Description

This comedic and touching family film follows the adventures of a shy young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who is sent to spend the summer with his eccentric uncles (Michael Caine, Robert Duvall).At first shocked by his uncles' unconventional behavior that includes ordering African lions through the mail, the boy soon becomes enthralled with unraveling the mystery that has followed the uncles for years. Hearing tales of their exotic adventures involving kidnapped princesses, Arabian sheiks and lost treasure, not only brings him closer to his uncles but also teaches him what it means to believe in something... whether it's true or not. ... Read more

Reviews (168)

Something for Everyone.
The best way to describe SECONDHAND LIONS is that it's like an independent art film for families. The movie is a hodge-podge of genres and varies between the sublime to the parodical. The plot revolves around a young boy named Walter and how he ended up being raised by two crazy bachelor uncles in the mid 1960s. The uncles (played by Duvall and Caine) have been missing for forty years and have recently returned to Texas to live out the rest of their days. Rumor has it that the old coots have millions of stolen loot stashed away somewhere and every salesperson and relative within a thounsand miles is trying to get their hands on some of the cash.

Children will like this movie especially for the cheesy flashback scenes that appear to be a cross between Indiana Jones and Saturday morning cartoons. However, cheesy as those scenes appear, they fit for the purposes of the film.

The movie also has something to say about faith and honesty. In fact, this is probably the best film I've seen about faith since SIGNS. It takes faith to believe the unbelievable, but when you find out what you were believing really was true, it becomes even that much more amazing.

Highly recommended for families, old codgers, and eccentrics like myself.

Wonderful family film! Rare these days.
This was a great movie. I just saw it last night -- for the second time. With Robert Duvall, Michael Caine, and Haley Joel Osment, how could they go wrong? But there's many a film out there that boasts a multi-talented all-star cast and yet still fails to deliver the goods.

SECONDHAND LIONS is not one of them.

The story is about young Walter who is just barely in his teens and is sent to live with his two great uncles. He constantly hears rumors of their hidden treasure that they stole from Al Capone, or took from a wealthy Arab, or obtained through a lawsuit, or...whatever you want to believe. Throughout the movie, Walter learns from his uncles, Hub and Garth, how to grow into a man and what the truly important things are in life; and Garth and Hub learn from Walter how to enjoy life to the fullest.

The drama here is fantastic, and only once does the emotionalism get a little over-the-top (which is why I gave it four stars instead of five). The acting is fantastic. In this adventurous film you'll be reminded of images of INDIANA JONES, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, among many others.

...

I wish every goofball (i.e. summer blockbuster) filmmaker in Hollywood -- you know, the ones that think creative filmmaking means having alot of CGI characters jumping around on skyscrapers and fighting villains in Power Ranger suits -- would simply sit down and watch SECONDHAND LIONS. Then they would know how to make a good movie.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN?
It was sad for me to see adults pushing their kids in the long-winded queues for Spiderman2 and Pokemon at the local theatre, while this touching entertainer was tossed aside (relatively) to the sidelines.

There is no doubt that Secondhand Lions is a semi-manipulative film, it has its fair share of smarmy feel-good contrivances that betray its zeal to tug at our heart strings. But the quirky mirth of all its characters, the idiosynchratic plotline, and a healthy dose of moving, meaningful moments makes this a very wholesome experience.

Duvall and Caine, as two reclusive millionaire uncles drunk on guns and eccentricity, pitch in very well. Caine warms up to his part in the film first, but the screen is really owned by a very fit Duvall, who soon becomes the pivotal character in the film as the uncle that the kid (Hailey Osment) turns to for advice. Osment does remarkably well to hold his own against these two big tykes. A barnful of cute animals and a truckful of drooling relatives round up the doozy cast.

Some fantastic (literally) flashbacks form an interesting trope for the movie's core message: that in our lives having conviction in things we may doubt to be untrue is ultimately a critical virtue. This leads to a somewhat corny twist at the end but it's an interesting one to make the point. There's plenty of action and some amusing gags that even evoked loud guffaws in the theatre.

All in all, whether you have kids or not, but especially if you do, this deserves a recommendation of the highest order.

Best Family Movie in a long time
I loved this movie. Laughed and cried. I do not usually buy movies, I only own three - we rent alot, but this was a must have. It is the best family movie we have seen in a very long time. I can't wait to see it again.

Wow (for sure)
I cannot understand why Amazon uses paid reviewers who are afraid to like the films they review and don't even bother to see many of them, as indicated by the errors of fact in the second quoted review. Make no mistake, folks, this is the real thing: a truly mesmerizing family film that is able to be humorous, scary, thrilling and inspiring - frequently all at the same time. How many years has it been since three generations of your family were able to repeatedly laugh and cheer loudly for a film? This is in the rare class of films that will go on and on, like Wizard of Oz, Shane, Dragonslayer, High Noon, Miracle on 34th Street, and a very few others, except that it is better than several of them. It is a film for all time and all ages. It is definitely not just a "kid's picture". Perhaps I am partial to "modern legends." I think we all are. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Falls flat
Rodney Dangerfield's MY FIVE WIVES falls flat about halfway into the film. Until that point, Rodney keeps it moving with his ever-sharp one-liners. Despite looking and sounding his 78 years of age when he made MY FIVE WIVES, time had not robbed the great funnyman of his gift.

MY FIVE WIVES loses steam as it stumbles to a conclusion. Instead of keeping Dangerfield and his jokes the center of attention, the film concentrates on its "plot," which concerns a land swindle and organized crime. Despite a supporting cast including comedians John Byner and Andrew Dice Clay, there's not enough funny stuff going on when Rodney's not on screen.

In one MY FIVE WIVES scene, Dangerfield and the five young women he's married wear thong bathing suits. I'll give Rodney credit for doing a semi-nude scene at his age. Come to think of it, two of his wives don't look so hot from behind in those swimsuits, either, and they can't blame age.

Classic Rodney
Not the best Rodney Dangerfield film, but funny. Rodney carries this movie with his oneliners, other than that this movie probably wouldn't have much else to offer. Appearances by John Byner and Andrew "dice" clay too.If you're a fan of Rodney you'll enjoy it.

No Oscar material here but one heck of a funny movie
No Oscar material here but one heck of a funny movie.
Rodney Dangerfield has never been funnier! The plot is silly but very entertaining and captures to hold audience. Hey, when we want to see a comedy we want to see a comedy and this movie does it pretty well.

underwhelming and forgettable
I have been a fan of Rodney's for twenty years. However, I can't defend him here. The movie is a dud. High school production methods, looks like it was shot with a cam-corder in one day.
No wonder it never made it to the theaters, they couldn't get distribution, no one would handle it.
If you're a die-hard RD fan, then here are the films you want to see, in descending order of quality:

1. Back To School
2. Caddyshack
3. Easy Money

That's it. He's still great live, though. Saw him at Radio City Music Hall in May, 2001 and he lit the place up.

5 Wives - 5 Stars
I don't know why Rodney Dangerfield's movie "My 5 Wives" did not receive a wide theatrical release, since it is his funniest film in years. The jokes start right from the beginning, when Rodney is in divorce court. "Every time I wanted sex, my wife left the room to give me privacy! The last time I had sex, I was arrested for assault with a dead weapon!", he tells his lawyer. Also appearing in the movie are John Byner, playing a crooked banker, Andrew Dice Clay, who plays a Mafia underboss and Jerry Stiller, playing a Mafia don who knew Rodney when they were both kids in the old neighborhood. As Rodney tells Jerry regarding his father, "In our neighborhood, he was the first one to start acupuncture - with an ice pick!"

A memorable scene is when Rodney takes his 5 wives to Las Vegas. At first, they appear poolside wearing one piece bathing suits that were in style a hundred years ago. Rodney takes them clothes shopping. They return poolside wearing very skimpy bikinis, followed by Rodney in a speedo! The DVD includes deleted scenes, cast and crew information, and actors' interviews. The actresses who play his 5 wives are interviewed while they're wearing their bikinis. I respect that! ... Read more

Reviews (93)

This was a cute film...
I really like Josh Hartnett, and I think he did a wonderful job in this film. It was definitely a nice change from all his recent war movies. This movie is basically about a guy named Matt who gives up sex for Lent, because it became meaningless for him after he broke up with his girlfriend. When he meets the perfect girl, he is really put to the test. Can he keep his vow? Well, I'm not gonna give that away, but I will tell you that the whole thing drives him almost completely insane! It is a really good movie, and I thought it was funny when Matt saw his brother (who is working to become a priest) kissing a nun. I also thought the scene where Matt was handcuffed to the bed was pretty funny, and the scene when he ate dinner at his parents' house. Though the film was somewhat degrading to women, I highly recommend it because it is very amusing.

Crude and vulgar
Think of 40 Days & 40 Nights as the adult and mature version of American Pie, except that it has more of a plot and character development than its teenage counterpart. The basic story is about Matt, a guy who have no problem getting laid every so often, but after his breakup with long time girlfriend Nicole, sex have become somewhat meaningless. So to get his life back on track, he decided to give up sex for Lent, and that includes no bodily intimacy of any kind with women. Unfortunately, he meets this incredible girl name Erica, and it becomes a test of will power for him to finish what he started.

For a movie that deals with sex and is very bold about it, expect a lot of jokes and dialogues surrounding that topic. Mix it up with some physical comedies and a great deal with sexual tension, that's pretty much what the film is about. Josh Hartnett did a passable job as the lead, kind of a let down after his brilliant performance in Black Hawk Down. Overall I got a few laughs from 40 Days & 40 Nights, but I thought the point of the movie (if there ever was one) sort of got lost towards the end. Ultimately it falls into the same pattern that defines romantic comedies which you've seen many times before, I found nothing special or memorable about this experience.

DONT RENT. DONT BUY. JUST BURN
Save yourself the 90-120 minutes and do something else with your life. Read a book, write a poem... or realize there is nothing funny about being raped. Just do not under any circumstances watch this film. It is a waste of perfectly good light and I believe it should never be encouraged.

Remember that they will stop making bad movies if we dont watch them.

Not the best, but better then I expected
Ok, I know that this movie will not go down as the best movie of anything, but we all know that. The reason why I love this film is because of the relationship between Josh And Shannyn. I like the story revalving around him finding a real women, letting go of his ex, and his struggle for redemption from pimping women. I think Josh did a great job showing how hard this vow of his was hitting him. You see when he's with Erica, hes really happy and isent in turmoil, but without her, you see him falling more and more. Not the best comedy, but pretty fair romantic story that makes up for it.

Too many jokes at the expense of the romance in this one
If irony is indeed the master trope of the universe, as I have been claiming for several decades, then you know that as soon as Matt Sullivan (Josh Hartnett) makes a vow to stay celibate for the "40 Days and 40 Nights" of Lent, that he is going to meet the love of his life. That would be Erica Sutton (Shannyn Sossamon), who fate throws him together with at the local laundry mat. Matt knows that he is being tested. The problem is that pretty much everyone he knows is in on the cosmic joke.

Matt takes his vow because his breakup with Nicole (Vinessa Shaw) has left him a wreck. He keeps bailing out on successful dates and is becoming obsessed with ceilings. He goes for comfort and advice from his brother who is studying to be a priest and practicing hearing confessions. When he sees the banners for Lent going up he takes it as a sign and swears off sex, including foreplay and self-gratification. Unfortunately, once his roommate Ryan (Paulo Costanzo) finds out the deals this becomes the prefect opportunity to use the internet to get a pool going on how long Matt can, uh, last.

Now, for the sake of argument we will assume that Matt has no discernable brain activity when he is asleep (despite scenes to the contrary), so that we can have the willing suspension of disbelief to go with the film's running gag that has the hero falling part as he goes longer and longer without relief. In the real world this guy would be able to keep his vow and wake up without any major problems. But writer Rob Perez and director Michael Lehmann ("The Truth About Cats & Dogs") want to milk this guy's discomfort for everything it is worth and, unfortunately, more.

It dawned on me that this movie has is clearly bifurcated into the "guy" parts and the "girl" parts and the biggest problem with "40 Days and 40 Nights" is that the two halves do not fit together (as compared to "50 First Dates," which overcomes a similar problem and combines comedy and sweetness). Matt's friends and co-workers treat his vow as a joke and/or money making opportunity. This allows for lots of jokes and some prosthetic humor that leads to the inevitable conclusion that all men are pigs.

Where this film had potential was with the idea that Matt would have to date a woman without having sex, both before and after she finds out about THE VOW. However, I find it hard to believe that finding out about such a thing would really be upsetting to a woman, especially if the guy knows how to handle a flower (and Matt really knows how to handle a flower; this film must have given lots of couples ideas for similar epsiodes of flower fun). But if you stop and think about it the idea that a couple could have a good time on a date with sex or any form of physical contact has to be against just about everything Hollywood stands for (assuming, of course, they are in an upright position).

I was planning on liking this 2002 comedy more, but then somebody bad does something really bad without consequences. No comeuppance. No joke at their expense. No sense of outraged expressed by another character. Nothing. I was so ticked off by that turn of events that when the film cobbled together the requisite happy ending I was not really in the mood to enjoy it. But the filmmakers do get props for coming up with a nice little gift as Matt's final act of contrition.

Final Note: "40 Days and 40 Nights" was certified for 11 year old in Sweden, 12 years old in the Netherlands and Portugal, 13 year olds in Spain, 14 years olds in Brazil and the cantons of Vaud and Geneva in Switzerland, 15 year olds in the United Kingdom, Finland and Norway, 16 year olds in Argentina and in the Swiss canon of Grisons. I have no idea what to make of these numbers but they sure are interesting and make me wonder what is up with those Swiss kids in Grisons (was it the sex or the vow part they are worried about?). ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Love Story
I watched this movie on t.v once and thought it was pretty good! Especially combing piano,love,College and American Football all in one. ... Read more

Description

This comedic and touching family film follows the adventures of a shy young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who is sent to spend the summer with his eccentric uncles (Michael Caine, Robert Duvall).At first shocked by his uncles' unconventional behavior that includes ordering African lions through the mail, the boy soon becomes enthralled with unraveling the mystery that has followed the uncles for years. Hearing tales of their exotic adventures involving kidnapped princesses, Arabian sheiks and lost treasure, not only brings him closer to his uncles but also teaches him what it means to believe in something... whether it's true or not. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Secondhand Lions (spanish subtitles)
The information that Amazon provides is incorrect, this title does not have spanish subtitles, I have returned this tilte two times and Amazon can't send me the right version of this title. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Hogan does it again!
If you're a fan of "The Ultimate Weapon" then you've GOT to see this movie! Its a really good film with a great cast. Carl Weathers is awesome in reprising his role from "Predator"- but I'd still love to see a Hogan/Schwarzeneggar action movie..
Watch this movie if you can get ahold of it, you're sure to enjoy it!!

A sleeper!
Do you like international kidnapping, former NAVY SEALS, muscles and a lot of military hardware not to mention a very pretty lady in your movies? I bought SHADOW WARRIORS taking a chance that it would be an action movie with some substance. After all, Carl Weathers and Terry 'Hulk' Hogan are a sure thing for plenty of action. And Shannon Tweed, well, she's great to look at! To my pleasant surprise, this is a very entertaining movie, fun to watch and worth the price.

A great rolling action charged movie with a 007 flair finish
Hulk Hogan was great, Shannon Tweed her beautiful self with some exceptional martial arts skills. This combination could have longevity if the same standard of supporting actors are included. The movie is a brilliant combination of numerous action and adventure movies that has the possibility of drawing the Hulkster passion following from the late 80's.

Keep them coming, with Shannon Tweed holding her beauty and the Hulkster in the shape he is in, the movie we can have Dad, Mum and the Kids, and the teenagers, the weekend warriors and every man going through midlife crisis who are looking for hope savilating for more.

This movie proves a good team combination with great directing can be there with the over paid box office stars and promoted gusto movies.

Keep them coming I love the experience

Quite Good, Excellent Print.
Entertaining movie for fans of Hulk Hogan and Shannon Tweed. The action is thick and fast and the humor is supplied by Martin Kove. DVD print excellent. Buy It!

This movie was great!
This movie was awsome! If you love action flicks, you should defenitly bye this one. Hulkster rules brotha! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

RIPPER OFF
John Eyres can't be totally blamed for directing this flick. The script must have seemed innovative and challenging at the time. However, I'm sure once he got into it, he must have been as disappointed as I was. The movie opens with a young girl (AJ Cook from Final Destination II) being pursued by a mysterious serial killer who has evidently wiped out all her friends. Five years later, Molly is taking a class in serial killers (do they really offer such stuff?). Her professor, the disturbingly sinister Kane (played with exquisite boredom by Bruce Payne), tells his class to think outside the box. Ho hum...but of course what happens is that this little group of serial killer students are being wiped out one by one. Enter Jurgon Prochnow in perhaps the most ridiculously funny performance ever given by someone who got rave reviews in DAS BOOT, and the plot sickens. Prochnow is so horribly bad, and whoever did his hair, well they certainly aren't touching mine!
This is also an incredibly sadistic movie, the murders being totally over the top; most of the film is shot so darkly you can't tell what's going on, and there's little redeeming qualities, except for a few tense scenes. The ending is so cryptic, you don't know what the heck really went on.
Could have, should have been better, but barely a decent time waster.

Failure every which way
If you are looking for a movie about the real life Jack the Ripper, this ain't it (one or more of the reviews below are obviously thinking that this movie was the From Hell movie starring Johnny Depp, which it definitely isn't).

If you are looking for a movie based upon some facts of the Jack the Ripper case but going off in a new direction, this isn't a good bet either. It's a typical low budget teen slasher with just enough loose mentions of the Ripper case so they could throw a name on it to catch all the people looking for the other movie. It basically steals the plot of Scream 2, replacing the nonsensical links to the first Scream movie with nonsensical links to the Jack the Ripper case.

If you are looking for a scary horror movie, this ain't it either. The characters are all idiots. For supposed top students in serial killer studies (that all look like teen models, right) none of them act in a way at all realistic for someone in their position. It's like basing a slasher movie at a music camp but with characters who can't play any musical instruments, except worse than that, because these people aren't just dumb for supposed serial killer experts, they make boneheaded mistakes that cheerleader characters in other movies are too smart to make. So right off the bat you couldn't care less if the characters die, which makes it hard to feel any horror. But then the movie manages to miss most every opportunity for suspense and instead makes fuzzy references to things that never appear onscreen but might have been interesting if they had.

If you are looking for a good cheesy teen slasher popcorn movie... nope, not here either. The ending is horribly muddled, the pace is bad, the dialogue is ridiculous, and the romantic or sexy parts they usually use to pad the storyline for those films are entirely absent.

And it doesn't even work as a movie so bad you watch to laugh at its unintentional jokes, because it's just not entertaining. It's not a "Hah hah hah. How stupid" kind of thing, more of a "What? They can't be serious, how lame."

There were a couple scenes and one or two actresses that might have been good in another movie, if only the people writing and producing it had picked what kind of film they wanted to create and then put a little effort into it.

STELAR RIPPER
The rating for this totally off by a thousand! This made jump quite a few times. This movie is not as scary as some other movies I have seen in the past. The other reviewers must have been half asleep when they watched this movie. Do not let the rating and the reviewers ratings discourage you. If you are a Jack the Ripper fan you will love this movie. The can be a little bit twisted,so you will have to pay close attention to the movie.

DONT WASTE YOUR TIME
what has happened to hollywood???!!!! why are films like this even alowed to be made, as if thats not enough its storyline is not even orininal it uses almost the exact same story as another thriller film, the only difference is that the other film is actually worth watching.

We've seen it all done before...and better at that!
I live in Holland. Though that doesn't have many advantages, sometimes straight-to-video fodder like RIPPER comes out over here months before it does in the States and that then gives me the oppertunity to cast my verdict a little earlier before any of you American horrorgeeks can.

Now, on to the movie...

The subtitle monicker LETTER FROM HELL may have this appear to be a cash in on the Johnny Depp/ Heather Graham movie, but don't be fooled. It is more in the SCREAM/ I KNOW WHAT YOU DID... vein.

And it isn't a very good movie.

The word 'rip-off' clearly comes to mind. Let me explain a little about the plot and you'll know what I mean. A girl is attacked by a serial killer who butchers her friends and she only narrowly escapes. Cut to 'five years later' and the girl is on campus where her criminology professor is giving a course on...you guessed it: serial killers. Before you can say 'haven't I seen this all before?' the killings have started and the girl and her classmates are the soon-to-be victims of a smart (?) killer who imitates (gasp) Jack the Ripper. So, from then on not only do these kids have to fear for their lives, they also have to find out who the killer is, in a very dull whodunnit subplot by the way.

Alas RIPPER should have been called RIPP-OFF but though there aren't many, I'd also like to name the good points of this movie.
Bruce Payne (as the professor) is a good actor. I like him. He's become a real B-movie regular (HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME anyone?) and it's too bad the heavy from PASSENGER 57 has ended up like this.
Next to him we also have Jurgen Prochnow hamming it up (but in an entertaining way) as a police detective on the trail of the killer, and English pin-up Kelly Brook as the bimbo/ slut student of the group. She really is gorgeous, but is killed off way too soon in the movie. Finally there's a little spark of energy in the finale and the revelation of the killer. I myself figured it out before that, but for you who don't; it shows that the writer of RIPPER isn't a complete knucklehead and hints at what this movie could have been...namely so much more.

In the meantime, if you wanna watch a good horror/ murder mystery I recommend a few Italian giallo's like DEEP RED and DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

You can find something better to do with your time
Sexy but untalented Emmanuelle Vaugier plays a psychic FBI agent (no, we haven't seen too many of those) who must confront the aftermath of the government program that produced her. Aside from the uninspired direction, the dull screenplay, and the underwhelming performances, it's not a bad film. It's always depressing to see quality performers such as Eric Roberts, Clarence Williams, and Michael Moriarty slumming in substandard product. I would include the dependable Michael Ironside in that list, but hasn't he built his career on this kind of thing?

Mind blow
I wish I could say a few nice things about this movie, but I can't. 'Mind storm' is a sad attempt at a psychic thriller. At best this would have been an ok late, very late night TV show on an obscure cable channel. Ok here is the set up; a govt, experiment to give children psychic abilities goes awry and years later comes back to bite some of the same govt officials in the back side. One of the kids grows up to be a cop working to help find missing children. She is played by Emmanuelle Vaugier. She is very sexy, but sadly can't act to save her life. Her half way partner, played by Antonio Sabato Jr needs to go back to Soap acting. Maybe they both do? There were a few high points. Michael Ironside plays the Senator. He always makes a great bad guy. Clarence Williams III player Emmanuelle's adoptive father, and William B Davis (of the X-files) makes a guest appearance as the head mad scientists. Eric Roberts plays the reincarnated childhood friend. Man, what happened to him after 'Runaway train'? The story was weak, as was most of the acting. The sets looked cheap and the special FX were low budget. I say stay away from this one.
Sorry to say but this was a real stinker. I only give it 2 stars because of Ironside and Clarence Williams... ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A fair horror movie!
If one comes in with high expectations to watch this movie, i.e., The Fear: Halloween Night VHS; then one one will end up very disapointed. However, if one expects bad act, gore and a minimal plot; then this is a alright movie. The epsecial effects are quite neat and the costumes to represent their fears are also quite smart. However, it feels as if they could have done more with this and actually had their characters explore their fear by talking to him in a seance rather then by showing it all with brute force.

Patricide, Homicide, Fear-i-cide
It's death-by-fear (read: scared-to-death) in this deceptively psychological thriller. The hero, Mike brings his friends to his grandparents' house-in-the-country for a Halloween party wherein they'll all dress up as their innermost fears. Mike's fear is that he's inherited a homicidal legacy from his father. Mike's father was a serial killer who murdered his mother right in front of him when Mike was five, before committing suicide. Mike's fear manifests itself in his inability to commit to his girlfriend of 4 1/2 years, Peg for fear that history will repeat. Heads start rolling when an ancient Indian totem -- a wooden figure named Morty -- is enlivened and starts killing off Mike's friends by making their worst fears come true. The ultimate confrontation comes when Mike has to face his greatest fear -- his own father. Good gory fun.

gory fun
well the first is sort of ok But the Second is decent the better effect, more likable people, and some funny moment's so I have a heart for these movie's If you like the first it great but very cheap not great. keep them coming. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Competent sequel, I guess
We have had, by turns, hockey masked killers, Halloween masked killers, a demon from the underworld with nails in his head, a guy in a tacky sweater with razor blade claws on his hands, and a malevolent Leprechaun gracing the big and little screens. Well, someone in Hollywood thought, why don't we make a bunch of movies about an evil genie? We'll get some guy to wear a whole body latex suit, complete with horns, and throw him in front of a camera. Then we'll get a bunch of stars who will work for nothing to serve as cannon fodder, throw a script together, and watch the money roll in. The idea that eventually led to the "Wishmaster" films probably came about in a way similar to this description. And that's acceptable. There are plenty of us who will shell out bucks to rent or buy a movie about an evil genie trying to trick people into asking for three wishes so he can take over the world. I'd like to start out by reviewing the first "Wishmaster" and then moving through the list to the fourth installment, but I haven't watched the first two. Sorry about that. I'll get around to those two eventually. Actually, coming into the series half way through can be a good thing; I don't have any prior expectations to compare this movie against.

"Wishmaster 3" takes place on a college campus where Diane (A.J. Cook) attends classes with her boyfriend Greg (Tobias Mehler) and friends Katie (Louisette Geiss) and Billy (Aaron Smolinski). A.J. has serious problems, not the least of which is reconciling herself with the death of her parents. Then she worries about her relationship with Greg. She also works with an archeology professor named Joel Barash (Jason Connery) who acts strangely around her. Still, Cook's character is a good student giving serious consideration to graduate school when disaster strikes. While mucking around Barash's office, she spies a jeweled box with strange Arabic inscriptions on it. Diane manages to open the box, thus releasing the evil genie (John Novak). She doesn't know it at the time, but Barash soon discovers what she did when the genie confronts him. The magical creature dumps Joel's body in a coffin and then assumes his physical form. The viewer knows Barash is really the genie because he's constantly cracking his neck in what looks to be a very painful manner. Regrettably, the students don't know anything about the transformation.

The genie that is Barash now begins to seek out students and teachers who will ask him for wishes. The whole idea, apparently, is that the race of djinn (genies, essentially) will take over the world if this genie can get the person who released him, in this case Diane, to make three wishes. This is the overriding goal of the genie, so most of the film consists of Joel Barash trying to track down Diane. In the process, he has fun granting wishes to other people. Sadly, these poor victims don't realize that a wish must be expressed carefully and exactly or the genie will distort the request into something disastrous. Heck, these people don't even realize Joel Barash is a genie. He tricks them into wishing for something and then turns on them. When Diane finally figures out what is going on, she and her friends read up on genies in the school library. Who said college kids aren't smart? By learning about the weaknesses of these evil beings, Cook's character knows she must summon up the Archangel Michael to combat the genie. This angel brings with him a huge sword capable of sending the genie back where he came from. What follows consists of chase and battle scenes between Diane, the angel, and the genie.

I liked "Wishmaster 3" for what it was. The gore is good for a low budget sequel. We see a kid flying through the air and landing on some horns (don't ask), a wish for losing weight gone horribly wrong, and another wish concerning a broken heart that is equally gooey. The acting isn't too bad, with Connery and Cook doing the best job. "Wishmaster 3" even moves along at a breakneck pace, always a good thing for low budget movies. What doesn't work as well largely centers on the Archangel Michael, a character that just doesn't feel like a good fit in the film. He doesn't really do that much, either, since Diane is the one who must ultimately battle the genie. Another problem is one you need to pay attention if you wish (no pun intended) to see it. The whole movie takes place on a college campus during the semester yet we rarely see anyone around. Check out that car chase on campus-where are all the people? The characters might as well be roaring through a ghost town. The university I go to always has someone driving or walking around, even during the summer. Not at this university. Director Chris Angel probably had problems digging up enough students to provide background. Too, college students would probably yell, goof off, and create a general ruckus. But it is a noticeable problem.

Extras on the disc include a commentary from Angel, Jason Connery, John Novak, and Louisette Geiss, some storyboards, production notes, a short "making of" featurette, bios, and a trailer. Not bad for a low budget clunker, eh? "Wishmaster 4" isn't as good as this one, which, depending on your attitude probably isn't surprising. I really need to go back and watch the first two, I think, since horror franchises usually start with a bang before tapering off into banality. Yet, I liked this film in a way, and would definitely watch it again.

SEAN PLEASE KEEP JASON AT HOME FOR A WHILE
The third entry in the Wishmaster series pales in comparison to the first two, and the main reason is that Andrew Divoff isn't around to play the Djinn. Divoff possessed such a canny sense of evil and enjoyment that Jason Connery just can't evoke. Connery, a nice looking fellow, doesn't possess a third of his father's charisma or screen presence. A. J. Cook (Final Destination 2, Ripper: Letters from Hell) is a stoic heroine, but she too doesn't possess the fierce determination the previous Wishmaster girls have shown. Tobias Mehler as the stalwart Greg (and St. Michael the Archangel) is okay, but nothing to write home about.
The plot doesn't explain how the jewel got back in the case; at the end of the second movie, it just disappeared. There is no mention of the 1000 souls and the Wishmaster doesn't really get into his granting of the wishes. And since when was the sword of St. Michael able to kill the Djinn. There is no mention of this in the previous two films.
The third installment lacks the visceral energy and clever dialogue evidenced in the first two films, and director Chris Angel's pacing isn't as tight. I'll watch the fourth simply to see how the series turns out, but I was admittedly disappointed in this one.
Sean, keep Jason at home until he captures at least some of your talent!

OH,YEAH,OKAY,SURE?
A cast of 10, a collage campus you can use during spring break.
The only creativity in this picture was when someone found the Djinn's costume in an old wardrobe department.
After this I refuse to see the fourth one,lmao!!

Never paid attention to the fact that the Djinn neded 1000 souls first.

But what the hell, had a couple real taste bud babes in it, and that is all you really need for a great movie, right?.....

Mindless Drivel
I love horror films when they are well done, but Wishmaster 3 doesn't come close. The storyline is run-of-the-mill; essentially a weak excuse for a monster to kill a lot of people until he's finally done in himself in the final minutes of the film. OH, sorry, I gave it away!

So if the plot stinks, the draw's gotta be either the acting (it isn't!), fabulous babes (not particularly), or most likely, the special effects. And these are just downright laughable. Anyone with the most rudamentary knowledge of how these things are done can tell immediately; but more importantly, nothing looks remotely real. When the Wishmaster, in his earthly form (which he dons most of the time so we're even cheated of seeing much of the Djinn!) is struck by a car and re-animates, the viewer can only giggle at how obvious and poorly done it is. And camerawork plays to this, too; cutting away suddenly when the tricky special effects should be used--such as when the Wishmaster regenerates his amputated hand from a glob of unconvincing red latex and goo to the actor's hand--no transition at all, but instead a camera cutaway and presto, it's a hand again.

Spare me, spare yourselves, make your wish to avoid this inane movie...

Why does this movie suck?
I own the first 2 Wishmaster films and they are supremely excellent. I got this one, 'cause I figured "What the hell?". How wrong I was. This movie was about as interesting as root canal. Whoever that guy was playing the Djinn should've read up about the character more. I agree with a previous review...give Andrew Divoff what he wants so that he'll make this Wishmaster entry a good one. Or at least a decent one. From what I've seen of Wishmaster 4, it seems as though it might be a bad one as well. Hopefully for Wishmaster 5, Divoff will return for one last Djinn movie. We can all hope, right? ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Falls flat
Rodney Dangerfield's MY FIVE WIVES falls flat about halfway into the film. Until that point, Rodney keeps it moving with his ever-sharp one-liners. Despite looking and sounding his 78 years of age when he made MY FIVE WIVES, time had not robbed the great funnyman of his gift.

MY FIVE WIVES loses steam as it stumbles to a conclusion. Instead of keeping Dangerfield and his jokes the center of attention, the film concentrates on its "plot," which concerns a land swindle and organized crime. Despite a supporting cast including comedians John Byner and Andrew Dice Clay, there's not enough funny stuff going on when Rodney's not on screen.

In one MY FIVE WIVES scene, Dangerfield and the five young women he's married wear thong bathing suits. I'll give Rodney credit for doing a semi-nude scene at his age. Come to think of it, two of his wives don't look so hot from behind in those swimsuits, either, and they can't blame age.

Classic Rodney
Not the best Rodney Dangerfield film, but funny. Rodney carries this movie with his oneliners, other than that this movie probably wouldn't have much else to offer. Appearances by John Byner and Andrew "dice" clay too.If you're a fan of Rodney you'll enjoy it.

No Oscar material here but one heck of a funny movie
No Oscar material here but one heck of a funny movie.
Rodney Dangerfield has never been funnier! The plot is silly but very entertaining and captures to hold audience. Hey, when we want to see a comedy we want to see a comedy and this movie does it pretty well.

underwhelming and forgettable
I have been a fan of Rodney's for twenty years. However, I can't defend him here. The movie is a dud. High school production methods, looks like it was shot with a cam-corder in one day.
No wonder it never made it to the theaters, they couldn't get distribution, no one would handle it.
If you're a die-hard RD fan, then here are the films you want to see, in descending order of quality:

1. Back To School
2. Caddyshack
3. Easy Money

That's it. He's still great live, though. Saw him at Radio City Music Hall in May, 2001 and he lit the place up.

5 Wives - 5 Stars
I don't know why Rodney Dangerfield's movie "My 5 Wives" did not receive a wide theatrical release, since it is his funniest film in years. The jokes start right from the beginning, when Rodney is in divorce court. "Every time I wanted sex, my wife left the room to give me privacy! The last time I had sex, I was arrested for assault with a dead weapon!", he tells his lawyer. Also appearing in the movie are John Byner, playing a crooked banker, Andrew Dice Clay, who plays a Mafia underboss and Jerry Stiller, playing a Mafia don who knew Rodney when they were both kids in the old neighborhood. As Rodney tells Jerry regarding his father, "In our neighborhood, he was the first one to start acupuncture - with an ice pick!"

A memorable scene is when Rodney takes his 5 wives to Las Vegas. At first, they appear poolside wearing one piece bathing suits that were in style a hundred years ago. Rodney takes them clothes shopping. They return poolside wearing very skimpy bikinis, followed by Rodney in a speedo! The DVD includes deleted scenes, cast and crew information, and actors' interviews. The actresses who play his 5 wives are interviewed while they're wearing their bikinis. I respect that! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

RIPPER OFF
John Eyres can't be totally blamed for directing this flick. The script must have seemed innovative and challenging at the time. However, I'm sure once he got into it, he must have been as disappointed as I was. The movie opens with a young girl (AJ Cook from Final Destination II) being pursued by a mysterious serial killer who has evidently wiped out all her friends. Five years later, Molly is taking a class in serial killers (do they really offer such stuff?). Her professor, the disturbingly sinister Kane (played with exquisite boredom by Bruce Payne), tells his class to think outside the box. Ho hum...but of course what happens is that this little group of serial killer students are being wiped out one by one. Enter Jurgon Prochnow in perhaps the most ridiculously funny performance ever given by someone who got rave reviews in DAS BOOT, and the plot sickens. Prochnow is so horribly bad, and whoever did his hair, well they certainly aren't touching mine!
This is also an incredibly sadistic movie, the murders being totally over the top; most of the film is shot so darkly you can't tell what's going on, and there's little redeeming qualities, except for a few tense scenes. The ending is so cryptic, you don't know what the heck really went on.
Could have, should have been better, but barely a decent time waster.

Failure every which way
If you are looking for a movie about the real life Jack the Ripper, this ain't it (one or more of the reviews below are obviously thinking that this movie was the From Hell movie starring Johnny Depp, which it definitely isn't).

If you are looking for a movie based upon some facts of the Jack the Ripper case but going off in a new direction, this isn't a good bet either. It's a typical low budget teen slasher with just enough loose mentions of the Ripper case so they could throw a name on it to catch all the people looking for the other movie. It basically steals the plot of Scream 2, replacing the nonsensical links to the first Scream movie with nonsensical links to the Jack the Ripper case.

If you are looking for a scary horror movie, this ain't it either. The characters are all idiots. For supposed top students in serial killer studies (that all look like teen models, right) none of them act in a way at all realistic for someone in their position. It's like basing a slasher movie at a music camp but with characters who can't play any musical instruments, except worse than that, because these people aren't just dumb for supposed serial killer experts, they make boneheaded mistakes that cheerleader characters in other movies are too smart to make. So right off the bat you couldn't care less if the characters die, which makes it hard to feel any horror. But then the movie manages to miss most every opportunity for suspense and instead makes fuzzy references to things that never appear onscreen but might have been interesting if they had.

If you are looking for a good cheesy teen slasher popcorn movie... nope, not here either. The ending is horribly muddled, the pace is bad, the dialogue is ridiculous, and the romantic or sexy parts they usually use to pad the storyline for those films are entirely absent.

And it doesn't even work as a movie so bad you watch to laugh at its unintentional jokes, because it's just not entertaining. It's not a "Hah hah hah. How stupid" kind of thing, more of a "What? They can't be serious, how lame."

There were a couple scenes and one or two actresses that might have been good in another movie, if only the people writing and producing it had picked what kind of film they wanted to create and then put a little effort into it.

STELAR RIPPER
The rating for this totally off by a thousand! This made jump quite a few times. This movie is not as scary as some other movies I have seen in the past. The other reviewers must have been half asleep when they watched this movie. Do not let the rating and the reviewers ratings discourage you. If you are a Jack the Ripper fan you will love this movie. The can be a little bit twisted,so you will have to pay close attention to the movie.

DONT WASTE YOUR TIME
what has happened to hollywood???!!!! why are films like this even alowed to be made, as if thats not enough its storyline is not even orininal it uses almost the exact same story as another thriller film, the only difference is that the other film is actually worth watching.

We've seen it all done before...and better at that!
I live in Holland. Though that doesn't have many advantages, sometimes straight-to-video fodder like RIPPER comes out over here months before it does in the States and that then gives me the oppertunity to cast my verdict a little earlier before any of you American horrorgeeks can.

Now, on to the movie...

The subtitle monicker LETTER FROM HELL may have this appear to be a cash in on the Johnny Depp/ Heather Graham movie, but don't be fooled. It is more in the SCREAM/ I KNOW WHAT YOU DID... vein.

And it isn't a very good movie.

The word 'rip-off' clearly comes to mind. Let me explain a little about the plot and you'll know what I mean. A girl is attacked by a serial killer who butchers her friends and she only narrowly escapes. Cut to 'five years later' and the girl is on campus where her criminology professor is giving a course on...you guessed it: serial killers. Before you can say 'haven't I seen this all before?' the killings have started and the girl and her classmates are the soon-to-be victims of a smart (?) killer who imitates (gasp) Jack the Ripper. So, from then on not only do these kids have to fear for their lives, they also have to find out who the killer is, in a very dull whodunnit subplot by the way.

Alas RIPPER should have been called RIPP-OFF but though there aren't many, I'd also like to name the good points of this movie.
Bruce Payne (as the professor) is a good actor. I like him. He's become a real B-movie regular (HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME anyone?) and it's too bad the heavy from PASSENGER 57 has ended up like this.
Next to him we also have Jurgen Prochnow hamming it up (but in an entertaining way) as a police detective on the trail of the killer, and English pin-up Kelly Brook as the bimbo/ slut student of the group. She really is gorgeous, but is killed off way too soon in the movie. Finally there's a little spark of energy in the finale and the revelation of the killer. I myself figured it out before that, but for you who don't; it shows that the writer of RIPPER isn't a complete knucklehead and hints at what this movie could have been...namely so much more.

In the meantime, if you wanna watch a good horror/ murder mystery I recommend a few Italian giallo's like DEEP RED and DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Competent sequel, I guess
We have had, by turns, hockey masked killers, Halloween masked killers, a demon from the underworld with nails in his head, a guy in a tacky sweater with razor blade claws on his hands, and a malevolent Leprechaun gracing the big and little screens. Well, someone in Hollywood thought, why don't we make a bunch of movies about an evil genie? We'll get some guy to wear a whole body latex suit, complete with horns, and throw him in front of a camera. Then we'll get a bunch of stars who will work for nothing to serve as cannon fodder, throw a script together, and watch the money roll in. The idea that eventually led to the "Wishmaster" films probably came about in a way similar to this description. And that's acceptable. There are plenty of us who will shell out bucks to rent or buy a movie about an evil genie trying to trick people into asking for three wishes so he can take over the world. I'd like to start out by reviewing the first "Wishmaster" and then moving through the list to the fourth installment, but I haven't watched the first two. Sorry about that. I'll get around to those two eventually. Actually, coming into the series half way through can be a good thing; I don't have any prior expectations to compare this movie against.

"Wishmaster 3" takes place on a college campus where Diane (A.J. Cook) attends classes with her boyfriend Greg (Tobias Mehler) and friends Katie (Louisette Geiss) and Billy (Aaron Smolinski). A.J. has serious problems, not the least of which is reconciling herself with the death of her parents. Then she worries about her relationship with Greg. She also works with an archeology professor named Joel Barash (Jason Connery) who acts strangely around her. Still, Cook's character is a good student giving serious consideration to graduate school when disaster strikes. While mucking around Barash's office, she spies a jeweled box with strange Arabic inscriptions on it. Diane manages to open the box, thus releasing the evil genie (John Novak). She doesn't know it at the time, but Barash soon discovers what she did when the genie confronts him. The magical creature dumps Joel's body in a coffin and then assumes his physical form. The viewer knows Barash is really the genie because he's constantly cracking his neck in what looks to be a very painful manner. Regrettably, the students don't know anything about the transformation.

The genie that is Barash now begins to seek out students and teachers who will ask him for wishes. The whole idea, apparently, is that the race of djinn (genies, essentially) will take over the world if this genie can get the person who released him, in this case Diane, to make three wishes. This is the overriding goal of the genie, so most of the film consists of Joel Barash trying to track down Diane. In the process, he has fun granting wishes to other people. Sadly, these poor victims don't realize that a wish must be expressed carefully and exactly or the genie will distort the request into something disastrous. Heck, these people don't even realize Joel Barash is a genie. He tricks them into wishing for something and then turns on them. When Diane finally figures out what is going on, she and her friends read up on genies in the school library. Who said college kids aren't smart? By learning about the weaknesses of these evil beings, Cook's character knows she must summon up the Archangel Michael to combat the genie. This angel brings with him a huge sword capable of sending the genie back where he came from. What follows consists of chase and battle scenes between Diane, the angel, and the genie.

I liked "Wishmaster 3" for what it was. The gore is good for a low budget sequel. We see a kid flying through the air and landing on some horns (don't ask), a wish for losing weight gone horribly wrong, and another wish concerning a broken heart that is equally gooey. The acting isn't too bad, with Connery and Cook doing the best job. "Wishmaster 3" even moves along at a breakneck pace, always a good thing for low budget movies. What doesn't work as well largely centers on the Archangel Michael, a character that just doesn't feel like a good fit in the film. He doesn't really do that much, either, since Diane is the one who must ultimately battle the genie. Another problem is one you need to pay attention if you wish (no pun intended) to see it. The whole movie takes place on a college campus during the semester yet we rarely see anyone around. Check out that car chase on campus-where are all the people? The characters might as well be roaring through a ghost town. The university I go to always has someone driving or walking around, even during the summer. Not at this university. Director Chris Angel probably had problems digging up enough students to provide background. Too, college students would probably yell, goof off, and create a general ruckus. But it is a noticeable problem.

Extras on the disc include a commentary from Angel, Jason Connery, John Novak, and Louisette Geiss, some storyboards, production notes, a short "making of" featurette, bios, and a trailer. Not bad for a low budget clunker, eh? "Wishmaster 4" isn't as good as this one, which, depending on your attitude probably isn't surprising. I really need to go back and watch the first two, I think, since horror franchises usually start with a bang before tapering off into banality. Yet, I liked this film in a way, and would definitely watch it again.

SEAN PLEASE KEEP JASON AT HOME FOR A WHILE
The third entry in the Wishmaster series pales in comparison to the first two, and the main reason is that Andrew Divoff isn't around to play the Djinn. Divoff possessed such a canny sense of evil and enjoyment that Jason Connery just can't evoke. Connery, a nice looking fellow, doesn't possess a third of his father's charisma or screen presence. A. J. Cook (Final Destination 2, Ripper: Letters from Hell) is a stoic heroine, but she too doesn't possess the fierce determination the previous Wishmaster girls have shown. Tobias Mehler as the stalwart Greg (and St. Michael the Archangel) is okay, but nothing to write home about.
The plot doesn't explain how the jewel got back in the case; at the end of the second movie, it just disappeared. There is no mention of the 1000 souls and the Wishmaster doesn't really get into his granting of the wishes. And since when was the sword of St. Michael able to kill the Djinn. There is no mention of this in the previous two films.
The third installment lacks the visceral energy and clever dialogue evidenced in the first two films, and director Chris Angel's pacing isn't as tight. I'll watch the fourth simply to see how the series turns out, but I was admittedly disappointed in this one.
Sean, keep Jason at home until he captures at least some of your talent!

OH,YEAH,OKAY,SURE?
A cast of 10, a collage campus you can use during spring break.
The only creativity in this picture was when someone found the Djinn's costume in an old wardrobe department.
After this I refuse to see the fourth one,lmao!!

Never paid attention to the fact that the Djinn neded 1000 souls first.

But what the hell, had a couple real taste bud babes in it, and that is all you really need for a great movie, right?.....

Mindless Drivel
I love horror films when they are well done, but Wishmaster 3 doesn't come close. The storyline is run-of-the-mill; essentially a weak excuse for a monster to kill a lot of people until he's finally done in himself in the final minutes of the film. OH, sorry, I gave it away!

So if the plot stinks, the draw's gotta be either the acting (it isn't!), fabulous babes (not particularly), or most likely, the special effects. And these are just downright laughable. Anyone with the most rudamentary knowledge of how these things are done can tell immediately; but more importantly, nothing looks remotely real. When the Wishmaster, in his earthly form (which he dons most of the time so we're even cheated of seeing much of the Djinn!) is struck by a car and re-animates, the viewer can only giggle at how obvious and poorly done it is. And camerawork plays to this, too; cutting away suddenly when the tricky special effects should be used--such as when the Wishmaster regenerates his amputated hand from a glob of unconvincing red latex and goo to the actor's hand--no transition at all, but instead a camera cutaway and presto, it's a hand again.

Spare me, spare yourselves, make your wish to avoid this inane movie...

Why does this movie suck?
I own the first 2 Wishmaster films and they are supremely excellent. I got this one, 'cause I figured "What the hell?". How wrong I was. This movie was about as interesting as root canal. Whoever that guy was playing the Djinn should've read up about the character more. I agree with a previous review...give Andrew Divoff what he wants so that he'll make this Wishmaster entry a good one. Or at least a decent one. From what I've seen of Wishmaster 4, it seems as though it might be a bad one as well. Hopefully for Wishmaster 5, Divoff will return for one last Djinn movie. We can all hope, right? ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Competent sequel, I guess
We have had, by turns, hockey masked killers, Halloween masked killers, a demon from the underworld with nails in his head, a guy in a tacky sweater with razor blade claws on his hands, and a malevolent Leprechaun gracing the big and little screens. Well, someone in Hollywood thought, why don't we make a bunch of movies about an evil genie? We'll get some guy to wear a whole body latex suit, complete with horns, and throw him in front of a camera. Then we'll get a bunch of stars who will work for nothing to serve as cannon fodder, throw a script together, and watch the money roll in. The idea that eventually led to the "Wishmaster" films probably came about in a way similar to this description. And that's acceptable. There are plenty of us who will shell out bucks to rent or buy a movie about an evil genie trying to trick people into asking for three wishes so he can take over the world. I'd like to start out by reviewing the first "Wishmaster" and then moving through the list to the fourth installment, but I haven't watched the first two. Sorry about that. I'll get around to those two eventually. Actually, coming into the series half way through can be a good thing; I don't have any prior expectations to compare this movie against.

"Wishmaster 3" takes place on a college campus where Diane (A.J. Cook) attends classes with her boyfriend Greg (Tobias Mehler) and friends Katie (Louisette Geiss) and Billy (Aaron Smolinski). A.J. has serious problems, not the least of which is reconciling herself with the death of her parents. Then she worries about her relationship with Greg. She also works with an archeology professor named Joel Barash (Jason Connery) who acts strangely around her. Still, Cook's character is a good student giving serious consideration to graduate school when disaster strikes. While mucking around Barash's office, she spies a jeweled box with strange Arabic inscriptions on it. Diane manages to open the box, thus releasing the evil genie (John Novak). She doesn't know it at the time, but Barash soon discovers what she did when the genie confronts him. The magical creature dumps Joel's body in a coffin and then assumes his physical form. The viewer knows Barash is really the genie because he's constantly cracking his neck in what looks to be a very painful manner. Regrettably, the students don't know anything about the transformation.

The genie that is Barash now begins to seek out students and teachers who will ask him for wishes. The whole idea, apparently, is that the race of djinn (genies, essentially) will take over the world if this genie can get the person who released him, in this case Diane, to make three wishes. This is the overriding goal of the genie, so most of the film consists of Joel Barash trying to track down Diane. In the process, he has fun granting wishes to other people. Sadly, these poor victims don't realize that a wish must be expressed carefully and exactly or the genie will distort the request into something disastrous. Heck, these people don't even realize Joel Barash is a genie. He tricks them into wishing for something and then turns on them. When Diane finally figures out what is going on, she and her friends read up on genies in the school library. Who said college kids aren't smart? By learning about the weaknesses of these evil beings, Cook's character knows she must summon up the Archangel Michael to combat the genie. This angel brings with him a huge sword capable of sending the genie back where he came from. What follows consists of chase and battle scenes between Diane, the angel, and the genie.

I liked "Wishmaster 3" for what it was. The gore is good for a low budget sequel. We see a kid flying through the air and landing on some horns (don't ask), a wish for losing weight gone horribly wrong, and another wish concerning a broken heart that is equally gooey. The acting isn't too bad, with Connery and Cook doing the best job. "Wishmaster 3" even moves along at a breakneck pace, always a good thing for low budget movies. What doesn't work as well largely centers on the Archangel Michael, a character that just doesn't feel like a good fit in the film. He doesn't really do that much, either, since Diane is the one who must ultimately battle the genie. Another problem is one you need to pay attention if you wish (no pun intended) to see it. The whole movie takes place on a college campus during the semester yet we rarely see anyone around. Check out that car chase on campus-where are all the people? The characters might as well be roaring through a ghost town. The university I go to always has someone driving or walking around, even during the summer. Not at this university. Director Chris Angel probably had problems digging up enough students to provide background. Too, college students would probably yell, goof off, and create a general ruckus. But it is a noticeable problem.

Extras on the disc include a commentary from Angel, Jason Connery, John Novak, and Louisette Geiss, some storyboards, production notes, a short "making of" featurette, bios, and a trailer. Not bad for a low budget clunker, eh? "Wishmaster 4" isn't as good as this one, which, depending on your attitude probably isn't surprising. I really need to go back and watch the first two, I think, since horror franchises usually start with a bang before tapering off into banality. Yet, I liked this film in a way, and would definitely watch it again.

SEAN PLEASE KEEP JASON AT HOME FOR A WHILE
The third entry in the Wishmaster series pales in comparison to the first two, and the main reason is that Andrew Divoff isn't around to play the Djinn. Divoff possessed such a canny sense of evil and enjoyment that Jason Connery just can't evoke. Connery, a nice looking fellow, doesn't possess a third of his father's charisma or screen presence. A. J. Cook (Final Destination 2, Ripper: Letters from Hell) is a stoic heroine, but she too doesn't possess the fierce determination the previous Wishmaster girls have shown. Tobias Mehler as the stalwart Greg (and St. Michael the Archangel) is okay, but nothing to write home about.
The plot doesn't explain how the jewel got back in the case; at the end of the second movie, it just disappeared. There is no mention of the 1000 souls and the Wishmaster doesn't really get into his granting of the wishes. And since when was the sword of St. Michael able to kill the Djinn. There is no mention of this in the previous two films.
The third installment lacks the visceral energy and clever dialogue evidenced in the first two films, and director Chris Angel's pacing isn't as tight. I'll watch the fourth simply to see how the series turns out, but I was admittedly disappointed in this one.
Sean, keep Jason at home until he captures at least some of your talent!

OH,YEAH,OKAY,SURE?
A cast of 10, a collage campus you can use during spring break.
The only creativity in this picture was when someone found the Djinn's costume in an old wardrobe department.
After this I refuse to see the fourth one,lmao!!

Never paid attention to the fact that the Djinn neded 1000 souls first.

But what the hell, had a couple real taste bud babes in it, and that is all you really need for a great movie, right?.....

Mindless Drivel
I love horror films when they are well done, but Wishmaster 3 doesn't come close. The storyline is run-of-the-mill; essentially a weak excuse for a monster to kill a lot of people until he's finally done in himself in the final minutes of the film. OH, sorry, I gave it away!

So if the plot stinks, the draw's gotta be either the acting (it isn't!), fabulous babes (not particularly), or most likely, the special effects. And these are just downright laughable. Anyone with the most rudamentary knowledge of how these things are done can tell immediately; but more importantly, nothing looks remotely real. When the Wishmaster, in his earthly form (which he dons most of the time so we're even cheated of seeing much of the Djinn!) is struck by a car and re-animates, the viewer can only giggle at how obvious and poorly done it is. And camerawork plays to this, too; cutting away suddenly when the tricky special effects should be used--such as when the Wishmaster regenerates his amputated hand from a glob of unconvincing red latex and goo to the actor's hand--no transition at all, but instead a camera cutaway and presto, it's a hand again.

Spare me, spare yourselves, make your wish to avoid this inane movie...

Why does this movie suck?
I own the first 2 Wishmaster films and they are supremely excellent. I got this one, 'cause I figured "What the hell?". How wrong I was. This movie was about as interesting as root canal. Whoever that guy was playing the Djinn should've read up about the character more. I agree with a previous review...give Andrew Divoff what he wants so that he'll make this Wishmaster entry a good one. Or at least a decent one. From what I've seen of Wishmaster 4, it seems as though it might be a bad one as well. Hopefully for Wishmaster 5, Divoff will return for one last Djinn movie. We can all hope, right? ... Read more

Reviews (93)

This was a cute film...
I really like Josh Hartnett, and I think he did a wonderful job in this film. It was definitely a nice change from all his recent war movies. This movie is basically about a guy named Matt who gives up sex for Lent, because it became meaningless for him after he broke up with his girlfriend. When he meets the perfect girl, he is really put to the test. Can he keep his vow? Well, I'm not gonna give that away, but I will tell you that the whole thing drives him almost completely insane! It is a really good movie, and I thought it was funny when Matt saw his brother (who is working to become a priest) kissing a nun. I also thought the scene where Matt was handcuffed to the bed was pretty funny, and the scene when he ate dinner at his parents' house. Though the film was somewhat degrading to women, I highly recommend it because it is very amusing.

Crude and vulgar
Think of 40 Days & 40 Nights as the adult and mature version of American Pie, except that it has more of a plot and character development than its teenage counterpart. The basic story is about Matt, a guy who have no problem getting laid every so often, but after his breakup with long time girlfriend Nicole, sex have become somewhat meaningless. So to get his life back on track, he decided to give up sex for Lent, and that includes no bodily intimacy of any kind with women. Unfortunately, he meets this incredible girl name Erica, and it becomes a test of will power for him to finish what he started.

For a movie that deals with sex and is very bold about it, expect a lot of jokes and dialogues surrounding that topic. Mix it up with some physical comedies and a great deal with sexual tension, that's pretty much what the film is about. Josh Hartnett did a passable job as the lead, kind of a let down after his brilliant performance in Black Hawk Down. Overall I got a few laughs from 40 Days & 40 Nights, but I thought the point of the movie (if there ever was one) sort of got lost towards the end. Ultimately it falls into the same pattern that defines romantic comedies which you've seen many times before, I found nothing special or memorable about this experience.

DONT RENT. DONT BUY. JUST BURN
Save yourself the 90-120 minutes and do something else with your life. Read a book, write a poem... or realize there is nothing funny about being raped. Just do not under any circumstances watch this film. It is a waste of perfectly good light and I believe it should never be encouraged.

Remember that they will stop making bad movies if we dont watch them.

Not the best, but better then I expected
Ok, I know that this movie will not go down as the best movie of anything, but we all know that. The reason why I love this film is because of the relationship between Josh And Shannyn. I like the story revalving around him finding a real women, letting go of his ex, and his struggle for redemption from pimping women. I think Josh did a great job showing how hard this vow of his was hitting him. You see when he's with Erica, hes really happy and isent in turmoil, but without her, you see him falling more and more. Not the best comedy, but pretty fair romantic story that makes up for it.

Too many jokes at the expense of the romance in this one
If irony is indeed the master trope of the universe, as I have been claiming for several decades, then you know that as soon as Matt Sullivan (Josh Hartnett) makes a vow to stay celibate for the "40 Days and 40 Nights" of Lent, that he is going to meet the love of his life. That would be Erica Sutton (Shannyn Sossamon), who fate throws him together with at the local laundry mat. Matt knows that he is being tested. The problem is that pretty much everyone he knows is in on the cosmic joke.

Matt takes his vow because his breakup with Nicole (Vinessa Shaw) has left him a wreck. He keeps bailing out on successful dates and is becoming obsessed with ceilings. He goes for comfort and advice from his brother who is studying to be a priest and practicing hearing confessions. When he sees the banners for Lent going up he takes it as a sign and swears off sex, including foreplay and self-gratification. Unfortunately, once his roommate Ryan (Paulo Costanzo) finds out the deals this becomes the prefect opportunity to use the internet to get a pool going on how long Matt can, uh, last.

Now, for the sake of argument we will assume that Matt has no discernable brain activity when he is asleep (despite scenes to the contrary), so that we can have the willing suspension of disbelief to go with the film's running gag that has the hero falling part as he goes longer and longer without relief. In the real world this guy would be able to keep his vow and wake up without any major problems. But writer Rob Perez and director Michael Lehmann ("The Truth About Cats & Dogs") want to milk this guy's discomfort for everything it is worth and, unfortunately, more.

It dawned on me that this movie has is clearly bifurcated into the "guy" parts and the "girl" parts and the biggest problem with "40 Days and 40 Nights" is that the two halves do not fit together (as compared to "50 First Dates," which overcomes a similar problem and combines comedy and sweetness). Matt's friends and co-workers treat his vow as a joke and/or money making opportunity. This allows for lots of jokes and some prosthetic humor that leads to the inevitable conclusion that all men are pigs.

Where this film had potential was with the idea that Matt would have to date a woman without having sex, both before and after she finds out about THE VOW. However, I find it hard to belie