunshine Cab Company was a much grittier workplace than the sunny WJM newsroom. Its down, but never out employees--single mother Elaine (Marilu Henner), aspiring actor Bobby (Jeff Conaway), hapless boxer Tony (Tony Danza), reptilian dispatcher Louis (Danny DeVito), naive rube John (Randall Carver), and indeterminately foreign mechanic Latka (comic iconoclast Andy Kaufman)--struggled to keep rolling along. Judd Hirsch's salt-of-the-earth cabbie Alex Rieger solved everyone's problems but his own. Half hours don't get more moving than the Humanitas Prize-winning episode, "Blind Date," in which Alex tries to befriend an embittered overweight woman, or funnier than "High School Reunion," in which Bobby impersonates Louie at Louie's reunion to impress his mean former classmates.

Along for the ride in this Emmy-winning first season are a pre-MagnumTom Selleck and Mandy Patinkin ("Memories of Cab 804") and life force Ruth Gordon, who was honored with an Emmy for her performance as one of Alex's most memorable fares ("Sugar Mama"). The poignant episode "Paper Marriage" features Christopher Lloyd as burn-out Reverend Jim, who would join the ensemble in season 2. Regrettably, this three-disc set is a stripped down model, with no commentary or interviews. But there is nothing hack about Taxi itself. This is "must-own" television fare. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (98)

This Movie Iz Crazy
Im am a 14 year old and I want to talk about the Movie Menace II Society.Menace II Society is the tightest Movie I ever saw since "Boyz N The Hood" & "South Central".It all started out as a young boy name Caine (Tyrin Turner) telling a story about surviving the streets for good.My favorite Scence is When Caine & O-Dog(Larenz Tate) was in the liquor store when these two got evloved in a murder by O-Dog kill the korean grocer and also killed the korean lady while O-Dog threatens to get the video tape from her.In The Movie, They mention O-Dog as "The American's Worst Nightmare" and They also mention that O-Dog is Young, Black, And Don't Give A [care]. They also have a cool soundtrack with MC Eith(Streith Up Menace) and all other cool artists.I Recommend this movie to everyone.If U love hood movies and u have not seeen it yet, nows it the time to spend your money and buy this classic.On the internet, they also mention the "Director's Cut"(which is Unrated and the orignal verison is an R-Rated Movie).So if you Moviegooer and u have not seen that movie yet, now's the time to get that movie.One more thing,The Directors Allen & Albert Hugues(From Hell,Dead Presidents) did an good job on this movie.

True 2 Life
Okay, since im from London, i cant accuratly depict if this is, or is not the real situations encountered by members of the LA public. But upon watching this for the first time, it really hit me that the horrific things portraid in this movie could happen to anyone of us.

Caine, the main focus of the movie, was brought up in a drug filled home, his father was a drug dealer, and his mother a heroin addict. Caine first saw someone be shot when he was just a child, as shown in the films early scenes. Following this his father is murdered in a fixed drug deal, and his mother overdoses, and dies.

Caines best friend O-Dogg is a 16year old, who, as is said in the movie is 'Americas worst nightmare', hes young, Black, and he just dont giv'a F***.

I wont spoil the movie by saying anymore, but take it from me this is one of the the best movies you will see in a long time, especially if you like the whole gang thing, it also has historical content of the 'Watt's rights'. I say buy it as soon as you can.

Powerful movie
This movie is a veery powerful movie. It will give you some laughs and then youll be crying. It is very moving and it wshows you what the ghetto is really about. Growing up and surviving in the hood is very hard and this movvie shows just how hard it is.

Top 10
Menace II Society is one of my Top 10 movies of all time. I could watch it 5 times a day every day. Tyrin Turner should have become a big star after this movie. This movie had great actors, a good storyline, and production. Just wanted to say he was in Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation video as the kid walking around that place, whatever it was, for some strange reason.

After Boyz in da hood
came this, a raw powered movie, that brings to the real of the early 90's South Central LA. This movie is pretty violent and gory, but yet it has a pretty strong message in it. Do you care wether you live or die?

Tyrin Turner(Kaydee) did a excellent dabut about a man who gets cought up in a situation he wants to get out of. Larenz Tate(O-Dog) is more of a straight up gangsta, but did a real good job at acting. Movies with strong messages like this make up for a excellent drama.

If you loved boyz in the hood and don't have this, that's a real shame, even if you didn't watch bouz in da hood, you should get this, and boyz in da hood as well, because those 2 movies are wll-worth the money.

peace ... Read more

Reviews (247)

Sword and Sorcery Epic
An ancient prophecy tells of a sacred child that will bring an end to the reign of the evil Queen Bavmorda(Jean Marsh). The sacred child is smuggled out of the castle and finds her way to Willow Ufgood(Warwick Davis). He leaves his village on a quest to return the baby but he becomes trapped in the middle of a battle beween good and evil. With the help of Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) Willow must protect the baby from the queen and her daughter Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) and fulfill the prophecy.

Willow has received a very nice transfer that is a step up from the old laser disk. It is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1). There is no edge enhancement and very little grain which is amazing for a picture from 1988. The sound however doesnt make use of the surrounds. Very few times are the rear speakers used. The film is in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround.

The audio commentary by Warwick Davis is very informative and every fan of the movie should listen to it. I just wish that George Lucas and Ron Howard participated as well. Two great featurettes are included along with several trailers and stills. Unlike most fantasy movies it is suited for all ages. Willow is a movie that I grew up with and today am still very fond of it. This film has it all, action, adventure, comedy and romance. Highly recommended.

This Movie, I Love It!
Val Kilmer and the delightful Warwick Davis take us on a fantasy adventure that noone should ever forget. When Willow (Davis) happens to come upon a mystically sacred child, he finds out he must defend the child to help save her and all that is good from an evil sorceress bent on taking over the world by using the power of the child. Along his way, Willow encounters some interesting counterparts, including Madmartigan (Kilmer) who had been imprisoned for wrongdoing. What happens on Willow's adventure is something every fantasy film fan should enjoy.

Much like Legend, Labryinth, and The Goonies, I grew up with Willow being one of my favorite films. Willow has the special ability to make me return to my childhood and thoroughly enjoy it, no matter how many times I've watched it. My excitement when I found out Willow would be transferred to DVD was great! And I'm a satisfied customer after purchasing it. The video and audio transfers are wonderful. The picture makes the film even more colorful than I've ever seen. The Making Of . . . featurette is quiet entertaining, and it was awesome to see both Ron Howard and George Lucas working behind the scenes with the cast. The commentary with Warwick Davis is a good little listen, and the theatrical trailers and tv spots are neat to watch.

I was very very ecstatic about this Willow's DVD release. And even more ecstatic that all of my favorite 80 films are getting good DVD releases. I hope there's more to come.

Willow- What i think...
When i was little, i really did enjoy this film, and watched it for hours. I am not sure about it now, since its been a while. But i remember it being amazingly fantastic, and i loved every minute of it. The storyline was well thought out, and it had a mixture of genres. Including, Fantasy, Comedy, adventure and more, all the aspects which will please a child audience.Its a love, hate relationship, either you LOVE it or hate it really. Its not every ones cup of tea, but its certainly mine. If your things such as Lord of the rings, Never ending story, etc, (anything with magical aspects) Then this is the thing for you! :)

Is this the best they can do?
I really wish Lucas had made a better movie than this. In fact he did, it was called Star Wars. Look at this movie and see the similarities to Star Wars. Willow is Luke Skywalker. Billy Barty is Obi Wan Kenobi. Val Kilmer is Han Solo. The two little faries are R2D2 and C3PO. And you can obviously see who the Darth Vader character is.
I would have forgiven this if at least the story were watchable. Even when I saw this movie as a kid I found it hard care what happened it any of these characters. I really wanted to like this movie because I am a big fantasy fan. Unfortunately when Hollywood makes a fantasy movie 9 times out of 10 they make it silly beyond belief or so sappy that you wonder why they didn't just make a modern romance movie instead.
If you want to see a real fantasy movie check out any of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Princess Bride, Excalibur or Conan the Barbarian (NOT the Destroyer.)

Great for kids!
I remember seeing this movie as a child and absolutely loving it. The sets and monsters are magical and entertaining, and the plot is well-crafted and fast-paced for a kid. I did get the movie for Christmas, and it doesn't hold up as well to my now adult mind as The Dark Crystal or The Princess Bride, especially the acting, but still, it's fun to watch. If you liked this as a kid, or are still a kid, I'd recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Notoriously, and entirely appropriately, the original outline for Doug Naylor and Rob Grant's comedy sci-fi series Red Dwarf was sketched on the back of a beer mat. When it finally appeared on British television in 1988, the show had clearly stayed true to its roots, mixing jokes about excessive curry consumption with affectionate parodies of classic sci-fi. Indeed, one of the show's most endearing and enduring features is its obvious respect for genre conventions, even as it gleefully subverts them. The scenario owes something to Douglas Adams's satirical Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, something to The Odd Couple, and a lot more to the slacker sci-fi of John Carpenter's Dark Star. Behind the crew's constant bickering there lurks an impending sense that life, the universe, and everything are all someone's idea of a terrible joke.

Later seasons broadened the show's horizons until at last its premise was so diluted as to be unrecognizable, but in the six episodes of the first season, the comedy is witty and intimate, focusing on characters and not special effects. Slob Dave Lister (Craig Charles) is the last human alive after a radiation leak wipes out the crew of the vast mining vessel Red Dwarf (episode 1, "The End"). He bums around the spaceship with the perpetually uptight and annoyed hologram of his dead bunkmate, Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie, the show's greatest comedy asset), and a creature evolved from a cat (dapper Danny John-Jules). They are guided rather haphazardly by Holly, the worryingly thick main computer (lugubrious Norman Lovett).

The second season showcases the show's sardonic, sarcastic humor to perfection. The cast had gelled, the drab sets were spiced up, a little more money had been assigned to models and special effects, and the crew even went on location once in a while. "Kryten" introduces us to the eponymous house robot (here played by David Ross), although after this first episode he was not to reappear until season 3, when Robert Llewellyn made the role his own. Then in "Better Than Life" the show produced one of its all-time classic episodes, as the boys from the Dwarf take part in a virtual reality game that's ruined by Rimmer's tortured psyche. Other highlights include "Queeg," in which Holly is replaced by a domineering computer personality; the baffling time-travel paradox of "Stasis Leak"; the puzzling conundrum of "Thanks for the Memory"; and the astonishingly feminine "Parallel Universe." --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (34)

An excellent start to an excellent show, with good features.
Although, in my opinion, Red Dwarf didn't become a true classic until about its 3rd series, the first 2 series' are definitely better than most shows first couple seasons (with the exception of Futurama, which was hilarious from the get-go).
The first series, to me, wasn't really all that funny, especially the first episode. The first few shows were basically utilitarian in that they set up who the characters were and the premise of the show. Jokes seemed to be very uneven, and sometimes few and far between. I would give the episodes of the first series 3 stars.
The second series is much better. The actors seemed to finally have the handle on their roles and the jokes, on the whole, were much funnier, as were the plot lines. I would give the episodes of the 2nd series 4 stars.
That brings us to the DVD presentation and packaging of these series'. First of all, these episodes are the original ones shown on the BBC, not the "Re-mastered" ones that are available on VHS. I think they are better the original way, because i felt the computer effects didn't mesh well with the overall look of the show in the re-mastered versions. THe original episodes were given a bit of a tocuh-up visually, though, so they do look at least as good as the re-mastered versions for their DVD release.
Special feature-wise, these discs are pretty well stocked. Each has several deleted scenes, music cues, and a photo gallery, as well as outtakes (taken from the "smeg-outs" and "smeg-ups" tapes, but only from those individual series' from which they came) and commentaries.
The commentaries, all featuring the four main stars of the show (Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Danny John-Jules, and Norman Lovett) are pretty good and fairly entertaining, but not all that informative. Most of the interaction between the guys are jokes and put-downs (usually directed at Lovett, and his bald head), with the occasional story or reminiscence. Series 1 also features a commentary on the first episode ("The End") with writers Doug Nayler and Rob Grant, and director Ed Bye. It is basically those three telling the story of how Red Dwarf came together, with no actual comment on what's happening during the episode.
All-in-all, i'd give the special features 4 stars.
Those three grades (Series 1 episodes, Series 2 episodes and special features) average out to a 3.67, which rounded up is where I got my 4 star rating from.
That said, if you are a Red Dwarf fan, this is a must buy, but if you are only a casual fan, you may want to wait until next year to buy the 3rd and 4th series DVD's, which is when the show got REALLY funny.

Great picture and extras, Buy it or be a gimboid
Just got these the other day. And of course I couldn't sleep until I had watched them both... with commentary turned on of course.

The picture and sound are excellent. The commentary (by the whole cast no less) is great. They chit chat about the history, what was going on when things were filmed, odd things they remember, etc. Very enjoyable and quite humorous for the Red Dwarf fan. Lots of other interesting extras to explore on the DVD as well. All in all it is a very nicely done DVD. If you are a RD fan, you have no choice but to go buy it. Ace would approve. :-)

My only complaint is that they are only going to release two seasons every year. The wait for the next ones are going to kill me.

Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.

You can't watch just one!
This series is habit forming. These opening shows were so wonderfully fresh and funny - there is nothing like them! I laughed until I couldn't laugh anymore! I watched the entire lot of episodes in one sitting, and I wanted MORE! Unbelievably funny and fascinating! You can't help but fall in love with these kooky characters!

Red Dwarf rocks
He anyone who wants to watch Red Dwarf they are going to start showing Red Dwarf on January 26 on PBS to get listings go to psb.org

Owww...How'm I Lookin?
Hrm, sorry kids, Cat is one of my favorites, though I tend to say that Lister is perhaps the strongest character of the lot. Nevertheless, it is all hilarious, and I urge all RD fans to buy these DVDs. Has good commentary, and fun interactive screen (though I do wish there were more to them). I am so antsy for the others to come out. Why do they have to drag out the anticipation? I suspect for monetary reasons. Such is life. Smeg happens, yeah? ... Read more

Amazon.com

An epic in length and breadth, this documentary aims at nothing less than a full-scale portrait of the most dominant institution on the planet Earth in our lifetime--a phenomenon all the more remarkable, if not downright frightening, when you consider that the corporation as we know it has been around for only about 150 years. It used to be that corporations were, by definition, short-lived and finite in agenda. If a town needed a bridge built, a corporation was set up to finance and complete the project; when the bridge was an accomplished fact, the corporation ceased to be. Then came the 19th-century robber barons, and the courts were prevailed upon to define corporations not as get-the-job-done mechanisms but as persons under the 14th Amendment with full civil rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (i.e., power and profit)--ad infinitum.

The Corporation defines this endlessly mutating life-form in exhaustive detail, measuring the many ways it has not only come to dominate but to deform our reality. The movie performs a running psychoanalysis of this entity with the characteristics of a prototypical psychopath: a callous unconcern for the feelings and safety of others, an incapacity to experience guilt, an ingrained habit of lying for profit, etc. We are swept away on a demented odyssey through an altered cosmos, in which artificial chemicals are created for profit and incidentally contribute to a cancer epidemic; in which the folks who brought us Agent Orange devise a milk-increasing drug for a world in which there is already a glut of milk; in which an American computer company leased its systems to the Nazis--and serviced them on a monthly basis--so that the Holocaust could go forward as an orderly process.

The movie goes on too long, circles too many points obsessively and redundantly, and risks preaching-to-the-choir reductiveness by calling on the usual talking-head suspects--Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Michael Moore. And except for an endlessly receding tracking shot in an infinite patents archive, there's scarcely an image worth recalling. Still, it maps the new reality. This is our world--welcome to it. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Review of the Corporation
Like the behemoths it chronicles, The Corporation is monstrous in scope, clocking in at nearly two and a half hours.While none of the footage seems dispendable, the documentary could certainly have used some tightening up.If it had remained comitted to its subject matter, the history and structure of the corporation, it would have been more effective.The most useful parts were in the begining of the film, which really made me look at history differently: we see how the post Civil War treatment of the Corporation as an individual, in one legal decision, was actually one of the hugest paradigm shifts of the modern age.However, The Corporation goes on to tackle every single aspect of globalized, late capitalist life: advertising, marketing, branding, intellectual property.There is plenty of scholarship on marketing and advertising out there, and while the segments here were well done, they made this documentary feel bloated and meandering.The argument, while devastating, loses its complexity as it moves along.The documentary begins with Corporations as monstrous structures that are not necesarily the sum of their parts.The most amazing footage is that of a CEO and his wife having their home surrounded by hippy protestors, only to bring them coffee and tea, and sit down to chat with them.This scene, in which consumer-citizens and corporate spokesmen form a genuine ecology, was pivotal and ultimately describes what corporate interface may have to become if they are to survive (or if we are to survive, for that matter), cut off from boardrooms, immersed in the environment of which they are a part.As the documetary progresses, however, the tone becomes one of Evil Empires and patholically insane citizens servicing institutions without understanding their actions.This may be partially true, but it leads to an argument for localized, community based consumer resistance, which may be less effective than corporation-based, intercommunity collaboration. The end of this documentary was a gnostic, transcendentalist veil lifting: we can fight the corporation, if we only take control of our Selves! Where it should have run a bit deeper than that:We ARE the corporation, and the survival, reformation or downfall of these structures relies on how we learn to treat one another.Additionally, blame on environmental destruction was placed squarely on the power of corporations, and not on the more guilty culprit: overpopulation.I believe it's possible to make corporations fiscally accountable for population growth, if only because it is in their immediate best interest.(The lower the population, the more money there is to go around.Every corporation on Earth would benefit from a population decrease in several generations' time.)Despite the overly broad approach, this is an absolutely neccesary documentary to view for anyone interested in corporations or the structures of late capitalism.

Excellent primer on corporate globalization
I saw this documentary twice in the theaters, and recently purchased a copy of the DVD from the film distributor's website, Zeitgeist Video, not Amazon.It's an excellent ethnography of corporations and their abuse of power in the U.S. and abroad.The film starts off with a history of corporate charters, and how they gained a definition of personhood through manipulation of the Supreme Court decision that freed slaves after the Civil War.And, as a person, the corporation can be diagnosed with a psychopathic personality disorder using the DSM-IV.A criticism that I have about the movie is that it doesn't deal with the fundamental problem with corporations: it's not corporations that's the problem, but the underlying economic system of capitalism.It's capitalism that causes corporations to look towards the global south to enslave cheap labor to make a profit.Capitalism that causes corporations to pollute the environment and spew toxins into the air.Capital interests that control the ruling ideology and prevent the voices of dissent from being heard.(The film shows two Fox reporters who were silenced for making a show about cow's milk laced with hormones produced by Monsanto.)The film stops short at pointing a finger at the real culprit for ecological destruction and global stratification today - capitalism.That being said, it's still a good primer on corporations, and I plan to use it in my intro sociology class for undergrads.It is a long movie, for other educators out there, at 145 minutes.The second disc of the movie has 5 hours of interviews with people from the film including Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, and the horrid Milton Friedman.And, the website for the film, TheCorporation.com, has a helpful instructor's guide.

Defamation DOES NOT equal credibility
This documentary is absolutely and categorically disgusting in every form of the word.This is a socialist onslaught against capitalist success and no one seems to care.Here's just an example of how radical and meritless this film is...it stretches to compare coporations with Nazi facism...its disgusting.Do not support the liberal lying media; boycot this crap.

Stunning Food for Thought, Whatever Your Politics
Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott, and Joel Bakan have collaborated in THE CORPORATIONto produce a documentary version of Bakan's book of the same name (subtitled "The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power"). In doing so, they have outlined the legal history of corporations in America and compiled a litany of concerns over the increasingly unregulated and growing power of that institution.

There can be no doubt that THE CORPORATION takes a left of center view of American business, as witnessed by the film's featured "talking heads:" Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Howard Zinn, and Michael Moore. Viewers can argue over balance or the choice to "diagnose" the legal personhood of the corporate institution as pathological. Nevertheless, this movie raises important issues that deserve consideration regardless of the viewer's political leanings. When an organizational form accumulates as much power and influence as the corporation has, and when that institution is legally bound to consider first and foremost its profit maximization over all other factors, the consequences of disregard and lax regulation (and popular unawareness) may be dire indeed.

Achbar and Abbott begin with a brief history of corporations, noting that the origin of corporations' rights as "legal persons" arose out of judicial interpretations of the equal protections clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was written to end slavery. This interpretation granted corporations the rights of individuals, but overlooked many of the responsibilities and accountabilities of citizens. "Corporation as person" opens the door for Bakan's psychoanalysis, from which he deems the institution to qualify under DMS-IV as psychopathic.

THE CORPORATION is at its best and most revealing when it tells stories, such as the little-known plot to overthrow FDR in 1934 by a cabal of industrialists, including representatives of Bethlehem Steel, DuPont, Goodyear, and J.P. Morgan. Perhaps only the conscience of General Smedley Butler, the man approached by those industrialists to lead a 500,000-man, militarized march on Washington, prevented America from experiencing a military coup. Stories about GM, Ford, Coca-Cola and IBM under Hitler's regime are equally fascinating, and equally disturbing (did you know, for example, that Coke invented Fanta Orange to keep its German factories open in the 1930's?).

Three particular stories give THE CORPORATION its greatest impact and best serve to humanize the issues. The first concerns child labor in Asian sweatshops, particularly with regard to Kathy Lee Gifford's clothing line. The second story concerns the privatization of water in Cochabamba, Bolivia as a condition for that country's receipt of World Bank loans. Bechtel Corporation comes off as the bad guy here, particularly as a result of the extraordinary greed and hubris the company displayed in managing to make the collection of rainwater illegal in such a poor area. Finally, there is the story of Monsanto's rBGH bovine growth hormone, rejected throughout Europe and Canada for its cancer links but approved by the FDA. The story behind the story here is Fox News's blatantly coercive actions to suppress a report on rBGH compiled by its own staff from ever appearing on the air, presumably in order not to offend a major advertiser. Each of these three stories prove that "little people" can still be heroes - Charles Kernaghan (Director, National Labor Committee) in the first case, Oscar Olivera in the second, and Steve Wilson and Jane Akre in the Fox News story.

THE CORPORATION runs long (145 minutes) and can seem dry at times, but the story is too important to ignore. This movie is two and a half well-spent hours, and you will finish it with a lot to think about. The separate "Majority Report" interview of Joel Bakan by Janeane Garofolo provides a good summary and review of the many different topics covered by the full documentary. It would be nice to imagine NBC or even PBS airing this movie someday, just as it would be nice to imagine students at Harvard or Wharton business schools being required to view it in their coursework. Would that it were so. Hopefully, enough concerned citizens will watch it on their own to raise some consciouses.

Corporation - Politics, Economy, Society, and Logo Loyalty
The documentary Corporation provides an angry and dark image of the leading corporations of the world, and justly so.This image originates with the 14th Amendment, which the government generated in order to give the slaves the same freedoms as its owners.Somehow, similar corporations that exploited the slaves took the opportunity to maximize their powers through the very same document that helped slaves gain their freedom.Through the 14th Amendment, Corporations gained rights of individuals, yet without individual responsibilities for the actions of the corporation.

Cleverly, filmmakers Jennifer Abbott and Mark Achbar utilize the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), which psychological health professionals use to assess and diagnose mental disorders.The psychological profile of a corporation should be justifiable, if they intend to fall under the same category as an individual in a legal sense.Through the psychological profile of corporations, several deviant behaviors occur such as "failure of conforming to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest" (see pp. 649-650 in DSM-IV.) In the film they checked of all seven criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder, and only three of them need to be checked in order to receive this diagnosis, which in common mouth is referred to as being a psychopath.

The case studies in the film offer a more intricate view of how some of the ruthless corporations advance through the American and world community.For example corporations have been found guilty of performing deceitful exploitation of people, their money, and their health as the Monsanto corporation deceitfully informs the public that their rBGH drug does not have any side effects on cows or human beings while Canada and other European countries have banned the supplement for increased milk production.A FOX television news show did research the topic and tried to air the news in regards to the cancer inducing effect of rBGH and how cows suffered dire consequences of the drug.Nonetheless, the reporters could never air the show, as Monsanto methodically prevented the truth from reaching the people through the legal system.This triggers the notion that corporations are above the law while they can squelch the opportunity for all citizens to exercise their first amendment right through exercising economic fear within those who dare to speak up.

Numerous studies have suggested that milk cows injected with rBGH have a lowered immune system and higher bacteria level.Farmers in turn treat cows with high-level of antibiotics to prevent bacterial infestations in the cows, but it also increases the likelihood of the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria that could eventually cause people to die from simple illnesses.Corporations such as Monsanto do not have to carry responsibility, as they have the law on their side while they can externalize the damages (i.e., let someone else pay for the damages) when random health problems such as cancer could appear.Some corporations even take in consideration what it would cost if law enforcement would catch them, and they often deem it to be worth the risk when penalty fees would not exceed the profit margin.This raises the notion, where does society draw the line of biological attacks on a nation?

Besides the negative and dark image of the corporation the audience also gets to hear the CEO of Interface, Roy Anderson, expressing his concern of corporations continual plundering of the earth.The viewers also get to learn about Shell's concern about environmental issues, yet they do not seem willing to hastily find an alternative resource for oil.Even Michael Moore informs the audience that many corporations provide a good product, but it is the excessive profiteering that seems to upset him.

There are several other topics that are brought to the audience's attention such as the stock trading blindness that occur on Wall Street and places alike, as the only notion that crosses the trader's mind is the profit.Several intriguing examples are provided as many made big profits after 9/11 in gold while the first war in Iraq increased the price on oil that gave many a large dollar profit.The audience also learns how companies enter war, that they do not have to pay for while harvesting large profits on the situation.There is also a swift and detailed report on ownership of the patents of living things, as the judicial organ that ruled in the first case had no clue what it was talking about which resulted in people now being able to own the rights to certain genes or microbe essential for living.They even talk about ownership of space, water, and air, which displays an ugly event in Bolivia and how American corporations continued their business deals with the Nazis in Germany.An interesting question would be whether these companies or the people working for these corporations have committed any acts of treason .

Ultimately, the Corporation offers a cinematic experience that will unsettle all viewers without consideration for what side of the issue they stand.It is also remarkable how the film causes cerebral unrest, as if it tries to reach out to the audience to take action.If the audience wants to get more information in regards to the film or issues in the film they can visit the website www.thecorporation.com, which offers a little of everything for the interested.Otherwise, it provides some interesting notions to ponder in regards to current and future politics, economy, society, and corporate loyalty. ... Read more

Reviews (401)

Fantastic Movie
An instant classic. The characters are strongly developed, every frame is a breathtaking masterpiece of art, and (thank goodness) NO SILLY SONGS. This movie will stand up to the test of time and across international borders because its themes are universally familiar to all people of all cultures. I have seen it three times in the movie theaters and look forward to seeing it again and again.

For those of you who like ANTZ, consider this: Pixar was already roughly two years into development on "Bug's Life" when Jeffrey Katzenberg left Disney for Dreamworks. Obviously he took many of the ideas with him to create ANTZ (wonder why Disney's "Armageddon" is similar to Dreamwork's "Deep Impact" -- and why both were released around the same time? Same reason.) So PIXAR gets an extra PLUS for originality.

Entertaining for kids and adults!
A Bug's Life is entertaining for kids and adults alike. This movie is a non-stop action fest that has been masterfully captured on DVD.

The picture quality if superb, if not the best I've seen, for an animated DVD due to the direct digital to DVD transfer. In full screen mode, you will be amazed how clean and delineated the picture is; the detail is incredible!

My big surprise was how amazing the sound is on this disc. You can use this to show off your Dolby Digital sound system to friends just as well as any action film. The surround effects are crisp and the bass is well defined.

My only complaint would probably be that the action and sound is so non-stop, that it can tire out adults, albeit mesmerizing children the whole time.

The extras are plenitiful and well done. The inclusion of the end-title outtakes is the highlight of a wonderful special edition disc you're sure to enjoy.

Gotta love them bugs
Those Pixar folk are amazing. Not only do they make an excellent movie, but they complement it with a first rate package of extras, especially the outtakes and the movie short "Geri's Game". The two-disc Collector's Editions are worth waiting for, and you will find yourself playing the second disc as often as the first.

This innovative take on the old fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper" teaches us a few important lessons:

1. There's a clumsy nerd who wants to be a hero in every colony
2. Phyllis Diller is an old queen
3. David Hyde Pierce is stiff
4. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is neurotic and can't dance
5. Grasshoppers live it up in Mexican joints during the Summer
6. German caterpillars are funny, and so are pill-bugs.
7. Ladybirds may not be ladies
8. Birds can be flammable
9. An ant may look at a queen
10. Don't stir up an ants nest

To maintain good family relations, you should allow your kids to watch this movie too.

Amanda Richards July 13, 2004

A Fun New Classic From Disney
As always, Pixar delivered a breath taking experience when they brought us A Bug's Life. While not overly realistic, the animation is bright and rich and incredibly detailed. The colours and textures suck you into their world.
The movie features a nice mix of humor and excitement. Some moments are full of suspense and tension.
The voice actors do a great job, particularly Kevin Spacey as the villain Hopper. He's truly menacing! When the voice talents are combined with Pixar's fabulous job of giving natural movements and mannerisms to each different species of insect the mix creates very believable characters.
As per usual Disney style there is a great moral to be learned through the story, about the importance of standing up for yourself, and how one small person truly can change the world.
The only drawback of the movie is that the characters are relatively shallow and underdeveloped when compared to Disney's usual level of complexity. However, when you consider that this film is based off of the fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper" it puts things into perspective and you appreciate how much imagination and creativity actually went into this project. The end result is highly entertaining and sure to be a classic in generations to come.

Just a Few Notches Below Finding Nemo
This film was originally released in 1998, but I didn't actually see it until a few months ago. Simply put, it's Pixar doing what they do best. A widely caried and excellent cast of characters, a simple but elaborately executed plot, and of course, the rendition of a half a dozen themes that run universal throughout our lives.

Essentially, a mild and nerdy ant known as Flic accidentally destroys the entire food supply of his ant colony. Of course, the food was not for them; it was their yearly offering to the grasshoppers. As a result, the grasshoppers decree that the ants can spend the remainder of summer gathering it all again. Hopper, the ingenius and menacing leader, notes that Flic stands up to him for one brief moment, and this becomes pivotal later. I won't say any more past there, only that there are plenty of intriguing twists to keep things interesting.

Overall, this movie bears an obvious resemblance to Finding Nemo. First of all, both movies involve the creation and manipulation of a natural environment and its inhabitants. Second, they both involve unlikely heroes (A bumbling ant and a fearful clownfish). Third, both are at a standard of quality that the animation world has never before seen.

Honestly, Kevin Spacey's portrayal of Hopper is reason enough to see A Bug's Life. (I could say the same thing about Albert Brooks' portrayal of Marlin in Finding Nemo.) However, the movie offers much more in the long run, and the special features are deep and surprisingly un-boring. The director's commentary of this movie and other Pixar films is much, much more entertaining than most movies. I credit a lot of that to Andrew Stanton, but the guys just have a creative knack to them that makes their ideas and comments brilliant.

Recommended to all fans of animation, all lovers of Pixar, and all those with good taste. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Toy Story
There is greatness in film that can be discussed, dissected, and talked about late into the night. Then there is genius that is right in front of our faces--we smile at the spell it puts us into and are refreshed, and nary a word needs to be spoken. This kind of entertainment is what they used to call "movie magic," and there is loads of it in this irresistible computer animation feature. Just a picture of these bright toys on the cover of Toy Story looks intriguing, reawakening the kid in us. Filmmaker John Lasseter's shorts (namely Knickknack and Tin Toy, which can be found on the Pixar video Tiny Toy Stories) illustrate not only a technical brilliance but also a great sense of humor--one in which the pun is always intended. Lasseter thinks of himself as a storyteller first and an animator second, much like another film innovator, Walt Disney.

Lasseter's story is universal and magical: what do toys do when they're not played with? Cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), Andy's favorite bedroom toy, tries to calm the other toys (some original, some classic) during a wrenching time of year--the birthday party, when newer toys may replace them. Sure enough, Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) is the new toy that takes over the throne. Buzz has a crucial flaw, though--he believes he's the real Buzz Lightyear, not a toy. Bright and cheerful, Toy Story is much more than a 90-minute commercial for the inevitable bonanza of Woody and Buzz toys. Lasseter further scores with perfect voice casting, including Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head and Wallace Shawn as a meek dinosaur. The director-animator won a special Oscar for "the development and inspired application of techniques that have made possible the first feature-length computer-animated film." In other words, the movie is great. --Doug Thomas

Toy Story 2
John Lasseter and his gang of high-tech creators at Pixar create another entertainment for the ages. Like the few great movie sequels, Toy Story 2 comments on why the first one was so wonderful while finding a fresh angle worthy of a new film. The craze of toy collecting becomes the focus here, as we find out Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is not only a beloved toy to Andy but also a rare doll from a popular '60s children's show. When a greedy collector takes Woody, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) launches a rescue mission with Andy's other toys. To say more would be a crime because this is one of the most creative and smile-inducing films since, well, the first Toy Story.

Although the toys look the same as in the 1994 feature, Pixar shows how much technology has advanced: the human characters look more human, backgrounds are superior, and two action sequences that book-end the film are dazzling. And it's a hoot for kids and adults. The film is packed with spoofs, easily accessible in-jokes, and inspired voice casting (with newcomer Joan Cusack especially a delight as Cowgirl Jessie). But as the Pixar canon of films illustrates, the filmmakers are storytellers first. Woody's heart-tugging predicament can easily be translated into the eternal debate of living a good life versus livingforever. Toy Story 2 also achieved something in the U.S. two other outstanding 1999 animated features (The Iron Giant, Princess Mononoke) could not: it became a huge box-office hit. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (453)

Toy Story 2 Is Better Then the Original!
I had expected a dull child's cartoon with a meaningless plot and dull characters...wow was I ever wrong! Toy Story 2 is funny, exciting, dramatic, and very entertaining! This time around, Woody is stolen by a greedy toy collector...why? Because it turns out that Woody is a valuable doll from the 1950's when he had his own popular TV show! As Buzz and the rest of the toys frantically try to find a way to rescue Woody, our cow-boy hero meets other toys just like him---Jesse the cow-girl, the Prospector, and Woody's hillarious horse. And all this time Woody starts to wonder if maybe he's found his rightful home...or has he? The animation is tops, the plot is engrossing, and the movie is excellent! If you think an animated feauture is just a bunch of interesting graphics then you're wrong! This is a heart-warming and wonderful family film.

Toys
Toy Story (1995, 80 minutes, Dolby Digital Surround; Audio Commentary, Interviews) As 6-year-old Andy's favorite toy, Woody (Tom Hanks), a take-charge, pull-string cowboy, is confident in his role as room leader. But after Andy's birthday party, newcomer Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a flashy space ranger with laser action and pop-out wings, crash-lands into Woody's world.

Buzz instantly wins the admiration of Andy's other toys, igniting a rivalry that lands the duo inside the home of Sid - the toy-torturing boy next door. To escape Sid's evil plans, Woody and Buzz must work together and realize they've got the perfect friend...in each other!

Toy Story 2 (1999, 94 minutes, Dolby Digital 5.l Surround EX; Audio Commentary, Sep. Film Score Audio Track, Outakes) Andy goes to summer camp and the toys face a new crisis: Woody turns out to be a valuable collectible, and is kidnapped by an evil toy collector. It's now up to Buzz and the gang to find a way to save him.

Five stars for the movies, one star for Disney
Why must they stick to this archaic way of releasing their movies on video/DVD? I could understand discontinuing collector's or limited editions, but why discontinue entire movies? Well we all know the answer, I just hate to be jerked around like this. Disney is the largest movie company in the world but our enjoyment of their films is based around their idiotic release/discontinue schedule.
Well, with that unpleasantness out of the way, I must say Toy Story 2 is my favorite animated movie of all time and the Toy Story series is my favorite animated series (if you think about it, though, that's not saying a lot). Let's just do this in the order they came out.
Toy Story blew my mind, because the things they did in that movie (the first in particular) were so like me when I was a kid (at that age). Toy Story is sure enough my second favorite animated movie ever. It's funny, and colorful, and touching. I think all good kid's movies should have a sense of wonder, or delight, and it shouldn't be in either a cynical or naive way. They should show wonder in a way that can be found in the real world, which is a balance hard to find. The original Toy Story has all kinds of wonder and awe, both in positive and negative ways (some kids could be afraid of Sid but I bet they won't be able to stop looking at him). It's about finding your place in life, and what to do with what you've got. When Buzz happens upon a commercial for himself and then tries to fly through the window-well that is one of the most touching scenes in any movie I've seen. And the whole ending sequence is beautiful, from Buzz and Woody on the RC car going through traffic, or them being blasted from a rocket through the air. Not to mention it's filled with all kinds of toy-related jokes that any kid can relate to. I think it's safe to say it'll be looked back on like the very first full-length animated movie (it was Snow White, wasn't it?).
Toy Story 2 is nearly flawless. It has one of the craziest openings for a movie ever, and I love the way it can find a way to have characters with all kinds of motives. Al is driven by his greed, the Prospector is jaded but just wants to be loved, Jessie hasn't given up hope yet so is overjoyed when she can find a way to confirm her hopefulness. The movie uses the toys as a metaphor for growing up and moving on: or not. You can aspire for your dreams or you can realize you're happy with what you've got. Toy Story 2 is/was the last movie Disney made with Pixar before they got too smug and self-indulgent. They realized they had the power to stir emotions and awe (they also realized they could make a ton of money), but instead of giving us a sweet movie like Toy Story, we got the self-congragulatory Monsters Inc, with its obvious conflicted main character, and instead of a great secondary character like the Prospector, we got Boo. Finding Nemo was a step in the right direction, but in my opinion doesn't have the heart of the Toy Story movies.
I can actually think of one thing wrong with Toy Story 2, and that's that lame Sarah Mclachlan song. I'm not one of those people with a weird Randy Newman fascination, but his songs were so much better than that one Mclachlan song. I guess it's because the scene in which it's used is already so emotional, instead of Newman's weird but effective delivery we got Mclachlan hammering the point home with her yodeling. But I love that scene because it shows how the little girl grew up. Other than that, Toy Story 2 is great: funny and vibrant, even on my crusty old VHS tape.
I wish I had these movies on DVD. They spark wonder in me at my age just like they did when I first saw them. They have plenty of in-jokes and such but also have a timeless quality (and a strong sense of innocence). Five stars for the both of them, the best animated series of all time.

It's Different.
It's different from your average animated film. So was Toy Story part 1 but this one is better. The movie plotting is a lot better in this part. I give it five stars(I'd give it six if it was in my hands!)

The secret lives of toys
Woody (Tom Hanks), who turns out to be a rare collectible, is stolen by an unscrupulous toy store owner and slated to be sold to a toy museum in Japan. Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and friends embark on a dangerous cross-town rescue mission. This is a very entertaining and perceptive film that remembers the guilt that a child can feel over outgrowing a favorite toy. Sammy the bear was my own constant companion when I was a young child. As I grew older, I sometimes felt a pang of shame when I would encounter him lying unloved and unplayed-with in the bottom of my old toy chest. I hope he's as philosophical and understanding about it as Woody is. As cheerful as this film is, it takes on an added dimension by honoring that first melancholy that a child feels upon outgrowing a formerly cherished plaything. The animation and voice talent are also top-notch. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Delivering exactly what its title promises, this celebration of stupidity was Jim Carrey's 1994 follow-up to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask. The film pairs the rubber- faced wacky man with Jeff Daniels as the not-so-dynamic duo of Lloyd and Harry, dunderheads who come into the possession of a briefcase containing ransom money that is intended for Mob-connected kidnappers.Lauren Holly costars as the woman who lost the briefcase, and with whom Carrey falls in love (both in real life and as his moronic on-screen character). As Lloyd and Harry make a mad dash to return the briefcase (never aware of its contents), the bumbling buddies attract Mobsters, cops, and trouble galore.This lowbrow laugh-a-thon scores some solid hits for hilarity, but with gags involving ill-fated parakeets, buxom bimbos, and an overdose of laxatives, be prepared to put your brain--and good taste--on hold. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (257)

Best (and funniesr) movie ever made!
I'll tell you, flat out, perfectly honest, i've seen this movie about.... oh, say 60, maybe 70 times, i can recite the whole movie from memory, and have noticed every single joke possibly concievable from this movie. SO whi is it, that every time I watch it, I crack up hysterically every 20 seconns? it because of the shear genius of Lloyd Christmas'(Carrey) utter stupidity, because of Harry Dunn's(Daniels) complete lack of any common sense. The movie isnt like other comedies, you know, the ones you buy, laugh at them once, watch it again, and say,"Why did I even think of buyin' this?" Well this movie, about two complete idiots, who have been best friends all their life, aqcuire a briefcase that was left in an air terminal by the prettiest woman Lloyd has ever seen. Now Lloyd and a reluctant Harry travel cross country, from Providence to Aspen, just to return the briefcase. Along the way, they'll unkowingly run into kidnappers, "laid back country folk" as Lloyd would say, and more than one police squad, just to return a briefcase that they dont even know whats in it, or the entire womans name! You have to see it!

It's supposed to be dumb, people!
I don't why many movie critics from the past and the present critically panned this film. It's freakin' hilarious! It paved the way for disgusting comedies like THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY and SCARY MOVIE. By the way, the Farrelly brothers, who masterly directed this film, also did MARY.

Anyway, DUMB & DUMBER will leave in hesterics! Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are amazingly stupid as characters Lloyd and Harry. The two lovable losers from Rhode Island go cross country to Aspen, Colorado to return a loaded briefcase to a woman named Mary (Lauren Holly), whom Lloyd is in love with. But the two dimwits don't know that assassins are on theyre' tail to retrieve the briefcase! Ok, everyone know's the storyline, so let's talk about the humor in the film.

One of my favorite scenes in the film is when a cop pulls Harry and Lloyd for a speed ticket, and unknowingly drinks a beer bottle with Lloyd's yerin in it. Funny! And when the dipstick Harry sticks his tongue to a frozen pole (borrowed liberally from A CHRISTMAS STORY) and experiences horrible diahorea. Sounds crude, but it's movie magic at its best. Oh yeah, the scene where Lloyd accidently killing a endangered snow owl, and saying the line "Boy this party really died", is a classic Carrey moment.

If your a fan of Carrey and the Farrelly Brothers, or like disgusting comedies, or just simply a moron, you'll love this film! One of Carrey's best!

Hilariously funny comedy classic!
I was absolutely appalled at how horrible the prequel "When Harry Met Lloyd" was when released in 2003 so I went back to the original from 1994 and let me tell you, it is still a really funny and witful comedy classic.

Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey are an amazing team starring as two really low-wealth bums in the run-down slums of the east coast rustbelt and when Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) is a taxi driver at the airport, an attractive woman (Lauren Holly) accidentally leaves behind an important suitcase with important material and now Harry along with his longtime dim-witted friend Harry Dunn try to compete to win her heart over and go all the way to Aspen, Colorado to return the suitcase to her but they are unaware that they are being persued by a criminal couple involved in a criminal crime ring.

This movie is just plain funny and while certainly not a masterpiece by any means, it is nonetheless a memorable movie by both of the lead actors and Daniels and Carrey are a wonderful comedy duo team and a pity taht Derek Richardson and Eric Christian Olsen could not take notice of how well the former two did on this original movie.

This is a movie that warrants taking off the thinking cap for a while and get out the soda and popcorn and share a laugh with your friends.

Just hilarious!
By far Jim Carrey's best film he has ever done in his entire life. Even if you can't stand him, you can't help laughing in this. The film is about Lloyd (Jim Carrey) and Harry (Jeff Daniels, who is equally as funny). Lloyd is at his Limo driving job and he picks a woman up to take to the airport. But he falls deeply in love with her, and when he drops her off, she forgets to take her briefcase and Lloyd chases after her... but he just misses her (an excellent scene!). So, he doesn't know what to do with the case. He persuades his friend Harry to go out in their car to find her and give it back to her. Harry soon says: "ok" and they headto Aspen to return the case. But the case isn't what the seem it is to be, and they could be the wrong guys to have hold of it.

The film has just so many out-ragious scenes, including a scene in a restaurant were they fill this guys' bruger up with spicy peppers and he heats up when he takes a bite. The film does come to one of those endings were the villain shows up and it gets less funny and more serious.

So, right from the very minute this starts you'll be laughing. Any words that come out from Harry or Llyod's mouth is just so hilarious.

The Jim Carrey Show (guest-starring Jeff Daniels)
Harry and Lloyd (Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey) are bosom buddies and undoubtedly the two most stupid human beings on the face of the earth. They get involved in a kidnap-for-ransom scheme that prompts them to undertake a cross-country drive to Aspen, Colorado. Along the way, there are plenty of comic episodes.

Although Jeff Daniels is great, Jim Carrey really carries this movie. He is absolutely incredible. I suppose that every generation needs its own Jerry Lewis, but Carrey out-Jerry-Lewises the original. His energy, flexibility, and unerring instinct for the madcap are quite amazing, and I think that future generations will remember him as a great comedian. Check out the fight scene in the restaurant, for example, and notice how many long, unbroken shots comprise it. This film is lowbrow to be sure, but it cracks me up every time. What more can you really ask from a comedy? ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the ongoing deluge of comic-book adaptations, Hellboy ranks well above average. Having turned down an offer to helm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in favor of bringing Hellboy's origin story to the big screen, the gifted Mexican director Guillermo del Toro compensates for the excesses of Blade II with a moodily effective, consistently entertaining action-packed fantasy, beginning in 1944 when the mad monk Rasputin--in cahoots with occult-buff Hitler and his Nazi thugs--opens a transdimensional portal through which a baby demon emerges, capable of destroying the world with his powers. Instead, the aptly named Hellboy is raised by the benevolent Prof. Bloom, founder of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, whose allied forces enlist the adult Hellboy (Ron Perlman, perfectly cast) to battle evil at every turn. While nursing a melancholy love for the comely firestarter Liz (Selma Blair), Hellboy files his demonic horns ("to fit in," says Bloom) and wreaks havoc on the bad guys. The action is occasionally routine (the movie suffers when compared to the similar X-Men blockbusters), but del Toro and Perlman have honored Mike Mignola's original Dark Horse comics with a lavish and loyal interpretation, retaining the amusing and sympathetic quirks of character that made the comic-book Hellboy a pop-culture original. He's red as a lobster, puffs stogies like Groucho Marx, and fights the good fight with a kind bu