Reviews (553)

'28 Days Later' is an above average zombie flick
The makers of '28 Days Later' claim to redefine the zombie film genre with this offering, and by this standard, they've certainly failed. '28 Days Later' doesn't cover any new ground, but it is a good film of its type, and features real characters instead of the usual comic book/video game caricatures, ala 'Resident Evil' and 'Matrix: Reloaded.'

Appropriately, this film starts out on a violent, ironic note, and then proceeds to the 'waking up in a lonely hell' scene. The beginning is very artsy-- and unlike other films of the same type, I felt like I was following a real person through the expected post-apocalyptic landscape. (Yes, the buildings are still there-- it's the people who've been ruined.) Of course this wasn't anything I hadn't seen or read before. The entire film reeks of Stephen King's 'The Shining,' and follows firmly in the footsteps of 'Night of the Living Dead' and its sequals. As the film progresses, it loses some of its artsy flavor, and focuses on the hopes and fears of the characters.

The characters in this film aren't particularly charismatic, but they're believable. That's a refreshing change from the usual MTV influenced garbage I've come to expect.

By the end of the picture, you've learned the same lessons you'll learn by watching the superior 'Night of the Living Dead:' 1/To fight the zombies, human beings must band together, and 2/human beings banding together doesn't always work, because at the end of the day it's the living who are the real monsters.

Like I said, this picture doesn't cover any new ground; but it is a worthy addition to the pantheon of zombie films, and I recommend it. It is a little long, but the soundtrack's pretty good.

You'll like it, if you aren't looking for another feelingless action film.

Tour de Force. But for the ending, a 5.
It's easy to get numbed by the movies that dominate the theaters. Those that are entertaining, tend to be mildly so. Those that have even slightest provocative content ordinarily end in silliness, or, worse yet, overwrought self-parody. But when I was least expecting it, 28 Days Later hit me like a baseball bat across the side of the head. Except for an ending that seemed tacked on and unnecessary (I would have much preferred an ending where there is dramatic freeze frame--you'll know it when you see it--about 5 to 10 minutes before the real ending), this is film that is a wonder of excellent acting, fine storytelling, and profound intellectual metaphor. And it couldn't be more timely with the media echoing with tales of super-bugs, monkey pox, ebola, and SARS. But this movie isn't about a virus, it's about human nature. About who and what we really are. And how quickly that true nature could be revealed if a thread-bare social structure were to unravel for ANY reason.

You should simply watch this movie. Pay attention to the low-budget artistry that abounds (it is pitch perfect), the gorgeous cinematography, and the sets. And to who the real monsters are. I kept thinking about the riots in this country, and how they reveal something about how close we are to being brutal animals--and that we do a great job of tricking ourselves into believing that we're more than acquisitive brutes. Keep hope alive, I suppose.

Familiar but Well Directed Sci-Fi/Horror Thriller.
A Young Man (Cillian Murphy), who woke up in a Hostipal Bed, who been in a Coma for a Month. That young man, since He's awake. He finds that that he's all alone in London, slowly finding out there was an Epidemic happen, when he was asleep. When it's turns night, Strange People that come out of the dark and they hunt for Humans. Those strange people have been infected by a disease that came from an animal, a man made virus that makes people absolutely mad. While the young man is seeking for help, he finds himself with a group of survivors (Naomie Harris, Megan Burns & Brandan Gleeson) that would do anything for survival.

Directed by Danny Boyle (A Life Less Ordinary, Shallow Grave, Transpotting) made a visionary, creepy, science-fiction/horror film that was shot in digital video. This film is lacking in Originality but the film is vivid and the film's plot is familiar to "The Omega Man" (First Half of the Film) and "Day of the Dead" (Second Half of the Film). This movie ended being a Box Office Hit and Critics even liked this film! The film did so well in fact, that it was briefly re-released with an bleaker alternate ending (Which is in the DVD). Since the Visual Style of the Film is Moody and Dark, DVD has an grainy but sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an strong-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has an Commentary Track by the Director:Boyle and Screenwriter:Alex Garland, Deleted Scenes with/without Commenatary by the filmmakers, 3 Alternate Endings and more. One of the most unique films of 2003, do not miss this one. Garland, who wrote the film is also a Novelist and Writer for Boyle's Previous Film-The Beach. Grade:A-.

"28 Days Later" is a bit slow
For all the hype this wasnt that great a story.Its about a few people left to fight off crazy insane humans who have been infected from a lab accident and roam the country killing the uninfected humans.That sounds like a pretty cool storyline except there was way too much of the main characters sitting around telling us their hopes and dreams and not enough good old killing and maiming.
For this infection to have swept the country there sure didnt seem to be the thousands of crazy infected wild people we should expect to see.In fact the humans we follow in the film carried a baseball bat and a machete to fend off these crazies.So there is a lot of nonsensical stuff in this film and not enough gore and insane violence that I expected.The last half of the film goes off on a tangent ,not about fighting the insane people,but of the heroes trying to get away from a militia leader and his pack of horny underlings.Predictable stuff where the "military men want our women and we must fight for their honor" kinda crapola. A lame bit of business in what was advertized to be a cool zombie type film.
Very few cool effects in this film and minimal gore and mild suspense make this film one to pass on unless you have nothing better to do.

hard to rate, big holes but something new
This is a really hard one to rate. The thing is that it's been so long since a good zombie movie came along that it was an okay movie for me and will thrill many lovers of that genre (I know, not classic zombies, blah, blah). But a person can't help but be bothered by the constant holes in the script.Aside from the holes in the script, one thing that's starting to bother me about movies period anymore is that it seems 4 out of 5 movies these days excepting comedies and dramas have to have a token "badass lady". I'm not arguing for helpless female characters, but seriously my wife and I rented 3 movies the other day and all three feature women proving their as tough as the men (one of the other 2 was Daredevil where his new girlfriend beats his ass twice despite having no superpowers of her own). After awhile that gets old as you watch movie after movie devote 20% of the runtime to establishing the toughness of the female characters.Then you have the holes that other reviewers mention, and I'll add a couple:The infected are obsessed with nothing save committing acts of violence yet are able to focus their violence solely on non-infected people.The infected vomit blood constantly and aren't concerned with eating or drinking, yet it apparently takes 56 days for them to begin dying, and then only from starvation. The virus incubates in about 20 seconds. Well, anyway I'll stop there but the minus is the holes in the script and the plus is that they were there partly out of necessity arising from trying to create something unique without directly ripping off other plague or zombie films. ... Read more

Amazon.com

NASA's worst nightmare turned into one of the space agency's most heroic moments in 1970, when the Apollo 13 crew was forced to hobble home in a disabled capsule after an explosion seriously damaged the moon-bound spacecraft. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton play (respectively) astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise in director Ron Howard's intense, painstakingly authentic docudrama. The Apollo 13 crew and Houston-based mission controllers race against time and heavy odds to return the damaged spacecraft safely to Earth from a distance of 205,500 miles. Using state-of-the-art special effects and ingenious filmmaking techniques, Howard and his stellar cast and crew build nail-biting tension while maintaining close fidelity to the facts. The result is a fitting tribute to the Apollo 13 mission and one of the biggest box-office hits of 1995. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (137)

Engrossing, Excellent, Awesome & Inspiring!
We really enjoyed this DVD... it's one of our "keepers" and definitely worth owning and viewing regularly -- it will remind you (as it has our family) that is is so very good to be born/raised/live in this country.

It begins with a voiceover by Walter Cronkite (and yes, our announcer is the real thing!) which introduces us to the heroes as they walk across the gantry, and pays tribute to the three we lost in that disastrous fire on the launch-pad....

The movie follows those fateful days (beginning in pre-launch) and then in orbit, and it focuses on the united effort in bringing our boys home. These men are so smart -- all of them (not just in space but at Mission Control) and is a realistic view of the times. You'll see the old Izod shirts (remember the Alligators?) and Corvettes, Mission Control (hey, they smoke -- this was not a purified/Politically Corrected re-enactment/revision of truth)... I appreciated that.

Oh, and it's not all drama. There are moments of smiles, and it's not too intense excluding the JOYOUS moment when we hear them respond after four minutes coming through the atmosphere.... Still, I wouldn't suggest youngsters under age eight view it alone.

[Note: our family is protective of our children and they have not been raised on a diet of broadcast television. Yours may be used to intense programming -- please use your own judgment. There is nothing bloody-gruesome in the movie, nor in the commentary. That said, you will CARE DEEPLY about all the people you see.]

One more little (out of sequence) note: The end has Tom Hanks (who plays Jim Lovell) narrating a mini catch-up to present of the whole story. We learn what happens to the individuals in the movie. It's a wonderful "wrap" to an amazing six days in space.

If we are going to do a docu-drama, one might also suggest that future writers/directors view this one to get an idea that they public will spend perfectly good money on QUALITY shows that are truthful, accurate and not hack-jobs. (End mini-rant!)

I found the scenes compelling and recall the "lump in throat" of those days. To me though, seeing the families perspective broadened the effect. Oh, and Mrs. Lovell is a force to be reckoned with -- I liked her a lot! She's a classy lady.

Minor Quibbles: In two places there are swear words (Mrs. Lovell -- who in the commentary states she doesn't "talk like that" -- when discovering the magnitude of Jim's problems swears... I thought that extraneous. Also, in another section one of the astronauts uses a bad word (appropriate maybe, but basically, unnecessary).

The Best Stuff: After the movie we are provided with a mini-movie on how they filmed it all. NASA cooperated and many of the scenes were filmed in those planes that "deliberately plunge toward the earth" so the actors/film-makers/lighting guys et al were weightless. One of the brave actors in particular didn't want his testosterone questioned but... ;)

I particularly enjoyed the interviews... you could really see how much the whole crew wanted this to be an *excellent* movie, one to last through the ages. It's brought out that the movie will be (at some point in history) a look back on the whole era. We (the USofA) have some incredible individuals to be proud of... this is perhaps one of the best patriotic movies I have ever seen -- notwithstanding war epics. It makes me glad to be an American.

Okay, so you also see the real gents appearing on the Johnny Carson Show too. One more thing -- at the very end of the movie you see Jim Lovell -- he's the Captain of the ship that picks up the astronaut. His wife appears once too, but don't blink! (grin)

Also, the Bonus Materials include two voice-over commentaries. The first is made by Director Ron Howard (you know, he's good -- very good!) and tells inside things about the creation of this movie. I enjoyed it.

The best Commentary though was done by Mr. and Mrs. Lovell -- ah, and Ron -- that con-trail isn't supposed to be there. (winks)

All in all, this is one of our favorites... I'd go so far as to suggest you Pay Retail, and maybe even opt for First Class shipping so you won't have to wait. It is that good!

Fellow Reviewers, I Have a Problem
I posted a review of this film some four years ago after I had purchased the "Collector's Edition". About a year later, I watched the movie one more time. Since that time, my DVD has been stored in its jacket, safe and sound. About one month ago, I was going to view the film again but my DVD player tells me, "This Disc Cannot be Played on this Player". Cleaning and otherwise re-inserting the disc proved useless. I have since tried the disc in both my computer's DVD drives, two other different DVD players, a laptop and one more computer, all to no avail. I keep getting the same message. Does anyone know what happened to my disc while stored safely in its jacket? Why did it play well two times, and now says it can't be played, on the same player. Has anyone experienced this problem? Thanx...........

A bit of history hits the big screen...
Nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture, Apollo 13 is one of the best movies of its decade. Despite prior knowledge of the historical outcome, it's guaranteed to keep viewers steeped in suspense. Director Ron Howard creates yet another fantastic picture, solidifying his transformation from Mayberry's favorite son on Andy Griffith to one of the most accomplished director/producers in all of Hollywood. Standout performances by Gary Sinise and Tom Hanks (on the heels of their Oscar-caliber portrayals from Forrest Gump) make Apollo 13 especially enticing to the movie connoisseur. Based on the true story of the Apollo 13 mission, the film stirs emotions of all types - hope, fear, and patriotism among them. In the end, it's one of those rare movies where the characters are able to intimately connect with the audience. In short, Apollo 13 provides a true glimpse into the lives of those who defined history...

Tom Hanks plays the role of real life astronaut Jim Lovell, member of the three man crew of Apollo 13 - the 1970 lunar landing mission. Accompanied by fellow crewmates Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon), Lovell rockets into space in pursuit of his dream of walking on the moon. Unable to make the flight, fellow astronaut Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise) reluctantly remains on the ground.

Meanwhile, Americans show little interest in this latest lunar mission despite the fact that barely a year has passed since Neil Armstrong's famous words. Apollo 13 is perceived as "routine" and the flight gets little press coverage until Lovell utters some famous words of his own, "Houston, we have a problem"...

When things go horribly wrong on Apollo 13, the mission changes from one of moon landing to astronaut survival. Lovell, Haise, and Swigert feverishly work to uncover the problem. Meanwhile, in Houston, flight director Gene Kranz (Ed Harris), bumped crew member Ken Mattingly, and the legions of NASA ground control work around the clock to maintain contact and bring the astronauts home safely. As the minutes pass, the entire world holds its breath in anticipation of the outcome...

Following on the coattails of Tom Hanks back-to-back Academy Awards for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump - Apollo 13 hit the movie theaters with widespread anticipation. The monumental expectations of movie goers were not without merit as the film's multiple Academy Award nominations will attest. But what makes Apollo 13 such a strong and emotion-driven epic is its connection with the historical record. The events that unfold happened for real, and at the time, no one knew the final outcome. Unlike today, traveling to space was not routine (or at least not as overlooked as it is now). The men who flew the Apollo 13 mission were true heroes in every sense of the word.

And although they failed to reach the moon, the astronauts of Apollo 13 are immortalized in history in ways they never would have been had their flight gone off without a hitch. Tom Hanks, Ron Howard, and their colleagues do justice to this classic story of man's triumph over adversity. Compelling, suspenseful, and filled with drama, Apollo 13 is an unforgettable film - and a definite must-see movie...

The DVD Report

10th Anniversary Package Makes Superb Movie Soar Even Higher
I will always remember those tense three days in April 1970 when the Apollo 13 astronauts seemed suspended in space, and this was well before the days of 24-hour coverage by CNN and Fox. For those who have yet to purchase this movie on DVD, the tenth anniversary two-disc set is a must-have for any adventure film-lover, especially for those like myself who were obsessed with the nation's space program in the 1960's and early 70's. Ron Howard, the director, came of age with this thrilling recreation of the aborted Apollo 13 mission, as defining a moment in NASA's history as the tragic Challenger explosion. The 1995 movie was a faithful depiction of what went wrong with the flight and how the mission changed dramatically to one of saving the three astronauts from being marooned in space forever. One would think that knowing the ending would rob the viewer of the suspense factor, but Howard does an amazing job in making the story feel fresh by guiding us through the heroic acts both in the capsule and at NASA's Mission Control in vividly realistic detail. He also evokes the atmosphere back then with emotional and visual accuracy, showing how anti-climactic the mission was perceived in light of Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon just the year prior. A rupture in the oxygen tank changed things completely as the movie illustrates a desperate attempt at survival with computer systems turned off, the capsule moving toward freezing temperatures and the three men relying on their gut instincts to maneuver the capsule home.

What I appreciate most about the movie is that Howard does not derail the basic story with unnecessary subplots or flourishes of melodrama. He realizes the real story is more than enough to engage the viewer and that the attention to detail, often technical in nature, is not off-putting.Howard even creates blood-pumping suspense out of the ground effort to jerry-build a scrubber to clean carbon dioxide from the capsule's air supply.This kind of film is all in the details, even the more predictable home scenes where family members try to confront their increasing sense of fear. The movie has a solid testosterone-heavy cast - Tom Hanks stalwart as always as Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell; Bill Paxton as Fred Haise; Kevin Bacon as last-minute substitute Jack Swigert; Ed Harris as determined flight director Gene Kranz; Gary Sinise as grounded astronaut Ken Mattingly; and bravely leading the homefront is Kathleen Quinlan as Lovell's wife, Marilyn. Even though the move is full of familiar suspense elements and the characters' interactions are often just officious, there is hardly a wasted dramatic moment in the entire film, pretty impressive given its 140-minute running time. This is a superbly done real-life adventure film and docudrama and aside from Philip Kaufman's 1983 adaptation of Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff", probably the best movie about the space program.

The smoothly edited, 116-minute IMAX version (produced in 2002) is on the second disc, and the widescreen orientation coupled with the enhanced sound makes for great viewing as well. There are three documentaries included spread across both discs: the comprehensive making-of feature, "Lost Moon: The Triumph of Apollo 13 - The Making of Apollo 13", which has interviews with Howard and the cast, as well as insight into how the space shots were created; "Conquering Space: The Moon and Beyond", a 48-minute general overview of the race to the Moon and the exploration of Mars, produced mainly for the uninitiated; and a twelve-minute NBC Dateline feature called "Lucky 13: The Astronauts' Story", which contains interviews with the astronauts and members of Mission Control for the Apollo 13 mission. There are two alternative commentary tracks, the first with Howard who is extremely knowledgeable and highly infectious in his descriptions of the shoot, the other with Jim and Marilyn Lovell providing valuable insight as to how it really felt as the events were unfolding. A truly excellent package.

The NASA Mission That Began 35 Years Ago Today
People can sometimes become complacent when it comes to technology and forget that it is the product of human endeavors that are far from perfect.Usually, engineers and builders do their best to ensure that the technology to be used is safe.However, mistakes can and sometimes do happen.Such was the case during NASA's Apollo 13 moon mission that was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 11, 1970.Intended to be the third landing and human exploration of the lunar surface, many people had lost interest in the program following the huge success of the previous two missions that included the first-ever manned landing on the moon.However, such complacency was quickly replaced by fear and anxiety, as the fates of the three Apollo 13 astronauts were unknown following a potentially lethal accident.These fears, anxieties and hopes were beautifully captured by director Ron Howard in his 1995, Oscar-nominated film aptly named "Apollo 13".

In the film, the three Apollo 13 astronauts, Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon), have a flawless launch as they set out for the moon.Jack Swigert was not originally supposed to be part of the Apollo 13 crew though.It was supposed to be Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise), but when NASA doctors thought that he might have the mumps, he was grounded and Jack Swigert replaced him.This caused some minor consternation among all involved, but the mighty Saturn 5 rocket was launched on April 11, 1970 anyway.Everything appeared to be going normally until April 14, some 205,000 miles away from the Earth.Jack Swigert was instructed to mix the oxygen tanks, which, when he did, caused an explosion.The explosion caused multiple failures on board making the Mission Control personnel initially think that there was simply a communications or monitoring equipment failure.However, once Jim Lovell & Fred Haise regained control of the damaged ship, Jim Lovell reported to Mission Control those immortal words, "Houston, we have a problem."Once Mission Control personnel realized the severity of the situation, they considered ordering the crew to turn back, but there was no way to know whether the main rocket booster had been damaged.Instead, they opted for the safer, but longer route that would have the damaged ship go around the moon, then begin its return to Earth.Since the crew had to shut off power and had no active guidance computer, the tension was very high as Jim Lovell & Fred Haise manually operated the lunar-lander's rocket to cause the ship to return to Earth.Other problems included the intense cold (since there wasn't enough power for heat), having to adapt the square air filters from one ship to work in the round filter holes in the other so that they would not die from asphyxiation, boredom, not knowing whether or not the ship's systems would come back on properly, not knowing whether the heat shield had been damaged and Fred getting sick.This was truly one of NASA's finest moments in being able to assist the otherwise helpless crew be able to return to Earth, including Ken Mattingly working hard on the ground to help ensure that the Apollo 13 crew would be able to turn on what they need with the little power that they had available.

Other memorable characters in the film include Mission Control chief Gene Kranz (Ed Harris), Marilyn Lovell (Kathleen Quinlan) and Blanch Lovell (Jean Speegle Howard, 1927-2000).For its overall realism, wonderful cinematography, engaging story and wonderful acting, I rate "Apollo 13" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars.The film won two Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Sound, but was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Visual Effects, Best Art & Set Decoration and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.Additionally, Ed Harris received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, as did Kathleen Quinlan for Best Supporting Actress.If you have never seen the film, but aren't sure that you want to purchase a copy, I highly recommend seeing it at least once. ... Read more

Description

Ten years in the making, this award-winning documentary was filmed during a remarkable nine journeys throughout Tibet, India and Nepal. CRY OF THE SNOW LION brings audiences to the long-forbidden "rooftop of the world" with an unprecedented richness of imagery… from rarely-seen rituals in remote monasteries, to horse races with Khamba warriors; from brothels and slums in the holy city of Lhasa, to the magnificent Himalayan peaks still traveled by nomadic yak caravans.The dark secrets of Tibet’s recent past are powerfully chronicled through riveting personal stories and interviews, and a collection of undercover and archival images never before assembled in one film. A definitive exploration of a legendary subject, TIBET: CRY OF THE SNOW LION is an epic story of courage and compassion. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

A movie that made a big splash
"Splash" was a big hit when it first hit the screens back in the 80's and it's still fairly popular today. A man (Tom Hanks) that has been waiting to find the right woman for a long time finally finds her. But there's one problem that he doesn't understand until he really gets to know her, she's a mermaid (Daryl Hannah). How will a man and a mermaid work it out and stay together?

"Splash" is a real entertaining movie and it's not all drama. It tells a story of true love and it does have a lot of drama in it, but it also has a little bit of comedy to it in some parts, and most of that is credit to one of the best comedy actors ever, John Candy, who plays as Tom Hanks's brother. If you like good movies, I definitely recommend getting "Splash." It's bound to make a big splash while you watch it.

One Of My All Time Favourite Comedys!
I will never forget the first time I saw the movie "Splash". It was in California 6 years ago and I watched the tape with my cousin. I thought it was so creative and the acting was so good. It was also a very humorous and did have a few sad parts in it, but all in all, I still liked it and watched it as many times as I could on TV because it was on alot. I then ended up buying my own copy. Ok, enough about me, let me tell you a bit about the storyline

Tom Hanks plays Allen Bauer, a single bachelor who is looking for a love. After a boating accident, he is rescued by a mermaid (Daryl Hannah) and falls in love with her and names her Madison. For he thinks she is a normal, everyday American woman, he has no clue he is dating a mermaid who has 6 days to have legs and not fins!!! Of course this film has lots and lots of surprises, it never tires me out when I watch it!

What a film! No wonder why it is a classic! Rated PG for Language.

SWEET, FUNNY, ROMANTIC, ORIGINAL, WHAT ELSE CAN YOU ASK FOR?
Usually when I hear "an 80's comedy" I really hear "a silly, gross, stupid comedy"...but not this time my friends, because "Splash" is one of the funniest films of the 1980s. You see, it really has it all: funny jokes, tender moments, romance, an intelligent script, and a very charismatic cast.

In "Splash" we can see a very young Tom Hanks (in his comedic period), a promising Darryl Hannah (she didn't quite reach stardom, but in this movie she is great), a hilarious John Candy (in one of his finest and funniest performances), and Eugene Levy, he plays a wacky and clueless scientist.

"Splash" is a movie that effectively combines comedy with romance and fantasy, perhaps the movie succeeded so well because the people involved in the film were youthful and energetic, and they put their hearts in the making of "Splash". This movie is highly recommendable.

Hilarious romantic comedy
I just watched Splash over the weekend on video, for the umpteenth time and I have to say is one of my all time favourite comedies. It still has me laughing out loud and makes me want to weep over the romantic scenes.

A young Tom Hanks plays Allen Bauer, a fruit wholesaler who has just been dumped by his girlfriend. He goes off to Cape Cod one evening after getting drunk and is rescued by a naked beautiful girl (Daryl Hannah) when he falls into the sea. The naked beautiful girl later arrives in New York at the Statue of Liberty in search of Allen whom she also saved from drowning many years ago when they were children. Allen immediately falls for her and spends the happiest days of his life steaming up his appartment and seeing the sights of New York. The only problem is the naked beautiful girl (now named Madison) is in fact a mermaid but Allen doesn't know this.

She has six whole days to stay with Allen and then she must return to the sea. Allen thinks that Madison is an illegal immigrant and offers to marry her so that she can stay with him. She refuses at first and then accepts his offer but before she can tell him her big secret she is exposed to the whole world by a scientist (Eugene Levy) that she is a mermaid. Allen is shocked and backs away from Madison but later realises his mistake and with his brother (John Candy) and the help of Eugene Levy they save her from imprisonment by the scientists.

John Candy who plays Allen's playboy brother is absolutely hilarious. His character is literally larger than life. The comic timing between Tom Hanks and John Candy is spot on. Daryl Hannah is also great as the mermaid who learns to be human in literally a few days. There are some brilliant laugh out loud scenes such as when Daryl Hannah is at Bloomingdales watching television for 6 hours to educate herself in the English language and when she's in a restaurant eating lobster including the shell. There are some great lines aswell such as when Allen mentions about getting married and having children and Madison innocently asks what kind.

Splash is a timeless comedy and is highly recommended to all those who love a bit of romance along with a good laugh.

Lealing

A "Slash" of a Romantic Comedy!
Here's a true piece of Hollywood Candy, a sweet as they come! An 8-year old boy falls off of a tour boat at Cape Cod and is saved from drowning by what appears to be a little girl mermaid. The boy never forgets about what happened that day, although everyone insists he was hallucinating.

Years later, now a man (and played by Tom Hanks), another trip to Cape Cod brings a dejavu: Hanks falls off of a tour boat and is rescued by an all grown mermaid (played by Daryl Hannah). Could it be the same mermaid that saved him when he was a boy? -- The mermaid has normal legs when kept dry, but once douced with water, the legs turn into fish finns. Hannah is able to conseal her true identity, until a "bad guy" exposes her. There are complications, but eventually everything comes up roses.

One great scene is where the grown up mermaid spends 6 hours in the electronics department of a store, and learns the English language fluently by watching tv non-stop. Cute! -- This film is very entertaining and helps us feel compassion for anyone who is somehow different from what society considers the norm. The somewhat predictable ending is beautiful! Highly recommended, especially to the hopelessly romantic cinema enthusiasts out there!***** ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A real family classic!
Jim Douglas (played by Dean Jones) is a broken-down, has been racecar driver. But, when he finds himself saddled with an innocuous little Volkswagen Beetle, he suddenly finds that he can get a lot more out of it than anyone thought possible. Jim's kooky friend Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) keeps trying to tell him that this car is special, it has a heart and feelings, but Jim knows that a car is a car, is a car, right? And now that he is winning races, his chief competitor, Richard Thorndyke (David Tomlinson), is out to get that inexplicable little car! [Color, released in 1968, with a running time of 1:47.]

This is a fantastic movie, and a real family classic! I loved this movie as a kid, and couldn't wait to introduce my children to it. As expected, they loved it, especially the scenes where Herbie seemed to swallow Thorndyke and when he "oiled" on his leg! The DVD set is excellent, containing a nice Disney cartoon short, and lots of other neat extras. My family and I all love this DVD set, and highly recommend it to you!

I Love This 2 Disc Special Edition DVD SET of The Love Bug.
When this DVD was put out I bought a copy of it and I have watched it a dozen times Already. I really loved the specail features that they had on this DVD.

Here Is A Brief Description:

Jim Douglas (Dean Jones), is a down on luck race car Driver who finds Herbie at Thorndike Motors Owned By Peter Thorndike ( David Tomlinson). Well when Jim Finds the car. Herbie falls for him like a ton of bricks. The next day Jim finds Herbie Parked in front of the Firehouse that he and Tennesse Stienmetz (Buddy Hackett) live in. Well Jim buys the car from Mr. Thorndike and gains back his pride as he wins race after race. And falls in love with the Beautiful Carol (Michelle Lee).

Great Movie 5 Star Rating.

Disney almost got this DVD right
For the most part, this is one of Disney's few successes when it comes to releasing a movie on DVD. However, even with this DVD, there are some issues. The scene in Chinatown is strangely out of focus, while the rest of the movie appears just fine. Did the engineer fall asleep while he was doing the transfer, or just what happened?

In spite of that, I will say that this is one Disney DVD you are PROBABLY safe in buying. Maybe it came out before they started cutting corners so severely.

Cute but should not be rated G
I recently rented this movie for my three year old son who loves cars. I did see this movie when I was going up (though I did not remember the exact details) but now that I have seen it as a parent, I have some concerns about it.

Though the moive is rated G, it has a few things about it that I don't find appropriate for young children.

The dialogue is riddled with words like "stupid" and "idiot,"-- words I prefer to keep out of my son's vocabulary, at least for now.

I also find the character, Mr. Thorndike, to have an anger management problem. In the majority of his scenes, he is yelling at the top of his lungs and calling his sidekick, Havershaw, a series of derogatory names-- definitely not a characteristic I want my son to emulate. Finally, while I appreciate the whole appeal of a car having human qualities, I find the scene where Herbie tries to commit suicide a bit much for a kid's movie. Having to explain what the car was doing was difficult.

Overall, though the movie has cute qualities, I wish that the attributes I mentioned were not included. Call me a protective parent but seems to me that today's kids are considered rude because they are exposed to media like this that are considered acceptable.

Sorry to the die-hard Herbie fans, but this movie is not all its cracked up to be.

my favorite disney movie
there is no disney movie that could top this one. the race scenes with cute music playing went excellent with this movie. the cross country race at the end of the movie was one of the best slapstick race scenes i ever saw. this is like smokey and the bandit type movie. A LOT OF FUN TO WATCH. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ariel and her husband, Prince Eric, have a little problem with their daughter, Melody, in the sequel to Disney's landmark The Little Mermaid. Melody is threatened by Morgana, the evil sister of the sea witch Ursula (both voiced by Pat Carroll). Before you can say "Briar Rose," Melody's parents decide to keep their daughter's roots a secret, forbidding her to learn about the ocean while Morgana is around. Now the budding teenager secretly frolics in the sea with Ariel's old friends, Sebastian and Scuttle. When she learns the truth from Morgana, Melody becomes an unknowing pawn in her scheme--and Mom has to take to the sea again to help.

As with Disney's other made-for-video sequels, The Little Mermaid II looks and sounds wonderful (and reunites much of the same vocal talent). Four- to nine-year-olds who grew up with the original will certainly enjoy seeing the friends again. A new set of artists has come up with four catchy tunes and some fun new characters, including Tip and Dash, a pensive penguin and his blubbery walrus friend. Yet, where Beauty and the Beast had a deliberate Christmas-themed sequel, and Pocahontas told the tale of her historical trip to England, the plot here is very forced. It is pretty much a rehash of the first film with different characters. Tip and Dash are a reincarnation of Timon and Pumbaa, and Morgana is exactly like her sister, except thinner. Besides the stellar music, this unneeded sequel also misses another important aspect of the original--heart. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (126)

Ariel's like a different person!!
They RUINED the main characers. Eric sounds like a different person! Couldn't they have found someone who sounded just a little like the original Eric?? And I found it very disconcerting to see Flounder as a fat adult with a bunch of kids. He had such a cute, clumsy, little-kid charm...that's who he was. Now, most disturbing of all, was seeing Ariel transformed from a spunky and spirited, independent teenager to a very motherly..."old" character. What happened? They turned her into her father, exactly! That's not who she is, at all.

Otherwise, the movie was adorble. The film was entertaining and fun thanks to Melody and her friends. I didn't think I'd like Melody but she's a mettlesome little daydreaming mermaid with alot of personality. I just love Sebastian no matter what! And the penguin and walrus she meets along the way are a really cute and funny pair! If they'd just elimate the original Little Mermaid characters this would be worthy of five stars!

Sequel
Obviously, the sequel isn't going to be as good as the first. They never are. This is no different, the storyline is similar with all the characters resembling each other as well. Basically, Melody is Ariel, only in a much younger perspective wanting to be a mermaid (just like Ariel wanted to be a human in the first), Morgana is Ursula, only skinnier with her pet shark who is the eels. Tip and Dash are basically Flounder and Sebastian. I enjoyed Tip and Dash a lot, especially compared to the annoying Flounder. All the original characters make appearances, Sebastian is the crap that used to look after Ariel for King Tritan but now he's supposed to look over Melody for Ariel and Eric. Flounder is still around, yet fatter and his voice is more annoying, King Triton is now the worried grandfather instead of just the worried father. The real downfall here is Prince Eric, who is rarely in the movie but his voice is different and for the worst. He looks a bit different too, he has like blue eyes in this one which makes him look strange.
The storyline as I said is similar. Melody wants to explore the sea, she's an OUTCAST on land and SNEAKS out by going under the wall between the castle and the ocean. She meets Morgana, an EVIL OCTOPUS who has the POWER to TRANSFORM her into a mermaid (hint: with help from Ursula) and she can REMAIN a MERMAID if she STEALS the "pitchfork" (sorry I forget its name) from her grandfather, yet she doesn't know he's her grandfather. Melody captures it with the help of Tip and Dash and returns to Morgana. All the while Ariel has transformed back into a mermaid in hope to find Melody in the sea while Eric looks on land. Morgana TURNS on Melody and transforms her back into a human and keeps her underwater until she drowns. The shark crashes into the ice barrier and Melody is free, Ariel and Melody chat then realize that Eric and the rest of them are in trouble. Melody saves the day. That is basically the whole storyline.
Though very similar to the first one, this is still a good watch and would be a nice movie to show your little kids, especially since they probably wouldn't care if the first one is the original. It's a fun movie, not as romantic or as funny as the first but still fun. If you collect Disney movies or really enjoyed this one if you saw it, buy it. Other than that I'd just suggest you rent this one.

Rent it, Dont buy it.
I was ten years old when the Little Mermaid came out, and I loved it. I seriously wanted to be Ariel, I just loved the songs and the color.

Recently, I rented both the Little Mermaid and its sequel, the Little Mermaid II. WHile I am pleased that there is at least something out there for little kids these days, I was disappointed with the movie. I did not connect with Melody, and Ariel was like nothing I remembered. The only thing pleasing (and, I must say, humorous) was the presence of Sebastian. He alone retained the charm of the first film.

Of course, maybe the reason I didnt like this movie is that I am now an adult. But I gotta tell you, when I re-watched the original, it was still the magical movie that it was for me 15 years ago.

The Little Mermaid 2 - Return to the Sea
What if you learned you were half mermaid? You'd probably want to test your flippers. Melody, the daughter of Ariel and Prince Eric, certainly does! Disobeying her parents' warnings to stay away from the sea, Melody sets out to find adventure and make new friends. But danger looms when she becomes a pawn in the evil Morgana's plot to control the Seven Seas. Lively songs enhance this sequel to Disney's animated favorite The Little Mermaid.

Return to the Sea...WHY BOTHER?!
(as posted on IMDB.com.)

Okay, as a long time Disney fan, I really -hate- direct-to-video Disney sequels. Walt HIMSELF didn't believe in them. He believed in "AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER" being the end of it. But this one...REALLY ticked the taco. There were so many ripoffs of other Disney films in this, it wasn't funny. Quick summary, if you don't already know...: Melody, the daughter of Ariel and Prince Eric, is born. Ursula's sister, Morganna (who basically looks like Ursula, if she were to dye herself green and go on the Ally Macbeal starvation diet) shows up and, after trying to do the newborn tyke in, and failing, prophesizes (sp?) doom for the characters. After that ordeal, Ariel goes into a lapse of being like her father, and refuses to tell Melody about her mermaid heritage, and later on, forbids her to go near the sea. Well surprise surprise. Melody finds out, being the stubborn brat she is, and runs away, then makes a deal with Morgana to become a mermaid, in exchange for something. (Gee does THAT sound familiar?) She becomes one, but in her half of the bargain, has to retrieve her granddaddy's Trident and bring it back to the sea witch. While doing THIS, she runs into a couple of outcast animals, a penguin and a walrus named Timon and Pumb--huh? wait...no! that's not Timon and Pumbaa! or is it? Could of fooled me. Anyway, i'd like to reveal more, but pretty much anything that could be guessed to happen does. OK so...long story short. This movie "borrows" too much from other (better) Disney films...and does it horribly. Come on...Tip and Dash? Why not just make Dash obscenely flatulent and make it an even more obvious ripoff! Ugh. Not to mention, the total character butchery of Ariel's persona. She's gone from being a freespirited, headstrong woman, to a clone of her father. Not good at all...they're basically telling us the sweet, firey little mermaid we've known to grow and love is dead. Plus Melody herself isn't such a great character either...she's damned annoying! And bratty! Not to mention what they've done to Flounder. Ugh...anyway if you decide to see this piece of created-mainly-for-profit-reasons, no-imagination, Eisner-sponsored crapfest, I suggest maybe waiting 'till its on the Disney channel or some other tv station. Because, it's not even worth the price of a rental. ... Read more

Reviews (1130)

Saving Private Ryan DVD: Definitive Movie on D-Day
This was an awe-inspiring, horrific and honest portrayal of the D-Day landing and the extraordinary sacrifices made by ordinary individuals. Spielberg's hand-held in your face film technique immerses the viewer into the action. Without a doubt, Speilberg's depiction of the landing on Normandy Beach is one the most intense battle scenes ever filmed.

It is no less than a sheer masterpiece of filmaking. It is a well-researched, authentic anti-war statement that stands as a tribute to those individuals who endured horrific circumstances and literally saved the free world from tyranny.

Saving Private Ryan accomplishes what Schindler's list did in regard to the holocaust and what Oliver Stone's Platoon accomplished in its statement on Vietnam.

In addition, Spielberg has not only paid a deserving tribute to the veterans of World War II, he has also produced an excellent anti-war film that deglorifies warfare. There was nothing romantic about being butchered on the battlefield. If there is a hell, the D-Day veterans have already been there.

Saving Private Ryan is without a doubt one of the most honest, realistic combat movies ever made. Although Spielberg may not have gotten it all down in regard to the war with Germany; his depiction in regard to Normandy Beach and D-Day are right on target!

A terrifically powerful film
"Saving Private Ryan" is probably the best World War 2 movie ever made. The cast is excellent, and the cinematography unparalleled. The use of the hand-held, filtered camera during the battle scenes brings Capa's D-Day photographs to life. The story is simple--eight men are sent to find another soldier behind enemy lines--yet powerful by that very virtue. It is full of brilliant cinematic moments, such as the segueway after the horrific opening D-Day sequence: The screen goes blank for a second, and we hear the layered sounds of typewriters clicking like machine guns as Army typists write next of kin letters...Raindrops falling, then falling faster and dissolving into the sound of gunfire...
Throughout the film, we are shown many aspects of combat: the depersonalization which occurs in battle (Hanks' Captain Miller staring paralyzed at the carnage around him on the Normandy beach for a moment, then stoically replacing his blood-filled helmet); the tragedy of a single death (Giovanni Ribisi's Wade calling for his mother as he dies--the most realistic and moving depiction of death in cinema, to me...); heroism and cowardice. The music is great, the characters vividly drawn, the historical details perfect.

Steven Spielberg made this film as a tribute to his father, who served as a radio operator in the Pacific theater. His first film, made when he was thirteen, was a war story (in which he was allowed to use real airplanes at a nearby airbase for some of the shots). He'd been thinking of making a big film like this for a long time, and it is rewarding to watch.

Surprisingly impressive, stands out among war movies
Most of us expect a low-rate, pointless and overall tacky war movie from today's money-hungry industry, but SPR has done well in distancing itself from our presumptions. If you've never seen it before, than you'll be surprised at how well the movie is puit together. Aside from the usual modern-day method of pumping a movie full of A-List actors, a predictable script, less-than-impressive direction, irrelevent acting, and the overall novelty that one can come to expect of supposed dramas of today's glamour industry.

The story follows Captain John H. Miller and his team, including a sniper, a medic, an Arab, a surly private, and an acceptable Vin Diesel, to rescue James F. Ryan, a private in a paratrooper squad whose three brothers have been killed in action. A mission susceptible to much protest, and ultimately one that will cost many lives.

Everything about the movies feels as if it was done right. The overall atmosphere feels right, and it makes you feel as if you're sitting inside the movie--you can almost feel the moisture of the air seething through your clothes or the subtle sunshine warm your shoulders and forehead. The acting is very good as well, although you can spot some parts where improvement wouldn't hurt and it at times feels tacky and stunted. The direction is done well, as the actors can easily pass as soldiers, but the aforementioned cut corners could bring you away from the total immersion and feeling.

Saving Private Ryan is very worthwhile, and any war movie buff in his right mind would praise it as innovative and a revival of the genre.

Guts and gory
Does anyone still believe WWII was the good war, and that cynicism, spin control and U.S. brutality were born in Vietnam? If so, Steven Spielberg's visceral re-creation of the Secend World War experience will be a shocker: The film's battle scenes are anarchic, bloody, frenzied and studded with atrocious acts. Screenwriter Robert Rodat's script (based loosly on an actual incident and heavily indebted to historian Stephen Ambrose), however, sticks to familiar ground. Battled-scarred Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) is sent on a special mission to retrieve one Private Ryan (Matt Damon), who merits heric efforts because he's the sole survivor of four enlisted brothers, and his safe return is conceived as a home-front morale booster. Miller's hand-picked squadron is a checklist of war-movie types--hard-nosed sergeant (Tom Sizemore); decent private (Vin Diesel); Brooklyn wiseass (Edward Burns), introspective medic (Giovanni Ribsi); tough Jew (Adam Goldberg); pious Southern sharpshooter (Barry Pepper); and bookish corporal (Jeremy Davis) with no frontline experience--whose destinies follow a well-worn path. The exception is the GI who clings to the hope that war exposes the hidden strength in men, and instead has the worst wrenched out of him in a scene that elicits scattered applause but seems designed to evoke a mixture of pity and contempt. The movie's greatest strength lies in phenomenal performances that reach from the leads right down to the smallest supporting roles: Hanks' affability is worked under Miller's hardened skin, and Damon gives Ryan a boyish determination ans convincing as it is naive. Spielberg does some of his best work (the pointless preasent-day framing sequence notwithstanding), but follows in distinguished footsteps: Among the films that should'nt be lost in the rush to praise are Samuel Fuller's harrowing BIG RED ONE, whose credo--"The only glory in war is surviving"-- could be the movie's own.

You ARE There...
I watched SAVING PRIVATE RYAN not knowing what to expect. I'm not a big war movie fan, my taste running more toward horror / sci-fi / comedy. Within seconds I was totally engrossed in this all-too-real depiction of WW II. The bullets ripping men apart, the panic, the frantic kill-or-be-killed atmosphere, the almost continuous chaos, interrupted only briefly by spurts of calm, all added up to one joltingly great movie classic! Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, and every castmember is believable and human. There are no cigar-chomping superheroes in this story, just regular guys in an overwhelmingly dire situation (I felt like even I could be one of them). Spielberg tears off the sugary coating of the typical war film, revealing the squirming guts beneath. Pulling zero punches, he shows us war up close and disturbingly personal. Still, SPR is filled with warmth, humor, and that sense of brotherhood that would risk so much for one soldier. I love this movie and cannot recommend it highly enough... ... Read more

Reviews (807)

A heart-shaped French delicacy!!!
Amelie is a rare delight. The title character is a painfully shy loner who discovers a small box filled with a little boy's keepsakes. She seeks the rightful owner of the box. The charm of this film is that Amelie wants to perform her little miracles, hiding in the shadows, with no recognition for herself. The characters in this piece are fascinating, each one reflecting back a facet of Amelie's personality. In the end, Amelie's compassion ends up being her own salvation - and that is what makes the film so much of a joy to watch. Hollywood has pretty much exchanged emotion and subtlety for rudeness, crudeness, and over processed digital special effects. Like a good French wine, this motion picture is an experience to be savored - not devoured. Amelie has a look and feel that stands out from anything I've seen in recent years. So many modern films are filtered with a grayish or orange tint, which tricks the viewer's eye into thinking it is watching a stark, gritty documentary. Steven Soderbergh seems to be the reigning master of this technique. Amelie by contrast, with it's deep reds and fluorescent and forest greens accented by cobalt blues and electric yellows, transports you to a world full of magic and hope. The effect is enchanting.

The DVD package is complete with commentaries and documentaries on the making of the film. These added features make it clear that this film was carefully planned by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, much like "The Sixth Sense." Shots were storyboarded, set up, and orchestrated months in advance. And any extra footage of Audrey Tautou is always welcome in my home. A blend of the beauty and grace of Audrey Hepburn, the humor and physical skill of Charlie Chaplin, and the vulnerability of early Winona Ryder, and the sultry elegance of a sixties European model. Her method of using her eyes, facial expression, and body language (relying less on verbal expression) to create a character is what helps makes Amelie transcend language barriers.

I was a little disappointed there wasn't a version with dubbed English, but after 15 minutes or so, I didn't even notice that I was reading subtitles. There were more than quite a few belly laugh moments, and it became very apparent that this is one of those rare films that is so good it completely transcends culture, language - the universal message is "The good you do for others returns - especially when you don't expect it to." A French delicacy. I just hope we get to sample more of Jeunet, Tautou, and the rest of this team's products soon. Thanks, Miramax.

A Mainstream Hit Dipped In Euro-Sauciness!
The lack of any decent films from the English lingo countries of England and America has given rise to an increase in recognition of some of the finer foreign language exploits into cinema. Earlier this year we had "Amores Perros", and in England we had Japanese shock-fests "Audition" and "Battle Royale" (the latter has to be seen to be believed). The most successful foreign language film this year, bar "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" obviously, was this French trifle that whilst appealing to the fickle tastes of mainstream audiences superbly serves up its romantic hokiness in a touching and cute way. Over-hyped, to be sure, but not without its pleasures.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "The City Of Lost Children", which he co-directed with Marc Caro, bears the most resemblance to the look of "Amelie", which looks different to any other film this year with all of its rich, antique-looking cinematography as well as its inclusion of several effects shots that help to render Paris as paradise on Earth. Visual coups include Amelie herself collapsing to the ground as a puddle of water and the titular garden gnome that travels the world much to the chagrin of its owner, Amelie's father. Everything smacks of resplendence in this movie and no cinematic trick is left not utilised.

In all respects, "Amelie" is likely to play better in America than it should in Europe, where its cute benevolence will be welcomed by many, especially after September 11. If you are one of those people who can't help but giggle as bug-eyed little girls stare into the camera with a cheeky smile, then this film is for you (indeed, Audrey Tautou is bug-eyed, cheeky and very good in the title role). If you are like those who criticised "Amelie" for its lack of interracial characters, then don't bother: this beguiling trifle is a fantasy, pure and simple, like "Amelie" herself.

Green and Red beauty and smiles
A beautiful movie about a simple, and pretty weird girl. Pay particular attention to the beautiful color selection and Audrey Tautou's flawless acting. Amelie is the feel-good movie of our times and is sure to bring a smile to anyone's face.

really, what's so great about this?
Its quirky and pretty and all, but then it turns into a typical love story in the end. Dissapointing, I would rather it be a film where she makes everyones lives nicer, and this importance isn't placed on her Only Being Happy If She Gets The Guy. The actress is really pretty, there are nice scenes and ideas, parts are funny, but I don't understand why it has this cult status.

Lithe and awake.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet makes a welcome return to his home country after the loud but pedestrian 'Alien Resurrection'. In 'Amelie' Jeunet seems to have taken as much influence from Danny Boyle as Francois Truffaut. The accelerated jump-cuts, tracking shots and zooms all make for high-octane energy even if most of it is artifically created. Although 'Amelie' herself is almost too twee to identify with, many of the other characters' faces simmer with restrained intensity (increasingly becoming a Jeunet trademark.) The acting is above average (exception being the always good Domnique Pinon), but it's the quality of the storytelling that shines. Trust the French to be able to remind us that cinema is still relevant in it's second century, that evocative minor epiphinies such as running your hand through grain or the sights and sounds of a market are not just the preserve of the written word but can actually be rendered on screen (and still find an audience!). Through imaginative editing, camerawork and a little help from CGI, Jeunet's film packs in more incident and wonder than most of today's novels are capable of producing. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Hollywood's legendary "woman's director," George Cukor (The Women, The Philadelphia Story), transformed Audrey Hepburn into street-urchin-turned-proper-lady Eliza Doolittle in this film version of the Lerner and Loewe musical. Based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, My Fair Lady stars Rex Harrison as linguist Henry Higgins (Harrison also played the role, opposite Julie Andrews, on stage), who draws Eliza into a social experiment that works almost too well. The letterbox edition of this film on video certainly pays tribute to the pageantry of Cukor's set, but it also underscores a certain visual stiffness that can slow viewer enthusiasm just a tad. But it's really star wattage that keeps this film exciting, that and such great songs as "On the Street Where You Live" and "I Could Have Danced All Night." Actor Jeremy Brett, who gained a huge following later in life portraying Sherlock Holmes, is quite electric as Eliza's determined suitor. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (156)

An Excellent Adaption of One of Broadway's Best
One of the classics of the American musical theater, "My Fair Lady" is brought to us with amazing grace and sensitivity by legendary dirctor George Cukor. This musical has it all: a classic score by Lerner and Loewe (including "I Could have Danced All Night," "The Rain in Spain," and "Get me to the Church on Time"), an interesting story, and great characters. Rex Harrison proves to be nothing less then supurb as Henry Higgens, the speach teacher who vows to "never let a woman in my life," but finds himself falling for flower girl Eliza Dolittle. The supporting cast is in top form, with special mention going to the hysterical Stanley Halloway as Alfred P. Dolittle, the charming Wilfred Hyde-White as Pickering, and Jeremy Brett as Freddie. My on real complaint is Audrey Hepburn, who plays Eliza. While she is far from bad, Miss Hepburn has no voice, and I can't stand it when they use another actress to dub the voice of a star. Why can't they just hire a singer in the first place? The part should have gone to Julie Andrews (who originated it on Broadway). All in all, agreat film for the whole family. Check it out!

For the most part, excellent.
First, the wonderful score. Frederic Loewe's glorious music is perfectly complimented by Alan Jay Lerner's lyrics, as on the Broadway and London stages, and almost every song is memorable and great. Second, the gloriously witty script, filled with great lines, many taken directly from Shaw, on whose play "Pygmalion" this was based, and sharp commentary on Britain's class system. Third, the all-around wonderful performances, from Rex Harrison's arch, arrogant, gleeful Henry Higgins to Audrey Hepburn's charming but unrefined flower girl who becomes a sophisticated (and stunning-looking) lady, to Stanley Holloway's lovable amoral father of Hepburn, to Wilfred Hyde-White's Colonel Pickering, to Gladys Cooper's Mrs. Higgins, just as acerbic as her son. Fourth, the much-lauded stunning look of the film, with gorgeously stylized costumes by Cecil Beaton and fine sets by Beaton. All the ingredients are there for a great film, and under George Cukor's direction, that's pretty much what you get.

And yet, the film is noticably flawed. Hepburn, while charming and, of course, stunningly dressed, does not give a bad performance by any means; it's just that she's not overwhemingly sympathetic. And her voice double, Marni Nixon, has a lovely voice, but doesn't really put any emotion into her songs, forcing that ever-present question to re-emerge: Would Julie Andrews, the Broadway and London Eliza, have been a better choice? Also, Nixon and Hepburn really do not sound alike, which is slightly annoying. (Nevertheless, most of Nixon's songs, especially "I Could Have Danced All Night," do come off well, and if Andrews had been cast, there'd be no "Mary Poppins") "On The Street Where You Live," which I consider the best and most beautiful song in the score, is given a rather flat reading by Bill Shirley, the voice double for actor Jeremy Brett; it is the only song in the movie that is truly forgettable, but that is Shirley's fault entirely, NOT Lerner or Loewe's. Too bad. And yes, the movie is a bit long. But overall, it's a vastly entertaining, enjoyable, romantic, and great experience, just not without flaw. But, oh, well.

How do you do? And which DVD version to buy ...
MFL is a marvellous film about a professor who turns a common flower girl into a lady. It is full of sing-a-long songs and funny moments. It is basically a classic for all the right reasons! Plenty of re-watch factor makes it a film to own.

In 1994, the film was restored and thank the lord they did! The film's negative was almost lost forever. In fact, the film hade had become yellow-tinged and full of scratches, blotches and all the rest! It would have been a very sad day for the movie industry if a flim like this had been lost.

The original DVD that featured this new restoration was released in the late 90's. This DVD included a 9 minute featurette, actor profiles, audio commentary, and Audrey Hepburn singing in 2 scenes.

This original 1-disc DVD has since been updated to a special 2-Disc Edition. Which one to get? I have both so I feel qualified to answer this. The new DVD includes all the features found on the original DVD, except the actor profiles. The new DVD once again includes the restored print but is apparently a new transfer from the restored print. However, according to a report that I have read, the new transfer is not perfect and has aliasing problems throughout. However, the average watcher won't pick up on this detail. If this is an issue to you, purchase the original edition DVD where the transfer has been given two thumbs up! One has to wonder why they bothered transferring a second time.

The advantage of the special 2-Disc Edition DVD is that it includes a 58 minute 1994 documentary hosted by Jeremy Brett (Audrey's love interest in the film). Jeremy is no longer with us, so it's nice to have this as a piece of nostalgia. ON top of this, there are many more features on this disc that aren't included on the original DVD such as footage from the film's premiere, production dinner, as well as discussions with Rex and Audrey.

The choice is easy. If you're a fan of the film and don't care for all the extras, buy the original DVD. You at least get the best transfer. If you do care about having all the extras, buy both!

It's Loverly
The music from "My Fair Lady" makes it easily one of my favorite musicals with "I could have danced all night", "Wouldn't it be Loverly?", "The Street Where you Live", and Stanley Holloway's rousing showstoppers "With a Little Bit of Bloomin' Luck" and "Get me to the Church on Time".

It's well chronicled how much gnashing of teeth surrounded the Hollywood decision to leave out the then-unknown Julie Andrews, who was the new toast of the stage as Eliza Doolittle, and instead cast the more bankable Audrey Hepburn. Hollywood rewarded Ms. Andrews with "Mary Poppins" and an Oscar, and although I'd love to have seen Julie Andrews in this role, 4 decades later I can't complain about Audrey Hepburn.

Rex Harrison's reprises Henry Higgins from the stage, and I frankly can't think of another actor who would bring the same English Arrogance and tongue-in-cheekiness to the role. The interactions between Harrison, Hepburn and Wilfred Hyde-White as Colonel Pickering, especially in the early part of the film, are witty, entertaining, and move the narrative right along without pausing for exposition. The Higgins character is a cad, very full of himself, and he makes the mistake of treating those he feels are socially inferior poorly. The Colonel Pickering character acts as a surrogate for the audience, observing the educated but pompous Professor Higgins and allowing us to feel not TOO badly that poor Eliza has come under the influences of Higgins.

Stanley Holloway recreates Alfred P. Doolittle, Eliza's father, from the stage, and although his character has as many moral deficiencies as Professor Higgins (at one point he shows up at Higgins doorstep hoping to extort money from Professor Higgins for "shacking up" with Eliza) and is much less educated and with a much lower social standing, he is nonetheless a "good ol' bloke" and his moments in the film are among the most memorable, especially the previously mentioned show-stopping musical numbers.

The final act feels a little soap-opera-ish between Jeremy Brett as Freddy fawning over Eliza and Professor Higgins beginning to appreciate her fine qualities at the same time. This portion produces two of the finer musical moments as Freddy sings "On The Street Where You Live" and Higgins croons "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face".

Since George Bernard Shaw died in 1950 it's purely speculative to wonder what he'd have thought about the production of his Pygmalion story. I'm guessing he'd have liked it. If you like musicals, I'm guessing you will too. Enjoy.

2-disc or not two discs
WARNING: All the five stars refer to the movie itself, and does not address the issue of whether paying for the second disc is a rip-off. Five stars for the single disc version was richly deserved. I had half expected the 2 disc version to have DTS since they shifted virtually all the extra features from disc 1 to disc two. The only thing left on disc 1 was the movie, same commentary, same subtitles and audio track. For some inexplicable reason, the single disc version was among the Amazon top 100 discs in 2002 for some time, although it has been
out since the mid-1990s. Amazon's editor was correct when he said the main attraction of the 2nd disc was the 58 minute Documentary hosted by Jeremy Brett. That is about all, folks, and it was a pretty boring documentary. A concise version of this documentary would be "The Fairest Fair Lady" which is already in the single disc version.
You already have the AUDREY HEPBURN VOCALS in the single disc version. The rest of the stuff in disc 2 is usually given away FREE, like in Gladiator, Last Samurai, Master and Commander, where one viewing of the stills is more than enough.
Now, the sellers of disc 2 have actually REMOVED the CAST AND CREW section from the one disc version. This Cast and Crew with filmographies and biographies contain a huge chunk of valuable information including the fact that Audrey's given name was Edda, not Audrey. Do not throw away your one disc version. If you bought the 2 disc version, you might want to buy the single- disc version to find out where Audrey Hepburn was born, won the Oscar and got nominated. What were the other actors like Wilfred Hyde-White doing other than My Fair Lady.
I tell you what I like about the 2 Disc version:
1. the interviews with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison at the 1963 production Kickoff Dinner, with a couple of jokes from Mr Warner.
2. George Cukor directing Baroness Rothschild: a Henry Higgins coaching Eliza Doolitle parody. The audio track ran for only a few minutes, and I had a new found respect for Directors. Even a Baroness needs lessons in elocution. When I watch the movie again, I will imagine George Cukor speaking using the actors and actresses as his instrument. So that is how Cukor's actresses got their Oscars.
3. The Los Angeles Premiere in B&W is a few minutes of interesting distraction.

The rest of Disc 2 is really scraping the floor of the store-room. For those who already own the single disc edition, and do not have disposable income to burn, get the 2 disc edition of the TEN COMMANDMENTS instead. For the price of 5 commandments (about half the price of the 2 disc My Fair Lady), you will get more than double the info, making it look like "the TWENTY COMMANDMENTS". That is where a second disc is not a money making exercise: thou shalt not steal from gullible dvd buyers.

Rex Harrison Golden Globe Acceptance is a clip from the Andy William's show, where he apologised for not being at the real event, so he accepted it on AW's show. Shame.

Academy Awards Cermony Highlights: just one minute or less of Mr Warner accepting the oscar for best picture.

So two stars for the additional info on disc two. I would buy anything remotely related to my favourite musical, but if I were to search my heart for value added, I would say two extra stars is very very generous. Now, if ever they come out with a DTS version, we will have to throw the whole TWENTY COMMANDMENTS at this bunch of crooks.
Do you really need Martin Scorsese and Andrew Lloyd Weber's comments to supplement your own? ... Read more

Amazon.com

As directed by Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast) and dimly lit by cinematographer Harris Savides, Birth is a melancholy chamber piece, its pensive mood sustained by nearly sub-sonic nuances in a fine, thematically developed score by Alexandre Desplat. All of these fine qualities are well-matched by the somber performance of Nicole Kidman, playing a still-grieving widow of 10 years, about to remarry when a 10-year-old boy (Cameron Bright) arrives to announce that he is her dead husband, reincarnated and full of convincing answers to personal marital questions. Rather than go for Sixth Sense-like chills and thrills, Glazer approaches Birth as a conundrum with no clear-cut solution, and his directorial style is so subdued, so deliberately understated, that most of the story's dramatic impact is sacrificed to oppressively dour atmosphere. If it doesn't lull you to sleep, Birth might hold your attention as a strange, subtle thriller in miniature scale. With its delicate, mature approach to the processes of grieving and recovery, however, Birth rewards attentive viewers attuned to the film's ultra-low-key wavelength, and it's guaranteed to provoke interesting post-movie discussions. Lauren Bacall, Danny Huston, Anne Heche, and Arliss Howard lead an esteemed supporting cast. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (86)

Long Labor, Doesn't Deliver

I just watched this movie and while the music, lighting, and hollywood "slickness" were all present and accounted for, I kept waiting for this movie to really get going.It never did.Which is such a shame because I think it had potential.The main problem I felt was that the characters were almost impossible to connect with.Sean, who is the 10 yr. old boy claiming to be Anna's dead husband, has such a flat affect, which may have been intended, that no emotion comes across onscreen (doubt that was intended).And with the exception of one comment by him that his memories are "like deja vous", he gives no other reason for his laspes in memory.Or why he thinks the whole thing is happening at all.Hence, me waiting for something significant to happen.If only slightly.

The movie does have the feel of a foreign film and at times is visually pleasant but overall, the performances by the actors, is rather bland. If you like movies of this genre to have detail and answer some very basic questions, then is not the movie for you.On the other hand, if you like pretty scenes, pretty actors, and a feeling of "was that it?", then this movie is definitely worth your time.

Absolutely Pointless
The premise of this film is intriguing but it is so badly delivered that it seems as though the script were incomplete. This is a film where very little is said; there are long, annoying shots of winter trees, icy New York streets, etc. all amounting to abolutely nothing. Questions that are so obvious are not even touched upon, and Nicole Kidman comes across as mentally ill herself.
It ends so abruptly, as if the director said, "Let's just end this thing and put ourselves out of our misery". This film insults the intelligence of any viewer in a way that is shameful. What a waste of an evening.

the movie was great but some compains about the dvd release
It's not a regular hollywoodic movie which if it was, it could be more entertaning. but its an excellent valuable and conseptual movie with very good actings and very good directing. I said conseptual but its not a boring movie and certainly grabs you to the end. DVD has not special features but theatrical trailer and 10 sneak peaks. but nothing more. It could be good if the studio release it at least with some deleted scenes and alternate ending. And a directors commentary could be useful in many scenes. but the dvd has no special features. I'm sure they will gonna release a director's cut or special edition of this movie in near future but when they want to stop this tradition, releasing a simple dvd first and release several editions later!? anyway, I Suggest everyone, if you like this movie, dont buy this release, simply rent it, and wait for a special edition or director's cut!

Beautiful film...but very boring
Genre: Drama/Thriller

Genre Grade: C-

Final Grade: C+

This movie only saved itself in my book because of Nicole Kidman's wonderful performance and the amazing cinematography and soundtrack. The story itself was weak, uninspired, pointless, and did nothing to entertain the audience. It seemed as though the director made this movie for his own enjoyment and didn't care that it might put the audience to sleep. It's sad because this movie had such potential...if only it had an ending.

Snaps to Nicole Kidman, Alexander Desplat (for the music), and Harris Savides (for the cinematography), but that's all the credit I can give, this movie sucked other than those things.

Pretty good but Pointless...
This movie is good. There is a fairly good plot but some parts aer just stupid. The end makes you think Why was this movie even made? It seems pointless. ... Read more

Description

He said he'd be back.This time experience T2 like never before!Go EXTREME with the best picture and sound ever!ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER returns as the Terminator in this explosive action-adventure spectacle.Now he's one of the good guys, sent back in time to protect John Connor, the boy destined to lead the freedom fighters of the future.LINDA HAMILTON reprises her role as Sarah Connor, John's mother, a quintessential survivor who has been institutionalized for her warning of the nuclear holocaust she knows is inevitable.Together, the threesome must find a way to stop the ultimate enemy - the T-1000, the most lethal Terminator ever created.Co-written, produced and directed by James Cameron ("The Terminator," "Aliens," "Titanic), this visual tour de force is also a touching story of survival. ... Read more

Reviews (595)

T2 eXtreme:Nice case,nice extras,AMAZING image/sound quality
This is a truly wonderful dvd. If you own a home theatre system or seek the highest quality in dvd image and sound, this is the dvd for you. The high defenition version of the film is only playable with a high-end PC, but the special edition and theatrical versions on the tv are a big improvement on the 'ultimate edition dvd'. This is due to the brand new high quality transfer. The extras aren't amazing, but their pretty good. There is a documentary on T2's effect on the film industry and an 8 minute featurette on 'Life on the Set'. There is some great new DVD-ROM content though. There's a great little morphing program which takes a while to master seeing as there are few instructions. There is also a fun T-800 'FX Studio' in which you shoot at your imported digital photos to reveal your friend's or granny's endoskull. There is also a 'Skynet Combat Chassis Designer'. I haven't a clue what this is as I haven't used it yet, but I think it's some kind of online game. I have read several reviews with complaints about the metal outer case, but I had no problem whatsoever. The only advise I can give is to push in the front and back of the sleeve when taking the inner case out. It comes out no-problemo. If I had to choose betweem the 'Ultimate Edition' and the 'Extreme edition', I'd stick with Extreme. If however, I didn't have a dolby sound system and/or a widescreen tv, I'd take