Reviews (28)

Low Budget But Worth Every Penny
Van Damme portrays a streetfighter who gets caught up in the middle of a raw fighting hard hitting circuit.He keeps fighting to raise money for his brothers family who needs the money or they'll become homeless.The storyline is cheap and the flick itself is low budget but the fight scenes are supurb and the acting on Van Dammes part is excellent.In my opinion of course this movie is the greatest low budget action film available on the market today,if you like martial-arts films instead of explosions and basic killing spree action films than lionheart is your ticket to everything you want to see...Enjoy!

Another amazing van damme movie...WHAT A SHOCKER!!!
Let me just say....this is one of VAN DAMME's cheeziest but amazing movies other than kickboxer, bloodsport, and double impact.. But cheezy is good in this case... Van DAmme escapes from a military base in North Africa...and arrives in L.A. To visit his dead brothers wife. Since he is broke when arrived to L.A. he has to fight in order to make a living....!!! WHat a great Plot...so far.... Later on in the movie he becomes close with his brothers wife...and stays in L.A. The Action is pretty cool with good fight scenes....IF ur a true Van damme Fan you would buy this even if u never saw it....I mean just look at the cover for goodness sake!!!

Great fight scenes
This is one of Van Damms best. After hearing of his brothers death in America, Van Damm escapes the legeon in Africa to head for Los Angeles were he becomes a fighter in a no-holds-barred underground fighting circuit to raise money for his sister in law an his neese. There are many fights in different settings, wearhouses, parking garrages, fitness studios etc. I love the fight were Van Damm and another in shape guy have to fight at a pool party with lots of beutifull women standing around wearing nothing but G-string bikinis. The two must fight in an empty inground swimming pool with just a couple of feet of water in the deep end. they fight in speedos and bare feet. After a good fight Van Damm finally knocks the poor guy out cold in the water and draggs his lifeless body out of the water so he wont drown as the crowd of onlooker surounding the pool cheer for him. Personally, I would have rather he left me in the water to drown than to have to wake up and face all of those beutifull bikini clad women that I just got my you know what kicked in front of. In the end Van Damm fights the champion for enough prize money to make his family financially secure for life. Great movie.

One of Van Damme's VERY BEST-The Legionnaire Avenger
Do not be misguided by the fact that this movie was shot back in 1989, and thus be led to assume that this is another one of the low budget, b-movies that Van Damme used to make in the 1980's.

AWOL/Lionheart, is arguably his best film ever.

The story begins in what is a typical modern Legion Etrangere camp somewhere in North Africa. Van Damme plays a ranker soldier, Leon, who is serving in one of the Legion's crack North African detachments. Here, we get the very rare glimpse of what is like to be a modern Legionnaire: Both the scenery and camp are very realistic, rigid discipline prevalent, with emphasis being put on the soldiers' perfect fitness through physical training and manual labour.

Suddenly, Leon receives a letter from his only brother's wife who lives in the USA, informing him that his brother was beaten to death by some villains, and that she needs someone both to avenge his death and take care of her and her little daughter.

Rigid almost inhuman discipline in the Legion is once again underlined, when Private Leon asks to see his Commanding Officer, an impressive blond Frenchman, every inch a soldier. After hearing the reasons why Pvt. Leon asks for a leave, his CO coolly denies on the grounds that he firstly needs him "down here", and secondly that Pvt. Leon's contract with the Legion excludes furloughs.

From here onwards, the movie ceases to be static, and becomes a fast paced action adventure, as we follow Van Damme's risky escape from the camp to some North African muslim seaport, where he seeks to obtain passage on one of the Merchant Ships there, to the USA. In the meantime, his French CO has reported him as AWOL, and he has ordered two of his best NCO's to locate and return the deserter back to his unit.

Van Damme evades his pursuers, and signs on a 1950's Steam Turbine General Freighter as a Wiper, in order to pay for his passage.

When he finally arrives in the USA, we see him wandering the streets of New York, dressed in Navy fatigues looking for a job. He finally makes his way under a bridge, where the odd black bookmaker is staging a no-holds barred street-fighting tournament of sorts. The bookmaker, seeing Van Damme's incredible physique, suggests that he should fight in the next match in return for a fee. Asking his name, Van Damme replies slowly in French, "LE-ON", whereupon, the bookmaker hears "Lion" and proclaims him the "Lion". Thus, a new street-fighter star is born.

Van Damme, keeps fighting for profit, and his successes attract the attention of a gorgeous Nordic-American female manager, who is organizing fights for the entertainment of the Jet-Set NYC citizens. She falls in love with him, and acting as his manager, arranges his participation in high-class private fighting matches for the rich. Van Damme wins fame and glory, but his mind is always with his dead brother, and his widow and daughter.

After doing a lot of digging, he finally manages to locate his brother widow and daugter, whereupon one of the most touching scenes of the movie take place, when Van Damme meets his brother's daughter and widow, amid hugs and celebration.

But, his pursuers from the Legion, follow close behind, looking for a chance to seize him. Finally, they manage to track him down, in some makeshift arena where Van Damme is about to meet the late World Wrestling Federation Champion Andre the Giant, in a match to the death, which would be the culmination of his career as U.S. fighter. As the match progresses, we see the two Legionnaire NCO's, formerly his bitter enemies, having changed into stalwart supporters of his, witnessing first-hand his bravery and fighting skill.

After the match is over, the French NCO's make themselves known, and take Van Damme into their custody, despite his brother's widow protests. Then follows the most touching scene in the film, with Van Damme hugging his brother's daughter, tears flowing in his eyes. The scene is so compelling, that even the tough French Legionnaires, after looking each other, cannot avoid to shed the odd tear.

After putting Van Damme in the car, the French NCO's drive only about half a mile down the road, when the car stops suddenly, and Van Damme is set free, in order to return to his dead brother's family.

A truly great movie, one of Van Damme's few movies, which I enjoyed seeing over and over again. The movie will be loved by, not only from those who admire the French Foreign Legion, but from martial arts fans as well, not to say anything of Van Damme's fans, who will absolutely love it. It is one of these rarest of the rare low budget movies that, having started with meager resources, by luck and hard work are turned into pearls.

The hero's devotion and love to his only brother, deeply touched me, and I think also struck a chord deep within the souls of all who saw it. I do not think that there is a single man, who would let his dead brother's wife and daughter suffer, no matter if one was half the planet away from the other. Sometimes, duty to the dead brother's family comes first from duty to country.

A truly outstanding movie:buy it.

Van Damme doing his thing
His earlier work is what has always appealed most to me and I was not disappointed with this one. It's kinda cheesy, but it's a Van Damme flick, so what were you expecting?
It's a lot like Bloodsport and Kickboxer in regards to the story line. ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Timeless comedy
I don't know how many times I've seen this movie since I was a child. And it is still one of my all time favorites. I hope Paramount is making a DVD in the near future, cause my old VHS tape is pretty worn out and won't do it any longer. Although John Wayne is mostly famous for his western movies, he's best in Non-westerns. His exprssion when Martinelli asks him how he likes to kiss is priceless. I LOVE IT!! Howard Hawks was an excellent director and never in the 160 minutes the movie is boring. The action scenes are exciting, the comedy scenes are funny. Don't touch it when you love Stallone or Van Damme, but it is a must when you love Good Old Hollywood!!

How times have changed!
I ran across this movie by accident on late nite TV -- and I loved it! Hatari is East Africa 40 years ago. There's no plot to speak of. John Wayne heads a team that chases down and catches animals to sell to zoos. They carry guns -- but they don't shoot anything; they smoke and drink to excess and eat lots of fatty foods (crab cakes fried in antelope fat!); they drive old beat-up jeeps and land rovers and they don't wear seatbelts -- and when they roll a jeep they pick everybody up and dust them off instead of calling a doctor (or a lawyer); the men are dumb and tough and lovable and honest and the women are smart and competent and sexy and honest -- and they don't have to prove anything to anybody.

There's no way you could make this movie now. These guys lasso real animals -- giraffes and rhinos and zebras -- and wrestle them to the ground and put them in cages. The animals were probably not amused. But Hatari was politically correct in its day. Wayne's team includes a German, a Frenchman, an American Indian, a Spaniard, and an Italian femme fatale and they all get along pretty well. The Africans in the movie are called boys and there's not a hint that they might prefer to be called something else, like Mr. or Sir.

The scenery is marvelous, the photography fabulous, the music cute, the comedy stupid, the love scenes corny, and the animal capture scenes are fascinating. So this is how zoos get their animals....

Hatari is an idealized Africa of Bwanas and boys. Today, I suppose we're safer, happier, healthier, etc., but living in the shadow of Kilimanjaro and chasing animals around sure looks like a lot of fun.

A Duke classic!
Take John Wayne off his horse and put him on the front of a pickup truck, and it's off to the races in this classic film about a group of professional big game hunters in Africa. Wonderful combination of action, comedy and the cast of characters reacting to each other as the storyline develops. The Duke is the undisputed leader of this group of international stars, who are plainly shown to be doing the capture scenes themselves. That adds so much to the film by not using stunt doubles. This is evident in the last capture scene of the rhino as Wayne is plainly shown trying to untangle ropes and move the trapped beast. He stands just mere inches from the horn of the rhino when the beast begins bucking and snorting! Think about this also. Wayne was on the front of the truck doing the capture scenes. That truck could have easily turned over, and the Duke would have been dead 17 years before his time. Raw courage and devotion to his trade! A must see movie for the entire family!

John Wayne Classic
I saw this movie as a kid. I now own it for reasons of it being a good quality dvd and also its significance of it being shot in my home town of Arusha, Tanzania (specially the last scenes).

The comedy is good, though a long movie to watch in one sitting.

The authentic animal chase scenes by John Wayne and team make it worth while including buttons comedy.

Rhinos and Other Horny Beasts in Africa
There's not much this movie doesn't have. Action? Got it. Romance? Yep. Comedy? Check. Wild animals? Naturally. Punching, gunplay, explosions, and rocket blasts? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Hyena bathing and slapstick elephant chases? But of course. Shape-shifting space aliens? Okay, it doesn't have that, but it has everything else and a cast that works well together and isn't overscripted.

The story follows a season in the lives of a team of big game hunters (a catch-and-release group that works for zoos and circuses). A couple outsiders come in and the group dynamic changes; the young girl of the group is suddenly all grown up and a love triangle (later a quadrangle) forms and resolves itself; the group's leader has to choose between letting go of the past or missing the relationship of a lifetime; and then there's the horrible rhino curse that must be broken. In lesser hands, it would all be a "very special episode" of Little House on the Savanna, but Howard Hawks masterfully directs his cast and winds up with some incredible footage of the African plains and its wildlife as well. Add in an excellent score by Henry Mancini, and you are really drawn into the action; the whimsical "Baby Elephant Walk" provides a nice break from the tension - you know nothing bad can happen once the calliope starts up, so just sit back and enjoy the fun.

John Wayne keeps his swagger and drawl mostly in check, but Buttons' physical comedy is a little overeager. Still, the remaining 98% of the film is on target in tone and balance. The scenes between lovelorn Martinelli and Buttons feel genuine, the animal herding and capture scenes feel dangerous, the rhino goring and dislocated shoulder repair feel painful, and your arteries begin to clog at the mention of codfish cakes deep-fried in antelope fat.

This is a great movie to lose yourself in. Just make sure you have a full two-and-a-half hours to spend; once you begin you won't want the action, romance, and comedy to stop for even a minute. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Digitally remastered with 49 minutes of previously unseen footage, Apocalypse Now Redux is the reference standard of Francis Coppola's 1979 epic. A metaphorical hallucination of the Vietnam War, the film was reconstructed by Coppola and editor Walter Murch to enrich themes and clarify the ending. On that basis Redux is a qualified success, more coherent than the original while inviting the same accusations of directorial excess. The restored "French plantation" sequence adds ghostly resonance to the war's absurdity, and Willard's theft of Colonel Kurtz's beloved surfboard adds welcomed humor to the film's nightmarish upriver journey. An encounter with Playboy Playmates seems superfluous compared to the enhanced interplay between Willard and his ill-fated boat crew, but compensation arrives in the hellish Kurtz compound, where Willard's mission--and the performances of Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando--reach even greater heights of insanity, thus validating Redux as the rightful heir to Coppola's triumphantly rampant ambition. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (244)

Absolutely brilliant
When I watched the original movie 20 years ago I was
very impressed (for all the wrong reasons like Duvall's swaggering Kilgore).
Watching the additional footage in Redux,
I can say I had no idea then what this movie is about, or
it's literary complexities. The Plantation scene is absolutely
brilliant, fundamental to the Heart of Darkness book theme, also
like the end scene where we see Kurtz's copy of the 'Golden Bough'.

It's so easy to sell the violent scenes to the movie audience, but you try to
show a loving scene in the movie the critics will say 'its too drawn out' in
the Plantation scene, or 'cheap' in the Bunny scene. That's the American
psyche still at work today, violence is embraced for over 3 hours,
but 3 minutes of love is way too long. There is no elegance in violence
but the movie love scene always has to be elegant
(like some airbrushed Playboy perfection) , if not, it's tawdry and shameful
to the movie critics.

On a historical note, the film seems to blend the various War
myths of Poshepny's Hmong army, II/47's operation at the Memot
rubber plantation, and SOG's Operation Tailwind. Martin Sheen
wonders aloud in Apocalpyse Now why they really want Kurtz dead.

When I saw the opium scene at the Plantation (US-backed
Warlords ran drug operations near Memot in war time) it seems to me
real-life military operations in the area were designed to keep the trade flourishing.
If the CIA wanted control of the area, an
out of control rogue like Kurtz (Poshepny?), had to go.

The Greatest War Film Ever Made
'Redux' brings to life the greatest war story of this generation in a completely new perspective. Copolla captured the insanity of Veitnam in a way that no other filmaker has. 20+ years since the original was released, I am still engrossed in this film and its story. This is not a film about Veitnam in the traditional sense. If you want that, go see Oliver Stone's Platoon (with all of the typical Oliver Stone sensationalism) or Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (which doesn't even look like Veitnam). This is a film about a man's (in)sanity (Captain Willard played by Martin Sheen) delivered through the horror of Veitnam as he pursues the renegade Colnel Kurtz (Brando).

'Redux' adds nearly an hour of extra footage which gives more depth to the already epic film. The French Plantation sequence (nearly 30 minutes long) is the real highlight of the new footage. This is an elaborate series of scenes with completely new faces (including Aurore Clemente). Considering all that went into these scenes, it is difficult to imagine how this was omitted from the final cut of the original. But, in an effort to get the original under 2 1/2 hours, it was cut. The only hint that anyone had of Copolla's mysterious French Plantation Scene was in the 'Hearts of Darkness' documentary released several years ago. The extended sequence of scenes with Kurtz at the end is an additional highlight on 'Redux' along with a haunting new soundtrack.

The story doesn't change, however, and neither does the importance of this epic film. Copolla explores the depravity of one man's mind during the horror of Vietnam. Apocalypse Now takes such a different angle from any other war film of its era. There is no hero in this war, as illustrated by Willard. Copolla nearly lost his own mind (and his fortune) during the filming of Apocalypse Now (see 'Hearts of Darkness'). The result is as magnificent today as it was 20 years ago.

In watching 'Redux', it is difficult to determine when the film was made. The cinematography is unmatched and the attention to detail is witnessed in every scene. This film is a 'must see' and a 'must have' . The only real let down is the absense of any bonus material on the DVD. I would have gladly paid extra for any extras that might have been appropriate.

boring ?!?!
I find that the people complaining about this film have missed the point. Its NOT the theatrical version its NOT platoon its NOT full metal jacket, why are they expecting it to be so? Watch the other films then?!?!? This film is one man's glimpse into hell, in particular, the vietnam war experience. It shows how war and the idea of propaganda of wartime to make the government look good etc while good men die make people go mad. It shows the horror of war. After viewing this film I find in NO way it to be boring. I find the complainers comments to be sad and a reflection on them that they might be boring. This is a brilliant film and was NEVER supposed to be a shoot em up hollywood epic. Going into this expecting lots of action is like going into burger king for a pizza. Cmon folks...get a grip on reality! This film is a mind trip. Plain and simple. See its brilliance for what it is, a NEW version! Director's cut if you will but it's NEVER been seen like this. Its new, its refreshing and the new scenes add some "quirky" aspects but meld together well with the original film. For any fans of the orignal that want the original why go here, click the back button and buy the OTHER version. Nuff said.
Brilliant film, Brilliant acting, Brilliant NEW version. Period.

Comes across as a dark odyssey more than a war film.
PLOT(minus spoilers): We follow five soldiers, led by Sheen's character, as they head out on an assasination mission. The target is a C/O(Brando) who's apparently gone AWOL, having began to slaughter the enemy without orders as well as become a godlike figure in the eyes of many indigenous people in the area, virtually turning them into his warrior slaves. Upon traveling to find the C/O, Sheen becomes strangely intrigued by his military tactics, tactics so swit and terrible that even the VC have become fearful of him. The military, meanwhile, has assured Sheen's character that this commander is indeed insane, but it's the journey up river in which we see......

.... EVERYTHING out on the river is insane. Posts are manned without commanders, officers(Robert Duvall) are more fixated on surfing and Play Boy Playmates than their present battle. During these segments, when we move - almost drift - from scene to scene, we begin to see this Vietnam as something different, something more vague and faintly evil than we could ever had dreamt up. This side of the world has gone mad, as Sheen's character soon begins to see ever more clearly. Even the men accompanying him begin to shift towards the other side of sanity. But don't fret, the way this shift is portrayed is a beautiful thing to witness, as is the irony of their endeavor - that, sent to kill an officer for going crazy, EVERYTHING is also crazy, and the AWOL officer makes perhaps the most sense.

I suppose this film reiterates all we thought we knew about Vietnam, only it happens in a way that both tears and swallows your preconceptions alive, forcing you to dig ever deeper into the madness that surrounded Vietnam.

"The Horror...The Horror"
We have all heard about the difficulties Francis Ford Coppola experienced during the creation of what will be the movie he is most remembered for, 1979's "Apocalypse Now": A typhoon wiped out his sets in Asia. Star Martin Sheen suffered a minor heart attack during filming. Marlon Brando was Marlon Brando. The film's portrayal of war as madness often mirrored the problems involved in filming an epic about America's involvement in the Vietnam conflict. Until "Apocalypse Now Redux" arrived on the scene a year or two ago, we never saw the full cut of the film. Well, "Redux" still doesn't contain everything since Coppola supposedly lensed miles of film stock, but this version contains several brand new sequences as well as extensions of existing scenes not seen in the original. Coppola supposedly stated that his film, "Isn't about the Vietnam War; It IS the Vietnam War." As far as I know, the director never fought in that conflict, so this claim is spurious at best. What you will get from the film, though, is an immersion in the blackest of nightmares through the performances of some of the finest actors in Hollywood. "Apocalypse Now" in any form is a must see picture.

Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is probably not the best person suited for a top-secret mission. When we first see the man, he is in a hotel room in Saigon slowly going mad, the stresses of war having taken a terrible toll on his mental and physical being. His mission, if he chooses to accept it, is to track down a military officer named Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) and terminate him "with extreme prejudice." It seems the good colonel went insane up in the jungle, built up a mercenary army, began transmitting bizarre rants about snails crawling on the edge of a razor, and thus threatens the American war effort. The high command cannot have an officer carrying out his own warped whims in the bush, so Willard is to go up the Mekong River in a patrol boat and track Kurtz down. The captain accepts the order, obviously, and thus begins a journey into the darkest corners of Vietnam. During the lengthy trip, Willard reads extensively from Kurtz's military files, learning that his target once represented one of America's best and brightest soldiers, a man educated at top universities whose career track was paved with gold. How could such a brilliant man go completely over the edge? Willard tries to figure it all out.

Captain Willard has plenty of time to ponder the enigmatic Kurtz during the trip. The boat sails into one bizarre scene after another, some fraught with peril while others are just plain strange. Willard and the crew briefly spend time with the hyper macho Colonel Kilgore (Robert Duvall), an officer in the Air Cavalry who likes to blare Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" over his helicopter gunship's speakers while reducing a Vietcong stronghold to rubble. It is Duvall's character that utters the immortal line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" as he urges his men to surf the ocean waves in a combat zone. The weirdness doesn't stop here, as Willard and his crew witness a show put on by Playboy Playmates at a riverside supply depot, visit a plantation proudly maintained by a French family, and stumble over an isolated river bridge under constant enemy bombardment defended by American soldiers with no idea who is in charge. The final showdown between Kurtz and Willard is not only the most powerful sequence in the film; it is one of the most intriguing parts of any film ever made.

It is no secret "Apocalypse Now" closely mirrors Joseph Conrad's novella "Heart of Darkness." Too, Coppola's film is so obviously an attempt to show how the war permanently altered America's self-perception that I don't need to spend time discussing that theme. What has always drawn me so deeply into this movie is the acting, of course, but also the "madness" of Colonel Kurtz. Is the rogue officer really insane? By what standards? According to what we saw on the journey up the river, can we call what Kurtz is doing insane? I don't think so. As much as we might cringe at the colonel's "horror and moral terror" speech, anyone with an ounce of sense should realize that that is exactly how a nation should fight a war. Rules and laws developed in civilization must automatically fly out the window when the soldiers march off to battle. Kurtz recognizes America will lose the war because his country burdens its soldiers with pointless rules-like not allowing pilots to paint an offensive word on the side of aircraft, for example. You see the same thing in Oliver Stone's "Platoon" when an officer rambles on about an "illegal killing," as though you can place an arbitrary value hierarchy on what goes on in a war zone and still think about winning. War is screaming, mind-shattering insanity, not a game with strictly defined parameters that any one side should follow. Kurtz is "mad" because his training prevents him from embracing the Vietnamese conception of the "moral" soldier.

If you haven't seen this movie, what are you waiting for? "Redux" adds nearly an hour to the film's original runtime, the picture quality looks great, and Coppola's beast contains the best dialogue in cinematic history. My favorite line in the film? Anything Kurtz utters, but especially the "moral terror" speech and his response to Willard's adamant claims about being a soldier instead of an assassin: "You're neither. You're an errand boy sent by grocery clerks to collect a bill." Moreover, you get to see plenty of actors show off their stuff, including Harrison Ford, G.D. Spradlin, Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne, and Frederic Forrest. You need to move this one up to the top of your list immediately. ... Read more

Reviews (167)

Dynamite Cast + Good Fun = Excellent Film
First off: "Jackie Brown" is not a disappointment. After the surprise success of Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" in 1994, everyone was looking for him to fail on his next attempt. Sorry, friends, but this just isn't the case. In many ways, "Jackie Brown" is a more enjoyable ride. After repeated viewings of "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs," one can easily pinpoint the weaknesses in Tarantino's style. He uses similar references to '70s action and blaxploitation films, he uses relic music hits from the same era, and he even uses similar character names (Marvin with no ear, meet Marvin with no head). The violence is always there, and the incessant use of profanity is always there. But "Jackie Brown" is different from these previous efforts. There's no appearances by either Harvey Keitel or Tim Roth; instead, the film is headlined by the queen of the '70s blaxploitation flicks, the eternally sexy Pam Grier. The supporting cast includes Robert Forster, a staple of cheesy B-movies, Samuel L. Jackson in a return to the world of Tarantino, and the very interesting threesome of Michael Keaton, Bridget Fonda, and the ever-versatile De Niro to round out the cast. So what, besides the cast, makes the film such a knockout? While the profanity level has been toned down, Tarantino's script loses no edge and maintains a constant freshness and sense of humor. Grier has never been much of an actress, but she's always had a certain charm, and she uses this charm effectively in "Jackie Brown." Forster gives his most memorable performance here, playing the role of Max Cherry with complete control and positive cool. Fonda is great as Melanie, and Keaton has a blast playing ATF agent Ray Nicolet, but De Niro steals the show as Louis Gara. De Niro has one of his better supporting roles here, and he makes the most of it. Louis is something of a dimwit, but only De Niro could inject the character with as much humor as he has here. The film, at 154m, is probably too long and overindulgent, but Tarantino presents us with an interesting plot, and some equally interesting subplots to boot. The most effective of these is the relationship that builds between Grier and Forster; there is an attraction there, but the insecurities of each character prevents this from ever reaching a climax. The film is colorful, has solid (but not brilliant) direction, and, aside from some serious lapses in logic, the script flows seamlessly. And guess what? There's no guest appearance by the man himself, who must have realized after "From Dusk Till Dawn" that, while he may be a writer and a director, and actor he is not. "Jackie Brown" reveals the limitations of Quentin Tarantino, but the film is still a riot, and one of the most entertaining of 1997. That's more than I can say for James Cameron's "Titanic," which fails on all levels for me, despite what the critics say. "Jackie Brown" delivers a knockout punch. It's great to see that some Elmore Leonard novels are finally getting the big-screen treatments that they deserve.

Fond-a Weapons
Jackie Brown: rated R, 2 hours and 40 minutes

Jackie Brown is an incredibly well played movie about guns, drugs, and money. Half a million in cash is up for grabs, and the only way to obtain it is by figuring out who is playing whom.
When Jackie (a stunning Pam Grier) is caught at an airport carrying a veritably large sum of money and a bag of crack, the outline of the story is formed. Jackie is held in custody facing possible time in prison, when the deceptive Ordell, played by black talking Samuel L. Jackson steps into the picture. Ordell hires an honest bailbondsman, Max Cherry, to release Ms. Brown. While Ordell takes care of business, we see behind-the-scenes conversations between the spaced out Robert De Niro, as Lewis, and the dim-witted Bridget Fonda, as Melanie, two of Ordell's main connections. Jackie becomes caught between two sides, both with equal objectives. Ray (Michael Keaton), the cop that apprehended Jackie earlier is after small time arms dealer, Ordell, and Ordell is pulling Jackie into his scheme of acquiring the cash. Meanwhile, Lewis and Melanie have their own plans of taking the money. Jackie can't afford to get into any more legal trouble, and if she doesn't cooperate with the man she owes her freedom to, she will be killed, which sets the stage for the perfect swindle.
Quentin Tarantino, creator of Jackie Brown, is master of 'film noir', and adds an interesting perspective to one scene in particular. Jackie is forced by the feds to frame Ordell, and according to Ordell, she is supposed to double-cross them. Caught in the middle, Jackie must fake an exchange of marked bills, in order to seem loyal to both. The switch is shown through three different viewpoints, adding greatly to the effect. The first time, Jackie is shown leaving the bag of money in a dressing room. Next, Lewis and Melanie are shown actually making the exchange, with the real bag of money left behind in the dressing room, and a suspicious Max Cherry watching. Lastly, Max Cherry watches as Lewis and Melanie swap bags, and the actual bag of cash left for him to pick up. By doing this, the big picture is seen through bits and pieces. Tarantino deserves much credit for its ingenious execution, and Jackie Brown in its entirety is recognized as a success, with phenomenal acting by the whole cast, primarily Pam Grier.

Great! Awesome! Fantastic!
Nobody and I mean nobody makes movies like Quentin Tarantino. JACKIE BROWN is one of the greatest movies of all time. Personally, This is my favorite of Quentin Tarantino's films. So get your copy of JACKIE BROWN today!

Not bad, De Niro is fun
Jackie Brown is certainly not Tarantino's best but it is amusing. As in pretty much every movie Samuel L Jackson plays a pretty important part as a gunrunner. He lives in a LA house with the very hot Bridget Fonda. A friend who just came out of jail lives with him and helps him. This is absolutely the funniest character in the movie, played by De Niro. He is a little dumb, lazy and slow but funnily played.

Key to the movie is Pam Grier as Jackie Brown, the smartest person in the movie because she can play both sides, the feds and the criminals and ends up with a lot of dough.

Not a super movie and with 150 minutes definitely too long, but still fun.

Not quite PULP FICTION, but certainly worthy Tarantino
I love Quentin Tarantino. You watch him speak about his art in interviews, and while I realize what I'm responding to might simply be a cleverly-wrought public persona, his energy and enthusiasm for his craft is just so infectious that one cannot help but be energized too. That energy certainly carries over into his movies, and while he may not be the most thrillingly visual director, his undeniable gift for dialogue more than compensates in his films.

PULP FICTION, as of now, is my favorite movie; the dialogue sparkles with wit, and I could hear those lines over and over again without ever getting tired of them. JACKIE BROWN, his follow-up to PF, is just as good as PF, if not quite its superior. Many complained upon its release that this movie was too sluggish and slow-moving (the above Editorial Review calls it "decaffeinated"). Sure, the plot of this movie certainly could become a taut, exciting thriller under another director's hands. But clearly writer-director Tarantino isn't aiming merely for action-movie thrills. He is also focused on his characters, particularly with the two older characters, Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) and Max Cherry (Robert Forster), two characters who have an unspoken attraction to each other that brings an intriguing undertone to a majority of the crime story. If Tarantino takes his time developing his characters and laying out the plot...well, the characters' dialogue is consistently full of life; the characters are interesting (and the performances terrific across the board, particuarly Forster's); and the convoluted plot, when it kicks into high gear, is a source of fascination as well. Watching it, I hardly ever felt that it was too slow for its own good: I was too fascinated by what I was seeing and hearing to notice any possible deficiencies in pacing. (Another Elmore Leonard adaptation, Steven Soderbergh's OUT OF SIGHT, took a similarly leisurely approach to its crime plot, and it worked just as well in that film, too.)

In short, JACKIE BROWN is an underrated Tarantino masterpiece. It may not be quite the film PULP FICTION is (since it had a more palpably energetic feel to it, despite both films' running 154 minutes), but it is certainly a worthy follow-up. ... Read more

Reviews (219)

rush hour 2
Rush Hour 2 is an unbelievably hilarious, action packed, better-than-the first sequel to Rush Hour. I strongly recommend that you rent and watch the first one before you go see Rush Hour 2 because much of the humor and jokes are based on the original one, however, this is not necessary because you will catch on quickly and only miss a couple of the related jokes. Rush Hour 2 begins exactly where the first movie leaves off. If you watch both movies in order it will just seem like one long movie. This is a nice feature because it makes the movie easier to follow and understand.
Rush Hour 2 is about two detectives, Detective Lee (Jackie Chan) and Detective Carter (Chris Tucker). While on their vacation to Hong Kong Lee and Carter are called back to duty to investigate and bust an international counterfeiting ring. This is no easy task, however, as they soon find out. Carter and Lee find themselves locations around the world such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and even Tokyo.
Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker give a perfect and encore performance doing what they do best. Jackie Chan plays the serious logical and skilled martial artist Detective Lee. Chris Tucker portrays the never serious, ego boosted LAPD officer, Detective Carter. I don't believe that this movie would have had the same punch without these talented actors working together in this fabulous duo.
The action in this movie is spectacular. As always, Jackie Chan performs unbelievable stunts during his fighting rendezvous. At one point in the movie he jumps and dives through a very tight slot, much like one at a cashiers cage. On the other hand
Chris Tucker, let's just say... is not very good at Kung Fu, but nevertheless great comical relief.
The humor in this movie is absolutely bladder busting. Ethnic and personality differences between Carter and Lee create humorous situations. For instance: Carter speaks his own version of Chinese. Obviously, he just says a bunch of random gibberish and makes himself look like a total idiot in front of a rather large group of Chinese people. Carter is quick to the tongue and is always bashing on the Chinese culture. Lee is just simply funny while acting so serious and straight-faced: A perfect contradiction.
I recommend that you go see this movie or rent it when it comes out in January 2002 It will be worth your time and money, and because it stars Jackie Chan, you will get to watch the comical, and quite painful out-takes at the end of the film during the credits. You'll laugh your way through Rush Hour 2 with its wonderful blend of action and comedy.

Feel the Rush...
A sequel that exceeds its predecessor. That in itself is an anomaly these days, but Rush Hour 2 packs enough wallop for both movies. How about some of the best lines in an action comedy in recent years? From one liners to the chemistry that has evolved between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, this movie will make you pause the scenes until you finish laughing. Hit play again and you'll be slapped with more humor. Carter runs through downtown Hong Kong, where no one knows what he is saying, yelling, "Get outta the way! L.A.P.D!" There's a moment in Hong Kong where Carter meets up with a chicken vendor and the laughs keep coming. Rush Hour 2 opts for a more sexy approach with the Chinese massage parlor scene, and the 2 main female characters who are sure to boggle the eyes of the male population. As for action, there's plenty of it to support the clever dialogue. The movie is so realistic and unrealistic at the same time, you'll be bringing the first movie back out and panting for Rush Hour 3. I can't leave out the fact that a story goes with this and it's told quite well, and for what this movie is, it doesn't burden the high-jinks, but supports it. Simply put, Inspector Lee has an old vendetta with the man who killed his father and Carter is pulled along from Hong Kong to L.A. A few plates need to be found from a counterfeit ring using them to make a "Superbill," which is identical to a real bill. Not quite an original story, right? Well, it's all in the way you tell it and Rush Hour 2 pulls off a good time and that's what we wanted to see.

Robert Eldridge (...)

Funnier Then The First...
Slick, chaotic, and decently entertaining sequel picks up where the first movie left off. LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) is on vacation in Hong Kong with his friend, Detective Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan). Carter just wants to relax, have fun, get some "mu shu", but Lee can't stop doing his job even for a minute. This time, he's hot on the trail of gangster Ricky Tan (John Lone), who may have been behind an Embassy bombing.

More-of-the-same in terms of content AND style, but still pretty engaging, with lots of action and thrills. Chan and Tucker still share the same chemistry, and overall there are some good laughs. (Worth it just to see Tucker perform Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough"...) For me, one of the perks of this sequel is watching "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" beauty Zhang Ziyi as a very fetching and lethal assassin.

Terrific High energy sequel is GREEN!
Not satisfied to just build on the personalities and chemistry created in Rush Hour -RH1, this action movie delivers an inventive script and great action. I would have given 5 stars but I down grade for language.

Chris Tucker delivers another high energy, comedic performance. Since Chris first caught my attention in the Bruce Willis vehicle, Fifth Element. He has proven himself to be a real comedy - action star. This movie might have worked with a different actor playing chans part, but jackie chan is the genious that created these incredible films and may now be our top action star.

Highly recommended, but only partially family friendly.

Better than the first, alot better!
Take peoples word for it when they tell you this is better than the first Rush Hour movie, even Chris Tucker is much funnier in this one. The movie is funny, not amazingly funny but you can expect for laughs than the first one. Though there's alot of stupid things in this movie it wasn't made to be serious, now really two guys fighting off 10 guys at once on several different occasions. The ending was not bad, it was a pretty cliche ending but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. After watching it, I am looking forward to a possibly Rush Hour 3 and I hope they make one, if you're into action/comedies this is a must watch. ... Read more

Reviews (97)

Who's the mole?
Close on the heels of his ADAPTATION, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman scores again with CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, based on the (fictional?) autobiography of the same title by Chuck Barris. It's also George Clooney's initial outing as Director.

At the very beginning when the audience sees a bearded and naked Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell) standing as if in a trance while a frumpy housekeeper vacuums around him, the viewer suspects that the film will be something special, outrageous, or both. This is the starting point for an extended flashback as Barris recalls his young adulthood, when it seemed everybody but him was having sex, to his successful career as a TV game show creator and low-brow polluter of the American airwaves ("The Dating Game", "The Newlywed Game", "The Gong Show"). Pretty standard stuff except that along the way Barris is seduced by a penchant for violence into a double life as a CIA contract killer, and the schizophrenia brought on by his double life almost proves his undoing.

Rockwell is superb in the leading role, as is Director Clooney, who plays his square-jawed, no-nonsense CIA recruiter and control, Jim Byrd. (Byrd to Barris: "Listen, you're thirty-two years old and you've achieved nothing. Jesus Christ was dead and alive again by thirty-three. Better get cracking.") Drew Barrymore does a swell job as Penny, the on-again, off-again love of Chuck's life, but she's deliciously upstaged by Julia Roberts in a new sort of character for her, that of the seductive and deadly femme fatale spy, Patricia. ("Prove how much you love me, baby. Kill for me. Then I'm all yours".) Brad Pitt and Matt Damon have hilarious two-second cameos on stools. And there's one scene where a Federal official lectures The Dating Game contestants on the dire repercussions of introducing risqué material into their game show appearance that alone is worth the price of admission. I don't know who that actor was, but he deserves an Oscar for a one-minute speech.

This is a movie that perhaps has to be seen twice to be fully appreciated for the deft and clever use of camera perspective, scene and timing changes, and almost-overexposed color, all of which keeps the audience on its toes wondering what's coming next. And the Big Question: who's The Mole?

This is one of the best dark comedies that I've seen in a long while. It's one of the must-see films of 2002/2003. Bravo, bravo!

Another movie based on a book.
The book makes for good reading. From the previews that i've seen of the movie,,,,well that's another story. Personally i believe that Kermit the frog would be a better choice for lead role. ... Read more

Description

Kung Fu expert Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a martial arts master who arrives in Hong Kong to compete in the Kumite, a violent championship fighting contest. ... Read more

Reviews (91)

Way past due on DVD
A great martial arts flick As noted, this movie was JeanClaude Van Damme's first starring role, and for my money one of his two best films. He portrays Frank Dux, an American champion of the Kunite, which was/is a full contact, anything goes martial arts competition.

The movie introduces us to Van Damme's incredible martial arts ability. The story line is simple and unremarkable but effective. Van Damme participates in the Kumite against the wishes of the government which trained him. The cast is certainly unremarkable, led by Bolo Yueng, first(?) seen in "Enter the Dragon", playing Chong Li, the film's key villain and kumite champ.

What makes the film, though for martial artists (and fans) is the incredible range of fighting techniques seen through the film. Some of them are great, some comical. But there is a ton of action (much of it predictably brutal). But for fans of the genre, it is highly recommended.

Van Damme's first and best
Bloodsport is a movie that every Martial Arts fan has seen or at least heard of. This movie was Van Damme's first starring role in which he portrays real life martial artist Frank Dux, an American who was the undefeated heavyweight champion of the kumite from 1975 to 1980 (don't quote me though). The reason this movie was so great was that it showcased Jean-Claude's martial arts and gymnastic prowess rather than his sub-par acting ability. The story was simple but effective: a shady and brutal Martial Arts tournament is being held in Hong Kong and Dux (Van Damme) is going to participate to honor his shidoshi and surrogate father Senzou Tanaka. Leah Ayres and Donald Gibb did an average job of playing Van Damme's cohorts. But who really shines in this film is Bolo Yueng who did a great job in playing Chong Li, the film's key villain and kumite champ. Paul Hertzog did a great job with the soundtrack, which fuels the movie's many fight scenes. This is probably Van Damme's best film. ... Overall, Bloodsport delivers plenty of action with a decent story and is an enjoyable film. I would reccommend it to any Martial Arts fan.

"Now, I break you! Like I break your friend!"
During the martial-arts craze of the mid-90's, there were few bigger stars than Jean-Claude Van Damme. Though it wasn't a box-office hit during its enitial theatrical run, "Bloodsport", Van Damme's first starring vehicle certainly found its audience on cable and video. "Bloodsport" follows American fighter Frank Dux (Van Damme) as he enters a brutal full-contact tournament known as the Kumatai. Looking back at the movie that I once watched religously with all my friends almost a decade ago, it's probably to safe to say that if you didn't pick up on this one during its time then you probably won't understand it now. It had all the great things you'd expect from a Van Damme movie: Minimal story, cheesy overacting, and tons of random splits. The musical score from Stan Bush and a rather silly perfomance from Donald Gibb are the icing on the cake. Anytime I'm looking to take a trip down memory lane, I toss in this and "Kickboxer" and have my own little JCVD double-feature. Now, if only they could put together a special edition DVD.

The Frank Dux story is a hoax
That was proven amongst the martial arts community years ago. Being a martial artist myself, I always get a laugh when I read the description of this movie on websites. However, I am giving this movie 4 stars only because of Van Damme and the great fight scenes in this movie. This is Van Damme at a young age and doing all the kicks and moves that he seems to have lost with age. Bloodsport is basically an imitation of "Enter The Dragon" (the greatest martial arts movie ever made) where a lone guy enters a tournament. The theme has been repeated countless times but Bloodsport is one of the better clones. Also be sure to check out Kickboxer, which is even better than Bloodsport!

jean-claude van damme this movie was good
pretty good movie old though, but its alright the acting was kind of cheap ,but what do you expect from an old movie right? its a van damme classic . ... Read more

Reviews (584)

Superbly executed
You'll enjoy this stylish blend of sci-fi and film noir if you're willing to suspend your disbelief at the door. Many have decried the illogical holes in Scott Frank and Jon Cohen's otherwise excellent screenplay, but in the end these deficiencies hardly matter. Movies dealing with predestination never answer the big questions effectively - they just use them as the springboard for a story. And "Minority Report" tells a pretty good one, even if it does reveal where it's going too soon and is occasionally marred by Spielberg's trademark mawkishness. Tom Cruise is hugely enjoyable as the frantic John Anderton, and Colin Farrell does a fine job of making you hate Detective Witwer. It looks great, sounds great, holds your attention for all 147 minutes, and will even have you giggling at the spectacular product placements and some unexpected comedy. It's a reasonably faithful adaptation of Philip K. Dick's story, too, so fans of the original should be pleased - although Act 3 does see the writers wandering into Hollywood-ending territory and has Spielberg wrapping things up on a typically optimistic false note. Still, it's refreshing to see a bunch of filmmakers tackling a sci-fi adaptation seriously and successfully while still keeping an eye on the box-office. If you're going to spend close to $100 million on a sci-fi project - and, let's face it, these days you have to - then you also have to consider the return. The result is a memorable film that strikes a savvy balance between deep thought and commercial appeal. "A.I" flopped because it glorified the former and "The Time Machine" failed by pandering to the latter. "Minority Report" wisely walks the middle-path. It won't have enough explosions to thrill die-hard action fans, nor quite enough depth to really please sci-fi devotees. But for the rest of us, it works.

Critics say this is five stars. For once they're right!
I probably would have waited until Minority Report hit the rental stands if it weren't for all the five-star ratings critics have been giving this movie. After being digitally assaulted by the current crop of high-budget special effects films like Spiderman and Attack of the Clones, I was already weary of acting and storyline taking a backseat to gee-whiz computer graphics. I underestimated Spielberg's ability.

So what is the plot exactly? Well, dear reader, take comfort in knowing I will not spoil the movie for you. In the year 2054, Americans are subjected to Gap clothing stores (that scan your retina and hard-sell khakis by your name) as well as USA Today newspapers with animated front page covers that update in real-time. Tom Cruise is John Anderton, Washington D.C.'s top-cop in the experimental pre-crime unit that seeks out and eliminates would-be murderers through the use of precognitive beings that are able to sense murders shortly before they happen. The premise sounds wonderful until John discovers he's about to murder someone he has never met. This is the story on the surface yet it is not the story. I fear many will avoid this movie because this is all they will expect. I will stump for this movie because it's not just an action-thriller and it's not just a thinking-man's science-fiction movie. What lies beneath the story is much deeper and darker.

You see, even in knowing the future, Mr. Anderton is confronted with an awful dilemma. How can he prevent himself from killing the person he is supposed to murder if he has never seen the person he is supposed to kill or the location the murder is supposed to take place? Is the future preordained or does man create his own destiny? As Anderton uncovers the answers to these questions, viewers will find that this is not the underlying story either.

Minority Report is a dark and disturbing vision of the future made believable with Cruise's much more human characterization of Anderton than his previous Mission Impossible persona. Samantha Morton, Colin Farrell, and the incomparable Max von Sydow all serve to effectively help and hinder Anderton's quest. Are there flaws in the movie? Perhaps. The action scenes are impressive and appropriate, but one particular scene in the LEXUS factory contained so much eyeball-jarring camera manipulation that I felt I was hit by a "sick stick." And speaking of brand-names, reviewers complain of the blatant commercialization of the movie. Without question, an obscene amount of advertising permeates almost every frame. Did Spielberg sell out to the highest bidder or is he making a statement about the not-so-distant future, or even the present? I'll let you decide. Finally, the fact this movie received a PG-13 rating is a statement in itself. I remember all the controversy generated by parent-groups when Poltergeist received a PG rating. It seems so long ago...

Yet credit must go to Steven Spielberg as there was much of this movie that could've been done ineffectively. After the disappointing box-office numbers of A.I., many (including myself) were expecting a dumbed-down formulaic hack to swing alongside the rest of the massives. Instead, Spielberg shows he's master of the technology as the impressive display of visuals serve to add to, not overwhelm the story. By the time the movie ends, you may find yourself pondering the kind of questions only philosophers argued over.

does not live up to the hype.
this was supposed to be a glimpse into a very possible future.i heard on an hbo special that the directer payed the top experts in almost every field to come to his house for the weekend to discuss the realities that will be in the future.the fields included automative,law enforcement,science,marketing etc.im having a hard time beliving this now.the whole point of this story has any basis in reality at all.there are these 3 psycic chicks who the government keeps in a tank.there only function is to send mental images into these computers that fortell future murders.the murder rate drops to 0 and the system is perfect.well one day tom cruise gets his name as a would be murderer and decides to buck the system.there is a child abduction/murder angle in this movie.i think it is unthinkable enough that this really happens.i think it is an abselute atrocity that moviemakers feel like they have to put that in movies.i watch movies for entertainment not to be reminded how sick and twisted this world really is.or two hours i could escape the harsh realities.then some jerk says hmmmm we could use any bad guy we want.lets use a child killer.that sucks!i would have rated this movie a 4,if not for that.steven spielsberg is your director.ill give him yet another award.the most overated directer of all time.this is his best work ever though.theres a lot of slow parts in it also.a lot of police detective type work and talk.there are a couple gross parts but if you dont mind watching a movie centered around a child killer youll be alright.when the bad guy is finaly met,a very intense scene goes on.i was right there.the main psycic chick would be sexy if she wasnt so damn wierd.tom cruise does a great job in this one.this is a very good movie all in all but the hype makes it sound better.this is tom cruises 2nd best movie.this movie drags on longer than most.

Do You Have One?
Minority Report definitely ranks as one of the best future-theme movies of all time. Although not as groundbreaking as The Matrix or visually stunning as Blade Runner, it has it's own pro's.

In a future where future crimes are predicted using triplets or 'Pre Cogs' with the ability to foresee events yet to come, the Police Officer in charge and support of the device himself (Tom Cruise) is accused of a murder that he has yet to commit. Though he believes that he is innocent, the squad doesn't, so Cruise sets out on his journey to find the truth.

The storyline for the movie is interesting, very thought provoking. A lot of what is talked about sounds complicated at first, but listening closely will reveal that they are really talking about the Minority Report of Cruise. Listen even more closely and you'll understand the entire movie, otherwise you will be lost.

Good actors playing good characters, impressive special effects, quality action, and a deepening plot - Minority Report is definitely worth the price of admission.

Awful Minority
I may be in the minority, but Minority Report is awful. Tom Cruise shines in actual human dramas like Jerry McGuire or Rainman, but this futuristic garbage, this futurramma cop is just a showcase of movie technology without a heart. Vanilla Sky had the same problem. Why should I care about these characters that are so zippy futuristic? Spielberg cannot get science fiction right unless it's for children. His best movie required no computer gyration, Shindler's List, but then again, that movie had a script. I was asleep by the time they put this morph in the water. ... Read more

Reviews (285)

The Best War Movie Of All-Time!
Francis Ford Coppola risked his career, his money and his sanity in making this Vietnam adaptation of 'Hearts Of Darkness'. The result is a large-scale war movie that ranks among the best movies of all-time. Martin Sheen has the role of a lifetime as Captain Willard, and he does deliver a credible performance. Marlon Brando is equally credible as the mysterious and possibly mad Colonel Kurtz. Robert Duvall creates a brilliant character; Colonel 'I love the smell of napalm in the morning' Kilgore. Grandly majestic war sequences are awe-inspiring. Thought provoking and filled with eerie chaotic imagery. Simply masterful filmmaking from Coppola. Extras: Laurence Fishburne and Harrison Ford in small roles, also spot Francis Ford Coppola in a cameo. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 10!

Dark and somewhat slow-paced, but excellent epic film
I saw this film for the first time on video, and was somewat surprised by its somewhat deliberate pacing and lack of straightforward action. For someone who is not a huge Coppola fan, nor a reader of "Heart of Darkness", I found the movie somewhat difficult to follow.

That is not to say that this isn't an excellent film. Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is an apparently unattached Airborne soldier who is "waiting - waiting for a mission" and is enlisted to find and "terminate the command" of the renegade Special Forces Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). Along the way, we meet a motley crew of a Navy riverboat, including a very young Lawrence Fishburne as a 17-year-old machine-gunner. The plot takes an almost whimsical turn when we meet Lt. Col Kilgore (Robert Duvall) who is an Air Cavalry commander, and plays the immortal "Flight of the Valkyries" while systematically laying waste to a North Vietnamese village. While the fighting is still going on, he orders a couple of his soldiers to either "surf or fight", being that he is a huge fan of surfing. It is from Duvall's character that we get the immortal line, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like --- it smells like victory!"

After this scene, Sheen and his crew of Navymen proceed further upriver, until they reach the last American outpost on the river. The outpost is under apparent heavy attack, and there are no officers to be found. This scene, which makes no sense in the context of a typical war movie, makes perfect sense in this film. The leaderless American soldiers seem to move about in a haze, apparently oblivious to anything outside their immediate surroundings, particularly the grenadier, who is either at far beyond the point of psychological exhaustion, or heavily drugged. Copolla never makes either clear, but rather leaves that to the imagination of the viewer.

When Sheen and his crew get further upriver, the plot takes stranger and stranger turns - the crew is attacked by an unseen enemy, in which Clean (Fishburne) is killed, and shortly thereafter, the boat's chief is killed in an attack by natives hurling, of all things, spears at the Americans!

However, the strangest part of the movie is the last half-hour or so. Sheen reaches his objective, but Col. Kurtz is heavily guarded by native warriors toting modern weaponry. There are bodies everywhere - hanging from trees, floating in the river, laying sprawled about on the ground. It is truly horrific, and speaks to the level of insanity to which Col. Kurtz has descended, but it also begs the question - "How could all those people stand being around all those rotting corpses?" In the climax, Sheen sneaks past Kurtz' guards, and hacks the colonel to death. As he lay dying, Kurtz whispers, "The horror - the horror..."

All in all, an extremely powerful and moving film, although rather slow-paced.

A True Masterpiece!
I watched this movie in 1978 when it first came out and was totally in awe! Francis Ford Coppola spent almost 3 years making this film and it was well worth it. The all star cast in this film rocks! Everytime I watch this film, I wind up mimicing the characters. The lines are memorable! (I love the smell of Napalm in the morning.) It is the greatest movie ever made!

A great adaptation
To write that this movie is a comment on war or the politics of the period is a gross misconception in my view. this movie like the book Heart of Darkness, which I suggest everyone who sees this movie reads, is a powerfull commentary on human nature. The line 'the horror, the horror' does not refer to the horrors of war or acts of violence commited but is a general judgement and condemnation of the darkness that resides in human nature.

Anyway this is a brilliant adaptation and well worth the few bucks it costs.

The horror, the horror.
The horror of war and what it does to teh mind of men is exposed beautifully here in this grande epic. Great performances, plot and cinematography. It doesnt get much better than this. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Dead Or Alive, You're Coming With Me... On DVD!
When Robocop was release in Malaysia, it was a hit. I enjoyed the movie (and at that time, I don't even know who is Paul Verhoeven) a lot. Title maybe corny, but what makes a hit is the story involve and the violence.

Years later, two sequels came (Robocop 2 was a more action packed oriented without direction rather than the 1st movie while Robocop 3 was an excuse of making a sequel of the sequel) by and I have watched both with dissapointment. And I never thought the movie was written what used to be my favorite comic book writer Frank Miller. Dissapointment it is.

Well, comes the DVD Robocop Trilogy set. And yes, I bought it with curious reasons because its cheap. After viewing the classic, this is one edition that you have to get because you can't find a Director's Cut version of 2 scenes that was editted out because its VERY VIOLENT. Plus the 4 deleted scenes, 3 featurettes, storyboards & more is what gives the classic worth paying for, even though Robocop 2 & 3 suck.

But to buy all 3 together with the price that is given? I'll buy that for a dollar... well, if only it is for a dollar.

Only for the fun of enjoying the cult hit series.

The Robocop Trilogy is FIRST RATE!
Some of the reviews of this film are superb and will tell you why this original directors cut of Robocop is so terrific. The Anamorphic Widescreen is clear, crisp and the sound is perfectly surround.

Robocop 2 is great and satisfying and has great action and truly horrid bad guys.

Robocop 3 is sappy and silly... but it's fun to see as a curiosity just the same... but the real treasure here are the first 2 films and the lush packaging and extras. This is well worth the price. LOVED IT!

ROBO, ROBO, ROBO
The director's cut of Paul Verhoeven's thrillingly original satire Robocop is included in the ROBOCOP TRILOGY (MGM). In Irv Kershner's sequel, the adventures of the cyborg are greatly intensified. Underrated and much criticized upon its theatrical release, this action-filled, morally-centered follow-up tale takes deadly aim at a society that sanctions the drugs and pop culture crap that's aimed at 12 year olds.

The third title in the series no longer stars Peter Weller and is borderline silly with a flying Robocop and none of the fierce satirical force of its predecessors.

Even better than that fantastic Criterion edition
I was skeptical about this when I first saw it at the store, as I already owned the fantastic Criterion edition DVD. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the new MGM unrated version found in the Trilogy boxed set is well worth it. So here is a review for people who already own the Criterion disc and are wondering if they should shell out their hard earned cash for this newer DVD.

Here are the differences I found between the new disc and the Criterion one...

PLUSES:
a.. Anamorphic widescreen. The Criterion disc was not anamorphic. As a result, the picture on the MGM disc is a lot less pixellated than the Criterion one. The color is also more saturated.

b.. New sound mix. The Criterion disc was mixed in Dolby surround. The new mix is in Dolby 5.1, and they obviously had fun remixing it. The surrounds are split and very directional. The sound is really an improvement in every way (see (d)).

c.. It's the same unrated cut that was on the Criterion disc.

d.. They fixed some of the excrutiatingly bad sound edits that were on the Criterion disc. Although Criterion had re-edited the violent footage back into the movie, they neglected to remix the sound for those moments, ie. they didn't remix the sound to blend the new footage. On the new MGM disc, they FINALLY fixed this. Now the new footage sounds like it was SUPPOSED to be there.

e.. As one reviewer mentioned before, the director's commentary on the MGM disc is new and completely different than the one on the Criterion disc (ie. don't throw away your Criterion disc).

f.. We finally have the sequels in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby 5.1. This is a plus or a minus depending on if you enjoy them or not! Although it would have been nice to have a longer version of Robocop 2, as Frank Miller has alluded that huge chunks of that movie were edited out of the final version.

g.. The new MGM version of Robocop also has some good documentaries and other curiosities for you to peruse (only on the unrated cut). These are NOT available on the bare-bones theatrical DVD that MGM has out for individual sale.

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MINUSES:
a.. The picture is a bit darker on the MGM disc than on the Criterion disc.

b.. The director's commentary was recorded when they were watching the theatrical cut of the movie, so it is oddly funny (and a bit distracting) that they will be commenting, "remember how we had to cut out the more violent shot of...." when we at home are actually watching the footage that they are talking about.

c.. If you don't like the sequels, it sucks to be you, because the only way to get the unrated cut of the first movie is to buy the boxed set.

d.. Don't really know if this is a minus or not as I'm not 100% sure what Verhoeven's intention was. The Criterion disc is framed at 1.66:1, and the new MGM disc is framed at 1.85:1. As it is, Criterion tends not to mess around. I'd wager that it's supposed to be projected at 1.66:1. Either way, 1.85:1 still looks pleasing.

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All in all, more pluses than minuses I wager. I found that the new version has everything the Criterion one had, and it presents it in a more pleasing manner (sound, picture, extras, etc..). If you're a fan, I think this would be right up your alley.

Almost CRITERION, almost...
The one thing that doesn't seem to be getting any fanfare, with the new release of this trilogy from MGM, is the fact that the first movie, is in fact, the UNCUT DIRECTOR's CUT, that was presently, till now, only available on the out of print (and pricey) Criterion version of this DVD.

Oddly enough, even the new trilogy packaging and extras, don't go out of their way to press, what you'd think would be a GREAT selling point, almost as if the decision to use the directors cut, was a last minute thing.

Funny enough, even the commentary (which, unfortunately, is NOT the commentary present on the Criterion disc) was made, with the director and crew, watching the theatrical version of the movie, as they keep referring to this fact, and discussing the deleted scenes, EVEN as we, the viewers, are watching the very scenes that they are saying are missing in this version. It also amazes me, as to how they managed to sync up the commentary to the cut film, over top of the uncut film, without any lag or dead spots, where the cut scenes are replaced, but they did it.

One thing that MGM did fail in though, is that they placed back in the cut scenes, but didn't bother to colour correct, or do anything, to make the scenes run seamlessly, as you can always spot the new scenes, by the sudden loss of quality in the picture, which, in itself, is another reason that you'd think that MGM would have indicated that this was the uncut version, and explained (as most movies that add in extra scenes, but don't bother trying to fix them up) that the extra scenes have not been cleaned up, so that the viewer doesn't think that the film has glitches, or that MGM's quality is inconsistent (as the overall picture quality is pretty descent, except for the extra scenes, that is).

Another complaint about the new set, is the stupidly constructed fold out packaging, as it boggles my mind, as to why they couldn't just use the new, slim DVD cases, in the box set slip cover, instead of the "Road Map-like" fold out, that you get.

You technically need a whole kitchen table to open the set up on, just to extract one disc from the set.

BUT, that said, for the money, this set is VERY good, and definitely worth getting.

Or is it just me? :) ... Read more

Amazon.com

San Francisco has been the setting of a lot of exciting movie car chases over the years, but this 1968 police thriller is still the one to beat when it comes to high-octane action on the steep hills of the city by the Bay. The outstanding car chase earned an Oscar for best editing, but the rest of the movie is pretty good, too. Bullitt is a perfect star vehicle for cool guy Steve McQueen, who stars as a tenacious detective (is there any other kind?) determined to track down the killers of the star witness in an important trial. Director Peter Yates (Breaking Away) approached the story with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, using a variety of San Francisco locations. Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Duvall appear in early roles, and Robert Vaughn plays the criminal kingpin who pulls the deadly strings of the tightly wound plot. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (115)

Chases, as they were... Oh, and good style too.
Many people remember this for the ever-famous chase scene, which still is more impressive, and more realistic than most modern chases.However, there is more to the movie then that, although having no stunt doubles for the chase wasn't a bad start.

First of all though the story: McQueen's character is Lieutenant Bullitt, and he is given what seems like a routine protection job of a high-profile witness; however, the witness is shot, and McQueen decides that maybe this is not such a small issue after all.

The story I felt was pretty good, but really the style is where the most effort was put and achieved.For example, the camera shots are used to quite good effect.At the same time though, the "realness" achieved is also pertinent.My only problem, and I promise not to spoil, is that the ending is all too reminiscent of the end of Chinatown (no specifics on how).

Overall though, with nice style as I said, a decent plot, and McQueen, the movie is rather enjoyable.

Excellent and Enjoyable Original Film
Finnaly the most original film bought to a two-disc special edition! Yes I loved this film I saw when I was 4 years old and was fascinated with it! I hope you enjoy this film.

Bullitt is more taciturn than Calvin Coolidge
There's a story about a man who introduced himself to president Calvin Coolidge by telling Coolidge that he had made a bet with a friend that he could get the famously taciturn Coolidge to say more than three words."You lose," replied Coolidge.Steve McQueen has little more dialogue in this visually told police procedural drama.The fact that there isn't alot of stupid chatter makes the movie seem smarter and tighter than it is.I kept thinking I had missed something because the plot didn't make sense too me.I didn't miss anything; the plot doesn't make sense.Which doesn't matter a bit, because Steve McQueen is one of the coolest actors who ever worked in Hollywood and Jacqueline Bisset is a gorgeous girl, and this is a cool movie.

And what a car chase!This clearly is the best car chase ever filmed.Oh, and what muscle cars we had in the late 1960s!Pure, raw power, undamped by catalytic converters or the need for fuel efficiency.This movie, and specifically this car chase (which is the main reason to buy the movie), set the tone for cop movies and TV shows for decades to come.

As car chases go...
I like Bullitt. I even like the quiet times when he is at a restaurant and picking up his girl at her work. I think these touches add to the 'matter-of-fact' attitude prevelant
in the film. I even like the fact they left in the scene where the emt remarks about the ambulance door not being left open
and the 'keep it rolling' attitude of Steve McQueen, as he opens the door and they keep filming.
And while I think the car chase ranks near the top, why do we have to see the same places over and over, but from different vanatge points?I mean, even the skid marks are already there...and what's with the recurring green VW 'Bug'?
Heck, maybe no one really cares.

I especially like the casting of the hit men. Actors not remembered by many. (And Don Gordon, who played Bullitt's partner...) One thing for sure, when they are on the job,
they rule.

After nearly forty years, still powerfully effective
BULLITT is today an easy film to underrate, partly because so many films in the seventies embraced a similar narrative and visual style.This lends the film a sense of familiarity that it didn't have for most viewers in 1968.Instead of a direct, involved form of narrative, the film employs an indirect, detached one.Unlike most film where the action takes place at firsthand, much of the action in this one takes place at secondhand, such as when Bullitt and a hotel employee knock on the door of a room, to cut away to a long shot of his girlfriend sitting in her car, her attention soon called to a police siren and running police officers, letting her and us know that something is amiss.Or the action will often be squeezed to the side, with the screen dominated by something other than the actors, such as the chase near the end on the airport runways, where an airliner will dominate the frame, while one of the actors will be on the periphery.The whole technique is so cool and detached that one expects the Dave Brubeck Quartet to break out at any point.The film is also enhanced visually by a complete lack of dissolves through out.Instead, each shot cuts directly to another, giving the film an almost undefinable crispness.The whole film is, in fact, a technical delight, with everyone trying to remake as many rules as possible.

The film is most famous, of course, for what is quite probably the greatest car chase in movie history.The only other contender for the slot is not quite a car chase, but the car chasing the subway in THE FRENCH CONNECTION, a film that was profoundly influenced by BULLITT in a host of ways.There have been dozens of chase scenes since then that are more spectacular in their stunts and effects, so what makes this one remain so compelling?First, there is the balance to the whole thing.It builds beautifully, first with two hit men in their Dodge Charger trailing Bullitt in his Mustang, then their losing him, only to rediscover him in their rearview mirror.Although they are at this point at normal speeds, the effect if riveting, and when the driver of the charger takes a moment to put on his seatbelt, you know you are in for something special.1968 was before the 1973 oil embargo, so gas efficiency was of secondary concern.Instead, a string of cars were made with power their main concern, and although these were modified automobiles, they nonetheless seem almost alien with their massive engines.But what really makes this car scene extraordinary is the devotion to realism.Most subsequent car chases feature cars vaulting other vehicles, making impossible leaps over bridges, performing astonishing stunts on two wheels or doing an entire rotation, and in every instance landing back on all four wheels with minimal damage.In this scene, they literally wreck the cars.Yeah, they vault over a hill, but when they land, you can feel the shock to the chassis.Also, the speeds are simply incredible.A lot of scenes feature slower cars that they then enhance in the editing room to make them seem faster.There are reports that the two cars in this one often exceeded 110 mph.I don't doubt it for an instance.In defense of other car chases, one reason they have to resort to pyrotechnics and gimmicks and absurd stunts is that in a sense BULLITT took what it was possible to do with two cars chasing each other as far as it could go.Whenever I rewatch this chase scene, I can't help but thinking that I will never see its like again.

This isn't a film that is going to appeal to everyone.Many are going to feel uncomfortable with its detached style, with its refusal to bring all the salient parts of the action to the foreground.But I find its attempt to do something new and original enormously exhilirating.

This is rightfully regarded as one Steven McQueen's best films, if not his best.It is certainly one of the more laconic performances one will see in the genre.Although Clint Eastwood would later travel much of the same ground (literally, since the films were also set in San Franciso in the Dirty Harry movies, both Frank Bullitt and Harry Callahan were loosely based on the same real life detective), nothing like his grimaces or taglines can be found in McQueen's performance.

My one complaint with the film is what I consider to be a rather large hole in the plot.When Bullitt and his partner go to the airport to pull Ross off his flight, only the two of them go.It has always been police procedure to undertake such operations in force.It is simply inconceivable that only two detectives would attempt such an action.They would go in with substantial backup.For me it is one of the only misfires in an otherwise superb film. ... Re