Reviews (240)

The Lost World
This sequel to the 1993 blockbuster is good as sequels go but isn't a great movie. Jeff Goldblum gives a good performance as Dr. Ian Malcolm and Julianne Moore contributes too. The screenplay based on the novel by Michael Crichton is poorly done but has a few funny lines. The cinematography is good and captures the horror very well, and the production design is very frightening. The soundwork is very good, but the editing by veteran Michael Kahn (Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T.) is not very well done, you can hardly digest what is happening. John Williams contributes a rousing yet ominous score. One thing that keeps this movie moving are the incredible Oscar nominated special effects done masterfully by the great Dennis Muren and Stan Winston. The basic plot is that John Hammond, the creator of Jurassic Park, has an island where dinosaurs roam freely but must send Malcolm along with his girlfriend and two other companions to photograph the dinosaurs so Ingen will be kept from disturbing the dinosaurs. Overall, fairly well done, suspenseful, but fails to capture the awe, greatness, and wonder that the original possessed. There is also a Jurassic Park 3 coming out. I can't wait.

Dinosaurs Galore
Recently I was able to catch Spielberg's The Lost World. I say Spielberg because other than the title it bears no resemblance to the book. This is not necessarily a bad thing. While a lousy interpretation of the book it is still a good film.

Jeff Goldblum is hired (by a man who is dead in the book) to study the ecosystems on InGen's Site B where dinosaurs have been flourishing. Only the fact that his girlfriend is in danger gets Goldblum to go. No sooner does he arrive and try and convince her to leave than a massive InGen expedition shows up to hunt and capture dinosaurs.

InGen's plans for capturing dinosaurs goes awry when Goldblum and friends release the dinosaurs during a satellite-linked board meeting. InGen plans to open a dinosaur park facility at the San Diego zoo. During the chaos every radio in the camp manages to get trampled. The survivors must now find a way off of the island. Unfortunately most of them are killed in a brief attack by velociraptors while in tall grass.

The few survivors of the second expedition manage to capture a T-Rex and ready it for shipping to the states. Goldblum and friends escape by helicopter.

In San Diego the T-Rex manages to escape and go rampaging through the city. Goldblum must lure the T-Rex back onto the freighter that brought it to the States. In the end a huge navy escort follows the freighter back to the island while Mr. Hammond implores to public to leave the dinosaurs alone; they deserve it.

Some people definitely had fun making this movie. There were scenes from classic and not-so-classic movies including King Kong, Godzilla, Carnosaur 3 (CARNOSAUR was the book Crichton got the idea for JURASSIC PARK from) and others. Two scenes I particularly enjoyed were a crowd of screaming Japanese looking over their shoulders while running in terror and a little boy who wakes his parents to tell them that there is a dinosaur in the back yard.

It was reported that a paleontologist made sure that the dinosaurs acted as current scientific beliefs say they should. Hah! The Stegosaurs were the size of apatosaurs. Something, possibly the escaped triceratops, managed to knock a hummer airborne so that ir reached an altitude of at least a hundred feet and an amazing distance. Velociraptors can now leap three stories up and forty yards out. The tyrannosaur can run right through building walls without slowing down. Fun? Yes. Realistic? No way. Needless to say if the dinosaurs acted this way in the first movie then no one would have escaped.

Still, it was a very fun film that I recommend to any dinosaur lover who can stand to see people pulled apart by huge carnivores sharing a tidbit. The Lost World (the third film by that name) should be available on video and day now.

Steven Plays Around A Bit...
Actually, LWJP is just Steven Spielberg having some fun. It's an obvious tribute to movies like King Kong, Godzilla, and even the original 1925 version of The Lost World. It's a non-stop SFX extravaganza that is more dessert than a nourishing meal. Jeff Goldblum returns as Ian Malcolm. He is not bad in his role, though he does wear thin. Julianne Moore is beautiful as always, and pulls off her "concerned scientist" part with ease. The T-rex is back, with his mate and offspring. The Raptors terrorize, managing to kill off many slimy hunters and Ingen drones. Not a bad sequel, considering that most sequels are pure rubbish anyway. I enjoyed the T-rex running rampant in LA. I only wish it had had more time to cause hysteria and chaos! A nice binge-eating trip down Hollywood Blvd would've been cool! Oh well. Watch with brain on pause...

It's Lost All Right
"Jurassic Park" could be forgiven the lack of story and character development because it was artfully crafted to be a thrill ride. This sequel, also inspired by Michael Chrichton's book, departs more from the story and fully flops into the B-movie category.

Jeff Goldblum is back visiting the dinosaurs, along with several other characters from the previous movie. This time our scientists are observing the behavior of the dinosaurs, trying to learn as much as possible, a very scientist-like activity. However, greed plays a part once again as a team of big-game hunters come to the island to attempt to capture an array of dinosaurs for a dinosaur zoo in an attempt for Ingen to recoup some of its substantial investment in the dinosaurs.

All appears to be going well for everyone except the dinosaurs until the scientists decide to play environmentalists and release all the dinosaurs from their cages. The dinosaurs go on a rampage (ever seen a rampaging triceratops?), destroying the camp of the hunters. Even then our scientists would have been okay had they not decided to help a baby tyrannosaurus. The parents track down the baby with predictably bad results for the humans.

Now scientists and big game hunters alike are on the run from the tyrannosaurs, and in the process of escaping they encounter our old friends the raptors, still intelligent, still agile, and still very hungry.

Eventually some of the characters escape, and the tyrannosaurus and its baby are captured so that they can be taken to California. Something unexplained happens on the ship and the only thing left are the tyrannosaurs and a hand trying keeping a cargo bay door closed. Remove the hand and a miniature Godzilla roams the streets of San Diego.

The first Jurassic Park movie had plot holes that you were able to ignore in favor of the cool special effects and the action. This time the plot holes are bigger than the movie. Real scientists do not behave as Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore) does in this movie. As Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) advises her, "Do not interact," a basic rule of scientific observation. Interacting is for Green Peace and the Sierra Club, not for real scientists.

Our hunters blunder about in a manner that is guaranteed to get them killed. They run when they should walk. They walk when they should stay put. The actions of the supposed scientists continually put everyone into danger. When you remove the bullets from a gun, and the gun is later used to attempt to protect you, the result is predictable. The plot holes continue in allowing the tyrannosaur escape.

Added to the plot holes are moments of humor that further spin this movie into the realm of low-budget monster movies. The scene with the dog in a San Diego suburb was completely unnecessary. Of course, by that point I was beyond disappointed with the movie.

This movie does have a few good points, all based on action scenes, but the plot holes outweigh the good portions and the mistakes and silly behavior make this movie difficult to watch. I give this movie three stars because the special effects continued to be good, the only redeeming feature of this movie.

Okay, not as good as the first
This movie was okay. The first one is so much better, but this one is still not bad. I thought it was awesome when the T-Rex attacked a city! I still bought it because I love the movies. See it if you like the first, but don't expect it to be better.

MPAA: PG-13
Running Time: 129 minutes
Year released: 1997 ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Frog Love Story
A great fun movie for the early teen. As a 6th grade teacher I use it in mid February (Valentine's Day)and near the science fair time, as a "Frog Love Story". It is based on the idea that a nerd (science student) buys a frog who was once a Prince. Of course the frog wants to be kissed (and turned into a Prince again) and Arlo (the student) wants a good science fair project. He also wants to get kissed. Along comes a cheerleader who needs a good grade in sciencewho is willing to be Arlo's partner and the story hops off from there. Shelly Duvall and Elliot Gould are wonderful as the post hippy parents. This is a good video for any age group.

A good movie!
Frog is a good movie about a boy Arlo who finds a frog who can talk! He Makes a deal with the frog He tries to get the frog kissed while the frog helps him win a science project.This movie is a good one mostly for little kids but it is still pretty good! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Decent adaptation for a TV movie.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Marcus Cole, 1995)

While doing the research on this film, I discovered that there have actually been two film versions of E. L. Konigsburg's delightful novel, with this one being the more recent. Most reviewers seem to prefer the 1973 version. Maybe they're right. But not having seen it, I have to say I liked this one well enough as a trip down memory lane.

Veteran TV director Cole (Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder) directs from Betty Goldberg (Trapper John, M.D.)'s script. Cole casts Lauren Bacall as the mysterious and un-first-named Mrs. Basil, Jean Marie Barnwell (Angie) as Claudia, and Jesse Lee (Bobby of the newer Brady Bunch stuff) as Claudia's brother Jamie. The story, for those of you who have been living under a rock for thirty years: Claudia feels neglected at home and wants to run away. She enlists the help (and money) of younger brother Jamie. The two of them, through a series of minor misadventures, end up hiding in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Claudia becomes obsessed with a mysterious angel statue that may or may not have been carved by Michelangelo, and she sets about authenticating the piece.

Really, it's about what one would expect from a TV movie, in terms of direction, acting, etc. Nothing here that's going to win any awards. But who cares? For those of us who loved the novel, there's enough of it here to jog your memory (and hopefully you won't be too bogged down by the piece of it that mysteriously vanish). *** ½

Fine book and a Fine film!!
I, as most of the other reviewers, began with the book as a child and saw the film later. This was one of my favorite books as a child and I remember the film THE HIDEAWAYS that was made 30 years ago. I loved the book and the THE HIDEAWAYS was okay, although it has some noticeable changes from the book. When I purchased this more modern version of the book I did not think I would enjoy a more contempory version of the story. I was wrong! Sure there are some changes from the book but not enough to alter the story line greatly. What I really enjoyed were the characters. Lauren Bacall did a very good job in her role as Mrs. Frankweiler, as did Jean Marie Barnwell in the role of Claudia and Jesse Lee in the role of Jamie.

So, while there are some changes as others have noted, this film still maintains the best elements of the book. I only wish more films adhered to the books from which their story was taken. Also, this story stands up over time. My 9 & 7 year old son & daughter enjoy this story as much as I did and still do.

"Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler": Very disappointing film version
After reading E. L. Konigsburg's book, I was very excited to see this film adaptation of it. But it's not all that great--I was very disappointed. There are several differences between the movie and the book, one so much so that it ruined the whole picture for me.

The basic plot remains the same as the book: Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away...so she decided not to run FROM somewhere, but TO somewhere. And so, after some careful planning, she and her younger brother, Jamie, escaped. Soon, while exploring the Muesum, they set their minds to solving the mystery of Angel, a statue new to the muesum's collection, rumored to have been created by the ledgendary Michaelangelo.

But several minor details were changed. The entire character Saxonburg (although minor) has been deleted from the screenplay. Also, because of this, the way that Claudia and Jamie do eventually get home is different. (In the book, Saxonburg takes them home; here, their parents come and get them.) Also here, Jamie puts in a phone call to Mom and Dad, which sturs things up a bit. This was not done in the novel. An assortment of other things have been changed as well.

Lauren Bascall does a nice job as Mrs. Frankwiler, and the rest of the casting is good. But because of the changes from novel to screenplay, I dislike this version. Read the book (of the same name; winner of the Newbery Medal) first. Then try this, just to see how you like it. Also try the film "The Hideaways", another film version of this story. Hopefully it will be better!

An OURSTANDING movie!
I read this book when I was in 5th grade and I adored it. I was so excited when I found the movie and it was great too. Great job!

An OUTSTANDING movie!
I read this book when I was in 5th grade. I LOVED the book and I was so excited about seeing the movie. The movie was great. Even though there were afew minor changes in it. Great job! ... Read more

Reviews (477)

A great modern adventure!
This is the last entry in the "Evil Dead" series, but folks, this is NOT a horror flick, it is a fantasy comedy adventure. This deals with "Ash" ( Bruce Campbell) who was sucked into another time, in the medieval times. Now he must get a unholy book called " The Necronomicon" so he can get back home but when his idiocy gets in the way, he unleashes a army of the dead and now Ash with the rest of King Arthur's men must fight back.

A brilliant, entertaining and hilarious final in the awesome Evil Dead series with wit, humor, skill, good special effects and great battle scenes. Sam Raimi is a genius of a filmmaker, Bruce Campbell is definitely a great actor portraying a lovable moronic hero. Like i said, this movie isn't a horror flick, it's really a Fantasy comedy adventure and doesn't have gore like the last two flicks but this movie is also enjoyable for the whole family. I own this movie on DVD in 2-versions such as the Cut U.S. version with happy ending and the Director's cut with alternate ending, this is a must see movie.

Also recommended: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, The Princess Bride, The Neverending Story, The Dark Crystal, Conan The Barbarian, The Crow, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, In The Army Now ( Pauly Shore), The Flight of Dragons, Return of the King, The Last Unicorn, Gladiator, The Wizard of Oz, Excalibur and Mulan.

Great, Fun Film.
ARMY OF DARKNESS is the third film in the EVIL DEAD series. The first movie in the series, EVIL DEAD, was a strictly horror film containing a humorous moment every now and again. EVIL DEAD 2 was basically a dark comedy interlaced with a few moments of horror. ARMY OF DARKNESS is neither; it's an action/adventure flick filled with comedy and just a touch of gore.

The movie begins where EVIL DEAD 2 ended: Ash has been transported to the 13th century and is surrounded by the Army of King Arthur. He is assumed to be a member of a rival army and is taken prisoner. After defeating a couple of Deadites in the pit, he is declared to be the prophecized hero who will rid the kingdom of the evil that has befallen it. However, Ash, being the befuddled hero he is, makes things worse and almost destroys any chance he has of returning home.

ARMY OF DARKNESS is hilarious. It's filled with comedy and all sorts of literary and pop culture references from The Three Stooges to Gulliver's Travels to JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS to Frankenstein. I found myself laughing about every three minutes and some of the one-liners just rock: "Give me some sugar, baby" and "I'm going to cut your gizzard." Of course, this movie isn't for everyone. There are some people who would be offended and some who would see this movie as garbage. However, I see the movie as pure genius and great fun. Whatever.

A Bad and Tasteless Film
This by far is the worst film I have ever seen. Sure, I've had my fair share of bad films, but this one tops them off. The acting stunk in a very big way. I expected this film to scare the socks off of me, but, instead I was shaking my head in full on disgust at the Comedy Relief Film instead of being a true horror flick. Don't waste a second of your time on this film and don't waste your money on it either.

Great cheesy cult horror film - choose the edition wisely
I've seen the U.S. theatrical cut of this film a number of times, so I bought the Director's cut (ASIN B00005QW4K) when it first came out. I finally got around to watching it recently, and I've got to say, I'm pretty disappointed with this particular edition. If you want to see the director's cut, I'd recommend you go with the "Boomstick Edition", which also includes the U.S. theatrical release.

There were a number of flaws in this particular DVD. The first thing I noticed was really bad pixellation in many scenes. They did a great job in many cases of cleaning up any scratches or flaws in the source film, but then they did a really bad job of DVD compression. I'm sure the other editions aren't any worse on that score, and hope that they're better.

Also, this cut is actually missing some of my favorite scened and lines. The worst offense is that the line "Good, bad - I'm the guy with the gun" (which for me has always epitomized Ash) was replaced by "I'm not that good". In the commentary, Campbell and Raimi actually note that they prefer the "Good, bad" line... So why not include it in the "director's cut"?

They also deleted an early fight scene, just after Campbell's arrival, and went back to what was apparently the original ending. I really liked the ending in S-Mart, though. I also found the editing on the windmill scene in this edition less cohesive than the theatrical release.

The commentary by Campbell and Raimi was very good, since those two have a long history together, and really seem to have loved making this movie. Still, though, it was clear that they could see some of the same issues I mentioned above, leaving me baffled as to why they didn't work together to make this edition a true reflection of what they think the "best" version of "Army of Darkness" would be.

Good bad im the Ash with the gun.
Army of Darkness is such a fun movie to watch, What more could you want from a movie. I first became a fan of this movie because of Evil Dead 1&2, they where pretty good movies but when Army of Darkness came out it was five times better than the first two movies put together. The real reasson this movie did so well is because Bruce Campbell a.k.a Ash played his part damn well, and because of that we the fans of his movies where happy to see him come back to the big screen. If you don't like slap-stick comedy or horror movies you will not like this film, but if you do your in luck because Army of Darkness is the cult classic movie you've been waiting for. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Viking Paradise
In 1954 Disney made 20,000 leagues under the sea and the films popularity created a classis sci-fi phase that led to many different companies trying to adapt Jules Verne and H.G. Wells' books to film over the next seven or eight years. This film came out years after that phas was over, but it is easily as good as many of those films. The plot concerns a rich man who hires a French captain and his zeppelin and an American explorer to help him find his missing son. They set off for an uncharted area way out in the North Atlantic and find a tribe of Vikings who have established their own colony. This is a kid's film, fairly fast moving, but very little violence. The cast is overall good except for David Hartman who always seemed like Fred Gwynn, only without any personality. Director Robert Stevenson was a veteren by this time, having done such Disney greats as Old Yeller and Mary Poppins and his skills shine through in this film. This film is sharp and the visuals are very good for the time, although I admit I tend to really like films with airships. My only regret is that I did not see this one as a child because I really would have loved it then.

ONE OF DISNEYs LAST GREAT ADVENTURES
Sir Anthony Ross (Donald Sinden) goes on a quest for his missing son (David Gwillim) that leads him to the ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD via airship with the aid of Professor Ivarsson (David Hartman), Captain Brieux (Jacques Marin) and Oomiak (Mako). Director Robert Stevenson directed this film based on a novel by Ian Cameron, which treads on Jules Verne territory. Director Stevenson here makes one last attempt at the grandeur of the genre emulating earlier Disney productions such as 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954) and IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS (1962). Thanks to this DVD on Anchor Bay Entertainment this film looks even better than it did in the theatre and on earlier VHS editions. The esoteric and enigmatic images are sharp, crisp, and richly colorful and lushly textured giving this film a new dimension. Maurice Jarre composed an adventurous and melodic score giving this underrated film the prestige it deserved. I really enjoy this film and have watched it many times over.

I want this soundtrack!
I've always loved this movie. Now...I wish I could find the soundtrack, or at least the main title track for download!

What a surprise...I still like it
There has been a number of movies that, after loving them as a young kid in Scotland, I have picked up years later only to be disappointed (I am thinking 'Warlords of Atlantis' and 'People that time forgot'). I was wary about picking up 'The Island at the Top of the World' because I had fond memories of seeing it one Christmas years ago on British television.
Imagine my surprise when I sat down to watch this Walt Disney movie again last night when it actually surpassed my fond memories of the movie.
The story follows the adventure of an eccentric Englishman, an American professor and a zany French aviator as they search for the Englishmans son who went missing in the arctic circle years earlier.
What they discover is an ancient Viking culture on a volcanic island which legends holds is "Where whales go to die.". The green fields and tranquil landscape is a striking contrast to the bleak vistas of the ice fields surrounding it, and the xenophobic Vikings are understandably wary of these strangers. This long lost Viking colony apprently never ventured from their island believing the rest of the world to be covered by inhospitable ice shelves.
The movie, which was nominated for an Oscar in the production design dept. really is a fun ride with the same flavor of a number of the fantasy adventures that were released by Mickey Mouse's company in the early 1970s.
This DVD is a bare bones release but for the cheap price it is easy to recommend it for pick up.

Disney on top of the world
Walt Disney tried to latch his live-action film department to Jules Verne. After the phenomenal success of 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA he had them return again and again to that source. Then several years after his death, his studio returned to that sort of filmmaking with Island. This adventure involves dirigibles, Viking ships, sub-zero temperatures and scalding molten lava. And all along the way, we have some educational moments, usually provided by David Hartman playing the expert on everything. This was not a great film but is very involving for young children. With that in mind, it can be a nice family film, which can result in discussions about nature and culture differences. Always nice to have any film like this on DVD. The Disney Studio would go this route again with THE BLACK HOLE a few years later. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Ice Pirates leave a warm feeling!
What a wonderful piece of sci-fi fun! I always loved this picture since the first time I saw it WAAAYYY back in '84. I have to admit, it's not for everybody. You really have to be in a class of science fiction fans who also enjoy movies like Sleeper or tv shows like Red Dwarf. My only regret about Ice Pirates was that the director didn't have a larger budget--then again... Urich, Roberts and Huston (The Space Samurai Chick!) really steal the show--check out the gut-funny scene when Ulrich and Roberts were about to lose their "manhood". Hilarious!! The story is ludicrous in itself, water has become more valuable than gold or silver. I always found it funny that these people have the ability of interstellar travel but they can't produce water. I give the movie four stars--even though it loooks really bad on tv--in anyevent, Ice Pirates makes me wish filmmakers would produce more sci-fi satires. Long Live Jason and his Ice Pirates!

clasic cult sci fi
i stumbled across this in a video shop that imports vids from all over the world & it only cost me £2.99 (about $6.00) it aint a pg here thogh its a 15 so i had to get some 1 to buy it.
my mates used to pile round to watch it evry so offten the short guy loved the tiny robot kicking hell out of the big one

cant wait for it on dvd

I'm tired of waiting
I remember when cable was first introduced into this world except it was called "ON TV" where i'm from. I remember when this movie came on at that time. I was amazed by the humor and science fiction mixed into this great film. I'm still searching for a copy on DVD. I can't wait I've tried everything as to getting this film on DVD. I tried to buy a DVD format machine, but it was sold out. I'm getting impatient, but I still have some patience, and not for long.

SWKO-period piece
This a cult B-sci fi, and another SWKO (Star Wars Knock Off). Another Period Price. To it's credit, it is a lot funnier than Buckaroo Banzai.

A different type of sci-fi
This is one of my all time favorite b movies. The fx aren't well done but the story is great. There needs to be more cheesey sci fi movies like this, and space raiders. I would really be heart broken if this title never arrives on DVD because I would love to add it to my collection. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Romancing the...Raiders of the...
FIREWALKER is not the most memorable action adventure film out there but succeeds by not taking itself too seriously. The chemistry between Chuck Norris, Lou Gossett Jr., and Melody Anderson keeps the film from sinking from its predictable plot, cheap sets, generic action sequences and cardboard baddies (i.e. Sonny Landham -PREDATOR, 48 HRS- as "El Coyote"). The trio are on a quest to find a lost Aztec City and its hidden stockpile of hidden gold. For inspirational purposes, actor John Rhys-Davies from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is in the cast in a small role. Chuck Norris in a rare light/comedic/action role is pretty good as Max Donigan, the ex-marine turned adventurist. Norris handles some of the comic banter off of his two co-stars with ease and good comic timing and his martial arts prowess is hardly used in the movie. Overall, a mindless yet entertaining and harmless action adventure film from the 80's. This was produced at a time when "Indiana Jones" type movies were beginning to lose steam. Norris and Gossett are engaging and the beautiful Melody Anderson lights up the screen,

Glad I own a copy
Yes, it is one of the goofiest pieces of, um, processed food that ever came out of Hollywood - but it's bad with such good humor! As though everyone said "You want me to do WHAT? Well, heck - why not?" One thing I'll insist upon - the relationships between Norris's character and Gossett's character is a dandy - and the one between Norris's character and Anderson's - Anderson's character is a Jim Peach. "FRUITCAKE?" shouts Anderson, after bursting into Norris's and Gossett's hotel room. "Are the walls that thin?" waffles Norris. "No, your mouth is that big!" comes her retort. And John Rhys-Davies as the adventurer who has taken over the Central-American rebel army - wonderfully crazed! Forget about the Academy, this is just plain fun.

So bad it's good.
Firewalker was meant to be a rollicking comedic adventure movie, but it is funny for all the wrong reasons. The film is filled with technical mistakes of all kinds, obviously director J. Lee Thompson knew he was working on turkey and did not even bother to pay attention to it and faded stars Chuck Norris, Louis Gossett Jr., and Melody Anderson have no real chemistry. Bad Movie fans will have a blast watching familiar character actors and former box office stars embarrass themselves for a paycheck.

Another flop from Golan-Globus.
Those execuative poroduces Golan-Globus gave us yet another flop. Firewalker has some funny moments but it is too hokey to be believable. The cave sets look really fake and laughable, not to mention the acting. Many Norris fans many disappointed with his stab at comedy, but I enjoyed it. First rent, then buy.

This movie's a lot of fun
From the realistic acting to the accurate look at the fortune hunting business(yeah, right), this movie is a real hoot. It's classic 80's to boot, and clearly one of the best films since Teen Wolf or Plan 9 From Outer Space. Wash it down with Romancing The Stone. ... Read more

Reviews (240)

The Lost World
This sequel to the 1993 blockbuster is good as sequels go but isn't a great movie. Jeff Goldblum gives a good performance as Dr. Ian Malcolm and Julianne Moore contributes too. The screenplay based on the novel by Michael Crichton is poorly done but has a few funny lines. The cinematography is good and captures the horror very well, and the production design is very frightening. The soundwork is very good, but the editing by veteran Michael Kahn (Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T.) is not very well done, you can hardly digest what is happening. John Williams contributes a rousing yet ominous score. One thing that keeps this movie moving are the incredible Oscar nominated special effects done masterfully by the great Dennis Muren and Stan Winston. The basic plot is that John Hammond, the creator of Jurassic Park, has an island where dinosaurs roam freely but must send Malcolm along with his girlfriend and two other companions to photograph the dinosaurs so Ingen will be kept from disturbing the dinosaurs. Overall, fairly well done, suspenseful, but fails to capture the awe, greatness, and wonder that the original possessed. There is also a Jurassic Park 3 coming out. I can't wait.

Dinosaurs Galore
Recently I was able to catch Spielberg's The Lost World. I say Spielberg because other than the title it bears no resemblance to the book. This is not necessarily a bad thing. While a lousy interpretation of the book it is still a good film.

Jeff Goldblum is hired (by a man who is dead in the book) to study the ecosystems on InGen's Site B where dinosaurs have been flourishing. Only the fact that his girlfriend is in danger gets Goldblum to go. No sooner does he arrive and try and convince her to leave than a massive InGen expedition shows up to hunt and capture dinosaurs.

InGen's plans for capturing dinosaurs goes awry when Goldblum and friends release the dinosaurs during a satellite-linked board meeting. InGen plans to open a dinosaur park facility at the San Diego zoo. During the chaos every radio in the camp manages to get trampled. The survivors must now find a way off of the island. Unfortunately most of them are killed in a brief attack by velociraptors while in tall grass.

The few survivors of the second expedition manage to capture a T-Rex and ready it for shipping to the states. Goldblum and friends escape by helicopter.

In San Diego the T-Rex manages to escape and go rampaging through the city. Goldblum must lure the T-Rex back onto the freighter that brought it to the States. In the end a huge navy escort follows the freighter back to the island while Mr. Hammond implores to public to leave the dinosaurs alone; they deserve it.

Some people definitely had fun making this movie. There were scenes from classic and not-so-classic movies including King Kong, Godzilla, Carnosaur 3 (CARNOSAUR was the book Crichton got the idea for JURASSIC PARK from) and others. Two scenes I particularly enjoyed were a crowd of screaming Japanese looking over their shoulders while running in terror and a little boy who wakes his parents to tell them that there is a dinosaur in the back yard.

It was reported that a paleontologist made sure that the dinosaurs acted as current scientific beliefs say they should. Hah! The Stegosaurs were the size of apatosaurs. Something, possibly the escaped triceratops, managed to knock a hummer airborne so that ir reached an altitude of at least a hundred feet and an amazing distance. Velociraptors can now leap three stories up and forty yards out. The tyrannosaur can run right through building walls without slowing down. Fun? Yes. Realistic? No way. Needless to say if the dinosaurs acted this way in the first movie then no one would have escaped.

Still, it was a very fun film that I recommend to any dinosaur lover who can stand to see people pulled apart by huge carnivores sharing a tidbit. The Lost World (the third film by that name) should be available on video and day now.

Steven Plays Around A Bit...
Actually, LWJP is just Steven Spielberg having some fun. It's an obvious tribute to movies like King Kong, Godzilla, and even the original 1925 version of The Lost World. It's a non-stop SFX extravaganza that is more dessert than a nourishing meal. Jeff Goldblum returns as Ian Malcolm. He is not bad in his role, though he does wear thin. Julianne Moore is beautiful as always, and pulls off her "concerned scientist" part with ease. The T-rex is back, with his mate and offspring. The Raptors terrorize, managing to kill off many slimy hunters and Ingen drones. Not a bad sequel, considering that most sequels are pure rubbish anyway. I enjoyed the T-rex running rampant in LA. I only wish it had had more time to cause hysteria and chaos! A nice binge-eating trip down Hollywood Blvd would've been cool! Oh well. Watch with brain on pause...

It's Lost All Right
"Jurassic Park" could be forgiven the lack of story and character development because it was artfully crafted to be a thrill ride. This sequel, also inspired by Michael Chrichton's book, departs more from the story and fully flops into the B-movie category.

Jeff Goldblum is back visiting the dinosaurs, along with several other characters from the previous movie. This time our scientists are observing the behavior of the dinosaurs, trying to learn as much as possible, a very scientist-like activity. However, greed plays a part once again as a team of big-game hunters come to the island to attempt to capture an array of dinosaurs for a dinosaur zoo in an attempt for Ingen to recoup some of its substantial investment in the dinosaurs.

All appears to be going well for everyone except the dinosaurs until the scientists decide to play environmentalists and release all the dinosaurs from their cages. The dinosaurs go on a rampage (ever seen a rampaging triceratops?), destroying the camp of the hunters. Even then our scientists would have been okay had they not decided to help a baby tyrannosaurus. The parents track down the baby with predictably bad results for the humans.

Now scientists and big game hunters alike are on the run from the tyrannosaurs, and in the process of escaping they encounter our old friends the raptors, still intelligent, still agile, and still very hungry.

Eventually some of the characters escape, and the tyrannosaurus and its baby are captured so that they can be taken to California. Something unexplained happens on the ship and the only thing left are the tyrannosaurs and a hand trying keeping a cargo bay door closed. Remove the hand and a miniature Godzilla roams the streets of San Diego.

The first Jurassic Park movie had plot holes that you were able to ignore in favor of the cool special effects and the action. This time the plot holes are bigger than the movie. Real scientists do not behave as Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore) does in this movie. As Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) advises her, "Do not interact," a basic rule of scientific observation. Interacting is for Green Peace and the Sierra Club, not for real scientists.

Our hunters blunder about in a manner that is guaranteed to get them killed. They run when they should walk. They walk when they should stay put. The actions of the supposed scientists continually put everyone into danger. When you remove the bullets from a gun, and the gun is later used to attempt to protect you, the result is predictable. The plot holes continue in allowing the tyrannosaur escape.

Added to the plot holes are moments of humor that further spin this movie into the realm of low-budget monster movies. The scene with the dog in a San Diego suburb was completely unnecessary. Of course, by that point I was beyond disappointed with the movie.

This movie does have a few good points, all based on action scenes, but the plot holes outweigh the good portions and the mistakes and silly behavior make this movie difficult to watch. I give this movie three stars because the special effects continued to be good, the only redeeming feature of this movie.

Okay, not as good as the first
This movie was okay. The first one is so much better, but this one is still not bad. I thought it was awesome when the T-Rex attacked a city! I still bought it because I love the movies. See it if you like the first, but don't expect it to be better.

MPAA: PG-13
Running Time: 129 minutes
Year released: 1997 ... Read more

Amazon.com

What might have been a one-note family comedy becomes something more thanks to the comic brilliance of costars Nathan Lane and Lee Evans, as well as the distinctive, dark-fable look given the film by a little-known director named Gore Verbinksi. (Could he be the next Tim Burton?) Lane and Evans play idiotic brothers who inherit a house and all but destroy it in pursuit of one small, pesky mouse. The guys are always the butt of the sight gags--most of which are very funny--but their considerable powers as slapstick artists are also at play. The climactic scene at an auction was the funniest scene in any American movie in 1997, the year of Mouse Hunt's release. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (67)

Hilarious!
I think one of the most annoying things about movie critics is that they're supposed to know their stuff, but in the end they come across as just being college guys looking for something dirty to watch! Isn't it funny how they can't help but get down on a hilarious, old fashioned comedy like this and yet show them something like American Pie and it's great intellectual humor! A modern classic! Sickening! This movie was totally hilarious with hardly any sexual humor at all! Allright, just a hint here and there that wasn't necessary. Beyond that this movie was such a perfect comedy for everyone! I absolutely loved this movie! They used every cartoon trick in the book to try and stop that mouse! And wasn't Christopher Walken just incredible?!!! The casting in this was soooo great! It makes me so sad when movies like this come out and hardly get noticed by the public for whatever reason! Probably the lack of sex humor is evident and the previews and it keeps the movie goers away. Anyway I loved it! Do yourself a favor and pick it up! I've got it on VHS but hope to get the DVD eventually!

Mouse Hunt Movie Review
MOUSE HUNT- Movie Review
Critic's Grading
Story: B+
Acting: A-
Artistic Value: B
Entertainment Value: A
Interest Level: A-
Production Value: A

Mouse Hunt, one of the most hilarious movies that DreamWorks produced in 1997 is just fantastic! After Peacemaker (1997), DreamWorks produced another children's movie, this time with a mouse. Even though this movie did not get huge attention like Cinderella or any of the Disney movies, it sure did capture not only the children, but also the adults' attention. It gives children laughter and happiness.
Two greedy brothers, Ernie (Nathan Lane) and Lars Smuntz (Lee Evans) inherit the string factory and a house, which is worth ten million dollars from their father (William Hickey). Two brothers try to sell this old and scary house for money, but there is an obstacle; a tiny mouse. With the tiny mouse, who is afraid of losing his house, and these two brothers, who think this mouse would reduce the value of the house, they get into big chaos which leaves a big mess at the end.
The story gets intense and hilarious via the effect of the shots and different media. The mouse, which has been shot with CGI, looks pretty realistic and gives extra comedy to it. The setting of the house and its effect permeates the mood to this movie. The sounding of the thunder and lightening, shouting, and all sorts of sounds add to the great amount of intensity. The destruction of the house, also shot with CGI, is great! My heart almost fell down as this gigantic house fell down!
Ernie, acted by Nathan Lane, is great fun both physically as a character of his own. Ernie is the oldest son of the two, and he is greedy and blinded by money. In other hand, Lars, played by Lee Evans is skinny with a very heart warming character. These two opposite characters bring out the conflicts and humorous events that make the story more amusing. The mouse, one of the cleverest characters in this movie, has created lots of brilliant ideas to prevent him from losing his house. They are all very fantastic!
This movie can be entertaining to everyone, including adults. Even though it is rated as PG, some scenes aren't proper for young children. There is a part where Lars's wife suddenly takes off her clothes. Also, some of the black jokes are inappropriate. The way they fight and joke might overwhelm some of the young children. It is likely that youngsters may also follow some of the inappropriate scenes in their daily lives. Mostly, it is very entertaining and everybody should see it!
For this movie, I can rate its overall grade as A-. Even though there are some parts which could have been improved, I think it is an excellent movie which puts a smile and laughter in everyone's mind. I strongly recommend this movie to anybody in any age. Why won't you follow me and adventure into this hilarious world?

Man vs Mouse
Last week, thanks once again to the wonderful Patio theater located on Irving Park at Austin, I caught a delightful fantasy film. It was the Dreamworks production Mouse Hunt.

Two brothers inherit the family string business (Smuntz String) and a run-down old house. Neither is worth anything. Or so it seems at first. The house was designed by an eccentric architect named LaRue and was believed to be only a rumor. Suddenly the house is worth millions. Instead of selling outright, the brothers decide to hold an auction to get a better price. But to reach that point they need to do some restoration and get rid of a very determined mouse.

There are then some scenes of the brothers trying to outwit a mouse that could outwit Einstein. Finally they think they have sent the mouse to Castro and the auction begins. As the price reaches unheard of levels the mouse returns. The brothers are so distraught that they bring about their own ruin and destroy the house. Having nowhere else to go they return to the old string factory. The mouse follows.

Once in the factory the mouse shows some more of its intelligence by starting up the factory line and adding Gouda to the mix. The result is a new form of string cheese that becomes the rage with the mouse hired on as head taster.

This movie is truly hilarious. The mouse is great. I believe the mouse is near immortal as well as a genius. I believe this because there is a tendency for owners of the LaRue house to be found locked in a trunk in the attic. We know for a fact that the mouse defeated Christopher Walken (playing the strangest exterminator you have ever seen) and managed to get him from in front of the house into a trunk in the attic. It is even possible that the mouse was responsible for the architect going mad. Whatever the case, this movie is really worth seeing. If you can not find it in a second-run theater, look for it when it comes out on video.

Great movie, I really enjoyed it !!!
It's the type of movie, you can watch
repeatedly, and enjoy it every time.

It's a must have in anyone's dvd collection.

Great movie, I really enjoyed it !!!
Great movie, I really enjoyed it !!!

It's the type of movie, you can watch
repeatedly, and enjoy it every time.

It's a must have in anyone's dvd collection. ... Read more

Reviews (240)

The Lost World
This sequel to the 1993 blockbuster is good as sequels go but isn't a great movie. Jeff Goldblum gives a good performance as Dr. Ian Malcolm and Julianne Moore contributes too. The screenplay based on the novel by Michael Crichton is poorly done but has a few funny lines. The cinematography is good and captures the horror very well, and the production design is very frightening. The soundwork is very good, but the editing by veteran Michael Kahn (Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T.) is not very well done, you can hardly digest what is happening. John Williams contributes a rousing yet ominous score. One thing that keeps this movie moving are the incredible Oscar nominated special effects done masterfully by the great Dennis Muren and Stan Winston. The basic plot is that John Hammond, the creator of Jurassic Park, has an island where dinosaurs roam freely but must send Malcolm along with his girlfriend and two other companions to photograph the dinosaurs so Ingen will be kept from disturbing the dinosaurs. Overall, fairly well done, suspenseful, but fails to capture the awe, greatness, and wonder that the original possessed. There is also a Jurassic Park 3 coming out. I can't wait.

Dinosaurs Galore
Recently I was able to catch Spielberg's The Lost World. I say Spielberg because other than the title it bears no resemblance to the book. This is not necessarily a bad thing. While a lousy interpretation of the book it is still a good film.

Jeff Goldblum is hired (by a man who is dead in the book) to study the ecosystems on InGen's Site B where dinosaurs have been flourishing. Only the fact that his girlfriend is in danger gets Goldblum to go. No sooner does he arrive and try and convince her to leave than a massive InGen expedition shows up to hunt and capture dinosaurs.

InGen's plans for capturing dinosaurs goes awry when Goldblum and friends release the dinosaurs during a satellite-linked board meeting. InGen plans to open a dinosaur park facility at the San Diego zoo. During the chaos every radio in the camp manages to get trampled. The survivors must now find a way off of the island. Unfortunately most of them are killed in a brief attack by velociraptors while in tall grass.

The few survivors of the second expedition manage to capture a T-Rex and ready it for shipping to the states. Goldblum and friends escape by helicopter.

In San Diego the T-Rex manages to escape and go rampaging through the city. Goldblum must lure the T-Rex back onto the freighter that brought it to the States. In the end a huge navy escort follows the freighter back to the island while Mr. Hammond implores to public to leave the dinosaurs alone; they deserve it.

Some people definitely had fun making this movie. There were scenes from classic and not-so-classic movies including King Kong, Godzilla, Carnosaur 3 (CARNOSAUR was the book Crichton got the idea for JURASSIC PARK from) and others. Two scenes I particularly enjoyed were a crowd of screaming Japanese looking over their shoulders while running in terror and a little boy who wakes his parents to tell them that there is a dinosaur in the back yard.

It was reported that a paleontologist made sure that the dinosaurs acted as current scientific beliefs say they should. Hah! The Stegosaurs were the size of apatosaurs. Something, possibly the escaped triceratops, managed to knock a hummer airborne so that ir reached an altitude of at least a hundred feet and an amazing distance. Velociraptors can now leap three stories up and forty yards out. The tyrannosaur can run right through building walls without slowing down. Fun? Yes. Realistic? No way. Needless to say if the dinosaurs acted this way in the first movie then no one would have escaped.

Still, it was a very fun film that I recommend to any dinosaur lover who can stand to see people pulled apart by huge carnivores sharing a tidbit. The Lost World (the third film by that name) should be available on video and day now.

Steven Plays Around A Bit...
Actually, LWJP is just Steven Spielberg having some fun. It's an obvious tribute to movies like King Kong, Godzilla, and even the original 1925 version of The Lost World. It's a non-stop SFX extravaganza that is more dessert than a nourishing meal. Jeff Goldblum returns as Ian Malcolm. He is not bad in his role, though he does wear thin. Julianne Moore is beautiful as always, and pulls off her "concerned scientist" part with ease. The T-rex is back, with his mate and offspring. The Raptors terrorize, managing to kill off many slimy hunters and Ingen drones. Not a bad sequel, considering that most sequels are pure rubbish anyway. I enjoyed the T-rex running rampant in LA. I only wish it had had more time to cause hysteria and chaos! A nice binge-eating trip down Hollywood Blvd would've been cool! Oh well. Watch with brain on pause...

It's Lost All Right
"Jurassic Park" could be forgiven the lack of story and character development because it was artfully crafted to be a thrill ride. This sequel, also inspired by Michael Chrichton's book, departs more from the story and fully flops into the B-movie category.

Jeff Goldblum is back visiting the dinosaurs, along with several other characters from the previous movie. This time our scientists are observing the behavior of the dinosaurs, trying to learn as much as possible, a very scientist-like activity. However, greed plays a part once again as a team of big-game hunters come to the island to attempt to capture an array of dinosaurs for a dinosaur zoo in an attempt for Ingen to recoup some of its substantial investment in the dinosaurs.

All appears to be going well for everyone except the dinosaurs until the scientists decide to play environmentalists and release all the dinosaurs from their cages. The dinosaurs go on a rampage (ever seen a rampaging triceratops?), destroying the camp of the hunters. Even then our scientists would have been okay had they not decided to help a baby tyrannosaurus. The parents track down the baby with predictably bad results for the humans.

Now scientists and big game hunters alike are on the run from the tyrannosaurs, and in the process of escaping they encounter our old friends the raptors, still intelligent, still agile, and still very hungry.

Eventually some of the characters escape, and the tyrannosaurus and its baby are captured so that they can be taken to California. Something unexplained happens on the ship and the only thing left are the tyrannosaurs and a hand trying keeping a cargo bay door closed. Remove the hand and a miniature Godzilla roams the streets of San Diego.

The first Jurassic Park movie had plot holes that you were able to ignore in favor of the cool special effects and the action. This time the plot holes are bigger than the movie. Real scientists do not behave as Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore) does in this movie. As Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) advises her, "Do not interact," a basic rule of scientific observation. Interacting is for Green Peace and the Sierra Club, not for real scientists.

Our hunters blunder about in a manner that is guaranteed to get them killed. They run when they should walk. They walk when they should stay put. The actions of the supposed scientists continually put everyone into danger. When you remove the bullets from a gun, and the gun is later used to attempt to protect you, the result is predictable. The plot holes continue in allowing the tyrannosaur escape.

Added to the plot holes are moments of humor that further spin this movie into the realm of low-budget monster movies. The scene with the dog in a San Diego suburb was completely unnecessary. Of course, by that point I was beyond disappointed with the movie.

This movie does have a few good points, all based on action scenes, but the plot holes outweigh the good portions and the mistakes and silly behavior make this movie difficult to watch. I give this movie three stars because the special effects continued to be good, the only redeeming feature of this movie.

Okay, not as good as the first
This movie was okay. The first one is so much better, but this one is still not bad. I thought it was awesome when the T-Rex attacked a city! I still bought it because I love the movies. See it if you like the first, but don't expect it to be better.

MPAA: PG-13
Running Time: 129 minutes
Year released: 1997 ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Sands is diabolical !
A very entertaining piece of movie you shouldn't take to serious but enjoy. Julian Sands is playing a male witch that's been sent by the devil himself into the future to combine the single pieces of his unholy book, The Great Grimoire. Followed by a witch hunter named Redfern that seeks to avenge the death of his beloved wife, Richard E. Grant turns out to be a great counterpart for Satan's Son Sands. Lori Singer as the young woman that's supposed to help Redfern though she's first very sceptic about everything supernatural is just a grey mouse compared to the smashing acting of Sands & Grant. Another negative point about that movie that has could done a lot better is the large ammount of grandmommy superstition that could have been left out if you ask me (though it gives some funny phrases, but it's mostly more anoying than entertaining). But still - this is a movie you should check out if you like to know what the comming of the devil's son could be like (and DON'T think of Adam Sandler here). The scene where Sands yells at god after knowing his true name has become one of my favourite movie scenes ever. They couldn't chose a better one.

And don't waste too much time with the sequel as it turns out to be a teen horror movie. Great acting from Sands still, but the plot is flat and a whimpy Bud Bundy look-alike is no counterpart for the devil like Redfern/Grant was.

Get the original and unleash the witch !

A very entertaining flick!
When a 16th century warlock is saved from being hanged, he is sent to the 20th century to piece together the 3 pieces of a satanic bible that can bring about the end of days. Somehow the very man that caught the Warlock the first time, finds out what has happened, and goes after the Warlock. Very entertaining to say the least, Julian Sands does a terrific job as the very evil warlock. The reason this movie gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because it relies to much on your basic cat and mouse plot, where they find the bad guy, only to lose him to a twist of fate, this happens a few times and then their is finally a big fight at the end, where of course the good guys win, and thats exactely what you see in this movie. Only the standard stuff, nothing really groundbreaking here. Some really sick and twisted stuff included here (ex. A child is literally skinned alive so that his skin can be cooked and eatin by the warlock so he can fly,and a man gets his tongue bit off by the warlock) This isnt really what you would call a full blown horror movie, its more like a supernaturel thriller. Like I said before nothing groundbreaking, but defiantely worth the price of rental, or maybe even worth buying. Rated R for: Violence

16th century visions of witchcraft brought to life
First, this is a really fun movie. It's not too horribly gross, (except maybe for the scene with the tongue), and it's not very creepy, or too scary, It's also not at all a comedy, though it is a bit tongue-in-cheek (in more ways than one). It's just, well... Fun!

If you've ever read any books about witchcraft, or seen old woodcuts of people's visions of witchcraft during the 16th century, you'll recognize the themes and images in this film. You'll get the witch hunter holding onto the flying warlock with a rope, nails being driven into footprints, the whole bit... And you really should look up the traditional main ingredient of the infamous flying ointment before watching.

This film works from the premise that everything in the old witchcraft books is literally true, and it plays out in a very entertaining, visually distinctive way. It was well-researched enough to really make the premise work, without being so slavish as to detract from the plot. The warlock is every bit as evil as the old books would have it, and is most definitely in league with The Devil Himself.

And I've got to say it: Julian Sands is just plain COOL.

inspiring to me
This movie have meant a lot to me over the ages. Sands best film ever (with Phantom of the Opera as second). He have a great carisma that is unusual when thinking of all mainstream-actors that is out there. And when a movie also deal with my favorite subject it's even better. I myself own a copy of the Grand Grimoire (it isn't that hard to find it as in the movie!) and The Key of Solomon. Too bad they use the name Book of Shadows (which is widely used today as a general term for a witch's personal spellbook), but in general people don't know such things. Anyway, I think it still is one of my favorite movies even if it's old. Go and see it and get inspired! But do not follow the Left Path though :-)

A Religion-Based Horror Film Worth Watching
The entire religion-based horror genre (exorcist, bless the child, ninth gate, etc.) has always bored... me. It seems they are always very slow paced and are nearly always written by people who have no idea what they are writing about.

I have found two exceptions to this, one being Stigmata, and the other Steve Miner's Warlock.

Warlock is not terribly original, nor is it incredibly well written, but its sure a fun ride. My biggest problem with the film is Julian Sands playing the title character. We are supposed to believe this skinny, geeky-looking, long haired blond is scary. HA! That's funny. But if you can get passed that the story is pretty cool. Satan's son is sent into the future to gather pages from the satanic bible (which if put together can undo creaton). Along with him comes a 16th century demon-hunter, played excellently by Richard E. Grant. Sands takes residence with Lori Singer and her gay roommate, who is soon killed by the warlock in a most spectacular manner. More killings ensue (including J.T. from Step by Step as a little boy!)
The film combines comedy, action, and horror brilliantly and never lets the audience get bored.

I reccomend this film to anyone looking for a fun friday night with a taste of blood. ... Read more

Reviews (477)

A great modern adventure!
This is the last entry in the "Evil Dead" series, but folks, this is NOT a horror flick, it is a fantasy comedy adventure. This deals with "Ash" ( Bruce Campbell) who was sucked into another time, in the medieval times. Now he must get a unholy book called " The Necronomicon" so he can get back home but when his idiocy gets in the way, he unleashes a army of the dead and now Ash with the rest of King Arthur's men must fight back.

A brilliant, entertaining and hilarious final in the awesome Evil Dead series with wit, humor, skill, good special effects and great battle scenes. Sam Raimi is a genius of a filmmaker, Bruce Campbell is definitely a great actor portraying a lovable moronic hero. Like i said, this movie isn't a horror flick, it's really a Fantasy comedy adventure and doesn't have gore like the last two flicks but this movie is also enjoyable for the whole family. I own this movie on DVD in 2-versions such as the Cut U.S. version with happy ending and the Director's cut with alternate ending, this is a must see movie.

Also recommended: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, The Princess Bride, The Neverending Story, The Dark Crystal, Conan The Barbarian, The Crow, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, In The Army Now ( Pauly Shore), The Flight of Dragons, Return of the King, The Last Unicorn, Gladiator, The Wizard of Oz, Excalibur and Mulan.

Great, Fun Film.
ARMY OF DARKNESS is the third film in the EVIL DEAD series. The first movie in the series, EVIL DEAD, was a strictly horror film containing a humorous moment every now and again. EVIL DEAD 2 was basically a dark comedy interlaced with a few moments of horror. ARMY OF DARKNESS is neither; it's an action/adventure flick filled with comedy and just a touch of gore.

The movie begins where EVIL DEAD 2 ended: Ash has been transported to the 13th century and is surrounded by the Army of King Arthur. He is assumed to be a member of a rival army and is taken prisoner. After defeating a couple of Deadites in the pit, he is declared to be the prophecized hero who will rid the kingdom of the evil that has befallen it. However, Ash, being the befuddled hero he is, makes things worse and almost destroys any chance he has of returning home.

ARMY OF DARKNESS is hilarious. It's filled with comedy and all sorts of literary and pop culture references from The Three Stooges to Gulliver's Travels to JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS to Frankenstein. I found myself laughing about every three minutes and some of the one-liners just rock: "Give me some sugar, baby" and "I'm going to cut your gizzard." Of course, this movie isn't for everyone. There are some people who would be offended and some who would see this movie as garbage. However, I see the movie as pure genius and great fun. Whatever.

A Bad and Tasteless Film
This by far is the worst film I have ever seen. Sure, I've had my fair share of bad films, but this one tops them off. The acting stunk in a very big way. I expected this film to scare the socks off of me, but, instead I was shaking my head in full on disgust at the Comedy Relief Film instead of being a true horror flick. Don't waste a second of your time on this film and don't waste your money on it either.

Great cheesy cult horror film - choose the edition wisely
I've seen the U.S. theatrical cut of this film a number of times, so I bought the Director's cut (ASIN B00005QW4K) when it first came out. I finally got around to watching it recently, and I've got to say, I'm pretty disappointed with this particular edition. If you want to see the director's cut, I'd recommend you go with the "Boomstick Edition", which also includes the U.S. theatrical release.

There were a number of flaws in this particular DVD. The first thing I noticed was really bad pixellation in many scenes. They did a great job in many cases of cleaning up any scratches or flaws in the source film, but then they did a really bad job of DVD compression. I'm sure the other editions aren't any worse on that score, and hope that they're better.

Also, this cut is actually missing some of my favorite scened and lines. The worst offense is that the line "Good, bad - I'm the guy with the gun" (which for me has always epitomized Ash) was replaced by "I'm not that good". In the commentary, Campbell and Raimi actually note that they prefer the "Good, bad" line... So why not include it in the "director's cut"?

They also deleted an early fight scene, just after Campbell's arrival, and went back to what was apparently the original ending. I really liked the ending in S-Mart, though. I also found the editing on the windmill scene in this edition less cohesive than the theatrical release.

The commentary by Campbell and Raimi was very good, since those two have a long history together, and really seem to have loved making this movie. Still, though, it was clear that they could see some of the same issues I mentioned above, leaving me baffled as to why they didn't work together to make this edition a true reflection of what they think the "best" version of "Army of Darkness" would be.

Good bad im the Ash with the gun.
Army of Darkness is such a fun movie to watch, What more could you want from a movie. I first became a fan of this movie because of Evil Dead 1&2, they where pretty good movies but when Army of Darkness came out it was five times better than the first two movies put together. The real reasson this movie did so well is because Bruce Campbell a.k.a Ash played his part damn well, and because of that we the fans of his movies where happy to see him come back to the big screen. If you don't like slap-stick comedy or horror movies you will not like this film, but if you do your in luck because Army of Darkness is the cult classic movie you've been waiting for. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A waste of time!
Being a fan of Peter Sellers I found this film to be one of his worst. It was very hard to watch because it was slow going and boring. The only reason I gave it 2 stars was because Peter Sellers is in it and did a good job acting, no other reason.

A realy GREAT video
This is the greatest movie, I have been looking for this for years, sell all your children just to buy it.

Sellers at his best
this is the absolute best movie ever!!! Peter Sellers at his best (yes better than A Shot in the Dark)!!!! Drop everything you are doing to buy and watch this movie 10 times over!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (477)

A great modern adventure!
This is the last entry in the "Evil Dead" series, but folks, this is NOT a horror flick, it is a fantasy comedy adventure. This deals with "Ash" ( Bruce Campbell) who was sucked into another time, in the medieval times. Now he must get a unholy book called " The Necronomicon" so he can get back home but when his idiocy gets in the way, he unleashes a army of the dead and now Ash with the rest of King Arthur's men must fight back.

A brilliant, entertaining and hilarious final in the awesome Evil Dead series with wit, humor, skill, good special effects and great battle scenes. Sam Raimi is a genius of a filmmaker, Bruce Campbell is definitely a great actor portraying a lovable moronic hero. Like i said, this movie isn't a horror flick, it's really a Fantasy comedy adventure and doesn't have gore like the last two flicks but this movie is also enjoyable for the whole family. I own this movie on DVD in 2-versions such as the Cut U.S. version with happy ending and the Director's cut with alternate ending, this is a must see movie.

Also recommended: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, The Princess Bride, The Neverending Story, The Dark Crystal, Conan The Barbarian, The Crow, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, In The Army Now ( Pauly Shore), The Flight of Dragons, Return of the King, The Last Unicorn, Gladiator, The Wizard of Oz, Excalibur and Mulan.

Great, Fun Film.
ARMY OF DARKNESS is the third film in the EVIL DEAD series. The first movie in the series, EVIL DEAD, was a strictly horror film containing a humorous moment every now and again. EVIL DEAD 2 was basically a dark comedy interlaced with a few moments of horror. ARMY OF DARKNESS is neither; it's an action/adventure flick filled with comedy and just a touch of gore.

The movie begins where EVIL DEAD 2 ended: Ash has been transported to the 13th century and is surrounded by the Army of King Arthur. He is assumed to be a member of a rival army and is taken prisoner. After defeating a couple of Deadites in the pit, he is declared to be the prophecized hero who will rid the kingdom of the evil that has befallen it. However, Ash, being the befuddled hero he is, makes things worse and almost destroys any chance he has of returning home.

ARMY OF DARKNESS is hilarious. It's filled with comedy and all sorts of literary and pop culture references from The Three Stooges to Gulliver's Travels to JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS to Frankenstein. I found myself laughing about every three minutes and some of the one-liners just rock: "Give me some sugar, baby" and "I'm going to cut your gizzard." Of course, this movie isn't for everyone. There are some people who would be offended and some who would see this movie as garbage. However, I see the movie as pure genius and great fun. Whatever.

A Bad and Tasteless Film
This by far is the worst film I have ever seen. Sure, I've had my fair share of bad films, but this one tops them off. The acting stunk in a very big way. I expected this film to scare the socks off of me, but, instead I was shaking my head in full on disgust at the Comedy Relief Film instead of being a true horror flick. Don't waste a second of your time on this film and don't waste your money on it either.

Great cheesy cult horror film - choose the edition wisely
I've seen the U.S. theatrical cut of this film a number of times, so I bought the Director's cut (ASIN B00005QW4K) when it first came out. I finally got around to watching it recently, and I've got to say, I'm pretty disappointed with this particular edition. If you want to see the director's cut, I'd recommend you go with the "Boomstick Edition", which also includes the U.S. theatrical release.

There were a number of flaws in this particular DVD. The first thing I noticed was really bad pixellation in many scenes. They did a great job in many cases of cleaning up any scratches or flaws in the source film, but then they did a really bad job of DVD compression. I'm sure the other editions aren't any worse on that score, and hope that they're better.

Also, this cut is actually missing some of my favorite scened and lines. The worst offense is that the line "Good, bad - I'm the guy with the gun" (which for me has always epitomized Ash) was replaced by "I'm not that good". In the commentary, Campbell and Raimi actually note that they prefer the "Good, bad" line... So why not include it in the "director's cut"?

They also deleted an early fight scene, just after Campbell's arrival, and went back to what was apparently the original ending. I really liked the ending in S-Mart, though. I also found the editing on the windmill scene in this edition less cohesive than the theatrical release.

The commentary by Campbell and Raimi was very good, since those two have a long history together, and really seem to have loved making this movie. Still, though, it was clear that they could see some of the same issues I mentioned above, leaving me baffled as to why they didn't work together to make this edition a true reflection of what they think the "best" version of "Army of Darkness" would be.

Good bad im the Ash with the gun.
Army of Darkness is such a fun movie to watch, What more could you want from a movie. I first became a fan of this movie because of Evil Dead 1&2, they where pretty good movies but when Army of Darkness came out it was five times better than the first two movies put together. The real reasson this movie did so well is because Bruce Campbell a.k.a Ash played his part damn well, and because of that we the fans of his movies where happy to see him come back to the big screen. If you don't like slap-stick comedy or horror movies you will not like this film, but if you do your in luck because Army of Darkness is the cult classic movie you've been waiting for. ... Read more