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One of Jim Henson's finest hours was the Storyteller series that first aired on HBO in 1987. As with his other non-Muppet creations (Labyrinth), Henson fills the screen with wonderful creatures that have a wisp of a J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy. This collection of nine stories (it does not contain the Greek myths arc) were adapted by Anthony Minghella, who became an Oscar-winning filmmaker a decade later with The English Patient. Minghella weaves the narration of the storyteller (played with aplomb by John Hurt) with dialogue from the stories to beguiling effect; the storyteller doesn't simply introduce the tales.

A few of the stories have been available before on video, but this collection starts with the debut, the Emmy-winning "Hans My Hedgehog," the title role being a young disformed man who helps a lost king in the woods. Other highlights include "The Luck Child" about a king bent on destroying a commoner boy, known as the luck child ("the seventh son born of a seventh son on a week with two Fridays"). After a wizard declares the boy will grow up to be king. The fate of the king is one of those hooks that should have the kids smiling for days. Henson himself directs "Death and the Soldier," a brilliant example of how these episodes were so wonderfully complex. A penniless solider (Bob Peck) is given a magical sack and he uses it to full effect, capturing gremlins and greater evils on his way to be king. "Sapsorrow" is a curious variation on the Cinderella legend. "A Story Short" is the storyteller's own adventure. He makes a deal with a king to tell a story every day of the year. Yet on the last day, the storyteller's mind is a blank and his fate may lead him to a boiling vat of oil. Henson's work is true family entertainment and at only 22 minutes per episode, it's the perfect companion for some fine entertainment around the TV. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (33)

We're almost there. . .
It's been taking the Henson company a long time to get these titles pumped to DVD, and it's nice to see The Storyteller fill the gaps in the shelves. I am still waiting for Fraggle Rock, but hopefully that is on the horizon.

I remember these as part of the Jim Henson Hour (another series I would like to see again) and they were as enjoyable to watch as they are now.

I gave the DVD 3 stars, simply because it's just that. . . a DVD. No extra's no behind the scenes, nothing added to it, just the stories, one after another in a digital format. The content and movies are great, its just that, well, there wasn't anything else. Kind of disappointing, but I'm sure back then, they didn't have a lot of cameras on the set filming behind the scenes, it wasn't the fad or desire back then.

This is a dvd though, that's not for kids. Young kids that is. Some pretty spooky moments, and the creatures can be a bit scarey. It's a fairly dark, gritty form of story telling, but fun and amusing at times.

To wrap up, its great. If your a fan of Jim, it belongs in your DVD library. No extras though, just the 9 episodes and that's it. The sound is good, picture great, just as I remember them. My only desire for some of the recent releases of Henson DVD's is to actually have more of Henson on them. He was a great man, and to hear him speak about his films and what he was doing is always a rare treat. I just wish they had more film footage of him.

Fairy tales will never be the same
I'm amazed that this series has gotten so little attention. This is Jim Henson and crew at their best, making fun of the lines between fantasy and reality, costume and puppetry, and new storytelling and old stories.

All of these short pieces were unfamiliar to me, at least in part. 'Sapsorrow' turned out to contain a story I knew, or thought I did. Part of the reason these fairy tales were unfamiliar was their authenticity. These stories were originally meant for adults. They had hard, dark edges, and were not the vapid Disneyfied versions that most people know.
Lots of kids will like these stories as much as adults do, but this may be too much for younger children. This isn't Sesame Street - it's one of the dark alleys off to the side.

The narrator is one of the unexpected treats on this disk. He opens and closes each short story, talking to his dog on a fire-lit night. The narration is a treat, too. It has a wonderful rolling cadence, too musical for regular speech but too prosaic to be a chant. It may give you some idea what the old epic poems must have sounded like in their original settings.

This is for anyone who likes fantasy, who likes a rich visual experience. You just have to see it for yourself - typed words can't begin to give the experience you'll find in this collection.

Fairy-Tales Aren't Just Kid's Stuff
I remember seeing this series for the first time years ago and thinking it was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever experienced. I still believe that when I watch it now. These stories, based on old folk legends (some woven together), have a great deal of resonance - that is why they have endured. Fairy-tales are not dumb, or childish, but rather are for those who still have the ability to enjoy the extraordinary, without needing to continually question the logic and criticise the rationality. Jim Henson was himself a modern-day storyteller, and is very much missed - they are a rare breed.
The stories are wonderfully crafted, if you wnat to be picky, some of the visual effects are a little dated (hey, it's 1987), but who cares when you're listening to such great tales!?
John Hurt is fantastic as the intriguing Storyteller, and even gets a well-deserved episode all about himself.
Hans My Hedgehog was always my favourite episode, and IMHO the Grovelhog costume is incredibly impressive. It's a genuinely touching story, and for me is on a par with The Elephant Man in terms of the tissue factor. I really wish that more of these had been made, but the ones that exist are a real blessing.
Show Storyteller to your children (I know some of you are worried about age, but I say go for it, children are darker than you think) and I am sure they will thank you profusely when they get older. As some have pointed out, they aren't always happy tales, but here is the valuable lesson - life isn't always happy. But it's still beautiful, and someting to marvel at, and learn from. Just like this DVD.
Oh, and if anyone tries to tell you it's just kid's stuff, let it go. They've lost their heart.

Just as good as it was 15 years ago.
I did not have the luxury, when I was growing up, to see these stories as they were originally shown on the Jim Henson Hour which aired in America and not until much later, in Australia. I happened upon the videos (these nine episodes were set on three videos) in a local rental shop and under extreme duress, my father rented them for myself and my sister. Much like we had done with the Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, we were transfixed by each and every episode. The thing we loved most about them was that they weren't your usual Disney-esque fluffiness. They were based on German, Russian and Celtic folklore and are in many cases, even today, still considered quite dark tales.

Now, many, many years later, I found and bought the DVD and am quite happy to say that the Jim Henson magic is still very much there. Sure, there's no special features on the DVD and I admit I would have liked to have seen some behind-the-scenes productions that are so accessible in this format of entertainment, but what was most important is that we got the series. To be honest, I couldn't complain about the quality of the DVD, it seemed pretty good to me. If the picture was blurry, it added to the atmosphere of the story rather than from detracted from it.

Some people who are not familiar the Jim Henson Creature Shop would find these productions stupid, cheesy and very out of date, but please remember, Jim Henson was a puppeteering pioneer and set many a standard for the fantasy genre. It was also well before the marvels of CGI were used on a regular basis, so please, don't complain when you see a puppet squirrel or badger flit across your screen and say that it would have been much better as a computer animation.

If you want seamless realistic graphics, go and watch the new Lord of the Rings epics, or The Matrix movies.

If you want to recapture a charming, fanciful bit of your childhood, when we didn't need thrills and spills to entertain us, watch The Storyteller series. You won't be disappointed.

"The Best Place by the Fire was kept for the Storyteller!"
Jim Henson's most famous contribution to the entertainment world is obviously "The Muppets", but if you're looking for his best work (in terms of both visual brilliancy and depth of theme and meaning) the award would have to go to "Labyrinth" and "The Storyteller." The former is of course the famous movie starring David Bowie, but the latter was a television series that was made up of a collaboration of Anthony Minghella's screenplays that drew on a range of folklore and ancient storytelling, Jim Henson's amazing puppets and John Hurt's performance as a nameless, gnome-like storyteller who sits by the fire with his (extremely talkative) dog, speaking directly to the viewer of the marvellous things he's seen and done in his lifetime.

There are nine episodes altogether, each one about twenty-five minutes long, with a separate tale in each one. Each one is both narrated by the Storyteller, but also acted out by a separate group of actors with which the Storyteller and his dog interact with - and it's not just them entering the world of the stories (such as the Storyteller performing a card trick in the court of the king)- sometimes the stories invade their fireside hearth: figures appear in the flames of the fire, shadows perform on the sides of pots and cups, the dog looks into his bowl to see faces looking up at him, and often the Storyteller produces objects that feature in the stories as proof of their reality.

Each story is very different, both from each other and from their original source material in order to create tales that are new, but also deeply familiar. Archetypes such as foundling children, wicked stepmothers, fay-like helpers, magical implements and triad motifs are prevalient, and you'll be surprised at how many familiar faces turn up! Some of the episodes are melded from several stories (such as "The Soldier and Death" which uses three Slovac tales to piece together a longer story) but others simply change a few details from their original sources ("The Three Ravens" uses ravens instead of swans as seen in the myth "The Children of Lyr" or Hans Christian Anderson's later retelling "The Seven Wild Swans") Spotting the similarities is part of the fun of watching, but a warning to parents - not all of the stories end happily, and often the content itself can be violent, scary, enigmatic or even mildly sensual.

"Hans My Hedgehog" is the winner of several television awards, and tells a darker version of "Beauty and the Beast" and "East O' the Sun and West O' the Moon", of a woman who makes a wayward wish for a baby and ends up with a hedgehog for a son.

"Fearnot" is the story of a young man that is so cheerful and simple that he has no idea what it's like to quiver and shudder in fear. Determined to know what the sensation is like he sets of - but the answer to being afraid may lie closer to home than he thinks...

"The Heartless Giant" is the bittersweet tale of a young prince named Leo who befriends a giant that has a nest of wasps in place of his heart. But can such a creature be trusted?

"Sapsorrow" is an interesting take on the "Cinderella" legend, as well as "Donkeyskin" in which a young woman seems to be forced to marry her own father if he does not hide herself within an elaborate disguise.

"The Three Ravens" is one of my favourites - three brothers are turned into ravens by their stepmother, and it is up to their sister to break the curse by never speaking a word. But when she falls in love and finds her beloved's stepmother is the witch that caused her brother's grief her danger intensifies: her children begin to disappear, and she cannot speak to defend herself.

"The True Bride" is the story of Anja, the slave of a troll who is helped by a beautiful white lion into getting her fortune. But when her financee (Sean Bean!!) is kidnapped by the troll's daughter, she leaves all her riches in order to get him back.

"The Soldier and Death" tells of a soldier who manages to a deal with devils that results in him capturing Death itself in his sack. The portrayal of Death is fascinating, and the puppetry of the devils is amazing.

"A Story Short" is the Storyteller's own story about beggars and fleas, a cruel wife, a deal with a king and a pot of boiling oil. This is another of my favourites.

Finally, "The Luck Child" concerns a young man named Lucky who is fated to be the next ruler of the land. The jealous king sends him on a dangerous quest to prove his worth, instructing him to bring back the griffin's golden feather. The puppet of the griffin is amazing, and the humour in this episode is great: "No, you're a sensitive monster!"

Although some of the techniques used for scenery looks a little dated by today's standards, the puppets are as ingenious as ever, and "The Storyteller Collection" is an educational and intriging display of storytelling that I highly recommend. ... Read more

Reviews (168)

Entrapped by itself.
When this movie was originally released in theatres, I was warned not to see it on the big screen. I was told it was a bad movie, not worthy of watching. I didn't understand why so many people told me that; I mean the film has Sean Connery, contains a seemingly interesting plot, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. There was also a lot of discussion over the fact that Sean Connery was old enough to be Catherine Zeta-Jones' grandfather, yet he was playing her love interest. Luckily, I didn't see the movie in theatres and I am grateful for that.

ENTRAPMENT starts off on the right foot. The film's early scenes are interesting and demand attention. However, about thirty minutes later, the movie takes an unexpected twist into territory it should not have entered: romantic entaglement with bad dialogue and no chemistry. Even though Sean Connery is pushing 75, he's still considered by many to be one of the sexiest men alive. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a beautiful young woman and attracts the eye of many men. Nevertheless, just because two people are physically attractive does not mean that there will be any chemistry between them. In this film the chemistry between Connery and Zeta-Jones is like the chemistry between the same sides of a magnet: instead of uniting, the two objects pull away from each other. Of course, it doesn't help that the movie is full of bad dialogue and many of the emotional scenes of Zeta-Jones are totally forced with no reality or logic to them at all. The screenwriters should have kept to the basics instead of relying on dazzling special effects to save the film.

There are a few good action scenes, especially at the beginning. However, towards the end even those are so blown out of proportion that you begin wondering when the masked superhero will arrive that can match Connery's superhuman skills and foil his evil plans. Overall, ENTRAPMENT is a movie that had a lot of potential, but ending up getting entrapped by itself.

Sean and Catherine Magically Transcend and Transform!!
I apologize, this is probably nothing more than a "3-star" (or even two!) movie in the traditional sense. However, Catherine Zeta-Jones has emerged as the brunette version of positively and literally the most beautiful and majestic woman to ever grace the legendary Hollywood screen: Princess Grace Kelly. The presence and charisma of Sean Connery, of course, has always transformed mediocre films into true spectacles. Now, delicately introduce the tender and multi-talented Zeta-Jones, and you enjoy a relationship that combines the eloquence of James Stewart and Donna Reed ("It's A Wonderful Life") with the mesmorizing qualities of Elvis Presley and Ann Margaret ("Viva Las Vegas"). At this point, if you can possibly manage to persuade your brain to overlook some far fetched and perhaps ill conceived plot twists, you're probably ready for the home stretch: A razzle dazzle conclusion with gut wrenching suspense and cool special effects. There is something sleek and silky smooth about this DVD production and its main characters that defies description. If you seem to like what you're hearing (and seeing) so far, trust me: This special DVD version is worth its weight in gold. But for heavens sake, what's up with "Suave Sean" slurring his "s" words and butchering the "r" sounds?? A few quick speech therapy sessions to address this mild regression, and I'd be tempted to give the sequel "five stars" (but only if Connery keeps his partner in crime who is also a highly romantic companion)!

Entrapment a DVD review
Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery star as two ingenious jewel, painting, and money burglars who plan a huge heist at the turn of the millenium during New Years Eve in 1999.

Zeta is actually an insurance detective, Virginia Baker trying to find, the person responsible for a couple of burglary crimes in the area.

She suspects Mack (Sean Connery aka Robert MacDougal) is the person behind it, but rather than try to bring him in, she decides to get the man's confidence, and convinces him to try to pull of a big heist thus implicating Mac some more and
getting the evidence she needs to put him behind bars for a long time.

Mack is not an idiot, and he distrusts her from their very first meeting.
By the end of the film, one of the film will have pulled a great heist while the other
will either be in jail for a long time or worse. Their 2 contrasting styles in the movie, and their styles in pulling of different heists in the movie is really fun to watch.

The acting and special effects and stunts are also great including the culminating
climatic scene near the end where Mac and Virginia plot their big escape after
a heist.

There are some problems with the film however. Virginia is young and naive and
she takes the lies and garbage that Mac says at face value. Mac is not even a good
liar yet Virginia's character is dumb enough to believe this old thief'ss lies.

Now on to the dvd itself:

The DVD is very well done and contains a great
number of features:

* Deleted scenes

The deleted scenes in the movie are actually quite good, in fact, I think they were alot better than a couple of the scenes in the finished draft of the movie.

One great deleted scene is the car chase that Mack and Virginia get into while trying to dodge a couple of hitman that are tracking them down.

The scene has a great climax at the end that has you guessing what's going to happen next.

The scene is actually in the film, but what you get in the finished movie is actually
less than half of the original scene!!

Needless to say, I think this scene was great and should have been put in the original film.

Other features in the DVD include:
* Special feature on the making of the film

*Special commentary on the film itself

The commentary is teriffic, the director Jon Amiel, provides a lot of great insights and fact into the characters and Catherine Zeta herself, that fans may not
know.

*Alternate ending to the film!!!

The alternate ending in the film is actually very similiar to the original ending
with minor differences.

*Special trailers of the film
* Production Notes and much more!!!

Entrapment from head to toe is one of the best heist/thriller movies in quite a long time.

It gets predictable in a couple of areas, but the film is entertaining from beginning to
end.

Rent the DVD and enjoy it, along with the film itself.

HONOR AMONG THIEVES?
Let's get the sexist comment out of the way: Catherine Zeta-Jones is simply one of the most beautiful women to ever grace a movie screen!
Now, with that out of the way, ENTRAPMENT is an enjoyable heist movie, and we're never sure who's zoomin who!!! Sean Connery is elegant, if a bit lethargic, in his role, but always an actor who is fun to share a couple of hours with. Zeta-Jones does a good job in her role, but her acting chops have certainly matured since this film.
Ving Rhames and Will Patton are adequate, but other actors could have done just as well.
There are some really breathtaking scenes, especially with Jones in the initial heist and the jawdropping escape from the bank. It's not the best movie either one has made, but in spite of Jon Amiel's routine direction, I enjoyed it.

Give Me a Break...Sean connery's HOT
First off, I'm tired of people harping on the age difference bewteen CZJ and Sean. Some of the classic Hollywood pairings have been older men with younger women: Bogie/Bacall, Clark Gable/Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant/Audrey Hepburn, even Julia Roberts/Richard Gere. So...move on. What matters is if the pair work well together, and Catherine and Sean are great together. By the way they never actually hook up, but if they had, it would have been very intense. The chemistry between the 2 was very evident to me throughout the entire movie, I was egging on a romance. But Sean's character is above the physical involvement level with partners, so Catherine is held at bay. The movie reminded me of a classic thriller, a movie loaded with action...but thank God, not an "action movie". Enough of a hint at romance to keep us gals interested...but certainly not a romance. And on top of everything it was smart and well done. It took me on lots of twists and turns, and I loved them all. I'd gladly watch Catherine Zeta-Jones & Sean Connery (now 3 years older) re-pair in a sequel. By the way...I'm 19, and I'd take 53 year old Richard Gere any day over some of the young guys I see posing and looking pretty in movies today. As long as we see more Sigorney Weaver in Tadpole type roles for women (older woman dates younger man) keep 'em coming. ... Read more

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Only die-hard Bill Murray fans will likely consider this movie for their home-video library, but it's not without its rewards. You can see why someone as comically astute as Murray would agree to play a dimwitted American who can't tell the difference between improvised theater and a real-life espionage plot. There's certainly plenty of potential for belly laughs, and Murray milks the opportunities like the old pro that he is.Here he plays an American tourist in London who thinks he's been recruited into a street-theater act called "Theater of Life"; actually, he's stepped into a complicated spy scheme that plays like a cross between Hitchcock and the Marx Brothers. Joanne Whalley costars as the femme fatale who may or may not be a double agent, and along the way there's enough comical confusion to foil any number of idiotic villains. The movie stretches its one-joke premise to desperate extremes (Murray thinks he's in a play, so he's oblivious to genuine danger), and 95 minutes is more than enough time to exhaust the comedic possibilities. But, as always, Murray finds a way to mine gold from a few clever bits, and he cuts loose with some inspired lunacy during a climactic scene involving a hidden bomb and a troupe of dancing Cossacks. It's not Murray's finest hour, but give him credit for making the best out of a challenging situation. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Well written story, entertaining
A very clever script with some very well written situation comedy. I tried getting my teenage daughter to watch this, she thought it was extremely stupid, so the audience has to be right. I thought she'd enjoy it. I've watched it a couple of times and still found it entertaining and funny.
Murray plays a hapless American caught up in a ring of international espionage while thinking that he is just playing the part in an audience participation stage play in London. A lessor actor in this film and it would have a a complete dud, but Murray's talent shines and there aren't any dull moments. A scene near the end has him dancing with Russians while unknowingly stopping a time bomb, it is very well choreographed and lots of fun to watch. This movie is a strong recommendation to any that like Murray and his talent of being funny while seemingly not trying to be. It is a good recommendation to any that enjoy clever situation comedy and aren't expecting "What about Bob?" or "Groundhog Day" which this film is not.

A laugh out loud video!!
The first time i saw this movie i was in a movie theater and i couldn't stop laughing! I knew that i had to get the tape so i did. It is a little confusing in the very begining but once you see it a second time it makes a lot more sense. It's about Bill Murray's character who is brother's with Peter Gallagher's character. Bill goes to England(where his brother lives)for Bill's birthday. Peter gives him a ticket to "the theater of life"- a performance you play as the main character. In the performance, it takes you around town acting as if it were real life only there are actors everywhere to help you along the way. It sounds confusing but you'll understand when you see it. Anyway, Bill loves the present but somethng goes wrong. Bill get's mixed up with the wrong people who think he's a killer but Bill thinks it's all part of "the theater of life". but it's not the performance, it's real life! Bill get's close to dying so many times but he doesn't even realize how much danger he's in. All throughout the movie Bill thinks it's just a performance. In the end everything turns out fine and he even get's the girl! The only thing i didn't like was that Peter Gallagher was Bill Murray's brother, they don't look anything alike and Peter's really ugly! But other than that it was a hilarious movie and you're really missing out if you haven't seen it! go see it now before it's too late!

What a hoot!! Too many great scenes to list them all..
Confusion is often funny, but sometimes it can lead to danger. In this film, confusion and danger, coupled with a marvelous cast and excellent comedic script, take us on a heckuva fun trip to London. The whole of the underbelly of the world of duplicitous spies and sneaky secret agents is cut to shreds by a simple, unsuspecting video store clerk from Iowa. Absolutely hilarious, and Bill Murray is his zany best. Joanne Whalley is the cat's meow, and is perfect as Murray's cohort. Just the mix-up of the real and pretend torture doctors is worth the purchase. You will laugh until you can't cry any more tears.

Lori Wants Her Letters........
This movie was a real surprise for me and my wife. We rent a lot of comedy movies and have passed this one up a couple of times thankfully having picked it out just recently and now intending to buy it.

Murray plays a very funny underachiever who just so happens to get involved with international intrigue, yet he thinks he is involved in a one night reality TV program. His straight side kick in the movie is Joanne Whalley playing Lori.

Murray is a crack up throughout the film thinking he is in a movie and thinking that all of the spies and diplomats are actors staying in character.....he is the funniest since Groundhog Day in this. I feel he is better than 'What About Bob.'

Peter Gallagher plays his brother and the funniest interaction he has is with an actual police officer where Gallagher, who funded Murray's intended movie romp, thinks he is talking with an actor and as he gets angrier he just gets funnier.

The movie has a lot of funny scenes that I laughed throughout. I thought the first part of the movie was little slow in developing but as soon as he got the call for what he thought was the reality show, things really took off.

I laughed and laughed as he got chased, shot at, tortured and then all through it he thinks he is in a show.

If there is a movie you want to share with friends for a nice fun evening this it.

Delicious Desert for Bill Murray Fans
This is an enjoyable, lightweight Blake Edwards-style farce that gave me plenty of belly laughs. Bill Murray is such a good comic actor that he takes what ought to be a one-joke pastiche and milks it for every last drop of comedy. I've seen bumbling detectives and secret agent spoofs before, but Murray turns this into something special. I wouldn't rate it as highly as "Ghostbusters" or "Groundhog Day" but "The Man Who Knew Too Little" is enough of an overlooked gem for me to recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Taking its lead from Jonathan Demme's Oscar-winning pulse-raiser The Silence of the Lambs, Copycat strives for intelligence over gristle and carnage. It's a terse, involving thriller that swings away from the usual cinematic notion of violence as a means to an end by forgoing brawn for brains. Young San Francisco police inspector Ruben Goetz (Dermot Mulroney) is teamed with brilliant force vet, M.J.Monahan (Holly Hunter), a diplomatic, no-nonsense cop who must buck the system in order to find a killer who is copycatting the crimes of history's most notorious serial killers. Ruben would rather shoot to kill than merely wound a suspect; Monahan labors to help him think more diplomatically. Everything changes when crank calls arrive at the station from serial-killer pin-up girl psychiatrist Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver).She's been housebound for 13 months, ever since murderer Daryll Lee Cullum (Harry Connick Jr.) nearly made her his next victim because she testified against him in court. Though he's in prison, he's still mentor and muse to every loose cannon walking the streets--one of whom is killing people with a vengeance and hoping to finish the job Cullum began. Cop and doc team up to solve the case in this stylish, plot-driven movie. Though Copycat loses steam in the end, it still makes a point. And it serves as a cautionary tale for people everywhere, tossing in street smart warnings against victimization. The teaming of Hunter and Weaver works well, the short and the tall forging a terrific and frictioned relationship that leads to grudging respect. Establishing an ominous atmosphere reminiscent of his classic British TV miniseries The Singing Detective, director Jon Amiel has an eye for the dark and the unusual and it gives this film an edge that eludes most other mainstream filmmakers. --Paula Nechak ... Read more

Reviews (44)

One fine Thriller
Amidst all the suspense, shocks, and chills of this superbly made thriller stands the awesome performances of Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter. Ever since she pioneered the "female butticker" in the Alien movies, Sigourney has stretched her range to show the immense amount of talent she possesses. Her role as agoraphobic Helen Hudson is one of her finest; she lets us feel every nuance of her frustration, her terror, her anger, her intense ability to be strong even when she admits she's weak. Matching her performance is the understated portrayal of cop M.J. Monahan by Oscar-winner Holly Hunter. Hunter's bravura etching of this likeable cop is extremely effective in counterbalancing the tormented Weaver. Altough the fate of Dermot Mulroney as Monahan's partner is questionably appropriate, it does serve as a motivating factor in Hunter's pursuit of the serial killer. William McNamara's performance as Peter Foley may seem underplayed, but it serves to hightem the normal-ness of this obviously demented young man. Like life, the good guys don't always come out unscathed. The film is dark, brooding and its ending is chilling in that Harry Connick Jr. imprisoned psycho is obviously going to continue his quest for revenge on Weaver. A sequel would have been nice; I would have also liked to have had at least one scene with Weaver and Hunter after theexplosive ending. But, as far as thrillers go, this is a great addition to a small set of classics.

A good thriller.
Serial killer expert Dr Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver) lives isolated in her apartment after being the victim of a murder attempt. When a new killer wreaks havoc in San Francisco, the police contact her for help. They soon figure out that the killer is copying old, famous murders. In order to catch the killer, and avoid becoming his victims themselves, they have to try to figure out his next moves.

It's a good thriller with some quite chilling scenes. Sigourney Weaver is good as the traumatized Dr Hudson, and Holly Hunter is charming as always as the good cop. The supporting cast is good as well. If you like thrillers and haven't seen this movie, you've got two thrilling, entertaining hours to look forward to. And it may be worth watching more than once.

Fantastic!
Having watched this movie in Law class, I can definitely say it's one of the best of its genre. It was fast-paced, thought-provoking, and utterly gripping.

Sigourney Weaver turns in a brilliant performance as Helen Hunt, a retired and agoraphobic woman with all the knowledge she'll ever need of the criminal mind - having been nearly murdered at the movie's beginning my Darryl Lee Cullum (Harry Connick, Jr), the man behind everything. The other actors give us great insight of the way things work in a serial case, their mannerisms and skills as actors (especially William McNamara, the seductively charming psychopath) chilling us as we watch the drama unfold.

If you're looking for something new in the Thriller category, you could do much worse than this.

copycat - scary as..
Copycat - very well done thriller , with high empathis put on suspense and shock rather than merely gore an violence, keeps you in suspence and guessing till the end, in the same kind of legue as Silence of the Lambs, Seven ect. one of my favourite all time films as well as one of my favourite horror films - one of the few horror films i can watch numerous times.
Definutly worth watching, makes you think as well - certainly not your average horror film.

One of the best suspense films of the 90's
COPYCAT stands on it's own despite being compared to SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Truly frightening and suspenseful in scenes, the film works beautifully because of the cast (Holly Hunter and Sigourney Weaver) and the excellent script.

Sigourney Weaver character was stalked by a serial killer some years before, and as a result, is confined to her home where she lives in understandable fear. The police now consult with her in her capacity as a criminal psychologist to find the identity of a new serial killer. In the process, her world is once again turned upside down in a way which will make you want to jump up and lock your door.

CopyCat is a true gem of the suspense thriller genre but overlooked by so many as a 'copycat' of other great films. Trust me, it really does deserve merit for its ability to remain as fresh today as it was upon first release.

Deserves a place in your DVD collection. ... Read more

Reviews (137)

Armageddon from Deep Inside of the Earth; So-so Sci-fi Film
"The Core" is nothing but fun, I know, but as the cast is very impressive and the company is Hollywood major studio Paramount Pictures (the one renowned for "Star Trek" series), I expected pretty much from the film. This sci-fi film is not so bad as critics might find. Only too familiar, that is the problem.

The opening part is very effectively spooky, thanks to the director Jon Amiel ("Copycat"). Strange things start to happen all over the world -- one of them is re-enactment of Hitchcock nightmare -- and scientists are assembled to investigate the case. The truth behind the disasters turns out something not very encouraging; the inner core of the earth has stopped moving, and the world as we know is to meet the end very soon.

So the story starts well, but soon becomes something very familiar, like the updated fashion of "The Jorney to the Center of the World." The scientific theory is replaced by the uninspired ideas, and when the crew of the subterranean ship "Virgil" is gathered, we know that instead of Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck, we see such faces as Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart, Delroy Lindo, Tcheky Karyo, Stanley Tucci, and Bruce Greenwood (whose previous film was most appropriately the submarime film "Below".) Well, the cast is not bad, though.

Nevertheless, the film gradually shows the lack of any kind of originality, and if you have seen "Armageddon" or "Deep Impact," you can predict every twist in the storyline. Sure, somebody must go, and during the comparatively long running time of the film, some cities must go, too. The underground scenes are realized pretty good CGIs, but you cannot deny the fact that those scenes also somehow betray the limits of our imagimation, while we are looking closely at them. Because no one has ever seen the core of the earth, the visuals have to rely on our own creativity. So, I thought, these images could have been much more surprising and even wilder, but strangely, the visuals look as if telling the film takes itself too seriously.

The main trouble with the film is not, however, those parts. The cast, especially Swank and Eckhart both talented professionals, look miscast in the role they are playing. They look neither enthusiastic nor cool as the hero and heroine of the film which requires the wit of Indie Jones or the dedication of Ripley. Only Stanley Tucci convinces us as the pompous doctor, breathing life into cardboard character. And "The Core" uses some ideas that might make you sigh at some points, and some players are typecast. See, for example, D.J. Qualls (the geeky guy in "Road Trip") cast as a computer wiz. I guess he deserves much different types of roles, but the studio would probably listen.

Corny and predictable, but as an updated B disaster film "The Core" ends up so-so.

Rent It Before You Buy It.
You Know I Liked This Movie But The Special Effects Ar Worse
Than You Exept. And The Camera Work Is Just Plain Bad,And Ebert&Ropert Gave It 2 Thumbs Down Id Give It 2 Thumbs Down To.
I Mean Come On You Go On A mISSION With 15 Crew Members And Only 2 Survive .

2/5 Stars

The end of the world never looked so bad
This grim and silly drama is about the imminent destruction of the earth. It seems our government has developed a secret weapon called "Destiny" which can cause devastating earthquakes anywhere in the world. This has caused the earth's core to stop revolving, which in turn has caused the radiation shield around the earth to stop functioning, thus allowing massive amounts of radiation to wipe out the west coast, Rome, and other places around the globe.

Who will be chosen to go to the earth's core to nuke it and save mankind? Enter Hillary Swank as a top astronaut and Aaron Eckheart as a noted physics professor. They and three others build and fly an earthship down, down, down, to the center of the earth carrying four nuclear bombs.

Are you still with me? I, for one, was ready to bail at this point, because it was just too unbelievable. The fact that the actors played it with poker faces made it even more absurd. ... Suffice it to say that the world is now safe thanks to these two brave heroes.

The dialogue here is completely predictable, as is the action (what little there is.) The special effects ARE well-done, but there is never any sense of danger, because the lead actors take it all in stride as just another day at the office. Neither Swank nor Eckheart were convincing in their roles, so despite a big-budget-look, the film falls flat. I guess this is a "guy-movie." A better film to watch (of the same genre) would be the old James Mason flick, "Journey to the Center of the Earth." That was a fantasy, too, but at least it had dinosaurs to entertain us.

*Sigh* Another End of the World Movie
There is not much to say about this movie. The plot is bad, it is to fake. Save your money, you could see a better movie.

The Bore
YAWN!!! What a ridiculous insult of a movie!!! If you enjoyed this, you probably either collect Pokemon cards, or you think Limp Bizkit is the "koolest" guy on Earth. This is convulted and contrived. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Beautiful historical romance with a sad ending
After watching Jodie Foster in "Nell," where she plays a speech-disturbed mountain woman, I was motivated to re-watch "Sommersby." What an actress! What a movie! She has the most "southern" accent of the two lead characters, and although she is a little unbelievable as a field worker, there is sensational chemistry between Foster as "Laurel Sommersby" and her civil war veteran husband, played by strikingly handsome Richard Gere.

This movie is not accurate in all its historical details, for instance, everyone is too clean and well-washed to have been working in the hot fields all day, given the state of personal hygiene at the time. And Gere is just TOO handsome and manly to have spent half a dozen years withering away in a cell as a civil war POW. And the townspeople are soooo easily moved to community action. They are just a mite too credulous given the war-time setting.

But if you prefer dreamy historical romance to stark reality, you will indeed enjoy this film. The narrative progresses without any slow spots from the moment the opening credits roll and we see Gere aka Sommersby burying his dead partner. Then he walks and walks, through the lush scenery of the war-ravaged south, until the viewer is as ready for "home" as he must have been relieved to finally arrive. Greeted like a treasured hero by the townspeople, he is then taken in by a skeptical wife despite not a word between them for six years.

With great tact and consideration, Jack Sommersby proceeds to court his wife, leading to many tantalizing moments and lots of significant looks between them. In the meantime, he devises a plan to buy seeds to grow burley tobacco in overgrown fields on the Sommersby estate, using the labor of the townspeople. They will not be sharecroppers, but owners, and even the "coloured folk" will have the option to buy, which later leads to a KKK cross-burning scene.

Complications result from the fact that, during her husband's long absence, Laurel Sommersby had been keeping company with Orrin, another veteran, and although she tells her husband she hadn't been kissed, the rival lover hovers in jealous rage, and when his chance comes to do harm to Jack Sommersby, he takes it.

All along, Laurel finds herself wondering "Who is this man in my kitchen?" because before he went away 6 years ago, her husband was a no-good drinker and gambler who abused her and didn't love her. The man who returns to her is wholly changed, a considerate lover, a caring father, a responsible member of the community. Is he really Jack Sommersby, or an imposter?

When the tobacco crops are growing well and standing tall in the fields, the married lovers are delighting in their happiness, and just after the first baby is born, two federal marshalls arrive to carry Jack away to Nashville be tried for murder. I won't give away the ending, but I cried and cried all through the last 20 minutes or so of this touching romantic film. You never do find out if "Sommersby" is himself or not. Either way, he has changed for the better.

This is definitely an enjoyable film. If you are a fan of romantic historical romance, you will enjoy this delicious love story.

A touching romance
I am a dyed-in-the-wool romantic. When I went to see this film in the theatre several years ago, I only knew it was a romance based on the French film The Return of Martin Guerre. (I knew nothing about the original film either.) I found Sommersby to be a very charming love story, everything I expected a romance to be. I'm not a fan of Richard Gere, but I enjoyed his performance as Jack and he and Jodie Foster had excellent chemstry. What I didn't expect was the way the film ended. As the film moved towards it's conclusion, I reached for the tissues only to find I didn't have any! I thus sat there struggling to keep the tears at bay (it didn't work :) )

But it's not just a romance, there is a tinge of mystery. Jack Sommersby, we assume from what we see on the screen, was not a nice person before the war. He comes back a changed man -- is it indeed Jack Sommersby -- or is it someone else?

For those who enjoy a good period romance movie, this is an excellent choice. If you enjoy a good cry, again, an excellent choice.

Sigh.....
This review refers to the DVD edition (Warner Bros) of "Sommersby".....

No matter how often I watch this wonderful story, I am always left sighing at the end. Lucky for me DVDs have been invented, or for sure I would have worn out several tapes by now. "Sommersby" has got something for everyone. The romantic in you will love the deep and passionate love story. For those that love to try to solve a mystery,this is a good one. It's a period piece set post civil war, and has some excellent court-room drama as well.

Jack Sommersby has left his small southern town of Vine Hill to fight in the Civil War. He hasn't been seen or heard from in over six years and is presumed dead. Then all of a sudden, one day he turns up to find his town ravaged by the effects of the war, and his lovely wife Laurel, now promised to another. He seems to pick up right where he left off though,renewing friendships,becoming very much a part of the everyday life in the town, and having his wife back where she belongs... in his bed.Up to now, we only get a little hint that someting is amiss..."Jethro", his faithful dog, doesnt seem to recognize him.

As the story progresses,and Jack and Laurel fall more deeply in love then ever, we have more and more reason to believe that Jack is not who he says he is. Could he possibly be an imposter with an uncanny resemblence to Sommersby? Do the townfolk realize this and accept him at his word because he has brought a new hope and a new vitality to Vine Hill? And what about Laurel, did she know all along? When Jack Sommersby must stand trial for his life will the truth finally come out? Who is Jack Sommersby???

Richard Gere and Jodie Foster have an incredible chemistry and you will feel the intense love they share on screen. The supporting cast turn in outstanding performances as well. James Earl Jones as a black judge who must put up with the extreme prejudices of the witnesses,Bill Pullman as the jilted and vengeful fiancee,Frankie Faison the ex-slave now becoming a property owner, and young Brett Kelly who's love grows for his new found father all add greatly to the film. And of course,it is always a treat to see Wiiliam Windom make an appearance.The story based on the beautiful French film "The Return of Martin Guerre",is a fabulous remake. The musical score by Danny Elfman is one that will stay with you long after the view,and the photography of Philippe Rosselot is gorgeous.All under the expert direction of Jon Amiel make this one beautiful film.

The DVD presents a beautiful picture in widescreen or a standard version.The color does justice to the lush farmlands. The sound in Dolby Surround(Stereo) is excellent. No special features other than a theatrical trailer. Languages and subtitles are English and French.

"Sommersby" is a film that will leave you thinking about it and maybe sighing a little too.....enjoy...Laurie

A Very Under Rated Movie
This movie never got the acclaim it deserved. Jodie Foster is great as an independent woman who is torn between doing what is "right" or surrendering to a man she has fallen deeply in love with. This is Richard Gere at his best and the chemistry between he and Foster is amazing! I usually don't care much for romantic movies but this is one of my top ten all time favorite films. If you can watch it without shedding a tear you are a lot tougher then I am!

Modern-Day Classic
I love this movie and try to watch it at least once a year (a rarity for me). It's extremely moving and a great love story to boot. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great music, great cast, writing and Keanu!
What a feast for the senses and mind! First of all Keanu Reeves is in it - but that is not the only reason this tape should be released in DVD format - it should be released because it has the following: 1) Great Music soundtrack that would do so well on a DVD format! Really gives a New Orleans feeling. Loved that jazzy/throaty female singer who was singing in one of the scenes. 2) The scriptwriting of a play within a play is so hilarious and outrageous - from the Albanian jokes, all the costume changes (bizarre) of the sciptwriter, the soap opera's various characters. The cast is made up of entirely entertaining individualistic characters, even those with small parts - have great comic details in their short time on screen (Keanu's screen aunt fluffing up her hair AND the plant leaves before she answers the door for example)- and Keanu Reeves is so fun and sweet as the totally smitten young man, slightly befuddled by the Peter Falk character's manipulations, plotting seduction! 4) Great chemistry between Keanu and Barbara Hershey!I think his best kiss is in this movie. 5) Get this movie - pray it comes out in DVD - that soundtrack deserves that kind of format - get some popcorn, invite your friends and watch it and laugh and laugh!

Very Entertaining! 5 stars movie!
This movie is delightful to watch. Keanu Reeves is great in this movie - very charming and fun to watch. I like his character a lot as a 21-year old college boy (very believable). My favorite part in the movie is when Martin was w/ his aunt Julie in a cafeteria - telling her about his dreams, of Paris, etc. Barbara Hershey and Peter Falk are such great actors. I highly recommend this movie.

Fair movie,the real star is Wynton Marsalis's soundtrack
The movie is a bit of a mess, hard to follow at times, hard to know when to laugh, or if we are laughing, should we be?

Peter Falk stars as a 1950's script writer for a New Orleans radio station's soap operas. Apparently he dislikes Albanians and allows his radio soap operas to take strange detours into jokes at the expense of Albanians.

The movie also has a movie within a movie involving a romance between 36-year old Barbara Hershey and 21-years young Keanu Reeves.

The real star of the movie is the city of New Orleans and the amazing soundtrack of Wynton Marsalis. He really did a hell of a job with his compositions, but hey the guy is from New Orleans -- who better to set loose to write a soundtrack about his home city.

Great Fun!
A wonderfully entertaining, delightful and original movie. Peter Falk is the stand-out here and the beautiful Barbara Hershey shines. The consistenly dull Keanu Reeves is even bearable in this one. Just a great way to spend two hours with a smile on your face.

Pretty hilarious, and I'll never forget the Albanian jokes!
I laughed out loud so many times during this movie. It was truly a delight.

It centers around a young writer (Reeves) who becomes smitten with his world-weary older aunt (well, aunt-by-marriage -- they are not blood relatives). Barbara Hershey plays the aunt, who plays the lovely 36-year-old divorcee who finds herself attracted to this sweet 21-year-old young man. She thinks she wants someone "older" and "dull," so she can have some stability in her life. But, as her sister tells her later -- "You won't change. You're too wild." So she ends up falling for this younger man who has dreams of being a writer in Paris.

Their romance is sweet and heartfelt, but the true hilarity comes in the form of Peter Falk, who plays an extremely eccentric radio serial writer who is manipulating the whole town with his sensational writing. The town loves the tabloid-like melodrama he interjects into the plots; they are completely hooked. And Falk gets a lot of his ideas for the story by setting up Reeves and Hershey -- encouraging their romance (and then lifting big parts of their conversations to each other and putting it in the radio show). He also manipulates the whole town by targeting Albanians. Over and over, Albanian jokes. Albanian slander. The Albanians in town take notice!

The absurdity of the overripe plots of the radio serial are absolutely *hilarious*. We are taken into the "world" of the radio serial plot, where actors Peter Gallagher, Dan Hedaya, Elizabeth McGovern, John Larroquette, and Hope Lange play the "fictional" characters come to life in everyone's imaginations. These scenes are particularly hilarious, especially when you learn to wait for the Albanian jokes to emerge. And you *know* that they will!

One thing I will confess when I first heard about this movie: I was puzzled how they got the "incestuous" romance between Reeves' character and his "aunt" to work without creeping us all out. But, the "incest" thing quickly dispelled early in the movie. She's just an "aunt-in-law," of a sort. Not a "real" aunt. The story wouldn't have worked had she been a flesh-and-blood aunt, because we would have been too aware of the stigma that would exist in such a relationship.

This was a sweet, unusual movie. I really enjoyed it. I recommend it. It's silly, slapstick, and wait for the wretched Albanian jokes! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sean Connery plays a master thief thought to be long retired, while Katherine Zeta-Jones is his foil, a hotshot insurance investigator assigned to his case. They both have a little something to hold over each other's heads, until it turns out that Zeta-Jones is a professional art thief herself and is playing on both sides of the fence. At first they eye each other with mutual distrust until they team up for a job, which goes off without a hitch. Inevitably their prickly relationship begins to thaw somewhat, and the two become attracted to each other as they plan out the massive Y2K bank scam that is the movie's climax (complete with sequel-ready ending). Entrapment plays somewhat like a '70s caper movie revamped for the gadget-happy high-tech '90s. The plot takes a few too many labored twists and turns, and the chemistry between the two leads is nearly nonexistent, though both carry on gamely in their parts. On the other hand, there is some genuine suspense in many scenes as they go about their business, dripping with whiz-bang burglary devices. Zeta-Jones, of course, is drop-dead gorgeous, and Connery is as reliable as always in his role. The fairly flat editing and direction tends to drag the film down somewhat, but fans of caper movies, high-tech thrillers, and the two leads should find plenty to like in this film. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (168)

Entrapped by itself.
When this movie was originally released in theatres, I was warned not to see it on the big screen. I was told it was a bad movie, not worthy of watching. I didn't understand why so many people told me that; I mean the film has Sean Connery, contains a seemingly interesting plot, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. There was also a lot of discussion over the fact that Sean Connery was old enough to be Catherine Zeta-Jones' grandfather, yet he was playing her love interest. Luckily, I didn't see the movie in theatres and I am grateful for that.

ENTRAPMENT starts off on the right foot. The film's early scenes are interesting and demand attention. However, about thirty minutes later, the movie takes an unexpected twist into territory it should not have entered: romantic entaglement with bad dialogue and no chemistry. Even though Sean Connery is pushing 75, he's still considered by many to be one of the sexiest men alive. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a beautiful young woman and attracts the eye of many men. Nevertheless, just because two people are physically attractive does not mean that there will be any chemistry between them. In this film the chemistry between Connery and Zeta-Jones is like the chemistry between the same sides of a magnet: instead of uniting, the two objects pull away from each other. Of course, it doesn't help that the movie is full of bad dialogue and many of the emotional scenes of Zeta-Jones are totally forced with no reality or logic to them at all. The screenwriters should have kept to the basics instead of relying on dazzling special effects to save the film.

There are a few good action scenes, especially at the beginning. However, towards the end even those are so blown out of proportion that you begin wondering when the masked superhero will arrive that can match Connery's superhuman skills and foil his evil plans. Overall, ENTRAPMENT is a movie that had a lot of potential, but ending up getting entrapped by itself.

Sean and Catherine Magically Transcend and Transform!!
I apologize, this is probably nothing more than a "3-star" (or even two!) movie in the traditional sense. However, Catherine Zeta-Jones has emerged as the brunette version of positively and literally the most beautiful and majestic woman to ever grace the legendary Hollywood screen: Princess Grace Kelly. The presence and charisma of Sean Connery, of course, has always transformed mediocre films into true spectacles. Now, delicately introduce the tender and multi-talented Zeta-Jones, and you enjoy a relationship that combines the eloquence of James Stewart and Donna Reed ("It's A Wonderful Life") with the mesmorizing qualities of Elvis Presley and Ann Margaret ("Viva Las Vegas"). At this point, if you can possibly manage to persuade your brain to overlook some far fetched and perhaps ill conceived plot twists, you're probably ready for the home stretch: A razzle dazzle conclusion with gut wrenching suspense and cool special effects. There is something sleek and silky smooth about this DVD production and its main characters that defies description. If you seem to like what you're hearing (and seeing) so far, trust me: This special DVD version is worth its weight in gold. But for heavens sake, what's up with "Suave Sean" slurring his "s" words and butchering the "r" sounds?? A few quick speech therapy sessions to address this mild regression, and I'd be tempted to give the sequel "five stars" (but only if Connery keeps his partner in crime who is also a highly romantic companion)!

Entrapment a DVD review
Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery star as two ingenious jewel, painting, and money burglars who plan a huge heist at the turn of the millenium during New Years Eve in 1999.

Zeta is actually an insurance detective, Virginia Baker trying to find, the person responsible for a couple of burglary crimes in the area.

She suspects Mack (Sean Connery aka Robert MacDougal) is the person behind it, but rather than try to bring him in, she decides to get the man's confidence, and convinces him to try to pull of a big heist thus implicating Mac some more and
getting the evidence she needs to put him behind bars for a long time.

Mack is not an idiot, and he distrusts her from their very first meeting.
By the end of the film, one of the film will have pulled a great heist while the other
will either be in jail for a long time or worse. Their 2 contrasting styles in the movie, and their styles in pulling of different heists in the movie is really fun to watch.

The acting and special effects and stunts are also great including the culminating
climatic scene near the end where Mac and Virginia plot their big escape after
a heist.

There are some problems with the film however. Virginia is young and naive and
she takes the lies and garbage that Mac says at face value. Mac is not even a good
liar yet Virginia's character is dumb enough to believe this old thief'ss lies.

Now on to the dvd itself:

The DVD is very well done and contains a great
number of features:

* Deleted scenes

The deleted scenes in the movie are actually quite good, in fact, I think they were alot better than a couple of the scenes in the finished draft of the movie.

One great deleted scene is the car chase that Mack and Virginia get into while trying to dodge a couple of hitman that are tracking them down.

The scene has a great climax at the end that has you guessing what's going to happen next.

The scene is actually in the film, but what you get in the finished movie is actually
less than half of the original scene!!

Needless to say, I think this scene was great and should have been put in the original film.

Other features in the DVD include:
* Special feature on the making of the film

*Special commentary on the film itself

The commentary is teriffic, the director Jon Amiel, provides a lot of great insights and fact into the characters and Catherine Zeta herself, that fans may not
know.

*Alternate ending to the film!!!

The alternate ending in the film is actually very similiar to the original ending
with minor differences.

*Special trailers of the film
* Production Notes and much more!!!

Entrapment from head to toe is one of the best heist/thriller movies in quite a long time.

It gets predictable in a couple of areas, but the film is entertaining from beginning to
end.

Rent the DVD and enjoy it, along with the film itself.

HONOR AMONG THIEVES?
Let's get the sexist comment out of the way: Catherine Zeta-Jones is simply one of the most beautiful women to ever grace a movie screen!
Now, with that out of the way, ENTRAPMENT is an enjoyable heist movie, and we're never sure who's zoomin who!!! Sean Connery is elegant, if a bit lethargic, in his role, but always an actor who is fun to share a couple of hours with. Zeta-Jones does a good job in her role, but her acting chops have certainly matured since this film.
Ving Rhames and Will Patton are adequate, but other actors could have done just as well.
There are some really breathtaking scenes, especially with Jones in the initial heist and the jawdropping escape from the bank. It's not the best movie either one has made, but in spite of Jon Amiel's routine direction, I enjoyed it.

Give Me a Break...Sean connery's HOT
First off, I'm tired of people harping on the age difference bewteen CZJ and Sean. Some of the classic Hollywood pairings have been older men with younger women: Bogie/Bacall, Clark Gable/Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant/Audrey Hepburn, even Julia Roberts/Richard Gere. So...move on. What matters is if the pair work well together, and Catherine and Sean are great together. By the way they never actually hook up, but if they had, it would have been very intense. The chemistry between the 2 was very evident to me throughout the entire movie, I was egging on a romance. But Sean's character is above the physical involvement level with partners, so Catherine is held at bay. The movie reminded me of a classic thriller, a movie loaded with action...but thank God, not an "action movie". Enough of a hint at romance to keep us gals interested...but certainly not a romance. And on top of everything it was smart and well done. It took me on lots of twists and turns, and I loved them all. I'd gladly watch Catherine Zeta-Jones & Sean Connery (now 3 years older) re-pair in a sequel. By the way...I'm 19, and I'd take 53 year old Richard Gere any day over some of the young guys I see posing and looking pretty in movies today. As long as we see more Sigorney Weaver in Tadpole type roles for women (older woman dates younger man) keep 'em coming. ... Read more

Reviews (168)

Entrapped by itself.
When this movie was originally released in theatres, I was warned not to see it on the big screen. I was told it was a bad movie, not worthy of watching. I didn't understand why so many people told me that; I mean the film has Sean Connery, contains a seemingly interesting plot, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. There was also a lot of discussion over the fact that Sean Connery was old enough to be Catherine Zeta-Jones' grandfather, yet he was playing her love interest. Luckily, I didn't see the movie in theatres and I am grateful for that.

ENTRAPMENT starts off on the right foot. The film's early scenes are interesting and demand attention. However, about thirty minutes later, the movie takes an unexpected twist into territory it should not have entered: romantic entaglement with bad dialogue and no chemistry. Even though Sean Connery is pushing 75, he's still considered by many to be one of the sexiest men alive. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a beautiful young woman and attracts the eye of many men. Nevertheless, just because two people are physically attractive does not mean that there will be any chemistry between them. In this film the chemistry between Connery and Zeta-Jones is like the chemistry between the same sides of a magnet: instead of uniting, the two objects pull away from each other. Of course, it doesn't help that the movie is full of bad dialogue and many of the emotional scenes of Zeta-Jones are totally forced with no reality or logic to them at all. The screenwriters should have kept to the basics instead of relying on dazzling special effects to save the film.

There are a few good action scenes, especially at the beginning. However, towards the end even those are so blown out of proportion that you begin wondering when the masked superhero will arrive that can match Connery's superhuman skills and foil his evil plans. Overall, ENTRAPMENT is a movie that had a lot of potential, but ending up getting entrapped by itself.

Sean and Catherine Magically Transcend and Transform!!
I apologize, this is probably nothing more than a "3-star" (or even two!) movie in the traditional sense. However, Catherine Zeta-Jones has emerged as the brunette version of positively and literally the most beautiful and majestic woman to ever grace the legendary Hollywood screen: Princess Grace Kelly. The presence and charisma of Sean Connery, of course, has always transformed mediocre films into true spectacles. Now, delicately introduce the tender and multi-talented Zeta-Jones, and you enjoy a relationship that combines the eloquence of James Stewart and Donna Reed ("It's A Wonderful Life") with the mesmorizing qualities of Elvis Presley and Ann Margaret ("Viva Las Vegas"). At this point, if you can possibly manage to persuade your brain to overlook some far fetched and perhaps ill conceived plot twists, you're probably ready for the home stretch: A razzle dazzle conclusion with gut wrenching suspense and cool special effects. There is something sleek and silky smooth about this DVD production and its main characters that defies description. If you seem to like what you're hearing (and seeing) so far, trust me: This special DVD version is worth its weight in gold. But for heavens sake, what's up with "Suave Sean" slurring his "s" words and butchering the "r" sounds?? A few quick speech therapy sessions to address this mild regression, and I'd be tempted to give the sequel "five stars" (but only if Connery keeps his partner in crime who is also a highly romantic companion)!

Entrapment a DVD review
Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery star as two ingenious jewel, painting, and money burglars who plan a huge heist at the turn of the millenium during New Years Eve in 1999.

Zeta is actually an insurance detective, Virginia Baker trying to find, the person responsible for a couple of burglary crimes in the area.

She suspects Mack (Sean Connery aka Robert MacDougal) is the person behind it, but rather than try to bring him in, she decides to get the man's confidence, and convinces him to try to pull of a big heist thus implicating Mac some more and
getting the evidence she needs to put him behind bars for a long time.

Mack is not an idiot, and he distrusts her from their very first meeting.
By the end of the film, one of the film will have pulled a great heist while the other
will either be in jail for a long time or worse. Their 2 contrasting styles in the movie, and their styles in pulling of different heists in the movie is really fun to watch.

The acting and special effects and stunts are also great including the culminating
climatic scene near the end where Mac and Virginia plot their big escape after
a heist.

There are some problems with the film however. Virginia is young and naive and
she takes the lies and garbage that Mac says at face value. Mac is not even a good
liar yet Virginia's character is dumb enough to believe this old thief'ss lies.

Now on to the dvd itself:

The DVD is very well done and contains a great
number of features:

* Deleted scenes

The deleted scenes in the movie are actually quite good, in fact, I think they were alot better than a couple of the scenes in the finished draft of the movie.

One great deleted scene is the car chase that Mack and Virginia get into while trying to dodge a couple of hitman that are tracking them down.

The scene has a great climax at the end that has you guessing what's going to happen next.

The scene is actually in the film, but what you get in the finished movie is actually
less than half of the original scene!!

Needless to say, I think this scene was great and should have been put in the original film.

Other features in the DVD include:
* Special feature on the making of the film

*Special commentary on the film itself

The commentary is teriffic, the director Jon Amiel, provides a lot of great insights and fact into the characters and Catherine Zeta herself, that fans may not
know.

*Alternate ending to the film!!!

The alternate ending in the film is actually very similiar to the original ending
with minor differences.

*Special trailers of the film
* Production Notes and much more!!!

Entrapment from head to toe is one of the best heist/thriller movies in quite a long time.

It gets predictable in a couple of areas, but the film is entertaining from beginning to
end.

Rent the DVD and enjoy it, along with the film itself.

HONOR AMONG THIEVES?
Let's get the sexist comment out of the way: Catherine Zeta-Jones is simply one of the most beautiful women to ever grace a movie screen!
Now, with that out of the way, ENTRAPMENT is an enjoyable heist movie, and we're never sure who's zoomin who!!! Sean Connery is elegant, if a bit lethargic, in his role, but always an actor who is fun to share a couple of hours with. Zeta-Jones does a good job in her role, but her acting chops have certainly matured since this film.
Ving Rhames and Will Patton are adequate, but other actors could have done just as well.
There are some really breathtaking scenes, especially with Jones in the initial heist and the jawdropping escape from the bank. It's not the best movie either one has made, but in spite of Jon Amiel's routine direction, I enjoyed it.

Give Me a Break...Sean connery's HOT
First off, I'm tired of people harping on the age difference bewteen CZJ and Sean. Some of the classic Hollywood pairings have been older men with younger women: Bogie/Bacall, Clark Gable/Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant/Audrey Hepburn, even Julia Roberts/Richard Gere. So...move on. What matters is if the pair work well together, and Catherine and Sean are great together. By the way they never actually hook up, but if they had, it would have been very intense. The chemistry between the 2 was very evident to me throughout the entire movie, I was egging on a romance. But Sean's character is above the physical involvement level with partners, so Catherine is held at bay. The movie reminded me of a classic thriller, a movie loaded with action...but thank God, not an "action movie". Enough of a hint at romance to keep us gals interested...but certainly not a romance. And on top of everything it was smart and well done. It took me on lots of twists and turns, and I loved them all. I'd gladly watch Catherine Zeta-Jones & Sean Connery (now 3 years older) re-pair in a sequel. By the way...I'm 19, and I'd take 53 year old Richard Gere any day over some of the young guys I see posing and looking pretty in movies today. As long as we see more Sigorney Weaver in Tadpole type roles for women (older woman dates younger man) keep 'em coming. ... Read more

Reviews (137)

Armageddon from Deep Inside of the Earth; So-so Sci-fi Film
"The Core" is nothing but fun, I know, but as the cast is very impressive and the company is Hollywood major studio Paramount Pictures (the one renowned for "Star Trek" series), I expected pretty much from the film. This sci-fi film is not so bad as critics might find. Only too familiar, that is the problem.

The opening part is very effectively spooky, thanks to the director Jon Amiel ("Copycat"). Strange things start to happen all over the world -- one of them is re-enactment of Hitchcock nightmare -- and scientists are assembled to investigate the case. The truth behind the disasters turns out something not very encouraging; the inner core of the earth has stopped moving, and the world as we know is to meet the end very soon.

So the story starts well, but soon becomes something very familiar, like the updated fashion of "The Jorney to the Center of the World." The scientific theory is replaced by the uninspired ideas, and when the crew of the subterranean ship "Virgil" is gathered, we know that instead of Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck, we see such faces as Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart, Delroy Lindo, Tcheky Karyo, Stanley Tucci, and Bruce Greenwood (whose previous film was most appropriately the submarime film "Below".) Well, the cast is not bad, though.

Nevertheless, the film gradually shows the lack of any kind of originality, and if you have seen "Armageddon" or "Deep Impact," you can predict every twist in the storyline. Sure, somebody must go, and during the comparatively long running time of the film, some cities must go, too. The underground scenes are realized pretty good CGIs, but you cannot deny the fact that those scenes also somehow betray the limits of our imagimation, while we are looking closely at them. Because no one has ever seen the core of the earth, the visuals have to rely on our own creativity. So, I thought, these images could have been much more surprising and even wilder, but strangely, the visuals look as if telling the film takes itself too seriously.

The main trouble with the film is not, however, those parts. The cast, especially Swank and Eckhart both talented professionals, look miscast in the role they are playing. They look neither enthusiastic nor cool as the hero and heroine of the film which requires the wit of Indie Jones or the dedication of Ripley. Only Stanley Tucci convinces us as the pompous doctor, breathing life into cardboard character. And "The Core" uses some ideas that might make you sigh at some points, and some players are typecast. See, for example, D.J. Qualls (the geeky guy in "Road Trip") cast as a computer wiz. I guess he deserves much different types of roles, but the studio would probably listen.

Corny and predictable, but as an updated B disaster film "The Core" ends up so-so.

Rent It Before You Buy It.
You Know I Liked This Movie But The Special Effects Ar Worse
Than You Exept. And The Camera Work Is Just Plain Bad,And Ebert&Ropert Gave It 2 Thumbs Down Id Give It 2 Thumbs Down To.
I Mean Come On You Go On A mISSION With 15 Crew Members And Only 2 Survive .

2/5 Stars

The end of the world never looked so bad
This grim and silly drama is about the imminent destruction of the earth. It seems our government has developed a secret weapon called "Destiny" which can cause devastating earthquakes anywhere in the world. This has caused the earth's core to stop revolving, which in turn has caused the radiation shield around the earth to stop functioning, thus allowing massive amounts of radiation to wipe out the west coast, Rome, and other places around the globe.

Who will be chosen to go to the earth's core to nuke it and save mankind? Enter Hillary Swank as a top astronaut and Aaron Eckheart as a noted physics professor. They and three others build and fly an earthship down, down, down, to the center of the earth carrying four nuclear bombs.

Are you still with me? I, for one, was ready to bail at this point, because it was just too unbelievable. The fact that the actors played it with poker faces made it even more absurd. ... Suffice it to say that the world is now safe thanks to these two brave heroes.

The dialogue here is completely predictable, as is the action (what little there is.) The special effects ARE well-done, but there is never any sense of danger, because the lead actors take it all in stride as just another day at the office. Neither Swank nor Eckheart were convincing in their roles, so despite a big-budget-look, the film falls flat. I guess this is a "guy-movie." A better film to watch (of the same genre) would be the old James Mason flick, "Journey to the Center of the Earth." That was a fantasy, too, but at least it had dinosaurs to entertain us.

*Sigh* Another End of the World Movie
There is not much to say about this movie. The plot is bad, it is to fake. Save your money, you could see a better movie.

The Bore
YAWN!!! What a ridiculous insult of a movie!!! If you enjoyed this, you probably either collect Pokemon cards, or you think Limp Bizkit is the "koolest" guy on Earth. This is convulted and contrived. ... Read more

Reviews (168)

Entrapped by itself.
When this movie was originally released in theatres, I was warned not to see it on the big screen. I was told it was a bad movie, not worthy of watching. I didn't understand why so many people told me that; I mean the film has Sean Connery, contains a seemingly interesting plot, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. There was also a lot of discussion over the fact that Sean Connery was old enough to be Catherine Zeta-Jones' grandfather, yet he was playing her love interest. Luckily, I didn't see the movie in theatres and I am grateful for that.

ENTRAPMENT starts off on the right foot. The film's early scenes are interesting and demand attention. However, about thirty minutes later, the movie takes an unexpected twist into territory it should not have entered: romantic entaglement with bad dialogue and no chemistry. Even though Sean Connery is pushing 75, he's still considered by many to be one of the sexiest men alive. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a beautiful young woman and attracts the eye of many men. Nevertheless, just because two people are physically attractive does not mean that there will be any chemistry between them. In this film the chemistry between Connery and Zeta-Jones is like the chemistry between the same sides of a magnet: instead of uniting, the two objects pull away from each other. Of course, it doesn't help that the movie is full of bad dialogue and many of the emotional scenes of Zeta-Jones are totally forced with no reality or logic to them at all. The screenwriters should have kept to the basics instead of relying on dazzling special effects to save the film.

There are a few good action scenes, especially at the beginning. However, towards the end even those are so blown out of proportion that you begin wondering when the masked superhero will arrive that can match Connery's superhuman skills and foil his evil plans. Overall, ENTRAPMENT is a movie that had a lot of potential, but ending up getting entrapped by itself.

Sean and Catherine Magically Transcend and Transform!!
I apologize, this is probably nothing more than a "3-star" (or even two!) movie in the traditional sense. However, Catherine Zeta-Jones has emerged as the brunette version of positively and literally the most beautiful and majestic woman to ever grace the legendary Hollywood screen: Princess Grace Kelly. The presence and charisma of Sean Connery, of course, has always transformed mediocre films into true spectacles. Now, delicately introduce the tender and multi-talented Zeta-Jones, and you enjoy a relationship that combines the eloquence of James Stewart and Donna Reed ("It's A Wonderful Life") with the mesmorizing qualities of Elvis Presley and Ann Margaret ("Viva Las Vegas"). At this point, if you can possibly manage to persuade your brain to overlook some far fetched and perhaps ill conceived plot twists, you're probably ready for the home stretch: A razzle dazzle conclusion with gut wrenching suspense and cool special effects. There is something sleek and silky smooth about this DVD production and its main characters that defies description. If you seem to like what you're hearing (and seeing) so far, trust me: This special DVD version is worth its weight in gold. But for heavens sake, what's up with "Suave Sean" slurring his "s" words and butchering the "r" sounds?? A few quick speech therapy sessions to address this mild regression, and I'd be tempted to give the sequel "five stars" (but only if Connery keeps his partner in crime who is also a highly romantic companion)!

Entrapment a DVD review
Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery star as two ingenious jewel, painting, and money burglars who plan a huge heist at the turn of the millenium during New Years Eve in 1999.

Zeta is actually an insurance detective, Virginia Baker trying to find, the person responsible for a couple of burglary crimes in the area.

She suspects Mack (Sean Connery aka Robert MacDougal) is the person behind it, but rather than try to bring him in, she decides to get the man's confidence, and convinces him to try to pull of a big heist thus implicating Mac some more and
getting the evidence she needs to put him behind bars for a long time.

Mack is not an idiot, and he distrusts her from their very first meeting.
By the end of the film, one of the film will have pulled a great heist while the other
will either be in jail for a long time or worse. Their 2 contrasting styles in the movie, and their styles in pulling of different heists in the movie is really fun to watch.

The acting and special effects and stunts are also great including the culminating
climatic scene near the end where Mac and Virginia plot their big escape after
a heist.

There are some problems with the film however. Virginia is young and naive and
she takes the lies and garbage that Mac says at face value. Mac is not even a good
liar yet Virginia's character is dumb enough to believe this old thief'ss lies.

Now on to the dvd itself:

The DVD is very well done and contains a great
number of features:

* Deleted scenes

The deleted scenes in the movie are actually quite good, in fact, I think they were alot better than a couple of the scenes in the finished draft of the movie.

One great deleted scene is the car chase that Mack and Virginia get into while trying to dodge a couple of hitman that are tracking them down.

The scene has a great climax at the end that has you guessing what's going to happen next.

The scene is actually in the film, but what you get in the finished movie is actually
less than half of the original scene!!

Needless to say, I think this scene was great and should have been put in the original film.

Other features in the DVD include:
* Special feature on the making of the film

*Special commentary on the film itself

The commentary is teriffic, the director Jon Amiel, provides a lot of great insights and fact into the characters and Catherine Zeta herself, that fans may not
know.

*Alternate ending to the film!!!

The alternate ending in the film is actually very similiar to the original ending
with minor differences.

*Special trailers of the film
* Production Notes and much more!!!

Entrapment from head to toe is one of the best heist/thriller movies in quite a long time.

It gets predictable in a couple of areas, but the film is entertaining from beginning to
end.

Rent the DVD and enjoy it, along with the film itself.

HONOR AMONG THIEVES?
Let's get the sexist comment out of the way: Catherine Zeta-Jones is simply one of the most beautiful women to ever grace a movie screen!
Now, with that out of the way, ENTRAPMENT is an enjoyable heist movie, and we're never sure who's zoomin who!!! Sean Connery is elegant, if a bit lethargic, in his role, but always an actor who is fun to share a couple of hours with. Zeta-Jones does a good job in her role, but her acting chops have certainly matured since this film.
Ving Rhames and Will Patton are adequate, but other actors could have done just as well.
There are some really breathtaking scenes, especially with Jones in the initial heist and the jawdropping escape from the bank. It's not the best movie either one has made, but in spite of Jon Amiel's routine direction, I enjoyed it.

Give Me a Break...Sean connery's HOT
First off, I'm tired of people harping on the age difference bewteen CZJ and Sean. Some of the classic Hollywood pairings have been older men with younger women: Bogie/Bacall, Clark Gable/Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant/Audrey Hepburn, even Julia Roberts/Richard Gere. So...move on. What matters is if the pair work well together, and Catherine and Sean are great together. By the way they never actually hook up, but if they had, it would have been very intense. The chemistry between the 2 was very evident to me throughout the entire movie, I was egging on a romance. But Sean's character is above the physical involvement level with partners, so Catherine is held at bay. The movie reminded me of a classic thriller, a movie loaded with action...but thank God, not an "action movie". Enough of a hint at romance to keep us gals interested...but certainly not a romance. And on top of everything it was smart and well done. It took me on lots of twists and turns, and I loved them all. I'd gladly watch Catherine Zeta-Jones & Sean Connery (now 3 years older) re-pair in a sequel. By the way...I'm 19, and I'd take 53 year old Richard Gere any day over some of the young guys I see posing and looking pretty in movies today. As long as we see more Sigorney Weaver in Tadpole type roles for women (older woman dates younger man) keep 'em coming. ... Read more