Description

Social studies teacher Eugene Simonet (Kevin Spacey) gives his class an assignment:look at the world around you and fix what you don't like.One student comes up with an idea: #1 it is something that really helps people; #2 something they can't do it by themselves; and #3 do it for them, then do it for three other people. ... Read more

Reviews (205)

Who knows what kind of difference we could make?
I've wanted to see this movie since I started to see the previews because I loved the premise. I think it's something that would truly change the world if it would only catch on. I was thrilled to see Haley Joel Osment playing such a role. He is a true "wunderkind" or perhaps an "Indigo Child" as they are often referred to today. He carries with him such an air of mystique and prophecy that I just know that his movies hold valuable messages for all of us. It surprises me that other reviewers couldn't focus long enough to realize that the sub-plots were all intended to connect via the "pay it forward" context, as we realize that Trevor's homework assignment has influenced people, events and places far beyond his own awareness. Yes, Helen Hunt looks like a witch, but she's playing an alcoholic -- they're rarely pretty, but often good-hearted. She's also a battered woman, and a brutally honest confrontation with Trevor's teacher forces her to question her self-destructive loyalty to the father of her son -- a loud and clear message to women who may be putting their children at risk by paying too much respect to fathers who don't deserve it. Even Trevor himself dreads his father's return, and father's rights advocates could benefit from the realization that sometimes children *don't* need fathers who hurt them and/or their mothers.

Paying it forward is about taking risks for others, risks that are hard, challenging, and scary. Trevor himself honors the courage it took his mother to forgive her mother for the childhood that caused her such pain. It takes courage -- and that is why the end is as powerful as it is. I won't spoil it, but I want to say that it was a statement that underscored the kind of courage it takes to change the world.

I wasn't too crazy about the final scenes, they were anti-climactic and stretched the point. Still, it was a beautiful story and if only we could all make the effort to "pay it forward" who knows what kind of difference we could make?

I expected schlock, sugar and smaltz, not so! I LOVED IT!
What a pleasant surprise this movie was! I avoided seeing it for awhile because of so many negative or so-so reviews I'd read and also because a friend told me the book was "sentimental and corny". But the movie was very believable and I can't help thinking that the only people who could fail to be moved by it would have to be hard-core cynics. Haley Joel Osmont proves his acting chops yet again (after his acclaimed his role in Sixth Sense), playing a middle-school student named Trevor who has a troubled home life, an alcoholic mother and an erratic, wayward father. When his new teacher, played by the superb Kevin Spacey, gives an imaginative class assignment, daring the students to "change the world" Trevor takes his homework to a new extreme, changing not only his life but that of his teacher. While parts of this movie do challenge the viewer's ability to suspend belief and seem somewhat unreal, it is a rare treat to see such a trio of talented actors come together for such a worthy idea. Don't be surprised to find yourself reaching for the tissues while watching this movie. I came to it with negative preconceptions and reluctance and was surprisingly moved and heartened by watching it. This is one I plan to buy and add to my permanent collection, worth seeing again and again.

Sad but Great
This is a sad but very meaningful film.

It gives one a respect for living life each day to the fullest, no matter what circumstance we encounter. Life is truly a gift from GOD.

its gotta be watched
Pay it forward is brilliant example of life. i absolutely love this film and have it on dvd myself. the way it approaches the problems we all encounter in life is amazing. when trevor, the young boy just reaching 7th grade, thinks up an ingenious an wonderful way to make good reach the entire world, we can empathise with his quest as he is left alone regularly by his alcoholic mother and has come from a very disturbing background. when his teacher proposes that the class partake in an assignment whereby they must change the world, trevor gets very involved. i'v heard of a lot of people saying that the end scene was 'pinched' from field of dreams an i would like to put it straight that the end scene is perfect for this film. although it tugs harshly on the emotion strings the ending is perfect in every way. a valuable message to be taken from this film is no matter how bad it seems, a shimmer of good and hope is always there. my advice to everone is watch this film. i guarentee you will not be disappointed. x

Moving Film
Helen Hunt leads an all-star cast as a hard working mom from Vegas, raising seventh grader, Trevor, on her own. Social Studies teacher, Mr. Simonet, played wonderfully by Kevin Spacey, is the crusty middle-aged man who can't come to grips with his painful childhood experiences which leads him through a lifetime of lonely bachelorhood. When he assigns the class an extra credit project to "change the world," Trevor finds an original way to intrepret the job and literally sets out to, one by one, create a hands-on affect on his community. First he befriends a homeless man, Jerry, played convincingly by THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST'S Jim Caviezel, and tries to help Jerry get back on the right track. Jon Bon Jovi plays Trevor's nasty pop, who saunters back into the picture just when Helen Hunt begins a tender relationship with Mr. Simonet. The viewer roots for the PAY IT FORWARD idea, despite numerous setbacks. Angie Dickinson has a small role as the weather-battered drunk mom of Helen Hunt, and we see Jay Mohr intermittently as a fumbling reporter trying desperately to track down the originator of this Pay it Forward "movement." The ending took me by surprise, and I will not spoil it, but suffice to say there won't be a dry eye in the house when you see it for yourself. This one is a keeper! ... Read more

Description

A reunion movie featuring the cast of the 70's hit TV series CHiPs. Your favorite characters are all here, including Frank "Ponch" Poncherello, Jon Baker, and Seargent Joe Getraer. As in the original series, this movie finds the guys teaming up to keep the California Highways in and around Los Angeles safe from harm. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Get ready for high speed action . . . CHiPs is back!!!
This movie is great as not only as a sequel to the series, but as a stand-alone movie itself. I was a fan of the series as a kid in the 70's & 80's, and with the introduction of new series' I gradually drifted away from CHiPs in syndication, but CHiPs '99 kind of whetted my apitite to revisit some of the old episodes and "rewatch them for the first time", and it's been a great ride all around.

Ponch and Jon come back just as good as the original series!
The new movie is a great sequal to the pilot episode. It uniquly brings the smallest details of the late 70's episode to a 90's perspective. Also the change from the old Kawasakis to the new BMW's, and from the old Dodge Monacos to the new Crown Victorias is awesome. Anyone who liked the show, especially if they've seen the pilot episode, will love "CHiPs '99".

swt
AWESOME! HOPE THEY COME OUT WITH A NEW SERIES!!!

Cheesy....blahhhhhhh
I love CHiPs....of the late 70s and early 80s, but not this 99 video. It's very cheesy. You can't compare this to the series, no way except for the characters, except of course they got older and for the most part, they gained some weight. John Baker still looks the same, but he gained a bit weight too, but not as much as Erik Estrada, eeew, his face especially (Eyes...eeeeeeew) Too bad they don't have the original CHiPs on tape, now that would be better than this one. It had its moments, but I didn't get the same feel as I would with the original series...mayber perhaps Baker and Ponch were younger, and more fun to watch???

Review:
Ponch comes back to temporarily help the CHP capture car jacking theives. John Baker, the captain, reunites with Ponch, and Ponch helps heal John's wounded pain of Ponch leaving the force and not inviting John to Ponch's wedding. Ponch explains to him the reason for the leave. Although, if you watched the series, at the end, it was Baker who left to ranch his family ranch in Colorado and Ponch stayed. Through the movie, they show a few short clips of the old series when Contraire (the captain in the old series, now commisioner)John, and Erik remembers the old days together.

If you want to collect this just to have CHiPs, then go for it, I suggest though that you try to see if it's available at a movie rental place, ie blockbuster. If it's not available that way, try to buy it less than 6 bucks via online. I hope this helps.

It worthes the money spent!
...About the movie, it worthes the money spent and it still show the show spirit even after 20 years... Anyway, I never order over Internet, but for this movie I did and I appreciated my product. Ok, it took few more days than the website expected to get my tape delivered, but I truly enjoy it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Tom Shadyac (Liar Liar) directed Eddie Murphy in his raucous and inventive "comeback" film, a loose remake of the 1963 Jerry Lewis original. Murphy puts on full-body makeup to play Sherman Klump, a grossly fat college chemistry professor who creates a drug that releases the skinny person within. As in the original (when Lewis morphed into a caricature of former partner Dean Martin) the thin scenes are the most interesting, as the thrill of being handsome turns this sweet schlep into a club-crawling creep named Buddy Love. Jada Pinkett is the dream girl who loves Klump for himself, even after the potion wears off. Apart from some juicy fart jokes, a virtual trumpet concerto that erupts during a virtuoso family dinner scene (in which Murphy plays several roles), the humor is fairly gentle--although young children may find the presto-chango makeup effects alarming. For an effective, flat-out horror treatment of a similar theme, try the Stephen King adaptation Thinner. --David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (49)

The Nutty Professor
Reviewed Date: November 2003
Studio: Universal Studios
Genre: Comedy
Exposure: Color
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Year: 1996
Directed By: Tom Shadyac

Starring: Eddie Murphy and Jada Pinkett-Smith.

The movie takes place in a college town where Eddie Murphy plays Sherman Klump a 400 pound Professor that is in love with Professor Carla Purty played by Jada Pinkett- Smith. Carla sees Professor Klump as the beautiful person that he is.

The Nutty Professor is a very well put together film with Eddie Murphy playing seven different roles. If you want to see a good comedy The Nutty Professor is for you. There are some scene's that really put down overweight people. I have always been overweight and I did not take the scene's offensively but some people may.

There are some parts of the movie some people could find inappropriate. You may want to watch the movie before letting your children enjoy the comedy.

I give The Nutty Professor 5 stars for any adult. It is just really a funny movie any adult could find humor in. But on the other hand I give the movie a 3 ½ for children, a child being anyone under the age of 18, because of the inappropriate actions in the movie.

Hilarious
I haven't seen an Eddie Murphy movie yet that wasn't hilarious and The Nutty Professor is one of the best he's ever made. He plays the role of an overweight and intelligent professor that likes a gorgeous new teacher, but he doesn't have the courage to ask her out because of his size. He develops a formula that turns him into a skinnier, arrogant man that seems to have a better chance with the teacher that Mr. Klump (the overweight professor)likes. She turns out to like the skinnier, more arrogant version of Eddie Murphy but thinks he's too out of control. Later on, Eddie Murphy gets stuck in the new body and wants to go back to being Mr. Klump, but the new arrogant version tried to keep him from becoming Mr. Klump again.

The professor creates a formula that can drastically make anyone lose weight within seconds and can't wait to prove it to everyone. However, even this is a challenge when the new, skinnier Eddie Murphy tries to take over and do away with Mr. Klump.

The Nutty Professor is one of the funniest movies ever made in my opinion. Some of the sequences might not be as good as the others, but I don't know anybody in my family or any of my friends that didn't like the movie. It's one of Eddie Murphy's best and if you feel like laughing, you need to get this movie.

Eddie at his best
Eddie Murphy is definitely one of the undisputed kings of comedy. He's so hilarious. He's definitely phenomenal. THE NUTTY PROFESSOR really is a good movie. The scene with Dave Chapelle in da club is real hilarious esp when Eddie went back to show him who has been the game for long.

H I L A R I O S
This is Eddie at his best. I love the dinner scene and club scene. You can't help but to laugh at the family and feel sympathetic for Sherman in his battle to loose weight; later to discover that he loves himself how he is. I love this movie.

Funny and Sympathetic
Eddie Murphy revived his sagging career with this movie. Before The Nutty Professor (NP), he had made a long series of duds. His chubby hero is sweet and kind and therein lies the genius of NP. Murphy plays the title character straight and allows everything else to be funny. In NP, Murphy finally seems to understand something that had escaped his attention until this movie: people aren't just funny because they crack jokes, use profanity and make snide remarks. Absurd and embarrassing situations and how people deal with them are funny. The dinner at his family's house (w/ Eddie playing all the characters) is hilarious laugh out loud stuff. This is a kinder, gentler Eddie Murphy and it proved a gold mine. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This second ironic send-up of the old Sherwood Schwartz sitcom is even funnier than The Brady Bunch Movie. Shelley Long and Gary Cole return as the married heads of the merged family known as the Bradys, and Christopher Daniel Barnes and Christine Taylor reprise their roles as eldest stepsiblings Greg and Marcia. As with the first film, the clever premise finds the Brady clan caught in a kind of '70s time warp, while the rest of the world has moved well into the '90s. Greg is still looking for a "groovy girlfriend," Mr. Brady thinks the idea of a cable that sends 50 channels to one's TV set must be a joke, and Mrs. Brady spends hours at the beauty shop only to look exactly the same as she went in. There's a plot involving an imposter (Tim Matheson) who claims to be Carol's long-lost husband, but the real charge in this comedy comes from the way these pseudohip characters deal with sexual taboos (is there any real reason that Greg and Marcia shouldn't get it on?) and the incredulous reactions of other people. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Far out, man! Groovy flick!
A Very Brady Sequel isn't exactly what I'd call Oscar material, but it's good for just a few (actually, many) laughs with your best buds. Shelley Long and Gary Cole are back as the always cheerful, let's-work-things-out-together kind of parents as Mr. and Mrs. Brady. The kids from the first movie are also back as their original characters, and so is Alice.

In this hilarious sequel, everything is just perfectly normal in the Brady household until a man comes to the house claiming to be Mrs. Brady's first husband. But secretly, he's really after a valuable horse statue in their home. Of course, the Brady gang believes him and invites him to stay for awhile. Then, when they are really starting to get to know each other, the man reveals who he really is, kidnaps Mrs. Brady, and takes her out to Hawaii where he is supposed to sell the horse statue! And of course, the rest of the Bradys go after her...

I think this is just as good as the first Brady movie. Both were pretty good. There is a smarter script to the Brady sequel, too. And Jan gets a boyfriend! Greg and Marcia also start feeling affection for each other, too. This is wicked funny and I recommend it for anybody who loved the TV series or the first movie!

A Brady Bunch Review
A Very Brady Sequel is a funny spoof of the shows premeired on television in the 70's. It features the bradys living in the 90's, but stuck in the 70's. Such as when a soliciter calls up offering the family cable service, Mr. Brady says: "So, you're saying I can connect a wire to my TV and in will come 50 channels? I don't think so, good bye." The main event of the movie is when Mrs. Brady's old husband comes back. Really, he is an imposter but the bradys do not notice. When he whisks Mrs. Brady off to Hawaii, Mr. Brady decides to teach him a lesson on kindness. This is a funny movie and good entertainment.

Barbara Eden Plays "Jeannie" in the movie
The Best scene is with Barbara Eden playing "Jeannie".Although uncredited in the credits her scene is the Best.The scene has Jeannie arriving at the Brady's anniversary party looking for Mike Brady.Jeannie tells them he is her husband.The Best movie based on the TV show.Better than the original movie.

very funny
i saw this a long time ago when i was younger and after just watching it recently i realized how many jokes i missed cause i didn't get back then. this movie is soo funny. the bradys are like clueless and hopelessly stuck in the 70s while the world around them is so modern. its funny to see how they act compared to everyone else around them.

even better than the first
This sequel is even better than the first. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

A Romance with a Twist
Architect, Oscar Novak (Matthew Perry) and his business partner, Peter Steinberg (Oliver Platt) are desperate to secure a high profile job working for tycoon, Charles Newman.

Newman is married and also has a mistress, who's an artist, called, Amy Post (Neve Campbell).

Due to a misconception early on, Newman thinks Oscar and Peter are partners in more than just the business sense and so, gets Oscar to spy on his mistress when he's not around as he jealously thinks that she may go off with another man.

Trying to keep Newman happy, Oscar agrees then meets Amy and falls for her.

Naturally, it comes out that they think he's gay and in order not to lose the possibility of the job, Oscar finds he has to play along.

One of the great and funny things about the film is just how much his ruse escalates totally out of control until finally his friends of several years and even his parents believe he really is gay.

Matthew Perry is excellent in this role which also gives him the opportunity to play it 'real' where, personally, I think he's at his best. Very few actors get to me like he does when he's portraying hurt and inner struggle - really pulls on the heartstrings. Fantastic acting.

Neve Campbell as Amy was lively and fun and it's easy to see why Oscar would fall for her.

The moment when Amy is about to kiss Oscar and then realises what she's doing and their following fight over Newman is one of the best in the film for both actors.

You can really see the turmoil they're both having - she because she's falling for what she thinks is a 'gay' guy and he because he hates seeing her with Newman but can't tell her of his true feelings due to his loyalty to his friend, Steinberg who will go bankrupt if they lose the job.

All in all a warm and touching film that is extremely funny in places. One to watch again and again.

This Is a good Tango
All right Critics listen here THIS IS NOT A BAD MOVIE. What this movie is about is an architect(Perry) who tries to get the job for a rich business man played my Dylan Mcdermott after a misunderstanding he thinks that Perry is gay. So he enlists him to watch over his girlfriend played by the always cute Neve campbell. I don't know why this movie was blasted by just about every critic. Because it is a rather good romantic comedy. Matthew Perry and Neve Campbell are both good looking so they look cute. They have a courtship that is genuinelly funny and touching in which you hope that they will end up together which i was hoping because they were so good together. A very funny movie that had me laughing the entire time through. I can't wait when this comes out on video. Even Perry&Campbell tango across the finish line was good results. Againg this is one Tango that is worth watching.

Social satire about homosexuality
Synopsis:
Oscar Novak (Matthew Perry) is an up and coming architect, bidding with his partner (Oliver Platt) for a project to renovate a classic Chicago landmark. Business Tycoon Charles Newmann (Dylan McDermott), the man seeking the bids, mistakenly comes to believe that Oscar is gay and asks him to babysit his mistress (Neve Campbell) for him. With his business on the line, he agrees to do it, but even in agreeing, he must now pretend to prefer a sexual preference that he does not. Things go from bad to worse when he falls for the tycoon's Mistress.

About the Movie:
This is not a film for social conservatives. With homosexuality having become one of the major hot topics in America, this film proves how a movie can have as much a social agenda as a church can..

One interesting thing to point out about this film is how it uses Mathew Perry's character Oscar Novak to mirror the plight of closeted homosexuals. The Amazon Editorial Review (by Mark Engleheart) completely missed the point of the movie in saying that Novak's supposed gayness is treated simply as "an oppressive burden."

Social standing, job security and even friendships hang in the balance because of Novak's supposed sexual orientation. The film's point is that this is a burden that many homosexuals feel they have to deal with. In a sense Novak is now forced to deal with the same issues that gays deal with by having to "be in the closet" about being straight. If anything, the movie advocates openness and tolerance, something Novak learns about first hand. It's the classic, "walking in another man's shoes" satire.

Ultimately, Three to Tango is a film that pretends to be a romantic comedy but is really a obvious endeavor to promote an image of homosexuality as "normal" through genuinely humorous satire. In an era of political correctness, this is the ultimate film for it. It presents a perfect politically correct image of homosexuality, even going so far as to make it seem like the ideal to strive for. Homosexuals are the good guys, sensitive, understanding, and open, while straight men are losers, who cheat on their wives and are emotionally detached and insensitive.

Three to Tango does it job very well, playing on the audience's emotional output, and challenging their conventions with uneasy situations (as many movies do) to get the audience to agree with the premise.

Matthew Perry's character gets into his situation and gains his love interest precisely because he fits the stereotypical homosexual image (the one of the sensitive well-dressed male without the lisp and limp wrist). The movie seems to say that the homosexual image is the one to strive for, because Perry, a straight man fits it so perfectly and finds happiness with a beautiful woman in the end as a result.

Meanwhile, the quasi bad guy, Dylan McDermott's character, Charles Newmann, is a caricature of a straight man, insensitive, an adulterer, a manly man, who's possessive, jealous, selfish and vindictive. He's over the top and unlikable, precisely because he was written to be that way. McDermott plays the role to the T, which provides a perfect counterpoint to the film's overall portrayal of the straight/gay issue.

The end statement is that sexual orientation should not be the issue, it should be your feelings and who you are.

In all honesty, it's hard not to like this film at least on some level, even if you don't agree with the message that it is preaching. Matthew Perry is an expert at filling out the role of a bewildered man thrown into unexpected and peculiar situations with both humor and sensitivity. He's a wonderful and charming comic actor, and it shows. Neve Campbell is cute as his co-star, and there are a lot of comic moments that are laugh out loud funny.

Of course, a lot of the humor comes directly from Oscar being put in the position of a straight man dealing with being thought of as gay, with some of the humor being overtly sexual in nature. People who disagree with the homosexual lifestyle will understandably dislike this film, because it is openly pro-gay and presents the issue in an extremely one-sided manner.

About the DVD:
Three to Tango comes in a cardboard snap case on a double-sided DVD with both fullscreen and Widescreen versions of the film in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The image and sound are pretty good for a budget DVD, with only a little film grain or artifacts. The movie is translated into French and has English and French subtitles. One wonders when the big studios will figure out that Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language on the North American continent.

As far as special features, this one has what appears to be something that is becoming standard on Warner Brothers budget DVD releases. They include the theatrical trailer for the film and a series of textual production notes that provide background on the movie. They're interesting to read, but not much as far as special features go. This release even skimps on the actor bios that usually provided with most budget releases.

Bottom Line:
A comedic film with a clear social message to provide to its audience that will undoubtedly turn away some because of it. A decent (depending on social views) movie on a standard DVD release. 3 stars.

Defense against Editorial Review...
The editorial review of this movie mentioned that the film was lessened by the reaction to the situation of Matthew Perry's character having to pretend to be gay. The writer suggested that the issue of his mistaken homosexuality was treated as a 'burden'. This movie never implied anything negative about homosexuality. If anything, the opposite is most certainly true. The situation was difficult because Perry was pretending to be something he wasn't. That was the point, to express from a straight person's point of view what gays go through every day of their lives. The overlying theme of this movie is that everyone has a right to be proud of who they are.

What can I say?
This movie has 'Matthew Perry vehicle' written all over it (which is not a bad thing--I like Matthew Perry). Thank goodness someone had the foresight to include talented Canadian beauty Neve Campbell, (obviously) one of my favorite actors, on the vehicle. She TOTALLY carries the movie wherever Perry fails to make the cut. Perry and Campbell have WONDERFUL chemistry. There are a few surprises in this movie that definitely make it unique. I have to say, though, that I could have completely done without the interplay between Campbell's character and her married lover. Fortunately, that didn't compromise the charm of this tasty romantic tale, which has become one of my all-time favorite romantic comedies. I definitely recommend making a copy of this your own. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

A Romance with a Twist
Architect, Oscar Novak (Matthew Perry) and his business partner, Peter Steinberg (Oliver Platt) are desperate to secure a high profile job working for tycoon, Charles Newman.

Newman is married and also has a mistress, who's an artist, called, Amy Post (Neve Campbell).

Due to a misconception early on, Newman thinks Oscar and Peter are partners in more than just the business sense and so, gets Oscar to spy on his mistress when he's not around as he jealously thinks that she may go off with another man.

Trying to keep Newman happy, Oscar agrees then meets Amy and falls for her.

Naturally, it comes out that they think he's gay and in order not to lose the possibility of the job, Oscar finds he has to play along.

One of the great and funny things about the film is just how much his ruse escalates totally out of control until finally his friends of several years and even his parents believe he really is gay.

Matthew Perry is excellent in this role which also gives him the opportunity to play it 'real' where, personally, I think he's at his best. Very few actors get to me like he does when he's portraying hurt and inner struggle - really pulls on the heartstrings. Fantastic acting.

Neve Campbell as Amy was lively and fun and it's easy to see why Oscar would fall for her.

The moment when Amy is about to kiss Oscar and then realises what she's doing and their following fight over Newman is one of the best in the film for both actors.

You can really see the turmoil they're both having - she because she's falling for what she thinks is a 'gay' guy and he because he hates seeing her with Newman but can't tell her of his true feelings due to his loyalty to his friend, Steinberg who will go bankrupt if they lose the job.

All in all a warm and touching film that is extremely funny in places. One to watch again and again.

This Is a good Tango
All right Critics listen here THIS IS NOT A BAD MOVIE. What this movie is about is an architect(Perry) who tries to get the job for a rich business man played my Dylan Mcdermott after a misunderstanding he thinks that Perry is gay. So he enlists him to watch over his girlfriend played by the always cute Neve campbell. I don't know why this movie was blasted by just about every critic. Because it is a rather good romantic comedy. Matthew Perry and Neve Campbell are both good looking so they look cute. They have a courtship that is genuinelly funny and touching in which you hope that they will end up together which i was hoping because they were so good together. A very funny movie that had me laughing the entire time through. I can't wait when this comes out on video. Even Perry&Campbell tango across the finish line was good results. Againg this is one Tango that is worth watching.

Social satire about homosexuality
Synopsis:
Oscar Novak (Matthew Perry) is an up and coming architect, bidding with his partner (Oliver Platt) for a project to renovate a classic Chicago landmark. Business Tycoon Charles Newmann (Dylan McDermott), the man seeking the bids, mistakenly comes to believe that Oscar is gay and asks him to babysit his mistress (Neve Campbell) for him. With his business on the line, he agrees to do it, but even in agreeing, he must now pretend to prefer a sexual preference that he does not. Things go from bad to worse when he falls for the tycoon's Mistress.

About the Movie:
This is not a film for social conservatives. With homosexuality having become one of the major hot topics in America, this film proves how a movie can have as much a social agenda as a church can..

One interesting thing to point out about this film is how it uses Mathew Perry's character Oscar Novak to mirror the plight of closeted homosexuals. The Amazon Editorial Review (by Mark Engleheart) completely missed the point of the movie in saying that Novak's supposed gayness is treated simply as "an oppressive burden."

Social standing, job security and even friendships hang in the balance because of Novak's supposed sexual orientation. The film's point is that this is a burden that many homosexuals feel they have to deal with. In a sense Novak is now forced to deal with the same issues that gays deal with by having to "be in the closet" about being straight. If anything, the movie advocates openness and tolerance, something Novak learns about first hand. It's the classic, "walking in another man's shoes" satire.

Ultimately, Three to Tango is a film that pretends to be a romantic comedy but is really a obvious endeavor to promote an image of homosexuality as "normal" through genuinely humorous satire. In an era of political correctness, this is the ultimate film for it. It presents a perfect politically correct image of homosexuality, even going so far as to make it seem like the ideal to strive for. Homosexuals are the good guys, sensitive, understanding, and open, while straight men are losers, who cheat on their wives and are emotionally detached and insensitive.

Three to Tango does it job very well, playing on the audience's emotional output, and challenging their conventions with uneasy situations (as many movies do) to get the audience to agree with the premise.

Matthew Perry's character gets into his situation and gains his love interest precisely because he fits the stereotypical homosexual image (the one of the sensitive well-dressed male without the lisp and limp wrist). The movie seems to say that the homosexual image is the one to strive for, because Perry, a straight man fits it so perfectly and finds happiness with a beautiful woman in the end as a result.

Meanwhile, the quasi bad guy, Dylan McDermott's character, Charles Newmann, is a caricature of a straight man, insensitive, an adulterer, a manly man, who's possessive, jealous, selfish and vindictive. He's over the top and unlikable, precisely because he was written to be that way. McDermott plays the role to the T, which provides a perfect counterpoint to the film's overall portrayal of the straight/gay issue.

The end statement is that sexual orientation should not be the issue, it should be your feelings and who you are.

In all honesty, it's hard not to like this film at least on some level, even if you don't agree with the message that it is preaching. Matthew Perry is an expert at filling out the role of a bewildered man thrown into unexpected and peculiar situations with both humor and sensitivity. He's a wonderful and charming comic actor, and it shows. Neve Campbell is cute as his co-star, and there are a lot of comic moments that are laugh out loud funny.

Of course, a lot of the humor comes directly from Oscar being put in the position of a straight man dealing with being thought of as gay, with some of the humor being overtly sexual in nature. People who disagree with the homosexual lifestyle will understandably dislike this film, because it is openly pro-gay and presents the issue in an extremely one-sided manner.

About the DVD:
Three to Tango comes in a cardboard snap case on a double-sided DVD with both fullscreen and Widescreen versions of the film in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The image and sound are pretty good for a budget DVD, with only a little film grain or artifacts. The movie is translated into French and has English and French subtitles. One wonders when the big studios will figure out that Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language on the North American continent.

As far as special features, this one has what appears to be something that is becoming standard on Warner Brothers budget DVD releases. They include the theatrical trailer for the film and a series of textual production notes that provide background on the movie. They're interesting to read, but not much as far as special features go. This release even skimps on the actor bios that usually provided with most budget releases.

Bottom Line:
A comedic film with a clear social message to provide to its audience that will undoubtedly turn away some because of it. A decent (depending on social views) movie on a standard DVD release. 3 stars.

Defense against Editorial Review...
The editorial review of this movie mentioned that the film was lessened by the reaction to the situation of Matthew Perry's character having to pretend to be gay. The writer suggested that the issue of his mistaken homosexuality was treated as a 'burden'. This movie never implied anything negative about homosexuality. If anything, the opposite is most certainly true. The situation was difficult because Perry was pretending to be something he wasn't. That was the point, to express from a straight person's point of view what gays go through every day of their lives. The overlying theme of this movie is that everyone has a right to be proud of who they are.

What can I say?
This movie has 'Matthew Perry vehicle' written all over it (which is not a bad thing--I like Matthew Perry). Thank goodness someone had the foresight to include talented Canadian beauty Neve Campbell, (obviously) one of my favorite actors, on the vehicle. She TOTALLY carries the movie wherever Perry fails to make the cut. Perry and Campbell have WONDERFUL chemistry. There are a few surprises in this movie that definitely make it unique. I have to say, though, that I could have completely done without the interplay between Campbell's character and her married lover. Fortunately, that didn't compromise the charm of this tasty romantic tale, which has become one of my all-time favorite romantic comedies. I definitely recommend making a copy of this your own. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Serial Killing that is not serious at all
A thriller that is fascinating from the very start. A serial killer is handcuffing his victims and then killing them ruthlessly. But a girl has a sixth sense and she sees the killings, the murders, the victims in their ordeals. The murderer is the final surprise of course, especially since the police goes the wrong way and covers him for us. The problems touched in this film are simple. the role of the media and particularly TV as a discloser of investigation details, and then the development of a debate about such serial killings with only one objective : to make a lot of audience and hence a lot of money. To be famous first of all and above all. The second question is that of prescience : is it possible, acceptable, believable, etc ? It is convincing in the film, but not much more. The third problem is the motivation of a serial killer and the famous profiling of the FBI. It is both rejected by the older cop who is responsible for the investigation, and by the film because the motivation of the killer is totally antagonistic with the profiling technique. All the victims have handcuffs but apart from that there is no other connection between the various victims or murders and the motivation has nothing to do with standard and even substandard serial killing motivations. It is something completely different. I can't reveal it here of course. But this very « plot » makes the film very trite. It is dynamic, entertaining but it is not very enlightening on the subject it deals with. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris Universities II and IX.

Murder Mystery at its Best
Once called "The Clairvoyant", The Killing Hour is a suspense/thriller/murder mystery rolled into one. Personally, I prefer the original title, since it better captures a key element of the story. Our protagonist (played by Elizabeth Kemp) has two unique gifts. She is an artist and has a sixth sense. But she doesn't see dead people, instead she can foresee who will be the next victim in a series of seemingly unrelated murders. Unrelated that is, except for the handcuffs found on each victim. Her clairvoyance strikes her when she is drawing and usually, she draws the next victim. She begins to panic, when during one of her episodes, she draws herself.

When she finally goes to the police, she manages to convince the skeptical officers assigned to the murders that their may be some validity to her story. More willing to believe her, a TV talk show host/reporter (played by Perry King) tries to befriend her and interview her on his show.

Slowly, the killer moves in on her. The clairvoyant knows he (or she) is near, but her power doesn't reveal the face to her. Nor does the director give this one away. We have to wait until he is ready to reveal the killer, but once he does, it all makes perfect sense.

Overall, I found this movie to be a pleasant surprise. Suspenseful, cleverly written, well acted, it will keep you guessing until the end, when the killer finally and unexpectedly, is revealed.

SURPRISINGLY GOOD MOVIE
At first glance, you might think this is an exploitation movie that thrives on T and A and extreme violence, but the Killing Hour, aka the Clairvoyant, is a surprisingly well produced, well directed, and well acted movie. Good perfomances by Elizabeth Kemp (especially Liz Kemp) and Perry King. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

The Nutty Professor
Reviewed Date: November 2003
Studio: Universal Studios
Genre: Comedy
Exposure: Color
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Year: 1996
Directed By: Tom Shadyac

Starring: Eddie Murphy and Jada Pinkett-Smith.

The movie takes place in a college town where Eddie Murphy plays Sherman Klump a 400 pound Professor that is in love with Professor Carla Purty played by Jada Pinkett- Smith. Carla sees Professor Klump as the beautiful person that he is.

The Nutty Professor is a very well put together film with Eddie Murphy playing seven different roles. If you want to see a good comedy The Nutty Professor is for you. There are some scene's that really put down overweight people. I have always been overweight and I did not take the scene's offensively but some people may.

There are some parts of the movie some people could find inappropriate. You may want to watch the movie before letting your children enjoy the comedy.

I give The Nutty Professor 5 stars for any adult. It is just really a funny movie any adult could find humor in. But on the other hand I give the movie a 3 ½ for children, a child being anyone under the age of 18, because of the inappropriate actions in the movie.

Hilarious
I haven't seen an Eddie Murphy movie yet that wasn't hilarious and The Nutty Professor is one of the best he's ever made. He plays the role of an overweight and intelligent professor that likes a gorgeous new teacher, but he doesn't have the courage to ask her out because of his size. He develops a formula that turns him into a skinnier, arrogant man that seems to have a better chance with the teacher that Mr. Klump (the overweight professor)likes. She turns out to like the skinnier, more arrogant version of Eddie Murphy but thinks he's too out of control. Later on, Eddie Murphy gets stuck in the new body and wants to go back to being Mr. Klump, but the new arrogant version tried to keep him from becoming Mr. Klump again.

The professor creates a formula that can drastically make anyone lose weight within seconds and can't wait to prove it to everyone. However, even this is a challenge when the new, skinnier Eddie Murphy tries to take over and do away with Mr. Klump.

The Nutty Professor is one of the funniest movies ever made in my opinion. Some of the sequences might not be as good as the others, but I don't know anybody in my family or any of my friends that didn't like the movie. It's one of Eddie Murphy's best and if you feel like laughing, you need to get this movie.

Eddie at his best
Eddie Murphy is definitely one of the undisputed kings of comedy. He's so hilarious. He's definitely phenomenal. THE NUTTY PROFESSOR really is a good movie. The scene with Dave Chapelle in da club is real hilarious esp when Eddie went back to show him who has been the game for long.

H I L A R I O S
This is Eddie at his best. I love the dinner scene and club scene. You can't help but to laugh at the family and feel sympathetic for Sherman in his battle to loose weight; later to discover that he loves himself how he is. I love this movie.

Funny and Sympathetic
Eddie Murphy revived his sagging career with this movie. Before The Nutty Professor (NP), he had made a long series of duds. His chubby hero is sweet and kind and therein lies the genius of NP. Murphy plays the title character straight and allows everything else to be funny. In NP, Murphy finally seems to understand something that had escaped his attention until this movie: people aren't just funny because they crack jokes, use profanity and make snide remarks. Absurd and embarrassing situations and how people deal with them are funny. The dinner at his family's house (w/ Eddie playing all the characters) is hilarious laugh out loud stuff. This is a kinder, gentler Eddie Murphy and it proved a gold mine. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Serial Killing that is not serious at all
A thriller that is fascinating from the very start. A serial killer is handcuffing his victims and then killing them ruthlessly. But a girl has a sixth sense and she sees the killings, the murders, the victims in their ordeals. The murderer is the final surprise of course, especially since the police goes the wrong way and covers him for us. The problems touched in this film are simple. the role of the media and particularly TV as a discloser of investigation details, and then the development of a debate about such serial killings with only one objective : to make a lot of audience and hence a lot of money. To be famous first of all and above all. The second question is that of prescience : is it possible, acceptable, believable, etc ? It is convincing in the film, but not much more. The third problem is the motivation of a serial killer and the famous profiling of the FBI. It is both rejected by the older cop who is responsible for the investigation, and by the film because the motivation of the killer is totally antagonistic with the profiling technique. All the victims have handcuffs but apart from that there is no other connection between the various victims or murders and the motivation has nothing to do with standard and even substandard serial killing motivations. It is something completely different. I can't reveal it here of course. But this very « plot » makes the film very trite. It is dynamic, entertaining but it is not very enlightening on the subject it deals with. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Paris Universities II and IX.

Murder Mystery at its Best
Once called "The Clairvoyant", The Killing Hour is a suspense/thriller/murder mystery rolled into one. Personally, I prefer the original title, since it better captures a key element of the story. Our protagonist (played by Elizabeth Kemp) has two unique gifts. She is an artist and has a sixth sense. But she doesn't see dead people, instead she can foresee who will be the next victim in a series of seemingly unrelated murders. Unrelated that is, except for the handcuffs found on each victim. Her clairvoyance strikes her when she is drawing and usually, she draws the next victim. She begins to panic, when during one of her episodes, she draws herself.

When she finally goes to the police, she manages to convince the skeptical officers assigned to the murders that their may be some validity to her story. More willing to believe her, a TV talk show host/reporter (played by Perry King) tries to befriend her and interview her on his show.

Slowly, the killer moves in on her. The clairvoyant knows he (or she) is near, but her power doesn't reveal the face to her. Nor does the director give this one away. We have to wait until he is ready to reveal the killer, but once he does, it all makes perfect sense.

Overall, I found this movie to be a pleasant surprise. Suspenseful, cleverly written, well acted, it will keep you guessing until the end, when the killer finally and unexpectedly, is revealed.

SURPRISINGLY GOOD MOVIE
At first glance, you might think this is an exploitation movie that thrives on T and A and extreme violence, but the Killing Hour, aka the Clairvoyant, is a surprisingly well produced, well directed, and well acted movie. Good perfomances by Elizabeth Kemp (especially Liz Kemp) and Perry King. ... Read more

Description

Social studies teacher Eugene Simonet (Kevin Spacey) gives his class an assignment:look at the world around you and fix what you don't like.One student comes up with an idea: #1 it is something that really helps people; #2 something they can't do it by themselves; and #3 do it for them, then do it for three other people. ... Read more

Reviews (205)

Who knows what kind of difference we could make?
I've wanted to see this movie since I started to see the previews because I loved the premise. I think it's something that would truly change the world if it would only catch on. I was thrilled to see Haley Joel Osment playing such a role. He is a true "wunderkind" or perhaps an "Indigo Child" as they are often referred to today. He carries with him such an air of mystique and prophecy that I just know that his movies hold valuable messages for all of us. It surprises me that other reviewers couldn't focus long enough to realize that the sub-plots were all intended to connect via the "pay it forward" context, as we realize that Trevor's homework assignment has influenced people, events and places far beyond his own awareness. Yes, Helen Hunt looks like a witch, but she's playing an alcoholic -- they're rarely pretty, but often good-hearted. She's also a battered woman, and a brutally honest confrontation with Trevor's teacher forces her to question her self-destructive loyalty to the father of her son -- a loud and clear message to women who may be putting their children at risk by paying too much respect to fathers who don't deserve it. Even Trevor himself dreads his father's return, and father's rights advocates could benefit from the realization that sometimes children *don't* need fathers who hurt them and/or their mothers.

Paying it forward is about taking risks for others, risks that are hard, challenging, and scary. Trevor himself honors the courage it took his mother to forgive her mother for the childhood that caused her such pain. It takes courage -- and that is why the end is as powerful as it is. I won't spoil it, but I want to say that it was a statement that underscored the kind of courage it takes to change the world.

I wasn't too crazy about the final scenes, they were anti-climactic and stretched the point. Still, it was a beautiful story and if only we could all make the effort to "pay it forward" who knows what kind of difference we could make?

I expected schlock, sugar and smaltz, not so! I LOVED IT!
What a pleasant surprise this movie was! I avoided seeing it for awhile because of so many negative or so-so reviews I'd read and also because a friend told me the book was "sentimental and corny". But the movie was very believable and I can't help thinking that the only people who could fail to be moved by it would have to be hard-core cynics. Haley Joel Osmont proves his acting chops yet again (after his acclaimed his role in Sixth Sense), playing a middle-school student named Trevor who has a troubled home life, an alcoholic mother and an erratic, wayward father. When his new teacher, played by the superb Kevin Spacey, gives an imaginative class assignment, daring the students to "change the world" Trevor takes his homework to a new extreme, changing not only his life but that of his teacher. While parts of this movie do challenge the viewer's ability to suspend belief and seem somewhat unreal, it is a rare treat to see such a trio of talented actors come together for such a worthy idea. Don't be surprised to find yourself reaching for the tissues while watching this movie. I came to it with negative preconceptions and reluctance and was surprisingly moved and heartened by watching it. This is one I plan to buy and add to my permanent collection, worth seeing again and again.

Sad but Great
This is a sad but very meaningful film.

It gives one a respect for living life each day to the fullest, no matter what circumstance we encounter. Life is truly a gift from GOD.

its gotta be watched
Pay it forward is brilliant example of life. i absolutely love this film and have it on dvd myself. the way it approaches the problems we all encounter in life is amazing. when trevor, the young boy just reaching 7th grade, thinks up an ingenious an wonderful way to make good reach the entire world, we can empathise with his quest as he is left alone regularly by his alcoholic mother and has come from a very disturbing background. when his teacher proposes that the class partake in an assignment whereby they must change the world, trevor gets very involved. i'v heard of a lot of people saying that the end scene was 'pinched' from field of dreams an i would like to put it straight that the end scene is perfect for this film. although it tugs harshly on the emotion strings the ending is perfect in every way. a valuable message to be taken from this film is no matter how bad it seems, a shimmer of good and hope is always there. my advice to everone is watch this film. i guarentee you will not be disappointed. x

Moving Film
Helen Hunt leads an all-star cast as a hard working mom from Vegas, raising seventh grader, Trevor, on her own. Social Studies teacher, Mr. Simonet, played wonderfully by Kevin Spacey, is the crusty middle-aged man who can't come to grips with his painful childhood experiences which leads him through a lifetime of lonely bachelorhood. When he assigns the class an extra credit project to "change the world," Trevor finds an original way to intrepret the job and literally sets out to, one by one, create a hands-on affect on his community. First he befriends a homeless man, Jerry, played convincingly by THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST'S Jim Caviezel, and tries to help Jerry get back on the right track. Jon Bon Jovi plays Trevor's nasty pop, who saunters back into the picture just when Helen Hunt begins a tender relationship with Mr. Simonet. The viewer roots for the PAY IT FORWARD idea, despite numerous setbacks. Angie Dickinson has a small role as the weather-battered drunk mom of Helen Hunt, and we see Jay Mohr intermittently as a fumbling reporter trying desperately to track down the originator of this Pay it Forward "movement." The ending took me by surprise, and I will not spoil it, but suffice to say there won't be a dry eye in the house when you see it for yourself. This one is a keeper! ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Get ready for high speed action . . . CHiPs is back!!!
This movie is great as not only as a sequel to the series, but as a stand-alone movie itself. I was a fan of the series as a kid in the 70's & 80's, and with the introduction of new series' I gradually drifted away from CHiPs in syndication, but CHiPs '99 kind of whetted my apitite to revisit some of the old episodes and "rewatch them for the first time", and it's been a great ride all around.

Ponch and Jon come back just as good as the original series!
The new movie is a great sequal to the pilot episode. It uniquly brings the smallest details of the late 70's episode to a 90's perspective. Also the change from the old Kawasakis to the new BMW's, and from the old Dodge Monacos to the new Crown Victorias is awesome. Anyone who liked the show, especially if they've seen the pilot episode, will love "CHiPs '99".

swt
AWESOME! HOPE THEY COME OUT WITH A NEW SERIES!!!

Cheesy....blahhhhhhh
I love CHiPs....of the late 70s and early 80s, but not this 99 video. It's very cheesy. You can't compare this to the series, no way except for the characters, except of course they got older and for the most part, they gained some weight. John Baker still looks the same, but he gained a bit weight too, but not as much as Erik Estrada, eeew, his face especially (Eyes...eeeeeeew) Too bad they don't have the original CHiPs on tape, now that would be better than this one. It had its moments, but I didn't get the same feel as I would with the original series...mayber perhaps Baker and Ponch were younger, and more fun to watch???

Review:
Ponch comes back to temporarily help the CHP capture car jacking theives. John Baker, the captain, reunites with Ponch, and Ponch helps heal John's wounded pain of Ponch leaving the force and not inviting John to Ponch's wedding. Ponch explains to him the reason for the leave. Although, if you watched the series, at the end, it was Baker who left to ranch his family ranch in Colorado and Ponch stayed. Through the movie, they show a few short clips of the old series when Contraire (the captain in the old series, now commisioner)John, and Erik remembers the old days together.

If you want to collect this just to have CHiPs, then go for it, I suggest though that you try to see if it's available at a movie rental place, ie blockbuster. If it's not available that way, try to buy it less than 6 bucks via online. I hope this helps.

It worthes the money spent!
...About the movie, it worthes the money spent and it still show the show spirit even after 20 years... Anyway, I never order over Internet, but for this movie I did and I appreciated my product. Ok, it took few more days than the website expected to get my tape delivered, but I truly enjoy it. ... Read more