Reviews (114)

A League Of Their Own (1992)
What an amazing movie! This has to be my favorite Madonna movie, other than Body Of Evidence. It features an all star cast: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Rosie O'Donnell, Jon Lovitz, Garry Marshall, and Bill Pullman.

Geena Davis stars as Dottie Hinson and Lori Petty stars as Kit Keller, two adult sisters who play baseball on a minor team in Oregon of 1943. Dottie is a married woman, whose husband, Bob Hinson (played by Bill Pullman) is overseas fighting in the war that was going on at the time. Dottie is an excellent ball player. Kit is a bitter person who is always being treated like crap. After a game, the two are in their barn milking cows, where a scout by the name of Ernie Capadino (played by Jon Lovitz) walks in and offers them a to try out for the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (A.A.G.P.B.L.). Dottie wants nothing to do with it, but Kit knows that this could be big chance for the both of them, so Kit talks Dottie into going. While on the way to Chicago for the try outs, they pick up Marla Hooch, who is an excellent batter. The three finally make it to Chicago. While getting ready to try out, they meet gal pals Doris Murphy (played by Rosie O'Donnell) and Mae Mordabito (played by Madonna). They all are chose to a team: The Rockford Peaches.

Tom Hanks is in the role of Jimmy Dugan, who is a washed up ball player, who is called by Walter Harvey (played by Garry Marshall) to coach the Rockford Peaches.

The Peaches become a smash, winning every game there ever is, all because of their most popular play, Dottie. Kit is angered at this and is traded to another team: The Racine Belles.

The Peaches finally make to the last game of the season. Their opponents: The Racine Belles. Dottie and Kit are up against each other for one final time. Who will win the championship? The Peaches? Or The Belles? Watch this amazing movie, based on the actual events of the A.A.G.P.B.L. This is a movie that is guaranteed to make you watch it over and over again.

My Absolute Favorite
This has alway been my all time favorite movie! I remember my mom and I were in Blockbuster Video store when I was nine, and she and I couldn't find anything. Then, she saw "A League of Their Own," she told me that I would love this movie. And boy was she right. I have seen this movie over 50 times, I know the entire dialogue, the songs, every moment, I can rehash line for line right now if I wanted to. I think this movie had the most well-rounded cast in over a decade. Geena Davis was amazing as Dottie Henson; a person who loved the game very much, although she tried to pull off that she didn't. Lorri Petty's best role to date, as Kit Keller, Dottie's younger sister, whom is always stuck in Dottie's shadow. The chemistry between Petty and Davis is amazing, they work so well together, they were extremely believable. Tom Hanks was fantastic as the alcoholic, ex-baseball star Jimmy Dugan, which of course, his classic urinating seen is a total laugh. Madonna and Rosie had made the laughs of the film, they were wise cracking and hilarious.

I can go on and on about this film, and the problem is, I can't quite articulate how much I love this film, and why I love it so much. I've cried many times, especially the scene with Betty "Spighetti" and at the end of the World Series. I love this film, Penny Marshall is a Goddess. She chose the perfect actors, and the perfect score, especially Madonna's "Playground" which still makes me cry at the ending sequences. This movie observes a part of history that is ignored. Many to this day, have no idea about the professional baseball league, grant it, this movie "idealized" what really happened, but it made you proud. I think this is still a must-see of a movie, it is still my all-time favorite movie, and it has been for 11 years.

Brilliant film!!
This is one of my favourite films, it made me want to watch it again and again. With an all star cast including Geena Davis, Lotti perri and Tom Hanks, who give brilliant and funny performances. This film is funny,tear jerking and an all round good film. The storyline is brilliant and what more can i say....its definately worth buying!

Good movie but......
Who in the world in Tom Hanks supposed to be. I know he wasnt a real baseball player b/c he said he hit 487 homeruns for Mr Harvys ball team, i have never heard of the guy. Was his name chaged or something? Oh yeah and Harvy Field????? Can u say Wrigley Field. But besides the little things that only people who love baseball would find it is over all a good movie.

I think this is a great movie!
Well I'm biased because my cusin is in this movie. He dances with madonna in the bar sceen.. But I still think that it's a good movie. ... Read more

Reviews (667)

Good movie, packed DVD
Why 5 stars? Well I looked at what everyone else was writing, and as far as their complaints go, they seemed to be frustrated with some dialogue issues and logistics in the characters. I saw most of the original Planet of the Ape films, and while they were fascinating, they didn't quite stack up to this.

The dialogue, were it was corny "Get you stinking hand off me" was one of a few inside jokes within the movie that was a referrence to a Charlton Heston line in Planet of the Apes. As I recall this was the first line the Apes spoke in the film (as Attar demonstrated). Heston spoke those same words (from a different point of view) to the apes when he was captured, much to their surprise. There a quite a few inside jokes in the movie. So you need to be familiar with th first film to appreciate this one.

It also makes intriguing referrences to cultural issues of the past, in particular, slavery, using humans and apes. Course there is more to the story. Planet of the Apes was always breaching ground for Civil Rights. This was a more emphatic example.

The costumes and special affects were stellar. Definitely two Oscars will nodded for makeup and costumes. Tim Burton did a good job in directing and respects go to the screenwriter for his visions. THis was a labor 12 years in the making with numerous names attached (Arnold S. and Oliver Stone at one time).

The DVD is loaded with everything you could want. I got some kind of limited edition CD-Rom. Not sure if everyone else got it, but it offers cast interviews as well. I and my parents enjoyed it, so good for the 20- somethings and 50- somethings..

Not a remake of the original but a totally different story
First let start off by saying that this is not a remake of the 1968 classic but a totally different telling of the story. I respect Tim Burton for not trying to do your basic remake, which consists of updated special effects but the same story. The story in this movie is entirely different than the original. Other than the fact that Apes are involved there are very few similarities. The story is well thought out and keeps you engaged throughout the movie. Tim Burton also knew that Mark Wahlberg is no Charlton Heston, so he kept his dialogue to a minimal. Actually Tim Roth and Michael Duncan Clark have more dialogue in the movie than Wahlberg does. Rick Baker does an outstanding job with the makeup, which allows the actors facial expressions to come through which is key for this type of movie. I will not ruin the ending but will tell you that it is unique and as unexpected as the first one was in 1968. Now onto the DVD, the Anamorphic transfer is flawless and the DTS 5.1 soundtrack is superb. The video shows no signs of edge enhancement, artifacting, or color bleeds. The blacks are deep and rich and all the colors are vibrant. The DTS 5.1 audio track is just awesome; it utilizes the rears and subwoofer frequently. All dialogue is focused on the center channel and is well balanced. The DVD has more special features than any other DVD to date. There are at least 6 documentaries, a "first person" point of view feature, and all the other normal fanfare that comes with a special edition DVD. This by far and wide is Fox's best DVD to date as it pertains to special features.

not a very good version
this is tim burtons adaption of the original movie from 68.the story strays way off course from the original but is way funnier.marky mark stars in it.oh yeah!now will take it seriously.as if it wasnt bad enough we were watching a bad remake of an old classic,now it stars one of the worst bands in histories brothers.bbbboooooooooooooo!the kids will like it.tim burton directed it.besides the lack of keeping with the original and bad casting,this movie is good.it is a disapointment from a lot of his far better movies though.there are a lot of racial undertones in it.they are done in a funny way.is this even possible?its kind of a down but still manages a 3 star rating due to tim burtons masterful save.

loved it!
I'm an "Apes" kid who grew up on Planet Of The Apes, Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, Return To The Planet Of the Apes animated series, The Planet Of The Apes comic book series, The Planet Of The Apes TV series, The Planet Of The Apes novel...I loved all of this Apes stuff. Why? Because it was FUN. Sadly it seems those days are gone for good and their ain't too many folks left who get the fun of these sort of things. It's clear that Tim Burton still gets it. He obviously loves the Apes movies and he grew up with all of those same movies and fun Ape toys that I did. His version is a loving tribute to that period of time in his childhood when the whole world seemed to have gone ape. He's even thrown in an ending that's not unlike the ending of the original novel. That novel inspired the movies, but none of them tried to stay true to that idea until Burton's version. Burton is obviously a fan of the Apes craze that made many a youngster want to battle talking apes or be talking apes. He captures that sense of wonder that many of us experienced in our Ape invaded youth, but he also doesn't take the whole thing too damn seriously. There are plenty of laughs here too. It's a big fun talking Apes movie that's just as much FUN as the ones that so many of us loved in the old days. I wondered, laughed, marveled, and had a great time being a kid again. I couldn't have asked for anything more. If Burton hadn't directed this thing I'm sure I would have got a hell of a lot less. Burton "gets" FUN.

(...)
am a big Tim Burton fan, I've practically seen
all his movies: "Batman" , "Sleepy Hollow", "Edward Scissorhands", "The Nightmare before Christmas" are the Directors best works to name a few.

But when I first heard, that Director Tim Burton
was going to make a remake of the original classic sci fi movie "Planet Of The Apes" with Charlton Heston, I was skeptical. Everyone knows that remakes of classic movies 90% of the time, plain suck. The movie remake of "Psycho" is a good example. I was further skeptical that Tim Burton's remake would equal the success of the original because all the ideas thought possible were used for the "Planet Of The Apes" series and movies.

Apes going into space, an Ape's son taking over the world, and even mutant beings are just a couple of the ideas that were used for the four sequels and 2 television series that wanted to profit of the 1968 film. Now after watching the film , my gut instinct told me I was right. The New version of Planet of The Apes is highlly predictable, copying a large bulk of material from the original, with brief differences.

Probably the biggest problem is that this movie itself has is the lame, and dumbest ending I've seen. It makes me laugh just thinking about it. It makes me laugh more because this was a Tim Burton film. In fact, the ending looks like it was written by a 13 yr old, who has too many cheap sci fi films with bad endings. The end of the film, lets you down with an incredibly stupid ending that makes you feel like you wasted time watching it.

Even Tim Burton commented after the film, that he would not make another sequel. Apparently, even he knew that his movie failed. Now my review of the film:
Planet of The Apes starts with great visual effects,
as we learn that an Air Force Space Station has occupied the universe. Mark Walhberg plays Captain Leo Davidson,
who is teaching scientific chimps how to pilot space vessels for research. Basically, the chimps are sent as probes , if you will, to uncharted planets. However, something goes wrong, and the head chimp, gets lost on a voyage to a planet. Davidson, caring for the chimp, disobeys orders and goes after him.
Now then comes the copying of the original film into the remake,but Burton tries his best or worst to not make it look like a copycat film.

Davidson is eventually captured by the Apes of the Planet. Just like the original film, the Apes personality traits are split by class. The warriors are made mostly of Apes and Gorillas. The lying and cunniving politicians are made up of Urangantans. While the more sympathetic apes relate more to the chimp class.

In the original fim, Charlton Heston has the famous line that all fans know when he is captured by the Apes:
"Let go of me you damn dirty ape".

However, Burton changes the script to not copy the original. In the remake, it is the ape who use a line similiar to this:

"Let go of me you damn dirty human"

Lol. I laughed for a while when I saw this.
It's just a very dumb scene. Because even Burton changed the lines, it's still trying to copy that classic scene from the original. Anyways Davidson is captured and eventually meets the head Ape of the planet. Davidson is eventually put into the lines of human slaves that the apes have. Here also Burton tries to add differences between this film and the original. If you recall in the original, Charlton Heston was the only human who could think and talk, while all the over humans either had labotomies or had their throats cut out.

This made Heston's character, Taylor, much more unique and dangerous to the apes. In the remake though, Burton makes it so all humans can talk. This made Walhberg's character not as unique and dangerous, as the original Heston characterm, hell it made him average, not standing out from the crowd.

Tim Roth, plays the evil General Thade who is the military dictator in control of the planet. For the most part, Roth's part is admirable, he does display that aura of intimidation and fear, that all villians in the movie have, but all of this is ripped to shreds by the horrible ending of the film.
Eventually Davidson and the rest of his human and ape friends stage a revolt against General Thade to see who will rule the planet.

This is actually one of the few good points of the film,Burton gives you the hope that things will turn out the best in the end, but not necessarily... Without giving away the ending of the film, all I can say is that it is one of the cheesiest, dumbest endings I've seen!!! In fact, my first reaction to the ending was disbelief, followed by sheer laughter. I couldn't believe that Burton had done that type of ending. The ending reminds me of those low budget, cheap sci fi endings from the 1950's and 60's. If I wanted to see sci fi movies with a cheap , laughable, ending I would watched the reruns of "Mystery Science Theater 3000"!!.

What upsets me about the ending, is that before the ending, we are lead to believe that the movie is going to end one way. In fact, if the movie ended up the way I thought it was going to end, I would have given it a perfect 10!!! But Burton (I don't know what he was thinking)sabotages, the good film with a cheap ending, that leaves you feeling rip-offed. He is not the only guy to do this, the legendary Roman Polanski likewise had the dumbest ending of his career in the movie "Femme Fatale" with Antonio Banderas.

Several weeks after the movie was released, Burton said he would not do a sequel to "Planet Of The Apes". It seems that Burton himself, knew that he messed up a perfectly good film and , proved that remakes of classic films should be left alone. I am big Tim Burton fan, but the remake of "Planet Of The Apes" is probably the worst film that he has done. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Very enjoyable & highly underrated. Where is the DVD?
This is a very enjoyable movie, and one of the best in the legal drama genre. Gene Hackman is typically brilliant, mixing humor and anger in the most believable and human way. This was the first time I saw Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, who proves herself a very capable actress, never once seeming overpowered by Hackman. She's also stunningingly beautiful (which has nothing to do with acting, but it doesn't hurt). Laurence Fishburn also puts in a powerful supporting role, as does the city of San Francisco, which always looks beautiful and inviting on film and this is no exception. The only thing missing is a DVD version. It's almost become a cliche to ask, with all the garbage that's released on DVD, how can so many great movies languish for so long on VHS, utterly ignored by the studios? Who knows. But if you still own a VCR, this movie is highly recommended.

fantastic, absolutely fantastic!
perhaps one of the greatest legal subjected movies ever made. great script, great castings, great actor/actress, great directing, editing....and so on. very moving, very dynamic. seeing gene hackman and mary elizabeth mastrantonio at their best, quite a joy to watch and appreciated. by watching this movie, it could make you understand how good gene hackman is, has been, and going to be and, it would also let you know, how actors and actress could become so great, if a movie production could put a good screenwriter, a good director and couple of top-notched performers together, and all were smart enough to sign on to do it together. if all the elements are so premium, then that movie will certainly be going to be great.

Very Moving
This is an extraordinary drama in which father and daughter (both lawyers) with big emotional issues have a face-off in the courtroom.
Aside from a very well-constructed plot and competent direction by Michael Apted, the performances delivered by the actors are quite impressive. The supporting cast is very good, especially Jan Rubes (Alexander Pavel).
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio shows great maturity in a challenging role - and the fact that she is stunningly beautiful does not hurt.
And what about that Gene Hackman? What a brilliant actor. Watching him feels like a real privilege. Don't you miss the chance of doing it.

More Timely than Ever
Read about Firestone Tires and its analysis of risk factors in defective equipment, then see CLASS ACTION and realize that it's the same story! Excellent performances by everyone. If you like courtroom dramas, don't miss this one.

Class Action
This is one of the best movies that I have watched. My college instructor compared it to some instruction he was doing in class. Five of 25 students had seen the movie and agreed that it was a perfect example of what we were studying. I was trying to purchase it so that all the class could view it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Penny Marshall's popular 1992 comedy sheds light on a little-known chapter of American sports history with its story of a struggling team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The league was formed when the recruiting of soldiers during World War II resulted in a shortage of men's baseball teams. The AAGPBL continued after the war (until 1954), and Marshall's movie depicts the league in full swing, beginning when a savvy baseball scout (Jon Lovitz) finds a pair of promising new players in small-town Oregonian sisters (Geena Davis, Lori Petty). The sisters are signed to play for the Rockford Peaches near Chicago, whose new manager (Tom Hanks) is a former home-run king who wrecked his career with alcoholism. They're all a bunch of underdogs, and Marshall (with a witty script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel) does a fine job of establishing a colorful team of supporting players including Madonna and (in her movie debut) Rosie O'Donnell. It's a conventional Hollywood sports story (Marshall's never been one to take dramatic risks), but the stellar cast is delightful, and the movie's filled with memorable moments, witty dialogue, and agreeable sentiment. And just remember: there's no crying in baseball! --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (114)

A League Of Their Own (1992)
What an amazing movie! This has to be my favorite Madonna movie, other than Body Of Evidence. It features an all star cast: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Rosie O'Donnell, Jon Lovitz, Garry Marshall, and Bill Pullman.

Geena Davis stars as Dottie Hinson and Lori Petty stars as Kit Keller, two adult sisters who play baseball on a minor team in Oregon of 1943. Dottie is a married woman, whose husband, Bob Hinson (played by Bill Pullman) is overseas fighting in the war that was going on at the time. Dottie is an excellent ball player. Kit is a bitter person who is always being treated like crap. After a game, the two are in their barn milking cows, where a scout by the name of Ernie Capadino (played by Jon Lovitz) walks in and offers them a to try out for the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (A.A.G.P.B.L.). Dottie wants nothing to do with it, but Kit knows that this could be big chance for the both of them, so Kit talks Dottie into going. While on the way to Chicago for the try outs, they pick up Marla Hooch, who is an excellent batter. The three finally make it to Chicago. While getting ready to try out, they meet gal pals Doris Murphy (played by Rosie O'Donnell) and Mae Mordabito (played by Madonna). They all are chose to a team: The Rockford Peaches.

Tom Hanks is in the role of Jimmy Dugan, who is a washed up ball player, who is called by Walter Harvey (played by Garry Marshall) to coach the Rockford Peaches.

The Peaches become a smash, winning every game there ever is, all because of their most popular play, Dottie. Kit is angered at this and is traded to another team: The Racine Belles.

The Peaches finally make to the last game of the season. Their opponents: The Racine Belles. Dottie and Kit are up against each other for one final time. Who will win the championship? The Peaches? Or The Belles? Watch this amazing movie, based on the actual events of the A.A.G.P.B.L. This is a movie that is guaranteed to make you watch it over and over again.

My Absolute Favorite
This has alway been my all time favorite movie! I remember my mom and I were in Blockbuster Video store when I was nine, and she and I couldn't find anything. Then, she saw "A League of Their Own," she told me that I would love this movie. And boy was she right. I have seen this movie over 50 times, I know the entire dialogue, the songs, every moment, I can rehash line for line right now if I wanted to. I think this movie had the most well-rounded cast in over a decade. Geena Davis was amazing as Dottie Henson; a person who loved the game very much, although she tried to pull off that she didn't. Lorri Petty's best role to date, as Kit Keller, Dottie's younger sister, whom is always stuck in Dottie's shadow. The chemistry between Petty and Davis is amazing, they work so well together, they were extremely believable. Tom Hanks was fantastic as the alcoholic, ex-baseball star Jimmy Dugan, which of course, his classic urinating seen is a total laugh. Madonna and Rosie had made the laughs of the film, they were wise cracking and hilarious.

I can go on and on about this film, and the problem is, I can't quite articulate how much I love this film, and why I love it so much. I've cried many times, especially the scene with Betty "Spighetti" and at the end of the World Series. I love this film, Penny Marshall is a Goddess. She chose the perfect actors, and the perfect score, especially Madonna's "Playground" which still makes me cry at the ending sequences. This movie observes a part of history that is ignored. Many to this day, have no idea about the professional baseball league, grant it, this movie "idealized" what really happened, but it made you proud. I think this is still a must-see of a movie, it is still my all-time favorite movie, and it has been for 11 years.

Brilliant film!!
This is one of my favourite films, it made me want to watch it again and again. With an all star cast including Geena Davis, Lotti perri and Tom Hanks, who give brilliant and funny performances. This film is funny,tear jerking and an all round good film. The storyline is brilliant and what more can i say....its definately worth buying!

Good movie but......
Who in the world in Tom Hanks supposed to be. I know he wasnt a real baseball player b/c he said he hit 487 homeruns for Mr Harvys ball team, i have never heard of the guy. Was his name chaged or something? Oh yeah and Harvy Field????? Can u say Wrigley Field. But besides the little things that only people who love baseball would find it is over all a good movie.

I think this is a great movie!
Well I'm biased because my cusin is in this movie. He dances with madonna in the bar sceen.. But I still think that it's a good movie. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Tick, Tick, Booooom!
Technically this is a great movie. Two massive explosions are brilliantly filmed and the suspense that goes with them sets the standard for the rest of the film. Unfortunately the film doesn't really keep you hooked as much as it could do, and the dialogue contains way to much dumb swearing. A bit more thought into the script and the characters would have made this a top film. As it is, it's not bad and is worth seeing for the photography alone. ... Read more

Reviews (667)

Good movie, packed DVD
Why 5 stars? Well I looked at what everyone else was writing, and as far as their complaints go, they seemed to be frustrated with some dialogue issues and logistics in the characters. I saw most of the original Planet of the Ape films, and while they were fascinating, they didn't quite stack up to this.

The dialogue, were it was corny "Get you stinking hand off me" was one of a few inside jokes within the movie that was a referrence to a Charlton Heston line in Planet of the Apes. As I recall this was the first line the Apes spoke in the film (as Attar demonstrated). Heston spoke those same words (from a different point of view) to the apes when he was captured, much to their surprise. There a quite a few inside jokes in the movie. So you need to be familiar with th first film to appreciate this one.

It also makes intriguing referrences to cultural issues of the past, in particular, slavery, using humans and apes. Course there is more to the story. Planet of the Apes was always breaching ground for Civil Rights. This was a more emphatic example.

The costumes and special affects were stellar. Definitely two Oscars will nodded for makeup and costumes. Tim Burton did a good job in directing and respects go to the screenwriter for his visions. THis was a labor 12 years in the making with numerous names attached (Arnold S. and Oliver Stone at one time).

The DVD is loaded with everything you could want. I got some kind of limited edition CD-Rom. Not sure if everyone else got it, but it offers cast interviews as well. I and my parents enjoyed it, so good for the 20- somethings and 50- somethings..

Not a remake of the original but a totally different story
First let start off by saying that this is not a remake of the 1968 classic but a totally different telling of the story. I respect Tim Burton for not trying to do your basic remake, which consists of updated special effects but the same story. The story in this movie is entirely different than the original. Other than the fact that Apes are involved there are very few similarities. The story is well thought out and keeps you engaged throughout the movie. Tim Burton also knew that Mark Wahlberg is no Charlton Heston, so he kept his dialogue to a minimal. Actually Tim Roth and Michael Duncan Clark have more dialogue in the movie than Wahlberg does. Rick Baker does an outstanding job with the makeup, which allows the actors facial expressions to come through which is key for this type of movie. I will not ruin the ending but will tell you that it is unique and as unexpected as the first one was in 1968. Now onto the DVD, the Anamorphic transfer is flawless and the DTS 5.1 soundtrack is superb. The video shows no signs of edge enhancement, artifacting, or color bleeds. The blacks are deep and rich and all the colors are vibrant. The DTS 5.1 audio track is just awesome; it utilizes the rears and subwoofer frequently. All dialogue is focused on the center channel and is well balanced. The DVD has more special features than any other DVD to date. There are at least 6 documentaries, a "first person" point of view feature, and all the other normal fanfare that comes with a special edition DVD. This by far and wide is Fox's best DVD to date as it pertains to special features.

not a very good version
this is tim burtons adaption of the original movie from 68.the story strays way off course from the original but is way funnier.marky mark stars in it.oh yeah!now will take it seriously.as if it wasnt bad enough we were watching a bad remake of an old classic,now it stars one of the worst bands in histories brothers.bbbboooooooooooooo!the kids will like it.tim burton directed it.besides the lack of keeping with the original and bad casting,this movie is good.it is a disapointment from a lot of his far better movies though.there are a lot of racial undertones in it.they are done in a funny way.is this even possible?its kind of a down but still manages a 3 star rating due to tim burtons masterful save.

loved it!
I'm an "Apes" kid who grew up on Planet Of The Apes, Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, Return To The Planet Of the Apes animated series, The Planet Of The Apes comic book series, The Planet Of The Apes TV series, The Planet Of The Apes novel...I loved all of this Apes stuff. Why? Because it was FUN. Sadly it seems those days are gone for good and their ain't too many folks left who get the fun of these sort of things. It's clear that Tim Burton still gets it. He obviously loves the Apes movies and he grew up with all of those same movies and fun Ape toys that I did. His version is a loving tribute to that period of time in his childhood when the whole world seemed to have gone ape. He's even thrown in an ending that's not unlike the ending of the original novel. That novel inspired the movies, but none of them tried to stay true to that idea until Burton's version. Burton is obviously a fan of the Apes craze that made many a youngster want to battle talking apes or be talking apes. He captures that sense of wonder that many of us experienced in our Ape invaded youth, but he also doesn't take the whole thing too damn seriously. There are plenty of laughs here too. It's a big fun talking Apes movie that's just as much FUN as the ones that so many of us loved in the old days. I wondered, laughed, marveled, and had a great time being a kid again. I couldn't have asked for anything more. If Burton hadn't directed this thing I'm sure I would have got a hell of a lot less. Burton "gets" FUN.

(...)
am a big Tim Burton fan, I've practically seen
all his movies: "Batman" , "Sleepy Hollow", "Edward Scissorhands", "The Nightmare before Christmas" are the Directors best works to name a few.

But when I first heard, that Director Tim Burton
was going to make a remake of the original classic sci fi movie "Planet Of The Apes" with Charlton Heston, I was skeptical. Everyone knows that remakes of classic movies 90% of the time, plain suck. The movie remake of "Psycho" is a good example. I was further skeptical that Tim Burton's remake would equal the success of the original because all the ideas thought possible were used for the "Planet Of The Apes" series and movies.

Apes going into space, an Ape's son taking over the world, and even mutant beings are just a couple of the ideas that were used for the four sequels and 2 television series that wanted to profit of the 1968 film. Now after watching the film , my gut instinct told me I was right. The New version of Planet of The Apes is highlly predictable, copying a large bulk of material from the original, with brief differences.

Probably the biggest problem is that this movie itself has is the lame, and dumbest ending I've seen. It makes me laugh just thinking about it. It makes me laugh more because this was a Tim Burton film. In fact, the ending looks like it was written by a 13 yr old, who has too many cheap sci fi films with bad endings. The end of the film, lets you down with an incredibly stupid ending that makes you feel like you wasted time watching it.

Even Tim Burton commented after the film, that he would not make another sequel. Apparently, even he knew that his movie failed. Now my review of the film:
Planet of The Apes starts with great visual effects,
as we learn that an Air Force Space Station has occupied the universe. Mark Walhberg plays Captain Leo Davidson,
who is teaching scientific chimps how to pilot space vessels for research. Basically, the chimps are sent as probes , if you will, to uncharted planets. However, something goes wrong, and the head chimp, gets lost on a voyage to a planet. Davidson, caring for the chimp, disobeys orders and goes after him.
Now then comes the copying of the original film into the remake,but Burton tries his best or worst to not make it look like a copycat film.

Davidson is eventually captured by the Apes of the Planet. Just like the original film, the Apes personality traits are split by class. The warriors are made mostly of Apes and Gorillas. The lying and cunniving politicians are made up of Urangantans. While the more sympathetic apes relate more to the chimp class.

In the original fim, Charlton Heston has the famous line that all fans know when he is captured by the Apes:
"Let go of me you damn dirty ape".

However, Burton changes the script to not copy the original. In the remake, it is the ape who use a line similiar to this:

"Let go of me you damn dirty human"

Lol. I laughed for a while when I saw this.
It's just a very dumb scene. Because even Burton changed the lines, it's still trying to copy that classic scene from the original. Anyways Davidson is captured and eventually meets the head Ape of the planet. Davidson is eventually put into the lines of human slaves that the apes have. Here also Burton tries to add differences between this film and the original. If you recall in the original, Charlton Heston was the only human who could think and talk, while all the over humans either had labotomies or had their throats cut out.

This made Heston's character, Taylor, much more unique and dangerous to the apes. In the remake though, Burton makes it so all humans can talk. This made Walhberg's character not as unique and dangerous, as the original Heston characterm, hell it made him average, not standing out from the crowd.

Tim Roth, plays the evil General Thade who is the military dictator in control of the planet. For the most part, Roth's part is admirable, he does display that aura of intimidation and fear, that all villians in the movie have, but all of this is ripped to shreds by the horrible ending of the film.
Eventually Davidson and the rest of his human and ape friends stage a revolt against General Thade to see who will rule the planet.

This is actually one of the few good points of the film,Burton gives you the hope that things will turn out the best in the end, but not necessarily... Without giving away the ending of the film, all I can say is that it is one of the cheesiest, dumbest endings I've seen!!! In fact, my first reaction to the ending was disbelief, followed by sheer laughter. I couldn't believe that Burton had done that type of ending. The ending reminds me of those low budget, cheap sci fi endings from the 1950's and 60's. If I wanted to see sci fi movies with a cheap , laughable, ending I would watched the reruns of "Mystery Science Theater 3000"!!.

What upsets me about the ending, is that before the ending, we are lead to believe that the movie is going to end one way. In fact, if the movie ended up the way I thought it was going to end, I would have given it a perfect 10!!! But Burton (I don't know what he was thinking)sabotages, the good film with a cheap ending, that leaves you feeling rip-offed. He is not the only guy to do this, the legendary Roman Polanski likewise had the dumbest ending of his career in the movie "Femme Fatale" with Antonio Banderas.

Several weeks after the movie was released, Burton said he would not do a sequel to "Planet Of The Apes". It seems that Burton himself, knew that he messed up a perfectly good film and , proved that remakes of classic films should be left alone. I am big Tim Burton fan, but the remake of "Planet Of The Apes" is probably the worst film that he has done. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Woman on Top
At the start of the film, I would have given it five stars. It told a story I'd never heard before and it gave background information about "Isabella." The movie was funny and had a certain fairy tale nature. There's only one problem with this tale. There's no Prince Charming. I didn't want "Isabella" to end up with either of these selfish men. It's really frustrating to watch her work really hard to get over a man only to return to him in the end.

Don't Miss This One!
Isabella looks like a goddess and has the culinary skills of one, too. Unfortunately, she has a terrible case of motion sickness. The only way to suppress it, is for her to control her motions at all times. As the story unfolds, the lovely Brazilian chef leaves her unfaithful, unappreciative husband, after witnessing him getting a little too friendly with one of the neighbors. Isabella travels from Bahia to San Francisco, where she moves in with a childhood friend, Monica. A fun-loving, comical cross-dresser, Monica is one of the most lovable characters of her kind since Too Wong Foo... Not long after her big move, Isabella lands her own cooking show, Passion Food Live. Things really start to heat up when Isabella's husband, Toninho comes looking for her, determined to gain her forgiveness and win her back. However, the producer of Isabella's show has fallen hard for her & boy does it get ugly when Toninho slips back into the picture... Brilliantly written and directed, Woman On Top will keep you enthusiastically glued to the screen. With it's heart-warming characters, not so everyday plot, and mouth-watering Brazilian delicacies, you'll want to watch this movie over and over again. Remember to "share it with someone you"! ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Food and Sex on a small budget --
but then, what else is new? I'm afraid Stanley Tucci's splendid *Big Night* is to blame for the recent spate of "art house" movies featuring food and "passion" and how they're "mystically" connected. Or maybe it was *Like Water For Chocolate* that started it. Indeed, *Woman On Top* closely resembles the latter film -- it's about a beautiful Latina woman, surrounded by insensitive or dismissively wimpy men, who happens to be a genius in the kitchen. The movie isn't terrible; it just isn't much of anything. What precious little there is involves the same old "magic realism" (yawn -- a dead horse since Garcia Marquez's *Love In The Time Of Cholera*); the same old cad lover who tries to win his girl back; the same old transvestite "buddy" . . . so forth. To top it off, the movie tries to persuade us that Penelope Cruz's motion sickness is something we should be worried about. (Uh, I believe her stunning beauty more than compensates. Duh!) *Woman On Top* is as persuasive an argument as any that so-called "indie" movies are subject to the same tired formulas, within their specialized milieu, as the most egregious Hollywood summer blockbusters.

One Of The Best Movies Ever!!!
"Woman on Top" was one of the best movies I've ever seen. The bedroom love scenes were some of the most beautifully portrayed and sensual that I've ever seen without all of the nudity and vulgarity usually portrayed in American made movies. The scenes of the beautiful,Bahia,Brazil especially it's Peulorinho district where Isabella and Toninho live are also very beautifully portrayed and no place in the world is more lovely than the Peulorinho at night. Having travelled to Bahia I can testify that Bahia definitely has a magical feel and visitors to Bahia often remark,"Bahia Enfeitica" which means "Bahia casts its spell on you" and well it might given the number of African deities called Orixas that are worshipped in Bahia. Yemanja is often referred to as the "Mother of the Orixas" and offerings are frequently made to Her by Brazilians to incur Her blessings especially on New Year's Eve where everyone in Brazil goes to the beach at night with their offerings in hand all dressed in white. This movie is far from a fairytale as it beautifully portrays how the Orixas are very much appreciated in the daily lives of Brazilians.The directors of this movie were thoughtful enough to engage well-known Candomble priestesses Mae Lucia and Mae Stella to get an accurate portrayal of Candodmble and it's rituals. I thought that Penelope Cruz and Murilo Benicio did a wonderful job as a married couple and they have a wonderful chemistry together on the screen and although both have their flaws as individuals they learn by combining their strengths how to create the perfect dish. I highly recommend this DVD to people especially those that have an interest in Bahia and Candomble or just want to view a beautifully,portrayed love story. The soundtrack is also a wonderful addition to the movie. Yemanja be praised!!!

Feel Good movie
I thought the movie was great! It made me feel good watching it. The whole vibe was so soothing and the music was superb. Penelope Cruz did a good job for it being her first english spoken movie. Her husband is hot as hell, and you could tell that they were meant to be from the beginning. It really capitalized on the essence of love. Great chic flick, sends a good message to woman. Despite her decisoin with men, she realized that her husband was her true love in the end. I now want to move to Brazil!!!!

Wow! I have to give it a star?
Stupid scenario, bad production, medium performance.

A pleasure to watch. Totally entertaining.
This is beautiful and sensual movie filled with Brazilian culture and folklore that is a feast to your senses. You can almost feel the burn of the chili pepper and smell the fragrance of the aromatic coffee that makes the San Francisco men follow Isabella in the streets. The movie is colorful and mystical and a large part of its charm is due to the amazing Penelope Cruz (an actress I learned to admire not only for her beauty but also for her acting talent after watching her in the Spanish movie "Sin Noticias de Dios") who totally controls the screen.
Isabella (Penelope Cruz) has had the motion sickness since she was a little girl. She feels bad in every kind of motion, unless she controls the movement - this is also true regarding sex; she has to lead. Isabella is a cook in her husband's restaurant. She does well and cooks delicious foods, but somehow feels neglected - as she is left back in the kitchen. Tonino (Murilo Benicio), her husband, feels he is not a man enough being "led" by his wife. And so, one night Isabella catches him in the hands of another woman, and runs away to San Francisco to try and build a new life for herself. She hopes to try and relive her dreams of fame which she threw away when she married Tonino. Isabella heads to San Francisco to live with her old friend Monica, a transvestite.
In San Francisco Isabella gains fame by having her own cooking show. She is also courted by Cliff (Mark Feuerstein), the producer of the show, who is attracted to the Brazilian magic. Meanwhile back in Bahaia Tonino is facing a lot of trouble. Having cursed Yimanza, the goddess of the sea, in a burst of anger, bad luck knocks on his door. All the fisherman are upset at him as the fish do not come to their nets. Customers stay away from his restaurant and he cannot live without Isabella. So, Tonino heads to San Francisco to try and get Isabella back.
The movie is a combination of reality and myth. The gods, so the movie begins, have given Isabella incredible beauty. The gods, and especially Yimanza, the goddess of the sea, control the love and faith of our heroes and respond to their gifts and wishes. Human beings are controlled by faith and there are those who belong to each other. On the other hand, this is also a movie that has something to say about feminine strength and its power, in spite of gods and men. Isabella has to struggle but she is able to get her own way. Between the lines the movie also has a lot of criticisem about the American and the American televeision culture and maybe its lack of warmth vs. the Brazilian culture. There are a lot of cooking scenes where Isabella explains to her viewers how to cook this or that sauce while intertwining this with her life philosophy (always share the dish with someone you love). The men watching her show sit groaning against the screen and I must admit - she is a delicious sight.
Penelope Cruz is able to portray sensuality and innocence at the same time. She is the one who makes this movie what it is. The other actors are a little pale next to her, except the incredible Monica (Harold Perrineau Jr.) who sometimes manages to steal the show. All in all, this is a fun, entertaining movie. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

lies, intrigue, a sordid affair
Based on the novel Where's Mommy Now? By Rochelle Majer Krich, writer director Kevin Meyer's thriller mixes infidelity with serial killing.
Kathleen Quinlan is the wealthy LA wife of Alex McArthur, who has imported French Lydie Denier as an au pair. Denier is one of those French women who can't succeed when they pretend to be dowdy, in spite of someone commenting that she "looks like a nun", so it's hardly a surprise when she is transformed after the ubiquitous clothes shopping expedition, here in a montage set to the song I'm Alive on the soundtrack. Meyer also clues us to the inappropriateness of the Quinlan marriage by their extreme long shot figures in a framed photograph. The irony of this is Quinlan being far more beautiful and appealing than Denier, as well as being a better actor. Regrettably, Quinlan is lumbered with such questions as "Do you love me?" and "Do you still find me attractive?" to clue us into her insecurities about having a younger husband.
Meyer triesto add a comic subplot with Teri Garr co-owning a shop with Quinlan. Garr is primed to be funny, but the material isn't good enough, though her romance with policeman Hector Elizondo raises our expectations. This comic approach is also represented by Seinfeld's Estelle Harris as Garr's aunt, and Anne Ramsay as Quinlan's sister, with the nadir being an autopsy examiner with a cold.
Meyer opens with what turns out as a slighlty irrelevant incident with a glaring application of incriminating fingerprints, and lays on the faux-horror movie music score by Amotz Plessner, which only works during Quinlan's drugged walk down a corridor. The sleaziness of infidelity is presented by a tryst in a motel alongside a train line, and Denier gets unexplained accent dexterity. However the climax features triple cross-cutting, and and there is a cute cut from the switching off of one lamp to another. ... Read more

Description

Genetically engineered ``Super Critters`` are unleashed to conquer the galaxy. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

They're Back
The fuzzballs are back in this fun futuristic movie. There are only two critter eggs left and this time the critters are going to space. The two critters attack a group of people on a space ship in space. The movie is fun to watch. But there's not enough critter action in it. But it's still good.

The Final film
This unfortunately was the last critters film. The should not have stopped. Sure it was the second worest of the three. Okay movie.

Charlie is a major character but very little action. To make thing worse UG is now evil. Apparently something change Ug he does not want to wipe out all the Crites. Cheezy parts UG Sholud have been like 70 in 2040 but he's only looks like 30.

Charlie is order buy Ug to put to the two remain eyes in a pods. Charlie get locked in the pod accidently. He is adjected into space he is inside there for 49 years. After the pod is collected by a salavage crew.

After there greed leader blast open the pods charlie is free. Unforunately the Crite eggs have hatched. Is weird is the Crites were in with Charlie and did not hurt him.

The Crites get loose on the space station and the killing begins over again. This movie is also a spoff of Closous there is a computer that talks named Adrina whos central logic is only at 50% . That pluse there is one part about 15 minuted into the movie there is and reactment of the trash compactor scence form episode 4 of starwars but is only half as good. When Charlie almost get sucked into space.

I thought UG gooing bad as well as the lack of action and no Bradly brown spoiled the movie that pluse having charlie kill ug. I thought have the krites be a radioactive bio weapon was interesting. If you will like this i Recomen seeing Critters 1 3 and 2 as well a s Gremlin the movie that inspired Critters.

What have they done to the critters? this is crap! 1.5 stars
When are they gonna learn? It is impossible to make a good space movie! lets count some of the worst ones...Leprechaun 4, Jason X, Critters 4. I have to admit Leprechaun 4 was good, Jason X was...don't even get me started with that one, and Critters 4...well it sucks! I bought this movie expecting it to be great because it was the last in the series since who knows how long, ERR WRONG! it took me about a month to watch this whole thing, it was so boring! Plus there was very little critter action, and most of the actors sucked. the only reason to buy this movie is just to have the whole collection.

ah, an improvement over Critters 3 (belive it or not)
Being that this and Critters 3 were filmed back to back, this also was direct-to-video. Fortunately though, Critters 4 does not have the "direct-to-video faults" that Critters 3 had. This movie starts off showing what happened at the end of the 3rd movie. In my opinion of the 3rd movie, the ending is really all you need to see. By the way, DO NOT let the subtitle of Critters 4 fool you! This is no corny space movie. In fact, Critters 4 ranks up with the first one in the sense of a dark yet decent plot. Yes, the character of Charlie is in the movie and it does take place 50 years later but this is all explained. As far as the ending goes, it was surprising. Some people liked it, some didn't. As for me, I thought it gave the movie a good twist. As I said in my previous Critters review: skip Critters 3 and move on to Critters 4. The only reason I don't give this movie a 4th star is becuase it lacks some action compared to the first two Critter movies but don't let that dissapoint you. I would have to say that Crittes 4 is the only movie in the series that appears to be for adults as well as teenagers. Again, Critters 4 has a dark/decent plot somewhat similar the first movie and should not be missed.

Does anyone read these reviews?
We shall see!
What do I have to say about Critters 4? Not that much, watching it on tv right now, I came in about 45 minutes late, and have only watched a few minutes now, doesn't look too promising.
But how about those reviews!
Can't anyone spell anymore?
Apparently there isn't any editing, wonder if a review that's more a flaming of the other reviews than a real review can make it in? Yikes...
Was this review helpful to you?
No really, I wanna know! ... Read more

Description

Handbag, purse, pocketbook, pouch, clutch-call it what you will-but just about every woman carries one. The relationship between a woman and her bag is both intimate and universal. As the 'life support' system for almost every woman, the contents of their bags speak volumes about the women themselves. Working like urban archaeologists, the filmmakers interview a wide range of women, from a homeless woman in Los Angeles to a Congresswoman in New York, who reveal the contents of their handbags as a metaphor for their lives. The video's interviewees include such diverse personalities as Sandra Bernhard, Phyllis Diller, former Congresswoman Susan Molinari, Andy Warhol cult-star Holly Woodlawn, actress Carol Kane, TV star Anne Ramsay, and Jayne Meadows, among many others. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Delightful Documentary
I've always had a fascination with women's handbags and the stuff that's in them, so when I saw this video, I just had to order it. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It starts off a little slowly, but picks up when the women actually start talking about the things in their bags. It was wonderful to hear the stories behind each item. The documentary captured women from celebrities like Phyllis Diller and Roma Maffia to homeless women to a multigenerational family. Each woman displayed an uninhibited willingness to share her stories, often in a very witty manner. I do wish that the film allowed the viewer to actually see more of the physical purse objects, but in spite of this, it was very entertaining. "In the Bag" would be a good film to watch for a Girls' Night Out kind of evening. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Food and Sex on a small budget --
but then, what else is new? I'm afraid Stanley Tucci's splendid *Big Night* is to blame for the recent spate of "art house" movies featuring food and "passion" and how they're "mystically" connected. Or maybe it was *Like Water For Chocolate* that started it. Indeed, *Woman On Top* closely resembles the latter film -- it's about a beautiful Latina woman, surrounded by insensitive or dismissively wimpy men, who happens to be a genius in the kitchen. The movie isn't terrible; it just isn't much of anything. What precious little there is involves the same old "magic realism" (yawn -- a dead horse since Garcia Marquez's *Love In The Time Of Cholera*); the same old cad lover who tries to win his girl back; the same old transvestite "buddy" . . . so forth. To top it off, the movie tries to persuade us that Penelope Cruz's motion sickness is something we should be worried about. (Uh, I believe her stunning beauty more than compensates. Duh!) *Woman On Top* is as persuasive an argument as any that so-called "indie" movies are subject to the same tired formulas, within their specialized milieu, as the most egregious Hollywood summer blockbusters.

One Of The Best Movies Ever!!!
"Woman on Top" was one of the best movies I've ever seen. The bedroom love scenes were some of the most beautifully portrayed and sensual that I've ever seen without all of the nudity and vulgarity usually portrayed in American made movies. The scenes of the beautiful,Bahia,Brazil especially it's Peulorinho district where Isabella and Toninho live are also very beautifully portrayed and no place in the world is more lovely than the Peulorinho at night. Having travelled to Bahia I can testify that Bahia definitely has a magical feel and visitors to Bahia often remark,"Bahia Enfeitica" which means "Bahia casts its spell on you" and well it might given the number of African deities called Orixas that are worshipped in Bahia. Yemanja is often referred to as the "Mother of the Orixas" and offerings are frequently made to Her by Brazilians to incur Her blessings especially on New Year's Eve where everyone in Brazil goes to the beach at night with their offerings in hand all dressed in white. This movie is far from a fairytale as it beautifully portrays how the Orixas are very much appreciated in the daily lives of Brazilians.The directors of this movie were thoughtful enough to engage well-known Candomble priestesses Mae Lucia and Mae Stella to get an accurate portrayal of Candodmble and it's rituals. I thought that Penelope Cruz and Murilo Benicio did a wonderful job as a married couple and they have a wonderful chemistry together on the screen and although both have their flaws as individuals they learn by combining their strengths how to create the perfect dish. I highly recommend this DVD to people especially those that have an interest in Bahia and Candomble or just want to view a beautifully,portrayed love story. The soundtrack is also a wonderful addition to the movie. Yemanja be praised!!!

Feel Good movie
I thought the movie was great! It made me feel good watching it. The whole vibe was so soothing and the music was superb. Penelope Cruz did a good job for it being her first english spoken movie. Her husband is hot as hell, and you could tell that they were meant to be from the beginning. It really capitalized on the essence of love. Great chic flick, sends a good message to woman. Despite her decisoin with men, she realized that her husband was her true love in the end. I now want to move to Brazil!!!!

Wow! I have to give it a star?
Stupid scenario, bad production, medium performance.

A pleasure to watch. Totally entertaining.
This is beautiful and sensual movie filled with Brazilian culture and folklore that is a feast to your senses. You can almost feel the burn of the chili pepper and smell the fragrance of the aromatic coffee that makes the San Francisco men follow Isabella in the streets. The movie is colorful and mystical and a large part of its charm is due to the amazing Penelope Cruz (an actress I learned to admire not only for her beauty but also for her acting talent after watching her in the Spanish movie "Sin Noticias de Dios") who totally controls the screen.
Isabella (Penelope Cruz) has had the motion sickness since she was a little girl. She feels bad in every kind of motion, unless she controls the movement - this is also true regarding sex; she has to lead. Isabella is a cook in her husband's restaurant. She does well and cooks delicious foods, but somehow feels neglected - as she is left back in the kitchen. Tonino (Murilo Benicio), her husband, feels he is not a man enough being "led" by his wife. And so, one night Isabella catches him in the hands of another woman, and runs away to San Francisco to try and build a new life for herself. She hopes to try and relive her dreams of fame which she threw away when she married Tonino. Isabella heads to San Francisco to live with her old friend Monica, a transvestite.
In San Francisco Isabella gains fame by having her own cooking show. She is also courted by Cliff (Mark Feuerstein), the producer of the show, who is attracted to the Brazilian magic. Meanwhile back in Bahaia Tonino is facing a lot of trouble. Having cursed Yimanza, the goddess of the sea, in a burst of anger, bad luck knocks on his door. All the fisherman are upset at him as the fish do not come to their nets. Customers stay away from his restaurant and he cannot live without Isabella. So, Tonino heads to San Francisco to try and get Isabella back.
The movie is a combination of reality and myth. The gods, so the movie begins, have given Isabella incredible beauty. The gods, and especially Yimanza, the goddess of the sea, control the love and faith of our heroes and respond to their gifts and wishes. Human beings are controlled by faith and there are those who belong to each other. On the other hand, this is also a movie that has something to say about feminine strength and its power, in spite of gods and men. Isabella has to struggle but she is able to get her own way. Between the lines the movie also has a lot of criticisem about the American and the American televeision culture and maybe its lack of warmth vs. the Brazilian culture. There are a lot of cooking scenes where Isabella explains to her viewers how to cook this or that sauce while intertwining this with her life philosophy (always share the dish with someone you love). The men watching her show sit groaning against the screen and I must admit - she is a delicious sight.
Penelope Cruz is able to portray sensuality and innocence at the same time. She is the one who makes this movie what it is. The other actors are a little pale next to her, except the incredible Monica (Harold Perrineau Jr.) who sometimes manages to steal the show. All in all, this is a fun, entertaining movie. ... Read more

Reviews (667)

Good movie, packed DVD
Why 5 stars? Well I looked at what everyone else was writing, and as far as their complaints go, they seemed to be frustrated with some dialogue issues and logistics in the characters. I saw most of the original Planet of the Ape films, and while they were fascinating, they didn't quite stack up to this.

The dialogue, were it was corny "Get you stinking hand off me" was one of a few inside jokes within the movie that was a referrence to a Charlton Heston line in Planet of the Apes. As I recall this was the first line the Apes spoke in the film (as Attar demonstrated). Heston spoke those same words (from a different point of view) to the apes when he was captured, much to their surprise. There a quite a few inside jokes in the movie. So you need to be familiar with th first film to appreciate this one.

It also makes intriguing referrences to cultural issues of the past, in particular, slavery, using humans and apes. Course there is more to the story. Planet of the Apes was always breaching ground for Civil Rights. This was a more emphatic example.

The costumes and special affects were stellar. Definitely two Oscars will nodded for makeup and costumes. Tim Burton did a good job in directing and respects go to the screenwriter for his visions. THis was a labor 12 years in the making with numerous names attached (Arnold S. and Oliver Stone at one time).

The DVD is loaded with everything you could want. I got some kind of limited edition CD-Rom. Not sure if everyone else got it, but it offers cast interviews as well. I and my parents enjoyed it, so good for the 20- somethings and 50- somethings..

Not a remake of the original but a totally different story
First let start off by saying that this is not a remake of the 1968 classic but a totally different telling of the story. I respect Tim Burton for not trying to do your basic remake, which consists of updated special effects but the same story. The story in this movie is entirely different than the original. Other than the fact that Apes are involved there are very few similarities. The story is well thought out and keeps you engaged throughout the movie. Tim Burton also knew that Mark Wahlberg is no Charlton Heston, so he kept his dialogue to a minimal. Actually Tim Roth and Michael Duncan Clark have more dialogue in the movie than Wahlberg does. Rick Baker does an outstanding job with the makeup, which allows the actors facial expressions to come through which is key for this type of movie. I will not ruin the ending but will tell you that it is unique and as unexpected as the first one was in 1968. Now onto the DVD, the Anamorphic transfer is flawless and the DTS 5.1 soundtrack is superb. The video shows no signs of edge enhancement, artifacting, or color bleeds. The blacks are deep and rich and all the colors are vibrant. The DTS 5.1 audio track is just awesome; it utilizes the rears and subwoofer frequently. All dialogue is focused on the center channel and is well balanced. The DVD has more special features than any other DVD to date. There are at least 6 documentaries, a "first person" point of view feature, and all the other normal fanfare that comes with a special edition DVD. This by far and wide is Fox's best DVD to date as it pertains to special features.

not a very good version
this is tim burtons adaption of the original movie from 68.the story strays way off course from the original but is way funnier.marky mark stars in it.oh yeah!now will take it seriously.as if it wasnt bad enough we were watching a bad remake of an old classic,now it stars one of the worst bands in histories brothers.bbbboooooooooooooo!the kids will like it.tim burton directed it.besides the lack of keeping with the original and bad casting,this movie is good.it is a disapointment from a lot of his far better movies though.there are a lot of racial undertones in it.they are done in a funny way.is this even possible?its kind of a down but still manages a 3 star rating due to tim burtons masterful save.

loved it!
I'm an "Apes" kid who grew up on Planet Of The Apes, Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, Return To The Planet Of the Apes animated series, The Planet Of The Apes comic book series, The Planet Of The Apes TV series, The Planet Of The Apes novel...I loved all of this Apes stuff. Why? Because it was FUN. Sadly it seems those days are gone for good and their ain't too many folks left who get the fun of these sort of things. It's clear that Tim Burton still gets it. He obviously loves the Apes movies and he grew up with all of those same movies and fun Ape toys that I did. His version is a loving tribute to that period of time in his childhood when the whole world seemed to have gone ape. He's even thrown in an ending that's not unlike the ending of the original novel. That novel inspired the movies, but none of them tried to stay true to that idea until Burton's version. Burton is obviously a fan of the Apes craze that made many a youngster want to battle talking apes or be talking apes. He captures that sense of wonder that many of us experienced in our Ape invaded youth, but he also doesn't take the whole thing too damn seriously. There are plenty of laughs here too. It's a big fun talking Apes movie that's just as much FUN as the ones that so many of us loved in the old days. I wondered, laughed, marveled, and had a great time being a kid again. I couldn't have asked for anything more. If Burton hadn't directed this thing I'm sure I would have got a hell of a lot less. Burton "gets" FUN.

(...)
am a big Tim Burton fan, I've practically seen
all his movies: "Batman" , "Sleepy Hollow", "Edward Scissorhands", "The Nightmare before Christmas" are the Directors best works to name a few.

But when I first heard, that Director Tim Burton
was going to make a remake of the original classic sci fi movie "Planet Of The Apes" with Charlton Heston, I was skeptical. Everyone knows that remakes of classic movies 90% of the time, plain suck. The movie remake of "Psycho" is a good example. I was further skeptical that Tim Burton's remake would equal the success of the original because all the ideas thought possible were used for the "Planet Of The Apes" series and movies.

Apes going into space, an Ape's son taking over the world, and even mutant beings are just a couple of the ideas that were used for the four sequels and 2 television series that wanted to profit of the 1968 film. Now after watching the film , my gut instinct told me I was right. The New version of Planet of The Apes is highlly predictable, copying a large bulk of material from the original, with brief differences.

Probably the biggest problem is that this movie itself has is the lame, and dumbest ending I've seen. It makes me laugh just thinking about it. It makes me laugh more because this was a Tim Burton film. In fact, the ending looks like it was written by a 13 yr old, who has too many cheap sci fi films with bad endings. The end of the film, lets you down with an incredibly stupid ending that makes you feel like you wasted time watching it.

Even Tim Burton commented after the film, that he would not make another sequel. Apparently, even he knew that his movie failed. Now my review of the film:
Planet of The Apes starts with great visual effects,
as we learn that an Air Force Space Station has occupied the universe. Mark Walhberg plays Captain Leo Davidson,
who is teaching scientific chimps how to pilot space vessels for research. Basically, the chimps are sent as probes , if you will, to uncharted planets. However, something goes wrong, and the head chimp, gets lost on a voyage to a planet. Davidson, caring for the chimp, disobeys orders and goes after him.
Now then comes the copying of the original film into the remake,but Burton tries his best or worst to not make it look like a copycat film.

Davidson is eventually captured by the Apes of the Planet. Just like the original film, the Apes personality traits are split by class. The warriors are made mostly of Apes and Gorillas. The lying and cunniving politicians are made up of Urangantans. While the more sympathetic apes relate more to the chimp class.

In the original fim, Charlton Heston has the famous line that all fans know when he is captured by the Apes:
"Let go of me you damn dirty ape".

However, Burton changes the script to not copy the original. In the remake, it is the ape who use a line similiar to this:

"Let go of me you damn dirty human"

Lol. I laughed for a while when I saw this.
It's just a very dumb scene. Because even Burton changed the lines, it's still trying to copy that classic scene from the original. Anyways Davidson is captured and eventually meets the head Ape of the planet. Davidson is eventually put into the lines of human slaves that the apes have. Here also Burton tries to add differences between this film and the original. If you recall in the original, Charlton Heston was the only human who could think and talk, while all the over humans either had labotomies or had their throats cut out.

This made Heston's character, Taylor, much more unique and dangerous to the apes. In the remake though, Burton makes it so all humans can talk. This made Walhberg's character not as unique and dangerous, as the original Heston characterm, hell it made him average, not standing out from the crowd.

Tim Roth, plays the evil General Thade who is the military dictator in control of the planet. For the most part, Roth's part is admirable, he does display that aura of intimidation and fear, that all villians in the movie have, but all of this is ripped to shreds by the horrible ending of the film.
Eventually Davidson and the rest of his human and ape friends stage a revolt against General Thade to see who will rule the planet.

This is actually one of the few good points of the film,Burton gives you the hope that things will turn out the best in the end, but not necessarily... Without giving away the ending of the film, all I can say is that it is one of the cheesiest, dumbest endings I've seen!!! In fact, my first reaction to the ending was disbelief, followed by sheer laughter. I couldn't believe that Burton had done that type of ending. The ending reminds me of those low budget, cheap sci fi endings from the 1950's and 60's. If I wanted to see sci fi movies with a cheap , laughable, ending I would watched the reruns of "Mystery Science Theater 3000"!!.

What upsets me about the ending, is that before the ending, we are lead to believe that the movie is going to end one way. In fact, if the movie ended up the way I thought it was going to end, I would have given it a perfect 10!!! But Burton (I don't know what he was thinking)sabotages, the good film with a cheap ending, that leaves you feeling rip-offed. He is not the only guy to do this, the legendary Roman Polanski likewise had the dumbest ending of his career in the movie "Femme Fatale" with Antonio Banderas.

Several weeks after the movie was released, Burton said he would not do a sequel to "Planet Of The Apes". It seems that Burton himself, knew that he messed up a perfectly good film and , proved that remakes of classic films should be left alone. I am big Tim Burton fan, but the remake of "Planet Of The Apes" is probably the worst film that he has done. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Food and Sex on a small budget --
but then, what else is new? I'm afraid Stanley Tucci's splendid *Big Night* is to blame for the recent spate of "art house" movies featuring food and "passion" and how they're "mystically" connected. Or maybe it was *Like Water For Chocolate* that started it. Indeed, *Woman On Top* closely resembles the latter film -- it's about a beautiful Latina woman, surrounded by insensitive or dismissively wimpy men, who happens to be a genius in the kitchen. The movie isn't terrible; it just isn't much of anything. What precious little there is involves the same old "magic realism" (yawn -- a dead horse since Garcia Marquez's *Love In The Time Of Cholera*); the same old cad lover who tries to win his girl back; the same old transvestite "buddy" . . . so forth. To top it off, the movie tries to persuade us that Penelope Cruz's motion sickness is something we should be worried about. (Uh, I believe her stunning beauty more than compensates. Duh!) *Woman On Top* is as persuasive an argument as any that so-called "indie" movies are subject to the same tired formulas, within their specialized milieu, as the most egregious Hollywood summer blockbusters.

One Of The Best Movies Ever!!!
"Woman on Top" was one of the best movies I've ever seen. The bedroom love scenes were some of the most beautifully portrayed and sensual that I've ever seen without all of the nudity and vulgarity usually portrayed in American made movies. The scenes of the beautiful,Bahia,Brazil especially it's Peulorinho district where Isabella and Toninho live are also very beautifully portrayed and no place in the world is more lovely than the Peulorinho at night. Having travelled to Bahia I can testify that Bahia definitely has a magical feel and visitors to Bahia often remark,"Bahia Enfeitica" which means "Bahia casts its spell on you" and well it might given the number of African deities called Orixas that are worshipped in Bahia. Yemanja is often referred to as the "Mother of the Orixas" and offerings are frequently made to Her by Brazilians to incur Her blessings especially on New Year's Eve where everyone in Brazil goes to the beach at night with their offerings in hand all dressed in white. This movie is far from a fairytale as it beautifully portrays how the Orixas are very much appreciated in the daily lives of Brazilians.The directors of this movie were thoughtful enough to engage well-known Candomble priestesses Mae Lucia and Mae Stella to get an accurate portrayal of Candodmble and it's rituals. I thought that Penelope Cruz and Murilo Benicio did a wonderful job as a married couple and they have a wonderful chemistry together on the screen and although both have their flaws as individuals they learn by combining their strengths how to create the perfect dish. I highly recommend this DVD to people especially those that have an interest in Bahia and Candomble or just want to view a beautifully,portrayed love story. The soundtrack is also a wonderful addition to the movie. Yemanja be praised!!!

Feel Good movie
I thought the movie was great! It made me feel good watching it. The whole vibe was so soothing and the music was superb. Penelope Cruz did a good job for it being her first english spoken movie. Her husband is hot as hell, and you could tell that they were meant to be from the beginning. It really capitalized on the essence of love. Great chic flick, sends a good message to woman. Despite her decisoin with men, she realized that her husband was her true love in the end. I now want to move to Brazil!!!!

Wow! I have to give it a star?
Stupid scenario, bad production, medium performance.