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Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton prove that revenge is a dish best served cold. Former college buddies, they reunite at the funeral of a dear friend who took a swan dive onto Fifth Avenue. All three discover they share the same unhappy history of husbands who dove into middle-age by dumping them for trophy wives. Forming a warring triumvirate, they decide to get even, and along the way remind themselves of long-forgotten capabilities. The action gets a little too "wacky" at times, but the gals are great. Portraying an aging actress, Hawn is sometimes a little too flamboyant, but there is much fun to be had in her flashiness, especially when she pokes fun at Tinseltown and her persona. Instead of her usual brashness, Midler stretches herself and shows us a woman who is not just unhappy, but also deeply sorrowful. Not that she isn't quick with a wisecrack, but her expressive face alone tells the story of her marriage. As the repressed and guilt-ridden spouse of a self- involved ad executive, Keaton finds her anger, and her voice, when her psychiatrist (Marcia Gay Harden) oversteps ethical boundaries. Watching Keaton grow from an ineffectual homemaker into a powerful businessperson reminds us that it has been far too long since she has done a comedy. Director Hugh Wilson smartly chose supporting players who each brought something unique to the film. However, he does not maintain the first hour's effervescent humor throughout the film, as the ending is weakened by a softening of the wives' resolve. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (64)

Wives get their revenge and earn strength
Director: Hugh Wilson

Stars: Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, Stockard Channing, Maggie Smith, Dan Hedaya, Sarah Jessica Parker, Victor Garber, Stephen Collins, Elizabeth Berkley

Released in 2001

College friends lose track of each other after graduation until one of them, Cynthia Swann Griffin, played by Stockard Channing, commits suicide after her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Elise, Brenda, and Annie, played by Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton respectively, reunite at the funeral and find that their lives are not as great as they may seem on the surface. The three have a fun filled lunch and discover their middle-aged husbands have dumped them all for younger women. They decide that it is time to quite being mad and unhappy and start getting even. They support each other in this endeavor and find they have strengths they have forgotten about. Elsie, an actress with financial means to back this endeavor is fun and paired with Brenda and Annie make their ex-husband's and soon to be ex-husband's lives miserable. Elsie who is having to split her assets with her soon to be ex-husband as well as pay alimony decides to sell all of their assets to Annie for a dollar. Annie then auctions it off to build enough reserves to buy her soon to be ex-husband's partners out of their share of an advertising firm. The three women find the self-confidence they lost over the years and decide to help other women in similar situations find their strengths and lost self-confidence. Watching these three great actresses get their revenge is entertaining and added bonus is the witty, bitter character Gunilla Garson Goldberg played by Maggie Smith, who has been made wealthy by her several ex-husbands. First Wives Club is a movie that is fun to watch again and again.

Hilarious and Entertaining
Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton star in FIRST WIVES CLUB, a movie about three women who's men have traded them in for younger models, and they set out to get revenge. The movie starts when Brenda (Bette Midler), Elise (Goldie Hawn) and Annie (Diane Keaton), all find out their friend Cynthia has commited suicide. At the funeral they meet up again, as they were college friends, and they start hanging out with each other more often. Annie's marriage is in the dumps, she's seeing a therapist, and later finds out the therapist is seeing her husband! Brenda is separated from her husband Morty but is still raising her son, and Elise is divorcing her husband Bill who in turn wants alimony. These women, furious, decide to take a stand and fight back, and they sure do! There are some really memorable moments like when the ladies go to a lesbian bar, when they break into Morty's condo and escape on the window washer stand, and more. Other stars in the movie include Sarah Jessica Parker, Eileen Heckart, Stephen Collins and more. And yes the book is much different, but this movie is still very entertaining. Overall a great movie, one of my favorites.

Funny but over-acted
For a movie with a pretty big idea--that women whose husbands leave them for younger women can regain their dignity, control, and even, in some cases, their husbands--this is a pretty trifling affair. It's embarrassing to listen to Diane Keaton reduce all her acting talent to a 90-minute stream of shrill screams and whines and whimpers. Goldie Hawn's character undergoes plastic surgery, but that's not enough to explain the way she contorts her face throughout the film. And when Bette Midler and the other two get together to burst into song, watch out. You'll probably wince.

Still, this is a funny movie, with a decent heart, a pat but semi-satisfying ending, and a really great cast: Stockard Channing, Sarah Jessica Parker, Elizabeth Berkeley, Dan Hedaya, Balki from Perfect Strangers, the dad from Seventh Heaven, and Maggie Smith all make appearances. You probably shouldn't buy it, but you could do a lot worse than this flipping through channels on cable.

entertaining, but some propaganda
I found the movie entertaining. However, a central plot is that
four women friends from the same college are dumped in their
middle age by their husbands for younger women. In reality, women
initiate most divorces. They get preferential treatment with
ownership of the house, custody of the kids, and alimony.
So, I think this movie is disguising the fact that, statistically,
it's more like a First Husbands Club out there.

Great, Great, Great, movie
I love this movie. Me and my mom saw this in the theater and it was so funny. Me and my mom are huge chick flicks fans. But this is our favorite. We watch this whenever were sad or when we just want to laugh. Goldie Hawn is one of my favorite actresses if not my favorite. So really with the cast that they got, how could this movie go wrong. I didn't give it 5 stars is because it is a chick flick and guys wouldn't like it. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

classic sex farce
THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH provided for Marilyn Monroe the chance to play in an accomplished sex comedy, and gave the world a singular Marilyn moment: the now-classic subway grate scene.

Richard Sherman (Tom Ewell in his original Broadway role) has just farewelled his wife and young son for the annual summer exodus from New York. Far from having nothing to do, Sherman fantasises all day and night about the never-named girl (Marilyn Monroe) who has just moved into the apartment above his.

Evelyn Keyes (GONE WITH THE WIND) gives a comically-knowing performance as Sherman's wife, while Marilyn is delightful in her brilliant rapport with Ewell.

George Axelrod's long-running Broadway play was the basis of the film, but the all-powerful censorship board saw too many "vulgarities" in the play (where Sherman actually has an affair with the upstairs girl). In the film it is only toyed with. Walter Matthau was originally considered for the Sherman role, but Ewell fills the role of the everyman so perfectly that it is almost impossible to think of the film without him.

The DVD includes the "Backstory" making-of featurette, deleted scenes, restoration comparisons, trailer and gallery.

THE ULTIMATE MARILYN.....
This is the ultimate Monroe film. The one where she stands over a subway grating on a hot summer night to feel the rush of cool air from the trains passing beneath---the rush of air blowing the skirt of her sexy white halter dress up around her. But there's a movie that goes with this legendary image and it's a classic. Based on the adult Broadway play, "Itch" was watered down for the screen and stars Tom Ewell as the frustrated married man and Monroe as the Girl Upstairs. One hot New York summer, a man sends his wife and small son away for the summer---as all New York men do this time of the year according to Ewells' narration. He's left alone in their apartment to struggle with his vices---cigarettes and booze---when all of a sudden the Girl moves in sub-letting the apartment upstairs. She's a TV model and commercial actress and delightfully portrayed by Monroe. The homely and dumpy Ewell begins having steamy sex fantasies visualizing himself as a powerful lover irrestible to women. Monroe wants to be neighborly so she keeps inviting herself down to his flat frustrating the hopelessly timid Ewell. She doesn't realize her effect on him but he's got an air condtioner and it's hot upstairs. She's completely guileless. Monroe is perfect as the Girl and Ewell personifies the Everyman confronted with temptation when left to his own devices. Monroe is breathtaking in Technicolor and her performance speaks volumes about her comic potential. The subway grating scene caps her legend as a sex symbol but when you watch her performance here you see she was so much more than that.

The Seven Year Itch- One of the top ten Comedies ever
Nobody should die without seeing this masterpiece comedy at least 1 time.

There is no doubt that this film was influential to many other great comedy films. Ideas like the main character thinking out loud and narrating the movie was used in Ferris Bueller. Ideas like using the main characters fantasies for a laugh was used in the movie A christmas story. Ofcourse this films discussion of sexual tension between males and females has been used many times in movies like American Pie. Ofcourse by todays standards The seven year itch is a classy film compared to films like American Pie. The Seven year itch did it all and influenced some of the greatest comedies of my generation(80's to present).

casting=5 stars
ending=4.5 stars
Directing=5 stars
plot & storyline=5 stars
replay value=5 stars

OVERALL= 4.9 TOTAL STARS

DVD FEATURES: The Seven year itch has awesome DVD features. The AMC backstory explains how Tom Ewell was picked as the starring role, how the censors almost ruined the movie, and Joe Dimmagios reaction to his wife Marilyn Monroes controversial subway scene. Also included is 2 deleted scenes, restoration comparisons and previews for other Marilyn films...

The growing height of Marilyn's career
Too bad Marilyn Monroe didn't have kids, to carry on the legacy maybe, because she was something. This movie sure proves it. I think this movie shows Marilyn acting more comortably in front of the screen and I think this is when she began to become a Hollywood superstar. Everyone wanted to be like her. I think this movie is really funny and entertaining and is worth a rent, but GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES {1953} IS MY VERY FAVE, THAT'S HER SECOND OR THIRD MAYJOR HIT, THAT ONE PARTICULAR SPARKED HER CAREER AS WELL AS THE SEVENYEARITCH. SEE IT, YOU WON'T BE DISAPOINTED!

charming, funny and witty. a classic
ah ha, yes the famous sub-way scene. i don't know if the male viewers of america know how much that scene upset Marilyn Monroe because that is what American men and woman thought of her after this film. The 7 year itch is about more than that sub-way scene, so let's drop the obsession with it please. that aside, this is an excellent movie, one of the best comedies ever. tom ewell is hysterical, as is marilyn. a must see. a true classic. ... Read more

Description

The saga of Tom Horn - a real-life "enforcer" of Old West days - held a particular fascination for another legend. Hollywood icon Steve McQueen starred in and executive-produced what would be his next-to-last movie, a gritty, exciting recreation of Horn's latter-day career in a turn-of-the-century West where gentler ways supplanted the law of the gun - and Horn would be an unwitting victim of that change. Linda Evans, Richard Farnsworth, Billy Green Bush and Slim Pickens head a strong cast in a film capturing the essence of a time when a man's word was only as good as his guns or fists. Shot on serenely beautiful Arizona locations, Tom Horn indelibly brings to life one of the West's truly unsung heroes. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Too late to be a hero any more
This film is a real anti-western. Everything is there to make it a western, yet it is too late in history for it to be one. It is nothing but a thriller without a solution. The character is real. A hero of the war against the Apaches, he more or less survived in the west till he found a job with some cattle ranchers in Wyoming. He did what he was hired to do : he got rid of cattle-thieves. But finally his radical method in a world where the press started looking west were no longer acceptable by those who hired him. So they trapped him into a murder case : a child mind you. And he goes through it without the slightest sign of emotion. The film is a sad commentary on what the west became when it was completely open and conquered. The law arrived and crime along with it and no way to fight against it, or against them, both the law and crime. The survivors fromthe time of the wild west had to go away, recycle themselves or be put to sleep nicely or more violently. There was no reform school for ex-western vigilantes. It is pathetic to see the end of a period and the death of its heroes. This has always happened and the wild west is nothing but a dream today though some of its methods have been transposed into normal life and we do have some wild west adventurers among us. Mankind needs a frontier to develop and there is always a place where the law will not apply, a place beyond the very limits of lawfulness, even in the very heart and midst of our daily life.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

It's About Time
This is my favorite McQueen film of all time. Not only a western, but is also a true story of a man who has come to a point in his life where he has done it all. He then comes to Wyoming and is hired to help with cattle rustling and is soon engulfed in an all out war with rustlers. Using his trusty rifle Tom uses violence as a way of dealing with them and soon then is framed for a murder and pays the ultimate price. His life. McQueen is perfect in this film. This movie is long overdue for DVD and I am extremely happy that they have finally set a date for it. End of May cannot get here fast enough.

ONE OF MCQUEEN'S GREATEST ROLES
A classic western and one Steve McQueen's greatest roles, Tom Horn is a must for any serious western movie library.The movie tracks Horn's tracks from the Southwest into Wyoming and a career as a "stock detective."The career begins promisingly enough but soon takes a downward turn as Horn, the simple cowboy and tracker, runs head on into big business politics and scandals that jeopardize not only his freedom but his life.

The cast also includes Linda Evans (Dynasty) and Richard Farnsworth (The Grey Fox).

As a result of viewing this movie I was also lead to an excellent biography: Tom Horn: Blood on the Moon: The Dark History of the Murderous Cattle Detective by Chip Carlson and Larry D. Ball.Once you see the movie you'll want to read the book.

One of McQueen's last movies
Tom Horn is a very good western along the lines of The Wild Bunch about the changing times in the west and how certain people are adjusting to it.Based on a true story, the movie is about fronteirsman and marksman Tom Horn.Famous for several reasons that are introduced early in the movie, Horn begins the movie drifting along in 1903 Wyoming.Known for his ability with a rifle, Horn is hired by an association of ranchers to drive out rustlers in whatever way necessary.Soon, he begins to call too much attention to himself causing the ranchers to take action.This movie is very good for several reasons.It seems very realistic with beautiful scenery, good characters(good and bad), and a well-told story.

Steve McQueen gives a very believable performance as frontier hero, Tom Horn.His role as a man caught in a changing world who is not willing to change along with it is very well done.Richard Farnsworth plays rancher John Coble, one of the only men to remain loyal to Horn even when he is in trouble.Linda Evans gives a good, if somewhat short, performance as Gwendolene, a schoolteacher who Tom falls in love with.Slim Pickens is excellent as the sheriff who knows Tom from the past, but we never learn in what way.There are several other recongizable faces here, but their names escape, most notably the deputy who was a regular in John Wayne movies.I really hope they put this movie on DVD since it is vastly underrated as a western.Fans of McQueen will absolutely love Tom Horn even if it is not the most uplifting of movies.

An Overlooked Gem
Taken on it's own, Steve McQueen's Tom Horn stands as a fine portrayal of the western frontier at the turn of the last century.
If there are flaws it is in the editing, which seems choppy at times, leaving the viewer to want more of the scene and perhaps in a too sympathetic showing of Horn, who was not as likable human being if history is accurate.
But that is quibbling. Mcqueen's penultimate role is one to seen and remembered. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you've seen Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, then you know the entire plot of Scary Movie. That's okay, though, because this is a parody, and it helps to know the story in order to be able to get the jokes. No, the biggest surprise here is not thestory as much as the amount of full-frontal male nudity. Really, in addition to all the dick jokes (and the ass jokes and fart jokes), there's a couple of shots of the male member, one of which is erect and used as a weapon. Scary Movie somehow ended up with an R rating, which in a sense is groundbreaking; perhaps our ratings board is loosening up after all.

But is it funny? That's the most important question, and the answer to that is yes. In the vein of Airplane!, with a dash of the Farrelly brothers, Scary Movie keeps throwing jokes at you one after another. The law of averages says some of them have to hit, and enough of them do to keep the movie entertaining. Unlike the makers of Airplane!, however, the Wayans brothers aren't making this movie out of a love of the genre, and unlike the Farrelly brothers, they don't make fun of retarded people with any sort of respect, so the humor throughout feels a lot uglier. Still, there are enough funny scenes in Scary Movie to make the viewing experience worthwhile. Special credit must go to Lochlyn Munro as Greg, the over-the-top jock, who steals the movie up until the time he's gotta die.--Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (435)

Stupid......but funny
Scary Movie is a spoof of recent horror movies (I Know what you did Last Summer, Scream, Scream 2, The Sixth Sense, The Blair Witch Project)
and it even makes fun of non-horror films like (The Usual Suspects,
Titanic and The Matrix). When it's not making fun of movies though
it's making fun of everything else, how this movie round up with an
R-Rating and isn't NC-17 is beyond me because I don't think I've seen
so many penis jokes, gay jokes, or racist jokes in one movie. Scary Movie
offers alot of laughs but what got me giggling the most was the special-ed
student and part-time security guardd Doofy, the retarted deputy who's
obviously poking fun at Dewey from Scream. He was the showstealer
for me because all his lines were just hilarious and were delivered
great by Dave Sheridan. Also good in their roles are Shawn
Wayans as a gay football player who slaps the butt of each player
as they go by in the lockerroom, Marlon Wayans as a pot smoking horror
film buff. Newcomer Anna Faris as Cindy gets alot of laughs as well.
She has alot of funny scenes where she actually pokes fun at herself
alot of times in the movie and is just totally natural about it which
makes her scenes work even better. If you thought (There's Something
About Mary, American Pie or Road Trip) were raunchy well then you've
seen nothing until you've seen Scary Movie. Don't get me wrong some
jokes don't work but most of them do. Scary Movie is the funnest time
I've ever had at the movies, I can't recall the last time I laughed
so hard. It's the first time I can actually say that I really enjoyed
a stupid movie.

Do Not Be Afraid...
After the huge success of Scream and other popular teen horror films, it wasn't too long for Hollywood to create a side-splitting parody of the popular movie genre. A group of dim-witted teens (oddly played by actors and actresses in their 20s and 30s) are being murdered by a masked maniac. Unlike previous parodies, "Scary Movie" is a hysterical gross-out comedy that ranks as the funniest film of 2000. Though I'm not a fan of teen horror movies, there are enough unforgettable wildly entertaining comic scenes that will keep viewers laughing from start to finish. Director Keenan Ivory Wayans (Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood) has surpassed the Farrelly Brothers' unique talent for crude humor with some of the most outrageous comic scenes in years. The comic cast includes Marlon Wayans, Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie), Shawn Wayans, Cheri Oteri (SNL), Lochlyn Munro (Dead Man on Campus) and Carmen Electra (Baywatch).

If you're a fan of crude humor and film satire, "Scary Movie" is an impressive DVD to own. The hit comedy is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains a sharp video transfer and a great 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. The opening title menu is quite nice. Its special features include six hilarious deleted scenes, trailers, a behind-the-scenes featurette and numerous DVD-ROM extras like "Scary Movie: Guide for the Culturally Challenged". Overall, "Scary Movie" earns a worthy "B".

The Funniest Movie I ever seen
This has to be the funnoest movie ever I watched it like 100 times and never get tired of it infact after this imma go watch it again, so if u didnt see this yet u better rent because this movie will make u laugh ur ass off

A true gem!!
Not a five-star film... that's for special movies. But you need to see this!! Yes, the humor is kind of overdone/over the top and/or truly sick at times, but that just adds to it. There are so many films being parodied you lose track, but you almost NEVER stop laughing. This is one worth owning, seriously!

sick.....
i thought it was very crude and disgusting, but kinda funny in a way. like, for example, i don't think that a guy shoving his penis through another guy's ear or someone taking a pic of a guys small penis is funny. but i think that a woman trying to get through a whole in a garage door is funny, lol. but i guess it was alright. i give it 3-1/2 stars ... Read more

Reviews (596)

"My ignorance amuses me." At least it amused somebody...
Tomb Raider is the kind of movie you can watch while reading a book and not miss a thing. Lara Croft originated in video games as a wild, sassy heroine with amazing acrobatic skill and two Desert Eagles to back her up, and her games supercharged that industry. The idea for the movie was to cross Indiana Jones with James Bond, throw in a little bit of Batman's dark side and humor from The Mummy, and populate the lead role with a sexy, academy award-winning actress, Angelina Jolie. You would think that formula couldn't lose, but the final serving is a mess. I prefer the video games, even the later ones.

Director Simon West approached this film as if he were shooting a commercial or music video. Every single shot is some high-concept, slow-mo dutch angle that lovingly follows our heroine on her adventure: we lovingly watch Lara open the door, then lovingly watch her close the door, that kind of thing. It gets old fast. The plot, too, is full of exotic locations and references to the films I mentioned above, and nothing is missing but some logic to make any sense of it. Major plot points are lost in the glamor, and the endless sexy shots of our heroine and her hapless foes. Enemies suddenly become friends for no sensible reason, and the major plot-twist is so uninspiring that if you blink you'll miss it. The CGI enemies for Lara Croft look terrible and are about as entertaining as a barrel full of Jar-Jar Binks'. The dialog is horrendous. "My ignorance amuses me" is a real line that is actually heard 3 times, and it was just as dumb as it sounds. I don't think the characters were even listening to each other, just say cool-sounding things to match the empty shine of the entire over-paid mess. The onscreen meeting of offscreen fatherand dauther John Voight and Jolie is touching, dispite the fact that they don't have much to say to each other.

I admire the daring of the filmmakers to place Lara Croft on equal footing with any male enemy she faces - Croft simply karate chops 'em to the ground exactly as if she were a man, no dirty tricks, just pure power and skill. Unfortunately, Angelina Jolie isn't believably as a nimble acrobatic kung-fu master. Jolie DOES play Croft with a large does of sensual sexuality, but she throws a kick like a turle, and the wire work in this move is terrible, nothing as interesting as The Matrix. Jolie doesn't look graceful, she looks clumbsy.

THE DVD - is a good one. The making of documentary is from HBO, which means that it's about 3 stars out of 5. There is an audio commentary and lots of little featurettes about various fxs and training for Jolie. U2's excellent video is a must see.

Horrible Overhyped Garbage
I'm glad women are finally starting to get more into action type films, but this Tomb Raider I was told was gonnah be the best female action star since Sigorney Weaver in Aliens.

Oh, how I disagree with that on so many levels.

Has this movie been praised because it stars a woman in skin tight clothing? Baring next to nothing? all while flying around, doing action seaqences, and over the top stuff like that?

Because thats what I think has given this movie any appeal at all! I cannot stand Angelina Jolie, but putting that aside to actualy focus on the fact that she is portraying a rip-off of Indiana Jones, and wearing , well, what some people would consider sexy attire/cloths... but to me, sex doesnt sell a movie. If you havent got a good movie, then dont expect showing some skin will make it any better!

The movie is terrible, Angelinas performance is sickiing, not only the cloths she wears to gain that attention of that kind of audience, but her acting both inhales and exhales (work it out, Amazon will filter my exact words for that)

If your a guy who want to see a chick put on some sexy clothing to get your attention to try and distract you from a pointless ,un thought out scene with special FX from tiem to time, then you will love this movie!

If you can actualy stand Angeliana Joalines conseeded acting, then you might like it.

But if your like me, and see through the B.S of trying to get a sexy image to sell, then youll see how this movie fails to bring a decent woman onto the screen for an action role!

I hope some actress becomes a super action star sometime soon, one maybe so even bigger then any male action star, but Angelina is not the one to look out for. Sex does not sell in my book!

0 stars

Good action but nothing to be remembered.
Tomb Raider is good fun and good for a rental. The Movie itself will eventually be forgotten. Angelina Jolie does good, and the plot it okay. The effects are good, as well as the settings. The movie is only okay. See it if you love action.

Not your average Chick Flick
I've never played the Tomb Raider games so I haven't a clue of what Lara Croft is really supposed to be like except she's a chick with big guns and other features. Let's face it. Despite the somewhat simplistic and rushed plot, people love adventure movies with danger, excitement and cool stunts, especially when girls are in it.

And I personally like Jolie's rendition of Croft. She's sexy yet sensual. Athletic yet Composed. Wryly coy at times, and to top it off...she's English. With the looks, lips and soft English accent, Jolie creates a very attractive Lara Croft with adventurous elegance and style...and it certainly helps that she's filthy rich. Comes in handy when supporting her expensive hobby.

I thought this was an enjoyable film despite the weak plot. Definitely worth the viewing.

Not much resemblance to the video game character
Tomb Raider the movie failed to be hardly anything like Tomb Raider the video game. Lara Croft in the video game is dressed in brown and green clothes, Lara Croft in the movie is dressed in all black.

Also, in the video game, she's just about always in tombs. In the movie, she hardly ever was in any tombs, and that movement of manuvers she did at the beggining of the movie in the tomb to make it seem as if it's the video game come to life expect for her black clothes, that was quickly over after only a few minutes and it was only in her backyard in her mansion where she practices.

She is a very sexy woman, though. (...)

Angelina Jolie's sexieness was the only good thing about Tomb Raider the movie, and again, if they were trying to make it as resembling to the video game as possible, then like that older movie Super Mario Bros., they didn't do so good. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

A cute robot sends a bunch of kids into space on the shuttle
An entertaining fantasy about a bunch of bright but eccentric kids who attend NASA's Space Camp and end up being sent into space on an emergency launch of the space shuttle Atlantis, all because a cute little robot named JINX wants to make a friend happy. The young cast is certainly talented, with Lea Thompson (Kathryn) before "Carolyn in the City," Kelly Preston (Tish) before "The Love of the Game," and Joaquin Phoneix (Max) light years before "Gladiator." Kate Capshaw (Andie) and Tom Skerrit (Zack) give the film appropriate weight as the married astronauts who serve as the father figures. The backstory is that Andie has never made it into space and sees Kathryn as a younger model of herself, giving her an excuse to really push the girl. Tate Donovan (Kevin) is the rebellious stud who wants to know Kathryn better and does not take Space Camp all that seriously. Of course there is a lesson to be learned here about teamwork, especially once the kids are up in space with their lives at risk, but the fun for kids is imagining they too could accidentally be sent into space. "Space Camp" takes itself much more seriously than most fantasies, especially in terms of the details regarding a shuttle that is not really ready for launch, which makes it easier to just sit back and go along for the ride. Of course NASA would not allow kids to sit on the shuttle for a live engine test and certainly they would not have picked this group of misfits to receive the honor. But if that is what you what to focus on when watching this movie then you just do not understand thermal curtain failure or remember what it was like to be a kid and do what grown ups do. The movie also features an excellent musical score by John Williams.

A cute robot sends a bunch of kids up in the Space Shuttle
"Spacecamp" is a fairly entertaining fantasy about a bunch of bright but eccentric kids who attend NASA's Space Camp and end up being sent into space on an emergency launch of the space shuttle Atlantis, all because a cute little robot named JINX wants to make a friend happy. The young cast is certainly talented, with Lea Thompson (Kathryn) before "Carolyn in the City," Kelly Preston (Tish) before "The Love of the Game," and Joaquin Phoneix (Max) light years before "Gladiator." Kate Capshaw (Andie) and Tom Skerrit (Zack) give the film appropriate weight as the married astronauts who serve as the parental figures for the kiddies. The backstory is that Andie has never made it into space and sees Kathryn as a younger model of herself, giving her an excuse to really push the girl. Tate Donovan (Kevin) is the rebellious stud who wants to know Kathryn better and does not take Space Camp all that seriously. Of course there is a lesson to be learned here about teamwork, especially once the kids are up in space with their lives at risk, but the fun for kids is imagining they too could accidentally be sent into space.

"Spacecamp" takes itself much more seriously than most fantasies, especially in terms of the details regarding a shuttle that is not really ready for launch, which makes it easier to just sit back and go along for the ride. Of course NASA would not allow kids to sit on the shuttle for a live engine test and certainly they would not have picked this group of misfits to receive the honor. But if that is what you what to focus on when watching this movie then you just do not understand thermal curtain failure or remember what it was like to be a kid and do what grown ups do. The movie also features an excellent musical score by John Williams

A True Classic for Astronaut Wannabe's
And this one time...at Space Camp...I kissed a girl under the SRBs (Solid Rocket Boosters)...and I got to go around and re-live different scenes from the movie, especially repeating all of Leaf Phoenix's star wars references during mission simulations..it was too much fun...LOL...but still true... Certainly, there are tons of things wrong about the movie that would never happen at Space Camp or in real life, but that's hollywood and that's what makes it fun. And when this was made, Space Camp itself was a pipe dream for many kids and the lucky few who got to attend as youngsters were treated like Gods, and are still revered today, so this movie was a way for us poor folks to go to camp without forking out the bucks. Therefore to those of us who actually grew up in the 80's and remember seeing this move in the theater and the excitement of a space shuttle launch and still have dreams of being an astronaut, and for those of us who have worked at Space Camp its' definately a priceless jewel in the DVD treasure chest.

Good Kids Movie
The thing that always trikes me the most about this movie is the number of relatively big movie stars they managed to get into this film.
I mean it's a silly little adventure with a ridiculous plot. Send a bunch of teenagers into space and watch what happens. Well I mean sure, I guess it entertains kids. But it's not anything amazing, really.

Wonderful
When i was about 5 years old i descovered this wonderful movie. It was a copy that my parents had recorded years ago off of HBO. I remmeber sitting ther in awe for the hole 90minutes. Still to this day, every time its on a cable station, i watch it just because, it remind me of when i was 5 years old. This is a great movie for kids and parents alike, and should be awesome in widescreen on dvd. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

good and with a happy ending
it was a little sad but great!!!! It was a imax show. and it was big. All the horse talk thrilled me and i learned a lot.The settings were very pretty and so was the horses. i loved the show. ... Read more

Description

Provocative Futuristic Action Thriller.The Matrix Revolutions marks the final explosive chapter in the Matrix trilogy. ... Read more

Reviews (887)

Part 3: It was Inevitable...
Neither Part-2 or Part-3 matched the brilliance of the original "Matrix". It was inevitable - the Wachowski brothers simply couldn't do it. With that said, "Revolutions" was better than "Reloaded"... but that's not saying much. It was better as a movie overall, but it didn't have a truly memorable action scene that left you sitting on the edge of your seat (i.e. the freeway chase scene in "Reloaded", or the top of building helicopter crash scene in the original "Matrix"). There were times in "Revolutions" where Neo just disappeared - at one time it was for over 30 minutes. Trinity disappeared numerous times and I often wondered where these main characters had gone. Too much time was spent with characters in Zion that I didn't care about (like Link & Zee... what did they bring to the movie?). "Revolutions" needed more Neo, more Morpheus, more Trinity, and more Agent Smith. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne. Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving are all wonderful actors... and they simply were not on the screen enough. The computer-generated special effects were great, but the story-line, action, and dialogue (monotone and so very emotionless) was simply sub-par. The final battle scene between Neo and Agent Smith flying around in the rain between tall buildings was down-right comical. I loved Trinity in the first "Matrix", but that lessened in Part-2 and in I found myself in Part-3 thinking her death scene just dragged on way too long. The entire ending to the movie was pure cheese. The success of the great trilogies like "Lord Of The Rings", "Indiana Jones" and the original "Star Wars" is so hard to come by these days in Hollywood. The original "Matrix" will forever be the best of the series (should they have stopped at this one?). Replay value = Next to none.

a letdown from the first 2.
well if you like bullets,lasers and explosions,this one is for you.problem is,thats it too.they go to the central core of whats holding the computer world together and rage war on it.then these millions and millions of robotic squid things come out.theres a big bunch of shooting and boom boom boom.the end.its too violent for kids i think.it seems as though they spent so much money on the squids,they forgot a storyline or anything else that goes with a movie.just boom boom boom.outof the 3,it basicly just wraps the first two up.in the first 2,there were stories,chicks,plots,scenes,and places.this had a dark place filled with squids.of the 3,this one is a distant 3rd.if you like sci fi and action youll love this one.this one black chick does some awesome pilot work in one of the movies most exiting parts.the hype was better than the movie actualy turned out to be.not to discredit it though as an excellent movie.this is keeono.uuuuhhhhhhh.....teds third best movie ever.ill give you one guess what the other two are.the trilogy ends here.it is a bit long,but good.

Brilliantly Written, overly special-effected
I would give this movie 4.5 stars if I could, but I can't. It like The Matrix Reloaded wasn't quite as good as the original, but still is a brilliantly written and important piece of sci-fi literature. Although it starts out directly where Reloaded leaves off, the situation is completely understandable and not confusing to a non-Matrix person. Like the others, its soundtrack of classical music with a blend of rock gives a nice feel.

Mind-boggling conversations between characters sieze to get old and Keanu Reaves gives his best preformance in the trilogy. It ends strangely, with Buddhist-Christian philosophies that balnket the sad ending with a happy, touching feel.

My only problem with this film is that the battle scenes are to elongated, and after a while become tedious, and just blurres of flashing light and loud noises.

Overall, I thought this was a great ending chapter to a science-fiction masterpiece.

And then there were three...
The first Matrix movie was revolutionary at the time. In retrospect, almost frustratingly so(I'm sure we're all tired of directors trying to impress us with bullet speed special effects). However, I enjoyed it. It was good science fiction, and the premise was interesting.

Now, in the second Matrix, it was painfully obvious that the directors were thinking throughout the entire process "man, in the first movie, they liked it when we did this. So lets do it A LOT!" However, despite a weak first hour, and a lackluster ending, it still eeked out an hour of entertainment (especially the incredible car chase scene).

And here, the last arrives, and it is not a good thing. They stopped trying to hide the fact that they were ripping off the first two movies. You see Neo fight Smith, start losing, get kicked into a wall, dramatic music plays, Smith looks triumphant. Neo gets up, Smith looks startled, Neo brushes himself on, and does a kung fu move to say "bring it on".

That doesn't sound familiar AT ALL, does it?

I was almost chuckling at the absurdity of it. It looked like they were trying to duplicate the lobby scene of the first film, only have it with programs who walk ON THE CEILING! The movie tries, and fails to be cerebral. The first film kept it more down to earth, and later on, it tried adding the mystical aspects to the approach, and it fails. And the ending is frustrating in itsself, only serving to remind those of us who didn't pick it up that Neo is supposed to be a Christ-figure.

I won't get started on the acting... basically, this film loses all acting, plot, or originality that the first had, and the second had to a lesser extent. This is the lowest wrung of a series which got worse at each attempt. I'm not giving it 1 star just because there are a few action scenes and plot points that aren't COMPLETELY contrived. But not many. I can't recommend this film.

It was decent
When I first saw this on an IMAX screen, it was intense - I had to look away several times to avoid being overwhelmed by the images. And I can't say as how I enjoyed it - I loved how the first movie dealt with the transformation of the reality of the matrix and how the second one told more about how the matrix came to be (except that whole dancing/sex scene - that was just weird). The third one I had higher hopes for. I thought maybe that the movie makers would explain why the machines allowed zion to exist. I thought there was a chance that it would turn out with zion being a second matrix on top of the first and so no one was ever really free from the machines. Now that would have been mindblowing if they had done it right.

All in all, if you ignore the first and second movies and put this movie on its own, it's pretty good (though it doesn't have too much character development) and it's a very good hollywood action movie. Put with the first two movies and it doesn't quite measure up. ... Read more

Description

In the second chapter of the Matrix trilogy, Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army. In their quest to save the human race from extinction, they gain greater insight into the construct of The Matrix and Neo's pivotal role in the fate of mankind. ... Read more

Reviews (1449)

Only the third film can make it good
Warning - Spoilers ahead . . .

When I first saw the film, well, I didn't like it too much. It seemed to be over-packed with CGI Fight scenes and a storyline that didn't really mean anything. While Zion is under attack, Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus must find the keymaster to unlock the doors to the mainframe and end the war, thus freeing Zion.

This entire storyline, to me, seemed contrived, making the fight scenes seem meeningless, their overzealous and sometimes long running effects just becoming tiresome.

But, then I got it. Weeks after seeing it, it finally clicked.

They symbolism of these films is much deeper than the average action-movie viewer is usually given. Yes -- the entire "The One-Saves the world" storyline is meaningless, and that's the point. While paying too much attention to events within the computer-generated fantasy world of the Matrix, the real world, and Zion, fall into greater danger.

We are introduced to two 'french' characters, programs, which exist simply to experience life. While they are among the long list of villians in this piece, they are also the key to the story. They describe the situation in as much in the film, seeing our heroes as mere puppets in a meaningless plot, which, in fact, they are.

While are main characters are engaged in a meaningless task, struggling to achieve goal after goal in a virtual world, events of the real world are dire, and, just perhaps, if more attention were paid to the real-world events, perhaps the situation would not be so dire.

It is not until Neo discovers that his existance as 'the one' is simply another level of control set in place by the machines, that the entire struggle within the virtual world of the Matrix has no real meaning, only then does the truth come to light, just in time for this second chapter to come to a close.

Think about it, how many people do you know who obsess on politics, or sports, or their favorite television show, or even the Matrix itself? We engage in meaningless struggles to achieve goals that, in the end, really have no meaning but to feed our own ego.

A very profound statement to be made by an action film, that is, if the third and final installment draws this observation out.

As I see it, the value of this second episode is entirely dependent upon the content of the third chapter, but the potential is much greater than most people give it credit for.

Thank you for your time.

Spectacularly average
"The Matrix" (1999) delivered an engaging mix of Eastern religion, martial arts and digital cool, all wrapped in a story which was as well-written as it was well-told. "Reloaded" gives us more mysticism, though it's less interesting; more fights, though they're less convincing; and more digital trickery, but without a strong narrative to hang it off. The result is a film which feels like a two-hour philosophy lecture you occasionally spice up with a surreptitious burst on your Gameboy. The film's digitized set pieces - Neo's fight with a legion of Agents Smith, and the much-anticipated freeway sequence - are admittedly thrilling, but they try too hard. When will directors realize that the instant characters start looking like Nintendo sprites, the audience completely disengages? There's no spirit in this movie, no heart, and despite the alleged threat to a pretty invulnerable looking Zion, it doesn't feel like anything's really at stake. Neo's climactic meeting with The Architect should have been the film's most compelling moment. The chilling performance from Aussie uber-director Helmut Bakaitis means it almost is, but the dense dialogue and distracting TV screens ensure you'll probably miss the point - ergo, you'll need to see the film again, which guarantees the kind of repeat business on which boxoffice bonanzas are built. But this was never going to be anything but a billion-dollar hit, so I'm surprised the Wachowskis played it so safe. Why stake the film's appeal on some ultimately vacuous and surprisingly transparent digital imagery, when they had the chance to give a captive audience something audaciously original? It's not like they don't have the talent. I went home after seeing this and watched the first film again on DVD - it's so much better it hurts. The strength of the first film and the weakness of the second come down the same thing: the power of the premise. The idea of an illusionary universe and one man's messianic enlightenment is endlessly appealing (and as old as Hinduism). The philosophy of causation, on the other hand, is dense, complex and ultimately paradoxical - and for those reasons terminally boring. That doesn't mean it isn't worth exploring. It just means that the local Cineplex is probably not the best place to have the conversation.

Excellent movie
The fight scenes were great; the graphics were amazing... the dancing was a bit fluffy (is that all they do down there... well, but, hey, what else is there to do?)... worthy of being the Matrix 2 (but, of course, not even close to beating #1).

Say What?
If you disengage your brain you might enjoy Elrond of Rivendale by case attacking Neo in his Priest's get up, but by the time, you are skirting dangerous toward brain burnout! I have watched it several times, thinking maybe it was the mood I was in, but nope. Matrix was a mind-blowing one-trick-pony that just did not stretch into to a second movie well. There are a lot of interesting scenes, but Neo aka up up and away, just brought a giggle out in me. The LONG action sequences make you want to go okay, enough! Less is More is NOT the banner of this movie! After Neo b**** slap's Elrond and his brother Elrond and his other brother Elrond 100 times it just redefines redundant. Then Neo reaching in to pull out the magic bullet...oh, please...sigh...and the religious overtones are so pretensious.

It was good to see Anthony Zerbe a long under rated talent get a nice spot. The effect are good, just overdone ad nauseoum. Elrond take the ship to into the West quickly!

Surpasses Reloaded but falls quite short of the original...
I absolutely loved the original Matrix. I still do. It got me thinking about things I'd never considered all that seriously, such as the potential negative implications of artificial intelligence and ultra-sophisticated technology. I was also drawn to the philosophical issues it raised, and I was motivated to learn more about the ideas presented in the story. For me, no other film has held such strong intellectual appeal. I've watched the DVD an embarrassing number of times. I've never grown tired of it.

When I learned that two more Matrix films were in the works, I was overjoyed. Unfortunately, my joy came to an abrupt halt when I saw Reloaded. I fully admit that my high expectations contributed to my disappointment, but that certainly doesn't account for all of it. Among other things, Reloaded is so top-heavy with bombast and claptrap that I actually stopped caring about the characters and had no further interest in what might happen. I definitely don't enjoy these kinds of feelings.

I wanted so much to like Reloaded that I actually saw it several times hoping I'd missed a crucial element, or that it would grow on me, or *something*. But it continued to leave such a bad taste in my mouth that I had no desire to see Revolutions.

As luck would have it, however, I recently had an opportunity to rent Revolutions for practically nothing -- so out of curiosity, I went for it. I'm glad I did, because it helped redeem the overall trilogy for me, although not as much as I would have liked. The only expectation I brought to Revolutions was that it couldn't possibly be worse than Reloaded. Luckily it isn't, but it still can't touch the original.

One of the other reviewers has mentioned that an indefinable "something" is missing from Revolutions. Well, I can identify at least three things that are absent from this film: a plot, convincing dialog, and decent acting (with one exception, which I'll get to momentarily). I also discovered that Revolutions essentially has no human stars, despite the presence of Reeves, Fishburne, Moss, et al. The only true stars of this film are its special effects.

Granted, the effects are spectacular. The battle for Zion is a feat of CGI splendor -- although I would have appreciated it more had it been shorter. It's almost like the Wachowskis are trying to compensate for the film's shortcomings by clobbering the audience with protracted high-tech eye candy.

I was relieved that there aren't many hand-to-hand (or should I say foot-to-head?) combat scenes in Revolutions. There are only so many ways to kick a bad guy in the face, and I got more than my fill of such things in Reloaded.

Of the fight sequences that *are* in Revolutions, I found the super-duper burly brawl between Smith and Neo -- in the rain, no less -- to be cartoonish and silly. It was almost as bad as the "Trinity crashes through a window and repeatedly shoots at an agent while falling about a million stories toward the pavement" sequence in Reloaded.

Revolutions also continued the nonsensical double-talk so prevalent in Reloaded. I'm sure it's meant to sound profound, but to me, it only sounds foolish. "Why are you here?" "Because I choose to be." "What are you going to do?" "What I need to do." "What's going to happen?" "What's meant to happen." (Where's a wall that I can smash my head into?) Both Reloaded and Revolutions perfected the art of answering questions without answering them.

And what's with all of the endless squabbling in Zion, which started in Reloaded and continues in Revolutions? You'd think that people who have so much at stake would learn to work together more harmoniously and effectively. Instead, they engage sniping, whining, cursing, yelling, tantrums, petty jealousies, and head-butting. This became so tedious that I stopped caring whether or not Zion and its residents would survive.

Be that as it may, I consider Revolutions to be a worthy diversion if taken at face value. Any meaningful philosophical underpinnings vanished for me after the original Matrix. I approached Revolutions with the intent of trying not to think too much and just going wherever it wanted to take me. On that level, I feel it succeeds.

The one character I thoroughly enjoyed throughout all three films is Agent Smith. In Revolutions, I love the way Hugo Weaving pulls out all the stops and chews the scenery with such diabolical glee. In contrast, the other characters are merely boring. In some places, they're boring and irritating.

As other reviewers have noted, Revolutions ends in a way that leaves a back door open for a fourth Matrix film. Well, I have something to say to the Brothers Wachowski about that, starting with some hokey dialog that they, themselves wrote: "Everything that has a beginning has an end." (Naaah...really?) For me, the Matrix ended after the first film. That's where it should have stopped. Please don't make it worse by grinding out a fourth installment. Let it end now.

Meanwhile, since "cookies need love like everything else does," I'll be doing my part. I love cookies. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Gabriel Byrne plays Father Kiernan, a young Jesuit priest whose degree in chemistry makes him a sort of priest/detective as he investigates weeping Marys and the like around the world.Meanwhile, Frankie (Patricia Arquette), a rave-generation Pittsburgher, is afflicted with the stigmata--holes that appear in her wrists, resembling the wounds of Christ.The young woman's symptoms filter back to the Vatican and Father Kiernan is assigned to the case.The priest is puzzled by Frankie's atheism; usually the stigmata only appear on the devout (hence the age-old controversy of miracles vs. hysteria).Other manifestations appear on Frankie, and the priest's cardinal (Jonathan Pryce) is brought in, leading to political maneuvering within the Church hierarchy.The film owes a large and obvious debt to The Exorcist (at one point, Frankie's bed scoots across the room and she levitates into a crucifix position), but to term it an Exorcist rip-off would be to shortchange Stigmata.The premise and screenplay are more cerebral than in the l973 film, and the source of the phenomenon is coming from a completely different place.

Unfortunately, amid Stigmata's high-octane editing and slick technique, the chills of The Exorcist aren't there, giving the movie a sort of identity crisis: horror movie or intellectual thriller? Several elements of the film challenge basic tenets of the Catholic faith, hence the brief furor that erupted at the time of the film's release; if nothing else, the internal workings of the Church are shown in a very unflattering light indeed.Byrne excels as the skeptical priest, as does Arquette as the tortured young woman.All told, Stigmata is a rather uneven effort, but one with a thought-provoking combination of theology and thrills served up in a thoroughly modern, stylish package. Fans of TV's Ally McBeal will recognize Portia DeRossi in a supporting role. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (276)

Cinematographic Exposure of the Vatican's Will to Power
The ever-so-attractive Patricia Arquette plays Frankie (a derivative of St. Francis of Assisi) Paige, an all-to-hip hairstylist who enjoys hanging-out at industrial/techno clubs with her one-dimensional boyfriend Steven and equally one-dimensional co-worker Donna (Nia Long from Ally McBeal). Anyway, Frankie, a devout athiest, becomes inflicted with the marks of the stigmata (how many of the five? watch the dvd and find out) and Father Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne) investigates her inflictions, while he's involved in a political power struggle with the Vatican, as represented by his superior Cardinal Daniel Houseman (Jonathan Pryce). Gabriel Byrne is a very boring and predictable actor, and the 'romance' that he's half involved-in is ludicrious and must have been suggested by the studio. Anyway, this movie is replete with stunning camera shots that flush-out multifarious symbols: doves, blood, water, ascension of water, trains, Aramaic characters, etc. This film borrows much from _The Exorcist_ when it incorporates demonic-ish possession (actually, it's simply the possesion of freedom: freedom from the boundaries of bureaucratic churches and nature, which are replaced with a reliance on faith -- very similar to the writings of Kierkegaard regarding faith in _Fear and Trembling_), but it is far more cinematographic than any of the Exorcist films ever were. My favorite aspect of the film was the fantastic portrayal of Cardinal Daniel Houseman's (as an individual symbol for the Vatican and the bureaucratic social institution of the Catholic Church) Will to Power in doing everything possible to stifle the Gospel of John, even resorting to murder and excommunication of an entire church. Cardinal Houseman acts in much the same fashion as Aguirre in Werner Herzog's _Aguirre: the Wrath of God_. This film incorporates enough symbols and religious history that a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation could be written centered on this film and related subjects. Anyway, to the special features: I prefer the director's ending and this dvd's best feature is the deleted scene entitled "Steven and Frankie Get it On" (phewwwww, Arquette has a perfect 10 for a body! ). The deleted scene with Frankie graphically stabbing herself is also excellent. I recommend purchasing this dvd, as well as the book _The Gospel of Thomas_ and, if you're really wanting to explore religion, Aliester Crowley's "The Book of the Law" or the "The Book of Abramelin the Mage".

Creepy thriller reexamines present-day faith and the Church
"Stigmata" is a thought provoking, if sometimes religiously confused, MTVesque journey through the possession/stigmata of Frankie Page (Patricia Arquette), a twentysomething atheist raver who suddenly exhibits stigmata (the wounds that Christ received on the cross) after receiving a recently deceased priest's rosary in the mail (her name, combined with later symbolism (the doves feeding from her hands, the statue of St. Francis in the garden), is an obvious nod to St. Francis of Assisi-one of the original working titles was "St. Frankie of Pittsburgh"). However, director Rupert Wainwright appears fundamentally confused on basic issues, confusing stigmata (which appear to devout Christians) with possession (Frankie speaks in tongues, stabs herself, levitates, and scribbles in Aramaic on the walls).

Gabriel Byrne is fantastic (as usual) as Father Andrew Kiernan, an Irish organic chemist turned man of the cloth, who is sent around the globe to investigate bleeding statues and religious sightings. Frankie has an attack in the subway that is witnessed by a priest, and word filters down to the Vatican, where Father Kiernan is hastily reassigned after discovering an authentic bleeding statue of the Virgin Mary in Brazil. Angry at being silenced, Kiernan arrives to find Frankie seeing hallucinations, hearing voices, and sporting some gaping holes in her wrists (the hospital staff fears self-mutilation and suicide attempts) that continue to bleed.

The film follows the pair as Frankie's condition deteriorates and the attacks become more violent as another mystery, this one inside the walls of the Vatican, unfolds. The "Stigmata" tagline says it all: the messenger must be silenced. The explanation for the phenomenon is unexpected, as are the two different endings: the theatrical ending and the director's ending. Due to poor test screenings the theatrical ending was substituted, but Wainwright's ending fits in more with the predictions of Father Andrew. There are several deleted scenes, including an alternate opening that explains Father Almeida's death. Factual errors run rampant, including Father Kiernan's assertion that no one had ever received all five stigmata (untrue, St. Francis received all five at once), that St. Francis of Assisi was 23 when he first received the stigmata (he was in his forties), and the fact that Cardinal Houseman wears a goatee (prohibited by the Vatican).

The visuals are striking if overwhelming. Multitudes of candles are present in almost every shot, as is water, doves, and blood. The scenes of Frankie receiving the stigmata are almost seizure-inducing-strobe lights, split-second flashes of nails being hammered into wrists, Frankie's bloodied face from several angles, all without transitions, rushed and drowned in a hard-rock soundtrack (the visuals alone built up a sufficient atmosphere of foreboding; the hard rock was overkill) penned by Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan. Sinead O'Connor and the Afro-Celt Sound System contribute, as does Natalie Imbruglia, and David Bowie.

"Stigmata" is entertaining, although it is extremely violent, gory, contains graphic sex, and is easily religiously offensive. There really is no Satanic demonic possession, rather something using Frankie as a messenger for good (albeit with extreme Machiavellian means). The movie casts a less than flattering light on the Catholic Church and the Vatican, and seems to glorify Frankie's hedonistic lifestyle. But the stigmata and Father Kiernan inevitably leave a large impact on Frankie's life, Frankie, who was once so self-assured in her partying ways and the non-existence of God. As the messenger she utters these words from the gospel of St. Thomas: "The kingdom of God is within you and all around you. It is not within buildings of wood or stone. Split a piece of wood and you will find me. Look beneath a stone and I am there." Although at times it looks like an outtake from Madonna's "Like a Prayer" video, "Stigmata" is thought provoking and visually stunning.

Not bad but a bit too preposterous
Gabriel Byrne is Andrew Kiernan, a scientifically trained priest employed by the Vatican to go off and investigate alleged cases of miracles. He's really keen to look into a case he came upon in Brazil where a statue of the Virgin wept blood following the death of some local holy man. Instead his rather unpleasant boss, Cardinal Houseman (Jonathan Price), sends him to Philadelphia check up the case of Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) who is having some strange hallucinatory experiences and has strange inexplicable wounds appearing on her wrists (as if made by nails) and her back (as if made by being whipped). What Kiernan doesn't yet realize is that these two cases are directly connected...

Like Gregory Hoblit's "Fallen" a year previously, this tries to breathe new life into the old "Exorcist" formula - mainstrean Hollywood films that deal with the theme of possession while taking themselves terribly seriously. Like "Fallen" this works quite nicely when it's a mystery but when the mystery is stripped away and we see what our hero and heroine are up against, it all turns out to be a bit silly and a whole lot less scary and disturbing than it's intended to be. The nice bits are the opening hour or so where we get a nice feel for Frankie's terrified confusion about what on earth is happening to her, complemented nicely by a more sophisticated bafflement from Kiernan, who has studied all this stuff for ever, but can't see why on earth a phenomenon associated exclusively with people of extreme sanctity should suddenly be manifesting itself on the person of this entirely unbelieving young woman. I certainly got intrigued by this point to understand what was going on. But the solution turned out to be decidedly lame. Expect to be mildly entertained but not particularly scared.

Wonderful Religious Commentary
This movie is somewhere between taboo breaking and sacrilegious. It's portrayal of the church as a corrupted institution is second to none. Wonderful acting and effects surrounding a very interesting story.

Blazfemmy!!!
Ok, first the music is done by Billy Corgan. That egg headed freak knows about as much about music as nuns know about birth control. The dead sea scrolls or secret sayings of Jesus are heresy. If Jesus wanted us to know these things, he would not want me to learn them in a Billy Corgan music video. They would be in the bible. I know the bible, and this stuff is not in the bible. The Catholic Church is hiding some things from us, but they are not lost in the couch cushions. They will be reveal to me, and maybe even you when the time is right.

Patricia Arquette, David Arquette's wife, has some of the worst hair in movie history. Anybody who gets their hair cut in he salon must also find in acceptable to have her hair styled by Stevie Wonder. She looks like a bleach blonde chicken. But I must admit it was a relief to see a preist make out with a woman rather than a little boy. ... Read more

Description

Violence as poetry, rendered by a master-brilliant and passionate, John Woo's Hard Boiled tells the story of jaded detective "Tequila" Yuen (played with controlled fury by Chow Yun-fat). Woo's dizzying odyssey through the world of Hong Kong Triads, undercover agents, and frenzied police raids culminates unforgettably in the breathless hospital sequence. More than a cops-and-bad-guys story, Hard Boiled continually startles with its originality and dark humor. ... Read more

Reviews (125)

John Woo's "Hard Boiled", subtitled, widescreen
Arguable the best Hong Kong crime film produced this decade, John Woo's "Hard Boiled" is a masterpiece of gritty killers and even grittier cops shot in the traditional Hong Kong style. Chow Yun-Fat excells in this fast paced, and quite violent, production. This is a film not to be missed by fans of Woo, or Chow Yun-Fat. You cannot call yourself a Hong Kong cinema fan without seeing this movie. Be sure to view this film in its origional (subtitled) form, otherwise you will be laughing too hard at the rediculous dubbing rather then enjoying the brilliance that is Hard Boiled. Widescreen is also a plus. DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!!!!!!!

Chow Yun Fat does it again!
While Hard-Boiled is a notch below The Killer, it is still one of the best action movies in the past fifteen years. Chow Yun Fat is perfect as the cop who is willing to break the rules and Tony Leung is also great as the undercover Triad who has seemingly crossed the line. John Woo's over the top direction, choreographed gun fights, and wicked sense of humor, makes Hard Boiled a can't miss action flick. Buy it, rent it, whatever. Just strap yourself in and enjoy the ride. The scenes in the Tea-House and the Hospital are too incredible to describe.

Just the opening sequence will blow you away.
The opening sequence is IMHO the best John Woo's ever done. It might even be the best opening of any action film. Once again, a masterpiece of ballet, guns, bullets and bodies. Once again, the bluring of lines and sympathetic characters. If you like Hard Boiled, watch The Killer and A Better Tomorrow 1 and 2. And the ending of Hard Boiled... half an hour of pure action... unbelievable. And if you liked the lobby shoot out in The Matrix, then you have to watch some John Woo. I'm almost positive you'll like it.

Great gunfighting action... Great directing...
As far as action movies go... I'm as big a John Woo fan as can be.. and I have to say that Hard Boiled, along with The Killer, A Better Tommorow, A.B.T.2, and Face/Off have to be my favorites in the genre. Chow is an amazingly talented actor both in dramatic and action sequences... It's movies like Hard Boiled that keep me playing arcade games with both guns blasting... I can't wait for King's Ransom to come out in theaters!!!

Action and killling, nuff said!!
One of the most exciting action movies I have ever seen. The drama is non stop and for some reason, nearly everybody dies. If you want low plot but killer scenes and non stop motion, this is it!! ... Read more

Description

Oscar® winner* Yul Brynner turns in a "great performance" (Los Angeles Herald Times) as a smooth master gunfighter who must do battle with his most formidable adversary – his own conscience – in this gripping, double-barreled western full of blistering shootouts, surprise twists and colorful villainy. In a New Mexico frontier town, Jules Gaspard d'Estaing (Brynner) is hired by the town's boss (Pat Hingle) to kill Matt Weaver (George Segal), a Civil War veteran who returns to reclaim his farm and his woman. But when d'Estaing realizes that Weaver may be the only honest man left, the conflicted hired gun must either kill an innocent man – or destroy his own reputation – in a heart-stopping final showdown. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Yul Brynner is Magnificent
If you liked Yul Brynner in "The Magnificent Seven" you will love him in this movie. Brynner is cool as they come. This is a great western and should be on DVD.

The Civil Rights movement goes West
This movie made me a Yul Brynner fan. I'd watched him many times in other movies, but I'd never seen a movie just because Yul Brynner was in it. Now I feel it is time to review this fine gentleman's career. I've been a movie fan for over forty years and appreciate a good Western, yet somehow this film had escaped me. Its release date (1964) places it in a volatile period within and beyond the movie industry. For Westerns, John Wayne rules, but A Fistfull of Dollars is just around the corner. Invitation is therefore free of the Italian influence, but Yul takes the no-name, silent gunman to the extreme in the first part of the film. He is mystic, mesmerizing, mysterious, and muy macho in this role! As his character slowly reveals himself, he loses his invulnerability and where it leads, no other Hollywood leading man could have pulled this off. Bravo, Yul!
And brave,too. 1964 was a year of many troubled civil rights freedom marches and sit-ins. How this film played at the time and how many fans might react would certainly make this a risky venture. The story involves interracial love, bigotry, and even a one-man riot and looting scene. All in all, Yul Brynner carries this movie. Masterfully using just a look rather than unnecessary dialog, he brings depth and rich characterization to his role. And with that, powerful empathy to an overall theme of justice, respect, and equality.
On a minor note, in an area often inaccurate in Westerns, this movie matches the guns to the era. The setting is 1865, and the pistols and rifles look authentic for the time. I also was curious about what might be in those two little bags of luggage Brynner carries with him as apparently his only possessions. They remain with him to the end and effectively add to his mysterious persona.

More than a "Western"...
This skilfully crafted screenplay gives the viewer far more than gunplay, it is a biting social comentary as relavent today as it was when it was made. Brynner is at his best turning the hypocrissy, cowardice and dirty secrets of the small New Mexico town that hired him to kill it's only "reb" to it's destruction, and gives an uncomfortably open view of our society. Excellent dialogue and acting by George Seagal and Janice Rule, as well as the town "capons" lead by Pat Hingle.

My dad's childhood
I bought this set as a father's day gift. We both go to toy shows and this set is a great collection of the toys of his childhood.Great detail is shown with each piece.A child of any age would enjoy these great replicas from the past.

Invitation to a Gunfighter
Yul Brynner will always be remembered for his great parts.However, this particular movie he plays exceptionally well portraying the greed and pathetic apathy of how some people viewed the dollar bill.I believe thisreveals Yul to how he saw greed in the world. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

SHE'S THE DIRECTOR'S SISTER
I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA is one hilarious film; even though many of the jokes fall flat at times, the whole is superlative tongue in cheek satire. A broad humored satire of those wonderful 70's "black exploitation" films, Wayans and crew serve up scene after scene of hilarity. For instance: a sleazy girl is singing a sultry version of "When the Saints Come Marching In," and when Wayans asks who she is, the waitress says "She's the director's sister." (She is!). When ex-football star Jim Brown asks Wayans why he thinks he's qualified to be a black hero, Wayans tells him "I'm an ex football player." When Dawnn Lewis as Wayans' sweetie gets the cramps, she really gets cranky!! John Vernon as Mr. Big spouts off why shouldn't he be in a black exploitation movie, other actors have! There are so many scenes like this that one can't help but laugh and laugh again.
Featuring a cavalcade of black and white actors, including Clarence Williams III, Isaac Hayes, Ja'net Dubois, Antonio Fargas and Steve James, I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA is a hoot to watch!

I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA!
I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA! is a spoof an blaxploitation films of the 1970's. This is the first film written, directed by, and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans. Jack Spade is an Army secretary who returns home to find out that his brother has died of an O.G. (an overdose of gold chains). Jack gathers up an army of some local neighborhood hero's (Bernie Casey, Antonio Fargas, Steve James, Isaac Hayes, and Jim Brown) to help him fight and defeat Mr. Big, the crime lord responsible for his brother's death. This movie has many funny moments, especially one that has Chris Rock making an appearance as a rib joint customer. This is a film for both action and comedy fans! Keenen Ivory Wayans would go on to direct SCARY MOVIE and SCARY MOVIE 2!

hilarious
one of the great films of the 80s (or was it 90s?).

I love Blaxploitation...but this was ok
This film does have some very funny moments like the rib joke but I felt a wee bit let down that the script and story line was not as good as it could have been. It nice to see the old