Reviews (136)

From Russia With Love
From Russia With Love is certainly an excellent OO7 film to date and is Connery's third best in my opinion, I like Thunderball and Goldfinger slightly better. The plot is that SPECTRE is bent on getting the LEKTOR, a top-secret decoding device. They plan to offer it to Bond from a young girl. SPECTRE plans then to kill OO7 and take the LEKTOR for themselves. The acting is excellent. sean Connery is in top form as the dashing British agent OO7, and few Bond girls are better than Daniela Binachi's Tatiana Romanavo. Robert Shaw and Lotte Lenya are superb villains, especially Shaw as Rosa Klebb and Donald "Red" Grant. Kerim Bey is wonderful as Pedro Armendariz. The action includes OO7 being chased by a helicopter, the famed "gypsy camp" scene, an incredible and long hand-to-hand fight aboard the Orient Express between Connery and Shaw, and a good boat chase near the end. The gadgets include Bond's attache case, Grant's garoutte wire watch, and Rosa Klebb's switchblade shoes. The script is very good, the cinematography is dark and brooding, and the settings are nice. The only problem is I didn't like the song that much but I loved the score. Overall, everything from the acting to the dark atmosphere, to the good DVD quality make this film a terrific OO7 film and a welcome edition to your DVD library.

Beautiful looking DVD
James Bond is given the opportunity to obtain a Russian Lektor decoding machine but he needs the services of a beautiful Russian defector, Tatiana Romanova (Daniella Bianchi) to help him steal it from the Russian Embassy in Istanbul. The British think it's a trap, but one worth taking as they are desperate to get their hands on the Lektor. It is indeed too easy to be true - but the treachery and manipulation comes not from the Russians, but from a totally unexpected quarter.

The story may appear simplistic but if you let your concentration lapse you'll miss key information to understanding the plot. Because there is more dialogue it helps to own this movie so you can watch it again. Everything becomes much clearer after a repeat viewing. This was the first 007 DVD I bought because it's one of my favourite Connery Bonds. It features ice-cold assassin Red Grant (Robert Shaw), and one of the best bond girls ever ('James, will you make love to make all the time in England?'). Pedro Armendáriz fits the role of 007's ally Kerim Bey very nicely.

From Russia With Love doesn't overwelm you with a main villain's secret fortress blowing to pieces, nor does it have a heart-pounding car chase scene. The real action is between the characters and within the story.

This series deserved better.
It is hard to imagine that only the 2nd 007 flick would be one of the worst, but this one is just so horrible! The romance plot is laughable and badly acted, Connery and Bianchi don't even have any chemistry. A ton of scenes in the film don't make any sense either--- the gypsy camp sequence for instance. It has NOTHING to do with the plot, yet a good deal of the film is spent here. It's almost as if the filmakers had 2 scripts, couldn't decide between the two, and just used them both, resulting in one huge convoluted mess. Perhaps this was because they were trying to get the movie out in only a year after Dr. No came out. A shame--- had they given FRWL more time and not rushed it, it could have been something really good.

the second young bond and the best of them all
fighting gypsies (one of whom is the delectable martine beswick) in scantily clad clothes, a beefcake blonde assassin robert shaw, a killer old hag with poisioned shoes, the most beautiful blonde imaginable wearing a choker, and connery's ultra cool bond non chalantly smoking his way through half the fim.
what more can you ask from terence youngs second bond flick and the best bond of them all.
from russia with love.

Number 2 yet full of firsts
The second installment of James Bonds adventures starts with the post gunbarrel pre-title chapter which in this movie sees an expert assasin take out what appears to be our intrepid agent untill it is revealed that it is a stage set up.

Q makes an apperance with the first of many gadgets that Bond will call on during his lifetime. We also get to see his Bentley before it's famous replacement in the next film. The three modes of transport (air,sea,rail) and exotic locations are to the fore and of course, the Bond Girl, this time Lotte Lyna. ... Read more

Reviews (59)

BRONSON IS KERSEY IN THE THIRD EXCITING ACTION-THRILLER!
You've got to give Michael Winner some credit. Critics may lambast his movies often enough, and sometimes with good reason, but at least they can be entertaining, especially the action pics that he did with Charles Bronson. DEATH WISH was a landmark box office hit, a taut thriller inspired to some extent by the firearm tactics of DIRTY HARRY and 7 years later, it spawned a sequel. As Bronson never tracked down the creeps who raped his daughter and killed his wife in DW1, in DW2, he actually does manage to nail the freaks who attack his daughter and housekeeper. DW3, for me, is a perfect end to the trilogy of Michael Winner vigilante flicks (although there were 2 more Death Wishes, albeit under different directors). As always, Chuck is taciturn as Paul Kersey, who kills more people than ever and weaselly character actor, Ed Lauter is fine as the lieutenant who wants to use Kersey to sort out a neighbourhood, and ultimately helps him clear the trash. A film like this is best expected as a fantasy. There's plenty of great action sequences such as the final battle on the streets when Kersey runs around mowing down his enemies, using machine guns, bazookas and a 'Wildey' Magnum handgun, and the bit when chief villain, Manny Fraker and his cronies chase him through the night. As a long-time Led Zep fan, I love Jimmy Page's heavy metal score and it's great to see an old 'grandad' buzz round the streets and blow away guys half his age!

CHARLIE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AT NUMBER 2
having just watched this movie on TV the other night, and its upcoming release on DVD, prompted me to review this movie. And believe me it was not easy. On one hand, it's just a terrible movie.

Terrible plot, worse performances, characters that have no depth whatsoever, bad dialog, over the top violence... the list goes on and on. But if you can go into it without remotely taking it seriously, it's not too bad.

Bronson plays vigilante Paul Kersey, this time back in New York to take care of a friends affairs who was killed. The local police Captain knows full well who Kersey is, but rather than lock him up for his past crimes, he encourages him to go back to his vigilante ways, working for the police.

Kersey stays at his friends apartment building which is in a New York neighborhood that looks like something out of the post-apocyliptic future. Buidling are bombed out, trash is all around, and a ruthless street gang, painted it up with different color crayons, rules the streets.

Not much to guess here, Bronson is out to protect the neighborhoods residents and get the bad guys at all costs.

The movie is mind-numbingly stupid. The last 20 minutes or so is an all out battle with Kersey leading the residents against hundreds of gang members. One resident is armed with only a homemade zip gun. At one point he proclaims he has to go back and get more ammo. Evidently he doesn't notice the dozens of bodies of gang members lying around still clutching assault rifles.

Earlier on, Kersey not only mails away for a HUGE handgun, but also a rocket launcher!!! A freaking Rocket launcher...that Kersey picks up in a plain brown wrapper. Brilliant.

The end has Bronson blowing away the gang leader with that very rocket launcher, right out of his apratment wall. The leaders girlfriend, down on the street screams!!! Evidently she knows that was HER boyfriend, even though theres not enough of him left to even sweep up.

At that point, the gang just gives up. Ughhh.

Hey, just think of this as a live action cartoon.

Cinematic Perfection
Ah, Death Wish 3! A larger body count than John Woo's "Hard Boiled" and perhaps the funniest movie ever made! "You don't really like opera...do you?" Bronson replies like a teddy bear: "No." What a crazy soundtrack by Jimmy Page...that crazy synth sound when Bronson pays in cash! And count all the times characters say "creep(s)" or "sonofab***h". For so many reasons, this is a movie that belongs in any person's vido library. It would have been nice if it got the Criterion Collection treatment...but hey, it's still great for the price. Having the DVD is nice because you can put the burning people and/or people jumping (or falling) from burning buildings on slow motion. And you notice things like the creep prancing around with a plunger! Just buy the darn film...it doesn't get better than this: "Chicken's good. I like chicken." Totally Gonzo; totally Bronson!

THE MOST ENTERTAINING DEATH WISH
DEATH WISH WAS A CLASSIC. THE OTHER SEQUELS WERE ALL VERY WATCHABLE. DEATH WISH 3, HOWEVER, IS THE MOST ENTERTAINING OF THEM ALL. INCREDIBLE! FUNNY AND ACTION PACKED FROM START TO FINISH! I'LL NEVER GET OVER THE GIGGLER'S DEMISE!

Bronson Kicks some Honey Buns
When the odds are against you, you can count on one man: Charles Bronson. Of the five 'Death Wish" movies I like this one the most. Bronson cleans up the neighborhood when some "creeps" decide to pick on our senior citizens. Yoy really have to like this outing. ... Read more

Reviews (416)

The League of Extrodinary Gentlemen
A horribly burned madman, known as the Phantom/Fantom, is making very powerful weapons, is creating a world war and worst of all, it's not even the 20th Century yet! To combat this Phantom of the Opera wacko, "M"(Richard Roxburgh) has recruited 7 literary characters, each with their own special abilities and talents, to stop this madman. This team, which includes the Hunter Allan Quartermain(Sean Connery), the Rouge Rodney Skinner aka Invisible Man(Tony Curran), the Scientist Captain Nemo(Naseeruddin Shah), the Vampire Mina Harker(Peta Wilson), the Immortal Dorian Gray(Stuart Townsend), the Spy Tom Sawyer(Shane West), and the Beast Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde(Jason Flemyng and ugly CGI). Together, they form the League of Extrodinary Gentlemen.

This looked like a really fun movie. But in the end, it could of been done better. Now, I'm not very familiar with the comic book so I don't know how true this is to the material, but this film's weakest points are the script, which is terribly silly and pointless, and the horrible special effects. The action scenes were clumsy and you don't find any big suprises out of this film.

The actors range from good to bad. Sean Connery's a great actor, but he's just not believable as Quartermain because of his age. He seems too old to be able to do the physical things he can. Tony Curran is never given a chance to make us like his character. Skinner's a jerk most of the time and going back and forth between an actor in makeup and CGI effects is tedious. Naseeruddin Shah, as Captain Nemo, is fun to watch, but his fighting abilities seem a little hard to swallow. He's one of the better characters in the film. Peta Wilson does a fine job as Mina Harker. Her character is one you're really able to like. Stuart Townsend is great as Dorian Gray. He pulls the role off very well and has some pretty good lines. Shane West is good enough to make us like Tom Sawyer. He's got some really cool moments. Jason Flemyng is perfect as Dr.Jekyll, though the Hyde character looks really stupid(Facial expressions and deformations all over him.)

Overall, I'd say see it at least once. You might like it, you might hate it. Decide for yourself.

OK for hard core Connery Fans only!
No matter how many average, weird, or downright awful movies Sean Connery makes, he'll always command an audience. In this film, Connery plays a retired British explorer roped into preventing WW I by leading a team of misfits in a vaguely Bondian adventurer. As a nice twist, most of the misfits consist of 19th Century British villains such as Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man, and Captain Nemo. Of course, no one bothers to explain why such villains would agree to unite for any cause other than, well, villainy. The film is comic book-y in a bad way, with ridiculous dialogue and a poor sense of continuity, and the effects are frequently unintentionally funny, especially Mr. Hyde's appearance. Connery makes the film work as a throwaway action film, but it's clear from the extras that the cast and some of the crew were deluded into thinking this was something more. Not surprisingly, this movie plays much better on DVD than it did in the theaters. If you're a die-hard Connery fan, you'll like this one. If not, and you want to see Connery at his best, you'd be better off with Goldfinger.

not terrible - it's fun
You probably know that LXG has the Invisible Man, Alan Quatermain, Captain Nemo and company in it. You can read the good and bad reviews. I haven't anything to report other than that I enjoyed it and LXG doesn't deserve it's bad rep.

LXG is GREAT!
I love LXG! It's cartoony and action packed and has so many of my favorite fictional characters in it. Most importantly it's got Peta Wilson in a perfect role for her. Ultra-sexy Peta is one hot vampire chick! The reviewer who said she didn't do any vampire stuff must not have really seen the flick. She drinks human blood! What more do you want dude? She flies and turns into bats too! That's not vampire stuff? Stop smokin' and WATCH THE MOVIE!
Don't let bad reviews written by people who didn't see LXG turn you away. It may not be your thing or it might be. I had a ball watching LXG. Give it a go, have some fun with it, enjoy the characters, watch Peta do vampire stuff,.. and hell just watch Peta! She's HOT!

One very poorly polished turd...
Everyone I know who's seen this film, myself included, hated it!! It's an interesting concept, but none of the actors really shine here and the look of certain things, such as the ship, are totally overdone and stupid looking. You'd think a movie with a vampire chick in it would be good, but she doesn't do any vampire-like things. I appoligize if anyone "doesn't find this review helpful," but seriously, I TRIED trading this DVD in to a local DVD store and they turned me away. This is no lie, they had 17 used and unsold copies already. Please don't waste your time on this flick. ... Read more

Description

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

Reviews (125)

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (48)

Over the Top and down to the bottom
Over the top and down to the bottom of the movie list this lousy film belongs.One of the great bad films of the 80's !

yeah right
remember in the movie hawk declined $250000 or something like that when mike's granddaddy offered him to take the money plus truck and leave to start a new life, when hawk declined i lost interest in this movie, because no person in his right mind would deny it, at least in this country. the only thing that talks in america - you guessed right money. i would take it and have a nice day mike, hahahaha, better is to kiss up with grandfather and live off his income then to drive stinking truck day and night.i mean guy owns 747 plain and each time its over 10 miles long he flies it.hawk is an idiot, with father in law like that you can go places. i would be living in his house eat, sleep, work out, drive a ferrari, go to europe and let him take care of my son. now how bad could it be, let granddaddy handle the spoiled brat.and after grandaddy is old he would leave it all to me or my son who would think that i love him so much. oh boy life in luxury. hey don't fool yourself you would do the same, because if not you are not teh true american as i'm.

"OVER THE TOP"
I've been a big Stallone fan since "The Lords Of Flatbush"He is a definite icon to be admired and ranks highly with Hollywood stars past and present.This film is one of my big favorites.A Stallone classic.Keep more like it coming.May Sly's star never fade.

Stallone's Best Movie Ever
I have to agree with everyone. This is Sylvester Stallone's best movie. I grew up watching the Rocky movies and the REambo movies but when I saw this on network television I was absolutely blown away by the fact that Stallone could really act if he were given the chance. This movie showcases some of his best acting that his earlier films didn't show.

Now that this movie is finally coming out on DVD I would recommend this movie to everyone out there. There is nothing out there which would delegate this movie to a certain age restriction as it ranks on my list as one of the top ten family movies. It'll move your heart and cause you to think and care for the characters in this movie. It even had one of the best movies to come out of Hollywood in a long time.

Over The Top
I have always thought that this was Stallones best movie.All of his other movies he plays a tough macho guy. In this movie he displays emotions that cause this to be one of his best movies.My father never liked him, but when he saw this movie he said that Stallone really impressed him.Stallone plays a down to earth trucker who had married into wealth.Him and his wife got a divorce and his son was sent to a military school.His wife is in the hospital about to die and she wants Stallone and her son to get to know each other.Of course the boy starts off being a smart a** brat who hates his father due to the brain washing of his grandfather.But by the end of the movie the son (as well as other fans of Stallone) come to love him.Stallone shows the caring side that he don't display in other movies.Awesome movie and I am glad that it is finally coming out on DVD.Well worth the watch and adding to your collections ... Read more

Description

A highly decorated, retired U.S. Marine general (Ed Harris) seizes a stockpile of chemical weapons and takes over Alcatraz, with 81 tourists as hostages on the San Francisco Bay isle. His demand: Restitution to families of soldiers who died in covert operations. The response: An elite Navy SEAL team, with support from an FBI chemical-warfare expert (Nicolas Cage) and a former Alcatraz escapee (Sean Connery), is assembled to penetrate the terrorists' defenses on the island and neutralize the threat before time runs out. The result: A fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller with a first-rate cast, directed by Michael Bay and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry bruckheimer. ... Read more

Reviews (256)

Break into "The Rock"
...But be sure the neighbors aren't home! This DVD (with the possible exception of "Apollo 13") has been the closest thing to the movie theater experience in the genre. My home theater system was BOOMING. A great digital transfer complements and showcases this action thriller.

You've read the synopsis so I won't bore you with my critique of the screenplay and acting. However, superb casting, a twinge of reality play by Nick Cage, a captivating Ed Harris and the evergreen suave presence of Sean Connery carries the cookie-cutter script playfully and effectively.

I came short of giving the film five stars only because of the "Die Hard" formulaic aspect of the film; a collection of hostages, weapons-savvy terrorists and the everyday Joe who saves the day. Otherwise, the movie is chock-full of memorable special effects, one-liners (Connery's annecdote of the "prom queen" is spectacular) and Director Michael Bay's talented use of atmosphere to tell the story. All of these aspects make "The Rock" a welcome addition to my DVD library.

Get Ready to Rock
Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage face incredible odds in the action-packed hit "The Rock". A rogue US general and his team seize control of Alcatraz and threaten the city of San Francisco with poison gas rockets. Now the lives of millions rest in the hands of a FBI chemical weapons specialist (Nicolas Cage) and a former Alcatraz escapee (Sean Connery). "The Rock" is a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat spectacle from start to finish. Director Michael Bay has gain success with such films as "Armageddon" and "Bad Boys" but "The Rock" still remains as the director's finest work. Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage have great onscreen chemistry and further drive the film's story. Director Michael Bay stages amazing action sequences including a fierce car chase within the streets of San Francisco.

If you weren't impress with the previous release then upgrade to "The Rock - Criterion Collection". The movie is presented in enhanced widescreen format. The DVD contains a stunning and flawless picture quality with vibrant color and sharpness. The Dolby Digital sound is certainly impressive and offers more aggresive surround effects than the DTS audio track. This 2-Disc Criterion Edition features audio commentaries by cast and crew, FX and action scenes featurettes, outtakes, trailers and the movie's premiere on Alcatraz. "The Rock" is non-stop fun and this Criterion Collection DVD earns an "A".

excellent film with great extra features
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

In this director approved Criterion Collection release, we are treated to some excellent materials.

The film follows the story of Francis Hummel (Ed Harris), a retired marine who takes hostages on Alcatraz island. His demand is that the families of soldiers killed in covert operations be given compensation. He treatens to launch VX nerve gas into the city of San Francisco if his demands are not met. A navy SEAL team is sent in to neutralize the threat. Helping out is Stanley Goodspeed (Nicholas Cage), a chemical weapons expert, and John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), the only man to have escaped from Alcatraz.

The film has great acting and there are some good laughs in the film also. There are many action packed scenes including a car chase through the streets of San Francisco and the cars are often airborne when they go on the hills.

The Criterion DVD has many special features and is on a deouble disc set.

Disc 1 contains the movie with optional audio commentary by Director Michael Bay, Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Technical advisor Harry Humphries, and actors Nicholas Cage and Ed Harris.

Disc 2 contains a theatrical trailer and TV spots, a video interview with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a blooper reel, a special about the film's premiere on Alcatraz, scenes from a TV special "Secrets of Alcatraz" that contains interviews with actual former inmates and a history of the island from Native American times to modern times.

There is a special "Dos and Don'ts of Hollywood Gunplay" with the film's technical advisor Harry Humpries and Marshall Teague. This specail contains depictions of errors made in action films regarding the use of guns it emphasises saftey and common mistakes including gun drawing techniques that don't "work" such as the "gangster grab" or the "wyatt earp pull".

There are also 2 features on the films special effects. One is on the dive sequence and the other is on other effects, like the cable car crash. There are also storyboards, production stills and drawings.

This is a must biy for fans of the movie as well a fans of the Criterion Collection.

Fun film, but why on Criterion?
The Michael Bay - Jerry Bruckheimer formula, like that for the James Bond films, is pretty well set: lots of stuff blowing up, lots of bodies flying through the air, a cast dominated by strong male leads, women are very secondary, a very dramatic music score, lots of foul language and a very right of center political outlook (the military are always the heroes and anyone who questions the heroes' judgment are pansies or some other leftwing radical type). However, the James Bond films always had a sly sense of humor about themselves. Bond might save the American Space program, Fort Knox, Miami and the planet Earth, but there was always an underlying message: This is just for fun folks. The Bay-Bruckheimer films, however, have the delusion that they're actually fighting the battles depicted on screen. There's a lot of overwrought music, emotional scenes between the characters and slow motion closups of the hero(es) walking or running towards their battle with evil. The Rock, in this way, is no different. A team of marines, led by General Frank Hummell (Ed Harris) and disgusted with the way the U.S. Government has neglected the families of those soldiers killed in illegal missions abroad, has taken 81 hostages on Alcatraz, threatening to lauch nerve gas rockets into San Francisco unless reparations are paid to those soldiers' survivors. Heavy, heavy stuff.
However, injected into this serious mix is none other than the best James Bond himself -- Sean Connery. Even in the more serious early Bonds, Connery always managed to convey to the audience that they were supposed to have fun during these films. Bruckheimer and Bay do their best to elevate what is essentially Saturday morning action serial material into Wagnerian opera. But there is Connery, putting all the action into perspective by not taking anyting too seriously and grounding the material by recognizing what it really is: sheer entertainment.

Bay, Bruckheimer and company keep trying to push the fact that Ed Harris' desperate General Hummell is a man of honor, a real hero, etc., etc. Anyone who questions his judgment, like the hapless, simpering Presidential Chief of Staff at the first briefing scene, is shot down as a liberal wimp who would never make the sacrifices that Harris' character made for America and should shut up before one of the real men in the room shoot him (I wonder what George McGovern, Daniel Inouye and other liberals who fought for and were decorated for fighting for their country think of this kind of portrayal). Never mind that the General threatens to kill thousands of San Franciscans with nerve gas. Bay-Bruckheimer have stacked the deck by having the great Ed Harris play General Hummell, giving the character an inherent integrity that can't help but make him sympathetic. Fox News isn't this slanted.

In walks Connery who, in his big confrontation scene with Harris, gets right to the heart of the matter in a few lines. He correctly says that he doesn't see how "you cherish the memory of the dead by killing another million" and sums up Hummell's actions as "an act of lunacy." In one fell swoop, Connery slaps the collective message of the film across the face and shows that terrorism is terrorism, no matter if it's done by decorated U.S. soldiers with a legitimate gripe against the government. It's fairly certain that Connery, an executive producer of the film, purposely torpedoed Bay-Bruckheimer's testosterone toned view of the world.

In The Rock, Connery proves, once again, that an actor with a strong enough presence and a large amount of talent doesn't need to scream and shout to give a great performance. Nicholas Cage, Connery's co-star, bellows and shouts like he's on fire most of the film ("How, in Zeus' BUTTHOLE did you get out of your cell?!?!?!?!?!?" -- god, give it a rest, Nick!). Cage certainly isn't alone -- the rest of the cast buys into Bay-Bruckheimer's "this film is the most important thing you'll ever watch" mentality. However, Sean Connery, with his charm, wit and grace, throws a bucket of cold water over the entire proceedings and reminds everyone that the film is what it is and nothing more: a technically superb action film that exists merely to entertain ... period.

A final note: Criterion has always produced the finest quality DVD's loaded with many, many interesting extras. Most of the films Criterion has released are classics: Notorious, Roshamon, Ikiru, Yojimbo, Charade, Rebecca, etc. I enjoyed The Rock, but why did Criterion deem it good enough to rank with the other films they've released on DVD? Criterion has been selective in its releases and The Rock lowers the bar.

Connery Elevates the Entire Film
The Michael Bay - Jerry Bruckheimer formula, like that for the James Bond films, is pretty well set: lots of stuff blowing up, lots of bodies flying through the air, a cast dominated by strong male leads, women are very secondary, a very dramatic music score, lots of foul language and a very right of center political outlook (the military are always the heroes and anyone who questions the heroes' judgment are pansies or some other leftwing radical type). However, the James Bond films always had a sly sense of humor about themselves. Bond might save the American Space program, Fort Knox, Miami and the planet Earth, but there was always an underlying message: This is just for fun folks. The Bay-Bruckheimer films, however, have the delusion that they're actually fighting the battles depicted on screen. There's a lot of overwrought music, emotional scenes between the characters and slow motion closups of the hero(es) walking or running towards their battle with evil. The Rock, in this way, is no different. A team of marines, led by General Frank Hummell (Ed Harris) and disgusted with the way the U.S. Government has neglected the families of those soldiers killed in illegal missions abroad, has taken 81 hostages on Alcatraz, threatening to lauch nerve gas rockets into San Francisco unless reparations are paid to those soldiers' survivors. Heavy, heavy stuff.

However, injected into this serious mix is none other than the best James Bond himself -- Sean Connery. Even in the more serious early Bonds, Connery always managed to convey to the audience that they were supposed to have fun during these films. Bruckheimer and Bay do their best to elevate what is essentially Saturday morning action serial material into Wagnerian opera. But there is Connery, putting all the action into perspective by not taking anyting too seriously and grounding the material by recognizing what it really is: sheer entertainment.

Bay, Bruckheimer and company keep trying to push the fact that Ed Harris' desperate General Hummell is a man of honor, a real hero, etc., etc. Anyone who questions his judgment, like the hapless, simpering Presidential Chief of Staff at the first briefing scene, is shot down as a liberal wimp who would never make the sacrifices that Harris' character made for America and should shut up before one of the real men in the room shoot him (I wonder what George McGovern, Daniel Inouye and other liberals who fought for and were decorated for fighting for their country think of this kind of portrayal). Never mind that the General threatens to kill thousands of San Franciscans with nerve gas. Bay-Bruckheimer have stacked the deck by having the great Ed Harris play General Hummell, giving the character an inherent integrity that can't help but make him sympathetic. Fox News isn't this slanted.

In walks Connery who, in his big confrontation scene with Harris, gets right to the heart of the matter in a few lines. He correctly says that he doesn't see how "you cherish the memory of the dead by killing another million" and sums up Hummell's actions as "an act of lunacy." In one fell swoop, Connery slaps the collective message of the film across the face and shows that terrorism is terrorism, no matter if it's done by decorated U.S. soldiers with a legitimate gripe against the government. It's fairly certain that Connery, an executive producer of the film, purposely torpedoed Bay-Bruckheimer's testosterone toned view of the world.

In The Rock, Connery proves, once again, that an actor with a strong enough presence and a large amount of talent doesn't need to scream and shout to give a great performance. Nicholas Cage, Connery's co-star, bellows and shouts like he's on fire most of the film ("How, in Zeus' BUTTHOLE did you get out of your cell?!?!?!?!?!?" -- god, give it a rest, Nick!). Cage certainly isn't alone -- the rest of the cast buys into Bay-Bruckheimer's "this film is the most important thing you'll ever watch" mentality. However, Sean Connery, with his charm, wit and grace, throws a bucket of cold water over the entire proceedings and reminds everyone that the film is what it is and nothing more: a technically superb action film that exists merely to entertain ... period. ... Read more

Reviews (535)

THE GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME
I LOVE THIS MOVIE. It is si-fi action film which is made perfectly. The cast is amazing with my favorite actor, Bruce Willis who does a good job. Please buy this and enjoy it as much as I do!

Awful crap
We can't believe this load of crap was called Star Wars for the ninties! Three of us were watching it. One fell asleep as the other two watched a ridiculous plot with annoying as hell characters unfold. If you have insomnia, this movie is recommended but if you vomit frequently, don't watch it!

Great.
This movie is a great furturistic fantasy style movie in which a cab driver played by Bruce Willis has to save the world from the evil, Darkness. This movie has great special effects such as when driving through the city, where I think Star Wars Episode 2 stole the idea. It has a good story but as usual it always ends good. The acting was superb. I still don't know why no one went to go see this when it came out. I guess it was ahead of its time. This is a fabulous movie, Don't miss out.

"The Fifth Element"
The Fifth Element (PG-13) ****/5
Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Chris Tucker, Milla Jovovich.
Directed by: Luc Besson.
Synopsis: A "perfect being" and a taxi driver must save the galaxy from evil.
Special Features: Widescreen and Fullscreen Versions of the Film.
Review: A perfect being (Jovovich) crashes on Earth and must prevent evil from destroying it. She gets help from a cab driver (Willis), and a priest (Holm). Bad guy Gary Oldman proceeds to help the evil attempt to destroy the galaxy for some unknown reason. To be honest I did not understand this film really. I got the basic plot, but it's a bit goofy. Do I care? No not really this was one of the most enjoyable times I had at the movies, and I have no idea why. Willis gives a fun performance, Jovovich is terrific as Leeloo, Ian Holm gets the job done splendidly as usual, and Oldman is one of the best bad guys going. Luc Besson injects this film with energy, and a fantastic futuristic vision. As for the DVD? Weak buy the Superbit disc instead.

This Movie is Art
This movie is a "forty-timer," that is a movie I have watched over and over and still marvel at it. Not only is it a terrific story, fun and and fast paced, but the film is shot and edited with stunning perfection. The ONLY complaint I have about the DVD is there are no extra features. I want to see the "Making of" and hear comments by the director and the stars. There are so many little details and artistic touches to this movie that I don't believe I will ever catch them all. Better yet, I won't get tired of looking as I view this movie time and again. A+++ ... Read more

Amazon.com

One can always count on Steven Seagal to act as the repository of yesterday's action-film clichés, and Exit Wounds is yet another case in point. Seagal plays Detroit cop Orin Boyd, a lone wolf lawman who gets in the middle of his precinct's losing battle against police corruption. Taking on a powerful but crooked cop named Montini (David Vadim)--who is busy making deals with a rich gangster (DMX)--Boyd soon sends fists and feet flying while Tom Arnold provides the comic relief. Director Andrzej Bartkowiak surely had less fun guiding Seagal through slow-motion fight sequences than he did Jet Li in Romeo Must Die, but as compensation he gets to work with the mesmerizing DMX, who looks as though he has leading-man possibilities. Plenty of gratuitous gore, awful cop banter, and miles of cleavage courtesy of Jill Hennessy, who plays Boyd's tough-as-nails boss. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (108)

The best movie of 2001!
I saw the movie, then got the DVD to watch the Making Of and it was terrific. Steven Seagal reappears after taking a short break in this action packed flick with DMX, Michael Jai White (Spawn), Tom Arnold, Isaiah Washington and Anthony Anderson, who was the life of this movie. Anthony was funny, in fact I think he was the glue that kept the film and characters together.
Summary: Orin Boyd (Steven Seagal) hits rock bottom when he gets thrown out of his precinct 21 and into the worst precinct called 15. He starts off bad and gets worse making enemies from Commander Mulcahy (Jill Hennessy) all the way to the mens locker room and his nightmare begins when he busts an undercover cop called Montini and gets demoted to traffic and ends up in a rage management class where he meets Henry Wayne (Tom Arnold)a TV host, who is really annoying! (Tom was great for the part!)

So whilst all his is happening Latrell Walker (DMX) sets up another meeting with Montini to buy up alot of drugs only Latrell doesn't appear to be who he says he is. When Orin catches up with the help of his new partner George (Isaiah Washington) and Henry he learns that there are some dirty cops up to no good and he seems to be the right guy to stop them. The action scenes and stunts were terrific and I really expected something to happen between Mulcahy and Orin, but watch the movie and find out why nothing happens. Terrific all around, I wonder if they are thinking of a sequel... The title of the movie has absolutely NOTHING to do with the film and the DVD is worth the buy instead of the vhs to see the Making of and an interview with Anthony Anderson.

Once again, Tom Arnold provides comic relief.
I have to admit, I was half looking forward to this, and half not. Steven Seagal doesn't really do anything for me - whereas DMX does. Plus, Steven really annoys me, as he tends to speak really quietly, in a monotone voice, so you turn up the sound to hear exactly what he's saying - and then you have to quickly turn it down as guns start shooting, etc.

Once again, he plays a character that starts investigating things that he's never really been assigned too, and no one can stop him sticking his nose in, cos he's so threatening. He looks like a big softie, quite literally. Teamed up with a cop who can't decide whether he's good or bad - and is the first to befriend him in the new precinct - is really predictable.

What is the good thing about this movie? (Apart from DMX obviously) That a lot of the characters are from Cradle 2 The Grave - but without Steven Seagal. You've got DMX (he was better in Cradle 2 The Grave), Anthony Anderson, Tom Arnold, and probably a couple of others.

The whole story is about good cops/bad cops. And which one DMX fits into, is never really explained. (Although he's not a cop) You can never decide whether he's on the good side or the bad side.

The extras are pretty sparse on the DVD. You've got a behind the scenes tour thing with Anthony Anderson, a trailer (whoopee!), and a music video. The music video was quite impressive and surprising! DMX has 'covered' (and when I say covered, I mean sings the chorus, and then raps right the way through it) "Ain't No Sunshine", originally done by Bill Withers, and infamously known in the Notting Hill movie. While it's a good version, it's not really DMX to be covering or sampling such a song, that's so well known in another movie.

The same as at the end of Cradle 2 The Grave, Tom Arnold and Anthony Anderson, have this little scene all to themselves, which is apparently ad-libbed. (Whatever). However, it's not as funny as their scene in Cradle 2 The Grave, and gets tedious after a while.

So I've given this movie a pretty good rating, haven't I? So I've now seen two Steven Seagal movies, and I own one of them. D'ya think I can get a break? I own one, that's enough for me!

Not a thinking man's movie, but that's ok
Ok guys, for all those who thinks "Exit Wounds" is a bad movie, here's the deal; it stars Steven Seagal, you know what you're getting your self into. Why is everyone so down on this movie? Is it the "Godfather"? No. It is what it is; it aims low, but it hit's it's target. Seagal plays Detriot police officer Boyd who is transfered into a new department rife with police corruption. And so a couple of broken wrists later, Seagal is in the middle of cops he can't trust and gangsters with deeper motives. This is Seagal's best movie in a long (LONG) time. He has lost a few pounds (though he still looks pretty hefty) and quit wearing the East Asian wardrobe, which was a step in the right diection. Another right move was casting DMX. I am not a fan of his rap music, but he certainly has charisma here. I was duely impressed. Jill Hennessy is around as Boyd's commanding officer. Hennessy is a good actress (look at "Law and Order" or "Crossing Jordon"), but unfortunately she isn't givin a lot to do here; just look pretty so Seagal can gawk at her. One other note worthy cast member is Tom Arnold. Thankfully he is not on screen that much, so he dosn't have time to wear his welcome out. His talk show material during the ending credits is funny, maybe; depending on your sense of humor he may be hit and miss. The action scenes are fast, exciting, and brutial; lots of gun shot wounds (hense the title) and bone crunching martial arts moves. A word on the fighting choreography; it seems a little fake to me; too much slow motion for my taste. Like I said, it isn't high art, but it is fast paced action thriller with lots of cool fights and lots of testostorone.

Exit Wounds
This is not the typical Steven Seagal film. His fighting style is different. Recall the fights when Seagal simply broke an arm and the fight was over? In "Exit Wounds," the fights last longer. The action sequences are similar to what you'd expect in a John Woo film. DMX does a decent job of acting though none of his scenes were taxing on his acting abilities. There's plenty of action. It's funny and it's a fun film.

Simply The Best
Exit Wounds is simply one of the best Seagal movies of all time. Far better than Half Past Dead. DMX shocked me with his acting in this movie. There is a great plot that will leave you shocked at the outcome. DMX is also played as a "good guy" in this movie. There are also some parts that are fricken hilarious such as the seen when the fat guy steals Steven Seagals grill. This movie is a must see. ... Read more

Reviews (559)

Violent as an art form
I was hooked to John Woo's productions since I was a teenager in Asia. His productions were always stylish despite limited budget compared with what he's doing now in Hollywood. Storylines are always kept super simple so that viewers are enticed to enjoy the rest of the movie. Then, I wondered if there were a day when John Woo would leave his trademark in Hollywood & boy, didn't he start with a big bang? MI2 is every bit a John Woo's movie. Having said that, he's more restrained in using those slow motion scenes which he tended to overkill in his previous productions such as Face Off & Hard Target. The perfectly choreographed fighting scenes reminiscened of Asian gangster movies with plenty of somesaults, kicking, fists in the air, gun fights which never seemed to be running out of ammunitions were first rate. If you have seen Replacement Killers by Chow Yuen Fatt, the viewers would know what I mean. The chemistry between Thandie Newton & Tom Cruise was accentuated with the ingenious cinematography of their first encounter in a function amid the commotion of Flamenco dancers with their rhythmic tap dancing, & clapping. Talking about passion! Then, there's the memorable car chases between them in a Porsche 996 Carbriolet & Audi TT. Wow!! Anyway, what made John Woo's movies memorable must be the plot which the hero has to sacrifice himself to save another, or vice versa. In that sense, we really feel for the characters. Moreover, there's always the final confrontation between the ultimate good guy, & the ultimate bad guy. No interruption but fight to the death between two worthy contenders. Smooth!! Remind you of Nicholas Cage & John Trovolta in Face Off in the final slug after the boat crush? Watch out for the bike chase sequence which bettered or matched the car chase sequence in Gone in 60 Seconds. What shouldn't be overlooked is the bolsterous soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer which seemed to bring the movie to a higher level. Hans' contributions in previous blockbusters such as Backdraft and The Rock have proven my point. In addition, there's cameo appearance by Sir Anthony Hopkins (short but memorable) & commendable peformances by Tom's funny but competent side kicks such as Ving Rhames (who only got mad at the baddies after they put a hole through his Versace jacket!) & John Polson (Aussie block to the bone with much usage of "mate" in his vocabulary). This production is definitely first class & slick. Critics can say whatever they want about MI2 being a no brainer but hey, for its entertainment value, it's definitely one of the best action movie for Year 2000. I can't wait for the sequel. Can this mean that this is a threat to 007 franchise? Highly recommended for first timer or repeat viewing. Sydney is definitely coming of age as the Hollywood of the Southern Hemisphere as it has proven in the Matrix, this movie, & the up & coming Star Wars prequel. Good on you, mate!! For viewers who are interested in John Woo's previous works, A Better Tomorrow (with 3 sequels) starring Chow Yuen Fatt is regarded as a classics in Asia. Don't miss them.

Mission:Very Possible
M:I2 is to say the least a vast improvement over the original 1996 movie. Tom Cruise returns as secret agent Ethan Hunt, a spy that even James Bond would like to have as his partner. The films' opening sequence is to say the least, breathtaking, as Hunt climbs on top of a mountain to receive his new assignment. From this point the action begins.John Woo, as usual, employs his slow motion action sequences, those which are similar to his 1997 classic "Face Off", starring John Travolta and Nick Cage. The Dolby Digital soundtrack will knock your ear drums, to say the least your stereo system will receive a good workout. Although there are some scenes which could have been left on the editing room floor, such as the sappy love scenes, which really des not belong in this kind of movie. Watch for an exciting chase sequence near the film's conclusion involving motorcycles, which takes the film to a new level.In conclusion the film earns four stars for its' clever action sequences and a plot which is easy to swallow, considering the near IMPOSSIBLE to follow plot of the original. Remember, this was the #1 money maker of 2000. Needless to say a dissapointing year at the movies. Where is Star Wars when you need it

Mission Failure
Despite a few problems, I still liked the first Mission Impossible movie very much. It's too bad the sequel didn't hold my interest as much as the first film did.

IMF operative Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise--sporting longer hair) is called away from his vacation by his new boss Commander Swanbeck (Anthony Hopkins in essentially a glorified cameo) to find a renegade agent. Once the mission begins, Hunt finds himself attracted to former agent Sean Ambrose's (Dougray Scott) girlfriend, Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton). These feelings complicate things as Ambrose holds the world hostage, threatening to release a deadly chemical weapon, if demands are not met. Hunt can also count on help from his pal Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) when things get tough.

Director John Woo takes over for Brian De Palma, and with MI2, moves even further away from the concept of the television series. Hunt acts more like James Bond here than he did in first film. The only real difference is Hunt's long hair. Cruise may have the screen clout, but quite frankly is out of his element thanks to a weaker script. If you throw in Woo's trademark and tiresome overuse of doves and slow motion--it's practically a lost cause. As if that were not enough, Scott makes a very poor villian, ala` Aaron Eckheart in another Woo film, the equally poor Paycheck. The only bright spot for me was Newton...wow!

The extras on the DVD, may be more plentifull here, as opposed to those found on the Mission Impossible disc, but that doesn't mean that they are all worth your time. The audio commentary with Woo is OK but can get a bit tedious. The 15-minute "Behind The Mission" features "canned" cast and crew interviews. I did enjoy the Five-minute "Mission Incredible" stunts featurette. You also get to see the group Metallica's music video for the soundtrack song "I Disappear", a rather cool alternate title sequence that would have worked out better and the disc highligt, a very funny MTV Movie Awards show parody, "Mission Improbable" with Cruise, actor Ben Stiller and Woo. There's also a generous amount of DVD ROM material

What a disappointment...

Roxburgh too good for this film - he deserves better!
I would have given this movie more stars if Tom Cruise wasn't present in it, and Richard Roxburgh would have done a one man show. The scenes with Roxburgh, and only the scenes with Roxburgh was what kept me alive during the film. Although when that stupid Tom Cruise killed Roxburgh's character the movie ended right there. The scene was when he switched their faces, and I thought Roxburgh's character had beaten the crap out of Cruise's character and they killed him and I was feeling quite happy for the moment, until, they pulled the face off of Cruise and it was Roxburgh instead. I was DREADFULLY upset. And then it showed Roxburgh running, but it was really Cruise since he hadn't pulled off his face yet. He should've left Roxburghs face on (at least he would've looked better), and then he ripped his face off and it was Tom Cruise, thus the movie ends.

An action movie that will keep you entertained!
This movie is what action movies are all about. It keeps you entertained from start to finish, and it does pretty well in other ways. The story is still pretty good, nowhere near as good as the first one, but it's still good. Some people may say that the save-the-world theme is old, but that's what action movies are about. Give me one James Bond film where 007 didn't do that. Give me any other action movie without that theme. Lord of the Rings had it. Star Wars had it. So does the fact that M:I-2's story revolves around someone saving the world make the movie bad? No way! It's the kind of plot that makes an action movie an action movie. Moving on. Like others have stated, the purpose of action in these movies is not to seem totally realistic, but to be really entertaining and fun to watch. Actually, it still is pretty realistic. What's all this junk about Ethan hitting all his shots (Which is pretty unrealistic, I'll admit)? Didn't any of you watch the Biocyte shootout? How many of his shots hit one of Ambrose's men? Maybe a quarter of them! He's still human and has down-to-earth abilities, not completely unrealistic superhuman stuff that a lot of people criticize. And besides, until the road chase, it is perfectly reasonable that Ethan didn't get shot! Half the time he was behind a wall or lurking in the shadows, waiting for the moment to go Splinter Cell on a patrolling guard. Anyway, sorry I lingered. The acting in this movie is great. Tom Cruise gives Ethan Hunt a very human qualities. Thandie Newton, who plays Nyah Hall, also does the same for her character. Ving Rhames returns to the comic-relief character Luther (the brilliant computer programmer from M:I), and continues to give Luther the comical humor from the first movie. John Polson is introduced as the Australian helicopter pilot Billy Baird, and also gives a lot of humor to the movie. And by the way, both Rhames and Polson do a great job of acting besides the humor, and bring the characters to life very well. Dougray Scott is the villain in this movie, and does it very nicely. He gives Sean Ambrose the kind of madman look and nicely combines it with cold-blooded intelligence to make the character a very good villain. And finally, Anthony Hopkins is Ethan's new leader, and does a very good support role. What about the music? Well, if you've seen the first movie, the music is just the same with a little metallic feel to it. And if you haven't, then don't worry, you won't be dissapointed. This is a great action movie that will keep you entertained throughout the two hours of the film, and does well in areas that some action films don't quite succeed in, despite what others say. ... Read more

Description

They've got the guns. They've got the posse. But they've got no chance when a street-fighting ex-cop (Jet Li) takes on both sides of a fierce Oakland turf war, involving "the wildest action scenes since The Matrix!" (Bill Bregoli, Westwood One). ... Read more

Reviews (210)

Uninspired, but Fun
Like many films today, "Romeo Must Die" seems to be all about style over substance. Blazing guns and flying fists are intercut with beautiful girls and the occasional comic relief, but whatever high-falootin' ambition the movie may have had during the conception of the screenplay quickly dissolves into eye candy and emotion a few minutes in. In this case, however, that's not such a bad thing.

The convoluted plot intertwines two stories; the classic revenge tale featuring Jet Li, and the almost equally archetypal gangster-wants-to-go-legit theme, loosely held together by Aaliyah. Through happenstance, each character finds their destiny dependent on the other, thus providing the meat of the story.

Both Li and Aaliyah prove that they are able to carry a major motion picture and each has their own undeniable charisma. Unfortunately, Aaliyah's confidence and flirty stage business is never exploited to develop the romantic elements alluded to in the movie's title.

What viewers do get, however, is a fairly well-paced action film with one of Hong Kong's best action stars.

Fight sequences are very well done and feature a clever, never-before-seen special effect that I won't mention here. Perhaps a bit too much wire-work (especially for those not initiated in Hong Kong martial-arts/fantasy films, like those of Tsui Hark), but exciting and worth seeing again.

I'll end this review with a post script on two wonderful Asian stars that I really hope to see more of in American cinema: Russell Wong and Francois Yip. Both are gorgeous faces that really deserve to be seen more.

Recommended

Jet's best American film
Since coming to the US, Jet has been given a variety of akward roles. Romeo Must Die was probably his best film outside of China. The cast flowed smoothly together, and the story had a few twists.

Bad Story, but Jet Li
Why is it that movies with Kung Fu elements never really satisfy, except of course for the Matrix and Crouching Tiger. The authors of the story have tried to make a modern day Romeo and Juliet, in this case Asian Jet Li and black Aaliyah. This is all fair and well, but there is no real story to it. They come together, are good and survive in the end.

Thankfully there are some very good Kung Fu scenes by Jet Li which makes it fun. where Jackie Chan is more comedy, Jet Li is certainly art and well choreographed. The scene when he is playing football is a good one, the other is where he beats up some dudes with a hose.

With an hour and 50 minutes it's too long, so just skip to the fighting parts on the DVD.

cool movie
I rented this movie at blockbuster and i liked it. Jet Li's martial arts was fantastic and i like the part at the store where Maurice calls Han dimsan. My rating for this movie is a 10 out of 10.

They faked it.
I like Jet Li but this movie is so faked it was impossible to get into the story. We are suppose to beleive this is the Bay Area of California but we see the Vancouver B.C.'s skyline,and locations and mountains, scene after scene, only the license plates and flags have been changed to protect the innocent. I just could not take any of it seriously. Lets have more truth in location. Pleeeease! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sean Connery retired from the 007 franchise after You Only Live Twice (replaced by George Lazenby in the underrated and underperforming On Her Majesty's Secret Service) but was lured back for one last official appearance as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. He's in fine form--cool but ruthless--in a sharp precredits sequence hunting the unkillable Blofeld (a suavely menacing Charles Gray in this incarnation), but the MacGuffin of a story (involving diamond smuggling, a superlaser on a satellite, and Blofeld's latest plot to rule the world ) is full of the groaning tongue-in-cheek gags that Roger Moore would make his signature. Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton keeps the film zipping along gamely from one entertaining set piece to another, including a terrific car chase in a parking lot, a battle with a pair of bikini-clad killer gymnasts named Bambi and Thumper, and a deadly game with a bizarre pair of fey, sardonic killers who dispatch their victims with elaborate invention. Jill St. John is the brassy but not too bright American smuggler Tiffany Case, and country singer and pork sausage king Jimmy Dean costars as a reclusive billionaire with not-so-subtle parallels to Howard Hughes. Shirley Bassey belts out the memorable theme song, one of the series' best. Connery retired again after this one but he returned once more, for Never Say Never Again 15 years later for a rival production company. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (111)

A Bit More Cheek Than Usual, Miss Case?
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER marks Sean Connery's return to the role of Bond after the hiatus of ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. It was also his last Bond film to date (except for the swan song NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN in 1983).

The opening precredits sequence involves Bond's hunt for Blofeld, who killed Bond's wife Tracy in OHMSS. The story then develops into a melange of diamond smuggling, Las Vegas casinos, an eccentric billionaire (pork sausage king Jimmy Dean playing Willard Whyte, a sort of cornpone version of Howard Hughes), cheesy funeral parlors, moon buggies and laser beams, cloning, and a girl named Tiffany Case.

In terms of story, this film is one of the weakest of the Bond films,jumping frenetically from one scene to another in an attempt to cram in everything it possibly can. The film editing is awful. There's just no other word for it.

The movie is redeemed by the characters and the nonstop action sequences, all of which are wildly entertaining. Connery is suave and irrepressible in a white tuxedo. Jill St. John, who plays the aforementioned Miss Case, is brassy and sassy, sexy and fun. The two of them seem to be sharing a private joke all the way through the film.

We are also introduced to Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, a pair of openly gay assassins who kill with a creative streak and have a penchant for really bad puns. The appearance of Wint and Kidd and their relationship marks a kind of minor milestone in the Bond canon, showing that the series was moving unselfconsciously into the 1970s.

Minor but important roles are filled out by Bambi and Thumper, a pair of gymnasts specializing in assault, battery, and tumbling routines, and Plenty O'Toole ("Named after your father, no doubt") a casino girl reminiscent of a low-rent Sylvia Trench from the earliest Bond films.

Blofeld is played by Charles Gray. Gray's Blofeld seems more like a disgruntled waiter than a criminal mastermind. His cat does give us an excellent performance.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER never takes itself seriously. This is not the film noir of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. The series was taking its turn here toward the Roger Moore era of cartoon excess and "groaners", a downward spiral which continued until Timothy Dalton rescued Bond from utter obsolescence.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER is Eon's version of an Andy Sidaris film. Sidaris' films are low-budget Bond take-offs, but in this instance, it would be hard to say who inspired whom. Like Baby Back Ribs, this film is sloppy but delicious.

The Special Edition DVD has much to recommend it, including deleted scenes (which to Eon Productions' credit, help make sense of the film) and interviews with some of the cast. There is also an excellent retrospective on the life of Cubby Broccoli. -

Sparkling
"Diamonds Are Forever" is the 7th in the James Bond 007 series from 1971. Agent 007 is assigned to stop diamond smugglers. This movie marks the return of Sean Connery to the role of Bond. He does a decent job here, but afterward he retired again and Roger Moore took over the role. Jill St. John does a good job of playing Tiffany Case, one of the smugglers. Norman Burton does a forgettable job of playing Felix Leiter. (The best Leiter was Jack Lord in "Dr. No" [1962]).

This movie really has two things going for it: an outstanding soundtrack and some of the best villains of the entire Bond series. Shirley Bassey sings the title track. Her's is a return performance, as she also sang the title tracks to "Goldfinger" (1964) and "Moonraker" (1979). The two villains, Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint, are henchmen of Ernst Blofeld. It is just hilarious how they make deadpan one-liners which parody those of Bond!

This is one of my favorite Bond movies, but I am rating it down one star because it seems to bog down near the end. Ironically, I saw a DeBeers diamond commercial which said "A diamond is forever" while I was preparing this review. Apparently, the movie title has some marketing power to it!

Not as bad as Moonraker
Connery is the only saving grace to this film. The film has a rushed, cheap quality to it. The producers must have been so pleased to have Connery back one last time they forgot about minor stuff like exotic sets (Las Vegas coming on the heels of Japan and the Swiss Alps is a let-down), decent special effects, and a good editor--how did Plenty end up dead? what about the car on two wheels switching sides?--see the movie and you'll understand. Also, someone should have at least tried to get Telly Savalas back as Blofeld for some continuity. Blofeld is 007's Moriarty and while even Savalas didn't quite match the literary Blofeld, he at least had far more presence than Donald Pleasance or Charles Gray. Having Connery back one more time was good, but production values really took a hit in this one. Still, it wasn't as silly as Moonraker.

He deserved the dough
One of my favorite Bond movies. Connery earn his unusual ( for the time ) fee for this role as he hunts for the killer of his wife only to find him behind a mission after he believed he finished the job.

Jill St. John is very hot and does a fine job and the supporting cast follows through well. The cut in the effects budget shows with the parking lot chase but I always felt that Connery as Bond was the attraction rather than the gimicks.

A winner

Making Mud Pies, 007?
The 7th James Bond movie. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER introduced a fascinating character in the series with Willard Whyte, a reclusive billionaire who runs an empire from a Las Vegas penthouse. Whyte is played to perfection by none other than the sausage king himself Jimmy Dean - a legendary tycoon himself during the late 50s and 60s for a series of hilarious commercial and comedy skits. Dean cleverly enthuses the role of Whyte with his own persona. As such, the whole extravagant gambling activities seen throughout the film give a unique appeal for Sean Connery's final apperance as James Bond. The film also showcases memorable action sequences with a more spunky heroine in Jill St. John.

THE ASSIGNMENT: M introduces Bond to the problems of diamond smuggling. Despite apparent air-tight security at South Africa's diamonds mines, a large quantity has recently gone missing. Even more alarming than the larceny is that none of the stolen jewels have found their way on to the world market. Bond is sent off to discover who is stockpiling the diamonds, and why. He begins by impersonating smuggler Peter Franks, and ends up in Las Vegas - and to his shock face to face with Ernst Stavro Blofeld! Blofeld has devised another way to hold the world at ransom - a giant laserbeam generator suspended in orbit around the Earth which uses diamonds to intensify its' energy to the point where it can cause rockets, missiles, and submarines to simply self-detonate. Blofeld is effectively conducting an international auction with nuclear supremacy going to the highest bidder. Who better than 007?

THE VILLAINS: Charles Gray as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Joseph Furst as Professor Metz, and Putter Smith and Bruce Glover as the whimsical homosexuals Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! BUY IT! ... Read more

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Disaster movies used to work because there was little certaintyas to who would survive. Not so in this film, really an amalgam of twooriginal stories, about a group of well-to-do celebrants at the top floor of askyscraper. Cheapo electrical wiring and bad construction managementcause an enormousblaze at the lower floors, steadily rising to consume the revelers. Newman'san architect, McQueen a firefighter, and Fred Astaire a kind oldgentleman, for which he was Oscar-nominated. O.J. Simpson plays asecurity guard who rescues acat. Now that's a disaster. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (68)

No doubt, BEST DISASTER MOVIE EVER!
Firstly, this movie deserves praise for Faye Dunaway's dress that she wears throughout the entire film. But movies shouldn't all be beautiful women in provocative clothing, this movie has it all. Produced by Irwin Allen, who produced "The Poseidon Adventure" before this movie. Allen bested himself in this flick.

The story is relatively simple; the world's highest skyscraper catches on fire. There is a large party on the top floor, and we watch as people fight for survival as the fire creeps towards them. Only Steve McQueen playing a streetwise firehouse captain, and Paul Newman acting as the tower's architect can stop the fire before everyone inside dies. As I was re-watching this film I couldn't help but think of the similar situation faced by many in the 9-11 attack. Their result was not as positive.

throughout the film there are too many people, too many relationships, and too much death to keep track of everything. However, the important people to watch are Fred Astaire, Faye Dunaway, Paul Newman, and Steve McQueen. This is the only real weakness to the film.

Also, for a film that is approaching 30 years old the special effects are still good, and that will make this a good film for a long time. The images of the tower burning, the fires, and the stunts are superb.

At times, the acting in this film can seem a bit stiff. That's early on, however after the first 20 minutes of the film everyone seems to find their place in the film. One of the notable performances is done by O.J. Simpson, who plays as a senior security guard. The interplay between McQueen and Newman is also well done, especially since there was a good chance of major dorkdom in the architect of the "perfect" building versus the blue-collar fireman plotline.

Some may complain that the movie is slow, and maybe by modern "immediate gratification" standards it is, I say that the tension builds, you care about the characters, many of which, and are left at the end of your seat. And I was watching the thing on a computer; imagine what a decent entertainment system will do.

This definitely is an "essential" film.

An epic disaster film! Not to be missed!
I remember first seeing this movie at a very early age. As a child, I loved this movie for it's spectacularity. As an adult (sort of), I love it for the acting performances of it's marvelous cast.

This is a disaster movie. During the seventies this type of movie was extremely popular, with timeless hits such as "The Poseidon Adventure" and "Airport".
Disaster films seemed to have lost their appeal during the eighties but recent hits like "Armageddon" and "Titanic" show that this type of movie is still very popular and here to stay.

In San Francisco, the tallest building in the world, "The Glass Tower" has finally been completed. An awesome superstructure and the new icon of the city.
On the night of the dedication ceremony on the 130th floor a seemingly harmless fire erupts fifty floors below the partying crowd. When the situation grows out of control their pleasant happening turns into a nightmare struggle for survival.

With some of the best actors of that time (Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway and Fred Astaire to name a few), true drama and an absolutely convincing inferno this movie deservedly took the world by storm!

Got a Match?
Somebody once asked James Garner's character on "The Rockford Files" TV show if there was nothing he wouldn't do for money. He wouldn't kill for it and he wouldn't marry for it, he said, other than that he was pretty much open to suggestions. Paul Newman and Steve McQueen must have been open to suggestions when they ok'd this turkey, and I wish they had said no. The world's tallest skyscraper is burning due to shoddy construction work, and architect Newman and fireman McQueen would like to put it out before the entire cast is incinerated. On top of the building are a million gallons of water in reserve Newman forgot about in all the excitement. Why this 2500 ton weight hasn't gone crashing into the basement we are not informed but the daring duo manage to blow up the tanks and there's your happy ending. O J Simpson rescues a cat and Fred Astaire, after a lifetime of giving the American movies some of their greatest moments, was awarded an Oscar for enduring this production.

A better film than is often assumed
More than 10 years ago, Roger Ebert and the late Gene Siskel did a special edition of their program that examined "The Early '70s: The Last Golden Age of American Film." It was a great show, with a look at each nominee for the Best Picture Oscar for the years 1970-1974, and then which film Siskel and Ebert would have chosen as the winner.

When the duo got to 1974, and a split screen revealed the five Best Picture nominees for that year, Ebert expressed some amusement at "The Towering Inferno's" nomination, when compared with the others ("Chinatown," "The Conversation," "Lenny" and the winner, "The Godfather Part II."). But while it was not the best film in a truly great year for the medium, "Inferno" did deserve to be considered one of the best.

This is polished, professional filmmaking. It was not intended to be a scathing expose of construction politics, or an actor's showcase. "The Towering Inferno" never tries to be anything more than an action spectacular, pure and simple, and on that level, it has few equals.

The film has been criticized for being almost gleeful in its depiction of various deaths, but I'm not sure what those critics would have had directors John Guillermin and Irwin Allen do. The story is about a giant skyscraper on fire, which means that the primary dangers involved are burning, falling, smoke inhalation and being buried under tons of debris. All of these are horrific, and "Inferno" conveys that horror.

The movie takes on a different hue than the Irwin Allen film it's inevitably compared to, "The Poseidon Adventure," the minute Steve McQueen arrives at the scene as the San Francisco Fire Dept.'s battalion chief, O'Hallorhan. Unlike "Poseidon," in which a small band of ship passengers follows a layman toward safety, the "Inferno" disaster is going to be taken on by a competent, experienced professional, leading other professionals. McQueen conveys an authority that anchors the film.

None of the acting struck me as truly bad, even in action-oriented scenes that called for broad playing. Aside from McQueen, my favorite performances were those of Susan Flannery and Jennifer Jones. Flannery makes the most of a small but memorable part as Robert Wagner's love interest, while Jones, looking very good for a woman of 55, plays the kind, heroic love of Fred Astaire's con man character.

Fred Koenekamp's cinematography received a well-deserved Academy Award, as did L.B. Abbott's special effects. The song "We May Never Love Like This Again," sung by Maureen McGovern, also won an Oscar, though I found it to b