Amazon.com

Like a Hardy Boys mystery on steroids, National Treasure offers popcorn thrills and enough boyish charm to overcome its rampant silliness. Although it was roundly criticized as a poor man's rip-off of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Da Vinci Code, it's entertaining on its own ludicrous terms, and Nicolas Cage proves once again that one actor's infectious enthusiasm can compensate for a multitude of movie sins. The contrived plot involves Cage's present-day quest for the ancient treasure of the Knights Templar, kept secret through the ages by Freemasons past and present. Finding the treasure requires the theft of the Declaration of Independence (there are crucial treasure clues on the back, of course!), so you can add "caper comedy" to this Jerry Bruckheimer production's multi-genre appeal. Nobody will ever accuse director Jon Turtletaub of artistic ambition, but you've got to admit he serves up an enjoyable dose of PG-rated entertainment, full of musty clues, skeletons, deep tunnels, and harmless adventure in the old-school tradition. It's a load of hokum, but it's fun hokum, and that makes all the difference. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (263)

Entertaining movie!
Imagine a cross between "Indiana Jones" and "Mission Impossible" and you have some idea of what's in store for you with this movie.Nicholas Cage plays the current generation of a family which long ago was given the secret of the location of the Knight's Templar treasure.Succeeding generations of the family have hunted for the treasure with no success.Cage takes the hunt one step further and discovers that vital clues are on the back of the Declaration of Independence.Unfortunately some of the men who were originally helping him look for the treasure have decided that they want it all to themselves and they plan to get to the Declaration before he does.Throw in a beautiful government agent and an amusing sidekick and you have all of the ingredients for an entertaining evening.Enjoy!

A Fun Movie
I liked this movie. Lots of adventure, history and it reminds me of the Indiana Jones Trilogy. Some of it is a little formulaic and you might roll your eyes when 200+ year old torches light up like they were made yesterday, but the story is intriguing and gets your attention. If you don't know the story line by now it involves Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates whose Family has been convinced about a massive treasure older than colonized America, hidden away during the revolutionary years. Through each succeding clue he finally learns that there is a map on the back of the Declarition of Independance, the only drawback is his partner has turned on him and is going to steal it for himself. No on in the government will listen to him, so Gates decides he'll steal it first to protect the document and the treasure. Lots of High-Tech action, spooky Mason intrigue and history, although some of it is a little questionable. All in all, definetely recommended.

Accomplishes An Entertaining Goal
One of the first things taught at journalism schools is that most "news stories" are to be written at a 6th grade level of education - the editorial page is the place for more erudite discussion.National Treasure is written at a level that would make the "average" person think "hey, that's pretty clever!", keeping in mind that the "average" person might not know that Benjamin Franklin wrote anonymous letters to newspapers while a teenager under the name "Silence Dogood". (He wrote hundreds of OTHER letters under other fictitious names as well and, given the piddling state of education in the U.S. I'd guess that the "average" person doesn't know that Old Ben was also "Poor Richard" or even know what his almanac was all about.) But I digress. Some people love to trash things that they think aren't up to their level, and so "National Treasure" didn't receive stellar reviews from the professional critics. I think it's safe to say the movie wasn't made for professional critics.

It's an entertaining little adventure and anyone who claims that it has no clever parts must be very clever indeed.Much of the movie is a historical scavenger hunt that the founding fathers have laid out for the person who can decipher the clues - with the treasure of the Templar Knights at the end of the rainbow.One of the first clues is carved into the stem of a meerschaum pipe. The stem of the pipe detaches from the carved bowl, andhas raised etchings.Our hero figures out that these etchings are intended to be used like an ink stamp, so he pricks his finger to use his blood as ink and rolls the pipe stem out to reveal the next clue.I thought that was pretty clever.

The hero, Benjamin Franklin Gates, is the Grandson of John Adams Gates, and the Gates have been thought of as the mad scientists of American History because every generation has handed down the story of the hidden treasure and spends decades of their life trying to find the treasure, or at least get other historians to take them seriously.The plot takes them to Washington (to steal the Declaration of Independence in a concise little caper that's at least as clever as the one in "After the Sunset", and THAT was SUPPOSED to be a "caper" movie.) Ben has an assistant named Riley who serves two purposes: to add clever little comments like "so who wants to go down the creepy tunnel first?" and to provide someone that Ben can give exposition to: such as who Silence Dogood was.Diane Kruger is the love interest - a Washington Ph.D. who works at the National Archives.She's the pretty face used to represent all the keepers of the Declaration of Independence.Sean Bean is a rival treasure hunter and the movie goes to great lengths to show that Heroic Ben is only after the treasure for it's historical significance while Bean's Ian is only out for the money.Harvey Keitel plays the FBI agent who becomes interested after the Declaration is stolen, but he's little more than a plot marker himself.A couple of times he gets to say "SOMEBODY's going to prison."

Hmmmm... Will good Ben or Evil Ian be the one going to prison?Will Ben and company find the magnificent treasure? For the answers to those questions check out National Treasure.... but is it too much of a clue if I tell you it's a Disney movie?

Fun for the WHOLE family!
It is very unusual to find action films in today's society that is appropriate for kids and adults alike. That is just one reason that I was thrilled to see National Treasure. It has the wit and humor one would expect from a Disney film as well as a lot of action and adventure thrills, but steers clear of gratuitous language and violence. If you like "Indiana Jones" or "Pirates of the Carribean", this film is a must see. Be sure to bring your kids, though, because they're sure to love it too!

national treasure
this is avery good movie, i watched it last night. the things that ben(nicholas cage) does are hard to predict and the story has many twists. i would recomend renting this movie because it is not as goodf the second time around and there after because you now what is going to happen ... Read more

Amazon.com

Like a Hardy Boys mystery on steroids, National Treasure offers popcorn thrills and enough boyish charm to overcome its rampant silliness. Although it was roundly criticized as a poor man's rip-off of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Da Vinci Code, it's entertaining on its own ludicrous terms, and Nicolas Cage proves once again that one actor's infectious enthusiasm can compensate for a multitude of movie sins. The contrived plot involves Cage's present-day quest for the ancient treasure of the Knights Templar, kept secret through the ages by Freemasons past and present. Finding the treasure requires the theft of the Declaration of Independence (there are crucial treasure clues on the back, of course!), so you can add "caper comedy" to this Jerry Bruckheimer production's multi-genre appeal. Nobody will ever accuse director Jon Turtletaub of artistic ambition, but you've got to admit he serves up an enjoyable dose of PG-rated entertainment, full of musty clues, skeletons, deep tunnels, and harmless adventure in the old-school tradition. It's a load of hokum, but it's fun hokum, and that makes all the difference. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (263)

Entertaining movie!
Imagine a cross between "Indiana Jones" and "Mission Impossible" and you have some idea of what's in store for you with this movie.Nicholas Cage plays the current generation of a family which long ago was given the secret of the location of the Knight's Templar treasure.Succeeding generations of the family have hunted for the treasure with no success.Cage takes the hunt one step further and discovers that vital clues are on the back of the Declaration of Independence.Unfortunately some of the men who were originally helping him look for the treasure have decided that they want it all to themselves and they plan to get to the Declaration before he does.Throw in a beautiful government agent and an amusing sidekick and you have all of the ingredients for an entertaining evening.Enjoy!

A Fun Movie
I liked this movie. Lots of adventure, history and it reminds me of the Indiana Jones Trilogy. Some of it is a little formulaic and you might roll your eyes when 200+ year old torches light up like they were made yesterday, but the story is intriguing and gets your attention. If you don't know the story line by now it involves Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates whose Family has been convinced about a massive treasure older than colonized America, hidden away during the revolutionary years. Through each succeding clue he finally learns that there is a map on the back of the Declarition of Independance, the only drawback is his partner has turned on him and is going to steal it for himself. No on in the government will listen to him, so Gates decides he'll steal it first to protect the document and the treasure. Lots of High-Tech action, spooky Mason intrigue and history, although some of it is a little questionable. All in all, definetely recommended.

Accomplishes An Entertaining Goal
One of the first things taught at journalism schools is that most "news stories" are to be written at a 6th grade level of education - the editorial page is the place for more erudite discussion.National Treasure is written at a level that would make the "average" person think "hey, that's pretty clever!", keeping in mind that the "average" person might not know that Benjamin Franklin wrote anonymous letters to newspapers while a teenager under the name "Silence Dogood". (He wrote hundreds of OTHER letters under other fictitious names as well and, given the piddling state of education in the U.S. I'd guess that the "average" person doesn't know that Old Ben was also "Poor Richard" or even know what his almanac was all about.) But I digress. Some people love to trash things that they think aren't up to their level, and so "National Treasure" didn't receive stellar reviews from the professional critics. I think it's safe to say the movie wasn't made for professional critics.

It's an entertaining little adventure and anyone who claims that it has no clever parts must be very clever indeed.Much of the movie is a historical scavenger hunt that the founding fathers have laid out for the person who can decipher the clues - with the treasure of the Templar Knights at the end of the rainbow.One of the first clues is carved into the stem of a meerschaum pipe. The stem of the pipe detaches from the carved bowl, andhas raised etchings.Our hero figures out that these etchings are intended to be used like an ink stamp, so he pricks his finger to use his blood as ink and rolls the pipe stem out to reveal the next clue.I thought that was pretty clever.

The hero, Benjamin Franklin Gates, is the Grandson of John Adams Gates, and the Gates have been thought of as the mad scientists of American History because every generation has handed down the story of the hidden treasure and spends decades of their life trying to find the treasure, or at least get other historians to take them seriously.The plot takes them to Washington (to steal the Declaration of Independence in a concise little caper that's at least as clever as the one in "After the Sunset", and THAT was SUPPOSED to be a "caper" movie.) Ben has an assistant named Riley who serves two purposes: to add clever little comments like "so who wants to go down the creepy tunnel first?" and to provide someone that Ben can give exposition to: such as who Silence Dogood was.Diane Kruger is the love interest - a Washington Ph.D. who works at the National Archives.She's the pretty face used to represent all the keepers of the Declaration of Independence.Sean Bean is a rival treasure hunter and the movie goes to great lengths to show that Heroic Ben is only after the treasure for it's historical significance while Bean's Ian is only out for the money.Harvey Keitel plays the FBI agent who becomes interested after the Declaration is stolen, but he's little more than a plot marker himself.A couple of times he gets to say "SOMEBODY's going to prison."

Hmmmm... Will good Ben or Evil Ian be the one going to prison?Will Ben and company find the magnificent treasure? For the answers to those questions check out National Treasure.... but is it too much of a clue if I tell you it's a Disney movie?

Fun for the WHOLE family!
It is very unusual to find action films in today's society that is appropriate for kids and adults alike. That is just one reason that I was thrilled to see National Treasure. It has the wit and humor one would expect from a Disney film as well as a lot of action and adventure thrills, but steers clear of gratuitous language and violence. If you like "Indiana Jones" or "Pirates of the Carribean", this film is a must see. Be sure to bring your kids, though, because they're sure to love it too!

national treasure
this is avery good movie, i watched it last night. the things that ben(nicholas cage) does are hard to predict and the story has many twists. i would recomend renting this movie because it is not as goodf the second time around and there after because you now what is going to happen ... Read more

Amazon.com

Like its predecessor Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve is a piffle of a caper, a preposterous plot given juice and vitality by a combination of movie star glamour and the exuberant filmmaking skill of director Steven Soderbergh (Out of Sight, The Limey). The heist hijinks of the first film come to roost for a team of eleven thieves (including the glossy mugs of Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, and Don Cheadle), who find themselves pursued not only by the guy they robbed (silky Andy Garcia), but also by a top-notch detective (plush Catherine Zeta-Jones) and a jealous master thief (well-oiled Vincent Cassel) who wants to prove that team leader Danny Ocean (dapper George Clooney) isn't the best in the field. As if all that star power weren't enough--and the eternally coltish Julia Roberts also returns as Ocean's wife--one movie star cameo raises the movie's combined wattage to absurd proportions. But all these handsome faces are matched by Soderbergh's visual flash, cunning editing, and excellent use of Amsterdam, Paris, and Rome, among other highly decorative locations. The whole affair should collapse under the weight of its own silliness, but somehow it doesn't--the movie's raffish spirit and offhand wit soar along, providing lightweight but undeniable entertainment. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (197)

Please spare us Ocean's Thirteen
Genre: Comedy, Mystery

Genre Grade: A-

Final Grade: B-

This was a good follow-up to the first movie, although it did not even get close to matching the thrill of it. The story was MUCH weaker in this one, most of it contrived so confusingly that when you find out the outcome you are mad at how they took such an easy way out. You either like the tricks they do in this movie or you feel cheated. Or you feel a little of both, as I did.

I can't say much about the plot because there are so many spoilers, but I will say there is a big surprise with one of the characters from the first movie that is quite funny. Some people hated it (one of the "cheap" moments) but I thought it was great. There are many plot holes but director Soderbourgh keeps you so interested in the characters and flashy style of the movie that you might not even notice them. No other director could get away with it, that's for sure.

There is mild controversy over who, exactly, is Ocean's twelfth member. I honestly can't say 100% for sure because there are three people who could be considered as such. But there is one person who seems a little more likely to be that person because of a certain...event?

In conclusion, I hope that if Soderbourgh decides to give us another helping of this franchise that he gets a much more clever story for Ocean's Thirteen...

The real theft;steal your money with a bad sequel!
Hollywood returns to "independent" type cuts, erroneously assuming that it is the latest cash crop craze.So they hire youngsters to waste film and money shooting scenes that distract from quality dialogue, acting, and storyline.This is an excellent example of how NOT to make a movie.Don't waste your time unless you are a film student wishing to learn from others' mistakes.Not worth the price of popcorn!

Don't Waste Your Money
This movie should never have been made. It was dull and unispiring. The acting seemed forced and rather then everyone playing a part, a few characters were seen through out and nothing more. If you truly liked Ocean's 11 then leave it at that. My personal recommendation is that you do not watch this movie and rather just stick with the first film. You will be better off by far.

Save your money
Wow - what a bad movie. The all-star cast needs to exercice better judgment before accepting parts like these. The favorite side characters you'll remember from the first movie and played by solid/enjoyable actors (Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, etc...) are left with meaningless lines and no part to play. Brad Pitt's on camera eating habits in the first movie were something to smile at, in this one, it's simply annoying. Julia Roberts pretending to be Julia Roberts - what a stretch for the writers! The camera action is exhausting and attempts to add pace to a movie that does not have any. The plot is so twisted, it's unbelievable and ... without any interest. Soderbegh has done some excellent movies - this is probably his worst. Save your money, don't fall for the marketing hype. If you want Clooney at his clever and charming best, get "Out of Sight". If you want some good Soderbergh (nice camera work, interesting cinematography), get "Traffic". And I can't come up with something decent to suggest for Pitt since "Seven" or "Fight Club".

Much better than expected
Quite a few people I know told me the movie wasn't good so I didn't go see it on big screen. Now that I've watched in on DVD, surprisingly I quite like it and actually think it's as good as its prequel [in a different way though].

I like the combination of light action, romance, comedy, and a bit of suspense here. The strongest point of the movie must be a medley of huge stars [Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Garcia, Zeta Jones,Roberts]. Even supporting actors are all first-class! All of them play their parts really really well and even the supporting cast could hold their own against the big actors. It is amazing that you can feel a burst of energy and charms from these people in almost every scence. I actually felt like watching a celebrity party in a way, LOL.

Another thing I like in the movie is the sizzling romance. They didn't even have to use cheap sex scenes to tell the story. The chemistry between Clooney and Roberts is okay and the Pitt-Jones pairing is just incredible.

More good things: neat script with lots of funny quirky lines, good editing and delicious outfitting [but well we all know that Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Zeta Jones, and Roberts would look good even if they wore paperbags!]

Okay, now the weak points: The plot is kinda weak and not very believable. The movie could be confusing at times. I had to watch it twice to pick up some of the details. Also, those who go in expecting series of action would surely be disappointed. There is not a single violent scene in the movie if I remember correctly. The suspense element is not too good either. What else, there is not a whole lot of high tech gadgets for this Ocean's 12. Maybe these are why some people don't like this sequel as much as Ocean's 11.

So to sum it up, I think it's a fun movie if you watch it as a romantic comedy. The movie can't quite boast its action and suspense elements though.

Recommendation: Rent it and you'll get good two hours of entertainment. I bought the DVD just because I like many many funny scenes in the movie and wouldn't mind watching them over and over again.



... Read more

Amazon.com

Even skeptical fans of the Blade franchise will enjoy sinking their teeth into Blade: Trinity. The law of diminishing returns is in full effect here, and the franchise is wearing out its welcome, but let's face it: any movie that features Jessica Biel as an ass-kicking vampire slayer and Parker Posey--yes, Parker Posey!--as a vamping vampire villainess can't be all bad, right? Those lovely ladies bring equal measures of relief and grief to Blade, the half-human, half-vampire once again played, with tongue more firmly in stone-cold cheek, by Wesley Snipes. With series writer David S. Goyer in the director's chair, the film is calculated for mainstream appeal, trading suspenseful horror for campy humor and choppy, nonsensical action. The franchise still offers some intriguing ideas, however, including Drake (Dominic Purcell), the original vampire, whose blood contains the secret that could destroy all blood-suckers in a plot that incorporates a sinister "blood farm" where humans are held--and drained--in suspended animation. And Biel's wise-cracking sidekick (Ryan Reynolds) in her cadre of "Nightstalkers" provides comic relief in a series that's grown increasingly dour. All of which makes Blade: Trinity a love-it-or-hate-it sequel... supposedly the last in a trilogy, but the ending suggests otherwise. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (174)

Royal road　copy cats
Interesting!
Matrix..Japanimation..Zombie..Vampire...
This movie has plagiarized grand various movies.
But it's funny on the contraly.
It is a movie interesting for seeing without considering anything.

Van Wilder Saves The Day
After the doodie-fest that was 'Blade 1' and 'Blade 2', I was expecting another log to squirt out of the turd factory when I stuck in 'Blade Trinity'.I was surprised to see that this entry wasn't as completely stinky as its predecessors.

Thankfully 'Blade Trinity' has pushed the most annoying character in the series into a nearly supporting role.That role is Wesley Snipes' Blade.With his totally 1991 haircut, cheesy outfits, and lame one-liners Snipes has played three times now the most irritating and completely lame superhero ever.But thankfully we don't have to put up with him excessively in this flick like we did in the first two.

Now, pushing Blade's character into a supporting role is the addition of Van Wilder and 7th Heaven.I wasn't expecting too much out of either of them but they pleasantly surprised me.Van Wilder is pretty funny with his constantly homosexual-related humor and 7th Heaven, while basically there to be eye candy, isn't too bad playing the hot chick role.And as an added bonus is comedian Patton Oswalt in a supporting role as lame-o Blade's gun supplier.

The overall plot is super-lame though:ohhh, Dracula has returned...again.Like we haven't seen this before in numerous other films.The action scenes are pretty average and the script isn't that good(save for Van Wilder's lines).And as another added bonus you get to see Kris Kristofferson die.Awesome.Now, we just have to wait for him to get gunned down in real life.

Regardless, the addition of new cast members revitilized this excessively lame franchise.Maybe one day there will be a 'Blade 4' only Wesley Snipes will not be in it.

Not a bad movie, but put together poor
i bought this movie and was very excited.as i normally do, i decided to watch the orginal version and skip the one that had added content.to my great suprise my dvd player kept pausing to cut out the added scenes.sometimes dvds mess up a bit between chapters but this was rediculous.i have a very good dvd player so i know that wasn't the problem.for shame on NewLine.they use to be so good at their dvds and now they've become mediocre.

Ok, but not great
This installment was not the greatest one of the three, but with the help of Jessica Beil it managed to perform somewhat. It is not bad, but needed more action. Also despite what others say Parker Posey was a terrible choice for the lead vampire villian. Her acting is subpar at best. In almost any scene her presence served only to drag things down. This is supposed to be the last one, but as usual the ending says otherwise. Although considering all vampires die in this one except Blade I wonder who they are going to hunt.

The Best Blade Yet!
Wow! That's all i can say...Wow! THis movie was way higher than what i expected. It wasn't even on my "To Do" List to see it but when i did, i went back to the theater again, and i was just as amazed! ... Read more

Amazon.com

No one uses color like Chinese director Zhang Yimou--movies like Raise the Red Lantern or Hero, though different in tone and subject matter, are drenched in rich, luscious shades of red, blue, yellow, and green. House of Flying Daggers is no exception; if they weren't choreographed with such vigorous imagination, the spectacular action sequences would seem little more than an excuse for vivid hues rippling across the screen. Government officers Leo and Jin (Asian superstars Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro) set out to destroy an underground rebellion called the House of Flying Daggers (named for their weapon of choice, a curved blade that swoops through the air like a boomerang). Their only chance to find the rebels is a blind women named Mei (Ziyi Zhang, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) who has some lethal kung fu moves of her own. In the guise of an aspiring rebel, Jin escorts Mei through gorgeous forests and fields that become bloody battlegrounds as soldiers try to kill them both. While arrows and spears of bamboo fly through the air, Mei, Jin, and Leo turn against each other in surprising ways, driven by passion and honor. Zhang's previous action/art film, Hero, sometimes sacrificed momentum for sheer visual beauty; House of Flying Daggers finds a more muscular balance of aesthetic splendor and dazzling swordplay. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (153)

DO NOT buy this crap!
OK! Who the hell gave this movie 4 stars??!! Poor story, poor dialog, poor EVERYTHING!!! This movie sucked. Get stabbed by a dagger and the girl stays alive until the unnecessary long fight between two bad actors is over??!! Come on! This movie is worse than the Hindi crap that comes out of Bollywood. Wish I could give it zero stars, but I can't. Amazon, will you please see that movies of this low quality get zero stars?

Technically breathtaking, but left this viewer a little cold
Zhang Yimou's HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS continues where the director's HERO left off: it is a film of immense visual beauty and amazing choreography, supporting a plot with melodramatic elements to it. But whereas HERO could conceivably, amidst the dazzling imagistic pageantry and big emotions, be interpreted as a political statement (the film ends with a ruler having to sacrifice a hero for what he considers the greater cause of unifying feudal China), HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS is content to be romantic melodrama, plain and simple.

Personally, I kinda prefer the extra intellectual and thematic stimulation offered by HERO. At the end of that film, you really had something to think about; at the end of HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS...well, the story is over (and a song sung in English by soprano Kathleen Battle plays over the closing credits). Nothing of great consequence, I felt, had really happened in this film; it is basically one ravishing image and one amazing fight sequence following another, interspersed with (admittedly well-acted) moments of intimacy or high drama. If Zhang Yimou was aiming for thematic subtlety in HERO, here he goes for operatic emotions and visual spectacle. And for all its technical brilliance, the whole thing ultimately left me a little cold---maybe a bit too melodramatic and soapy for my taste.

That is a very personal reaction, of course. The technical brilliance Zhang Yimou brings to HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS is not to be denied; these are some of the most breathtaking (and breathtakingly filmed) fight sequences seen since the last notable "wuxia" film, Ang Lee's CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. And the actors bring as much conviction as possible to their basically two-dimensional characters: certainly, as House of Flying Daggers member Mei, Ziyi Zhang brings convincing passion to her role, as do Takeshi Kaneshiro and Andy Lau as, respectively Jin and Leo, two police deputies who rescue Mei from prison and try to trick her into bringing them to the House of Flying Daggers to stop their rebelliousness once and for all.

Perhaps the best way to appreciate HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS is to look at it as a cinematic opera. Zhang Yimou is clearly not afraid to work on a big canvas, and he brings all the big emotions and spectacular sights he can to tell his melodramatic story. Those who go into this film expecting to be dazzled will most likely be satisfied; it is a genuine technical marvel. For me, though, I was expecting more substance to the film than it delivered. HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS may be more purely enjoyable than HERO, but the latter, to me, is a much more interesting movie than this one.

Super Cool Movie!!!
The action and special effects sequences in this movie are incredibly fun to watch.Zhang Ziyi is flawless as usual, and her perfomance and beauty justifies buying this DVD in itself.

Great cinematography, weak story
Genre: Foreign, Martial Arts, Romance

Genre Grade: B+

Final Grade: A-

This was another great film from Chinese director Yimou Zhang. Although not even close to comparing to his last film, Hero, it still was a great movie. Zhang is an artist, it is as simple as that. His locations are perfect, the colors are vibrant, and the characters are passionate. This is much more a love story than anything. It offers some good surprises concerning the characters and keeps the mystery of the "House of Flying Daggers" a secret to even the viewers. Actress Ziyi Zhang should learn to speak English because she could be a huge star in the United States.

I recommend this film to anyone who enjoyed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero. It is dubbed in English so you don't have to read subtitles if you don't want to.

stunning
Yimou is a true artist of cinema. Hero and House of Flying Daggers are beautiful and spiritual adventures in Asian cinema. Both films are remarkable acheivments that are lost on the reviewer who gave this film one star. True art is often missunderstood by the masses. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Wonderful Series!
I haven't read the series yet, but being very fond of historical dramas involving period-wear, uniforms, and swordsmanship, I gave this a try. My curiosity was originally piqued by the mentions of Sharpe surrounding Sean's character in Lord of the Rings. So after discovering it was a completely me series to watch, I went hunting for the dvds. Even Ebay was selling them for around $200 a pop, so I went the smart route and went through amazon.uk, where you'll save about $150 if you have a multi-region dvd player as they are Region 2. I was NOT disappointed.

Sharpe may be a low budget series by some accounts, but it delights regardless. In fact, that very aspect lends a particular earthiness and a more authentic feel to the series. The stories are good and the historical aspects wonderful. The folk songs of John Tam were particularly delightful and I fully plan on getting the soundtrack. I came to love all the Chosen Men and wanted to fight for them when snobbery or betrayal reared their ugly heads. Harper is both reliable sidekick and comic relief with his wit and good Irish sensibility. Sean Bean IS Sharpe, he truly makes you believe in the rough'n'ready soldier, capable of doing what needs to be done, yet completely honorable, often showing he is a better man than those considered his 'betters'.

It will truly be wonderful to now go find the novels and hear in my head Sean's rich voice as Sharpe, the lovely brogue of Sgt. Harper, and the myriad of other accents involved. I would definitely recommend this series if you enjoy period-piece dramas, military/historical dramas, or just a helluva good time with action, adventure, and a dash of romance.

Through Flanders, Portugal, and Spain
Expensive? Sure. But if you're not impatient, you'll find a good price. Is the wooden crate important? No, of course not. But you'll probably love it even if it doesn't fit on your DVD shelf.

Price and production values are not what Shape's about. There are heroes and terrible villians, high lords and lowlifes, horseguard and rifemen, buffoons and ballads. It's about the stories! Wonderful stories you'll enjoy seeing again and again. Follow Sharp's climb through the ranks, through dangerous, impossible missions, and you'll end up caring about every ragtag rifleman in his company, even Isaih Tongue. And every time you hear these lyrics, you'll be so glad you bought it:

Ore the Fields, and Ore the Maine
Thru Flanders Portugal, and Spain,
King George commands, and we obey.
Over the hills and far away

Too little, for too much $$, and way too late.
I am a big fan of the entire Napoleonic historical fiction genre, and of the Sharpe's book series in particular. (I actually saw the entire film series before I cracked one of the books.)

These movies are LOW budget TV efforts, but they do allow you to put a face, or a uniform, or a tactic in a new perspective, and to understand a little more about history. Sean Bean is a perfect choice for Sharpe. He manages to convey just the right mix of jaded, seen-it-all expert, with the fish out of water bumpkin, and then layers on a "screw-you-guys,-I'll-do-it-anyway" vibe to top it all off.

The movies deviate significantly and unnecessarily on many of the major plot points. Sharpe's Gold in particular is a dissappointment, doing away with the books plot entirely and substituting something that plays like a bad, back-fitted Star Trek episode.

However, my big complaint is with the pricing point for the series. There are 14 installments (the 15th DVD is apparently a montage-type review of the whole series) of about 9-100 minutes each of low-budget, TV-quality viewing, or only about 23 hours. Plus these movies are already pretty old. I don't think you can name another similar vintage TV offering that is asking for this kind of cash/hour. (Heck, the Monty Python set has older material, twice as much stuff, almost the same number of DVD's and all for only about 60% of the price).

The set fails to even be a bargain compared to buying disks individually. This is a drawback for people who have already purchased just one or two of the movies individually (and most of the fans of the series already have). I don't think I'd be out of line to suggest that this set shouldn't be more than 150-175$US.

I'll put a plug here in opposition to creative packaging. If I can't fit it on my DVD shelves, it gets thrown away. Spare the stupid crate, and save us all $10.00 and some wasted effort.

Still, these movies manage to be worth watching if you are in any way interested or even curious in the era, and I do recommend watching them, but I can't honestly say that they're worth this price.

FANTASTIC!!
Ok, so some of you guys who read the books first, were disapointed with this miniseries. GET OVER IT!

As a person who was introduced to Sharpe via these movies, I have to say they are absolutely FANTASTIC! Sean Bean IS Sharpe! They are a great way to get to know the period, the characters, and the history. The cast is fantastic, the costumes are authentic, and yes the production is low budget, but so what. That "BBC Charm" is part of the over all effect, and adds to that dirty, desperate, rag-tag feel that was authentic of the British army at that time. A big buget "Lord of the Rings" production isn't always the way to go, and would have harmed more then helped in this case. Film brings many pluses, that books can't. For example, the many songs and accents which only a cast of top british, irish, french, spanish, etc can provide.

These movies have produced a fantatical Sharpe fan in me, and if they can do that, then they are definately worthy of the Sharpe name.

"Over the hills and faraway..."

BBC production
This is a BBC TV mini series based somewhat loosely on Bernard Cornwall's Sharpe's series of Napoleonic war fictional history. This is not a large budget Hollywood production on the lines of Lord of the Rings. If that's understood and you enjoy war fictional history I'm sure you will find it an entertaining series. Perhaps the best way to characterize the series is as a play shot in locations over eastern Europe. Despite the minimal budget, the cast of actors do well in portraying life in Wellington's army. Sean Bean as the main character "Richard Sharpe" makes an especially convincing portrayal. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Action buffs will have a fine time with the spray of bullets, shattering glass, and pyrotechnic silliness that makes up the bulk of Assault on Precinct 13. Updated from the little-known cops-and-robbers classic John Carpenter made in 1976 (two years before he made his name with Halloween), this high-concept thriller is mostly a lowbrow kill-fest, and is very happy with itself for being so efficient in both categories. A decrepit police station on its last night before retirement--New Year's Eve, no less--plays unexpected home to a gang of criminals who become snowbound in the basement lockup. Another mysterious gang of people who stealthily gather in the blizzard outside want one of the particularly nasty criminals (Laurence Fishburne) dead, and they'll take the rest of the precinct down too, by golly. The odd lot of characters trapped inside include a burned-out sergeant (Ethan Hawke), a sexpot secretary (post-Sopranos Drea de Matteo), an even sexier police psychologist (Maria Bello), and various other good guys and bad guys who variously go down in blazes of guts, glory, bullets, and fire. Hawke and Fishburne are opposite sides of the coin:the law, and the bathroom scale. Their need to partner in order to survive the guns outside is the movie's moral conflict, and both actors chew on Precinct 13's peeling walls and scuffed floors to drive the point home every chance they get. Obvious filmmaking fakery abounds in everything from the irksome snowstorm, frequent gunshots to the head, and a shadowy forest that conveniently presents itself in an industrial section of Detroit for the climactic showdown. No matter, this Assault is for non-thinkers who want blood and gunpowder, with no messy slowdowns for logic, please.--Ted Fry ... Read more

Reviews (48)

An Action-packed assault on the senses~!
Ethan Hawke plays a role very similar to that in the film, "Training Day," as an undercover cop whose decided to trade in his badge for a desk job after an unfortunate incident involving his former partner. The typical drunk, cop feeling guilty for causing the tragedy,-type stupor overtakes him throughout the film. The premise is that they are closing down an
old Precint 13, and in the morning moving to better quarters. They get caught in a blizzard, and a police bus transfering an underworld boss and miscellaneous convincts also is caught and the storm and must detour to Precint 13. What they don't know as a mysterious entity begins an assualt on the Precinct is that
their new underworld prisoner is in league with some rogue cops, who now want him dead. There are plot twists a plenty and everything is not always as it seems. Some fine performances by Maria Bello(Payback), Drea DeMateo(The Sopranos),Ethan Hawke, Lawrence Fishburne, John Leguiazamo,Gabriel Byrne, and Brian Dennehey. There is action a plenty and this film will keep you guessing and biting your nails all the way, definitely worth seeing at least once.

Cops and Criminals Join Together to Fight a Common Enemy
Hollywood remakes are usually weak, but this remake of the 1976 movie is a pretty good one, with some good suspense and drama. It stars Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne in the main roles, with a pretty good supporting cast of heroes and villains.

The storyline of this movie involves a gang of men who attack a police precinct where a mob member (played by Fishburne) is being held prisoner. They attack because they are trying to get this guy. As a result, the cops and prisoners decide to take up arms together to fight this outside enemy. They are still adversaries and they distrust each other. But they know they must join forces if they want to win this battle.

Is a plot like this realistic? Possibly, and the characters make it seem halfway believable. But some parts of this movie aside from the plot itself make it seem unreal. For one thing, the guys inside the precinct- both cop and criminal- seem a little too cool. They know they are under attack, but they act very relaxed about the whole thing, which isn't much like reality. Second, there is little intervention taking place on the outside. If something like this really happened, I would think (hope) the outside world would quickly be made aware and would send help. Or, at the very least, there would be reporters and local people gathered around while the event was taking place. In this movie, there is really nothing at all on the outside. No one in Detroit (where the movie is set) seems to care at all that this police precinct is under siege.

Still, I think this is a good movie to watch. If nothing else, it is worth watching just to see Laurence Fishburne in action. He and Hawke steal the show with their chemistry and their strength of person and character.

GREAT CHARACTER LINE-UP --
Not going into this movie with any pre-conceived ideas I was ready to enjoy some action and mystery.

It sure delivered!Hawke [like that name] as Jake lead us through a mental and emotional maze.The two women were a bit confusing [or is it a distraction]

To me Fishburne as Bishop was a disturbing but powerful character [was he trustworthy at all??] Hate to say it but was glad he got away.

I expected those two escapees to get it -- Was that a SWAT team shooter or an Army sniper?

But Dennehy was the biggest surprise -- great character! [the twit].

Precinct 13 set in Detroit was debatible - yeah! where did the trees come from?But still, don't bother with location just go with the flow.

Still a great movie to watch - Hey, I am not buying the production just the enjoyment of watching some action and very good, believable characters.

Definitely Recommended - action, great pace, some mystery [Gabriel Byrne was great - just as evil as ever] - Well worth watching again. [except for that fricking barnyard language]

Explosive Assault !
This was 1 of the best ACTION movies that I have seen this year.Some of the scenes will put you in the mind of Syphon Filter for us gamers out there.Once again, Laurence Fishburne delivered a powerful performance, although he was a "bad" guy.Ethan Hawke also delivered an outstanding performance as a struggling with MAJOR issues cop who wasn't sure what he wanted to do with himself.Gabriel Byrne...his character should have been much deeper.Brian Dennehy, as anyone who watches the movie can tell, he is too calm to allow you to think that he is a "good" cop.Drea de Matteo, she acted ok, but she was much better in the Sopranos.Ja Rule seems to have a 3rd person complex in the film, stick to rapping please..you are much better in that niche.Last but not least, John Leguizamo will irritate your LAST GOOD NERVE in the film.If you want this movie strictly for the action, THIS IS IT !!!!!

Good Movie with a question.
I have not seen the orginial movie from 1976, but I enjoyed this movie non the less.It had great action and it kept you guessing who the bad person was in the precinct 13.The only question that I have is Where in Detroit is there a pine forest??????I live south of Detroit and there is no pine forest that I am aware of. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As the triumphant start of a trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring leaves you begging for more. By necessity, Peter Jackson's ambitious epic compresses J.R.R. Tolkien's classic The Lord of the Rings, but this robust adaptation maintains reverent allegiance to Tolkien's creation, instantly qualifying as one of the greatest fantasy films ever made. At 178 minutes, it's long enough to establish the myriad inhabitants of Middle-earth, the legendary Rings of Power, and the fellowship of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and humans--led by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and the brave hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood)--who must battle terrifying forces of evil on their perilous journey to destroy the One Ring in the land of Mordor. Superbly paced, the film is both epic and intimate, offering astonishing special effects and production design while emphasizing the emotional intensity of Frodo's adventure, and ends on a perfect note of heroic loyalty and rich anticipation.

After the breaking of the Fellowship, Frodo and Sam journey to Mordor with the creature Gollum as their guide in The Two Towers. Meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) join in the defense of the people of Rohan, who are the first target in the eradication of the race of Men by the renegade wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) and the dark lord Sauron. Fantastic creatures, astounding visual effects, and a climactic battle at the fortress of Helm's Deep make The Two Towers a worthy successor to The Fellowship of the Ring, grander in scale but retaining the story's emotional intimacy.

With The Return of the King, the greatest fantasy epic in film history draws to a grand and glorious conclusion. The trilogy could never fully satisfy those who remain exclusively loyal to Tolkien's expansive literature, but as a showcase for physical and technical craftsmanship it is unsurpassed in pure scale and ambition, setting milestone after cinematic milestone as Frodo and Sam continue their mission to Mordor to destroy the soul-corrupting One Ring. While the heir to the kingdom of Men, Aragorn, endures the massive battle at Minas Tirith with the allegiance of Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf, Frodo and Sam must survive the schizoid deceptions of Gollum, who remains utterly convincing as a hybrid of performance (by Andy Serkis) and subtly nuanced computer animation. Jackson and cowriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have much ground to cover; that they do so with intense pacing and epic sweep is impressive enough, but by investing greater depth and consequence in the actions of fellow hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd), they ensure that The Return of the King maintains the trilogy's emphasis on intimate fellowship and remains faithful to Tolkien's overall vision. By ending the LOTR trilogy with noble integrity and faith in the power of imaginative storytelling, The Return of the King, like its predecessors, will stand as an adventure for the ages. --Jeff Shannon and David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (105)

An epic for our times
J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was considered unfilmable for a very long time -- the story was too big, too fantastical. But in the late 1990s, New Zealand director Peter Jackson got the green light to shoot the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy. The rest is film history.

"The Fellowship of the Ring" introduces us to the hobbits. Eccentric old Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) leaves the peaceful Shire at his 111st birthday, leaving all he has to his young nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood) -- including a golden Ring that makes the wearer invisible. But the grey wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) reveals that it's actually the One Ring, which is the source of power for the demonic Dark Lord Sauron. Horrified, Frodo and his best pals leave the Shire and join a band of elves, men, and dwarves to take the Ring to the only place where it can be destroyed.

"The Two Towers" picks up immediately after "Fellowship" ends. Frodo and Sam (Sean Astin) are lost on the path to Mordor. Worse, they're being stalked by Gollum (Andy Serkis), who owned the Ring for centuries and is enslaved to it. But because he knows safe ways into Mordor, Frodo lets Gollum come along. Elsewhere, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) make a desperate stand against the orc armies with the kingdom of Rohan....

"Return of the King" brings the trilogy to a head. Frodo and Sam's friendship is threatened by Gollum's trickery -- and Frodo is led into a deadly trap. Elsewhere, Gandalf rides with Pippin (Billy Boyd) to Gondor, the kingdom that Aragorn is heir to. Aragorn summons an army of ghosts and attacks the heart of Mordor -- as Frodo and Sam arrive at the volcanic Mount Doom, where the Ring was forged. But can Frodo bring himself to destroy the Ring?

A lot of people were nervous when first hearing that "Lord of the Rings" was being translated onto the big screen. There were just too many things (goofy scripting, bad special effects, mutilated characters) that could go wrong. Those fears turned out to be pretty much unfounded. Some characters are different from what they are in the book (Faramir and Arwen, for example), and some are gone altogether.

Jackson and Co. outdid themselves with nearly every aspect of the films. The scripting is impeccable, a good balance of dark and light, humor and horror. The sets and New Zealand landscapes are breathtaking. The battle scenes are bloody and exciting. All the trappings -- clothes, jewelry, even beer mugs -- are realistic. And the special effects are almost entirely convincing-looking, especially the gruesome Gollum. He's the first fully convincing CGI character!

Elijah Wood is outstanding as Frodo Baggins. He runs the emotional gamut: fear, pain, horror, happiness, resignation, rage, love, lust and emptiness. Sean Astin is equally good as the steadfast Sam, Frodo's best friend. Supporting hobbits Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd get to grow up into mature hobbits, and Ian McKellen is excellent as the grandfatherly wizard Gandalf. Viggo Mortensen, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Liv Tyler, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom and Sean Bean are only part of the amazing supporting cast, all of whom give excellent performances.

The movie adaptation of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy has been accepted by most fans and critics alike. Why? Because the trilogy is among the best movies ever put to film. A stunning achievement.

The Best Book Trilogy Becomes the Best DVD Trilogy!
LOTR is without a doubt the best trilogy ever created. Each movie, FOTR, TTT, ROTK, are excellent on their own and as a united piece are unstoppable. None of the movies have major faults, like bad acting or Ewoks or crappy plot, but stand on their own as amazing features. Really meant to be watched as one very long epic, the Lord of the Rings is the best thing to ever happen to cinema. No more Hollywood garbage, but instead passionate filmmaking from both cast and crew. The eternal themes of JRR Tolkien are fleshed out, and as opposed to other recent trilogies, the amazing special effects (which garnered three academy awards) do not distract from the storytelling, but augment it. Peter Jackson and his crew spent seven years doing a phenomenal job bringing to life the unimaginable. The casting was perfect. The ensemble shines on screen. Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen are particularly magnificent. Sean Astin does a superb job throughout the trilogy going from sidekick to heartfelt hero in the final installment. Elijay Wood does an exceptional job portraying a peaceful, happy hobbit descending into madness, ultimately ending up in a conflicted state where his former peace is gone. There is a reason why all three of these movies are in imdb.com's top 10 films of all time. No sane person would want to miss out on the movie adventure of our time.

Boring *3
Fine, the movies of LOTR are really beautifully done. Beautiful scenes and breathtaking angles. Its all so beautifully dont, with costumes and effects but you can't help feel bored with each movie. Its like well, sometimes someone in the film cries. You take pity right? Well you won't after 20 minutes of crying. It gets boring. Its not really action packed and just goes monotonously in a straight line. Unlike the better series for me Harry Potter, which is not boring at all but very engaging and climactic. The lord of the rings series is so unticlimactic i often pray for it to end quickly in the cinema. And Elijah Wood is so over acting with the eye flutter an all. And at the end he won't just let go of the ring into the volcano. Its all boring. With this special bundle pack, its boreddom times three

The Lord Of The Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy to own!
The Lord Of The Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy is a beautiful box set that showcases these three amazing films: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. From the captivating story to the gorgeous cinematography this trilogy sweeps you off of your feet and takes you along for one heck of a journey. The Lord Of The Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy has to be one of the most anticipated DVD releases ever. I encourage any one who appreciates great movies to purchase this wonderful box set. This is what great movies are about!

Finally The Trilogy Comes to a Close
The Lord of the Rings should be the yardstick on which all other fantasy epics should be measured on. 8 years in the making this movie did not dissappoint. Masterfully directed, this trilogy has it all, it will make you laugh and it will make you cry. I reccomend this set for all. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

AWESOME MINI-SERIES!
If this doesn't come out on DVD, I'd be so mad. Sammari Jack was an awesome show, and Star Wars with Sammari Jack influence is an amazing experience. I taped all but four episodes, two of which were the best ones, so I'd really like it if they'd make this, and so do you. Trust me.

Fills in the Gaps
I found that this series filed in a lot of gaps, similar to the Episode 1 explanation of Midaclorians (sp?). The fast paced, serialized structure of the serries is very interesting. I love how I suddenly "jumped to the edge of my seat", ok recliner, on several occasions. I can't wait for the DVD to be released!

Just like the new movies good action bad plot
Terrible, Terrible, Terrible!
This series suffers from the same problems as the new movies, horrible plot, and a perversion of the characters from the original series. Just like the new movies the action was cool and I enjoyed every lightsaber battle, but I never cared who won. In fact the obi-wan in the new movies was more recognizable than the blood thirsty general they portray him as here. This series is at its best when it is just long dialogue free battles, but then why not just watch Samurai Jack at least that has characters I care about and it doesn't further tarnish the universe of Star Wars.

RELEASE ON DVD!!!!
Even the "making of" was excellent! I can't stand the suspense! I've recorded every episode in order and transferred to VCD, but I'd much rather have a crisp, clean picture and 5.1 sound so that I can feel the thrusters of Anakin's ship knocking me back in my seat! THX sound would be fantastic for this movie (since it is, more or less, episode 2.5). I find it more entertaining than Episode II, and it cleans up some of the loose ends that would have been forgotten with the release of Episode III. Genndy, is a genius! Lucas, you're a great man for allowing this to be made! Just take the next inevitable step and release it on DVD at least in time for Christmas!

George Lucas, you better be taking notes . . .
Having grown up with the original trilogy (I was born May 25, 1977. No joke. Look it up SW fans), I have to say that so far the prequals have NOT been Star Wars films at all. They do not capture the essence of the original trilogy.
However, these little cartoons, these Clone Wars 'toons bring the magic and essence of Star Wars back to Star Wars. They are worthy of the original trilogy. The writing and stories are exciting and action packed (wow, even space battles! Seems Mr. Lucas forgot about the space battles in the prequels), the acting is better than the actors in the prequels (except Ewan McGregor) and the voices are dead on. If you haven't seen these - go to the website and stream them. When the DVD comes out, it will have a perminate place right next to the original trilogy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The James Bond Collection, Vol. 1 collects the same feature-packed DVDs that appeared in previous Bond boxes, but in a new combination of titles, one with a decidedly golden gleam. In 1962 Sean Connery defined the cinematic James Bond as a tough, charming, and thoroughly professional cold war spy with a license to kill in the lean, hard-edged Dr. No. With Ursula Andress (as the original Bond girl Honeychile Ryder, who makes her entrance in a bikini), Bond battles a renegade supervillain with little more than his wits, his cunning, and his Walther PPK. In Goldfinger (1964) Connery's steely presence helped forge the formula of tongue-in-cheek wit, wondrous secret agent toys created by Q, and megalomaniac supervillains bent on world destruction.

Roger Moore brought a light tone and a suave assurance to the series, and in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), he battles million-dollar assassin Christopher Lee, one of Bond's most magnetic adversaries. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), perhaps Moore's finest hour, is a return to the extravagant set pieces and cold war thrills of Connery's pictures and introduces Richard Kiel's steel-dentured Jaws to the series. Timothy Dalton made his second and final appearance as Bond in Licence to Kill (1989), the toughest of the Bond films since Connery's early efforts. Though not a fan favorite, it's a sleek, solid adventure with an edge missing from the Moore pictures.

Pierce Brosnan is the latest to take on the 007 mantle, combining the best of Connery's cool and Moore's humor. GoldenEye (1995) is a grand globetrotting adventure with lovely Bond girls and a tough new M (Judy Dench). Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) doesn't recapture that magic mix of action, gadgetry, and romance, but does feature the first Bond girl to match 007 blow for blow: Hong Kong action superstar Michelle Yeoh. The DVD editions of the films each feature audio commentary tracks by the director and key members of the crew, making-of documentaries, and a host of stills, TV spots, and trailers. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Volume 1 of a classic line of Spy films
"The name is Bond, James Bond." With these words a franchise was born. In 1962 Ian Flemming launched a franchise that would forever change the action film genre. Starting with Dr. NO, one really couldn't tell that it was really a Bond film until that famous line was uttered. Now then, the Bond series has gone through no less than 5 different actors: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, finally Pierce Brosnan. Each having their own style. In my opinion, Pierce Brosnan is about as close to the original Sean Connery Bond as you can get. He's got the same pizazz and pinache as Connery did.

This first set of a re-issue contains seven of the soon to be twenty installment franchise. The first is the 1962 release "Dr. NO". This was Connery's first, and Bond's first official appearance.

Then comes '64's "Goldfinger", the 3rd Bond film. This film had one of the cleverest lines in a Bond film that I can recall. Bond: "Do you expect me to talk?" Goldfinger: "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die."

Then comes '74's "The Man with the Golden Gun". The 9th Bond film and Roger Moore's 2nd appearance as Bond. This film stars Christopher Lee as the villian who we now know as Count Dooku from Star Wars Episode II.

Then we have '77's "The Spy Who Loved Me". The 10th Bond film and Moore's 3rd appearance. This film stared Curt Jurgens as the villian and introduced the character Jaws played by Richard Kiel.

Then let's skip way forward and stop at '89's "License to Kill". This is the 16th Bond film which was Timothy Dalton's 2nd appearance as Bond. This film also stars Robert Davi as latino drug cartel leader.

Next comes '95's "GoldenEye". The 17th Bond film and also Pierce Brosnan, the modern Bond's first film. This film spawned one of the most popular N64 video games ever. Stared Sean Bean as 006 who turns traitor.

And finally '97's "Tomorrow Never Dies". The 18th Bond film and Brosnan's 2nd film. Stars Teri Hatcher, TV's Lois Lane from The New Superman Adventures.

And so completes the first Volume of DVD reissues. Hopefully Volume 2 will come out sometime early next year.

A Very Good Addition to any DVD Collection
I originally bought this box set and the others when they were done to conicide with the release of Tomorrow Never Dies. Sadly that was not included in the box set so I had to buy it separately. While Tomorrow Never Dies is not the best, the others do not disappoint. You get some of the best Bond films Connery did. Dr No, Goldfinger. Licence to Kill with the dashing Timothy Dalton does not disappoint. Also included is Goldeneye, the first Bond with Pierce Brosnan. While it sometimes seems far fetched, the highlight of this film is really is Sean Bean who plays Alec Trevelyan. He is 006 turned bad. To watch Bean play this deliciously evil baddie is interesting and fun as he anticipates Bond's every move.He is perhaps one of the best Bond baddies in a long time because he is an intellegent bad guy who knows Bond better than anyone. The others included Man With The Golden Gun and The Spy Who Loved Me, like many of the Bond films may seem far fetched but are great fun to watch.

Not closed captioned in English
I bought this box set as a birthday present for a friend who is hard of hearing, thinking that he could use the closed caption option.

I was shocked to find that all the DVD's in all of the James Bond boxed sets are NOT closed captioned in English!
They are only closed captioned in French and Spanish.

How can they sell these these DVDs in the USA, label them as "closed captioned" and not state on the box that they are NOT closed captioned in English?

An Endearing Man of Action and Honor
Only one person can stop the maniacal villains trying to monopolize the world: Bond, James Bond. The groundbreaking DR. NO is one of the best James Bond films of the series. Sean Connery's performance is that of the no-nonsense dedicated civil servant entrusted with a "licence-to-kill" when he chooses, where he chooses and whom he chooses. His screen presence alone conveys the physical, intellectual and moral conviction of the character. Many elements that distinguish the James Bond series were introduced in this film. The opening gun barrel trademark, "The James Bond Theme," M played by Bernard Lee, Miss Moneypenny played by Lois Maxwell, Ken Adam's distinctive melding of modern and futuristic production designs, Maurice Binder's unique main titles, the "Martinis shaken not stirred," exotic locales, just to name a few are all here. Bond is sent to Jamaica, land of the Undertakers Wind, to investigate the elimination of British field agents and strange signals that have been interfering with the American space program. Joseph Wiseman as DR. NO is one of the best villains of the series. His steel mono-toned performance is eerily unsettling. Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder leaves the most indelible image of the series as she emerges erotically from the blue waters of the Caribbean clad in her white bikini. Along with Felix Leiter and Quarrel, Bond must uncover the trail that all leads to DR. NO's mysterious Crab Key. GOLDFINGER contains a well-balanced level of depth and action leaving one emotionally charged. This is Sean Connery's finest James Bond film. The golden girl, Oddjob's bowler hat, Goldfinger's lethal laser, the Astin Martin DB5 with modifications introduced by Q, and Shirley Bassey's legendary rendition of the theme song belted out over the titles immediately became an integral part of the James Bond lore and remained in the psyche of the public. Production designer Ken Adam and art director Peter Murton gave the production a stunning and lavish distinction. The Fort Knox set and Goldfinger's playroom at his stud ranch was a testament to imagination and achievement. John Barry finally honed his distinctive style to perfection with this memorable score. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN contains one of Roger Moore's best performances as James Bond as he injects Bond's virility, worldliness and sardonic wit back into the character. Christopher Lee's performance as the enigmatic Scaramanga is refreshingly energetic giving the assassin an amiable quality on the surface hiding a darker side beneath. Bond sets out to find the person responsible for sending him a golden bullet with his 007 number on it. Maud Adams' is Andrea, Scaramanga's beautiful mistress. She brings genuine compassion to the role as the tormented individual who can not escape her master. There is also great location cinematography in this film that inspired John Barry to compose a lush exotic score. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME is a big-budgeted opulent film with effective screenplay and editing delivering one of the most succinctly structured films of the series. Roger Moore clearly re-established his approach to the role as the good-natured British agent. His Bond is suave, debonair, never condescending and resorts to seriousness only when confronted with malevolence. The globetrotting THE SPY WHO LOVED ME featured a gadget laden Lotus Esprit as its centerpiece and a demented villain Stromberg whose immense wealth featured an aquatic empire aimed at global domination. Great action sequences and chases abound. LICENCE TO KILL has Timothy Dalton as an avenging James Bond turned rouge agent out to eliminate drug lord Sanchez in Isthmus City. There are many great action scenes on the land, on and under the sea and in the air. The best element of the story line is having Bond place doubt in the mind of Sanchez that henchmen in his organization were plotting against him. The film's greatest asset is Benicio Del Toro's performance as Dario, a Sanchez henchman. GOLDENEYE is Pierce Brosnan's first film as James Bond and seems more like a hybrid of Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton, combing the best elements that each brought to the role. He possesses intelligence, wit, charm and dedication and delivers these with no-nonsense passion and drive. GOLDENEYE is a great looking film beautifully filmed for mood and action. Some of the film's high points are the miniatures by Derek Meddings; probably his best work in the series, the return of the Astin Martin DB5 and Eric Serra's original if controversial score. Serra's interpretation of "The James Bond Theme" over the opening gun barrel trademark is powerful and very innovative. One can not appreciate Serra's contribution to this film unless the DVD is played through a surround stereo system with a good amount of bass and volume pumped up. In TOMORROW NEVER DIES Pierce Brosnan delivers a more definitive interpretation of James Bond above and beyond his excellent portrayal in GOLDENEYE two years earlier. In this film Brosnan has honed in on his maturity and a physical presence that consummates his overall performance of Bond when combined with his intelligence, wit and charm that he delivers flawlessly with assured confidence. This film brings a realistic and gritty look to the series that LICENCE TO KILL attempted to achieve. This is one of the best films of the series combing an integral plot with rich characters, action and suspense. Director Donald Spottiswoode never diverted the focus of the film away from the main plot, yet he gave a sense of real depth to the characters. He has a good understanding of how to deliver action with emotional impact. He did a brilliant job and has been highly underrated for his efforts. Also, the producers finally discovered a composer that could combine the traditional and highly personalized sound of John Barry with today's trends in scoring for this genre in the talented David Arnold. Arnold much evidently has a good understanding of the series and the character of James Bond.

Not Good
I bought this collection from a company called Digitaleyes.net off this site as a birthday present to a friend. Problem is half of the disc's do not play (ie) "No Disc inserted" error message on my Sony DVD player.
I'm still waiting for a response back from the Digitaleyes.net about this. I would not recommend using Digitaleyes.net to order through. ... Read more

Amazon.com

While 2003's Daredevil was a conventional superhero movie, the 2005 spinoff, Elektra, is more of a wuxia-styled martial arts/fantasy flick. Elektra (Jennifer Garner) has returned to her life as a hired assassin, but she balks at an assignment to kill a single father (Goran Visnjic, ER) and his teenage daughter (Kirsten Prout). That makes her the target of the Hand, an organization of murderous ninjas, scheming corporate types, and a band of stylish supervillains seeking to eliminate Elektra and tip the balance of power in the ongoing battle of good vs. evil.

As the star of Alias, Garner has proven that she can kick butt with the best of them, and some of the visual effects are impressive, but the action sequences tend to be anticlimactic, and there's not much to the story. Fans will notice numerous references to Frank Miller's comic books, but there's very little resemblance to Miller's cold-blooded killer (Elektra with an agent? Elektra referring to herself as a "soccer mom"?).

Is Elektra better than Daredevil? Not really, even with the distinct advantage of having all Garner and no Ben Affleck. That could be the spinoff's greatest disappointment: after Spider-Man 2 raised the bar for comic-book movies, Elektra lowered it back to Daredevil's level.Directed by Rob Bowman (the X-Files movie), and featuring Terence Stamp as the mysterious mentor Stick, Will Yun Lee (Die Another Day) as the chief villain, and NFL-player-turned-mixed-martial-arts-champion Bob Sapp as the immovable Stone.

DVD features
Ben Affleck's much-rumored cameo is one of the deleted scenes on the Elektra DVD.It's a one-minute throwaway, and while he's supposedly appearing as Matt Murdock (who romanced Elektra in Daredevil), the barrage of celebrity gossip makes it impossible to see him as anything other than Jennifer Garner's real-life boyfriend.There's also a making-of featurette, which is mostly promotional hype other than a few interesting effects shots; four editing featurettes; and Jennifer Garner's videotaped message to ComicCon.--David Horiuchi

More on Elektra

Elektra: The Album (Soundtrack CD)	Elektra: The Movie (Comic Adaptation)	Frank Miller Comic Books
Daredevil (Director's Cut) (DVD)	Jennifer Garner stars in Alias (DVD)	More Superhero DVDs

... Read more

Reviews (163)

Not bad
I don't understand when people complain about Elektra being trashy. Com' on, you know you're watching a comic character, a character written from comics, how intellectual do you want the movie to be?

I love the trashiness of the movie.

More like E-Suck-tra...
This was one of the crappiest movie I have ever seen in the history of movies. The boss fights were stupid, the final boss, stupid, The tatoo guy that was supposed to be TOTALLY sweet died way way way too easily. She had this stiff pissed look the entire movie which just made me fell Stiff and pissed. I think the only part I found entertaining was how they died, If you want to laugh get this movie, if you want action(which is what you expect from this movie) Go try Samurai Champloo.

good dvd release but worst superhero movie i've ever seen
I'd never seen this movie in big screen, but one of my friends told me it was an average movie. when the dvd released, I Bought to put it near my daredevil DVDs (special 2 discs edition & directors cut), oh my... when i watched it... it was not an average movie but one of the worst superhero movies i've ever seen. too much lies! terrible actings and a boring story! not comperable with daredevil in any way, daredevil was a five star movie but this can hardly get one star! its just like one of jackie chan recent and cheap movies with a TV Worthy picture and special effects. it's not even worth to rent. don't be fool by the beautiful and kind of sexy photo on the cover of dvd! don't buy it even you are a super hero DVD Collector

Good acting , silly story
I was surprised that someone like Jason Isaacs would appear in a movie like this... special effects are very good, but still, the story wasn't very good. Goran Visnjic did a great job, excellent. But I don't know...watch it if you want to have some fun.

A Different Concept ?!!/ Disappointing and Medicore!!!!
I personaly am a comic book fan and can tell you from experience that the comics of Elektra are way better. The movie was somewhat weak with barely any action scenes!!! The only good part of the movie was Jennifer Garner which put some flavor into the movie and was in fact perfect for playing the part of Elektra!!! I place all blame on marvel who basically focused too much on setting up for the sequel and less on the action!!! This movie had so much potential but in the end it was barely amusing!!! If you want the truth the only reason I gave this movie 3 stars was because, of pitty and Jennifer Garner!!! It was a nobel effort but there are way better movies than this!!! The special features aren't that special either and not worth buying the movie over!!! Some hardcore Elektra fans will have a special place in their hearts for this movie!!! Don't buy this movie because of Jennifer Garner, if you want to see more of her just watch Alias/ or buy the first season!!! Marvel used to be about making comics and pleasing their main fan group, but now they have turned into a bunch of corporate business investors trying to make a profits!! The movie "Hulk" was even worse than this, which makes this look good!!! If you are looking for good movies from marvel here are some suggestion:

Spiderman
spiderman 2
X Men
X Men 2
The Punisher
Daredevil
The Incredibles

I hope Marvel is wise and makes more movies like the one's listed above!!! I suggest you rent this movie first to see if you truly want it!!! If you are a action fan like me you will probably not like it!!! Better luck on the sequel!!!

-Anonymous ... Read more

Description

This 4-title boxed-set contains all of the titles in the Batman ser