Reviews (93)

great opportunities for interfaith understanding.
One of the finest movies on Islam ever made. It is a movie made for those looking for an objective portrayal of the worlds fastest growing faith, Islam. The movie should help dispel and refute the lies and fraud that the popular news media portrays on Islam.... It is truly a great movie. Being a Moslem by birth, I am happy to see a very historical, true and accurate picture of the struggles of Islam and the development of this religion. This is a movie I enjoyed watching and I think that anyone would enjoy watching regardless of his or her religious preference. I found myself having a much greater understanding of my own heritage and a very deep respect for Christianity and Jewish faiths after watching this movie. The fact that Islam, Christianity and Judaism were good friends of one another during the time of our prophet is greatly overlooked by all the three religions. I think that it is a pity that the three religions that share so much in common, worship the same God, spent so much time fighting one another. I highly recommend it for anyone and all ages. I am very surprised this movie was not a box office smash. Again, it is one of the best I have ever seen...it answers a lot of questions and presents some great opportunities for interfaith understanding.

The Greatest Movie on Islam & Prophet Muhammad made to date!
Asslaamu Alaikum! This is Arabic for what Muslims believe are 'elemental,eternal & Universal' greetings of Peace & Blessings to all Mankind...that's includes anyone including YOU on the Net Muslim or non-Muslim alike! The MESSAGE...is One and Only (to date) BEST Classic Religious epic ever made!!It beautifully captures the 're-birth' of Islam in 7th Century Arabia and the character of the Blessed & Last Prophet of God,'Muhammad' (arabic meaning 'The Praised One'. And here is the main reason of its Uniqueness from All Other Films ever Made!! It brilliantly portrays the HERO of this Historical Film without even showing a glimpse of the Hero...ie Prophet Muhammad...Why? & How? You Ask??...WATCH IT & See for Yourself!..Why the underlying Message of this Film is as beautiful & controversial as it was over 1,400 years as it is is today approaching the second Millenium!! Love, Peace & Brotherhood! Brother Nadim...(14/12/98) (1419 AH Islamic Calendar)

An Eye Opener
Having recently embraced Islam, I am happy to say this movie was my eye opener and a turning point for any doubts or confusions I had before I took my final step toward Islam. Once I watched it, I knew I was doing the right thing. It is brilliantly made, especially considering how old the movie actually is, and every time I watch it the tears flow more. I am glad the movie is back in circulation and know that it will help anybody who wants to learn more about Islam. I pray more people will take steps toward studying Islam and erasing any misconceptions they have. This movie will certainly help. It is accurate and reliable history and I recommend it as a teaching reference for anybody who wants to present Islam as well. It's even better when you watch it the second time round. I only wish they'd make it in more languages.

I really wonder!!
After watching this movie I really wonder as to why it was banned across the Arab world. Such a pity really!. In an age where people have horrible misconceptions of Islam this film would do a great deal in atleast putting a doubt in people's mind that Islam is nothing like the religion it is potrayed by the Western media.
I really hope & pray that someone comes along & tries to revive the movie by re-releasing it.
I as a muslim found myself trying to gulp my emotions while watching it. I feel this movie will serve as a starting point to people becoming interested in Islam & trying to learn more about it.

Underrated Cinema Epic
The Message is a compelling and riveting cinema epic. I have to say that I am certainly moved everytime I watch this movie. It tries to be a factual and informative movie while not trangressing the limits set by Islam such as not seeing the person of Muhammad and some companions. This epic is certainly moving, it captures the essence of Islam and preaches the Oneness of God, and that Muhammad is His Messenger. It chronicles the life of Muhammad S.A.W. from when he received the first Divine Message up till his end. It examines the tribulations and greatness of prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) and tries to keep as though the viewer is there among them. Truly a captivating experience. I recommend it highly for Muslims to deepen their knowledge of Islamic history and also especially for non-muslims so that they may know and understand the message of Islam, what not with the bad protrayal of Islam by the media nowadays. This remains my favourite movie of all time. ... Read more

Description

While on a diplomatic trip to Europe with her parents, first daughter Anna (Mandy Moore) escapes the secret service and meets mysterious stranger Ben Calder, who also happens to be an undercover agent. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Wonderful!
This is a film I have no problem recommending to anyone! Suitable for adults and children alike, Balto is a movie that first touched my heart back in 1995 when it was first released and continues to reign as my all-time favorite animated movie. Kevin Bacon delivers an excellent performance as the humble and timid, Balto, while the rest of the voice cast brings to life his simple but captivating world. I can't say enough about this movie. While it isn't exactly historically correct, the movie uses the true story of Balto as a stepping-stone into a tale about friendship, love, and what real courage is. Relaying a timeless message of excepting others for who they truly are, Balto is a movie thats perfect for helping children realize that hate, prejudice, and discrimination are evil poisons. It also delivers a message about loving those who hate you and that one person (or dog) can make a difference- they just have to be willing to stand up and step in. These are lessons that not just children but also adults need to be reminded of and this is just the movie to do that. Forget Disney for awhile and check out this true masterpiece from Universal.

Couldn't be a better film!
This is a really good movie.I've been watching it for as long as I can remember.It's about a dog (part wolf)who is an outcast in Nome,Alaska.He's friends with a Russian snow goose called Boris (the funniest character in the movie) and 2 polar bears called Muk and Luk who can't swim.He's also in love with a dog called Jenna, and there's a villian called Steele.
When a disease strikes (with Jenna's owner, Rosie, among the sick) and the sled team sent to get the anti-toxin is lost, Balto must find and rescue the team and face avalanches,icicle falls and (of course) Steele.A brilliant movie.

A powerful story
My only regret with this movie, is that I did not catch it at the cinema! However when I first rented it from a video store, I instantly fell in love with it (and ended up re-renting it out quite a few times before finally receiving a VHS copy of my own later on). Now it is on DVD and so I have happily purchased this to keep forever more, it really is an absolute favourite of mine.

Story Summary:

Our main character is a half-dog, half-wolf protagonist who is shunned by the townspeople and rejects the outside life of the wolves, he doesn't belong anywhere. This story sees the children of the town threatened by a virus and when it seems that the life-saving medicine will be impossible to obtain, our protoganist throws himself into the world of both realities for the sake of others and getting his chance at proving his worth to the world, but not without it's trials and tribulations of course. Place in an overbearing and selfish lead husky, a gentle canine love interest, a cynical goose partner, and some fun polar bears, then be prepared for a ride filled with danger, love and humour. All carried along with a powerful message that "You don't need a pedigree to help someone" and of acceptance of the self so as to cherish those personal qualities that make you different and attempt to rise above the odds by acting to your fullest.

Elements:

The animation is wonderfully done, very impressive and carries the story well. As mentioned before, the music is also a treat, the end credits vocal fits the whole movie extremely well and is as powerful as the movie's message itself, the instrumental soundtrack also gives a powerful underlying atmosphere to all the dynamic scenes. The plot is played out well, as firstly you are gradually introduced to the main characters through fitting scenes and get a good feeling for who they are and how they carry themselves out in life, an important factor for following a character driven plot. Then there is a good variety in the action, causing our protagonist to be pitted against an array of odds that keep you gripped and doesn't let the pace die. As mentioned, the voices are all acted out very well.

Conclusion:

Either way this film is a must-see in my opinion, and one I have happily seen many times myself. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Sidenote:

However on another note, I believe the VHS cover would of been better than this new cover, it seemed to have a more powerful composition with a nice variety of colour. If I remember right, it doesn't outrightly say "true story", it was more like "the story that became a legend" which could still be in a fictional sense since it is a word often used in mystical themes, rather than the word "true" that pulls away any doubt of this not being from something or other based in reality. If I remember correctly that is. Either way, since I didn't enter this movie initially thinking in a forward manner of "This is based on a true story" I felt the ending words had an added impact. But this is an extremely minor point, and this movie is very impacting either way in my opinion.

So, as stated, this is based loosely on a true story. For the purpose of this version of the original story things have been re-invented and so on. I do not believe this being an alternative interpretation detracts from this movie, incase you wondered, and I feel it's very impacting and influential. When I first watched this film I had no idea of this being based at all on a true story, so when the final words came, "Based on a true story", I was very touched as the underlying achievement is extremely impressive. To see the bare facts you may wish to see other documentation in company with this movie, however.

All in all, a great and influential story.

Lots of fun!
Does it really matter that this isn't exactly "historical?" I mean c'mon people, it's entertainment, not a history book.

My only gripe is that is was released in 4:3, aka "Full Screen." This was probably done for the kiddies, but for those of us that enjoy a good animated flick, release it in widescreen! That's the only reason it doesn't rate 5 stars.

If you've got access to a region free DVD player, order the German version from Amazon.de. It's a much nicer presentation, in it's original 16:9, with the english dialogue track.

Maybe Universal will release a special edition here in the states, with the theatrical version. Don't hold your breath too long, tho!

Another Universal Classic Animated Feature
Balto has been around since 1995 and even today the animation is still spactacular. There is nothing but absolute beauty in every shot and in every note in the compelling music score. The voice acting is performed very well. Especially Phill Collins as Muk and Luk. If there's one complaint I have about this film is the fact that it's not acclaimed as much as it should be. I do wish that a widescreen presentation was availible and I don't very much agree with them changing the cover art. Unfortunatey Universal doesn't seem to care much. But the film is a joy either way. ... Read more

Amazon.com

An impassioned clash of art and politics lies at the heart of Taking Sides, a historical drama that resonates with timeless relevance. Director Istvan Szabo remained in his native Hungary during Soviet occupation, and that experience clearly informed his approach to this fact-based film about Wilhelm Furtwangler, the celebrated conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, who chose to remain in Germany as the Nazis rose to power. World War II has ended, and now Furtwangler (superbly played by Stellan Skarsgârd) must endure intense interrogation by Steve Arnold (Harvey Keitel), a pugnacious U.S. Army major assigned to root out Nazi collaborators. While the overzealous Arnold deals in moral absolutes, Furtwangler's embrace of art for art's sake opens him up to charges that he supported Hitler, intentionally or not, by naively believing that art and politics could remain separate in the cauldron of the Third Reich. Based on the play by Ronald Harwood (The Pianist), Taking Sides presents a compelling collision of ideologies, probing complex personal and political motivations while presenting an authentic, emotionally charged portrait of German culture immediately following Hitler's demise. Despite its title, the film itself remains neutral regarding its central argument, leaving the viewer to ponder the weighty issues involved. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Difficult Subject, A Brilliant Result
TAKING SIDES achieves what so many other attempts at exploring the extremes of the human psyche under duress do not. That nether land of doubt that exists when aftermath 'truths' can only be postulated and not proved is the fodder from which writer Ronald Harwood (who also wrote 'The Pianist') has created a terse and tense examination of the investigation by the Allied Forces of Conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler. Was he a Nazi sympathizer or a protector of Jews during the Holocaust? Director Istvan Szabo maintains the format of the original play to keep the story confined to the interrogation room, straying only momentarily to develop the characters of this quasi-trial. Stellan Skarsgard is extraordiarily fine as the controversial Furtwangler, even taking on his body language and conducting moments to the realist edge. As the Allied Forces interrogator Steven Arnold, Harvey Keitel is brilliant - seethingly angry, a hell-bent Major who refuses Furtwangler any semblance of respect. Assisting Keitel are his secretary Emmi (in an astonishingly fine performance by Birgitt Minichmayr) and an Allied observer David (the equally fine Moritz Bleibtreu), a Jew who still holds the subject Furtwangler in deep respect. But the magic is in the duets by Keitel and Skarsgard, sparring with personal venom and personal despair. We are not given a decision as to the truth of Furtwangler's investigation, but we are told the results of the interviews. All of the music is Beethoven and Schubert and Bruckner (the use of the Adagio from the Bruckner Symphony No. 7 is especially eloquent and meaningful) and is played from recordings by Furtwangler and the Berlin Philharmonic as well as by Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle of Berlin. This film is every bit as fine as the author's film of his THE PIANIST, but for some unknown reason it simply opened and closed in the theaters without making the impact it so justly deserves. Highly recommended on every level.

Art against politics : the eternal fight
The disturbing question around the inquirer Arnold is are you i nvolved or not with the Nazis? . He doesn't understand how you can face the enemie without being outside the country as others did it. Toscanini, Klemperer, Schoenberg or Bruno Walter.
Wilhelm Furtwangler holds his reasoning of keeping inside, holding the struggle face to face.
There have always been these two points of view about how deal with that. Is really the politics more important than the art? It depends on you; and how you face the life; the ancient greeks used call idiot to this kind of people who just care about his personal business; forgetting perhaps the meaning of what citizenship means.
That's why Furtwangler develops his art of cobducting. The art will always survive far beyond the politics ; due his goals are timeless ; the politics turns around another level , a minor level obviously , because the material needs of the human being concern to a major number of people than the art ; whose purpose is by its own nature more reduced, less popular , more aristocratic.
And we are then before a democratic choice ; the art has been always in a less proportion than politics. The Reinassance fact concerned juist about a few minds and men ; and it's hard to think about if the achievements made by all this reborn spiritual could have been understood by the whole population.
This film show both positions ; the trascendence against the present moment ; the aristos facing the vulgarity .
Keitel and Sanksgard sre flamboyant in every role . Szabo with his camera and enlighting are fisrt rate.
The issues delaed in this movie are timeless discussion , tht's why this picture is an important document about the awful facts after the WW2 about Wilhelm Furtwangler the greatest conductor in any age.
Watch this film and please don'nt forget that the little K inscribed himself twice with the Nazis.
Pitifully Ferenc Fricsay , the conductor designed by Furtwangler as the future conductor would die in 1962 , a fact that allowed to the little K conduct the Berlin Philarmonic till his death in 1986.

Self-Righteous Delusion & The Failure of Good Intentions.
"Taking Sides" is a fact-based account of the attempt to bring Dr. Wilhelm Furtwangler (Stellan Skarsgard), the globally renowned conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, to trial for "serving the Nazi regime". The film is based on the play by Ronald Harwood, who also wrote the script. The story takes place in 1946 while Berlin was occupied by American and Russian militaries. Major Steve Arnold (Harvey Keitel) of the U.S. Army has been assigned the task of determining who among Germany's artistic community aided the Nazi cause during the regime's 12-year reign. Dr. Furtwangler is suspect because he is not dead, and because his work was admired by prominent members of the Reich, including Adolph Hitler himself.

The events depicted in "Taking Sides" did take place, although I'm not sure how accurate the film is in the details. The character of Furtwangler has been expanded upon to serve the film's themes. "Taking Sides" is deliberately morally ambiguous, preferring that the audience decide for itself who is guilty of what. Stellan Skarsgard and Harvey Keitel are both in top form. Skarsgard is one of cinema's finest character actors, and here he plays a man who has been defeated, at least temporarily, by the tide of history and who is at a loss to comprehend attacks on his character and good intentions. Keitel is perfection as the well-meaning Major Arnold, whose own intentions lead him to self-righteous delusion. As this was a play, the film takes place primarily on one set. But the occasional change of venue prevents this from becoming conspicuous. "Taking Sides" would be worth seeing for its fine performances. Although it takes place 58 years ago, its subject matter will never go out of style. Both Furtwangler and Arnold seem to have failed in their good intentions to one degree or another, or at least been too indiscriminate in their patriotism .

The DVD: Bonus features consist of 9 interviews with cast and crew members and some behind-the-scenes footage entitled, appropriately enough, "Behind the Scenes". The interviews are all brief. Particularly worth seeing are those with actors Stellan Skarsgard and Ulrich Tukur, in which they speak about their characters. "Behind the Scenes" is just random film footage from the set without any narration. It's not actually a documentary.

I did this show
As an actor/producer who chose to do the play TAKING SIDES (on which this film is based) last May at the height of a new era of "post war" occupation by America, I feel I have particular insight into this product.

I played Major Arnold, the bullish American who is so traumatized by the Holocaust brought on by the Germans that he is assigned to interrogate artists who stayed in Germany during the war.

Furtwangler is the focus of this investigation, as the most renouned conductor of the time. Furtwangler was wealthy, loved by Hitler as well as most Germans. You see, art and culture was big to Nazi life, and though Furwangler never joined the party and actually helped some Jewish musicians escape, he chose to stay in Germany and work. It is known that Hitler so loved him that there was a standing order to not touch him (he was on a list of "immortals" that were viewed as so important they got special treatment even in times of war and hardship.) Furtwangler was openly defiant to other Nazi officials, and they hated him.

LIke many Germans, they knew what the Nazis were up to only after the fact. Then they were somewhat trapped. Furtwangler admits to knowing the brutality.

And that's the hard part of this piece. There is no clear cut answer as to whom is more right in matters. And if done well, the audience understands both "Sides" of this story. Even if they feel stronger leanings towards one side over the other.

There are many parallels to some of the issues in today's current events that make this sampling of history 60 years ago, startling. History does indeed repeat itself in strange new ways.

No doubt if you are a liberal, you will feel sympathy for Furtwangler, and agree with him that art can be more powerful than politics, and even negate the horrors of the Holocaust.

If you are a Bush fan, you will no doubt find the tactics and mindset of Major Arnold to be on par with your views.

I am a liberal, who painfully, and proudly found the humanity and soul of Arnold each and every night and presented it to an audience.

The tragedy in all this is that each side always thinks it is right. Hitler thought he was right. Saddam thought he was right. Bush thinks he is right. Michael Moore thinks he is right.

And they all have compelling arguements to back up their beleif. It is up to each of us to reach into ourselves and figure out which side we come down on.

Art vs. Morality?
This film, which concerns the behavior of the great conductor Willem Furtwangler under Hitler's regime, is only secondarily about whether Furtwangler did or did not sympathize with the Nazis. The underlying subject is the relationship between art (specifically, music) and morality: should a great artist be expected to abandon his country in order to make a moral choice? or is his duty to keep art alive in society even if it means tolerating evil to do it? And if he chooses the latter course, how can we distinguish this from craven self-interest or even complicity? These are the questions posed to the characters and to us as viewers. A terrific and unusual film, but it will bother you if you are uncomfortable with the ambiguity at its center. ... Read more

Description

While on a diplomatic trip to Europe with her parents, first daughter Anna (Mandy Moore) escapes the secret service and meets mysterious stranger Ben Calder, who also happens to be an undercover agent. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Alfonso Arau's handsome The Magnificent Ambersons, based on Orson Welles's original screenplay, is a brave attempt to restore the dramatic scenes lost when RKO radically recut Welles's magnificent 1941 masterpiece, but it's less a remake than a new take on the material. Bruce Greenwood makes a gracious and sincere Eugene Morgan, the inventor who woos heiress Isabel Amberson (a vibrant Madeleine Stowe) and finds his rival is her spoiled, arrogant son, George (played with sneering, bug-eyed intensity by Jonathan Rhys Meyers). It hits a few sour notes (notably Meyers and a terribly miscast Jennifer Tilly as the jealous Aunt Fanny), but the "new" scenes explore the sprawl of the city, the falling fortunes of the Amberson dynasty, and the almost incestuous intimacy between mother and son only hinted at in Welles's compromised version. It may lack the grand design and cinematic grace of Welles, but it creates its own gentle take on Booth Tarkington's turbulent novel. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Description

From the creator of Ghost in the Shell ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Tanks and good guys who bust heads, what else do you need?
Although this anime has obviously been around for a while and the story is a bit complex at first, this is one of the best animes I've seen. It's entertaining and fun to look at with some great gags and some pretty interesting characters.
One of my only complaints is that the story could use a little more continuity, which I hear the manga has. Unfortunately, I've never had the opportunity to see one.
The final verdict is that this is an excellent anime and very, very fun to watch.

The prologue to the manga in four acts.
160 minutes of tanks, androids, crime, secret government projects, ruthless mercenaries and adult humor.
In this DVD we see Leona on her first day as a Tank Police Officer. We get to see how her mini-tank (toy tank), Bonaparte, came to be made and we also learn a lot more about Greenpeace's AND Buaku's background. We also get to see the Puma sisters in action, in more ways than one!
The DVD has some extras, besides cool character profiles which are selected clips from the Acts (which help you get an idea about each character - the Puma sisters get four clips while everybody else only gets one), they have the Director's comments (that only fits one page) and the normal previews. They also have a tiny fold out of, you guessed it, the Puma sisters on the white motorbikes, armed to the teeth and wearing Cheesecake armour (the stuff that looks like a biker babe's outfit). If you have the manga, Dominion: Tank Police, you need to see this at least once!

Tank Police Charge!
Dominion Tank Police is criminally overlooked by anime fans and companies too seeing how New Dominion Tank Police still hasn't been released on DVD.

You get 2 stories on the DVD - Acts 1 & 2 introduce the characters and Acts 3 & 4 tell the history of gang leader Buaku.

In a world where the sky is so polluted you have to wear breathing masks or risk death, the criminals ran riot, until the cops started to fight back with Tanks! It follows the exploits of ex Motorbike cop Leona Ozaki as she tries to fit in with Lt Britain's extreme method of policing. Once she wrecks his prized tank she rebuilds it into a cute mini tank much to Britain's fury. But Britain himself is a bit of a softie really, especially when Leona shows she can handle things in some great encounters between the Tank Police and Buaku's gang.

The animation is ok for the time and depending on if you watch it dubbed or subbed you'll get different songs and character names. It's highly enjoyable either way as it's a great action packed and funny anime. Keep a lookout for New Dominion Tank Police as once you've seen this you'll want more Tank Police action ... Read more

Reviews (201)

Let the "game" begin.
"Spy Game" is a movie that begins in such a manner that you question your interest in it, but it quickly generates into a gratifying mix of action, suspense, and logical plot twists that are intelligent and witty. With a sense of style and a soundtrack befitting of its hardcore approach, and a cast of well-knowns that chews the material with superb gusto, this is one uniquely satisfying thriller that delivers in all fields, a film that will have you talking long after you've left the multiplex.

It also happens to be one of the few movies that makes my job as a film critic surprisingly difficult. There's not a moment in "Spy Game" during which something is going on that adds up to the big picture, which makes the formulation of a discreet synopsis that much harder. And while this presents a challenge, it also proves the movie's brilliance.

The plot begins with an undercover operation in a Chinese prison, in which Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt), a CIA agent, makes an attempt to rescue an unknown prisoner, but fails in succeeding. Soon after, word reaches his mentor, fellow CIA agent Nathan Muir (Robert Redford), who is on the brink of retirement. Tom's impending execution for espionage brings Nathan to a top secret meeting with the heads of Central Intelligence, who seem more inclined to ignore the situation than to take action.

Nathan's drive to understand their position on the matter leads him to answer their questions about his interactions with Tom, from their initial meeting in Vietnam, to his belief that Tom was incarcerated while trying to rescue Elizabeth Hadley (Catherine McCormack), a missionary with whom he shared a relationship. This is all told in flashback, a technique which begins slowly but evolves as past events lead to the present situation at hand. As all of this is going on, Nathan is using his resources and smarts to devise a plan to rescue Tom before time runs out.

The use of reminiscent storytelling takes time to gain momentum; the initial flashbacks allow the relationship between these two different men to expand. Some audience members will lose interest, but as these sequences progress, it gives us an understanding of the complexities and strategies that are important to the success of their various missions. Such a technique is successful in both shaping the characters as well as building up to the later, more intense plot twists.

This is done with an exceptionally high degree of energy. As the movie begins to reach the final half hour, everything we've seen, every action and reaction, every small detail or occurrence, will coalesce into one of the most satisfying conclusions to a film of this genre in quite some time. There's a certain degree of predictability to the final moments, yet they leave no loose ends, and manage to live up to the intelligence and delectable logic of the previous events.

Director Tony Scott adds an extra kick to his film by incorporating an edgy style that suits the material. From sepia tones and dismal colors, to swift, sometimes frightening cuts, the movie never fails to dazzle the senses as well as the mind. Also worthy of mention is the diverse score from Harry Gregson-Williams, which captures the setting and various moods exquisitely, ranking as one fine composition that blends fast, alternative beats with sweeping, heartfelt emotion.

The shining attribute of this gem, however, is its supremely delightful cast, who make the material realistic and exciting. Pitt turns in yet another worthy performance, stock-piling various elements from his previous roles into Bishop's character, whose bold outlook clashes with his naivety with dangerous results. McCormack adds a much-needed mysticism as well as true emotion to Elizabeth, whose motive we're never quite sure of until the movie's finale. Redford steals the show in a patented Redford-esque performance, playing Nathan with all the wit, intelligence and presence that we have come to love him for as an actor.

You can grumble about the style of "Spy Game," but there's no denying its ability to entertain in a pleasing fashion. Here's a movie that knows what it's about, and has the good sense and brains to take us there without resorting to cheap tricks or formulaic contrivances. It's a smart thriller that is easily understood once it picks up speed, and everything about it brings a smile to my face.

Not the usual retirement day party
Because the actor appears so infrequently nowadays, the end of 2001 has delivered a relative flurry of Robert Redford films to the Big Screen - two, THE LAST CASTLE and SPY GAME. The latter was, for me, the most entertaining, though the former includes an Oscar-worthy supporting performance by James Gandolfini.

In SPY GAME, Redford plays Nathan Muir, at the very end of a thirty-year career with the CIA. Before arriving at his Langley headquarters office on retirement day, he learns that a former protégé, Tom Bishop (played by Brad Pitt), has been imprisoned and condemned to death by the Red Chinese. Over the next 24 hours, Muir must race to save Bishop's life in the face of a high level CIA decision to sacrifice the incarcerated agent on the altar of the President's economic rapprochement with China. In the battle of wits with his weasely superiors, Muir must flashback for them (and the film's viewers) the history of his relationship with Bishop, which extends from 1975 Vietnam forward through Cold War Berlin and the war-torn Beirut of the mid 1980s.

SPY GAME is flashy and extremely fast paced, the latter because of film editing which limits each continuous scene to no more than perhaps 15-20 seconds. It's far unlike one of my very favorite spy flicks of the past, THE RUSSIA HOUSE (1990), starring Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer. In the latter, the emphasis is on plot evolution and character development - a slower paced, thinking man's film. However, the differences between the two don't reflect badly on SPY GAME. Redford is too fine an actor to be involved in anything substandard, and watching his Muir persona run circles around his Langley superiors is one of the movie's chief delights. (When was the last clunker Redford starred in?). Pitt does a creditable and credible job as the young military sniper (trained to shoot in the Boy Scouts!) first employed by agent controller Muir for an assassination in Laos, and then permanently recruited for the Agency by Muir soon after the US scuttled out of Southeast Asia.

SPY GAME did have its hiccups. I was unreasonably annoyed that the "Berlin" sequences were actually filmed in Budapest, probably because Berlin is one of my favorite cities. Actress Catherine McCormack's relatively cold performance as Bishop's love obsession didn't really click for me, though she was my heartthrob of the moment in DANGEROUS BEAUTY (1997). And, it seemed a bit much of a stretch for the Chinese correctional officer to connect bubblegum with a prison break. On the other hand, the depiction of chaotic and violent Beirut (filmed in Morocco) was masterfully done. Overall, the director succeeded in producing an intelligent and engrossing holiday thriller. And it's so good to see Redford back. Thus, 4.5 stars, rounded for Amazon to 5.

Awful
Yet another movie in which Robert Redford gets to reprise his role as an irritating know-all. He has played pretty much the same character for the last ten years, and this time the phoney sagacity emerges though the persona of a CIA commander handing out lines like 'don't ever question my orders again', 'you just lost ten seconds', and (yes) 'you're ten minutes late' to his fawning understrapper Brad Pitt. Yawn. Actually wasn't that last line followed by another admonitory cliché seconds later? Oh yes: 'Don't let it happen again.' By the way, this movie *is* marketed as a thriller.

How behind the times is a film which still tries to portray the embattled North Vietnamese as an enemy requiring murderous force to extirpate? How confused is a movie in which Redford refers in one moment to the 'seventeen sects' in Lebanon and thereafter has to use the cumbersomely neutral locution of 'the Lebanese militia' to refer to the sect the US had sided with? How cliched is a movie which intercuts between a tuxedoed reception at an embassy and a gritty car-chase behind the iron curtain? Plus the enemy du jour is - surprise, surprise - the Chinese.

The moviemakers' meticulous research and attention to detail is evdient throughout: Redford repeatedly pronounces Sheik as 'chic'; a scene opens with a shot of the Szabadság bridge in Budapest while the subtitle reads 'Berlin'; and of course stealing top-secret documents at Langley is simply a matter of distracting the secretary, swiping them off his desk and hiding them under your jacket.

But I suppose you could just watch it for the garbled morals, the inapposite techno/dance soundtrack and director Tony Scott's frenetic swoop-then-freezeframe camerawork...

I SPY U SPY
Tony Scott's intricately plotted spy drama ironically places two of our blond matinee idols in jeopardy. A leathery-faced Robert Redford with the fresh blossom of youth in Brad Pitt. Both actors do well in their roles, with Redford coming out on top as his role demands a little more. Scott is good in keeping the pace quick even though there are several moments that you wonder if he can keep it up. Pitt plays a CIA operative captured on a botched mission and scheduled to be executed by the Chinese. Of course, the CIA will allow this because Pitt was on a rogue unauthorized mission, and they don't want to ruin their trade relationship with China. Redford does everything he can in a 24 hour period to ensure Pitt's safety.
The movie has a fine supporting cast including Marie-Jean Baptiste as Redford's secretary; Larry Bryggman (soap opera's AS THE WORLD TURNS); Catherine McCormack as Pitt's love interest, and Stephen Dillane as Harker, the self-assured, egotistical fellow agent.

David Hemmings and Charlotte Rampling have cameos.
All in all, entertaining, if a little hard to follow sometimes.

Great Thriller, practically flawless
Wow, what's NOT to like in this tightly-directed, smart spy thriller? Certainly not Brad Pitt, who plays Viet Nam vet, ex-boyscout, erstwhile trained assassin who doesn't shy at doing wetwork while agonizing about the fate of his "assets" or contacts in the field. And a great performance from Robert Redford as Nathan Muir, who is about to retire as a CIA agent, but has plenty of game left in him on his last day at work.

The supporting cast is mostly unknowns who do a superb job as CIA flacks, and the plot is full of twists, turns and yet is logically laid out. The tension builds nicely at the beginning, and though this is a longish film (2 1/2 hours) it carries the tension well and never, ever drags.

I enjoyed this film for the fact that nothing really was telegraphed as to outcome, though we almost see the film in full circle from beginning to end. A fine effort by Pitt, Redford and most of all, Tony Scott.

Highly Recommended.

JLD ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Fish Hooks!!!?
Fish Hooks!!!?
A portly George C. Scott reprises his role from the 1970 classic Patton. Too bad this movie is awful. Briefly stated, this is a sequel that should not have been made. The flimsy dialog, poor editing, and cumbersome made-for-television format do no justice to Francis Ford Coppola's original epic. Be sure to note the expanding belt-line... only a few months in movie-time, but Scott looked like he'd been hanging out with Marlon Brando for the 16 years between films.

Great sequal to Patton
George C. Scott returns as George S. Patton in this sequal to Patton. The movie starts after World War II and shows how he could not adjust to his peacetime role as military governor of Bavaria. Then he gets in more trouble when he lobbies for war against the Soviet Union and gets stripped of his command. And their is the mystery surrounding Patton's death.

George C. Scott does a great job in his portrayal of one of the great military leaders of the 20th century. I think it is a good buy for people who like Patton or who like movies dealing with World War II.

good follow up
this movie is not a academy award winner, but documents the life after the war in germany, and general patton's need to
still be a effective leader even with the buracey of post ar germany.
this movie fill's in the gap's after the opriginal 1970
movie. the dvd is a decent version, but needs to be
cleaned upa bit.

Sad but true
George C. Scott reprises his role as Patton in the 2nd part of the movie "Patton" It picks up where the movie left off, with the end of WWII to the tragic car accident that left Patton paralyzed. Eva Marie Saint climbs aboard as Mrs. Patton. Beautifully done!

Weak film
What a waste of time. They stick fish hooks in his jaw and for two amd a half hours you get to watch G. C. Scott with fish hooks in his jaw mumble weak lines about a person he never met.
And my DVD copy is blurry. What a bore. ... Read more

Description

Paul Kane (Alec Baldwin) awakes from a coma with spotty memories of his past, including the airplane accident that killed his wife and two daughters, and nearly killed him. With the help of a psychiatrist (Lombard), Kane attempts to reconstruct his memories and return to some semblance of his life. Soon, Kane is able to remember his career as an American government agent based in London, working under Kelton Reed (Powers Boothe). But after recovering from his physical injuries and returning to work, Kane discovers that he can no longer carry out his duties and begins to make alarming discoveries that lead him to unlock memories of his shocking past and to question everything - including the motives of everyone around him and his own identity. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

SUSPEND DISBELIEF, THEN PERHAPS TOLERATE
Good production values, a superb soundtrack and some good suspense shots can all still not make up for a doozy plot. If you don't mind not having to question its theme, the movie is interesting and will keep you guessing. But there are holes big as Gouda in the plot -- stuff like assassins leaving guns with fingerprints behind, people remembering things in a country they've never been in before, people being doctored...oh well, rent it and enjoy some neighborhood-garage type film making. The DVD tells me this was made for TV, so perhaps such a puerile level of oversight is forgiveable, but one wonders how much Baldwin's knees must have heart bending to these lows. ... Read more

Reviews (201)

Let the "game" begin.
"Spy Game" is a movie that begins in such a manner that you question your interest in it, but it quickly generates into a gratifying mix of action, suspense, and logical plot twists that are intelligent and witty. With a sense of style and a soundtrack befitting of its hardcore approach, and a cast of well-knowns that chews the material with superb gusto, this is one uniquely satisfying thriller that delivers in all fields, a film that will have you talking long after you've left the multiplex.

It also happens to be one of the few movies that makes my job as a film critic surprisingly difficult. There's not a moment in "Spy Game" during which something is going on that adds up to the big picture, which makes the formulation of a discreet synopsis that much harder. And while this presents a challenge, it also proves the movie's brilliance.

The plot begins with an undercover operation in a Chinese prison, in which Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt), a CIA agent, makes an attempt to rescue an unknown prisoner, but fails in succeeding. Soon after, word reaches his mentor, fellow CIA agent Nathan Muir (Robert Redford), who is on the brink of retirement. Tom's impending execution for espionage brings Nathan to a top secret meeting with the heads of Central Intelligence, who seem more inclined to ignore the situation than to take action.

Nathan's drive to understand their position on the matter leads him to answer their questions about his interactions with Tom, from their initial meeting in Vietnam, to his belief that Tom was incarcerated while trying to rescue Elizabeth Hadley (Catherine McCormack), a missionary with whom he shared a relationship. This is all told in flashback, a technique which begins slowly but evolves as past events lead to the present situation at hand. As all of this is going on, Nathan is using his resources and smarts to devise a plan to rescue Tom before time runs out.

The use of reminiscent storytelling takes time to gain momentum; the initial flashbacks allow the relationship between these two different men to expand. Some audience members will lose interest, but as these sequences progress, it gives us an understanding of the complexities and strategies that are important to the success of their various missions. Such a technique is successful in both shaping the characters as well as building up to the later, more intense plot twists.

This is done with an exceptionally high degree of energy. As the movie begins to reach the final half hour, everything we've seen, every action and reaction, every small detail or occurrence, will coalesce into one of the most satisfying conclusions to a film of this genre in quite some time. There's a certain degree of predictability to the final moments, yet they leave no loose ends, and manage to live up to the intelligence and delectable logic of the previous events.

Director Tony Scott adds an extra kick to his film by incorporating an edgy style that suits the material. From sepia tones and dismal colors, to swift, sometimes frightening cuts, the movie never fails to dazzle the senses as well as the mind. Also worthy of mention is the diverse score from Harry Gregson-Williams, which captures the setting and various moods exquisitely, ranking as one fine composition that blends fast, alternative beats with sweeping, heartfelt emotion.

The shining attribute of this gem, however, is its supremely delightful cast, who make the material realistic and exciting. Pitt turns in yet another worthy performance, stock-piling various elements from his previous roles into Bishop's character, whose bold outlook clashes with his naivety with dangerous results. McCormack adds a much-needed mysticism as well as true emotion to Elizabeth, whose motive we're never quite sure of until the movie's finale. Redford steals the show in a patented Redford-esque performance, playing Nathan with all the wit, intelligence and presence that we have come to love him for as an actor.

You can grumble about the style of "Spy Game," but there's no denying its ability to entertain in a pleasing fashion. Here's a movie that knows what it's about, and has the good sense and brains to take us there without resorting to cheap tricks or formulaic contrivances. It's a smart thriller that is easily understood once it picks up speed, and everything about it brings a smile to my face.

Not the usual retirement day party
Because the actor appears so infrequently nowadays, the end of 2001 has delivered a relative flurry of Robert Redford films to the Big Screen - two, THE LAST CASTLE and SPY GAME. The latter was, for me, the most entertaining, though the former includes an Oscar-worthy supporting performance by James Gandolfini.

In SPY GAME, Redford plays Nathan Muir, at the very end of a thirty-year career with the CIA. Before arriving at his Langley headquarters office on retirement day, he learns that a former protégé, Tom Bishop (played by Brad Pitt), has been imprisoned and condemned to death by the Red Chinese. Over the next 24 hours, Muir must race to save Bishop's life in the face of a high level CIA decision to sacrifice the incarcerated agent on the altar of the President's economic rapprochement with China. In the battle of wits with his weasely superiors, Muir must flashback for them (and the film's viewers) the history of his relationship with Bishop, which extends from 1975 Vietnam forward through Cold War Berlin and the war-torn Beirut of the mid 1980s.

SPY GAME is flashy and extremely fast paced, the latter because of film editing which limits each continuous scene to no more than perhaps 15-20 seconds. It's far unlike one of my very favorite spy flicks of the past, THE RUSSIA HOUSE (1990), starring Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer. In the latter, the emphasis is on plot evolution and character development - a slower paced, thinking man's film. However, the differences between the two don't reflect badly on SPY GAME. Redford is too fine an actor to be involved in anything substandard, and watching his Muir persona run circles around his Langley superiors is one of the movie's chief delights. (When was the last clunker Redford starred in?). Pitt does a creditable and credible job as the young military sniper (trained to shoot in the Boy Scouts!) first employed by agent controller Muir for an assassination in Laos, and then permanently recruited for the Agency by Muir soon after the US scuttled out of Southeast Asia.

SPY GAME did have its hiccups. I was unreasonably annoyed that the "Berlin" sequences were actually filmed in Budapest, probably because Berlin is one of my favorite cities. Actress Catherine McCormack's relatively cold performance as Bishop's love obsession didn't really click for me, though she was my heartthrob of the moment in DANGEROUS BEAUTY (1997). And, it seemed a bit much of a stretch for the Chinese correctional officer to connect bubblegum with a prison break. On the other hand, the depiction of chaotic and violent Beirut (filmed in Morocco) was masterfully done. Overall, the director succeeded in producing an intelligent and engrossing holiday thriller. And it's so good to see Redford back. Thus, 4.5 stars, rounded for Amazon to 5.

Awful
Yet another movie in which Robert Redford gets to reprise his role as an irritating know-all. He has played pretty much the same character for the last ten years, and this time the phoney sagacity emerges though the persona of a CIA commander handing out lines like 'don't ever question my orders again', 'you just lost ten seconds', and (yes) 'you're ten minutes late' to his fawning understrapper Brad Pitt. Yawn. Actually wasn't that last line followed by another admonitory cliché seconds later? Oh yes: 'Don't let it happen again.' By the way, this movie *is* marketed as a thriller.

How behind the times is a film which still tries to portray the embattled North Vietnamese as an enemy requiring murderous force to extirpate? How confused is a movie in which Redford refers in one moment to the 'seventeen sects' in Lebanon and thereafter has to use the cumbersomely neutral locution of 'the Lebanese militia' to refer to the sect the US had sided with? How cliched is a movie which intercuts between a tuxedoed reception at an embassy and a gritty car-chase behind the iron curtain? Plus the enemy du jour is - surprise, surprise - the Chinese.

The moviemakers' meticulous research and attention to detail is evdient throughout: Redford repeatedly pronounces Sheik as 'chic'; a scene opens with a shot of the Szabadság bridge in Budapest while the subtitle reads 'Berlin'; and of course stealing top-secret documents at Langley is simply a matter of distracting the secretary, swiping them off his desk and hiding them under your jacket.

But I suppose you could just watch it for the garbled morals, the inapposite techno/dance soundtrack and director Tony Scott's frenetic swoop-then-freezeframe camerawork...

I SPY U SPY
Tony Scott's intricately plotted spy drama ironically places two of our blond matinee idols in jeopardy. A leathery-faced Robert Redford with the fresh blossom of youth in Brad Pitt. Both actors do well in their roles, with Redford coming out on top as his role demands a little more. Scott is good in keeping the pace quick even though there are several moments that you wonder if he can keep it up. Pitt plays a CIA operative captured on a botched mission and scheduled to be executed by the Chinese. Of course, the CIA will allow this because Pitt was on a rogue unauthorized mission, and they don't want to ruin their trade relationship with China. Redford does everything he can in a 24 hour period to ensure Pitt's safety.
The movie has a fine supporting cast including Marie-Jean Baptiste as Redford's secretary; Larry Bryggman (soap opera's AS THE WORLD TURNS); Catherine McCormack as Pitt's love interest, and Stephen Dillane as Harker, the self-assured, egotistical fellow agent.

David Hemmings and Charlotte Rampling have cameos.
All in all, entertaining, if a little hard to follow sometimes.

Great Thriller, practically flawless
Wow, what's NOT to like in this tightly-directed, smart spy thriller? Certainly not Brad Pitt, who plays Viet Nam vet, ex-boyscout, erstwhile trained assassin who doesn't shy at doing wetwork while agonizing about the fate of his "assets" or contacts in the field. And a great performance from Robert Redford as Nathan Muir, who is about to retire as a CIA agent, but has plenty of game left in him on his last day at work.

The supporting cast is mostly unknowns who do a superb job as CIA flacks, and the plot is full of twists, turns and yet is logically laid out. The tension builds nicely at the beginning, and though this is a longish film (2 1/2 hours) it carries the tension well and never, ever drags.

I enjoyed this film for the fact that nothing really was telegraphed as to outcome, though we almost see the film in full circle from beginning to end. A fine effort by Pitt, Redford and most of all, Tony Scott.

Highly Recommended.

JLD ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Ordinary Thriller Featuring Irons, Whitaker, & Rampling
The title of "The Fourth Angel" refers to the Revelation, but the whole content of the filck has little to do with the Bible. It is about Jack Elgin, a British magazine editor whose wife and daughters are killed by hijacking terrorists. Now Jack turns an avenger to gun down all those responsible for the deaths of his beloved.

It sounds familar, and it is familiar. But the point is its casting for Jack is played by Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons, who is getting more and more character actor as seen in "Dungeons and Dragons" and "The Time Machine." In this film, thankfully, he avoids hammy acting, delivering pretty a decent one.

The problem is, I think, that casting itself, however. I don't beleive in the idea of one-man army (especially when formerly he was a man in suit) who can eliminate the trained terrorists. If it is Arnold or Sly, well, that's another story, but the guy who can play the love of Lolita so convincingly cannot play such kind of part.

More intersting is the supporting actors. Forrest Whitaker appears as FBI investigator while Jason Priestley is clad in suit, posing arrogantly like any gvernment agents are required to do on screen (which is incredibley shot in widescreen). But the most surprising part is the inclusion of Charlotte Rampling who is still gorgeous. It is always good to see her, and hear her say "Matey" to Irons' hero on yachet, but she is not required to do much.

And the story is clumsily told (though it goes fairly smooth), and the awkward conclusion is saddled with most heavy-handed flashbacks that would question the intention of the film. There's little action that thefilm can boast of, and the shoot-out scenes (too brief) are not well conducted. Some good ideas are there, like showing a pretty daughter of a terrorist, but that doens't amount ot much because the film somehow forgets about it in the course of its 90 minutes running time. Regardless of the urgent matters about terrorism suggested here with its serious tone, this film fails to deliver, deliver whatever it wants to.

After disturbing opening, becomes ridiculous...
This movie was dropped from U.S. release after Sept. 11th. It should have been dropped for just being dumb. After a traumatic opening sequence where Irons loses his family in a hijacking, the movie spirals into unbelievable twists as Irons tracks down those responsible. Honestly, after the past few years, can anyone believe that finding terrorists is this easy? Makes you wonder what Irons and Whitaker are doing with their careers and confirms (for those who doubted) that Jason Priestly can't act.

Iron Thriller
Jeremy Irons has played in good and bad movies but his acting is usually quite good. This movie is one of his better roles. He plays a husband and journalist. He loses part of his family when terrorist hijack the plane while they are going to India. He decides to go after the killers when they are released without punishment. He uses the resources of a journalist and some hints from the CIA to track them down. What he doesn't realize is he is being used by the CIA to clean up their involvement. He receives assistance from an FBI agent well played by Forest Whitaker. All in all a very good movie. Not constant action but a good action thriller with excellent production values, sets, music, and direction. If you like movies were an average person takes matters into their own hands to protect their family or to get justice, you will enjoy it. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Fish Hooks!!!?
Fish Hooks!!!?
A portly George C. Scott reprises his role from the 1970 classic Patton. Too bad this movie is awful. Briefly stated, this is a sequel that should not have been made. The flimsy dialog, poor editing, and cumbersome made-for-television format do no justice to Francis Ford Coppola's original epic. Be sure to note the expanding belt-line... only a few months in movie-time, but Scott looked like he'd been hanging out with Marlon Brando for the 16 years between films.

Great sequal to Patton
George C. Scott returns as George S. Patton in this sequal to Patton. The movie starts after World War II and shows how he could not adjust to his peacetime role as military governor of Bavaria. Then he gets in more trouble when he lobbies for war against the Soviet Union and gets stripped of his command. And their is the mystery surrounding Patton's death.

George C. Scott does a great job in his portrayal of one of the great military leaders of the 20th century. I think it is a good buy for people who like Patton or who like movies dealing with World War II.

good follow up
this movie is not a academy award winner, but documents the life after the war in germany, and general patton's need to
still be a effective leader even with the buracey of post ar germany.
this movie fill's in the gap's after the opriginal 1970
movie. the dvd is a decent version, but needs to be
cleaned upa bit.

Sad but true
George C. Scott reprises his role as Patton in the 2nd part of the movie "Patton" It picks up where the movie left off, with the end of WWII to the tragic car accident that left Patton paralyzed. Eva Marie Saint climbs aboard as Mrs. Patton. Beautifully done!

Weak film
What a waste of time. They stick fish hooks in his jaw and for two amd a half hours you get to watch G. C. Scott with fish hooks in his jaw mumble weak lines about a person he never met.
And my DVD copy is blurry. What a bore. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

A great glimpse into the dark saga of Tokyo Babylon
For those who are calling this DVD a prologue to the X TV series.. that's not really accurate. Tokyo Babylon is NOT NEEDED to understand X, but it's nice to understand the deeper relationship between Subaru and Seishirou, and why they seem to know each other so well in the X series. Both episodes cover cases that Subaru tackles during his Onmyouji duties. The animation isn't top-notch (considering how recently it was made), but it's not painful. Watching the subtitled version is recommended, as with most anime, because Subaru's English voice actor especially wasn't at his best. If you want to really learn more about Subaru and Seishirou, you can always import the manga (untranslated when I wrote this review) because I'm sure this disc will leave you wanting more. Also take note that it does not cover a LOT of important details later in the manga, mainly how Seishirou lost his eyes, how Subaru was betrayed, why Seishirou killed-- you get the point.

Basically, occult fans, bishounen, shounen-ai fans, CLAMP fans, and mystery fans should enjoy this nice little snippit from the Tokyo Babylon saga. I personally really enjoyed this disc as a TB fan.

[PS: BTW, its Seishirou, not Seichiro. ;) Seichiro's a completely different character.]

Great spin-off from the Clamp series
I'm not normally moved to spend the amount of money required to ship items from America to the UK. I was willing to make an exception for this Tokyo Babylon DVD, and it's an exception that I'm glad I made.

This set of OVA's are a great compliment on the original Clamp series. People familiar with the series will no doubt enjoy the animated rendering of the characters (and the famous "meeting under the Sakura tree" scene), although the complex relationship between Subaru and Seishiro is not as dominant as it is in the manga.

The two Tokyo Babylon stories which appear on this DVD are well-presented with good plots and animation. The translation features justify spending the extra money for the DVD version (as opposed to the VHS versions), and I personally always like having the choice between English voice dub and subtitles.

Of course, the DVD is more than capable of standing by itself as a great release. But coupled with a knowledge of the manga series, a viewer will get maximum enjoyment from watching this anime feature.

If you're a seasoned Tokyo Babylon fan, buy this DVD - you can't live without it. If you're a casual anime browser with a taste for more than the regular hack 'n' slash of violent anime, then seriously consider this as your next purchase.

Good anime
I dont really understand why they called it a prelude to X the movie, but they did. This movie is about Subaru, Seishirou, and Seichiro's life before X the movie. Mostly about Subaru, the story is about Subaru as a medium and the head of his family. There are 2 Stories. The first one is about Subaru solving a case with a man who is in accidents and never gets hurt but other people do. One of the men who was killed sister wants revenge so she puts a curse on the buliding. The curse is wrong and so it goes out of control. Subaru must stop the curse and the man before more people die. The second story is about a man who kills for fun. Subaru witnesses a woman being killed by the man. A woman who also has psychic powers is involved. She has the power to touch something and immediatly see something that happened in the past. They become friends and she is targeted by the man in the train station. Subaru must find them before she is killed. This is a good movie and both episodes have great stories.

Fabulous fabulous!
Alrighty. Looking over a few of the other reviews, let's throw in my two-cents.

First off, DON'T DON'T DON'T watch the English version. Oh. My. God. Someone shoot me for trying to listen through the first 3 minutes of that. Subaru's voice actor completely ruined it for me. And scrolling forward to listen to Seishiro and Hokuto made me want to bury my head in a hole and cry. Watch the Japanese version. Listen to the Japanese. Read the subtitles if you're not fortunate enough to understand it, even though a good deal of the subtitles on this DVD are actually quite wrong. :P It's still better than listening to that English BS.

Personally, I love the Japanese vocal representations of the characters. Koyasu Takehito as Sakurazuka Seishiro (yes, that's the same guy that did Hotohori from Fushigi Yuugi and Hanagata from Saber Marionette J and Zechs from Gundam W and... I'll stop there) made me dance for joy. Itou Miki did a wonderful job as Hokuto, pulling off that wonderful laugh you see splayed across the pages of the manga to what I personally think is perfection. And Yamaguchi Kappei as Sumeragi Subaru? *DIES* Gaw! Love it! 'course, can't go wrong with the guy who did Haruhiko in Please Save My Earth.

Before we go whining that Subaru sounds like a wuss, remember that he's a 16 year old introvert in Tokyo Babylon. *happily tries to wave manga around* He's bashful, he's blushing, he's stammering like a fool and his sister yells at him for trying to downplay himself as an 'ordinary onmyouji' (yes, that's in the comics as well as on the DVD). So, hate to say it, but the light and soft voice fits the very pre-X Subaru pretty darned well.

I found this DVD collection fascinating due to the fact that the stories that are presented NEVER appeared in the manga - they're all original creations, yet fit in PERFECTLY with the entire mode of the Tokyo Babylon series.

Only problem that I had was that Seishiro wasn't desperately hitting on Subby every few seconds like he is in the comic book, and Hokuto wasn't nearly aggressive enough in trying to get her brother to date the 'kindly veterinarian.'

Those of you who are watching this to understand the characters in X more? Ur, I'd say not to bother. There's almost nothing of the bet put out, none of the tragedy that creates the Subaru of 1999 presented, and no mention of that wonderful word 'Sakurazukamori' which happens very often in the manga.

But good news for all - with the manga having been licensed, it should be coming out soon enough in English for those who don't have the patience to painstakingly translate it to enjoy!

Tokyo Babylon Review
I really enjoyed this DVD. I like Subaru and Seishiro from X so that is really the main reason I got TB. I watched both movies and was amazed. It was so awesome! The animation wasn't as good as X, but that's because these movies are older than X (Movie 1 1992; Movie 2 1994). I agree with what people have said about Subaru-kun's voice, to wimpy. And Subaru-kun is not a wimp. I have downloaded the first 5 volumes of the TB manga so the movies do seem to make a little more sense, dealing with Subaru-kun and Seishiro. I suggest any X fan buy this DVD, it is very awesome. I just wish it was longer *sigh*. Tokyo Babylon is now my 2nd favorite anime (X being no. 1) I love CLAMP and all of their works. I strongly suggest any X, Clamp, Subaru, Seishiro or Hokuto fan, buy this DVD. It's cool! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Fish Hooks!!!?
Fish Hooks!!!?
A portly George C. Scott reprises his role from the 1970 classic Patton. Too bad this movie is awful. Briefly stated, this is a sequel that should not have been made. The flimsy dialog, poor editing, and cumbersome made-for-television format do no justice to Francis Ford Coppola's original epic. Be sure to note the expanding belt-line... only a few months in movie-time, but Scott looked like he'd been hanging out with Marlon Brando for the 16 years between films.

Great sequal to Patton
George C. Scott returns as George S. Patton in this sequal to Patton. The movie starts after World War II and shows how he could not adjust to his peacetime role as military governor of Bavaria. Then he gets in more trouble when he lobbies for war against the Soviet Union and gets stripped of his command. And their is the mystery surrounding Patton's death.

George C. Scott does a great job in his portrayal of one of the great military leaders of the 20th century. I think it is a good buy for people who like Patton or who like movies dealing with World War II.

good follow up
this movie is not a academy award winner, but documents the life after the war in germany, and general patton's need to
still be a effective leader even with the buracey of post ar germany.
this movie fill's in the gap's after the opriginal 1970
movie. the dvd is a decent version, but needs to be
cleaned upa bit.

Sad but true
George C. Scott reprises his role as Patton in the 2nd part of the movie "Patton" It picks up where the movie left off, with the end of WWII to the tragic car accident that left Patton paralyzed. Eva Marie Saint climbs aboard as Mrs. Patton. Beautifully done!

Weak film
What a waste of time. They stick fish hooks in his jaw and for two amd a half hours you get to watch G. C. Scott with fish hooks in his jaw mumble weak lines about a person he never met.
And my DVD copy is blurry. What a bore. ... Read more