Reviews (101)

This film is FALCOTASTIC!!
Wow! This film has it all ~ Great direction, a superb cast of very funny 'cats' and a really rocking soundtrack.

It's stars the very excellent KEANU REEVES, as Shane 'Footsteps' Falco, a professional football player who bombed back in '96.

He and his fellow team mates are given a 'second chance' to make it big as the 'replacements' when the real Washington Sentinels go on strike.

This is based on true events, which I always find more endearing.

Howard Deutch has made a gem of a film, which I'd gladly watch over and over again with no difficulty.

His sense of what is humourous is spot on and I just love the way different scenes are interspliced to give the movie it's own unique style.

The guys that directed the 'plays' on the football field did a marvellous job! You get to see the real action and it keeps you glues to your seat. The background music is well chosen to suit the situations that come up and just plain ROCKS!!

This is definately a film to watch whilst wearing headphones.

Watch 'The Replacements' and you will understand why I love Keanu Reeves. Mr Reeves is absolutely awesome as the quaterback with the hard task of getting his rag-tag team together. He's humble yet when it comes to the crunch can stand up there on his own.

His character reminds me of Neo, due to his initial self-doubt, but with the help of a good strong woman [Annabelle, played very well by Brooke Langton], anything is possible [I'm sounding all Matrixy now LOL].

The other characters are uniquely wonderful and played marvellously. My favourites are:

ORLANDO JONES as 'Clifford Franklin'. Has to be seen to be believed. This gentleman is a real talent and had me rolling with laughter. He has some great lines.

RHYS IFANS as 'Nigel Gruff'. Man! he is soooooo funny and has some real classic moments.

JON FAVREAU puts his all into 'Bateman' ~ not to be messed with, but truely hillarious!

Go buy this movie ~ you will not regret it!

Boring and Recycled
Let's get the only two eliments that I liked about the movie out of the way first. 1) The cast: With Keanu Reeves, John Favreau, Orlando Jones, Rhys Ifans and Gene Hackman. 2)The soundtrack: lots of great sport theme songs you would here at a real football or baseball game. The Movie itself. Well, maybe Hollywood thought the world needed a up to date sports comedy. Taking off of other such sports movie as Major League or Necessary Roughness where you have a bunch of underdogs (that are made of rookies, has-beens, and off-the-wall characters) that, if only they work as team, they will beat even the best of the best, win the hearts of all fans and ulitmately get the girl. I like movies like this, but this one didn't seem work. The crew didn't seem to click together, like the actors were just doing this movie inbetween their real projects (Keanu- waiting for Matrix sequels, Favreau- getting back to directing and writing, Orlando Jones- making an actual funny movie with non-recycled gags). The plot seemed too hokie. They needed a story line that could bring together a bunch of underdogs (In Major League, the owner wanted to put together the worst team so she could get relocated to a new stadium. In Necessary Roughness, the actual college players were pulled from the field because of bribes and under the table perks they were getting). In this movie, the actual pro-team players go on strike mid season forcing the owners to bring in average joes (with remarkable abilities ofcourse) to fill in their places (which is probably taking off the real life strike Pro Baseball went through and owners recruited outside players). The striking proplayers turn into the school bullies, all loyally following their quarterback, as they attempt to torment the players (turning over Falco's ((Reeves)) truck on more than one occasion). There is bar fight, a leading lady (which claims she doesn't date football players, but just happens to fall for one in this particular instance) and plenty of slap-stick gags that seems they may appeal best to 12 year old males. This isn't the first time Keanu has played a former football player. He goes from Johnny Utah (college quarterback turned FBI surfer in Point Break to Footsteps Falco in this movie). This isn't the first football movie for John Faveau, he played an over-weight nerd in Rudy. Gene Hackman played a better coach in Hoosiers. For some of these actors like Orlando Jones or Rhys Ifan this may be a big deal. Major motion pictures with big names to help out on their resume. Not that they haven't played in other movies with equally big stars, this one didn't hurt. For me, with the amount of actors in the movie, it makes playing "6 degrees of Kevin Bacon" that much easier. All and all, don't worry about rushing to your local video store to see this one anytime soon. If you like any of the actors in this movie, then it may be something you may want to pick up.

Worth Seeing
I've seen this movie no less than 5 times and I've found it funny each time. Definitely one to add to your collection.

Always Good for a Laugh
This film is essentially Necessary Roughness reincarnated for the 21st century. Except this time, Kathy Ireland has been traded for a wise-cracking, nipple-rubbing Welch kicker.

Despite the similar plot lines, The Replacements has enough surprises and character twists to stand alone. The musical score is simply incredible, and does a fantastic job of setting the mood for each scene. I've gotten more miles out of this dvd than many "critically acclaimed" films.

Bottom Line: It's uplifting, hilarious fun that is worth every penny. Anyone who has had a dream will enjoy this one.

Entertaining, but Nothing New
Overall, you will remember Remember the Titans (interaction of each member), and Jerry McGuire (true spirit of sports) when watching this movie after the twos.

Why this movie is worth to be watched more than once :

1. Like other sport movies, you will find friendship, teamwork, sportsmanship, overcome previous failure, and doing the impossible. So .. you will enjoy the game.

2. It's always interesting to watch someone (in this case, the coach) collecting different people with different skill to build the winning team, and how the skill is applied in the story.

3. You will not bored. The story is flowing quite fast (only a few unnecessary scenes), lots of laughable moments and good songs.

If you are film critics, perhaps you will find this film is 'usual' or 'light'. The plot is obvious, there is no intrigue/twist. Acting is so-so since characters are only revealed as much as this film needs.

But overall, it is very entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (667)

Good movie, packed DVD
Why 5 stars? Well I looked at what everyone else was writing, and as far as their complaints go, they seemed to be frustrated with some dialogue issues and logistics in the characters. I saw most of the original Planet of the Ape films, and while they were fascinating, they didn't quite stack up to this.

The dialogue, were it was corny "Get you stinking hand off me" was one of a few inside jokes within the movie that was a referrence to a Charlton Heston line in Planet of the Apes. As I recall this was the first line the Apes spoke in the film (as Attar demonstrated). Heston spoke those same words (from a different point of view) to the apes when he was captured, much to their surprise. There a quite a few inside jokes in the movie. So you need to be familiar with th first film to appreciate this one.

It also makes intriguing referrences to cultural issues of the past, in particular, slavery, using humans and apes. Course there is more to the story. Planet of the Apes was always breaching ground for Civil Rights. This was a more emphatic example.

The costumes and special affects were stellar. Definitely two Oscars will nodded for makeup and costumes. Tim Burton did a good job in directing and respects go to the screenwriter for his visions. THis was a labor 12 years in the making with numerous names attached (Arnold S. and Oliver Stone at one time).

The DVD is loaded with everything you could want. I got some kind of limited edition CD-Rom. Not sure if everyone else got it, but it offers cast interviews as well. I and my parents enjoyed it, so good for the 20- somethings and 50- somethings..

Not a remake of the original but a totally different story
First let start off by saying that this is not a remake of the 1968 classic but a totally different telling of the story. I respect Tim Burton for not trying to do your basic remake, which consists of updated special effects but the same story. The story in this movie is entirely different than the original. Other than the fact that Apes are involved there are very few similarities. The story is well thought out and keeps you engaged throughout the movie. Tim Burton also knew that Mark Wahlberg is no Charlton Heston, so he kept his dialogue to a minimal. Actually Tim Roth and Michael Duncan Clark have more dialogue in the movie than Wahlberg does. Rick Baker does an outstanding job with the makeup, which allows the actors facial expressions to come through which is key for this type of movie. I will not ruin the ending but will tell you that it is unique and as unexpected as the first one was in 1968. Now onto the DVD, the Anamorphic transfer is flawless and the DTS 5.1 soundtrack is superb. The video shows no signs of edge enhancement, artifacting, or color bleeds. The blacks are deep and rich and all the colors are vibrant. The DTS 5.1 audio track is just awesome; it utilizes the rears and subwoofer frequently. All dialogue is focused on the center channel and is well balanced. The DVD has more special features than any other DVD to date. There are at least 6 documentaries, a "first person" point of view feature, and all the other normal fanfare that comes with a special edition DVD. This by far and wide is Fox's best DVD to date as it pertains to special features.

not a very good version
this is tim burtons adaption of the original movie from 68.the story strays way off course from the original but is way funnier.marky mark stars in it.oh yeah!now will take it seriously.as if it wasnt bad enough we were watching a bad remake of an old classic,now it stars one of the worst bands in histories brothers.bbbboooooooooooooo!the kids will like it.tim burton directed it.besides the lack of keeping with the original and bad casting,this movie is good.it is a disapointment from a lot of his far better movies though.there are a lot of racial undertones in it.they are done in a funny way.is this even possible?its kind of a down but still manages a 3 star rating due to tim burtons masterful save.

loved it!
I'm an "Apes" kid who grew up on Planet Of The Apes, Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, Return To The Planet Of the Apes animated series, The Planet Of The Apes comic book series, The Planet Of The Apes TV series, The Planet Of The Apes novel...I loved all of this Apes stuff. Why? Because it was FUN. Sadly it seems those days are gone for good and their ain't too many folks left who get the fun of these sort of things. It's clear that Tim Burton still gets it. He obviously loves the Apes movies and he grew up with all of those same movies and fun Ape toys that I did. His version is a loving tribute to that period of time in his childhood when the whole world seemed to have gone ape. He's even thrown in an ending that's not unlike the ending of the original novel. That novel inspired the movies, but none of them tried to stay true to that idea until Burton's version. Burton is obviously a fan of the Apes craze that made many a youngster want to battle talking apes or be talking apes. He captures that sense of wonder that many of us experienced in our Ape invaded youth, but he also doesn't take the whole thing too damn seriously. There are plenty of laughs here too. It's a big fun talking Apes movie that's just as much FUN as the ones that so many of us loved in the old days. I wondered, laughed, marveled, and had a great time being a kid again. I couldn't have asked for anything more. If Burton hadn't directed this thing I'm sure I would have got a hell of a lot less. Burton "gets" FUN.

(...)
am a big Tim Burton fan, I've practically seen
all his movies: "Batman" , "Sleepy Hollow", "Edward Scissorhands", "The Nightmare before Christmas" are the Directors best works to name a few.

But when I first heard, that Director Tim Burton
was going to make a remake of the original classic sci fi movie "Planet Of The Apes" with Charlton Heston, I was skeptical. Everyone knows that remakes of classic movies 90% of the time, plain suck. The movie remake of "Psycho" is a good example. I was further skeptical that Tim Burton's remake would equal the success of the original because all the ideas thought possible were used for the "Planet Of The Apes" series and movies.

Apes going into space, an Ape's son taking over the world, and even mutant beings are just a couple of the ideas that were used for the four sequels and 2 television series that wanted to profit of the 1968 film. Now after watching the film , my gut instinct told me I was right. The New version of Planet of The Apes is highlly predictable, copying a large bulk of material from the original, with brief differences.

Probably the biggest problem is that this movie itself has is the lame, and dumbest ending I've seen. It makes me laugh just thinking about it. It makes me laugh more because this was a Tim Burton film. In fact, the ending looks like it was written by a 13 yr old, who has too many cheap sci fi films with bad endings. The end of the film, lets you down with an incredibly stupid ending that makes you feel like you wasted time watching it.

Even Tim Burton commented after the film, that he would not make another sequel. Apparently, even he knew that his movie failed. Now my review of the film:
Planet of The Apes starts with great visual effects,
as we learn that an Air Force Space Station has occupied the universe. Mark Walhberg plays Captain Leo Davidson,
who is teaching scientific chimps how to pilot space vessels for research. Basically, the chimps are sent as probes , if you will, to uncharted planets. However, something goes wrong, and the head chimp, gets lost on a voyage to a planet. Davidson, caring for the chimp, disobeys orders and goes after him.
Now then comes the copying of the original film into the remake,but Burton tries his best or worst to not make it look like a copycat film.

Davidson is eventually captured by the Apes of the Planet. Just like the original film, the Apes personality traits are split by class. The warriors are made mostly of Apes and Gorillas. The lying and cunniving politicians are made up of Urangantans. While the more sympathetic apes relate more to the chimp class.

In the original fim, Charlton Heston has the famous line that all fans know when he is captured by the Apes:
"Let go of me you damn dirty ape".

However, Burton changes the script to not copy the original. In the remake, it is the ape who use a line similiar to this:

"Let go of me you damn dirty human"

Lol. I laughed for a while when I saw this.
It's just a very dumb scene. Because even Burton changed the lines, it's still trying to copy that classic scene from the original. Anyways Davidson is captured and eventually meets the head Ape of the planet. Davidson is eventually put into the lines of human slaves that the apes have. Here also Burton tries to add differences between this film and the original. If you recall in the original, Charlton Heston was the only human who could think and talk, while all the over humans either had labotomies or had their throats cut out.

This made Heston's character, Taylor, much more unique and dangerous to the apes. In the remake though, Burton makes it so all humans can talk. This made Walhberg's character not as unique and dangerous, as the original Heston characterm, hell it made him average, not standing out from the crowd.

Tim Roth, plays the evil General Thade who is the military dictator in control of the planet. For the most part, Roth's part is admirable, he does display that aura of intimidation and fear, that all villians in the movie have, but all of this is ripped to shreds by the horrible ending of the film.
Eventually Davidson and the rest of his human and ape friends stage a revolt against General Thade to see who will rule the planet.

This is actually one of the few good points of the film,Burton gives you the hope that things will turn out the best in the end, but not necessarily... Without giving away the ending of the film, all I can say is that it is one of the cheesiest, dumbest endings I've seen!!! In fact, my first reaction to the ending was disbelief, followed by sheer laughter. I couldn't believe that Burton had done that type of ending. The ending reminds me of those low budget, cheap sci fi endings from the 1950's and 60's. If I wanted to see sci fi movies with a cheap , laughable, ending I would watched the reruns of "Mystery Science Theater 3000"!!.

What upsets me about the ending, is that before the ending, we are lead to believe that the movie is going to end one way. In fact, if the movie ended up the way I thought it was going to end, I would have given it a perfect 10!!! But Burton (I don't know what he was thinking)sabotages, the good film with a cheap ending, that leaves you feeling rip-offed. He is not the only guy to do this, the legendary Roman Polanski likewise had the dumbest ending of his career in the movie "Femme Fatale" with Antonio Banderas.

Several weeks after the movie was released, Burton said he would not do a sequel to "Planet Of The Apes". It seems that Burton himself, knew that he messed up a perfectly good film and , proved that remakes of classic films should be left alone. I am big Tim Burton fan, but the remake of "Planet Of The Apes" is probably the worst film that he has done. ... Read more

Description

When his daughter is kidnapped and held in exchange for diamonds, the leader of a crew of highly skilled urban thieves (DMX) forges an unlikely alliance with a Taiwanese Intelligence officer (Jet Li) to rescue her. Their race against the clock to find the precious stones ultimately unravels a plot to distribute a deadly new weapon of war. ... Read more

Reviews (69)

Plot finally outweighs the action.
'Cradle 2 the Grave' looks like it would be the typical martial arts action flick. But there is very little martial arts, and I thought the action was rather laid back as well. Seems that the Hollywood people are beginning to realize that there is room in the industry for action films with good stories and plots.

In 'Cradle', DMX portrays Tony Fait--a high-tech thief who goes into a building one expects to be well-guarded and steals fifty black diamonds. Of course, he has help. This is one of the best opening sequences I have ever seen. Perfectly timed.

Jet Li plays Su, an agent from Taiwan. He also wants the weird, black diamonds. So does everyone else. Fait and Su team up when Fait's daughter is kidnapped. All of this leads to the climax--another well timed cut between three fight sequences.

The movie only goes bad during the end credits. But I am giving this film five stars because I really enjoyed Anthony Anderson, who finally tones down and plays a more serious role--and he is able to remain funny at the same time.

Like action flicks? C2G does not disappoint!
Popular rapper DMX has teamed up in an earlier martial arts film with Steven Segal, and has stepped his role in action films up a notch with martial arts superstar Jet Li, who has (to my mind)established himself as one of the greatest martial arts stars of our time.

DMX's role is Tony Fait, a smooth (but somewhat excitable)master thief. He and his crew (including the lovely Gabrielle Union and his partner-in- crime from the afore-referenced "Exit Wounds" Anthony Anderson) break into a diamond exchange, and steal a cache of black diamonds. They were created by the Taiwanese government, and when agitated (kinda like what we saw as the principal weapon in the fifth Bond flick "Diamonds Are Forever") unleash incredible energy. They were originally stolen by the real bad guy Ling (Mark Dacascos), who intends to auction them off to a room full of worldwide nogoodnicks. Ling then abducts DMX's baby girl to ransom them back. And as they say, it is ON.

You cannot have these guys together without great fight scenes, and this movie does not disappoint. Li has an incredible nonchalance about himself, and actually fights (and easily handles, of course) his first few adversaries with one hand in his pocket! He has to use both hands, though, when he ends up in the middle of a brawl with a crew of Ultimate Fighters. Of course, he can, and does, without raising much of a sweat (but he does get around to tossing around a midget as a "weapon").

Just as he did in Exit Wounds, Tom Arnold provides some comic relief (among his best lines: "I cannot read Chinese, but I know cop in every language").

Forget about the folks who dog out this movie. The acting is just fine. This script does not call for Meryl Streep, and neither is it incredibly thought provoking screenplay. It does not need to be. It doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is, a slammin', ultra-violent, retribution filled, sexy action film. While I thought at first that the one-handed fight scenes were a bit much, as another reviewer noted, it does show another side of the virtuosity of Jet Li. And I don't really care whether Kelly Hu (bad-guy Ling's equally ultra-fine sidekick) would have beat down Gabrielle Union in two seconds "in real life". The two of them on the screen is worth seeing, in my humble opinion.

Like action movies? Then this one is for you. Enjoy it for what it is, and you will have spent a great ninety minutes.

yawn............................................
dmx knows his tired rap act is through,so now hes trying to spread his tired image into movies.is it any wonder his movies(AND EVERY MOVIE OF THIS KIND)barely make it to see a second weekend?the saving grace here is jet li(a minimal save).jet li is also in a massive decline and proved that action also needs acting/believable plot.every rapper acts the same way,they are interchangable/easily forgotten.since i rented this,im not so upset.can you imagine how the crowd was during and after movie?rowdy and uncontrollable as if they were on prison leave.to some extent,you can tell the charactor of a person by what entertains them.im pretty sure the males in the audience couldnt wait to be dmx tough and start some nonsense.we all know how tough guys are....tough from a distance and only with alot of backup.typical and pitifull.any monkey can direct movies this horrible,but how can people actually rush to see this?so very sad...............................

dissapointing
Only saw this movie because I'm a Jet Li fan. This is definately not one of his best movies, probably because he is redelegated to the role of sidekick. Some fights were decent but story wasn't very intertaining. DMX is only good at playing one role-gangbanger. Maybe he should stick to his day job.

A Solid Action Film
"Cradle 2 the Grave" stars Jet Li and DMX as an odd couple duo who must get back a package of black diamonds from a rogue Taiwanese intelligence agent. DMX plays Fait, a master thief who undertakes a very high-paying job to steal some black diamonds from a very high security vault. Jet Li plays the Taiwanese intelligence agent Su who has to get them back.

At first Fait and Su are opponents after the diamonds. When they are taken by Ling (Mark Dacascos) they team up to retrieve them. Su wants the diamonds and Fait wants his daughter Vanessa (Paige Hurd) back. Ling has kidnapped her as leverage against Fait.

"Cradle 2 the Grave" also stars Anthony Anderson, Tom Arnold, Gabrielle Union, and Drag-On as Fait's assistants, willing and forced. They stage a raid on a deserted airfield where Ling is holding Fait's daughter and the diamonds.

As far as martial arts movies go, "Cradle 2 the Grave" isn't bad. Many of the fight scenes are too well choreographed though and far too Matrixy in the way the actors bodies seemingly mock gravity. I seriously doubt that Jet Li can throw a 200 pound man about 20 feet through the air. This movie also makes the horrendous mistake of having one guy fight about 15 other guys one at a time. Just once I'd like to see all 10 or 15 guys jump the hero at one time and see how he gets out of it. I know that if I were one of those 15 guys, I'd be looking to take a cheap shot while he's working over one of the other guys.

My only real problem with this film is the title. What exactly are they referring to when they call it "Cradle 2 the Grave". Ususally that term is reserved for discussions about Swedish social programs. At no time in this movie did Jet Li and DMX expound upon the benefits of an all-encompassing social safety net vis-a-vis the social benefits of a low-tax economic policy to foster long-term wealth production and distribution. Then again, the movie producers didn't even have enough time to spell out the word 'to'; so, I doubt they had the time to work such a policy discussion into the movie. ... Read more

Reviews (80)

Excellent Example of Using Film to tell a Story
Strange Days is an excellent example of using film to tell a story given the high-caliber actors (Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Tom Sizemore and Juliette Lewis) and the realistic/futuristic production design (LA 1999). Everyone I've recommended this movie to has enjoyed it! The story of a lovesick ex-cop, turned virtual-reality junkie and civil rights advocate is a delightful "what if" scenario. Also, I'm not surprised that James Cameron's production company is involved, I'd have to say that he is the "King of the "What If" scenario!" (For instance, "What if" In order to change the future, a robot is sent back in time to kill a specific person.(The Terminator)) It is unfortunate that this movie wasn't promoted more and I feel lucky that I came upon this movie accidently on HBO. Although I am a fan of thrillers and sci-fi, a good story (giving the viewer a range of feelings and emotions) regardless of the genre is what truly sells to a wide audience. I believe that Strange Days is a good story told extremely well by the director, Kate Bigelow, using film.

Strange days is one of the best movies out there
Strange days,which stars ralph fiennes,juliette lewis,angela basset,tom sizemore,michael wincott and many others,is a stylish,cool,and wild movie.The plot is about an ex-cop(fiennes)who stumbles into murder involving his ex-girlfriend(lewis)and his best friend or so he thought(sizemore)along with the murder of a rap star by 2 corrupt cops,one of them played by the brilliant actor vincent donofrio.Ralph fiennes play the role of lenny nero brilliantly and superb.And tom sizemore is great as the crazed killer.The ending is awesome..in fact the whole movie is excellent.It is one of my favorite,not so in the distance future,thrillers.Right up there with escape from new york and blade runner.Katheryn bigelow,who directed,is an excellent filmaker(point break).If you enjoy the movie,you should also check out the soundtrack.It has great tunes by peter gabriel,deep forrest,lori carson and many more.This film is an instant classic.Great casting,great score,great filming.Great movie.Billy from new jersey....

Terrible Movie
This movie is absolutely horrid. There is constant violence including sexual assaults against women. I agree with another viewer that found it odd that a woman would choose to direct this type of film. If you enjoy watching nothing but violence and seeing women hurt, then this film is for you. I wonder what James Cameron was thinking when he wrote this piece of garbage.

Brilliant Days
One of the sci-fi masterpieces of the nineties, "Strange Days" is a movie that has a bit of everything and ends up being a terrific cinematic experience. Set in a near future, the story deals with classic themes like virtual reality, thought control or the share of memory, providing and exciting and engaging cyberpunk adventure.

Director Kathryn Bigelow creates a futuristic LA that manages to be both sophisticated and believable, avoiding the over-the-top, utopic and not very realistic depictions of future societies presented in other sci-fi films.

Although "Strange Days" is basically a thriller, it is way above many run-of-the-mill movies of its genre, as it suceeds at combining its key elements perfectly. The direction is dynamic, unique and fast-paced, adding style and energy with an excellent sense of rythm, flow and tension.

The acting is also a plus, since Ralph Fiennes is unforgettable as the flawed anti-hero Lenny and Angela Basset shines as his sister-in-arms Mace. This duo makes for an odd, yet original and memorable couple, delivering some enticing and moving scenes. It`s also interesting seeing the female character protecting the male for a change, making for a clever reverse of the predictable and typical scenario of most action flicks. Juliette Lewis is also convincing as the dark and feral femme fatale, especially when she sings a P.J. Harvey song to perfection (one of the many excellent and remarkable moments of this movie).

"Strange Days" is much more than a futuristic thriller, providing a rich cinematic experience that brings issues such as isolation, trust, friendship, love and life in general. Every scene is compelling and intriguing, and the plot is very well developed, culminating in a tense, dynamic and huge finale with a superb climatic ending. Kudos to the soundtrack, by the way, especially the Skunk Anansie live presence during the last scenes that adds a lot of edge, mood and atmosphere to that peculiar chase sequence.

Overall, this movie is definitely an underrated classic and a must-have. Forget overrated stuff like the boring and very flawed "Blade Runner", since "Strange Days" is a much more compelling and solid sci-fi masterpiece.

Highly recommended.

Can't watch this more than once..
Amazon has had this DVD listed as a featured recommendation for me for the past couple of weeks.. but Strange Days is one of my least favorite films so I feel compelled to review it and say why. I saw this film in the theatre and was immediately turned off as the setting was a completely unrecognizable LA of the future -- set just a little over four years away. Um, the world doesn't change that quickly.

I tried to ignore that and I admit the story got a bit more interesting.. but then I was completely put off by not one but TWO scenes depicting sexual assault. I'm no prude but these scenes were repulsive. So just a warning before you buy or buy this as a gift: if the MPAA had any sense whatsoever this film would be rated NC-17.

One more criticism: the camera cuts so much during the finale that the scene is barely watchable. For all these reasons, I just don't understand why anyone would put themselves through Strange Days more than once. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Kinda funny but pretty racist
There were some funny moments in the movie but if the roles were reversed the black community would be in uproar. If it was making fun of black kids taking the SAT instead of white people boxing it would be deemed racist. I guess it's not even so much the boxing angle but how white people are portrayed. You have Corbin Bernson (whatever) doing his sissy act from Major League 2, Jeff Goldblum as the nerd, the boxer is just a clueless foolio, and Jon Lovitz is well, Jon Lovitz. The thing is I wouldn't even care if there wasn't such a double standard. It's just the fact that racism is okay if it's against whites that bothers me.

A very dark comedy for those who enjoy political wit
I was one of the 3 or so people who actually saw this film in the theatre and I enjoy it more every time I see it. It's an excellent, funny, satirical look into the world of professional boxing where athletes, who risk their physical health and financial future, are treated like commodities for the gain of promoters, who risk nothing and always get the big payoff. The flamboyant promoter (Samuel L. Jackson) deftly uses white America's obsession/anger with African-American dominance in sports to produce a payday as the media plays a willing pawn in the game. All of the performances in this movie are excellent but Peter Berg deserves a special mention.

Finally...
Okay the DVD itself isn't so great with only minimal features but why I give this 4 stars is because I waited FOREVER for this thing to finally be released. It is one of my all-time favorite comedies and I laugh so much everytime I see it. It is about time that this was finally released and I say it rules!

It would be even better on DVD
Make that 4 people who saw it in the theatre. This is just one of those movies that somehow got passed over. I've worn out my VHS copy. I've seen thousands of movies once. I've seen this movie more times than I can count. Scenes and dialog from "THE GREAT WHITE HYPE" have become part of my comedy repetoire...that nobody ever gets...

I'm With Tony - Why No DVD?
In my opinion, this is one of the funniest movies made during the 1990's.

Sure it has some racist overtones, but we all need to be able to laugh at ourselves sometimes... ... Read more

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Lurid thrillers don't get much more shameless than this movie, in which Robert De Niro plays a pathological baseball fan whose obsession is focused on a San Francisco Giants all-star outfielder (Wesley Snipes). While the newly signed baseball star is having trouble getting his favorite uniform number from a competitive teammate (Benicio Del Toro), De Niro is having career troubles at the knife company his father founded, and you can bet that his proximity to high-quality stainless-steel blades will be a factor in the suspenseful plot. Recycling parts of his maniacal roles in Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy, and Cape Fear, De Niro takes his idolatry to violent extremes, eliminating any obstacle to Snipes's stardom until the baseball hero is forced to confront his most terrifying devotee. Directed with brutal excess and souped-up style by Tony Scott (Top Gun, Crimson Tide), this manipulative nail-biter pulls all the right strings in predictable fashion, but it does have moments that are effectively intense. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (39)

the best of 96 :)
This is the movie that made me start to love DeNiro movies. This movie is so realistic because of it's first-rate script, explosive acting talents, and the atmosphere of the movie is just so common. The film is about an avid baseball fan named Gil Renard who is also a knife-salesman for a local firm. He lives in San Francisco so his favorite team is obviously the Giants. When baseball superstar Bobby Rayburn (played by the very talented Wesley Snipes) is traded to the Giants, Gil gets a little excited. Soon, his loyalty to his favorite player becomes a dangerous obsession, and soon Gil just becomes a total psychopath. The direction is stylish, the camera angles are so cool, the script is so real and provocative, and the score is one of the best ever. And the following I can promise you: you will NEVER forget the disturbing ending which ironically takes place in Candlestick Park (home of the San Francisco Giants).

A baseball thriller than does not go the whole nine innings
Robert De Niro playing a character out of his mind is still something to see, as this 1996 film amply proves. This time around he plays Gil Renard, who sells just about every type of knife under the sun in the San Francisco Bay area, but not as well as he did in former days. Divorced, his wife is giving him one last chance with his son, Richie (Andrew J. Ferchland). Gil wants to take the boy to opening day at Candlestick Park, but he has also been given an ultimatum by his boss and he has a key appointment that same afternoon. Of course, Gil blows both opportunities and all he has left in the world is his love of baseball in general and the Giants new $40 million centerfielder, Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes). Gil even calls up the radio sports talk show of the emasculating Jewel Stern (Ellen Barkin) to talk to Bobby and praise him to high heavens.

However, Bobby gets off to a very bad start with the Giants. As the new big gun in town he has displaced the teams centerfielder Juan Primo (Benicio Del Toro). In the first game neither backs off on a fly ball and they collide. Bobby is hurt, but refuses to leave the game. To add insult to injury, Juan wears number 11, which has always been Bobby's number, and Primo refuses to give it up. Freaked by a visit to a young boy in a hospital who is not only dying but has the same name as his son, Bobby had promised to hit a home run and is feeling the pressure of that obligation. The result is that while Primo plays like an All-Star, Bobby's average dips below the Mendoza line and becomes the constant target of the local media. The only friend he has town might just be Gil.

Without a job and under a restraining order to stay away from his son, Gil has nothing else to do but go to the ballpark and follow Bobby around town. When he learns that Bobby wants to wear number 11, Gil decides that maybe there is something he can do about that. Actually, nobody wears 11 for the Giants because the number was retired for the Hall of Fame screwball pitcher Carl Hubbell, but this movie has less to do with the real world as it goes merrily along. What matters is that Gil feels that he has helped Bobby, who is back to his All-Star form, and is rather upset that his efforts have gone without notice. As he says, "A simple thank you would have been nice." At that point we know that something very, very bad is going to happen to Bobby.

The film's climax, of course, takes place at a baseball game with Bobby having to hit a home run in an at bat under more pressure than anybody else in the history of the game. Casey at the bat? Meaningless. Bobby Thompson in the 1951 National League Playoffs? Nothing. Roy Hobbs trying to hit one out for his son in "The Natural" is close to the mark, but Roy did not have to do it in the pouring rain and if he struck out his son was only going to be disappointed and not killed. Besides the complete downpour he also has to hit off the pitcher while the jumbo-tron shows the pitcher pitching. Now, major league baseball stadiums do not show live pictures while there is any action on the field, but that is why the end of "The Fan" is where the story is abandoned in favor of a big cinematic finish.

The early part of the film, as Gil descends into madness and Bobby's batting average takes a nosedive, is the most interesting part of "The Fan," because at that point it is primarily a case of parallel character studies. There is a sense in which the character played by Snipes is actually more interesting than De Niro's because we get some insights into the peculiar psychoses of a major league baseball player. At the end of the film we are surprised to learn that what distinguishes the two men most of all is their very different explanations for why Bobby has started hitting.

However, in the end the psychology gives way to the action in a scene that scene that uncomfortably reminds us of the climax of "The Naked Gun." It is impossible to accuse either star of going over the top in this film because "The Fan" does that all by itself at the end. Given the character foundations that were established in the first parts of the film, this is one instance where less at the end would have been more.

Where to begin
I truthfully for some reason liked this movie when it came out years ago. I recently rented it again and thought, what was I thinking? The story is incredibly unbelievable (no way the murder of Primo would have gone without being solved for more than a few hours) and the script is just poorly written. I found myself getting confused with what was going on do to random jumps from one thing to another. There were many things that could have been left out or shown more of to make the story flow better. The acting was pretty good (though not the best work from anyone) for what was written. Now, when I first saw this movie I liked the soundtrack to it. Watching it again, I realize that the Nine Inch Nails song Closer, which I am a fan of all versions, was used so often it was ridiculous. It seemed like they were trying to go for Darth Vader like theme from Star Wars but failed miserably.

All around, it wasn't horrible but its not in my top hundred. DeNiro has played this character way too many times and because of that it was slightly boring. Give it a try if you've seen everything else more than once. I wouldn't pay for it though if I were you.

The Fan ...Fans Out!
Robert DiNiro completes a quintent of bad guy/psycho roles for the 1990's (AWAKENINGS, THIS BOY'S LIFE, CAPE FEAR,JACKIE BROWN) with THE FAN. With a resurgence of Baseball movies beginning in the late 1980's, this has got to be one of the worst of the bunch and the worst of the five DiNiro pictures. The pairing of DiNiro (who literally phones in his performance here)and Wesley Snipes (Is actually convincing as a baseball player. Remmeber his Willie Mays Hays in MAJOR LEAGUE?)in what could have been an interesting thriller turns into another predictable slasher-type film. DiNiro (Gil Renard) becomes an obsessed fan to Wesley Snipes superstar Baseball Player(Bobby Rayburn). There is some social commentary about modern sports and the responsibility of overpaid athletes but all commentary is drowned out by a weak script and weak direction. Also, there is a scene that most baseball purists have been complaining about in this film. This is the sequence where the umpires let a baseball game keep going and it is pouring rain. Director Tony Scott in his own directorial style shows the sequence in slow-motion with players slipping and sliding, with water and mud flying all over the place, all for dramatic purposes and creative license. Overall, a weak sports film, a weak thriller, and wasted talent makes THE FAN a very forgettable film.

Promising, But Ultimately Disappointing
Despite some style, rythm and a couple of intriguing ideas, this Tony Scott`s movie soon falls into most of the cliches that trap a typical Hollywood blockbuster.
Wesley Snipes plays a baseball star that ends up being the object of devotion and obsession of a lonely, convulted man (Robert DeNiro). The picture builds a growing tension, yet the second part lives on the strenght of chases, kidnappings and tiresome predictability. Nine Inch Nails are a fine addition to the soundtrack, helping the development of the paranoid plot, but the movie is still too flawed and unsurprising to truly engage.
Not too good not too bad. Watchable. ... Read more

Description

In the thrilling tradition of THE CORE and INDEPENDENCE DAY, SCORCHER stars Mark Dacascos (CRADLE 2 GRAVE, CHINA STRIKE FORCE), Rutger Hauer (CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND), and John Rhys-Davis (THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, INDIANA JONES trilogy) in an action-packed adventure where extraordinary heroes take on the ultimate fight to save the world! In the wake of a horrible nuclear accident, devastating natural disasters abound as the Earth's massive tectonic plates shift violently and unnaturally. To stop the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that are leading up to an inevitable doomsday catastrophe, scientists decide that a nuclear bomb must be detonated in Los Angeles! From there, the fate of the world and the safety of its inhabitants rest with Ryan Beckett (Dacascos) and his elite team, who must pull off this do-or-die race against time. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

scorcher
When writing this review, they would not allow me to put NO stars.

I laughed till I tried to sleep, but couldn't stop laughing!
I'm laughing now because the maximum amount of words that I can use to describe what obvious absurdity this movie was, is a 1,000. I won't give whoever was a part of this joke of a movie the satifaction, except if you want a clean, fun, laughable night of what happens when actors (I almost said good actors) sell out to this dribble. I would love to know how much Rutger Hauer made on this movie. I really wanted to keep Rutger Hauer out of this, but he keeps failing me, as I try to still believe that he can actually act; beyond Blade Runner and The Hitcher, (he is getting bigger though). I'm starting to go back on me not writing more than I said I would, but now I can't help it. Thinking about this movie and writing this review is making me laugh again. Thanks to all who put this ludicrous flick together. If their is a part two to this movie - oh no - I'm starting to laugh... again...

Deliciously Bad - I cried with laughter.
I decided to watch Scorcher with some friends last night. Little did I know that I was in for a treat. There are some disaster flicks that are tongue-in-cheek, but they have a good story line so they are watchable. Scorcher should go down in the annals of history as the worst disaster movie made.
The acting is consistantly horrible, not because of the quality of the actors, but the script is like wading shoulder deep through molasses.
The storyline is bad on so many levels that a thesis could be written on it. Rutger Hauer as the president??? What were they thinking? And please, at least give him a jacket that fit. Their command center is an abandoned soundstage?? Where were all the extras to help fill out the movie? You see the same people over and over. Also could you develop at least one character? Ah never mind!
Scorcher should be made a requisite at all film schools as a good example of a bad example so others can learn what a good example is.

perhaps the worst disaster film ever made
I love good disaster flicks, even the ridiculous ones, but this movie is downright dreadful. ... Read more

Description

When his daughter is kidnapped and held in exchange for diamonds, the leader of a crew of highly skilled urban thieves (DMX) forges an unlikely alliance with a Taiwanese Intelligence officer (Jet Li) to rescue her. Their race against the clock to find the precious stones ultimately unravels a plot to distribute a deadly new weapon of war. ... Read more

Reviews (69)

Plot finally outweighs the action.
'Cradle 2 the Grave' looks like it would be the typical martial arts action flick. But there is very little martial arts, and I thought the action was rather laid back as well. Seems that the Hollywood people are beginning to realize that there is room in the industry for action films with good stories and plots.

In 'Cradle', DMX portrays Tony Fait--a high-tech thief who goes into a building one expects to be well-guarded and steals fifty black diamonds. Of course, he has help. This is one of the best opening sequences I have ever seen. Perfectly timed.

Jet Li plays Su, an agent from Taiwan. He also wants the weird, black diamonds. So does everyone else. Fait and Su team up when Fait's daughter is kidnapped. All of this leads to the climax--another well timed cut between three fight sequences.

The movie only goes bad during the end credits. But I am giving this film five stars because I really enjoyed Anthony Anderson, who finally tones down and plays a more serious role--and he is able to remain funny at the same time.

Like action flicks? C2G does not disappoint!
Popular rapper DMX has teamed up in an earlier martial arts film with Steven Segal, and has stepped his role in action films up a notch with martial arts superstar Jet Li, who has (to my mind)established himself as one of the greatest martial arts stars of our time.

DMX's role is Tony Fait, a smooth (but somewhat excitable)master thief. He and his crew (including the lovely Gabrielle Union and his partner-in- crime from the afore-referenced "Exit Wounds" Anthony Anderson) break into a diamond exchange, and steal a cache of black diamonds. They were created by the Taiwanese government, and when agitated (kinda like what we saw as the principal weapon in the fifth Bond flick "Diamonds Are Forever") unleash incredible energy. They were originally stolen by the real bad guy Ling (Mark Dacascos), who intends to auction them off to a room full of worldwide nogoodnicks. Ling then abducts DMX's baby girl to ransom them back. And as they say, it is ON.

You cannot have these guys together without great fight scenes, and this movie does not disappoint. Li has an incredible nonchalance about himself, and actually fights (and easily handles, of course) his first few adversaries with one hand in his pocket! He has to use both hands, though, when he ends up in the middle of a brawl with a crew of Ultimate Fighters. Of course, he can, and does, without raising much of a sweat (but he does get around to tossing around a midget as a "weapon").

Just as he did in Exit Wounds, Tom Arnold provides some comic relief (among his best lines: "I cannot read Chinese, but I know cop in every language").

Forget about the folks who dog out this movie. The acting is just fine. This script does not call for Meryl Streep, and neither is it incredibly thought provoking screenplay. It does not need to be. It doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is, a slammin', ultra-violent, retribution filled, sexy action film. While I thought at first that the one-handed fight scenes were a bit much, as another reviewer noted, it does show another side of the virtuosity of Jet Li. And I don't really care whether Kelly Hu (bad-guy Ling's equally ultra-fine sidekick) would have beat down Gabrielle Union in two seconds "in real life". The two of them on the screen is worth seeing, in my humble opinion.

Like action movies? Then this one is for you. Enjoy it for what it is, and you will have spent a great ninety minutes.

yawn............................................
dmx knows his tired rap act is through,so now hes trying to spread his tired image into movies.is it any wonder his movies(AND EVERY MOVIE OF THIS KIND)barely make it to see a second weekend?the saving grace here is jet li(a minimal save).jet li is also in a massive decline and proved that action also needs acting/believable plot.every rapper acts the same way,they are interchangable/easily forgotten.since i rented this,im not so upset.can you imagine how the crowd was during and after movie?rowdy and uncontrollable as if they were on prison leave.to some extent,you can tell the charactor of a person by what entertains them.im pretty sure the males in the audience couldnt wait to be dmx tough and start some nonsense.we all know how tough guys are....tough from a distance and only with alot of backup.typical and pitifull.any monkey can direct movies this horrible,but how can people actually rush to see this?so very sad...............................

dissapointing
Only saw this movie because I'm a Jet Li fan. This is definately not one of his best movies, probably because he is redelegated to the role of sidekick. Some fights were decent but story wasn't very intertaining. DMX is only good at playing one role-gangbanger. Maybe he should stick to his day job.

A Solid Action Film
"Cradle 2 the Grave" stars Jet Li and DMX as an odd couple duo who must get back a package of black diamonds from a rogue Taiwanese intelligence agent. DMX plays Fait, a master thief who undertakes a very high-paying job to steal some black diamonds from a very high security vault. Jet Li plays the Taiwanese intelligence agent Su who has to get them back.

At first Fait and Su are opponents after the diamonds. When they are taken by Ling (Mark Dacascos) they team up to retrieve them. Su wants the diamonds and Fait wants his daughter Vanessa (Paige Hurd) back. Ling has kidnapped her as leverage against Fait.

"Cradle 2 the Grave" also stars Anthony Anderson, Tom Arnold, Gabrielle Union, and Drag-On as Fait's assistants, willing and forced. They stage a raid on a deserted airfield where Ling is holding Fait's daughter and the diamonds.

As far as martial arts movies go, "Cradle 2 the Grave" isn't bad. Many of the fight scenes are too well choreographed though and far too Matrixy in the way the actors bodies seemingly mock gravity. I seriously doubt that Jet Li can throw a 200 pound man about 20 feet through the air. This movie also makes the horrendous mistake of having one guy fight about 15 other guys one at a time. Just once I'd like to see all 10 or 15 guys jump the hero at one time and see how he gets out of it. I know that if I were one of those 15 guys, I'd be looking to take a cheap shot while he's working over one of the other guys.

My only real problem with this film is the title. What exactly are they referring to when they call it "Cradle 2 the Grave". Ususally that term is reserved for discussions about Swedish social programs. At no time in this movie did Jet Li and DMX expound upon the benefits of an all-encompassing social safety net vis-a-vis the social benefits of a low-tax economic policy to foster long-term wealth production and distribution. Then again, the movie producers didn't even have enough time to spell out the word 'to'; so, I doubt they had the time to work such a policy discussion into the movie. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A Legend
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he eats for a life time.

Heros are defined in many ways, like firefighters, doctors, etc. However, MJ is a greater hero among heros simply because he is a role-model and inspires other to "fish and eats for a life time."

MJ utilizes his reputations and image in goods ways like charity, helping the needies, etc. Heroic? DEFINITELY! Hope? OH YES! Insiprational? BIG TIME!

Watch the real deal, get Ultimate Jordan
If you are going to pay the money, get the geniune article. Get footage of MJ doing what he does best in the Ultimate Jordan DVD set. Regarding earlier comments, Michael Jordan inspires people in ways others do not. He is an original human being of astounding athletic ability and admirable work ethic. Sure, firefighters and policemen do risk their lives everyday in service of society, and they should be applauded. Jordan should be applauded for being an inspiration for a generation of lost souls. In a society where drugs and violence are major problems, Michael Jordan's success provides young people with hope of a better future. Just because Michael Jordan makes a fortune for his career pursuits does not detract from his accomplishments. He has inspired a generation of youths to pursue their dreams, and that should be worth something. It is quite cynical to dismiss him because he is a charismatic spokesman for products. That is only one facet of a dynamic man, to crucify him for just that one area is narrow-minded.

spare me your jealousy
So you're saying that Michael Jordan's image was created by marketing? Wake up! Did you watch him play? He was the greatest basketball player ever. He scored at will, was one of the best defenders ever, and commanded respect from any opponent or teammate. Neither the media nor large corporations are capable of marketing a player as the greatest. If that were possible, we'd all think Kobe Bryant or Vince Carter were the greatest, with all the attention they get now. Ask Larry Bird or Magic Johnson if "the marketing business propelled Michael Jordan's image into media mega-stardom...". Larry Bird once said that Michael Jordan was god (after Jordan scored 63 on him in the playoffs). Not that I agree with Bird, but the point is, Michael is a hero because he was simply the greatest. Any non-partial basketball fan is aware of this. But he's also a hero because of the way he became the best. Now that players are going from high school to the NBA, one can respect much more that Michael Jordan was cut from the varsity team his sophomore year. Do you think that happened to Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett? They were getting calls from major universities when they were still in junior high. On the contrary, Michael showed us that through a hard work ethic, determination, and a will to win, that man can overcome any obstacle to be the best. No, he wasn't perfect. Who is? He overcame inner conflict and rough spots in his own personal life--and even the murder of his father, to win SIX championships, a feat that is near impossible these days with free agency and the salary cap. That's why Michael Jordan is--and always will be--an American hero.

Open your eyes
I don't understand how someone can think that Michael Jordan's image is a product of commercial marketing. Did you watch him play? His image is the the result of him being the most dominant basketball player in the history of the game. The Nike deals and millions of dollars came later. And no, Michael's ego doesn't outweigh his talents; he was the best. For all we know, he'll always BE the best, especially with the direction the NBA is going right now. Confidence is a deadly weapon in sports, and his confidence on the court was taken as an ego. Sure, he knew he could score at any time on any person, but so did his opponents. And Michael Jordan is an American hero because he overcame obstacles in his life that would cause most poeple to give up, but he rose above them, and the rest is history. He inspires young people around the world to pursue excellence with a hard work ethic, determination, and will to win. Call me old fashioned, but I was expect anyone to save a baby from a burning building if they saw the opportunity; sure it's heroic also, but nevertheless, ANYONE can be that type of hero, not just firefighters and teachers and doctors...helping others in this way is a part of humanity. Michael Jordan became a hero through blood, sweat, and tears, and that's why he's become such a role model for young and old alike.

Chicago is right. Mike a rich athlete and icon, but no hero
Come on people. Let's keep this in perspective. Mike and the NBA are in the entertainment and marketing business. Nike is in the shoe, clothing, and also the marketing business. They collectively propelled Michael Jordan's image into media mega-stardom to such a degree, that most people forget that there is really nothing very heroic about superstar atheletics. Let's try to remember the real heroes of society- firefighters, teachers, doctors who care about their patients, etc... ... Read more

Reviews (667)

Good movie, packed DVD
Why 5 stars? Well I looked at what everyone else was writing, and as far as their complaints go, they seemed to be frustrated with some dialogue issues and logistics in the characters. I saw most of the original Planet of the Ape films, and while they were fascinating, they didn't quite stack up to this.

The dialogue, were it was corny "Get you stinking hand off me" was one of a few inside jokes within the movie that was a referrence to a Charlton Heston line in Planet of the Apes. As I recall this was the first line the Apes spoke in the film (as Attar demonstrated). Heston spoke those same words (from a different point of view) to the apes when he was captured, much to their surprise. There a quite a few inside jokes in the movie. So you need to be familiar with th first film to appreciate this one.

It also makes intriguing referrences to cultural issues of the past, in particular, slavery, using humans and apes. Course there is more to the story. Planet of the Apes was always breaching ground for Civil Rights. This was a more emphatic example.

The costumes and special affects were stellar. Definitely two Oscars will nodded for makeup and costumes. Tim Burton did a good job in directing and respects go to the screenwriter for his visions. THis was a labor 12 years in the making with numerous names attached (Arnold S. and Oliver Stone at one time).

The DVD is loaded with everything you could want. I got some kind of limited edition CD-Rom. Not sure if everyone else got it, but it offers cast interviews as well. I and my parents enjoyed it, so good for the 20- somethings and 50- somethings..

Not a remake of the original but a totally different story
First let start off by saying that this is not a remake of the 1968 classic but a totally different telling of the story. I respect Tim Burton for not trying to do your basic remake, which consists of updated special effects but the same story. The story in this movie is entirely different than the original. Other than the fact that Apes are involved there are very few similarities. The story is well thought out and keeps you engaged throughout the movie. Tim Burton also knew that Mark Wahlberg is no Charlton Heston, so he kept his dialogue to a minimal. Actually Tim Roth and Michael Duncan Clark have more dialogue in the movie than Wahlberg does. Rick Baker does an outstanding job with the makeup, which allows the actors facial expressions to come through which is key for this type of movie. I will not ruin the ending but will tell you that it is unique and as unexpected as the first one was in 1968. Now onto the DVD, the Anamorphic transfer is flawless and the DTS 5.1 soundtrack is superb. The video shows no signs of edge enhancement, artifacting, or color bleeds. The blacks are deep and rich and all the colors are vibrant. The DTS 5.1 audio track is just awesome; it utilizes the rears and subwoofer frequently. All dialogue is focused on the center channel and is well balanced. The DVD has more special features than any other DVD to date. There are at least 6 documentaries, a "first person" point of view feature, and all the other normal fanfare that comes with a special edition DVD. This by far and wide is Fox's best DVD to date as it pertains to special features.

not a very good version
this is tim burtons adaption of the original movie from 68.the story strays way off course from the original but is way funnier.marky mark stars in it.oh yeah!now will take it seriously.as if it wasnt bad enough we were watching a bad remake of an old classic,now it stars one of the worst bands in histories brothers.bbbboooooooooooooo!the kids will like it.tim burton directed it.besides the lack of keeping with the original and bad casting,this movie is good.it is a disapointment from a lot of his far better movies though.there are a lot of racial undertones in it.they are done in a funny way.is this even possible?its kind of a down but still manages a 3 star rating due to tim burtons masterful save.

loved it!
I'm an "Apes" kid who grew up on Planet Of The Apes, Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, Return To The Planet Of the Apes animated series, The Planet Of The Apes comic book series, The Planet Of The Apes TV series, The Planet Of The Apes novel...I loved all of this Apes stuff. Why? Because it was FUN. Sadly it seems those days are gone for good and their ain't too many folks left who get the fun of these sort of things. It's clear that Tim Burton still gets it. He obviously loves the Apes movies and he grew up with all of those same movies and fun Ape toys that I did. His version is a loving tribute to that period of time in his childhood when the whole world seemed to have gone ape. He's even thrown in an ending that's not unlike the ending of the original novel. That novel inspired the movies, but none of them tried to stay true to that idea until Burton's version. Burton is obviously a fan of the Apes craze that made many a youngster want to battle talking apes or be talking apes. He captures that sense of wonder that many of us experienced in our Ape invaded youth, but he also doesn't take the whole thing too damn seriously. There are plenty of laughs here too. It's a big fun talking Apes movie that's just as much FUN as the ones that so many of us loved in the old days. I wondered, laughed, marveled, and had a great time being a kid again. I couldn't have asked for anything more. If Burton hadn't directed this thing I'm sure I would have got a hell of a lot less. Burton "gets" FUN.

(...)
am a big Tim Burton fan, I've practically seen
all his movies: "Batman" , "Sleepy Hollow", "Edward Scissorhands", "The Nightmare before Christmas" are the Directors best works to name a few.

But when I first heard, that Director Tim Burton
was going to make a remake of the original classic sci fi movie "Planet Of The Apes" with Charlton Heston, I was skeptical. Everyone knows that remakes of classic movies 90% of the time, plain suck. The movie remake of "Psycho" is a good example. I was further skeptical that Tim Burton's remake would equal the success of the original because all the ideas thought possible were used for the "Planet Of The Apes" series and movies.

Apes going into space, an Ape's son taking over the world, and even mutant beings are just a couple of the ideas that were used for the four sequels and 2 television series that wanted to profit of the 1968 film. Now after watching the film , my gut instinct told me I was right. The New version of Planet of The Apes is highlly predictable, copying a large bulk of material from the original, with brief differences.

Probably the biggest problem is that this movie itself has is the lame, and dumbest ending I've seen. It makes me laugh just thinking about it. It makes me laugh more because this was a Tim Burton film. In fact, the ending looks like it was written by a 13 yr old, who has too many cheap sci fi films with bad endings. The end of the film, lets you down with an incredibly stupid ending that makes you feel like you wasted time watching it.

Even Tim Burton commented after the film, that he would not make another sequel. Apparently, even he knew that his movie failed. Now my review of the film:
Planet of The Apes starts with great visual effects,
as we learn that an Air Force Space Station has occupied the universe. Mark Walhberg plays Captain Leo Davidson,
who is teaching scientific chimps how to pilot space vessels for research. Basically, the chimps are sent as probes , if you will, to uncharted planets. However, something goes wrong, and the head chimp, gets lost on a voyage to a planet. Davidson, caring for the chimp, disobeys orders and goes after him.
Now then comes the copying of the original film into the remake,but Burton tries his best or worst to not make it look like a copycat film.

Davidson is eventually captured by the Apes of the Planet. Just like the original film, the Apes personality traits are split by class. The warriors are made mostly of Apes and Gorillas. The lying and cunniving politicians are made up of Urangantans. While the more sympathetic apes relate more to the chimp class.

In the original fim, Charlton Heston has the famous line that all fans know when he is captured by the Apes:
"Let go of me you damn dirty ape".

However, Burton changes the script to not copy the original. In the remake, it is the ape who use a line similiar to this:

"Let go of me you damn dirty human"

Lol. I laughed for a while when I saw this.
It's just a very dumb scene. Because even Burton changed the lines, it's still trying to copy that classic scene from the original. Anyways Davidson is captured and eventually meets the head Ape of the planet. Davidson is eventually put into the lines of human slaves that the apes have. Here also Burton tries to add differences between this film and the original. If you recall in the original, Charlton Heston was the only human who could think and talk, while all the over humans either had labotomies or had their throats cut out.

This made Heston's character, Taylor, much more unique and dangerous to the apes. In the remake though, Burton makes it so all humans can talk. This made Walhberg's character not as unique and dangerous, as the original Heston characterm, hell it made him average, not standing out from the crowd.

Tim Roth, plays the evil General Thade who is the military dictator in control of the planet. For the most part, Roth's part is admirable, he does display that aura of intimidation and fear, that all villians in the movie have, but all of this is ripped to shreds by the horrible ending of the film.
Eventually Davidson and the rest of his human and ape friends stage a revolt against General Thade to see who will rule the planet.

This is actually one of the few good points of the film,Burton gives you the hope that things will turn out the best in the end, but not necessarily... Without giving away the ending of the film, all I can say is that it is one of the cheesiest, dumbest endings I've seen!!! In fact, my first reaction to the ending was disbelief, followed by sheer laughter. I couldn't believe that Burton had done that type of ending. The ending reminds me of those low budget, cheap sci fi endings from the 1950's and 60's. If I wanted to see sci fi movies with a cheap , laughable, ending I would watched the reruns of "Mystery Science Theater 3000"!!.

What upsets me about the ending, is that before the ending, we are lead to believe that the movie is going to end one way. In fact, if the movie ended up the way I thought it was going to end, I would have given it a perfect 10!!! But Burton (I don't know what he was thinking)sabotages, the good film with a cheap ending, that leaves you feeling rip-offed. He is not the only guy to do this, the legendary Roman Polanski likewise had the dumbest ending of his career in the movie "Femme Fatale" with Antonio Banderas.

Several weeks after the movie was released, Burton said he would not do a sequel to "Planet Of The Apes". It seems that Burton himself, knew that he messed up a perfectly good film and , proved that remakes of classic films should be left alone. I am big Tim Burton fan, but the remake of "Planet Of The Apes" is probably the worst film that he has done. ... Read more

Reviews (667)

Good movie, packed DVD
Why 5 stars? Well I looked at what everyone else was writing, and as far as their complaints go, they seemed to be frustrated with some dialogue issues and logistics in the characters. I saw most of the original Planet of the Ape films, and while they were fascinating, they didn't quite stack up to this.

The dialogue, were it was corny "Get you stinking hand off me" was one of a few inside jokes within the movie that was a referrence to a Charlton Heston line in Planet of the Apes. As I recall this was the first line the Apes spoke in the film (as Attar demonstrated). Heston spoke those same words (from a different point of view) to the apes when he was captured, much to their surprise. There a quite a few inside jokes in the movie. So you need to be familiar with th first film to appreciate this one.

It also makes intriguing referrences to cultural issues of the past, in particular, slavery, using humans and apes. Course there is more to the story. Planet of the Apes was always breaching ground for Civil Rights. This was a more emphatic example.

The costumes and special affects were stellar. Definitely two Oscars will nodded for makeup and costumes. Tim Burton did a good job in directing and respects go to the screenwriter for his visions. THis was a labor 12 years in the making with numerous names attached (Arnold S. and Oliver Stone at one time).

The DVD is loaded with everything you could want. I got some kind of limited edition CD-Rom. Not sure if everyone else got it, but it offers cast interviews as well. I and my parents enjoyed it, so good for the 20- somethings and 50- somethings..

Not a remake of the original but a totally different story
First let start off by saying that this is not a remake of the 1968 classic but a totally different telling of the story. I respect Tim Burton for not trying to do your basic remake, which consists of updated special effects but the same story. The story in this movie is entirely different than the original. Other than the fact that Apes are involved there are very few similarities. The story is well thought out and keeps you engaged throughout the movie. Tim Burton also knew that Mark Wahlberg is no Charlton Heston, so he kept his dialogue to a minimal. Actually Tim Roth and Michael Duncan Clark have more dialogue in the movie than Wahlberg does. Rick Baker does an outstanding job with the makeup, which allows the actors facial expressions to come through which is key for this type of movie. I will not ruin the ending but will tell you that it is unique and as unexpected as the first one was in 1968. Now onto the DVD, the Anamorphic transfer is flawless and the DTS 5.1 soundtrack is superb. The video shows no signs of edge enhancement, artifacting, or color bleeds. The blacks are deep and rich and all the colors are vibrant. The DTS 5.1 audio track is just awesome; it utilizes the rears and subwoofer frequently. All dialogue is focused on the center channel and is well balanced. The DVD has more special features than any other DVD to date. There are at least 6 documentaries, a "first person" point of view feature, and all the other normal fanfare that comes with a special edition DVD. This by far and wide is Fox's best DVD to date as it pertains to special features.

not a very good version
this is tim burtons adaption of the original movie from 68.the story strays way off course from the original but is way funnier.marky mark stars in it.oh yeah!now will take it seriously.as if it wasnt bad enough we were watching a bad remake of an old classic,now it stars one of the worst bands in histories brothers.bbbboooooooooooooo!the kids will like it.tim burton directed it.besides the lack of keeping with the original and bad casting,this movie is good.it is a disapointment from a lot of his far better movies though.there are a lot of racial undertones in it.they are done in a funny way.is this even possible?its kind of a down but still manages a 3 star rating due to tim burtons masterful save.

loved it!
I'm an "Apes" kid who grew up on Planet Of The Apes, Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, Return To The Planet Of the Apes animated series, The Planet Of The Apes comic book series, The Planet Of The Apes TV series, The Planet Of The Apes novel...I loved all of this Apes stuff. Why? Because it was FUN. Sadly it seems those days are gone for good and their ain't too many folks left who get the fun of these sort of things. It's clear that Tim Burton still gets it. He obviously loves the Apes movies and he grew up with all of those same movies and fun Ape toys that I did. His version is a loving tribute to that period of time in his childhood when the whole world seemed to have gone ape. He's even thrown in an ending that's not unlike the ending of the original novel. That novel inspired the movies, but none of them tried to stay true to that idea until Burton's version. Burton is obviously a fan of the Apes craze that made many a youngster want to battle talking apes or be talking apes. He captures that sense of wonder that many of us experienced in our Ape invaded youth, but he also doesn't take the whole thing too damn seriously. There are plenty of laughs here too. It's a big fun talking Apes movie that's just as much FUN as the ones that so many of us loved in the old days. I wondered, laughed, marveled, and had a great time being a kid again. I couldn't have asked for anything more. If Burton hadn't directed this thing I'm sure I would have got a hell of a lot less. Burton "gets" FUN.

(...)
am a big Tim Burton fan, I've practically seen
all his movies: "Batman" , "Sleepy Hollow", "Edward Scissorhands", "The Nightmare before Christmas" are the Directors best works to name a few.

But when I first heard, that Director Tim Burton
was going to make a remake of the original classic sci fi movie "Planet Of The Apes" with Charlton Heston, I was skeptical. Everyone knows that remakes of classic movies 90% of the time, plain suck. The movie remake of "Psycho" is a good example. I was further skeptical that Tim Burton's remake would equal the success of the original because all the ideas thought possible were used for the "Planet Of The Apes" series and movies.

Apes going into space, an Ape's son taking over the world, and even mutant beings are just a couple of the ideas that were used for the four sequels and 2 television series that wanted to profit of the 1968 film. Now after watching the film , my gut instinct told me I was right. The New version of Planet of The Apes is highlly predictable, copying a large bulk of material from the original, with brief differences.

Probably the biggest problem is that this movie itself has is the lame, and dumbest ending I've seen. It makes me laugh just thinking about it. It makes me laugh more because this was a Tim Burton film. In fact, the ending looks like it was written by a 13 yr old, who has too many cheap sci fi films with bad endings. The end of the film, lets you down with an incredibly stupid ending that makes you feel like you wasted time watching it.

Even Tim Burton commented after the film, that he would not make another sequel. Apparently, even he knew that his movie failed. Now my review of the film:
Planet of The Apes starts with great visual effects,
as we learn that an Air Force Space Station has occupied the universe. Mark Walhberg plays Captain Leo Davidson,
who is teaching scientific chimps how to pilot space vessels for research. Basically, the chimps are sent as probes , if you will, to uncharted planets. However, something goes wrong, and the head chimp, gets lost on a voyage to a planet. Davidson, caring for the chimp, disobeys orders and goes after him.
Now then comes the copying of the original film into the remake,but Burton tries his best or worst to not make it look like a copycat film.

Davidson is eventually captured by the Apes of the Planet. Just like the original film, the Apes personality traits are split by class. The warriors are made mostly of Apes and Gorillas. The lying and cunniving politicians are made up of Urangantans. While the more sympathetic apes relate more to the chimp class.

In the original fim, Charlton Heston has the famous line that all fans know when he is captured by the Apes:
"Let go of me you damn dirty ape".

However, Burton changes the script to not copy the original. In the remake, it is the ape who use a line similiar to this:

"Let go of me you damn dirty human"

Lol. I laughed for a while when I saw this.
It's just a very dumb scene. Because even Burton changed the lines, it's still trying to copy that classic scene from the original. Anyways Davidson is captured and eventually meets the head Ape of the planet. Davidson is eventually put into the lines of human slaves that the apes have. Here also Burton tries to add differences between this film and the original. If you recall in the original, Charlton Heston was the only human who could think and talk, while all the over humans either had labotomies or had their throats cut out.

This made Heston's character, Taylor, much more unique and dangerous to the apes. In the remake though, Burton makes it so all humans can talk. This made Walhberg's character not as unique and dangerous, as the original Heston characterm, hell it made him average, not standing out from the crowd.

Tim Roth, plays the evil General Thade who is the military dictator in control of the planet. For the most part, Roth's part is admirable, he does display that aura of intimidation and fear, that all villians in the movie have, but all of this is ripped to shreds by the horrible ending of the film.
Eventually Davidson and the rest of his human and ape friends stage a revolt against General Thade to see who will rule the planet.

This is actually one of the few good points of the film,Burton gives you the hope that things will turn out the best in the end, but not necessarily... Without giving away the ending of the film, all I can say is that it is one of the cheesiest, dumbest endings I've seen!!! In fact, my first reaction to the ending was disbelief, followed by sheer laughter. I couldn't believe that Burton had done that type of ending. The ending reminds me of those low budget, cheap sci fi endings from the 1950's and 60's. If I wanted to see sci fi movies with a cheap , laughable, ending I would watched the reruns of "Mystery Science Theater 3000"!!.

What upsets me about the ending, is that before the ending, we are lead to believe that the movie is going to end one way. In fact, if the movie ended up the way I thought it was going to end, I would have given it a perfect 10!!! But Burton (I don't know what he was thinking)sabotages, the good film with a cheap ending, that leaves you feeling rip-offed. He is not the only guy to do this, the legendary Roman Polanski likewise had the dumbest ending of his career in the movie "Femme Fatale" with Antonio Banderas.

Several weeks after the movie was released, Burton said he would not do a sequel to "Planet Of The Apes". It seems that Burton himself, knew that he messed up a perfectly good film and , proved that remakes of classic films should be left alone. I am big Tim Burton fan, but the remake of "Planet Of The Apes" is probably the worst film that he has done. ... Read more