Reviews (339)

One of the greatest films ever.
I think this film is a masterpiece. Luc Besson has beautifully directed this achievement and it is probably his best film (Fifth Element aside). The best thing about this film is the different emotions you feel. You feel hatred, happiness, worry, and sadness all for one character. Leon is a professional (hence the title) cleaner, or hitman. He is a very alone person who has no friends. He does have a soft spot for the 12 year old girl Mathilda(wonderfully portrayed by Natalie Portman). When Mathilda's family is killed, she stays with Leon, but she wants revenge. Leon begins teaching her the tricks of the trade which provides some very funny moments. They begin to get very close, and he feels love for the girl. I will not ruin the whoile story for you but it really is a must see.Jean Reno was born for this part and Gary Oldman plays the eccentric bad guy very well. This movie does have some explosive action scenes, but it is really more of a drama. Yes there is a directors cut which in my opinion isn't much better than the regular and the regular is 10 bucks cheaper. Buy this film either way and you will be wonderfully happy with your purchase.

Best Film Ever Made. Natalie Portman is Perfect.
This movie has, what I beleive, the best performance from a child actor ever, from a 12-year-old Natalie Portman. Her character Mathilda shows the innocence of a kid, and the depth of a person out for revenge. Why she didn't get an Oscar is beyond me. And this was her first movie.

The story is really good. A hitman named Leon (Jean Reno) helps a girl named Mathilda after her family is shot down by corrupt DEA officers led by Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman). When she finds out about Leon's job as a "cleaner" she asks to be trained as a hitman to avenge her little brother's death. Despite Leon's concerns he teaches her anyway, but over the course of his teachings, Mathilda develops feelings for him. This is something the uncut version explores a little deeper.

I suppose some of the scenes were taken from the American release for their subject matter. A scene where Mathilda wants to take her love for Leon to the next level really gives a good insight into Leon's past. It dosen't lead to anything between the two, so I don't see why they cut it. Other scenes included are Leon giving Mathilda some on the job training when he goes on his hits. I can see where some groups in America could have protested that, but it makes their relationship more deeper and complex.

An outstanding film, you really should see this version to get the whole story. I highly recommend it, it is my favorite of all time. Luc Besson's masterpiece can be fully appreciated on this release. I've been hearing rumors about a sequel in the works. I can only pray it's true, but this film is a tough act to follow.

Natalie Portman in her best role!
I don't usually like to watch movies about hit men or cops and robbers. I remember I got interested in this movie because of two things: Luc Besson's movie the Fifth Element, which was so wildly different and fascinating that I wanted to see what else this French director had done; and secondly, seeing Natalie Portman for the first time in the Star Wars: Phantom Menace movie.

Behind all of the dense make up and bad script and horribly non-existent directing from George Lucas in Phantom Menace, I sensed in Natalie Portman one heck of a terrific young actress struggling to come up with a meaningful performance. In "Leon - The Professional", working with a superb director, her acting talent is on full display.

When one thinks of modern day child actors, Anna Paquin comes to mind, in "The Piano", because she aced out some terrific adult actresses in 1993 to win the Oscar. Well, Natalie Portman, at age 12, had Anna Paquin beat by a mile in this movie, since her character takes up about half of the movie. If not for the truly unusual and off-beat story line of this movie, Portman would have gotten a lot more attention for her role in this movie, I think.

If you just focus on Portman's facial expressions and the way she carries herself in this movie, she goes through an amazing acting range in this movie, from hurt, terrified, bored, stuck up, cool and calculating, manipulative, sweet, child-like, and pubescent sexual allure.

As mentioned by other reviewers, the uncut version restores scenes that basically give a harder edge to Natalie Portman's character. The additional scenes of her assassin training with Leon and her efforts to attract and get closer to Leon definitely put her character in a harsher light. I remember from my first viewing of the cut U.S. version that Mathilda came across as a much more sweet and innocent child. The uncut version shows her more to be a hardened child of the mean streets of New York. Given the usual Hollywood propensities, it's not that surprising that these scenes got cut for the U.S. release. The uncut version does show the fullest acting range of Natalie Portman, even if they make her character less sympathetic.

Basically, the movie skates close to, but avoids the pedophilia controversies of the "Lolita" movies by having the character of Leon adhere to a strict code of ethics that firmly blocks all of Mathilda's advances. Even at the end, when he kisses her good-by and says that he loves her, it is clearly in the vein of being her protector and a big brother/father surrogate figure.

All in all, this was a great movie. Jean Reno was just so hauntingly sad as the loner-assassin Leon. Gary Oldman was definitely over the top in his portrayal of the crazed DEA agent - you almost expected his Dracula fangs to come out and his eyes to glow red when he popped those pills into his mouth.

So all of you Natalie Portman fans, this movie is a definite must-see. All of you Phantom Menace/Attack of the Clones haters who think that Natalie Portman can't act, you've got to see this movie to understand that no, Natalie Portman is a terrific actress. It's just really, really tough to play opposite total stiffs like Hayden Christiansen and Jake Lloyd, working with an idiot director like George Lucas.

Got Milk?
There's hardly anything I can say that will do justice to the splendor of 'Leon - The Professional'. The insanity of both the action sequences and Gary Oldman's performance... the touching love story of 2 lonely outcasts... the fantastic cinematography... the heart-breaking tragedy... the pulsing score... the violent life of a shy, milk-drinking, plant-loving hitman... the soul of an innocent little girl... the blistering, chaotic, blood-drenched fury that lives in all 3 of these characters...

...Wow...

...It's just a vortex of beautiful destruction. All these things crammed into one amazing film. A remarkable cast giving remarkable performances, and a very visual director shoving this seething powerhouse of a film right in our faces...

Like I said, there's nothing I can say. So, just believe me when I tell you that this is a very great film.

Great cinematic masterpiece
REALLY GREAT! IT WAS DONE LIKE A FOREIGN FILM, BUT I REALLY LOVED THE WAY IT WAS DONE. AND THE ACTING WAS GREAT! ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Superb!
This is one of my favorite book adaptations ever. It's finely crafted and the characters are portrayed realistically. What's more, it has it all, romance, treachery, gritty (realistic) scenes and Ciaran Hinds. :) Oh, my God. He's a must see. If you love the medieval genre do not miss this film! Did I mention C. Hinds? Well as others have said, the R.A. actor IS the film, taking it over completely, no question. I have no idea why Steve Waddington gets top billing b/c he's just okay, okay, he's dull as dishwater and deserves his love, Rowena who is a bit bland too. Rebecca and Brian Bois de-Guilbert are wonderful, however. And for those who whine that the movie did not stick to the book, well I say why should it? This is the movie the director decided to make; all book adaptations are just that - adaptations and are not there to copy the book vis a vis. If you love Ivanhoe the book, don't bother with this b/c you'll just complain. But if you love a finely crafted medeival, this is your film. No paranormal, no bull about chivalry, just the way it was - and one more thing about Walter Scott -- he totally romanticised this period in Norman/Saxon/Crusade history so you should take that into consideration when comparing book to film. The fact is that the knights templar were not saints and many were burned at the stake for their die hard beliefs as well as the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of saracens.

New Ivanhoe-great!
I'll try to be brief. This is a fantastic movie. I enjoyed it far more than Spider Man 2, or any of the Lord of the Rings.

The story is easy to follow, the charachters have reel feelings, strengths, weeknesses, and the acting was exellent. No need for 100-million dollar special effects.

My only complaint, and this seems to be true for many of the "new" films, is that the spoken word is sometimes difficult to hear because of all the background music or battle sounds etc.
But this movie has all we wish for. Action, romance, heroes, villians-and the good guys win!

"Realistic" but dull
Ivanhoe is a great classic of romantic literature. The creators of this version, however, abandoned the romantic aspects entirely in order to present what they see as how it "would have really been." In other words, they present Ivanhoe without any romance whatsoever. The knights present no pretence of chivalry, the women have no charm (Rowena is a churning cauldron of bitterness and nagging), Athelstane is no longer a comic relief, the fool is not foolish (or funny). The surprises of the book are revealed in advance (Ivanhoe reveals himself to his beloved before the tournament), so that there is no tension in the story. Rowena is played as a modern feminist and the addition of the Queen Mother as the deus ex machina in the end is lame. Can anyone really believe that a Queen Mother of that period would have insisted that her sons "hug" at the end? Or that Richard Lion-Heart would have done so?

In short, the drama that arises in the book is absent in this version, which replaces it with a sort of modern psychological pseudo-drama about individual feelings. The absence of context is fatal. For example, there is no explanation of the Knights Templar, their role, their principles, or their hypocrisy. As a result, it is impossible to make sense of the trial of Rebecca. The best performances were by Christopher Lee and the actress portraying Rowena, although the character she portrays bears little resemblance to the Rowena of the book.

I see no reason to remake a romantic novel without the romance, but this seems to be the modern way. As in the movie "Troy," which took away the Gods from the story, leaving the events inexplicable, this version takes away all the information, culture, and history that makes the story understandable and fun.

Ivanhoe Goes To War
Ivanhoe is a classic story, loved by children and grown-ups alike. By what misguided arrogance do screenwriters think they can write a better story than the original author? The attempt to introduce new motivations for the characters leads to a plot full of holes and empty of the delight and careful craftsmanship of Sir Walter Scott's book. The tenor of the film is monotonously angry and the battle scenes are a tedious, cheesy hacking and hacking. The male roles look and act so alike that one cannot tell them apart. The last scene with Eleanor from A Lion in Winter has nothing to do with anything and disconnects both John and Richard from the characters they have played all through the rest of the movie. If you like Ivanhoe, reread the book. If you do decide to buy this, do yourself a favor, at least, and fast-forward the battle scenes. You won't miss a thing and you'll be able to get to bed on time for a change.

Grittily superior to a prissy book
This is one of my favourite portrails of early mediveal life in all it gritty detail. The adaptation takes all of Walter Scott's annoying Deux et Machina out and leaves the watcher with a gripping, dynamic tale. The care that is taken with the minor as well as major details is a joy to behold with great costumes and settings and a wonderfully authentc feel.

Ciarán Hinds is absolutely superb as the Templar Sir Bois-Gilbert as is Christopher Lee as the Templar Grand Master Sir Lucard de Beaumanoir and Susan Lynch as Rebecca. Steven Waddington's Ivanhoe is good, but definitely diminished by the three previous actors.

Whilst more Brannagh's Henry V than Olivier's I feel that this adaptation is only strengthened by that fact and would be replacing my tape version with a DVD one today if it was available as region 2. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In his 19th screen outing, Ian Fleming's superspy is once again caught in the crosshairs of a self-created dilemma: as the longest-running feature-film franchise, James Bond is an annuity his producers want to protect, yet the series' consciously formulaic approach frustrates any real element of surprise beyond the rote application of plot twists or jump cuts to shake up the audience. This time out, credit 007's caretakers for making some visible attempts to invest their principal characters with darker motives--and blame them for squandering The World Is Not Enough's initial promise by the final reel.

By now, Bond pictures are as elegantly formal as a Bach chorale, and this one opens on an unusually powerful note. A stunning pre-title sequence reaches beyond mere pyrotechnics to introduce key plot elements as the action leaps from Bilbao to London. Bond 5.0, Pierce Brosnan, undercuts his usually suave persona with a darker, more brutal edge largely absent since Sean Connery departed. Equally tantalizing are our initial glimpses of Bond's nemesis du jour, Renard (Robert Carlyle), and imminent love interest, Elektra King (Sophie Marceau), both atypically complex characters cast with seemingly shrewd choices, and directed by the capable Michael Apted. The story's focus on post-Soviet geopolitics likewise starts off on a savvy note, before being overtaken by increasingly Byzantine plot twists, hidden motives, and reversals of loyalty superheated by relentless (if intermittently perfunctory) action sequences.

Indeed, the procession of perils plays like a greatest hits medley, save for a nifty sequence involving airborne buzz saws that's as enjoyable as it is preposterous. Bond's grimmer demeanor, while preferable to the smirk that eventually swallowed Roger Moore whole, proves wearying, unrelieved by any true wit. The underlying psychoses that propel Renard and Elektra eventually unravel into unconvincing melodrama, while Bond is supplied with a secondary love object, Denise Richards, who's even more improbable as a nuclear physicist. Ultimately, this World is not enough despite its better intentions. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (447)

The best Bond film yet.
The 19th MGM James Bond-007 movie is here. It's probably the best movie yet. It has the best stunts.

Filmed in: England, France, Spain, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the Bahamas. The name is taken from 1969 On Her Majesty's Secret Service when James takes a look at his coat of arms and is told that the family motto is: The World Is Not Enough.

Of course, Pierce Brosnan returns as the role of 007. Sophie Marceau as the murdered tycoon's daughter, Elektra King. Denise Richards as nuclear expert, Dr. Christmas Jones. Robert Carlyle as the doomed terrorist, Victor Zokas aka Renard. And John Cleese as R, Q's assistant. The movie also sees Robbie Coltrane's return as Valentin Zukovsky and Judi Dench 3rd appearance as M, the boss.

The plot involves Sir Robert King, an oil industrialist. He buys a report about the Soviet's missile department accidentally thinking it contained info about the terrorists attacking his pipeline in the East. Surprised to find out his money was wasted, a Swiss banker retrieves the money. M sends 007 to pick it up. But the banker, Lachaise, is in for a surprise. The report Sir Robert bought was stolen from an MI-6 agent who was killed for it. Knowing Lachaise knows who killed the agent, Bond threatens him. Unfortunately, Bond only escapes with his life and the money. No name. After a spectacular scene, Sir Robert is dead. Days later, his daughter Elektra takes over the construction of the pipeline. But 007 suspects there is something suspicious about terrorist Renard, the King organization, and even Elektra herself. M refuses to listen to 007's crazy instincts. Only Dr. Christmas Jones & Valentin are on Bond's side.

The movie sees Q's retirement. And a good thing too. After all, the DVD isn't dedicated to Desmond Llewelyn for nothing. However, Q has given the Q labs to R. Probably a bad choice. R will talk you through putting a shirt on!

The language features are: Languages-English and French. Subtitles-English, Spanish, and French.

Special Features. Music video performed by Garbage (the band). The Making of The World Is Not Enough. Audio Commentaries. The Secrets of 007-alternate video options. Theatrical Theater.

Well, that's about everything this DVD includes. Hope the review was helpful.

Bigger and Better!
Here's a Bond film that deserves to be ranked among the best in the series. Along with the usual Bond formula of high tech gadgets, one-liners, and of course, the Bond girl(s), this latest installment also provides a story with a different twist. Throw in a combination of mind games, an unusual villain, exotic locales, and amazing stunts and you get an explosive, testosterone driven, eye-candy, action-packed thriller with a dash of high quality performances. One sequence in particular is the high adrenaline boat chase along the Thames River that takes place very early in the movie. Cool stuff!

The story delves much deeper into the psyche of James Bond than previous 007 flicks. Pierce Brosnan plays a much darker and vulnerable 007 in his third run as the British super agent spy James Bond. The World Is Not Enough also showcases the acting talents of Dame Judi Dench (who plays M) and Sophie Marceau as well as many others. John Cleese, of Monty Python fame, also plays a role in the movie as the heir apparent to Q. Every character played a larger role in this movie, in which, there were times when I felt James Bond was a supporting character rather than a leading one. There is definitely no shortage of star power in this movie.

A few things I didn't like about this movie (just my personal opinion mind you) were the opening Bond song, the paraglider-ski sequence, and the miniature scaled models. Yuck! Still though, this latest 007 thriller gives a good ride! Humor, international intrigue, and plenty of action. This is a James Bond of the 21st Century and I hope Pierce Brosnan sticks around to do many more like this one!

Bond is the best of this time......Dry,humorous,and elegant,
Mr.Bond is ranking itself as the highest of his quality,and is back once more,but this time dry as a glass of martini,and elegant as far as he could ever get,making his job as right as Beethoven while composing his 9th.
James bond,her majesty's loyal star,is back in a very different style and story;He is involved in a complex of a villian trying to take over the world with his lover's own oil pipe line. The thing is,you see,he feels no pain.Nothing.Amazing,as it is surprising for the first time to hear it. Elektra,the new bond girl,is to my own taste one of the best bond girls ever in the series,simply because she has many sides to be related with,and sophie marseau,the actress,bringing an excellent performance in the role of Elektea.The other bond girl,christmas,portrayed by denise richards,has a small relation to a bond girl,but still interesting,though.
As well as the deep and dark plot which develops suprisingly,we also discover a more darker side inside the familiar characters,like M,for example,Which makes this movie special and wonderful.
Also,We are introduced to the the next Q(The great,humorous,and giant John Cleese,from the mighty "Fawlty towers" and "Monty Python's flying circus"),Which is,and believe in my own words,the best there is to portray the charcacter of Q.He is doing it very,very well.
You are going to see a different bond,a new bond,a complex and dark story,the best british humor ever brought to a bond film, and,of course,James Bond himself,Pierce Brosnan,is worth all of the bond touches and twists.
You think you can give me the whole world?
Well,the world is not enough,maybe,but the movie,believe me,does.

"I never miss"
This is the best film to date in the series, hands-down. It may not have the classic charm of Goldfinger, but a couple of viewings (something most people aren't willing to credit a Bond film with) reveal a film which is incredibly substantial, in an unprecedented - and unnecesary - way. It could get by on the charm of the locations, one-liners etc., but it still tries to put together a credible and interesting plot, and it succeeds.

The most obvious credit to the writers is Carlyle's brooding, existentialist villain, which reminded me of The Misfit in O'Connor's 'A Good Man is Hard to Find.' Carlyle, in surprising contrast to his turn as the psychotic Begbie in Trainspotting, plays the role with just enough subtley and understatement, making the character's evil much more believable than the cackling megalomania of earlier specimens. What I also like about the screenplay, though, and what isn't immediatley apparent, is that it casts some doubt on the role of Bond in the world. In other movies, he seems to have an absolute moral imperative, able to gun down scores of people without any consequence, simply because his enemies are abosolutley evil. In this film, though, among the ruins of the USSR (a theme already explored in Goldeneye), there's more gray than black and white, and the circumstances don't allow him to get off so blamelessly; ultimately he has to do something which he might might regret. It's far from making him human - if that were to happen, it would undermine the whole promise of the series - but it's an interesting take. Then there's the way the plot works in minor characters, like Judi Dench's M and the Russian gangster Zukovsky, both of whom provide a usually self-reliant Bond with indispensable help, while Zukovsky experiences the closest thing to character _development_ which anyone has probably ever experienced in a Bond film. As for Richards, I don't know what she's doing there, either, and probably it would have been a stronger movie without her, but at least she's hot.

What's The Point of Living If You Can't Feel Alive?
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (known to Bond fans as TWINE) may be Pierce Brosnan's finest outing as Bond to date. A more complex and nuanced story than most recent Bond films, TWINE recaptures a good part of the exotica and international intrigue of the Bond series as first conceived.

The precredits sequence sets up the story nicely: Sir Robert King, oil magnate and friend of "M" (Judi Dench) is killed by booby trapped money delivered to him by Bond. All roads lead to Rome, the roads being clues, and Rome in this case being represented by Electra King (Sophie Marceau), Sir Robert's beautiful daughter, who was the victim of a recent kidnap plot hatched by the mysterious Renard, a terrorist rendered unable to experience pain by a bullet lodged in his skull. "M" dispatches Bond to protect Electra, who has taken over her father's petroleum empire in central Asia.

From the moment he arrives in Azerbaijan, Bond is a hunted man. Although first enamored of Electra, Bond soon realizes that there is something amiss.

In TWINE, Brosnan resurrects the dark Bond of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. His dual nemeses, Electra and Renard, are ably played by Marceau and Robert Carlyle, who both bring some surprising depth to their characters. Electra is particularly sympathetic, being both the brainwashed victim and willing accomplice of Renard. She is by turns sexual and ingenuous, vulnerable and implacable. Marceau is breathtakingly beautiful.

Carlyle's Renard, trapped in a body that can't feel, exudes both pathos and hatred as he plots the destruction of the democracies.

Dench's "M" plays a central role in the film, far larger than any "M" before her. The film is notable for being the last appearance as Desmond Llwellyn as "Q". Llewellyn, who played "Q" in almost every Bond film after 1964, died in a car wreck just days before the theatrical release of the picture, and John Cleese was cleverly edited into the film as his replacement, "R".

Denise Richards has the weakest major role, playing Dr. Christmas Jones, a nuclear physicist. Richards could have been left on the cutting room floor in her entirety. More's the pity, because Richards is a strikingly beautiful woman who is entirely upstaged by the exotic, erotic Marceau. Besides being a rather miscast improbable genius in cargo shorts and a tank top, Richards' character has even more of an "afterthought" feel than "R" does, as if the producers just couldn't tolerate the idea of the film ending with an unredeemed Electra King and no virtuous love interest for Bond.

Two hours and some of intelligent action-adventure, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH fulfills all expectations. ... Read more

Description

3rd Rock from the Sun, which has earned 31 Emmy nominations,is an inspired half-hour comedy series farcically dealing with the human condition.It was created by Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner in association with Carsey-Werner Productions, LLC for NBC-TV.Set in the fictional city of Rutherford, Ohio, this gentle-hearted series stars John Lithgow as the High Commander of an investigative team sent to Earth on a mission to learn everything about humans and their so-called advanced cilvilization. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

THE DVD GODS
I must be doing something right in my life because the DVD gods have really answered my intense prayers with this release of 3rd Rock from the Sun.During the 90s there were not too many sitcoms that I liked.Third Rock was the exception.I truly love this series and I have watched it in syndication many, many times; however, I always felt rather frustrated due to the severe cuts in the programs and the unending commercials.Therefore, I wished intently that the show would be released on DVD and now they have done it!
I truly feel that 3rd Rock is one of the funniest sitcoms ever, and I feel that one day it will be viewed as a classic television program.The writing, characters, direction, etc. are superb.What a cast!John Lithgow and Jane Curtin head a marvelous group of actors displaying great comic timing.There are so many funny moments that I remember from this sitcom.I am truly thrilled that it is FINALLY commercially available!

Put on your cheese head and get ready to laugh
Third Rock from the Sun was one of my favorite sitcoms of the 1990's and I am glad to hear that it will finally get the respect it deserves starting with Season One on DVD. The show ran from 1996 to 2001 on NBC and lasted 6 seasons and 139 episodes. This first season release should contain the first 20 episodes.Amazon has listed this as a 6 disc set and I am not sure why the studio has decided to make the set so large. Third Rock was a half hour show and they could easily have fit more episodes per disc but the price Amazon has listed is fantastic at only $27.99. I am hoping that the extra space on these DVDs will be used for some bonus features. I would love some comentary tracks from the cast and crew, deleted scences, and some behind the scences footage of how this show was done. Anchor Bay usually does a fair job with their TV on DVD sets and I am hoping that this set will meet the standards of the fans of the series.

please put it on dvd
why is it not on DVD here in America but it is in the UK? we need to get these DVD's!

Please
We must get this on DVD. It's so hilarious and the best comedy show. Please get it on dvd.

It really is not on...
...that you cannot get this marvellous series on DVD in the USA, it was fresh and bold on it's release and is now fast achieving classic and cult status. I have had the good fortune of seeing re-runs here in Britain recently and it really is sublimely funny. All the central performances are excellent, the entire Soloman "family" are weirdly, wackily and deliciously played. The support cast is equally red hot, even the guest appearances were cleverly cast, an issue that come become a "sold to the highest bidder", problem on other shows.
I would urge you all to demand it's immediate release, it is available in my Country (UK) and it is surely one of your boldest and bravest comedy outings! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This Pirates of Penzance is primarily a historical document, part of the Broadway Theater Archive television series.It presents, with some inevitable, tiny technical shortcomings, a live 1980 performance in CentralPark, not the 1983 movie of the same name that also starred Linda Ronstadt and KevinKline. Those who remember that film, which had the benefit of retakes and editing,a lavish production budget, and the spaciousness of a Hollywood studio, may find thisvideo less polished. On its own terms, it is nonetheless thoroughly enjoyable.

Advantages of this live performance include a sense of spontaneity, and the feeling ofbeing part of a theatrical audience that is visibly and audibly having a very good time.The (reduced and partly electronic) orchestra is also visible; scenery is minimal; theonstage pirate boat, excellent for a live production, is no match for what a movie canoffer. The voices are uneven, and some of them evoke Broadway more than London.But the performance is well styled, lively, and energetic. Gilbert and Sullivan's witty sparklecomes through clearly. --Joe McLellan ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Routledge Finally Captured
Finally we have a permanent record of Patricia Routledge's definite performance as Ruth in "The Pirates of Penzance." Whatever the DVD lacks in technical perfection is more than made up by a level of enthusiasm of the cast and audience, all of whom are having the time of their lives. If you've only heard Estelle Parsons on the LP or CD or seen Angela Lansbury in the fil version, you must buy this DVD to revel in Patricia Routledge. If you only know her from "Keeping Up Appearances," you're in for a treat. As for Kevin Kline, George Rose and Rex Smith -- their performances are dazzling and fresh. This is Broadway -- and Gilbert and Sullivan -- at its spontaneous best.

Most excellent performance
An orphan Fredric is hours away from being 21 years old. Soon his indentured to pirates (due to a misunderstanding) will end and he can then hunt the pirates down. In addition Fredric has just discovered what young women look like and had fallen for Mabel, daughter of the Major general. All of this is about to change.

I have always enjoyed the variations of "The Pirates of Penzance". Among my favorite is this Broadway theater archive from 1980. It was recorded at the New York Shakespeare Festival. The cover of my copy of the DVD looks like the standard cover of the series which is also the one on the VHS. It is distributed by Kultur.

You need to know that this film has all the strengths and weaknesses of a stage production vs. the Movie. The sound sometimes comes and goes and you have to listen closely to understand much of the singing. It helps to know what you are watching in advance. On the positive side I have always appreciated the minimal scenery of the stage and marvel at how so many can do so much with so little. This is an excellent film for those living in a culturally deprived area and to hold others until they can see the real thing again.

Just so you know this is not a movie. So many of the players push the envelope with their variation on the Gilbert & Sullivan theme and music. Speaking of music the stage surrounds the orchestra so you can watch them and occasionally the audience. Linda Ronstadt as Mabel has a surprisingly high voice at first and I assume is on purpose soon she settles down and you would thing that the play was made just for her. Kevin Kline adds the over the top energy needed to keep this fast passed play going. When all is said and done you will be exhausted from listening and laughing.

Visual quality
It is valuable to have a record of a notable Broadway production, but you should be aware that this record is barely adequate. The audio is a satisfactory record of the event and while the visuals enable one to appreciate the staging they do little to show the skill and energy that was a feature of the show.

The major faults are in two departments. The first is in the clumsy camerawork and TV direction that misframes action and misses bits of important "business". Here a minor complaint is the visible camerman peering out of a hole in the set which adds a distraction that his viewpoint of the back of the cast does nothing to justify. Secondly the visual quality is terrible. Only in close up are facial features resolved, everthing further away is a blur of TV defects. The extensive ghosting suggests a recording of poor quality TV reception, even though the credits suggest a direct videotape recording was made.
However if you can cope with a visual quality that is similar to home TV reception in a remote valley poorly placed in relation to the broadcast transmitter, then go for it! Be aware that this DVD is not a patch on the 1983 film version with the same cast.

Fun, Fun ----But Horrible Video Quality
The official description of the Delacorte DVD admits to "tiny" technical shortcomings. Tiny, what a lie! This DVD has probably the worst video quality of any commercial DVD ever made; it's fuzzy and so washed out that it's nearly colorless. It looks like it was recorded with security cameras.

Nevertheless, nevertheless, it's fun to watch. It is a live
recording of a great stage production sung and acted by a great cast. This is the cast that did excerpts from the show on Saturday Night Live. The biggest surprise to me in the DVD was to see a younger (age 51) Patricia Routledge of Keeping up Appearances who could really could move and sing.

Be very careful.....
If you expect the movie, then don't get this. This is the stage show three years earlier and suffers from extremely poor technical quality, looks like original are fro U-Matic (not far off VHS) and has poor sound (Quality and balance, sometimes wows).

Poor direction and camerawork Additionally meant I was unable to fully enjoy. Though, it was fun to see "Hyacinth Bucket - Bouquet" (Patricia Routledge) perform! ... Read more

Reviews (53)

A lesser known Hitchock that can surprise.......
I love "Rear Window" and "To Catch A Thief," which are two of the three movies that Grace Kelly and Alfred Hitchock collaborated on. But I had always heard "Dial M For Murder," the first of the three Grace starred in for the director, was a dissapointing film, so it took a long time for me to get around to watch it. I finally rented it a few months ago, and WOW! I find it's a great film, and I loved it! Grace was beautiful as always, and Ray Milland did an excellent job as the "villain" of the film. The plot was engrossing, and did I mention Grace Kelly was beautiful? But be warned, "Murder" is a psychological mystery, and a dialogue movie. It has little action, other than the murder attempt itself. So if you are looking for a typical twisty, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat Hitchock suspense film, its probably best that you look for "Vertigo," "Rear Window" or "North by Northwest" instead. But give "Dial M For Murder" a chance, and be ready to enjoy a great film, definitely deserving of a five star rating!

Superior Hitchcock with an enchanting Grace Kelly
This is a fine example of the kind of mystery that little old ladies from Pasadena (or Russell Square) adore. Perhaps Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) starring Cary Grant might be comparable in its genteel and bloodless ability to glue us to the screen.

This is certainly one of Hitchcock's best, but most of the credit must go to a devilishly clever play written by Frederick Knott from which he adapted the screenplay. (He also wrote the play upon which Wait Until Dark (1967) starring Audrey Hepburn was based.) Hitchcock does a good job in not tinkering unnecessarily with the material. He also has the exquisitely beautiful Grace Kelly to play the part of Margot Wendice.

Ray Milland plays, with a kind of high-toned Brit panache, her diabolical husband, Tony Wendice, a one-time tennis star who married mostly for security. John Williams is the prim and proper Chief Inspector Hubbard. He lends to the part a bit of Sherlock Holmesian flair. One especially liked his taking a moment to comb his mustache after the case is solved. Robert Cummings, unfortunately plays Margot's American boyfriend as inventively as a sawhorse. For those of you who might have blinked, Hitchcock makes his traditional appearance in the photo on the wall from Tony Wendice's undergraduate days.

The fulcrum of the plot is the latchkey. It is the clue that (literally) unlocks the mystery. There is a modernized redoing of this movie called A Perfect Murder (1998) starring Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow in which a similar business with latchkeys is employed. I am not very good with clues so it was only after seeing that movie and Dial M for Murder for the second time that I finally understood what happened. Follow the latchkey!

Of course I was too distracted by Grace Kelly to fully appreciate such intricacies. I found myself struck with the ironic notion that anyone, even a cuckolded husband, might want to kill Grace Kelly or that a jury might find her guilty of anything! She remains in my psyche America's fairytale princess who quit Hollywood at the height of her popularity after only five years and eleven movies to become a real princess by marrying Prince Rainier of Monaco. Something was lost there, and something was gained. She was in essence the original Jackie Kennedy Onassis. I think, however, that the old saw about the man who marries for money, earning it, might apply to American princesses as well.

At any rate, Grace Kelly's cool and sublime bearing was on fine display here. Hitchcock cloths her in discreet nightgowns and fitted (but certainly not clinging) dresses that show off her delicate figure and her exquisite arms and hint coyly at her subtle sexuality. She was 25-years-old, stunningly beautiful, and in full confidence of her ability as an actress. She had just finished starring opposite James Stewart in another splendid Hitchcock one-room mystery, Rear Window (1954), and was about to make The Country Girl (1954) with Bing Crosby for which she would win an Oscar for Best Actress.

So see this for Grace Kelly who makes Gwyneth Paltrow (whom I adore) look downright gawky, and for Ray Milland whose urbane scheming seems a layer or two of hell removed from Michael Douglas's evil manipulations.

By the way, the "original theatrical trailer" preceding these Warner Brothers Classic videos is what we used to call the "Coming Attractions"--that is, clips directly from the movie and a promo. You might want to fast forward to the movie itself.

At Last!!!
I have been one of the many people who have sent in, demanding that this DVD be released and now it is! This is a great Hitchcock thriller and most of his films are on DVD, so why not this one. At Last!!!

Hitchcock Timeout
According to the director himself and no less an authority than Grace Kelly, Alfred Hitchcock directed this filmed stage play purely to kill time while readying his next picture "Rear Window." He was completely disinterested in the plot - (and no wonder) - a stupid theatrical concoction about misplaced keys and a bungled murder scheme. He found time however to fall in love with Kelly and tried to wardrobize her, something he would put in the movie "Vertigo" five years later. "Dial M" is watchable primarily because of the suave performances of Ray Milland and John Williams.

Interesting movie!
This is a great Alfred Hitchcock movie. It's one that is even better the second time you see it.

Now, about the DVD, does anyone know what the difference is between this one, and the other "Dial M for Murder" DVD that isn't released yet?? I was confused by that...

Please respond if you can help! ... Read more

Reviews (216)

Go girl! Hitch's feminist fable.
Although Hitchcock listed this as one of his 2 favorite films, I had once viewed it as "closet drama" because of the limited set, conventional bad guy, passive good guy. The voyeuristic angle was interesting, even provocative to a point, but insufficient to save the movie from its sense of claustrophobic one-dimensionality.

That was before I viewed the film through the eyes of Grace Kelly. In one respect, the critical, pivotal moment in the movie is not when Kelly puts herself at risk in Raymond Burr's apartment, nor is it the film's climax with James Stewart fending off the murderer with his camera's flash bulbs. Rather, it's the moment when Hitchcock's camera (not Stewart's) shows Kelly's eyes suddenly open wide and come alive when she, too, becomes interested in the scenes being played out on the other side of the court yard.

At this point, within the first half of the film, Kelley drops her high society, fashion-model airs and her constant mothering of Stewart. She now spectates with greater curiosity and imagination than Stewart, and even though she questions these "rear window ethics" and characterizes her behavior as "ghoulish," it's clear she has become a major player, fully participating in the game of voyeurism, scopophilia, and fetishism that is normally assigned only to men who fail to emerge from an obsessively narcissistic and hedonistic childhood.

For the past 20 years feminist academics have been applying "male gaze theory" to just about every film in sight, and invariably to the discredit of the male. He is the subject; she's the object; he's the one who sees; she's the one who is seen; he owns the gaze in all of his power, pleasure, and guilt; she can only helplessly follow the gaze, experiencing a kind of masochistic pleasure at best.

In "Rear Window" Hitchcock, frequently depicted by feminist critics as a mother-obsessed misogynist, turns gaze theory on its head. Grace Kelly demonstrates that a woman can get as much pleasure from looking as do men--an irony of collossal proportions when we consider that as a high fashion model her role, if not job, is to be looked at and photographed.

But Hitchcock's film manages to liberate its central heroine's vision while preserving the "institutions" of marriage, motherhood, and femininity. What is the object of Kelly's pursuit while playing the game at its most intense moment? A wedding ring, which she flashes before the probing telescopic lens of Stewart. And at the end of the film, the camera makes clear that, pending his recovery from double castration (both legs are now broken), he will no longer go off on adventures without Kelly at his side. But then, of course, Hitch has his final little joke when, once Stewart goes to sleep, Kelly (now wearing pants) puts away her mountain-climbing magazine and replaces it with a high fashion title. Still, a radical film for Hitchcock and, for that matter, most other filmmakers.

The DVD makes it all the more possible to read the visual dynamics of the film, permitting razor sharp stills of the principals' faces and eyes, disclosing the act of seeing to a degree never before possible.

Checking Out a Murder with Hitchcock
A daredevil confined to a wheelchair is the concept of Alfred Hitchcock's comedy-mystery "Rear Window", a man of action so bored with his confinement that he begins spying on the neighbors he can see across his Greenwich Village courtyard: the frustrated composer,the "interpretative dancer", the newlyweds, the desperately lonely spinster ... and the bickering couple. The wife suddenly disappears. Has she been murdered? L.B. Jeffries thinks so, and he convinces his fiancée Lisa (Grace Kelly) and the insurance company nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter) who visits him every day. (Jeffries, a professional photographer, has been temporarily disabled in an accident.) This set-up is perfect for Hitchcock, who loved tense situations in close quarters ("Life Boat", "Rope"), and who was in top form when he directed this masterpiece of entertainment in 1954. (There was a made-for-TV remake a few years back; according to... reviewers, it's pretty awful.) James Stewart was one of Hollywood's most popular personalities, but he was often mis-cast. He was pushing fifty when he played the 25-year old Lindbergh in"The Spirit of St Louis". Similarly, in "Rear Window" he's too mature for the lead. The part just weeps for William Holden. Stewart even takes his shirt off in a couple of scenes, revealing a pale, thin physique. The idea that Grace Kelly would travel all the way down from the East Sixties to Greenwich Village to spend the evening with him is a little ... well,unbelievable. Miss Kelly is almost as seductive here as she was in her next Hitchcock "To Catch a Thief".The Master was obviously infatuated -- but, then, who wasn't? She also had a droll sense of humor: the way she pronounces "weird" is priceless. Thelma Ritter and Wendell Corey give witty support. Raymond Burr, just a couple of years away from playing the most famous of fictional lawyers, is quite creepy as the killer Thorwald. The sound track is a mixed marvel of car traffic, distant voices, and snatches of music; it sounds great with stereophonic ear phones. About the only real complaint in John Michael Hayes' screenplay that the pragmatic might bring up: Doesn't Jeffries ever LOCK his door?

Trapped in a Sound Stage
I don't think this is Hitch's best film. It is highly ranked by film rating services, sometimes higher than Vertigo, but I can't agree. There's something claustrophobic about what is essentially a movie set. We are stuck in that lofty room with the big glass windows. Jimmy Stewart peers across a courtyard and observes New Yorkers in their habitat. When I was in elementary school we used to have projects called diorama's where we would take a shoebox and decorate it like a stage. Each apartment in Hitch's diorama showcases a mostly silent vignette, the gorgeous dancer and her boyfriends, the lonely-heart middle-age lady, the sex crazed newlyweds, and the guy who kills his wife. Stewart can watch all the fun, but with a broken leg, he can't leave the apartment to do anything about it. Hence, the suspense centers on Stewarts inability to maneuver when his girlfriend, fashion gal, Grace Kelly breaks into the killers apartment to find clues. We see the killer coming down the hall and Jimmy can't warn her from his perch. Stewart and Kelly are interesting as a couple with opposite interests. She's high fashion-society chick and he's a rough-it, world-traveling photographer. These differences never really resolve and Stewart appears maybe 15-20 years older than young marriage-scheming Grace. This is really a stage play with stage play lighting and a who-dun-it plot. Great suspense, yes, but not as good as Vertigo by a mile.

The Perfect Alfred Hitchcock Movie
North By Northwest and Vertigo are spectacular cinematic achievements but, for me, Rear Window is the one Hitchcock movie everyone must see. It is as perfect as a Hitchcock movie can be. One of the greatest American movies ever made. Not one false note. It is the movie I would show to someone who hasn't seen a Hitchcock movie but wonders what they're all about and why he's so revered. The tremendous psychological drama and cat and mouse suspense are perfectly tuned. Stewart turns in a brillantly nuanced performance as a morally dubious peeping tom. The film is about him, of course. Not about an unseen murder or a pieced together amateur murder investigation. Listen to the dialogue and observe the interactions between Stewart and his guests. Subtext and more subtext. Just perfect.

If you prefer souffle over meat or casserolle
5 stars as a piece of cinematic craft. 1 star as substance. another hitchcock exercise of excellent pacing, subtle humor and
droll commentary on the folly of human behavior, heavy on dramatic artifice, as are most of hitchcok's films. ... Read more

Reviews (186)

Love the Movie!!! Newer DVD is acceptable quality ...
I have always liked this movie. Sure, the story never reaches its purported climax, but there's a lot of fun getting there ...

Let me address the DVD issue right off: I have (apparently) a remastered version, widescreen, with chapter selection and promotional trailer included. The quality of this DVD is pretty good. I can't remember the exact cinematography but it seems like this is how the movie always appeared. Not top-notch but acceptable. The trailer is not as well preserved but is OK.

(I noticed this on the Rambo: First Blood Part II DVD I just bought ... on that DVD, the trailer is so-so, however the picture on that movie is crisp and very well preserved).

OK, back to the movie. A freak storm catches the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and transports her and her crew back to December 6, 1941 just off the coast of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The BIG question: Ignore or Intercept the Japanese Navy when it attacks on December 7? ... if you haven't seen the movie, I won't spoil it for you here.

There are top-named actors like Martin Sheen, Kirk Douglas, James Farentino, Katharine Ross and Charles Durning. And there are a few real carrier personnel who weren't professional actors, obviously. But they got to be in the movie and who could blame them? Most people who like this film enjoy the time-travel, naval-combat aspect of it and overlook the occasional potholes in the storyline. Hey, just have fun!

There are some great launch sequences of Naval fighter aircraft, recon birds, tankers and helicopters. And the inflight sequences are pretty good too. You get to see F-14 Tomcats, A-7 Corsairs, A-6 Intruders, EA-6B Prowlers, E-2C Haweyes, SH-53 Sikorsky's and more. Plus the carrier crew equip the aircraft with the Mach 4+ AIM-54A Phoenix missiles, AIM-9 Sidwinders and AIM-7 Sparrows for air combat. Great stuff!

Overall the quality of the DVD movie is fairly decent and played well on my 55" big screen and my 27" small screen TV's. If you haven't seen the film, it's similar to "The Philadelphia Experiment" with Michael Pare and Nancy Allen. Enjoy!!

Love the Movie ... Newer DVD is acceptable quality ...
I have always liked this movie. Sure, the story never reaches its purported climax, but there's a lot of fun getting there ...

Let me address the DVD issue right off: I have (apparently) a remastered version, widescreen, with chapter selection and promotional trailer included. The quality of this DVD is pretty good. I can't remember the exact cinematography but it seems like this is how the movie always appeared. Not top-notch but acceptable. The trailer is not as well preserved but is OK.

(I noticed this on the Rambo: First Blood Part II DVD I just bought ... on that DVD, the trailer is so-so, however the picture on that movie is crisp and very well preserved).

OK, back to the movie. A freak storm catches the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and transports her and her crew back to December 6, 1941 just off the coast of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The BIG question: Ignore or Intercept the Japanese Navy when it attacks on December 7? ... if you haven't seen the movie, I won't spoil it for you here.

There are top-named actors like Martin Sheen, Kirk Douglas, James Farentino, Katharine Ross and Charles Durning. And there are a few real carrier personnel who weren't professional actors, obviously. But they got to be in the movie and who could blame them? Most people who like this film enjoy the time-travel, naval-combat aspect of it and overlook the occasional potholes in the storyline. Hey, just have fun!

There are some great launch sequences of Naval fighter aircraft, recon birds, tankers and helicopters. And the inflight sequences are pretty good too. You get to see F-14 Tomcats, A-7 Corsairs, A-6 Intruders, EA-6B Prowlers, E-2C Hawkeyes, SH-53 Sikorsky's and more. Plus the carrier crew equip the aircraft with the Mach 4+ AIM-54A Phoenix missiles, AIM-9 Sidwinders and AIM-7 Sparrows for air combat. Great stuff!

Overall the quality of the DVD movie is fairly decent and played well on my 55" big screen and my 27" small screen TV's. If you haven't seen the film, it's similar to "The Philadelphia Experiment" with Michael Pare and Nancy Allen. Enjoy!!

No, not the album by "Europe"
I first saw this on ABC as a kid, and loved it. Seeing it again now, at 31, I don't find it nearly as interesting but still think it's a fine film. Check out how much young Martin Sheen looks like Charlie Sheen! Watch James Farentino, the TV version of Roy Scheider! And don't miss the surprise ending!

Cinematic experience that will stand its ground...
The USS Nimitz, a nuclear aircraft carrier, is on a routine assignment when the civilian systems specialist Warren Lasky (Martin Sheen) is flown to the aircraft carrier. Lasky's job is to evaluate the efficiency of the commander and crew as he should make recommendations in regards to what changes can be done to save tax dollars. Soon after Lasky's arrival Captain Matthew Yelland (Kirk Douglas) is put in a difficult position as the USS Nimitz is pulled into an outlandish electrical storm that relocates the warship in time. Captain Yelland is unsure about what truly has happened, but when they discover that they are in between the Japanese Naval Force that is about to strike at Pearl Harbor on December 6, 1941 they realize they might have a chance to undo history. Final Countdown is an interesting science fiction film that offers some room for thinking, yet it is entertaining as it displays the incredible event of time traveling. An appealing idea together with entertainment, Final Countdown offers a decent cinematic experience, which will stand its ground.

Excellent. Aviation fans take note...
Since so many reviews are already posted, I'll keep this brief. It's nice to see this film get such an excellent DVD release. This movie is great and has aged quite well. The premise of the Nimitz being thrown back into time and given the opportunity to change the course of world history is an intriuging one even today. The Final Countdown boasts some ofthe best aircraft footage ever caught on film, hollywood or documentary. The scene between the Jolly Rogers F-14's and the 2 Japanese Zero fighters is a timeless classic.

The sound is excellent, the transfer is quite good, and the 2 disc set includes very special bonuses for fans of the F-14, or aviation in general. And the bonus disc interviews the Jolly Rogers squadron that flew in the film, worth it if you are an avaiation fan. If not, you might still enjoy it anyways, as they certainly have an entertaining story about one of the cast members! ... Read more

Reviews (158)

Even Better Than The 1st--Great Antonio Banderas Performance
With a cast that includes John Cleese and Julie Andrews as Princess Fiona's royal parents, Rupert Everett as Prince Charming, both Antonio Banderas AND Jennifer Saunders stealing the show as Puss-In-Boots and the Fairy Godmother, respectively, SHREK 2 actually manages to do the seemingly impossible: build on---and even improve upon---the original! Usually, the first in any film series is the best, being fresh & original; sequels almost never live up to the original story. However, SHREK 2 plays not like a sequel; it's really more of an extension of the wacky SHREK. It actually throws more at you this time around, and resultingly turns out to be a laugh-a-minute animated comedy that blows you away. It is startingly original, inventive, edgy, satirical, rude, crude, romantic, cute---all at the same time! Mike Myers still does an incredible job as the voice of Shrek, as does Eddie Murphy as the motormouth Donkey and, of course, Cameron Diaz as the feisty Princess Fiona. I couldn't count all the great lines there are in the film! Also, as visually stunning as the 3-D CGI animation was in the original, it is even more amazing this time around: for example, Prince Charming looks so real that you have to remind yourself that he's not CGI. SHREK 2 is a feast for the eyes, yet you don't even realize how much it is because you're too busy laughing at the hundreds of gags, of which I will not dare to reveal!

As with the original, this film is not appropriate for kids under the age of 8. As with the original, more than 20 million kids under the age of 8 will have seen this film by this time next year. That's just a fact of life, I guess! Already SHREK 2 is breaking box office records, most notably the coveted five-day-opening-weekend record, earning over $125 million. It will undoubtably end up with an over-half-billion-dollar take at the U.S. box office alone, easily surpassing that of the original. But really, it isn't all hype: SHREK 2 definitely earns its standing as the most anticipated movie sequel of the year. Add to that the best comedy of the year!

MOST RECOMMENDED

Can't remember feeling this good leaving a theater ...
First, you start off with a dream cast: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, John Cleese, Julie Andrews, Jennifer Saunders, and Rupert Everett. Then, you put them in a movie sequel that - while maybe with not quite the same level of heart the first film had - is funny, well-written, action-packed, and with a good story to tell.

And that's how "Shrek 2" comes to be, on a different level, a sequel to equal its predecessor. I literally can't remember when I've left a movie feeling this good, it's a film that deserved to break records, and hopefully will continue to do so.

The film opens right where the first one left off; Fiona and Shrek (Diaz and Myers) enjoy a blissful honeymoon ... after which they head home to the swamp, where they are reunited with Donkey (Murphy) -- it seems the romance between him and Dragon didn't work out. Soon after they're arrival, the newlyweds are visited by messengers from the Kingdom of Far Far Away, who inform them that Princess Fiona and her husband, Prince Shrek, have been invited to Far Far Away for a celebration of their marriage, with a gala ball where the king and queen (Fiona's parents) will bestow their blessings on the marriage union.

Shrek, figuring correctly that Fiona's parent may not be thrilled with their daughter marrying an ogre -- much less that Fiona is now an ogre permanently herself -- allows himself to be talked into going to the kingdom by Fiona, who is absolutely sure her parents will not only accept her in her current form ... but will also accept her ogre husband, whom she dearly loves.

The trip back -- in a carriage shaped like a garlic bulb -- takes Shrek and Fiona and Donkey to a kingdom where the streets resemble a strip mall (Burger Prince, Tower of London Records, etc. -- it looks like Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, Disney-style). When they get to the castle, they see that practically every loyal subject in the kingdom has gathered to celebrate the return of the long-lost princess. But when the happy couple steps from the coach, a hush of shock falls over the crowd ... and sure enough, the reception on all levels is much closer to Shrek's vision than what Fiona had in mind.

Add a conniving Fairy Godmother (Saunders), who has her own plans for Shrek and Fiona, and is blackmailing the King (Cleese) into helping her ... a catsassin name Puss-in-Boots (Banderas) who is hired to "take care of" Shrek so the evil plan can unfold ... and a magic "Happy Every After" potion that must end in a kiss before midnight for it to take hold ... and you have a great sequel that is funny, adventurous, and will appeal to the young and old alike.

The animation is tops; classic as "Shrek" was, there have been still new advances in animation that make this film look even more amazing on the big screen. The characters are all warm and human -- especially Shrek and Fiona of course -- but you'll get your best laughs from Donkey ... and especially from Puss, who has a secret weapon (when fighting off the guards in one scene) that may just have you falling off your seat with laughter.

While "Shrek" may be a more "fully-rounded" film, as some have said, there is not a single frame - or moment - wasted in this terrific sequel. In some ways, I liked it even better than the first, and for Murphy and Banderas alone the L.Q. (Laugh Quotient) will make it worth even a second or third viewing in the theater (and a no-brainer to own on DVD). Highly recommended, and I can't imagine anyone not liking this film -- unless you got a good bit of ogre in you, too.

Fantastic Movie! Better than the first!!!
This is a great film. It has a good moral and is a good family film. Most of the the innuendoes and other innapropriate jokes will go over the heads of most children.

Taking films into the next century!
Shrek 2 is one of the most funniest films of 2004 with its great graphical charaters to the funny jokes and phrases put into the film this is a definate 5 star!!

comically hillarious, action-packed and new characters
I was actually unsure about Shrek 2 because I was worried they'd ruin the first movie by throwing in irrelevant and painful gags with no real plot, but I was shushed into silence as I watched this hillarious and feel-good film. It's again a mickey-take of all the original fairytales like Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Pinochio, and Cinderella, but it's still so funny. Whilst this is for kids, it has some quite, let's say, controversial scenes which could upset young children. The parts where Shrek and Fiona need a little privarcy to make love is quite a scare for three-year-olds. And many people love Puss N Boots fairytale, yet in this they put him on drugs! But still, this is an excellent follow-up to the blockbuster hit Shrek. I would definitely give this one a see, it's just as good as the first one! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A Wonderful Story Riddled with Too Many Unanswered Questions
De-Lovely has all of the makings of a great movie. It has a wonderful and engaging cast, especially Kevin Kline as the American composer and songwriter Cole Porter. Ashley Judd is ethereal as the long-suffering wife of Cole Porter, Linda Lee Porter. Cole Porter?s music?performed mostly by today?s musical contemporaries like Robbie Williams and Sheryl Crow?is still beautiful, catchy and witty. The period suits and dresses are aesthetically pleasing. With all those pluses, De-Lovely should have been an excellent and entertaining movie but it isn?t. It left with me with an empty and confused feeling.

Cole Porter (1891-1964) married Linda Lee Porter (1883-1954) in 1919. Linda was a wealthy divorcée, and several years older than Porter was when they wed. Porter was gay. Linda and Cole shared a mainly platonic marriage, which included separate bedrooms in their lush houses. The biopic De-Lovely inspires to be a celebration of their relationship, a love affair that is higher (and perhaps purer) than sex and sexual orientation. However, it doesn?t succeed.

The movie never truly explains why Linda accepted this type of arrangement even though she knew from the start that Cole would rather sleep with men. Did she do it because she was lonely? Did she do it because they were great friends? Or did she do it because she needed a cover for her own sexual orientation? One never knows. In De-Lovely, Linda Lee knowingly marries a gay man yet balks (a lot!) when Cole has trysts with men. She encourages him to move to different parts of the world to work on his music in hopes that it will distract him from his extramarital affairs, and then becomes upset when it doesn?t. She even leaves him, only to come back when he is injured in a horseback riding accident. It only appears in this movie that Linda stayed with Cole to be able to apply for martyrdom.

One is motivated to watch the movie from beginning to end to see if the secrets of their relationship are ever revealed. They are not, and, in the end it, makes De-Lovely a very dissatisfying movie despite its wonderful characteristics.

As earlier mentioned, Kevin Kline?s performance is sublime. The music, although performed with a certain amount of campiness, remains timeless. (Skip the De-Lovely soundtrack and check out the Ella Fitzgerald Sings Cole Porter or the Frank Sinatra Sings Cole Porter CDs.)

Even educated fleas do it.
My main problem with "De-Lovely" has nothing to do with the acting, the music or the way that director Irwin Winkler has chosen to present the material.

Kevin Kline is excellent in this movie, and Ashley Judd gives her best performance in years, which isn't really saying much. The music is excellent, though it's occasionally obtrusive in the movie.

The "It's a Wonderful Life" story device used to tell the story is a bit odd, to be honest. In it, the aged Cole Porter is commanded by some sort of visiting angel or "director," played eerily by Jonathan Pryce, to tell the story of his life. So, occasionally, the entire natural story stops, allowing for aged Cole to interfere or intervene in the way his life is going.

My main problem, I fear, has to do with the arrangement behind the marriage of Cole and Linda Lee Porter, which is not the movie's fault at all.

I'm bugged by the fact that Linda Lee marries Cole knowing full well that he's gay - yet much of the movie is devoted to how it's difficult for her to live with this choice. When she sees him devoted to another man, she moves them to another country, even though she knew he was gay to begin with. It's like she's a hanger-on, even though he didn't love her the way she needed to be loved. There's was a marriage-of-convenience, not of romantic love.

There are too many shots of Linda looking disappointed that her husband is cavorting with men, even though she knew before they married what he did.

Linda herself admits to not much liking men. Her first husband, according to the movie, abused her, so her marriage to Cole, one of "respect," is without passion.

The entire movie is about their compromise, and it's difficult to watch or determine what exactly we as an audience are supposed to feel about it.

Either Cole is horrible for cheating on his wife with her permission. Or Linda is silly for intentionally entering into a loveless marriage to someone who is actually a very dear friend who cares for her intimately.

See it for the music. See it for the acting. And, if you're gay, be very happy that you live now and, more than likely, no longer have to undertake a sham marriage and hide who you really are.

Absolutely Fantastic
I had to drive nearly 60 miles just to see this movie and it was worth the gas money to do so. This film is brilliant, and without a doubt, I would drive the 60 miles just to see it again.

Kevin Kline stars as songwriter Cole Porter, who lives his life to the fullest and doesn't deny himself any happiness, whether it's happiness with his wife (played by the fantastic Ashley Judd) or with a man. It's life shown even at it's weakest moments-- his wife losing a baby and Cole being thrown from a horse and having serious problems with his legs afterwards, making it hard to use the piano pedals.

This film is so poignant and lovely in every aspect. We get plenty of musical numbers of marvelous Cole Porter tunes, sung by wonderful guest stars, including Robbie Williams, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, and Alanis Morissette. The performances by Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd have OSCAR written all over them.

I highly recommend this film! Even if it's out of your way, as it was for me, try and make the trip anyway. If you're one of the lucky few who lives close to a theater playing this wonderful film, do not miss out on the amazing opportunity to see this one!

This Is Your Life, Cole Porter!
Irwin Winkler, the director of this film about Cole Porter, has chosen the device of the movie within the movie or play within the movie to present his story. Cole Porter (Kevin Klein) is an old man (wondrously made up incidentally) sitting in an empty auditorium watching his life unfold before him. There are many good reasons to see this movie, not the least of which is the score (words and music by Cole Porter). Both Klein and Ashley Judd do respectable jobs with their singing, which runs of course in the Judd family along with good looks. Some of the singing done by various artists is uneven; but seeing the movie made me want to buy a Cole Porter CD sung by someone with the talent of Ella Fitzgerald, for instance. Although the critics seem to be agog over Klein's acting-- and he is fine here-- certainly his performance is balanced by that of Ms. Judd, who does a beautifully nuanced portrait of Linda, Porter's (for the most part) understanding wife.

Although Mr. Porter wrote wonderful music which is still bringing joy to a great many people, his marriage, particularly in his later life, if the movie is accurate, was not always happy. There is never any question, however, that the love between the Porters was true and enduring, in spite of Porter's other gay "night" life. The film is quite moving; the stranger sitting next to me wept several times in the movie and I heard sniffles behind me.

The movie is beautifully filmed. The Coles obviously were high rollers-- lots of alcohol, cigarettes, roses, parties, fine cars and furniture; and the two stars must have worn every costume from the Armani catalogue.

A glossy, sometimes brittle and ultimately sad movie.

Truly being in love and what it calls of us.
This is a magical story of success in love and in the world and what toll each of these takes on the other. Keven Kline and Ashley Judd play the Porters in young and old makeup and you are taken along for the ride without question. Both give oscar nomination performances. After the showing the audience erupted in applause. This is a love story first and foremost. It will captivate your finer feelings, at times likely to insult them but all in all will stretch concepts, perameters and capacities of love. I walked away loving life and feeling hopeful. ... Read more

Reviews (184)

This movie is a classic
For me, this movie rates number one among romantic comedies. I have watched it dozens of times and each time I laugh and cry as if it is my first time watching it. The story is so endearing.. How a man and woman meet and dislike each other, mature and "find" each other again only to end a great friendship and finally realize they love each other and marry. I don't feel that Billy Crystal or Meg Ryan have been able to equal their performances in this movie with any other film. They have great chemistry and through the entire film, you hope that someday they will realize how they feel for one another. Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher are equally entertaining. Whenever someone asked me what my favorite Romantic Comedy is, my answer is always When Harry Met Sally.... If there were a "Hall of Fame" for movie genres, this movie would be it. If you want a good laugh (and cry) this movie is it.

It Had to Be You
This movie has been a favorite of mine back in highschool when I first saw the film either on HBO or Television. It also has personal meaning as well, not in the romantic way as some might have the film in their lives but just in a fun eventful personal way.
The movie is about the single life, dating, and the age old question "Can woman and men just be friends?" The movie stars my personal favorites Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal who are perfectly paired up together in this film. Meg plays Sally who's I guess the more positive, healthier (speaking from the film of course) of the two where as Billy is completely different he's deep and depressed. They meet each other on the trip to New York City where they want their lives to start after college. Then ironically keep meeting a couple years later...the final time they meet he's seperated and she and her boyfriend break up. The movie continues to go into the question, in a way its a hopeful movie for the romantics and other words it could give relationships like this a false impression as Nora Ephron explains in the Documentary of the Film. But nonetheless its a hopeful and very cute romantic comedy. It also stars the wonderful Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby. Who are great as Sally and Harry's best friends in the movie. Its fun romantic and witty. And great for both men and woman I believe. It'll be up to you to decide if woman and men can be just friends :)
The soundtrack is great. It's all performed by Harry Connic Jr. to give it the classic touch. With the hit tune "It Had to be You." And many more classic songs.
The DVD has tons of goodies. I'll ignore the fact that it doesn't have a full screen selection as well. But let's move on it's got a great behind the scene's documentary fully on how the idea was scripted, when people came on board such as Nora Ephron, Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal and so on. It goes through who had the idea for what, and how each of them relates to the characters they play. To even how the music was picked for the film and so on. They also have the movie trailer and trailers for other movies by Rob R. as well as the music video to "It Had to be You" With Harry Connic Jr., Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. There's also commentary by Rob R., Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher and cast and crew which I still have yet to view and go through but I can't wait. This will always be my first classic romantic comedy and how I came to adore Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. I'm sure both men and woman will love this movie :)

My favorite movie of all time!
This movie is the perfect movie to make you laugh. I watch it every year somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love the scene where they pick out a Christmas tree. It draws you into New York the way Sex and the City does. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan were perfect for their roles--I've never liked either of them more than in this movie. Many great quotes came from this movie.

A unforgettable romantic comedy . The best of eighties!
Billy Cristal and Meg Ryan are in their peak craft. They made a punch comedy with the challenging question: May two friends of different sex to be great friends without falling in love?
This is a the premise who will allow to Reiner and this cast to make a delightful and sugestive film.
Obviously you will find traces of some films of Woody Allen , but this picture in particular breathes in the purest sense of the world. This is a love story with many laughable and smart situations that (jokes apart), will let you thinking.
Believe me if I say that since Two for the road (Stanley Donen) and Forty carats (Milton Katselas) I'd never seen a film so original and so well made. The orgasm sequence is now a classic!.A film that blends the charisma and the beauty of Meg and the hyper fast mind of Cristal, never can fail. Don't you?
Acquire this one. It's a cult movie.

Funny.
Billy Crystal as Harry and Meg Ryan as Sally starred in this crowd-pleasing romantic comedy.

I was really surprised that I enjoyed this one, usually I don't like Billy Crystal but there was some excellent dialogue in this film that helped him out, Meg Ryan looked great (when she didn't have an awful '80's perm - note to ladies on here - it looks really dumb as do ugg boots and jeans that show off your butt cleavage or fat rolls).

I really wish the whole "I'm having what she's having" statement was not said as I've had to endure countless cheesy commercials based on this scene but all in all had some fun with this one.

That said, too many f words, about 8, and too much of the fornicating already, try getting to know someone properly first then marrying them as a lifelong commitment before sleeping with them

Also, you can have platonic friends of the opposite sex, and unless you've got a lust problem you won't be thinking about bedding them all the time.

Thanks for reading, and come out of them you lustful demon!! ... Read more

Description

In TOP GUN, Tom Cruise stars as Maverick, a talented training pilot in an elite U.S. school for fighter pilots. When he stumbles upon some MiG's over the Persian Gulf, and his wingman panics, Maverick cleverly talks him through the situation to safety. Consequently, he is moved up in rank and sent to the Top Gun Naval Flying School. There he has several conflicts with other students while trying to live up to his deceased father's reputation.Unable to cope with the death of his best friend, and fellow pilot, Goose, Maverick contemplates dropping out, but follows through with his dream and ultimately becomes one of the "best of the best." ... Read more

Reviews (209)

Fun, but not realistic.
"Top Gun" is not the movie to watch if you are looking for authentic military activities. It is, however, a showcase for Tom Cruise to show how hot he and his band of young stud actors are. Cruise plays Maverick, a crack Navy pilot who get the chance to go to the elite Top Gun Avaiation School. There he is placed in com