Reviews (128)

Not even a traditional SCI-FI fan
Star Trek bores me, and Star Wars doesn't do much for me either. So that disqualifies me from being a Sci-Fi geek. That being said, I've reviewed a handful of movies on Amazon, but I've never reviewed my favorite of all time. Year after year, this one stands out: The Time Machine, first viewed during my junior year of high school, is my favorite movie of all time.

The movie is very easy to get interested in. It brings up the What If questions about the world you ask yourself and your dearest friends. The dialogue is clever and enjoyable. And Rod Taylor is the perfect gentleman time traveler.

Some people can't handle the 1960 special effects... Appreciate the nostalgia.
Romance. Action. Intruige. Suspense. Emotion. Watch this thrilling movie about much more than TIME TRAVEL, and you'll find yourself loving it, too.

And when you're finished watching the movie, you'll be taking a few minutes to think about starting your own civilization...and what three books you would take to help you build THE FUTURE!

And then you'll stop thinking and look for something else to watch on TV.

An Ageless Enthralling Classic of Sci Fi
As gorgeous as the new time machine is, its hard to imagine it can ever top the beauty of the original. Watching the film again today the elegance and detail in the design astonish me. The machine is unforgetable but its the intelligently crafted story and character filled casting in this version that can still fill young hearts with wonder at the possibilities of time travel. Its amazing how the initial half of the film seems as contemporary a tale as when it was first invented. It is only in the land of the far distant future that the film turns into a traditional pulp heroic adventure. But the evil underground dwellers, the morlocks with their blue skin, white hair and glowing eyes remain quite scary and create wonderful tension and excitement. This is a really fun adventure film that warrants its classic status because it can still be apreciated today.

Accompanying the film is a sentimental featurette documenting the finding of the original time machine in a thrift shop and its loving restoration. The film is hosted by the original star Rod Taylor who reprises his role with his co-star Alan Young (Wilbur Post on Mr. Ed) at the end of the feature performing a ten minute skit that imagines a scenario where H.George Wells returns in his time machine to convince his friend to time travel with him to prevent his death in a soon to happen WWI plane crash. The affection for this film for everyone connected with it is palpable as they wistfully delight in telling stories of the experience. Oddly enough one of the big reasons I purchased this DVD at this time was the cover art was so beautiful I had to have it. Click on the Amazon.com icon for this film to see a larger version. It must be one of the best movie posters ever made. Good companion pieces to this film are Fantastic Journey and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Don't let it fool you
I gave it 5 stars just for the movie, but this edition deserves 3, cause you see the audio cd shown on the picture won't be inside the package. I returned it, and got myself the standard version, cause I bought this edition most for the cd. The picture is from an initial pressing of this edition and is no longer available, you'll get all the stuff you see, but no cd. I just thought you'd better know it.

The Time Machine still a timeless classic
Rod Taylor, Alan Young, and Yvette Mimieux star in George Pal's "The Time Machine", a great sci fi movie based on the novel by H.G. Wells.

Taylor plays George an inventor in the late 18th century (1899 to be exact) who makes a machine that can go back in time.

At first his colleagues are skeptical, but when they see George's small model machine that goes back in time, they start to believe him.

George's best friend, and supporter is David played by Alan Young.

George takes the machine back, because he is sick of the present time, with war being brought on.

He travels to the early and middle 1900's and to his shock , George finds out that Man's future lies in war (which is pretty accurate even up to today's time).

He sees how WWI and WWII started, and even sees when his house is destroyed by an enemy plane!

George then travels far into the future, the year 802701, to see if mankind has any hope of living in peace.

At first, he sees a great paradise with many people (mostly children) play about in solitude. But when one lady named Weena, starts to drown, he sees that no one seems to care. He rescues her, and after talking to the other youths, he learns that they learned nothing from their ancient ancestors.

The books they have are old and buried.

They have lived the good the life, based on the sacrifices from mankind, and they don't appreciate it (which is another accurate telling of today's times).

He learns that Weena is part of the Eloi society which is under the slavery of the Morlocks, a cannibalistic race.

The Morlocks give everything, food and clothing to the Eloi , in exchange for the slavery and their bodies as food.

The movie was directed by sci fi whiz George Pal who won an impressive 7 oscars and awards for his movies.

He is the Steven Spielberg when it comes to sci fi movies.

What's astonishing about the film is the special effects that were made without computer help (which in most movies make the movie look more fake than real).

The way the special effects people made flowers bloom, candles burn while the Time Machine went in time, is very special to see.

It's a great site, from a special effects view, how these people managed to do these effects, with the limited resources they had.

He directed "War of the Worlds" and "Destination Moon" which won numerous awards. DVD comes with a number of great features:

A behind the scenes documentary with Rod Taylor. A great documentary where he shows how George Pal designed the machine. Taylor even shows us storyboards which haven't been seen in 30 yrs.

Even the DVD main menu with Taylor on the cover and the Murlocks in the background, give the DVD a great sci fi look!!

From 1899 to 802,701 AD The "Timeless" Classic
There are a lot of reviews about this great picture and how it influenced an entire generation. All of it is true! For some reason this film ties into the imagination and fills you with wonder. We can thank Mr. Wells for creating the story, but we really owe it to George Pal, Wah Chang and Gene Warren for translating the book into a miracle of romantic adventure. The real draw of course is "The Time Machine" prop. Never in the history of film has a prop been more imitated and desired. The special effects received an Academy Award and it was well deserved. All of the elements of Victorian London in winter, cozy parlors surrounded with friends gathered for dinner, "tea table" chat over the 4th dimension and the recollection of an experiment in time travel utilizing a flashback technique are what makes this film so enchanting. When Rod Taylor finally begins a slow initial journey we see the sky in motion in day and night sequences that are breathtaking in astronomic splendor. As the flowered garden and fruit trees go through their seasonal cycles in rapid progression you cannot help but be drawn into the wonder of creation and the genius of invention! The screenwriters then play with your imagination as we see our traveler stop at different events in our 20th century past and a "cold war" interpretation of the decade in which it was filmed when he stops in the "future" on August 18th, 1966 to witness a nuclear holocaust. From here we are quickly transported to the focal point of the Wells story to a future society of Eloi and Morlock culture. The care that went into this DVD should not be understated. It is a highly polished film that restores 20/20 vision to the frames so that we can see all of the colorful beauty that was originally there. Once again, we can SEE the atomic satellite zeroing in, the clear sky above the Eloi "cafeteria" and the smoking machinery of the Morlock caverns. When our traveler returns to 1899 and presents the flower to Filby that was given to him by Weena you will agree that "that flower could not have possibly bloomed in the winter time" and in the holding of that flower you will realize that this is a magic moment in film that will be with you forever and as Mrs. Watchit gradually turns off the lights in our view from the snowy evening outside you will think about the three books you would have taken and agree that having seen this film you will never be the same again, because you are in love with a romantic idea, TIME TRAVEL. ... Read more

Amazon.com

F.B.I. operative Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) famously went undercover in a beauty pageant a while back, and now she's supposedly so recognizable that her only use to the agency is as a pretty public representative. Dumped by her boyfriend (whom Benjamin Bratt wisely decided not to portray this time around), a gloomy Gracie goes along with the promo biz until her friend, Miss United States (Heather Burns), is kidnapped along with pageant official Stan Fields (William Shatner) in Las Vegas. Bullock still has perk to please her fans, but neither she nor her awkward alter-ego has any purpose in a sequel to a movie released five years prior. The result is a desperately unfunny, feature-length commercial for Las Vegas tourism, with outdated homosexual stereotypes (Diedrich Bader, as Gracie's stylist) and the usually terrific Regina King (of Ray and Jerry Maguire fame) stuck in a glum role as Bullock's butch bodyguard. Armed? Yes. Fabulous? No. --Steve Wiecking ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Where Is Michael Caine, and a Decent Story? Just a Mess.
Do we really want "Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed and Fabulous," unnecessary sequel while we have the surprisingly entertaining original made five years ago?It depends on your expectation level.Keep that very low, and you may like this run-of-the-mill comedy, like watching a TV sit-com extended to lengthy two hours.

Excuse my bitter words, but from the beginning to the end "Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed and Fabulous" makes wrong steps -- Sandra Bullock's Gracie Hart is back, which is fine.But as her face is widely known, she cannot do any undercover assignment, so she starts to work on an FBI PR campaign.Gracie begins to consider herself as celebrity, clad in the expensive costumes like Anna Nicole Smith, and appears on a TV show to promote her (ghost-written) book.

In addition to these hackneyed ideas, "MC2" tells us that Gracie's friend Cheryl (Heather Burns) and Stan Fields (William Shatner) are kidnapped by two masked guys on the street of Las Vegas, to which Gracie flies for the most unconvinging reason I have heard in the film's history.Oh, and Sandra Bullock's silly, very silly costumes continue, including one in wheelchair (disguised as an old lady) and one big featherly creature from the Sesami Street.Oh, dear, I love you Sandra, but not this.

[NO CAINE, NO FUN] All these things could have been forgiven if there is chemistry between Sandra Bullock's Gracie and her new 'buddy' Sam Fuller (Regina King, 'Ray').There is none that reminds me of Benjamin Bratt's good-natured personality here.To make matters much, much worse, Michael Caine is gone, replaced by 'fashion advisor' Joel (Diedrich Bader) whose mannnerism, based on poor copy of Caine, is just irritating and awfully unfunny.Finally, when Treat Williams as FBI officer in charge appears with bad acting, the whole film starts to go down to the bottom of the theme parks of Las Vegas, the town which is repeatedly shown on the scree for no other reason than that it is another kind of production placement.

The original "Miss Congeniality" was not critic's favorite, but it gave Sandra Bullock a prestigious Golden-Globe nomination.The sequel unwittingly tells us that a good support and decent (if not special) scripts was the key to that, both of which fatally lack in "Miss Congeniality 2 - Armed and Fabulous."

Don't Pass "Miss Congeniality 2" Up On Poor Reviews!
I was planning to pass 'Miss Congeniality 2' up on the strength of poor reviews but braved the show anyway since I had nothing better to do on a Saturday night. The opening scenes were so-so and just when I began to start fidgeting in my seat when I saw Sandra Bullock getting all dolled up donning Chanel suit, Gucci Shades, Fendi bags and heavy make-up to look all plasticky and artificial, the movie got better and better and I saw myself laughing my head off in perhaps formulaic but no less FUNNY sequences. Regina King was perfectly cast as Bullock's glum-faced sidekick - just when viewers were convinced that she was all macho, serious and anything but funny, she totally surprised on the upside in her awesome, show-stealing performance as 'Tina Turner' in drag. In fact, the entire song-and-dance sequence was so kick-ass and hilarious that it had the entire audience in stitches!

Seeing Sandra Bullock 'armed and fabulous' in her reprised role as agent Gracie Hart was a continuous testimony as to why she has transfixed moviegoers in the past decade. While not a conventional beauty, her ever-present wholesomeness, well-crafted comedic timing, not least self-denigrating but always endearing performances (as evident in "While You Were Sleeping", "Two Weeks' Notice" and "Miss Congeniality") confirmed her place as one of America's beloved sweethearts to ever grace the silver screen.

The sequel was more superior in terms of laughs, all-round direction, storyline and showcased a supporting cast whose performance was competent in their own right and sub-plots which more than overtook the forced romantic angle in the prequel. My advice: ignore the poor reviews writing off 'Miss Congeniality 2' as brainless/stupid if you're either a die-hard Bullock's fan or just want to immerse yourself in some 90 minutes+ of unadulterated fun.

PS For extended laughs, do stay back for the closing credits as the producers had gratuitously slapped on rejected takes right at the end of the movie: selected clippings depicting the cast bursting at the seams when they got so carried away and forgot their lines and/or their failed attempts to not burst into irrepressible laughter in supposedly 'serious' situations. ENJOY!

For what it is...
I think the problem is that people are taking this movie WAY to seriously! It's not meant to be avant-guard or brilliant! It's meant to entertain! This movie succeeds at its main goals, being hilariously entertaining with fantastically fresh performances. Bullock shines, even though the script and plot may not be flawless, I have to admit, that I was extremely entertained throughout the entire movie, and everyone in the theatre laughed at every scene and applauded at the end. Don't listen to the critics, Sandra in her own right is brilliant. And while Miss Congeniality 2 is not brilliant, it definately has brighter prospects than a lot of movies out there.

4.5/5

Miss Congeniality 2 is great!
I went and saw this movie with very high hopes and it didnt let me down. The movie is really good. Dont pay attention to these "professional" reviewers because they grade it on how artsy and all that crap that it is. These reviewers gave the 1st movie bad reviews and its a classic. This movie is hillarious and lives up to the original. If you liked the original I reccomend this or if you didnt like the first one because of the beauty pageant stuff then you'll love this one.

"Miss" No Hit
Sandra Bullock returns to the role of Gracie Hart in this unfunny sequel to the surprise hit "Miss Congeniality".

Taking place three weeks after the original, "Miss Congeniality 2" has Gracie Hart returning to her undercover job for the F.B.I. Problems arise when Hart is recoginized wherever she goes, so the Bureau reassigns as a spokesperson for the F.B.I., keeping people informed of the different procedures that occur within the Bureau.

When on "assignment" in Las Vegas, Hart finds out that her new best friend from the first film, Miss United States, is kidnapped, its up to Hart to piece the clues together & find out where the kidnappers have Miss U.S. stashed. But, first Gracie has to get rid of her new He-Man style bodyguard (Regina King) & deal with some crooked Vegas F.B.I. agents (led by Treat Williams).

The film is bit of a bore. It should be funny, but, it just isn't. There's the stereotypical homosexual makeup artist that Gracie has thats there for the obvious jokes. Regina King is wasted in her role. As for Sandra Bullock she trys to act tough but just can't. She came across tougher in the first film (I like her, but,in some shots she just looked old).

The film was released in March 2005 (...).

"Miss Congeneiality 2" is a formuliac sequel that is better watched in the dead of winter on HBO, if watched at all. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Funniest Movie I Have Seen In My Life
This movie is the most funny one I have seen before. Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor are great in it. It is them that make it so funny. My favorite part is when they dress up like woodpeckers and sing the song. When I watched this movie, I could not stop laughing throughout the whole entire thing. I give this movie 5 stars. If you have not seen it, I suggest you do

Almost as funny as "Silver Streak"
"Stir Crazy" is Gene Wilder's and Richard Pryor's second film in which they starred together. Although this film contains many very funny scenes, the chemistry that Wilder and Pryor display here isn't as strong and cohesive as in their first film "Silver Streak", but is do-able. The scenes which slow this picture down are the rodeo-escape scenes toward the end of the film, and display very little life and are somewhat boring. The plot of "Stir Crazy", though, where Wilder and Pryor are framed for armed robbery and sent to prison, is quite amusing and hilarious, with the right amount of flavor and texture to grab my attention! The fact is, any movie starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, with the exception of "Another You", will command at least a four-star rating. Any die-hard fan(s) of these fine actors/performers will want to add "Stir Crazy" to their must-have collection(s).

"Yeah, that's right, we bad..."
In my opinion, there has never been a greater comedy duo than Richard Pryor/Gene Wilder. They are two comic geniuses who mesh perfectly when they come together.

In STIR CRAZY, their best film in my opinion, the two play an actor and a playwright from New York who decide to head out west to look for work. However, along the way, their plans are put on hold as they get framed for bank robbery and find themselves in a Texas penitentiary. They then go through a series of adventures attempting to prove their innocence, escape from prison, and stay alive.

The movie does not contain a very original plot, but the viewer can expect many laughs watching two of the greatest comedians of all time at their best!

I LOVE PRYOR AND WILDER
THESE 2 CHARACTERS ARE THE EASIEST TO JUST LOVE RIGHT WHEN YOU SEE THEM ON FILM. THERE ACTING IN THIS WAS HILLARIOUS(EVEN THOUGH I HAVEN'T SEEN IT). I THINK THAT THE ROLE THEY HAD IN SEE NO EVIL HEAR NO EVIL WAS ALSO AWESOME AND I JUST HOPE YOU CAN SEE THESE MOVIES ALSO.

COMIC GENIES !
i FIRST SAW THIS MOVIE WHEN I WAS TEN YEARS OLD...IM NOW 30 AND EVERY TIME I SEE IT I LAUGH EVEN MORE THAN THE LAST TIME! YOU ONLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THEIR (RICHARD PRYOR/GENE WILDER) FACES AND YOU WILL BESIDE YOURSELF LAUGHING ! A TRUE COMEDY CLASSIC...ITS DOESNT PRETEND TO BE HIGH BROW JUST FUNNY ! THIS MOVIE WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD AGAIN AND AGAIN..IM SO GLAD I AM PRESERVING IT AS A DVD FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO SEE ! A MUST SEE ..GO AHEAD LAUGH OUT LOUD AND ENJOY. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Sort of a greatest hits of "Avonlea" from seasons one & two
"Tales from Avonlea: Beginnings" is a mixed bag, with the good news being that you can get the eight of the first sixteen episodes from the first and second seasons of the beloved series (I got the Disney channel just to watch it), but nothing else in this stripped down DVD. Based on characters featured in "The Story Girl," which was author Lucy Maud Montgomery's favorite novel, and its sequel "The Golden Road," the series also adapted tales from two collections of short stories known as the "Chronicles of Avonlea." The eight episodes provided are:

Episode 1.1, "The Journey Begins" tells how young Sara Stanley (Sarah Polley) is shipped off to her late mother's relatives on Prince Edward Island when When her father is threatened with financial ruin. Sara arrives in Avonlea with her Nanny Louisa is tow, only to meet up with the formidable King family, headed by the imperious Aunt Hetty (Jackie Burroughs), who also happens to be the local school teacher.

Episode 1.6, "The Proof of the Pudding" finds Felicity in charge of her siblings when Alec and Janet go to Charlottetown to celebrate their anniversary. Sarah is added to the mix when Aunt Hetty goes to visit the Governor's office to prevent an over-zealous lawyer from denying the King's water rights to the local pond. Actually it is sawdust that ends up in the pudding and the woman who shows up at the King's farm is not the tone deaf Great Aunt Eliza but Agnes Leslie, the wife of the Governor.

Episode 1.3, "Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's" is one of the best adaptations of a Montgomery short story. Mrs. Rachel Lynde (Patricia Hamilton) is put in charge of the boy's Sunday School class and when she finds the young boy who work's Alexander Abraham's farm has gone truant, she heads out to save the boy's soul. However, everybody involved is in for a big shock when they all end up in Abraham's home only to discover he has been quarantined because of the small pox.

Episode 1.4, "The Materializing of Duncan McTavish," begins when Sara asks Marilla Cuthbert (Colleen Dewhurst) "Did you ever have a beau?" Having endured a lifetime of slurs because she never did, Marilla defiantly declares "I had one once" and weaves a fantasy about her beau Duncan (because it is her favorite name) and McTavish (because she sees an advertisement for McTavish Porous Plasters). Of course, who should arrive in town but Duncan McTavish himself and Sara Stanley knows Fate has brought the two former lovers together again.

Episode 1.11, "The Witch of Avonlea" is about Peg Bowen (Susan Cox), who lives in the woods smoking her pipe and doing whatever she wants with no concern for what the good folks of Avonlea think or say. When Felix King (Zachary Bennett) finds himself unable to spell anything during the class spelling bees because he is so afraid of Aunt Hetty, his nightmares convince him she might be a witch. So he goes off to visit Peg, who gives him a "magic" stone to give him confidence

Episode 1.13, "Nothing Endures but Change," finds that Blair Stanley, Sara's father, has been acquitted of the scandalous embezzlement charges that forced him to send his daughter to live with her mother's relatives on Prince Edward Island. Blair arrives in Avonlea ready to take Sara back to Montreal, at which point everyone of Sara's King relatives absolutely freaks, especially Aunt Hetty, who announces she will not give the child up to her father. Sara wants to say goodbye to all her friends and attend the upcoming skating party she has been looking forward to, but her father wants to get out of Avonlea and as far away from Hetty as quickly as possible. Sara cannot abide the thought that two of the people she loves most in the world cannot even talk to each other civilly, and so she hatches up a plan to force their reconciliation.

Episode 2.2, "How Kissing Was Discovered" begins Great Aunt Eliza (the real one) coming for a visit and turning the King household upside down. Meanwhile, Alec discovers that playing cricket is not as easy it was when he was a younger man and Felicity has her eye on a young cricket player on the visiting team. After all, she is now all grown up and has decided it is time to receive her "first kiss." However, Sarah and Felix have made a new friend in Gus Pike (Michael Mahonen), a young sailor recently arrived in Avonlea and looking for work. Alec lets Gus stay in his barn and while Felicity will not give the boy the time of day, it is clear that he finds her rather interesting.

Episode 2.3, "Aunt Hetty's Ordeal" begins the pivotal relationship between Gus Pike and Hetty King begins. Given how Hetty treats Sara, Olivia and everybody else in the extended King family, you have to worry about poor, uneducated Gus. The problem is that everybody in Avonlea knows to take Hetty King with a grain or salt. But Gus thinks everything Aunt Hetty says is carved on stone tablets and when Hetty makes a heated offhand remark to the young man it has significant repercussions. Gus had been a minor character in previous episodes, and "Aunt Hetty's Ordeal" is where he starts becoming more important to the show in general (and Felicity King in particular). This is also the point where Hetty King, who tended to be a bit insufferable for my money, started to thaw, because the big difference between Gus and Sara, is that Gus is not family and Hetty ends up opening her heart to him.

Granted, these are probably the better half of those first sixteen episodes. But the legion of fans for "Avonlea" would be better served by having each season available on DVD and they may well hold out for that then pick this up.

Complete seasons found!
For all of those who would like to see complete seasons of Avonlea, I have found them! Released through Sullivan Entertainment, you can go to www.sullivanboutique.com and purchase the first three complete seasons of Road to Avonlea on dvd. Not only are all of the episodes included, there are also bonus features, such as bios and behind the scenes. I have also found these dvds on ebay, where you might be able to purchase them for less. Hope this has been helpful!

good, but not what I was expecting
This is a wonderful DVD whether you grew up with this show as I did or its your first exposure to the wonderful series. However, I bought this thinking it was the complete first season - for those of you who are familiar with the series, please be aware that it is not. This dvd contains 8 episodes - 6 from season 1 and 2 from season 2, and the episodes are not in direct sequence. However, I still very highly recommend this dvd as the complete seasons are difficult to find and very expensive.

Full Season Sets (Season 1 and 2) are Available
After opening up the box, I was so disappointed to find that only eight episodes were listed on the back. I don't what I had been thinking, but had been under the flase impression that I had ordered a complete season set.

However, if you go to amazon.ca (Canada) you will find much more to choose from on this wonderful series!

Quality of DVD leaves much to be desired...
I was thrilled to find out the television series "Avonlea" had finally be released on DVD in the United States. I was very disappointed to discover that Disney was the one releasing it, however, and not Sullivan Entertainment. Instead of the complete first season on DVD, only eight episodes from the series are available. Disney really ought to reconsider bringing out a complete first season set of the series. I, for one, wouldn't mind spending a little more money to have ALL of the episodes instead of just eight. Another thing I was very disappointed with was the quality of the DVDs themselves. The disc art is great, but the menus on the disc are absolutely horrible. No care was taken into putting them together at all. All-in-all, I'm glad to have at least some form of Avonlea on DVD, but Disney should've taken more care with such a splendid series. Let's hope they fix this if they plan on having future releases of the series. Major fans of the show really ought to consider buying the show on DVD from Sullivan Entertainment's web site. They offer all the episodes from the first three seasons in three sets, complete and uncut. Yes, it's a lot pricier, but at least you get the whole package. If I had the money right now, that's definitely the version of "Avonlea" that I would be purchasing... ... Read more

Reviews (49)

AWESOME!
In the Line of Fire was definitely in the top 10 of suspense/drama films in the 1990's. I was not a big Clint Eastwood fan but he gives a great performance as an old time Secret Service agent. The movie links his "involvement" in the Kennedy assassination to a current potential assassin. That potential assassin is played exquisitely by John Malkovich. At first, we know him as John Wilkes Boothe (another assassin) but as the movie progresses, we come to learn more about "Boothe", his real name, his multiple homes, and his violent past as a ........just watch. The movie is basically a cat and mouse but to the highest degree. Rene Russo, a fellow agent, has good chemistry with Eastwood as they desparately try to locate Malkovich before another U.S. President is assassinated under Eastwood's guard. What Eastwood doesnt know is how vulnerable he is on a daily basis when he is eerily stalked by Malkovich. It all makes for great suspense and fun for a couple hours.

The only Eastwood movie I own
Believe it or not, this was the first Clint Eastwood movie I bought and only the second I?ve seen (the first was ?Blood Work?). So consequently I cannot compare this to a ?Dirty Harry? or any of Eastwood?s older works. I can however say it was a good movie. It is at times rather predictable and follows the example of most other cop vs. killer films, but that?s okay. The acting by Clint and particularly John Malkovich makes up for any lack of originality. That?s not to say there?s no innovation within ?In The Line Of Fire?. There certainly is. Even in their supporting roles, both Rene Russo and Dylan McDermott (aka Will from NBC?s Will & Grace) prove to be at the top of their games. All in all, if you can get past the conventionalism and the random spots of predictability, you?re bound to enjoy the show.

Eastwood plays the role of Frank Horrigan, who?s an older, obnoxious Secret Service agent who, years ago, was unable to prevent JFK from being shot. So when a ?wet-boy? posses a great threat to the current President, Frank?s past is brought back to light courtesy of the self-proclaimed Booth (played brilliantly by John Malkovich). Booth is a very scary character. And it?s not until partway into the movie that we see his face clearly. He is a smart, flawless exhibitioner who has a profound obsession with President?s deaths. Most others in the office ignore the threats and leave Frank as though he?s an old fuddy-duddy past his prime. But Eastwood knows, claiming right from the start: ?I know things about people?. What Booth does is lead Frank and other agents through a series of set-up clues that keep them close; though not too close. Because Booth singles out Frank, the two are able to form an excellent on screen double act. They may not be working together, but they interact with each other just so perfectly. That aspect of the movie was hands down the best element. Along with the aforementioned quote, a few others give Eastwood that appeal that would most likely do for this movie what the ?...punk? quote did for ?Dirty Harry?. And even Malkovich chimes in with a most-memorable quotation: ?all we have is the game?. And the game continues all the way till the very end, when we see if Eastwood?s instincts were right all along. Aside from all the great acting and an exalting story, there were a couple of ugly spots in the movie. The first that comes to mind is the romance scenes between Eastwood and Rene Russo. The bedroom scene was predominantly unlikable, but Eastwood finished it off with a hilariously unforgettable line. I won?t spoil it for you. Also, the special effects were nothing to write home about; a part at the end actually made me laugh. But in the end, the greatness of the movie outweighs the few poor spots.

If you are a Clint Eastwood fan I?m sure you already own this movie. If you?re a budding Eastwood fan born after his time, I can?t tell you ?In The Line Of Fire? is better than any other Eastwood classics. But, again, I can tell you it?s worth watching. The character of Frank Horrigan is played perfectly by Eastwood. And John Malkovich drops in the best performance of his career as the lofty but likable Booth. There is not a moment of this movie that?s not entertaining (romance bits excluded), and the thrills just keep on pilling up. On a more serious note, when you?re watching this movie, it?s frightening to think there?s no one like a Frank Horrigan out there who?d protect the President with such pride. I picked this up for a buck at the Half-Price Book Store; for that price I couldn?t pass it up. And I don?t recommend you pass it up either.

Very Smart movie, although some may not agree
The only actor i liked in this political action thriller was John Malkovitch. I mean he is one of the greatest actors alive today and this movie shows why. I loved his other movies like 'Being John Malkovitch', 'Con Air' and 'Of Mice and Men'. The tension and anger could be felt by the charecter Malkovitch played. On the other hand, this was clearly Clint Eastwood's best preformance too. The reson why this great half and half movie didn't win an oscar is because of
a. The title.
b. Based on fictional charecters and at the same time discriminating the US Government by showing lack of professionalism.
c. Only three major actors.
d. Release date.

So anyway, some might say that this is just another action flick, which it is, so if you'd like to see Eastwood play a hard nosed secret agent and hunt down a humerous, serial killer physcopath played by Malkovitch, then this movie will do alright. It may be a typical movie but the good thing about movies everybody would like to see is the highly awaited climax. So watch this if you are an action fan.

Eastwood is great..Russo is sexy and Malkovich is creepy
Clint Eastwood(Blood Work, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly), a cop..was one of the guys who protected John F. Kennedy before he was assassinated...now he is jumping threw hoops for some killer who likes to toy and play with him..great suspense and Eastwood is a charm to watch..John Malkovich(Knockaround Guys, Con Air) is always evil...there's no denying that. directed by Wolfgang Petersen also starring Rene Russo(Get Shorty, The Thomas Crown Affair), Dylan McDermott(Tv's The Practice, The Cowboy Way), Gary Cole(A Simple Plan, I:Spy), Fred Dalton Thomas(Die Hard 2: Die Harder, Tv's Law and Order), Joshua Malina(Tv's Sports Night, Tv's The West Wing), John Mahoney(Tv's Fraiser, The Hudsucker Proxy), and Steve Railsback(Slash, Made Men). good cat and mouse game

good
This interesting little suspence tale starring Clint Eastwood, Rene Russo, and John Malcovich goes into the world of politics. Eastwood plays FBI agent Frank Horrigan, a man who's been haunted by the fact that he couldn't save Kennedy after the first shot had been fired. Malcovich brilliantly plays Mitch Leary, a psychotic man who's only goals are to taunt Horrigan and to assaninate the president. Russo plays Lilly Raines, the female agent who is bothered by Horrigan's lame attempts to woo her and to help Horrigan solve the mess that Leary has made. Good movie and watch for Gary Coleman,Dylan McDermott, John Heard, and Ed Harris as well. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Brilliant.
This film is absolutelty magnificent. The acting is impeccable, and the whole story is very moving. I recommend it to anyone. The young actors in the movie were perfect and made the characters seem real. Someone who really stuck out for me was Rollo Weeks, who plays Prince George in the film...

Pivotal moments in history through the eyes of an innocent
For his latest television film, Stephen Poliakoff has dusted off some skeletons from the Royal Family closet, given them flesh through a well researched, literate script and dressed them, beautifully, in all the finery of late Edwardian era; his real triumph, though, is in breathing life into what could have been mere historical zombies.
"The Lost Prince" tells the tale of the Royals from the time of Edward VII, and the zenith of Britain's Imperial splendour, through to the Gotterdammerung of the First World War and the smashing of the royal houses of Europe on the battlefield. Where Poliakoff's account departs from others is in telling the story largely through the eyes of a child: Prince Johnny, the epileptic, possibly autistic (and thought to be 'imbecile') youngest son of George V and Queen Mary. For Johnny, hidden away in the country where he cannot embarrass his parents, the unfolding of one of the most tumultuous periods in European history is a surreal family melodrama populated by larger-than-life relatives like Czar Niki and Kaiser Willy.
Pretty well abandoned by his parents, Johnny's main contact with the world is through his nurse, Lalla, and brother Georgie---better known as the Duke of Kent, whose death in a 1942 plane crash along with the 'real' Rudolf Hess still has tongues wagging---Poliakoff also lifts the lid on who was really responsible for abandoning the Romanovs to their fate (and it wasn't Lloyd George).
With great performances from the likes of Tom Hollander (as George V), Michael Gambon (as Edward VII), and Miranda Richardson (as Queen Mary)---not to mention the children who bring young Johnny and Georgie to life---splendid cinematography, a suitably bittersweet Elgarian score and an approach to staging the past that gets beyond the cosmetic pleasures of much costume drama, this is a wonderfully satisfying, elegiac piece of work. A perfect piece of historical drama, no less. ... Read more

Description

Housewife Lucy Chadman (Shelley Long of OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE and TV's CHEERS) comes to an untimely end while nibbling on an oriental chicken ball ... but says HELLO AGAIN when her wacky, mystical sister Zelda (Judith Ivey) brings her back from the great beyond! Only one year has passed but oh, how things have changed. Lucy's miraculous return creates laugh-filled pandemonium with everyone she re-encounters ... especially with her upwardly mobile husband (Corbin Bernsen, L.A. LAW) who is now wed to her "former" best friend!Suddenly solo, Lucy must piece together a new life -- in a riotous odyssey that bewitches her handsome doctor... bewilders her ex-husband ... and bedazzles both press and public alike! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Worth adding to your collection!
As a mother of two young children my husband and I often rely on our DVD collection for a night "at" the movies. Hello Again is just a cute film that the whole family can pile up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy.This movie may seem silly to some but hey sometimes a good movie is just that...silly. I love this film and have seen it many times over without growing tired of it. I am anxiously awaiting its release on DVD.

I love Hello Again!
This is one of my all-time favorites! Yeah it's cheesy, but it's so funny... you really can't take it seriously. I can practically recite the dialogue with the movie, I've seen it so many times... it's great! Shelley Long is hilarious in this role.

VERY cute and funny
I thought this movie was VERY funny. Shelley's death scene is quite a laugh. And of course the story premise is very fun. Not a bad film at all. What can I say! It's just very cute and funny. Very good for a Saturday/Sunday afternoon movie.

If I could give it less, I think I would
This has to be just about the worst movie I've ever sat through. I watched it because I couldn't take my eyes off Gabriel Byrne, who has beautiful eyes and a beautiful accent, but otherwise it was just terrible. It wasn't even bad in a funny way; I just felt embarassed.
The story was completely ridiculous. I'm generally willing to suspend disbelief, but the whole back-from-the-dead thing seemed singularly pointless. Implausibilities mounted like cars in a pile-up. The dialogue was so banal it was almost unbelievable. The problems facing our pair of lovers were so manufactured I expcted the seams of the film to tear every moment. You don't fire a good doctor because reporters are crowding the operating room. You ban the reporters from the hospital. And why did they have to tie up all loose ends by hooking up the protagonists sister with that millionaire?
Among the many bad performances, the sister had to be the most annoying of the lot, but Shelley Long was pretty awful too. Even Byrne wasn't great (how could he be, with those god-awful lines to say) but at least he wasn't embarrassing like the rest.

Hello Again
One of the funniest movies ever produced. Good for families as well as adult viewing. Did not get enough notice in the theatre when first released. ... Read more

Reviews (112)

A very fine war epic
I first saw this movie (albeit in TV-edited version) as a child and knew right away that this was one of the finest war films I had ever seen. As a WWII buff, I had read many books and seen many war films, and Cross of Iron (the movie) was one of the more satisfying (and horrifying!) accounts of the war.

Sam Peckinpah's directing is superb in this film. Coburn's Sergeant Steiner, who is just trying to survive and keep alive the men who follow him, versus the incompetent Captain Stransky (Maximillian Schell) who is on the Eastern Front only because he wants to win the Iron Cross, Germany's military award for valor in combat - makes for a very tense atmosphere throughout the movie. The viewer ultimately sides with Coburn's character, and can't help but feel outrage when Stransky deliberately tries to hang Steiner's men out to dry as the order to retreat is given, and Stransky does not pass along the order to Steiner.

The battle scenes were magnificent, the best I had seen until "Saving Private Ryan" came along. You got a glimpse of the sheer terror the German soldiers must have felt when facing one of the Russians' human wave charges. The T-34 tanks used by the Russians appear authentic, unlike the substitutes used in many war films (see: Battle of the Bulge). This film is a must-see for anyone interested in WW2. It is unfortunate that so few films were made about the Russian Front. The Soviet Union did more to bring down the Nazi regime than the rest of the Allies combined. 90 percent of all battle casualties suffered by the Germans in the war happened on the Russian Front.

The part of the movie that really grabbed me, however, was the beginning. While German children sing a song to the tune of "Lightly Row, Sweetly Row", images are shown of battle, death and the Holocaust - a wrenching juxtaposition of childhood innocence and the horrifying extents of man's inhumanity to man.

Dirty Harry -- in feldgrau.
"Cross of Iron" is a bad movie, made with preconcieved notions that do not fit history or reality. It makes the double mistake of A) cramming an American-style character (the lone wolf anti-hero) into a German uniform and B) tacking the director's well-known appetite for blood and graphic violence to a silly antiwar message.

The movie follows the conflict between an embittered and defiant combat soldier named Stiener (played by James Coburn) and his new CO, a glory-seeking martinet named Stransky (played by Maximillian Schell). From the git-go, the movie follows every stale antiwar convention in the book: the bitter, insubordinate sergeant with an unspoken love for his men vs. the bloodthirsty killer-officer who wants to win a medal and doesn't care how many men die in the process. We've seen this in numerous American war movies, but it never quite works in German unfiorm. This wasn't a democracy; discipline in the Wehrmacht, particularly during the period in questoon, was severe and the slightest defeatism or insubordination were ruthlessly punished. The scene, for example, where Stiener berates and threatens a replacement soldier who is a Party member would probably never have happened. By late 1943 even officers were being degraded and sent off to suicide-squad 'punishment battalions' for minor transgressions or seditious statements. In reality, a soldier like Stiener would have most likely been shot, sent to a military prison or killed off digging up land mines in a penal outfit. The "lone wolf" mentality was simply not tolerated in the German army of 1943 (in Sajer's "Forgotten Soldier" a lieutenant is demoted to corporal and sent to the punishment squad for losing his field telephone when he swam the 900-yard Don River...what would have happened to Stiener for mouthing off to the colonel?).

Additionally, we have more sterotypes: the loveable but doomed men of Stiener's squad, including the "I have dead meat written all over me" teenage boy, the evil Party member, the cowardly lieutenant, the well-meaning but ultimately hapless senior officers (played by James Mason and David Warner) and the obligatory scene where we find out that the Russians are people too. Really, the film is very similar in structure to a Dirty Harry movie: the lone-wolf anti-hero who scorns medals and glory, the pencil-pushing politician/boss, and nice-guy dead-meat partner, the ultimate hollow victory....blah blah blah.

"Cross of Iron" is undermined by the love of cruelty that Sam Peckinpah was rightly infamous for. Graphic violence certainly has its place in a war movie, but as usual, Peckinpah felt the need to cram the viewer nose-first into buckets of human gore. This cheapens the antiwar theme of the movie; viciousness is fine so long as it is committed by the hero, but dastardly if if perpetrated by the villain. Morally, the massage of the movie is unclear: Stiener does not avenge the death of the innocent young soldier by the Russian POW women, but later brutally kills his own lieutenant for shooting others of his squad. Then, when confronting Stransky, who actually gave the order by blackmailing the cowardly lieutenant, he does not kill him but gives him a chance to "show that Prussians can fight." Okay, Stiener is probably insane by the end of the film, but none of this made sense to me. In Peckinpah's mind, the trembling lieutenant deserves to die more than Stransky, because he's afraid and "just wants to go home" wheras Stransky, while evil, deserves to live because he is not a hypocrite: he is willing to kill and allow others to be killed for his Iron Cross, but is also willing to fight himself. Maybe Peckinpah's theme was that war is unfair. So it all balances out, I guess?

I guess not. "Cross of Iron" is a chronically over-rated war movie that bludgeons the viewer with Americanized themes, graphic violence, and a hypocritical antiwar message, brought to you by a director who idolized violent men. As entertainment it is a matter of taste, but as historical fiction, it is nonsense.

Peckinpah's last triumph
Sam Peckinpah, in his 1977 effort "Cross of Iron", darred to look at the war throught German eyes. Thus becoming one of the handful of directors with the audacity to view the German soldiers as a humans, and not as faceless barbarians. Based upon a novel by Willi Heinrich, Cross of Iron is the tale of Steiner, and his troops fight for survival on the Taman peninsula in 1943. Thought it is not near the final stages of the war as many believe, the film depicts the turning of the tables in favor of the Soviets; after the losses at Stalingrad and Kursk. This gritty, unflinching and realistic portrail of combat on the eastern front, seems more stunning if you keep in mind the budget restraints. Authentic in almost every aspect, all the vehicles, weaponry and uniforms all flawless. The Wehrmacht soldiers are dirty and unreasted as they would be during uncessant battle, unlike many a war film which have the soldiers clean and proper. Also during filming, Soviet T-34 tanks acquired from the Czech Republic, were administered during a skirmish. At the time Peckinpah was addicted to coccain and was an alcoholic, yet through all the self-inflicted harm of his reckless life style, his directing capability remained unscathed. The Sam we know from the "Wild Bunch" and "Straw Dogs" is still here, with the slow-motion seens of carnage and his trademark "zooms". But aside from his usual hallmarks, he also give use a personal view of combat. Sam doesn't want to be a spectator, he wants to be a participant, and in doing so he lets us experience the noise, confusion and horror of the Russan front. The film though however great, is not without flaws. First off the casting is questionable, James Mason, David Warner and James Coburn seem somewhat out of place. Being either American of British they could have made a more conscious effort to sustain a fluent german accent. There also is some scenes, a lack of light, which can cause some confusion. Still Sam Peckinpah has left us with an enduring and powerful statement about war, honor, survival and friendship in a world gone mad.

The Idiot: Simon Gurney
I disagree entirely with what that idiot simon gurney said. I read the novel and have seen the film, and not only is it a faithful adaptation, but the few changes which are made only ameliorate the story. I find your comment on the quality of the action scenes offensive. Perhaps you could offer me an example of better ones in a war film. Maybe if you werent so ignorant to history, you could tell just how well done those scenes are, they convey perfecly the madness, and confusion of the desperate days of the Third Reich. I do not think it is proper for you to to critize a film which you yourself have yet to watch in its entirety. I hope others will not be fooled by your groundless comments, thus missing one of the few great war films.

Not exactly a classic, but better than most WW2 films
I would rate it 3.5 stars, because it's better than average as compared to other ww2 films however there are a few small problems I have with this movie. First off, the opening minutes contain scenes of implied homosexulaity between the german soldiers. I'm not sure the accuracy of this, although no doubt it probably did happen, but seems to be a fairly important point thoughout parts of this movie. If this is supposed to further convince the audience of the depraved nature of the soldiers, it works in that regard but it is quite obvious that they are depraved anyway and that added nothing to the storyline nor to the plot.

The other problem I have is, although most of the battle scenes contain close to accurate german and russian weapons, the overhead bombing scenes contain shots of U.S. navy corsairs dropping bombs. These were probably stock footage taken from a navy film and look horribly out-of place here.

But despite those two issues, most of the rest of the movie is good and portrays an accurate, interesting and engaging portrait of battle in the russian theatre during ww2. I especially liked the use of light as most of the battle scenes were shot as daytime attacks and that indeed was the way it happened on the russian front. The sneak attack at the bridge by Steiner's platoon was filmed and sequenced to show all of the moves by the attackers, leaving nothing hidden or off camera. Certainly an interesting way to portray this kind of sequence and it came out quite effectively.

Sam Peckinpah uses the slow motion to good effect and has indeed changed the face of war films circa 1977. Every war movie that was released after this movie tends to show a more grimmer and graphic view of war and that is certainly how it should be done as there is nothing glorious or heroic about war. Those are the words used by the politicians that order people to fight each other to the death.

Great casting, excellent camera work and a good story combined with music that adds a sense of innocence lost and horror to the subject, all ad up to not quite a classic but a very good depiction of ww2 battle action in the Russian theatre. ... Read more

Reviews (394)

An good fun entertainment film.
This was one of the few good surprises that came out in December, last year. The film has good story which is clever and well written. Nice visual effects done by Industial Light & Magic(They also did all of the Star Trek films). Good Cast:Tim Allen(Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story Films), Sigourney Weaver(The Alien Series), Alan Rickman(Die Hard, Dogma), Tony Shalhoub(The Siege), Sam Rockwell(The Green Mile) and another cast in the supporting roles are engaging. Directed with a nice sense of humour by Dean Parisot(Home Fries) makes the film works with a lot of characters are fun to look at and some hilarous moments. Stan Winston(Aliens, The Terminator) did once again an incredible make-up and good looking alien designs.

DVD has good anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)picture quality and excellent dolby digital 5.1 sound also got the alien dubbed track for dolby surround track! is quite funny to listen. Seven deleted scenes. A small behind the scenes featurette and Omega 13, you have to watch the movie first to make it worth.

Travia:In one of those deleted scenes has Dian Bachar(Baseketball, Orgamzo) has a comic scene with Tony Shalhoub. Bachar is credited as Nervous Tech Alien. Is also in the film, cast like as a extra. You can spot the actor in a couple of scenes only. Grade:B+. Panavision.

But What Happened After The Convention?
"Galaxy Quest" is a lighthearted satire of the whole sci-fi world, especially the "Star Trek" gang (here called "Quest-arians"). A group of TV actors now make their living from appearances and autograph signings, after being on the cult favorite TV show, "Galaxy Quest". Real aliens then come and need their help to save the aliens' planet. Tim Allen is positively Shatneresque as Commander Peter Quincy Taggert (shades of Captain James Tiberius Kirk!) Sigourney Weaver (playing actress Gwen DeMarco who plays Lieutenant Tawny Madison) has only one job to do - as she says, "Oh my God, I'm repeating the computer!" Tony Shalhoub is hilarious as Tech Sergeant Chen, sort of a Scotty-on-tranquilizers.... in a deadpan voice, "Commander, they tell me that the engines are about to blow...just a FYI..." Alan Rickman as Alexander Dane playing "Doctor Lazarus" gives a great performance as a classically trained Shakespearean actor who has been typecast as the Spock-like alien of the show. He's known for just one line ("If I have to say that line again I'll throw up!") But since The Show Must Go On, he does say it again and again. "By Grapthar's Hammer, I will avenge you!" One question for the fellow Quest-arians out there. The movie ended (SPOILER WARNING! SPOILER WARNING!) with our heroes taking part of the real alien ship and landing it pretty hard in the convention parking lot and convention hall! That is, scattered cars, busted walls, torn-up stage flooring all over the place! Now how are they going to explain this?

Wonderful Spoof Of Both Trek AND Trekkies!
Dean Parisot's GALAXY QUEST (1999) was released at around the same time as some very big, high-profile, Oscar-nominated films during the Holiday season, advertising itself as the light in the midst of all the dark. Starring Tin Allen, who at that time had starred in films ranging only from cute (THE SANTA CLAUSE--1994, TOY STORY--1995) to lame (JUNGLE 2 JUNGLE, FOR RICHER OR POORER, both 1997), I had the sickening feeling from the trailer that this would prove to be the latter. I was encouraged by the presence of Sigourney Weaver, although unsure of her blond-bimbo role, Tony Shalhoub and Alan Rickman. But still, I wasn't sure...

That is, until I began reading the reviews, and then saw the film as soon as it came out on DVD. This is one of those movies that I can't believe has taken me this long to write about on these pages. Make that rave about: GALAXY QUEST is one of the funniest films I have ever seen, and would be in my Top 30 Listmania List if I were allowed to go to 30. It does help that I'm a STAR TREK fan (although not quite a Trekkie; please read my review of the documentary TREKKIES for more exposition on this point), but I honestly think that anyone with a good sense of humor will like this movie. It is written with a knowing wink to the Trekkie phenomenon as well as to Star Trek, and has smart dialogue courtesy of David Howard; unbelievably enough, this was his first---and still his only---film for which he has written.

The film opens with a convention for the immensely popular "Galaxy Quest" series, which starred full-of-himself screen hog Jason Nesmith (Allen) as Cmdr. Peter Quincy Taggart (not dissimilar to James Tiberius Kirk), Gwen DeMarco (Weaver) as Lt. Tawny Madison, former Shakesperean actor Alexander Dane (Rickman) and former child actor Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell) as Lt. Laredo, the ship's (very) young Navigational Officer. Nesmith secretly hates the Conventions, but plays up to the shows' fans, whose attention he monopolizes at every turn. Naturally, this long-established practice has alienated him from his co-stars, who hate his guts but like participating in the Conventions (except for Alexander Dane, who rues the day he became more famous for his character, and his character's famous rallying cry, than for being a 30+ year veteran of the Shakespeare stage). Nesmith finally loses his cool when being overly nagged by a teenaged nerdy fan (Justin Long), and yells at him in a manner that instantly recalls the "Get a life!" mock admonition that William Shatner gave in a 1986 Saturday Night Live skit. However, on the next drunken-hangover morning, Nesmith is visited by a strange-looking and talking man (Enrico Colantoni) who introduces himself as Thermian Cmdr. Mathesar, whose people are under attack by an evil alien leader named General Sarris (Robin Sachs). He pleads for Taggart's assistance, having seen the "historical documents" of his crew's many victories over greater enemies. Nesmith hazily just assumes that this is another nerdy fan with no life and goes along with him just to appease, and perhaps he has nothing better to do at this point. But then he finds out...

Of course, Mathesar and the Thermians are real aliens who had picked up the TV-wave transmission of the "Galaxy Quest" show and, in their childish impressionability, have assumed that the crew, the ship, everything was real. They have replicated the ship in full, both inside & out (since you know, for example, that Star Trek has always been so detailed that exact replicas of the Enterprise have numbered in the thousands) and have modeled their society from their example. Nesmith exitedly gets back to his fellow cynical and unbelieving actors, who go along only because they think it may be a well-paying job. Then they find out...

GALAXY QUEST is smart, funny and has a lot of fun with the TREK phenomenon, as portrayed through this fictional TV show and its characters. It also has fun with all the conventions (that is, *customs*) of Sci-Fi TV shows, such as gigantic, death-defying devices being present in a starship's engine room, or that the fate of our heroes comes down to one final second. It nudges & prods at all of these (plus more) with a complete love for the Sci-Fi genre. It also manages to convey a *sense of wonder* through visual effects that are really excellent. As for the acting, everybody---yes, including Tim Allen---gives a terrific performance, including Sam Rockwell as a minor "Galaxy Quest" character who constantly fears for his life during the actors' real mission, because nobody knows his last name, which, of course, is a sure sign that he is going to die, just like his character did on the one episode of the TV show! Enrico Colantoni's performance as Mathesar is infectious, and is perhaps the biggest revelation in the entire film; it can be argued that he may have deserved an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Robin Sachs creates an evil presence as the murderous, slimy alien General Sarris. Best of all, everybody's in on the joke.

GALAXY QUEST is a great buy on DVD. The "On Location In Space" feature is entertaining and informative. The deleted scenes are a hoot! All in all, this film is a great way to entertain the entire family, as it is among the few comedies that are intelligent yet can be viewed by children. I wholeheartedly give it a "thumbs-up"---wait, no, that's the other guy! In other words, I deem this movie to be

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED; AGES 8 & UP

MISCHIEVOUSLY CLEVER AND SLICK SCI-FI SATIRE
If you have seen the earlier episodes of "Futurama", you'll know how effective a cleverly done sci-fi satire can be.

Galaxy Quest mines a shuttle-full of sci-fi cliches for its banter, and while I don't remember anything laugh-out-loud rip-roarious, there is a good deal of congenial charm that permeates throughout. Which makes it a perfect family flick to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Apart from the spoof gags, what took me by surprise were the superb special effects, as octopodal aliens morph effortlessly into humans and back again in articulately designed space (the interior of the spaceship itself borrowed its staid cardboard looks from Star Trek of yore, perhaps as an intentional sardonic effect)

Overall, the film's affection for its audience (especially those weaned on Lost in Space, or The Next Generation, etc) and for the characters it parodies covers up for the gaping blackholes in its highly implausible and goofy plotline.

Great rental, and even a good buy because it lends itself easily to repeat viewing.

A terrific sci-fi spoof
"Galaxy Quest" was woefully ignored at the box-office, which is a crying shame because it's one of the best films of its kind to come down the pike. Writer David Howard did a tremendous job in drafting a film that is equal parts spoof and homage to science fiction television shows, most notably Star Trek, but there are hints of other shows as well. You can tell that Howard is obviously a fan of science fiction because as a sci-fi film, Galaxy Quest stands on its own two feet proudly; but he also appreciated the cheese that went into the shows as well, everything from the ship's commander who loses his shirt in every episode to that irritating line that gets repeated so often the actor who utters it comes to abhor it (think "Live long and prosper" or "He's dead, Jim").

The premise is simple enough. "Galaxy Quest" was a TV show that rode the success of "Star Wars" in the late 70s to join "Battlestar Galactica," "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," and "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as the popular programming of the time. But like those shows, "Galaxy Quest" didn't survive through the early 80s, and now the cast is a bunch of washed-up has-beens who are lucky to be earning paychecks from convention appearances and electronics store openings. That is, until they are approached by a group claiming to be Thermians needing assistance with the interstellar bully in their quadrant of the galaxy. The cast takes the Thermians and their leader, Mathesar (Enrico Colantoni, "Hope and Gloria"), as ardent fans of the show wanting a private appearance of the cast, but the truth is, the Thermians are real aliens with a real problem; it seems the Thermians are a very naive race, believing the television signals from Earth to be real historical accounts of the NSEA Protector and it's gallant crew, and at the same time, gifted scientists and engineers capable of recreating the NSEA Protector as a real spaceship. But they aren't warriors, so they come to Earth looking for the "real" crew of the original Protector to man their version, and to help them in their negotiations with General Sarris (Robin Sachs, TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), the resident bully.

The actors that played the original Protector's crew are lead by Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen, TV's "Home Improvement" and the "Santa Clause" series), who played Cmdr. Peter Quincy Taggart, a character not unlike the original Star Trek's Capt. Kirk, constantly mugging for the camera and sleeping with every alien princess. Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver, the "Alien" series) played Lt. Tawny Madison, the buxom blonde kitten whose only real job on the show was to look sexy and repeat everything the computer said. Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman, "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and the "Harry Potter" series), a Shakespearean actor, is Dr. Lazarus, the alien science officer. Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub, TV's "Monk") is the laid-back engineering officer, Tech Sgt. Chen. Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell, "Sgt. Bilko") is the actor who as a child played the Protector's helmsman, Lt. Laredo. And Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell, "Matchstick Men") was Crewman #6, who died in his lone episode (in the original Star Trek, Fleegman would have been the crewman in the red shirt on the away mission), but who tags along on the mission anyway, constantly fretting that he'll die in real life on this mission just as his character died on the show.

These guys are in no way heroes. For example, none of the other actors can stand Jason Nesmith, for example, because of the constant attention he gets being the commander (which does much to fuel an already sizeable ego), but especially Alexander Dane, who sees him as a scene-stealing hack with no talent, and Gwen DeMarco, who's simply tired of him hitting on her all the time. Are you reading this, William Shatner? In the end, though, the prima donnas find their inner-strength and succeed against Sarris, but that much you already knew going in, right?

This movie should have been an instant classic. Seeing actors playing actors is always loads of fun, as we get a peek at how Hollywood really views itself. The sci-fi spoofing is dead-on accurate, and it really is an homage to the classic series as well, most notably "Star Trek." There are also great bonus stuffs on the DVD, including a "making of" special, deleted scenes that made me wonder why they were deleted, and an alternate soundtrack in the Thermian bark-and-squawk language.

If you love "Star Trek," you'll love "Galaxy Quest." If you hated "Star Trek," you will also love "Galaxy Quest." ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Surprisingly insightful, lots of fun to watch
It's hard to like Sonny and Hallie when we first meet them. He's a tipsy has-been cowboy, unsuccessfully living off past fame, and she is an aggressive journalist out for a story and thus a little fame for herself. But then, enter a champion race horse in need of rescuing, and Sonny (Redford) becomes the heroic cavalry, kidnapping the horse and riding off into the Las Vegas night, possibly to rescue himself at the same time. Hallie(Fonda)follows and not surprisingly, but perhaps too quickly, the prickly relationship between these two turns to romance. Perhaps for a few days, during the escapades as Redford sneaks the racehorse across some lovely countryside enroute to being set free from the chains of society, these two characters find what they are truly searching for -- intimacy. The romance is fun, since both Redford and Fonda know how to do on-screen romances very well. But more than that, this is a story with its poignant moments probably more solidly captured in an indictment of advertising and corporate hype, a warning about industrial profiteering, absurd greed, and the loss of humanity. There are a few political messages forced into the plot which are distracting from the overall moral story. But for the most part this is a fun movie. The characters Redford and Fonda meet up with along their route are entertaining and very human. Not a glamorous film, but very nitty-gritty, this is an enjoyable story about caring, really. Caring about the well-being of an animal or about people, about affording living things respect rather than dressing us all up to be celebrities or consumers. It ends beautifully also, with Redford trying to hitch a ride on a lengthy stretch of lonely highway, as the camera pulls farther and farther away and Willie Nelson sings an appropriately romantic and misty song . . .

A Cowboy Finds Redemption
"The Electric Horseman" is one of those movies that I have seen in bits and pieces on TV over the last few years. Just recently one rainy Saturday afternoon I was able to see the whole thing on DVD and find out what a enjoyable fim I had been missing.Robert Redford plays former champion rodeo rider, Sonny Steele, who has become a spokesperson for a large corporation pushing breakfast cereal.His life is now a string of endless, dreary appearences riding around in a ridiculous electric suit.He seems to have lost his self-respect and continually drowns himself in tequila and wild times.It is at a Las Vegas convention that Sonny awakens from his stupor, when he finds out that the corporation is mistreating Rising Star, a former horse racing champion.Sonny kidnaps the horse and on the run meets an enterprising and determined reporter (well played by Jane Fonda)as he attempts to release the animal into the wild. This is a wonderful story of a man who is sick of compromising and must rediscover what was good about himself.It is only then that he can find some redemption. Redford and Fonda are both excellent in the lead roles and have loads of chemistry together.They are also complemented by a good supporting cast that includes Valerie Perine and country singer, Willie Nelson.Mention should also be made of the beautiful cinematography which shows off some amazing western desert landscapes.The movie also has a good soundtrack which includes songs by Willie Nelson.My only complaint is that the DVD itelf is very bare bones and nothing to shout about.There are no extras and not even a trailer or proper menu.Still,it is a very good movie and I highly recommend it.

Image Entertainment release of this movie
I must disagree with the "Widescreen Review" of the image on this movie. They rated it a 2 out of 5. While non-anamorphic, and retaining a certain graininess, as compared to pristinely transferred movies, I have certainly seen much worse transfers of movies. Given that the correct intro music is on the Image release and not the later Universal release, I would still recommend this disk to anyone interested in this movie.

The movie itself is a definite 4 of 5. The transfer rates about a 3.

It is, however, a bare-bones edition. Not even a main menu. Just scene selection and the movie.

A REDFORD CLASSIC
In THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN Robert Redford plays Sonny Steele, an aging all-around champion rodeo cowboy who, as the result of numerous injuries and losing step with rodeo, has lost his vision and become a corporate spokesman for a cereal company. He somehow puts up with a lifestyle that, while making him rich beyond his dreams, has reduced him to nothing more than a poster boy. When Steele discovers that the company has purchased a classic racehorse, Rising Star, and is determined to do the same thing to the horse as they have done to him, doping it up and dragging it down in the process, he decides to save the horse's dignity and in the process saves himself as well.

Redford's performance is wonderful and spontaneous. Jane Fonda shines as a TV reporter bent on getting a story at any cost and in the end gets the cowboy too. Together Redford and Fonda pack the screen with a chemistry that quite literally mesmerizes every viewer.

Willie Nelson is terrific as a Steele handler and contributes with some of his best musical offerings and look for an early Wilford Brimley cameo.

Buy this one for the soundtrack alone. I keep hoping that one of these days Willie Nelson fans and lovers of the classic western harmonica tracks in this one will stage some sort of a revolt to get it released. Until then the movie's the next best thing.

Douglas McAllister

BEWARE!!!
Don't buy the 2003 Universal Edition of this DVD. Instead, sift through the web and find the DVD released by Image Entertainment in 1998. Why? You'd be better off asking "what's in a song?"

The latest version has omitted Willie Nelson's "My Heroe's Have Always Been Cowboys" in favor of some generic faux-Western instrumental. The song was played during the opening credits and when Sonny releases Rising Star into the wild. When I watched the new version (not knowing there was a new version), I was left emotionally flat by the experience, but I couldn't figure out why. Finally, I dug up an old VHS version I'd taped off of cable several years ago and realized the change.

Call it song as metaphor, song as objective correlative...call it any theoretical term you need to. MAYBE it would not matter to a person who'd never seen the original. But I think it would (somehow). The song captures those two moments of the film -- the song makes an emotional connection. The image and the sound, the joyful melancholy, all gel perfectly.

Why'd they change it? Who knows. The rest of Willie Nelson's songs remain on the soundtrack. I tend to think that the dimwits in charge of "product" treat these films like, uh, product. The battle of art versus commerce rages on...

It matters. And I'm sick of the culture industry manipulating music and movies that have affected me. ... Read more

Description

America's favorite entertainer, Tim Allen, is at it again as commodities broker Michael Cromwell, king of the Wall Street jungle. With money, power, and an engagement to a beautiful fashion designer, he has it all. But when Michael travels to the Amazon to finalize the divorce from his first wife -- a jungle doctor -- she reveals that he also has a blowdart-shooting, giant-spider-carrying, 13-year-old son, Mimi-Siku. Cultures clash when Mimi is entrusted by his tribal chief to bring back fire from the Statue of Liberty. Back home in New York, Michael must somehow convince Mimi that pets are not for eating and it's not nice to chase people with your killer spider. But when Michael's partner (Martin Short) crosses a Russian mob boss in a coffee bean deal, Mimi and Michael must use all their jungle skills in a hysterical father/son rescue. Now you can bring home the hilarious new hit comedy adventure from the studio that brought you HOME IMPROVEMENT and the box office smash THE SANTA CLAUSE. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

A Disney Family Film That Will Bring A Smile To Your Face
Comedians Tim Allen & Martin Short along with newcomer Sam Huntington star in the hilarious Disney re-make of 'Little Indian, Big City.' In this version Allen portrays workoholic Michael Cromwell, a business minded man who travels to the Amazon in order to have the last divorce papers signed by his ex-wife, Patrica. Patrica left Michael 13 years ago pregnant with their son & unluckily for Michael his trip to the rain forest also scores him a meeting with his now 13 year old son, Mimi Siku (Huntington.)

Michael is forced to take Mimi to his home, in New York, in order for Mimi to complete a task given to him by the tribal leader. The task being to bring back fire from the Statue of Liberty. But Michael has to much of a busy schedule, in spending time with his fashion designer fiancee, planning the wedding, & finding a buyer for 5 tons of coffee beans, to spend time with Mimi. But Mimi's jungle instincts make it hard to keep him cooped up.

Also starring future teen idol LeeLee Sobieski, Jobeth Williams, Valerie Mahaffey, & Lolite Davidovich. This film is great when you need cheering up.

An excellent movie for the whole family
Tim Allen, Martin Short and others shine in "Jungle 2 Jungle", one of the greatest Disney family films ever. The story is enjoyable, the scenery is great, the acting is top-notch, and overall, the film is hilarious. The whole family will enjoy this movie. Can't wait for a DVD release.

Jungle 2 Jungle
This Film is the second most appaling film (placed just fractionaly under "blue crush") I have endured in my short life. The film was so awfull that i was hugely supprised to see that walt disney had produced this film, i was aware that the standard of the films had been going down hill, but this, this was compleate and utter bilge. To start with the characters were so hugly unbelivable and cliche. Tim allen (who befor i thought of as a respected actor) who is Micheal, a highly paid trades-man in new york says to his newly found son as they are "bonding" in the Jungle " how far are we going, these shoes cost me five thousand dollars". or some other rubbish along those lines. But to be fair that could not even compare to most horrific and mind numminly stupid ending that does acually beat "blue crush" .When father and son unite in some slapstick comedey, you know the usual vases over heads etc. The one thing i did enjoy in "Junle 2 Jungle" was when Micheal (Tim Allen) shots his cat, this in it's self wasn't funny it was the stuffed cat that was used that was funny. It seemed that Disney had run out of money, or enthusiasim and that one of the camera men had stolen his daughters cuddley-toy cat to ues and as Tim Allen held it up (trying to wake it up) you could see quiet blatently that is was by no way a real cat.

In conclusion, if you want to see one of the most awfull films made in history then please go ahead and buy it, wast your money if not on this then on some other some other appaling film. As i saud befor this IS the second worst film i have ever seen

Dominic Keating ... from enterprise is in this movie
I am a HUGE TIM ALLEN fan. This movie was good, it was not a good as the Santa clause 1 or 2. BUT.. it was good. I was just watching it cause it was on tv and.. Dominic Keating ... wa sin this movie. He is on enterprise (current startrek!!)

Jungle to unbelievable
Jungle to Jungle is a modern version of Little Indian Big City. (see my review). Although this film is funnier, better acted(Tim Allen rocks!), and more entertaining, I didn't feel the boy(Sam Hungington) that played Mimi was born in the jungle at all. Don't get me wrong, he is a wonderful actor and the girls will love his bod, although he did a great job he didn't come across on film as be