Description

In the hands of Disney's extraordinary animators, Lewis Carroll's immortal literary classic comes to life like never before! The surprises begin when a daydreaming Alice encounters a White Rabbit who is frantically running late. She chases him and falls into the magical, madcap world of Wonderland with its kaleidoscope of off-the-wall characters -- including Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat, and the manic Mad Hatter, who invites her to a memorable tea party! The crowning confrontation begins when Alice meets the notorious Queen of Hearts and her enchanted deck of playing cards. Tricked into a curious game of croquet, Alice, and her patience, end up on trial. Is there no escape from this whimsical escapade? Filled with fantasy and topsy-turvy fun, ALICE IN WONDERLAND is teeming with spectacular songs and astounding animation in the highest Disney tradition! ... Read more

Reviews (148)

One of the best animated movies of all time
The story of the animated film is similar to that of the first book, but contains parts of the second book. Dozy Alice is so silly she follows trouble by chasing a talking rabbit down hs hole. At the bottom, she drinks an unknown substance which helps her get through a talking door into Wonderland. Here she meets the Dodo, TweedleDum and TweedleDee (who tell her the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter), the Talking flowers (watch out for the snobby Iris!), the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat. She even has un-birthday tea with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. However, Alice gets caught up in a game of croquet with the Queen of Hearts, and later a trial. The whole thing becomes such a nightmare, Alice realises she's had a dream while she dozed off.

Firstly, I don't know why loads of people think this film is cheesy. I know Alice isn't for everyone, but when you look at the other films made based on Children's classics by Disney (eg- Jungle Book, Hunchback of Notre Dame), you'll see it's more faithful than those films to the original. However if you have read the books and haven't seen this film, some characters are missing (eg- Duchess, Mock Turtle, Knave of Hearts, White Knight). This may just think that Disney has ruined this classic forever. They haven't. It's the best adaption I've ever seen.

Although I actually have the PAL version, I suppose the movie is just the same over in North America. The best bits are the Walrus and the Carpenter, the garden of singing flowers and flamingo croquet. And the Mad Tea Party is still the funniest part of a Disney classic. So buy this movie. Wether it's a video tape or DVD.

(I also live near Carroll's birth place!)

Disney's 13th Animated Masterpiece!
Following the success of Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland is snother Disney gem, this colorful,classic animated feature tells the adventures of young Alice in a rather odd way since it doesn't really follow the book by Lewis Carroll, but still, makes a wonderful and entertaining film. Although it was not well-liked when it was first released, it is considered today another one of Disney's greatest masterpieces. The colorful characters will make you laugh from beginning to end. It is hard to say who is the wicked villain in this film, since they all play a role in making Alice's day in wonderland not very pleasent, starting from the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Chessire Cat and the Queen of Hearts, who just wants to see someone's head roll.

This new Masterpiece Edition DVD set brings Alice in Wonderland to a more deserved release than that previous Gold Collection, which brought very little bonus features. The masterpiece edition does bring many more bonuses, and one of my favorites is that "Virtual Wonderland Party", in which children can enjoy a little while in a fantastic tea pary. Really great! This DVD also has the greatest cover art, I love it. 5 stars!

Follow the white rabbit Neo - no sorry, I mean Alice
I just spent a couple of hours looking at this wonderful movie and the extra features. The aptly named Masterpiece Edition is worth every penny, and like The Matrix, should be included in any movie collection, whether you have a child to hide behind or not.

Beautifully adapted and animated from Lewis Carroll's highly imaginative, high-trippin' classic, the imagery and illustrated puns amaze and amuse, especially the little things like the rocking-horse fly, the bread-and-butter flies, the vultures, the pencil and hammer birds, the momeraths, and the bird in the tree (Queenie Leonard) yelling "Ser-pennnnnt !"

The animators drew each frame based on the portrayals by the actors voicing the parts, and the stand-outs are Kathryn Beaumont as Alice, Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter, Verna Felton as the Queen of Hearts, Bill Thompson as the White Rabbit, and the very flexible and versatile J. Pat O'Malley as Tweedle Dum, Tweedle Dee, the Walrus AND the Carpenter, in one of the best scenes in the movie.

With fourteen songs, this is the most musical Disney around, but unfortunately, the songs are not very easy to sing along to, making me sound like William Hung every time I try to impress people with my thorough knowledge of the lyrics.

There are lots of interesting tidbits in the extras, such as the discarded Cheshire Cat song, and the fact that one of the songs was later re-worded for Peter Pan. There are other links between Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, but you'll have to watch the extras to find out just what, cause I'm not telling.

For those who don't want to watch the previews at the beginning of the DVD, just press "Menu" and get plugged directly into Wonderland.

Amanda Richards, July 18, 2004

Disney-ized
One of my fav children's books gets Disney-ized. I find that this version is simply AMAZING! Yes, there are LOTS of drugged out images (ie..the caterpillar is smoking an opium pipe, she eats mushrooms to get bigger or smaller etc) but its a magical story and its told VERY well by the Disney guys. Not to be missed, grab it before its out of print.

It stinks!
This movie is nothing like the original book, skip it and watch the Hallmark version instead. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Ingrid Bergman gives one of her memorable, haunting, and haunted performances as an amnesiac chosen by a White Russian general (Yul Brynner) in 1928 to play the part of Anastasia, the long-rumored but missing survivor of the Bolsheviks' murderous attack on the czar's family. The twist is that Bergman's mystery woman seems to know more about the lost Anastasia than she is told. Based on the play by Marcelle Maurette and Guy Bolton, this film--directed by Anatole Litvak (Out of the Fog)--really does get under one's skin, not least of all because of its intriguing story but even more because of the strong chemistry between Bergman and Brynner. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (22)

A Romantic Love Classic
This film is really rather a classical love story will stay in my heart forever. In my opinion, no one can see this film remaining indifferent or apathetic without feeling the incomparable charm of Ingrid Bergman¡¯s and Yul Brynner¡¯s throughout the story. As I remember, the first time I saw the film, it had already been on for about 1 hour on TV. Even if I didn¡¯t see it completely, I was still fascinated by both the complicated plot of the story and the wonderful performances of the actors/actresses. Some scenes in the film were very humorous. And the music which showed the characteristic of Russia in it also leave a deep impression on me. Now I have seen this film for several times, but every time I saw it, it always moved me a lot. Having seen many other films acted by Bergman or Brynner, I still think ¡®Anastasia¡¯ is the one I like the most. Without kisses, embraces or sweet conversations, it would still be a romantic love classic forever. As a woman who roamed the streets, Anna might be the Grand Duchess of Russia or even only a poor, bewildered person. And what she only wanted was love. Since no one accepted her, no one cared about her, she even had a feeling suicidal. Then a Russian general found her and saved her. He wanted to train her to be Anastasia---the youngest daughter of Russia¡¯s last czar. What only attracted him was the ten million pounds. Bergman was weak, tender and gentle, on the opposite, Brynner was stern, hard and sharp. Is there any possibility that she would be able to change him? In the film, there were many very excellent details that showed the subtle relation between Anna and Bounine. On the one hand, Anna hated him for his only wish for money, hated his using her for his own purpose, hated his not understanding what she really longed for was. On the other hand, she had fallen in love with him. Therefore, she tried flirting with Prince Paul (her former fiance), trying to make Bounine feel jealous. Bergman¡¯s performance was so subtle, ingenious that make the story much more lively. Even if general Bounine was in love with her, too, he didn¡¯t show any concern on the surface. He wanted the money of the legacy, but he loved her more. He seemed rather fierce, but is kind at heart. How many ¡®contradictions¡¯! At the end of the story, Anna succeeded in changing him. The scene which left the deepest impression on me was their last conversation just before the ball. They tried to convey their real feelings to each other. But there were so many problems existing between them. Money or Love? The ending of he story was to be expected but unexpected as well. When Anastasia left from her grandmother again, who was so kind, was so approachable, was the person she had wanted to see for so many years. How sad she was at that moment! I was greatly touched by this scene. In the end, Anna and Bounine ran away to seek for their own happiness renouncing their claim to the money, in spite of the public. I supposed that Yul Brynner might be a most suitable actor to act the white Russian general. His looks, his expression, his posture, his performance, even his bald head were very great. The performances of the other actors/actresses (especially Helen Hayes and Martita Hunt) were also wonderful ones. Everyone must be deeply moved by Anastasia¡¯s close relation with her grandma particularly. The film was also memorable for the acting of the two main characters. The story told us that money or position doesn¡¯t mean love, happiness and freedom. In the film or in the real life, no matter what Anna was, whether she was real or just a imposter, it doesn¡¯t really matter. The most important thing is that the film showed us a history, a mystery, or even a legend. This film was written, directed, acted very well. When it was made in the 1950s, even my parents had not been born. But time doesn¡¯t mean discrepancy, either. I¡¯ll love the romantic splendid love story forever and I¡¯m quite sure that it would always be a classic in the film history forever.

A Romantic Love Classic Forever
This film is really rather a classical love story that will stay in my heart forever. In my opinion, no one can see this film remaining indifferent or apathetic without feeling the incomparable charm of Ingrid Bergman¡¯s and Yul Brynner¡¯s throughout the story. As I remember, the first time I saw the film, it had already been on for about 1 hour on TV. Even if I didn¡¯t see it completely, I was still fascinated by both the complicated plot of the story and the wonderful performances of the actors/actresses. Some scenes in the film were very humorous. And the music that showed the characteristic of Russia in it also left a deep impression on me. Now I have seen this film for several times, but every time I saw it, it always stirred me a lot. Having seen many other films acted by Bergman or Brynner, I still think ¡®Anastasia¡¯ is the one I like most. Without kisses, embraces or sweet conversations, it would still be a romantic love classic forever. As a woman who roamed the streets, Anna might be the Grand Duchess of Russia or even only a poor, bewildered person. She had suffered terribly for a long time and what she only wanted was being accepted. Since no one cared about her, she even had a feeling suicidal.At the begining,though acting a woman who was in dire straits, Bergman still had a unique noble disposition just like a princess wandering destitute far from home. Then a Russian general saved her and changed her life. He wanted to train her to be Anastasia---the youngest daughter of Russia¡¯s last czar. The only thing attracted him was the ten million pounds. Bergman was weak, tender and gentle, on the opposite, Brynner was stern, hard and sharp. Is there any possibility that she would be able to change him? In the film, there were many excellent details that showed the subtle relation between Anna and Bounine. On the one hand, Anna hated him for his only wish for money, hated his using her for his own purpose, hated his not understanding what she really longed for was. On the other hand, she had fallen in love with him. Therefore, she tried flirting with Prince Paul (her former fiance), trying to make Bounine feel jealous. Bergman¡¯s performance was so subtle, ingenious that make the story much more lively. Even if general Bounine was in love with her in spite of himself, too, he didn¡¯t show any concern on the surface. He wanted the money of the legacy, but he loved her more. He seemed rather fierce, but was kind at heart. How many ¡®contradictions¡¯! The scene that left the deepest impression on me was their last conversation just before the ball. They tried to convey their real feelings to each other. But there were so many problems existing between them. At the end of the story, Anna succeeded in changing him. Money or love? The ending of the story was to be expected but unexpected as well. When Anastasia left from her grandmother again, who was so kind, was so approachable, was the person she had wanted to see for so many years, how sad she was at that moment! I was greatly touched by this scene.... I supposed that Yul Brynner might be a most suitable actor to act the white Russian general. His looks, his expression, his posture, his acting, even his bald head were very great. And he had a quite different glamour that made him always attractive. The performances of the other actors/actresses (especially Helen Hayes and Martita Hunt) were also wonderful ones. Everyone must be deeply moved by Anastasia¡¯s close relation with her grandma particularly. The film was also memorable for the acting of the two main characters. It told us that money and position don¡¯t mean love, happiness and freedom. In the film or in the real life, no matter what Anna was, whether she was real or just an imposter, it doesn¡¯t really matter. The most important thing is that the film showed us a history, a mystery, or even a legend. This film was written, directed and acted very well. When it was made in the 1950s, even my parents had not been born. But time doesn¡¯t mean discrepancy, either. I¡¯ll always love this romantic splendid love story and I¡¯m quite sure that it will be a classic in the film history forever.

Anastasia
Great Movie - Horrible DVD! I'm rating this one star because the DVD quality is so bad. For the first time, I'm in the process of returning an item to Amazon. This makes me sad because I love this film and wanted to add this to my growing collection of classic films in my DVD Library. The sound is not always in synch and the volume goes up and down. The sound is absolutely terrible!

Special features
The DVD versionÕs special features of this classic film is jammed pack with historical information, not only about early 20th century Russian aristocracy, but also about the Ôbehind the scenesÕ making of this wonderful movie. For this humble DVD collector, I prefer as much expert commentary as can possibly fit into the format. Does anyone know more about the industry than Sylvia Stoddard? I donÕt think so.

Anastasia Is Finally On DVD.
I bought this DVD when it came out 2 months ago when it first came out. And I love this movie more than Any other movie that Ingrid Bergman played in. I especially liked it because they had an interview with Hellen Hayes (The Grandmother) son James MacArthur. I have been corresponding with him and i just really liked that.

Here Is A brief Description:

Anastasie (Ingird Bergman) is a woman who has no clue about who she is and where she comes from, she then meets (Yul Brynner) who thinks that if he can train her to act like the Real Annastasia he can pass her off and get the huge reward for her return. Well when they get to St. petersburg they find out that The Arch Duchess (Hellen Hayes) has lost hope of ever finding her Annastasia and refuses to see Ingrid Bergman. Well she finally visits Ingrid Bergman and realizes that she really is her grand daughter. And it ends happily.

Great Movie. 5 Star Rating. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

An entertaining film
A nice, interesting film. Story holds your interest. Shirley Temple fans will enjoy her personality in this film.

Shirley's First Lead Role for Fox
I love this film!! Since there are many reviews giving you a synopsis of the picture's plot, I'll skip that part and tell you what I enjoyed with this film. Shirley is delightful and at her highest entertainment in this film, and its amazing since this is one of her first lead roles. She's tiny and irrestible- its like you just want to climb into the movie and pinch her rosy cheeks!

She was lucky to get to work with a talented cast including James Dunn (one of her best partners) and Claire Trevor. The best part of the movie is when the officers at the end of the movie ask James Dunn's character if he's alright (he was just shot in the shoulder mind you) and he says- OH ITS JUST A SCRATCH! I always die on the floor laughing! God love the classic movies of the 30s. And of course James Dunn doesnt need any medical attention and it all ends pleasantly! And there is another part where Shirley Temple is help letting lose the bad guy (well she of course doesnt know hes bad until later) and she uses a knife to cut him lose- Just look at Shirley's face when she picks up the knife. She looks like a pyscho killer! It is excellent! Its little Shirley gone bad!

Dont get me wrong- I'm a die hart Shirley fan- I own practically all of her movies (all of the them under her fox contract from 1934-1940) and have read Child Star her autobiography which is like 700 pages. I just find these little things greatly humorous! I recommend Baby Take a Bow to any Temple fan- its one of her bests!

Awwwwww .......Shirley Take a Bow
This has to be one of her best in the opinion of me! It is one of her most modern movies.She lives in a n apartmentr with her mom and dad and she even gets to play herself. Her daddy is a criminal going straight and when a clients neclace is stolen it messes everything up. Well they throw shirley's b-day party and she is amazing in the little ballerina dress and singing. Then the thief gives shirley the neclace to worsen things up,she thinks its a birthday gift (it is but) and makes a hide and go seek game out of it and puts it in her daddys pocket!yIKES then a very annoying guy comes to look he begins to look in their fathers coatjacket and just before he goes into the pcoket and say it would never be in there he then meets shirley and the father discovers it yikes!they then hide it in a duster/vacum/thing and the cleaner lady comes to get it ! they are safe it goes on until the criminal comes into the house and while the father tied him up shirley unties him because he gave her the gift! HE THEN TAKES HER and is in his hands for a whole 5 minutes ...its a little spooky for a 4/5 year old but all will turn out well as always

a good shirly temple movie
This is defianently the best shirly temple movie. It's a very good movie for kids.

Cute Shirley Temple film, but not for kids!
This is a cute movie and Shirley Temple is just adorable in it, but there is a scene at the end of the movie in which little Shirley is--literally--in the clutches of the bad guy. She is bodily carried to the rooftop of her apartment building, screaming, "Mommy! Daddy! Help me!!" for about six or seven minutes while the police are in pursuit with guns drawn and bullets being fired. I didn't find this appropriate for my young daughter, who currently is enamored with little Shirley Temple. At 2 1/2 years old, my child is too young to understand that "Baby Take a Bow" is just a movie and that the little girl was not in mortal danger during the making of the film. I will let her watch other movies by Shirley Temple rather than this one.

I don't know how many films Temple had made by the time "Baby Take a Bow" was filmed, but it certainly shows that she had tremendous talent at a very young age. She was truly a child star and entirely deserving of that title. What a wonderful little actress! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

It's No Mystery That This Is a Great Movie!
Charlie Chan in Rio is one of the best films I have ever seen. The plot is surprislingly strong and keeps you guesssing all through the film. The way Chan solves the mysteries is mesmorising. This was my first Charlie Chan film, so it naturally holds a special place in my heart. However, this is clearly one of the best. This film is brilliant.

One of the best Charlie Chan films
These old Charlie Chan mysteries are light and fun in tone, but not to the point of being campy. This one was always a favorite of mine because of the strong story, interesting setting (I always wanted to go to Rio), and because of the Asian detective's especially clever methods of cathing the villian this time around. I also enjoyed the song the woman sings on stage, which is saying a lot because I usually can't stand those kind of scenes in old movies. Along with the one in the wax museum and the one in Paris, I'd say this is the best Charlie Chan film I've seen. "Charlie Chan in Rio" is clever and engrossing for what it is.

Brazilian Atmosphere and Cabaret Scenes
CHARLIE CHAN IN RIO is one of two Chan films turned out by 20th Century-Fox in 1941. Sidney Toler plays Charlie who is chasing a killer in Rio. Sen Yung is again cast in the role of Jimmy Chan and Victor Jury also appears in the movie. I liked it - particularly the Brazilian atmosphere and the cabaret scenes.

Mild Installment In The Charlie Chan Series
Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) and son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) travel to Rio to arrest a woman accused of a murder in Hawaii--but before the killer is taken into custody she becomes the victim of foul play herself. Chan films frequently ask the viewer to suspend disbelief re various plot devices, but this particular episode requires one to accept a particularly unrealistic plot device and as such seems more than a little silly; fans will find it mildly enjoyable, but RIO is not the film I would use to introduce a newcomer to the series.

Although the Charlie Chan films are sometimes accused of perpetuating racial stereotypes, they were in fact no more stereotypical than other serial-style films (Blondie and Dr. Kildare come to mind) of the era--and as the series progressed the patronization found in the earliest films was rapidly discarded. Regretfully, many of the best Chan films are not available on video, much less DVD, and fans of the series who want to see such classics as CHARLIE CHAN AT TREASURE ISLAND or CHARLIE CHAN AT RENO(my own favorites) must hope for a showing on television.

Worse than expected
This dreadful film--amateurish to the point of laughter--is an example of the inferiority of Twentieth Century Fox Chan films. For real style and laughs, watch the cheapie Monogram Chan movies with Mantan Moorland and Willie Best. The fact that these films are politically incorrect, adds to their appeal. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This adaptation of E.M. Forster's mysterious tale of British racism in colonial India turned out to be master director David Lean's final film. Subtle and grand at the same time, Lean's adaptation is faithful to the book, rendering its blend of the mystical and the all-too human with exquisite precision. Judy Davis plays a young British woman traveling in India with her fiancé's mother. While visiting a tourist attraction, she has a frightening moment in a cave--one that she eventually spins from an instant of mental meltdown into a tale of a physical attack that ruins several lives. Lean captures Forster's sense of awe at the kind of ageless wisdom and inexplicable phenomena to be encountered in India, as well as the British tendency to dismiss it all as savage, rather than simply different. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Last Passage
Director David Lean created some of the most visually stunning and brilliant films in movie history. The final film of his illustrious career was 1984's A Passage To India. The film is again a marvel to look at as Mr. Lean captures the Indian landscape with all its mystical splendor. Judy Davis is alluring as a young woman who travels to India with her perspective mother-in-law to visit her fiancé who is a magistrate there. On a cave exploring trip, she involved in a mix-up with Victor Banerjee's Dr. Aziz that leads to a court case and the revealing of the racial divide between the natives of India and the British who rule the country. Peggy Ashcroft won an Oscar as the all-knowing Mrs. Moore and long time Lean collaborator Maurice Jarre won an Oscar for his score. Alec Guinness appears in one of the most bizarre roles of his career as an Indian professor (complete with an Indian accent and dispensing of mystical preachings). A Passage To India is a strong closing film in the career of a respected and revered filmmaker.

ANOTHER CLASSIC IN THE LEAN (AND FORSTER) CANON.
In his brilliant exploration of the question he ultimately posed in HOWARDS END (who shall inherit England?), E. M. Forster gifted us with A PASSAGE TO INDIA. The novel, and the movie, provide deceptively simple characters to carry Forster's views along...the arrogance of a British-dominated culture meddling where it once again does not belong; the impossible melding of certain classes and/or temperaments; and the ultimate sacrifice or tragedy that must occur in order for the madness to cease. Into the mix Forster adds (as he did with Ruth Wilcox in HOWARDS END) the mysterious female entity (the enigmatic Mrs Moore) who seems to be in touch with all elements, earthly and spiritual. Director David Lean could not have done better in casting Dame Peggy Ashcroft as this luminous woman; she becomes the movie's triumphant center, its moral conscience and all-seeing eyes, and at the same time leaves us with one of the most memorable performances in recent cinema. Excellent support also comes from the brilliant Judy Davis (in a nearly impossible part to play, Davis succeeds almost frighteningly well) as the hysterical Miss Quested, dashing Victor Banerjee as the harried Dr Aziz, and James Fox as the character caught between two clashing worlds (much the same way Margaret Schlegel was in HOWARDS END).

David Lean has created so many memorable films and setpieces it seems almost redundant to objectify them, but let it be said the sequence here with the visit to the ominous Marabar Caves is one of his best--beautifully choreographed, perfectly timed, and with just enough mystery to inspire as much discussion as the novel. How often does that happen?

It may not be a rousing action epic, but it will leave the discerning viewer with much to think about and should inspire several viewings to take in all the levels of meaning. A most rewarding film experience.

Worst garbage ever filmed
For starters I remember when I first was this film when it aired on cable tv in the mid 1980's- I remember devoting serious concentration to this film only to be floored halfway through the film when I discovered the entire film is about a rape that happened to someone somewhere sometime ago.
Now get this straight- I have a B.A. in literature and was forced to read an EM Forster novel once, and it was the worst most boring piece of pretentious British trash ever invented, the absolute worst novel on the planet- this author is TEN times worse than Henry James. You want to waste your time? Then buy this trash and watch it, youll be sorry, I promise you. One reviewer below is also dead on- EM Forster is just a really bad author.

A Passage to India
This is the last film David Lean directed. (David Lean is of "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge on the River Kwai" fame.) Based on the classic novel by E.M. Forster, this movie tells of a story of British racism in India during the early 1900's. A young woman, Adela Quested, travels to India to visit her fiance. Traveling with her is her fiance's elderly mother, Mrs. Moore. Mrs. Moore is utterly astonished at how the British treat the Indians, and even shows shame at her own son's ill treatment towards them. Her son is the magistrate. Mrs. Moore and Miss Quested befriend an Indian doctor, Aziz Ahmed. Aziz is overwhelmed at how friendly Mrs. Moore and Miss Quested are towards him and in his excitement he plans a day trip to the mysterious Marabar caves with them, to help show them around India. While there, inside the mystifying caves, something happens to Miss Quested and Aziz is accused of raping her. What follows is a court battle as well as a battle for the inner personal truth. Synopsis aside, I was horrified at how the British treated the Indians. I had never really thought of it until watching this movie. For shedding some historical light, even if it is historical-fiction, I give this movie two thumbs up, as well as give it four stars for completely weaving me into the story. In the beginning, I was slightly wary that it might turn out to be a boring historical-fiction film, but quite the contrary. I was glued to the "tube" in my anticipation to find the fate of the characters in this movie. The movie was completed in 1985 and it took over 30 years to see it completed. In the beginning, Forster did not want to sell the screen rights to the play for fear the movie would be seen as either pro-British or pro-Indian. I will admit that while watching it I despised the British's treatment of the Indians so perhaps it wasn't as objective as Forster had hoped, but what is there to be objective about in unfairness?

A LEAN DAVID
I am an Indian. I adore the way Forster wrote about India, and the way in which directorial stalwarts like Merchant-Ivory captured that vision on 8mm. For anyone who's followed David Lean's movies in the chronological order, The Passage to India is almost a criminal gyp, for it does not have a strong (or any) storyline to brag about, nor does it capture the glorious vistas of natures as Lawrence of Arabia or Dr Zhivago had managed.

Somehow, a true sense of India, either as a place or as a people, fails to come alive. While non-Indian viewers may enjoy the mild research that may have gone into the set and the props, it is really nothing special for anyone who knows what India must have looked like. For all the genius that David Lean was, he too fell for the standard shrinkwrapped clichés about India that any western director indulges in. For insatnce, the music that one hears at the market is frequently south Indian (Madras Presidency at that time), but in reality this would NEVER have been heard within 1000 miles of Bombay.

The (mis)casting of non-Indians for most of the Indian characters -- a fact that other reviewers have noted too -- is not simply a sore point, it is practically gross. Case in point: an atrocious Alec Guinness trying to pass off as a Brahmin Professor, while Victor Banenerjee struts about absurdly over-eager in the key role of Dr. Aziz. Why this was necessary is beyond me.

Then, the plot, or lack thereof. Really, very little happens during the course of the movie. The narrative is super-turtle, lacking the zing with which Merchant-Ivory have brought other books of Forster to life. The story to me was not about Adela's sexual conflicts; it was about an appreciation for the raw energies of India and how it transforms our very souls. I don't feel Lean's screenplay gives us the chance to discover Forster's India.

The film picks up a click towards the ending, which is full of the subtleties one expects of a writer of Forster's cadre, though there remains an absence of crucial detail about what should be the key event of the story. Peggy Ashcroft is great, but one can't help but wonder whether an Indian director could have made more from the same material.

Overall, the movie is borderline idiotic, watchable once perhaps (if your history professor forces it down your throat) otherwise there's a lot better to learn about India from: "Shakespeare Wallah", "Bombay Talkie", "Heat and Dust" etc etc. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A different sort of Sergio Leone Western, this one takes place during the Mexican Revolution, with more politics than usual. But there's still plenty of action, with Rod Steiger as a cigar-chomping peasant who robs banks to liberate political prisoners, and James Coburn as an Irish terrorist trying to flee from his bitter past. They team up to thwart a sadistic officer and help the cause; redemption for the more subdued Coburn provides added depth. Beware: this is not the longer uncut version (released in Italy) known as Duck, You Sucker, featuring more flashbacks, more politics, and a more unsavory Steiger. But it's terrific fun, even in this shortened version, with Ennio Morricone's moody score and Coburn's most underrated performance. --Bill Desowitz ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Strange and entertaining political Leone western
Originally and horribly titled "Duck, you sucker", Fistful of Dynamite is a very political western circa early '70s. Rod Steiger plays the role of a Mexican bandit who ends up in a partnership with James Coburn.Coburn is an expat Irish revolutionary, complete with dynamite and a motorcycle on the run in Mexico. Both are simply excellent in their roles even though Coburn has a tendency to fall in and out of his Irish accent.

Politics plays a central role in this film. It opens with a quote from Chairman Mao on the nature of violence and revolution. The first scene is chock full of class warfare as Steiger's character is humiliated by the upper-class riders on the stage. Slowly Stieger is converted from bandit to revolutionary by Coburn. This is also one of Leone's most violent films (which is saying a lot); in one scene government troops are shown massacring hundreds in retaliation for rebel attacks.

You don't have to be left wing to enjoy Fistful of Dynamite. Neither side is really pictured in a positive manner; even the rebel leadership is duplicitous and even treasonous. In the end this is a very entertaining film, which has been in the shadow of Leone's other works. Interestingly he originally wanted to call this "Once Upon a Time, a Revolution", the first part of a Once Upon a Time trilogy. And of course don't miss the eerie and downright weird Ennio Morricone score (which I've been looking for since I watched this film).

Great, but where's the full length version?
When first released, this movie was 2 hours and 45 minutes long and entitled 'Duck, You Sucker'. Leone originally intended the film to be part 2 of a 'Once Upon a Time' trilogy ('Once Upon a Time in the West'; 'Once Upon a Time, the Revolution'; and 'Once Upon a Time in America'). However, for some reason the idea was dropped and 'Revolution' turned into the rather unimaginatively titled 'Duck You Sucker', which was then cut down and again retitled 'Fistful of Dynamite' for audiences in the USA.

Two scenes are missing from this version. The scene where Juan meets one of the leaders of the revolution is sorely missed as it gives added depth to the story, as well as balancing out the movie somewhat in terms of its main themes.

Even with the missing parts, this is still (in my opinion) one of Sergio Leone's best movies. The interaction between the two main characters is excellent, and Leone is on top form as he shows how each of the main characters are changed by the influences of the other.

Unlike Sergio Leone's other 'Spaghetti Westerns', this one is a bit more cerebral, and tends to focus more on character development and to a certain extent on political philosophy. Some don't like this, but I find that out of all of Leone's movies, this is the one that I always find myself coming back to, which is why I finally purchased it on videotape.

I hope that sometime in the near future, this forgotten classic will be reissued in widescreen DVD format, and restored to its original length. As I said before, the deleted scenes help the story, and widescreen format is essential, given Leone's penchant for super close-ups.

Italian restored DVD release far exceeds the MGM R2 DVD
Possibly my favorite of the Leone films. Please note that the R2 Italian restored DVD release of this film is FAR superior to the R2 Uk release in terms of both picture and sound. Look for the screenshot comaprisons on the web, they're out there. The Italians have fully restored the picture and have remastered the soundtrack in 5.1 dolby but unfortunately is in the Italian language only with NO subtitles whatsoever. The Italian release also includes a short documentary on Leone as well. Let's just hope that the powers that be can 'acquire' the Italian restored transfer for the Region 1 release. The films of Sergio Leone deserve nothing less...

What about a DVD release?
This movie is one among my favorites.
I have been waiting for its DVD release for some 4 years!
It is not yet released but it seems that,
under the italian relase title "Duck you sucker",
they are planing to.

So go and register for it, if we are numerous enough they might release it finally???

Very good Leone western
A Fistful of Dynamite is a very enjoyable western full of plenty of action that. A Mexican bandit, Juan, robs a stagecoach with his gang of family members when he runs into IRA fugitive and demolitions expert, John Mallory, on his motorcycle traveling across the desert. At first, they do not get along, but soon begin working together. Juan and John become involved in the Mexican Revolution and Juan inadvertently frees hundred of political prisoners from what he thought was a bank. Eventually, the two become heroes of the revolution. Along the way, a sadistic officer with his well-armed militia begins to track them down for all of the trouble they have caused. This is a very exciting movie with plenty of good action scenes as well as great, fully-developed characters. A Fistful of Dynamite is not Sergio Leone's best movie, but it is still very good and well worth a watch if you can find a copy.

Rod Steiger and James Coburn are great together as the two men who team up to work together during the Mexican Revolution. Their friendship is the high point of the movie along with the impressive action sequences, most notably the bridge explosion halfway through the movie. I've always thought this was one of Coburn's best performances, and Steiger is no slouch either. This is a great spaghetti western that does slow some with politics, but it is still a great movie. I hope this one gets an official DVD release since the VHS copies are getting harder to find. The VHS is of decent quality, but deserves a better release. For a great action movie with excellent characters and action, check out A Fistful of Dynamite! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

very nice film
It's a very interesting and sweet "cinema" which I saw in my childhood. Of course , Steve Reeves was extremely nice !

I RECOMMEND THE FILM FOR EVERY CHILD FROM 2 TO 92 YEARS OLD.

one of my alltime favorites
This movie is a timeless classic. It has all the ingredients for a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. I first saw this film in the 60's as a young boy and Steve Reeves became my first action hero. This is the man that inspired Arnold to take up bodybuilding! Fantastic desert footage and enough action to keep it moving, you may not even notice the dubbing! I've had my kids see it and they like it too. Get some popcorn and sit back with your girl/wife/lady and check it out.

this video is a classic great movie
this is alove story that has exitement spectacula adventures of a thief that fine love in a princes named amina and they both fall in love but before they can be together he must go throug an adventure to prove his love to her. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Brilliant, dark satire on the darkest of subjects.
Richard Lester created in "How I Won the War" a film that simply cannot be categorized.

Symbolism abounds in the film, and in alternating instances, its overtness and its subtlety can prove confusing. For this reason, the film needs to be viewed more than once.

The blatant attack on the military mindset is brilliantly executed. In swift strokes he makes a mockery of military officers and warmongers; one scene in particular has two British officers exchanging bubble gum cards of war scenes, with one insisting in a haughty accent "I want school bombing ... I do."

Michael Crawford and John Lennon are joined by an excellent supporting cast, including Victor Spinetti the brilliant (but unfortunately "late") Leo McKern. Crawford plays the role with just the right amount of smarminess, egoism and overt stupidity that it calls for. Lennon and McKern's innocence causes the closing segment to be doubly powerful.

Overall ... a fine film worth seeing, especially for any fans of social commentary.

Not Chuffed, Mate
Richard Lester has directed great movies, and Three Musketeers (Michael York) is on my ten favorite action movie list. "How I Won the War" is not one of his best.

The problem with the movie is it is English humor with a capital "E." The movies consists of a melange of British Butlin's holiday camp farce and insider public school jokes shot in rapid fire. The lead character is an irritatingly eager chipmunk of an officer who is impossible to connect with. I didn't like him and quickly wished to see him capped by the equally incompetent Germans. The movie would have definitely fed George Patton's biased stereotype of British officers as fawning twits.

Oh, and John Lennon? He doesn't occupy much of this film, and when he speaks, it's rapid-fire one line blitzkreig Liverpudlian. Had trouble understanding "Magical Mystery Tour?" This will really be a stumper.

A historical artifact, only, if harmless.

Surrealistic Anti-War Movie
HOW I WON THE WAR was filmed in Spain in late 1966. The movie features John Lennon and Michael Crawford of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA fame. Richard Lester is the director. The movie is a surrealistic anti-war movie.

The surrealism will turn off many viewers. There is no standard plot structure. This movie can almost be seen as experimental and avante-garde. These qualities drew Lennon to the project. But they are bound to draw viewers away.

HOW I WON THE WAR is akin to REVOLUTION 9 on THE WHITE ALBUM or WHAT'S THE NEW MARY JANE from ANTHOLOGY 3. This movie is cutting edge and pushes the envelope. It is unconventional and approaches psychedelia. Not surprisingly, Lennon composed STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER while making this movie.

The movie suffers from not having songs or compositions by Lennon on the soundtrack. Both Lennon and Crawford are singers, but there are no songs in the movie. John Lennon's character Gripweed is a supporting character in the movie.

The movie, moreover, has an anti-war theme by showing the absurdity, banality, and hollowness of all war. There is no good war. The movie shows how "winning" a war really occurs. The movie, thus, lacks a feelgood perspective. It leaves the viewer disgusted with war by showing that war is not glorious and noble, but the opposite.

Viewers should realize that this movie is surrealistic and experimental. In other words, it is not a commercial movie. It is a satirical look at war. It is a unique movie unlike any other Beatles movie. It is closest to MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR in that it is not a traditional movie. It is a very different war movie. Obviously such a surrealistic movie will not appeal to many. Nevertheless, it is a unique movie experience, not the usual formula movie.

Don't expect to be laughing the whole movie
First off, don't expect a fun M*A*S*H or Hard Day's Night romp. this is a dark movie, and it's supposed to be. but you can't judge it because you want to see a lighthearted Lennon. it's dark and sad and very well filmed. as a war movie, this is one of the best (in my opinion). the last scene with lennon is almost otherworldly, guaranteed to depress. True, the cover is really rather irritating, lennon is only on for a bit. But the cast is top-notch, the writing crisp, and the overall feeling one of amazement. which is, after all, the point of a movie to begin with.

Beatles fans be forewarned
If you're seeking this movie out as a Beatles fan there are a few things you ought to know. First of all, despite John Lennon's handsome mug being prominately featured on the cover of this videotape, he only features in about 15 minutes of this film. (It is NOT how John Lennon's character Gripweed won the war - as the artwork on this tape might lead you to believe - but rather how Michael Crawford's character won the war). Secondly, John does not have much of an opportunity to act silly when he IS featured on camera so if you are expecting another performance like "A Hard Days Night" you will be disappointed. Thirdly, John's last scene in this movie is somewhat uncomfortable to watch given the tragic way in which he died (John's character is mortally wounded in combat and he addresses the camera one final time lying dazed and bleeding). Some of the British humor and the accents in particular are hard to interpret but not any more so than "A Hard Days Night" or "Help". Being that it's a Richard Lester film some of the same actors seen in "Help!" are featured here but this is by no means a vehicle for Lennon's acting career. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A rousing tribute to the original Star Trek's most popular episode, "Trials and Tribble-ations" is a triumph of clever plotting, technical achievement, and pure, unadulterated fun. Like "The Trouble with Tribbles" from 29 years earlier, this fifth-season episode is an instant classic, beginning when a surgically altered Klingon (Charlie Brill, reprising his role from "Tribbles") uses a Bajoran Orb of Time to travel back over 100 years to prevent his past-tense capture by Capt. James T. Kirk. Undercover time travelers Sisko, Dax, Odo, Worf, O'Brien, and Bashir track the Klingon's scheme on the Enterprise-A and the Tribble-infested space station K-7, turning this two-series hybrid into a nostalgic valentine, with DS9 characters digitally inserted into original "Tribbles" footage. With re-created sets, ships, and costumes, "T & T" mines hilarious gold from its Trek-savvy premise, including the mysteries of Klingon physiognomy, Starfleet snoops whose names are anagrams of "Mulder and Scully," and enough in-jokes to delight vigilant Trekkers everywhere. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (29)

The Best of DS9 ...
Episode 103 Trials and Tribble-ations is the best DS9 episode ever made....and more! The episode transcends DS9 blending arguably one of the best Star Trek "Original Series" episodes -- Trouble with Tribbles -- with charachters from DS9 and Next Generation.

The cinematography is superb as clips from the original episode are seamlessly integrated into this episode. And by "seamlessly integrated" I mean 2 things: technically speaking, and from a plot perspective.

This episode is at once nostalgic, original, filled with drama and humor (mostly Dax's comments, but comments by Sisko and others as well.) The fight scene is particularly well-done and stands as probably the best scene of the episode.

Oh, it's so good to see Kirk and Spock again, but it is all fresh and new and exciting in the context of this extremely well-done DS9 episode. This is a must-buy for not only DS9 fans, but also Next Generation and Original Series fans. Outstanding, and as entertaining as even the full-length movies.

One Of The Finest Hours Of Star Trek, Ever
Oh my, what a hoot! I commend the producers of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" for this witty, wonderful homage to the original series that also shines in its own right as one of the finest "Star Trek" episodes ever made. This is an exquisite blend of new footage around scenes from the "Star Trek" episode "The Trouble With Tribbles". Charlie Brill is terrific as the disguised disgraced Klingon from "The Trouble With Tribbles". Here he tries to change history by sending the "Deep Space Nine" crew back in time, hoping to kill Captain Kirk. Michael Dorn ("Worf") is hilarious as he tries to explain to his befuddled comrades why the Klingons from Captain Koloth's battlecruiser more closely resemble humans than Klingons of Worf's time. And now I know who was responsible for the barroom brawl - and it wasn't really anyone from from the old USS Enterprise! Admittedly "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" was my favorite "Star Trek" series, yet I'm sure this hilarious episode will appeal to "Star Trek" fans of all stripes as well as others, like myself, who enjoy hilarious science fiction television.

A Nice Tribute To The Original Series
Over 30 years ago, the Original Star Trek series produced an episode that continues to be a favorite among fans even today. "The Trouble With Tribbles" was a silly episode with lots of humor.

30 years later, the producers of Star Trek : Deep Space Nine (the best series of the modern Trek era) created this wonderful episode..."Trials And Tribble-ations". Using footage from the original episode, the crew of the Defiant go back in time to save Kirk from a vengeful Klingon.

This episode has many fun moments. The best one is when Bashir, O'Brien and Odo don't recognize the human looking aliens as Klingons. "Those are Klingons?"

A great episode and a fiting tribute to the original. Definitely better than Voyager's tribute episode with Captain Sulu.

This time everybody knows the Tribbles I've seen...
Sooner of later what was happening in the movies with "Zelig" and "Forrest Gump" was going to make a move to the small screen, which is as good an explanation for the fun of Episode 103 of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "Trials and Tribble-ations" (Story by Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler & Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Teleplay by Ronald D. Moore & Rene Echevarria, "The Trouble With Tribbles" written by David Gerrold, Aired November 4, 1996). The "Defiant" return from Cardassian space with the Bajoran Orb of Time along with Arne Darvin (Charlie Brill), a Klingon who has been surgically altered to pass as human (gee, doesn't that sound familiar?). Darvin uses the Orb to send the "Defiant" and its crew back over a hundred years to Deep Space Station K-7 where the U.S.S. Enterprise, Captain James T. Kirk, commanding, is in orbit and suddenly we find ourselves in the classic original "Star Trek" episode, "The Trouble With Tribbles."

Darvin turns out to be the same spy that was caught by Kirk poisoning the grain shipment. Darvin wants to change history by killing Kirk, so Sikso, Dax, Bashir, and O'Brien dress up in period uniforms and search the Enterprise for Darvin. Meanwhile Odo and Worf, check out the space station. Granted, the interaction between the two casts consists more of cuts than using computers to insert the DS9 gang into the original "Star Trek" episode, but that does not take away from the fun, and there is a lot of fun to be had in this episode. The best moment is when O'Brien and Bashir join Odo and Worf at the station bar when the Klingons show up and start baiting Scotty and the Enterprise men. The other three all stare at the Klingons, then at Worf with his all those ridges on the top of his head, and then back at the Klingons with their smooth brows. But to their questions about what happened, all Worf will say is that Klingons do not talk about it with outsiders. This may well be the funniest moment in "Star Trek" history (my second choice would be Captain Picard's Shakespearean monologue when he is trying to win Lwaxana Troi back from an amorous Ferengi). Dax mooning over Kirk is not half bad either.

Clearly "Trials and Tribble-ations" is a unique crossover episode for the "Star Trek" universe, and fortunately there was no attempt to duplicate it with a similar project. Actually, since you can make the argument that not since "The Trouble With Tribbles" has there been a "Star Trek" episode that was so totally in the spirit of fun, that "Trials and Tribble-ations" is just the big cosmic wheel coming full circle.

Tribble Trouble
This was the first DS9 I ever saw, and it was wonderful. Sisko and his crew blended in wonderfully, althougth Odo's make-up probally wouldn't have been possible in 1967. This episode was funny, and the special effects(the effects where DS9 mixed with TOS) were great. I even found out how to annoy Worf("Is that lilac I smell"). I only have two complaints. George Takei(Sulu) wasn't in this episode. Then again, I'm not even sure he was in the original, and he was the star in the Voyager episode "Flashback". And second of all, Worf didn't tell us(actually Odo, O'Brein, and Bashir) how the Klingon change from brown humans to boney forehead aliens. Other than that, I love this episode. It's the only one from Deep Space 9 I saw, but already I think this the best DS9 episode I ever saw. I also recommend the orginal episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles. That is just as good as this one. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Smile & prepare to snicker constantly throughout! :-)
Dean Martin as super cool, super lover, super boozer, super slick, super spy Matt Helm, aka Eric, aka James A. Peters, aka Lash Petrone, Beverly Adams as his secretary Lovey Kravezit, Karl Malden as arch villain and arch enemy of Matt, Julian Wall, Camilla Sparv as his assistant Coco Duquette, Tom Reese as his, snicker, hard-headed muscleman 'Ironhead', Corinne Cole as 'Miss January', James Gregory (I) as Matt's boss MacDonald and director of I.C.E. (Intelligence Counter Espionage), Ann-Margret as Suzie Solaris and Richard Eastham as her poppa and inventor of the super gizmo, Dr. Norman Solaris, in a fun little film that to watch you must first park your brain, your cynicism and put a smile on your face and prepare to snicker endlessly throughout! A delicious little spoof of the James Bond genre has Martin doing what he and the rest of the 'Rat Pack' did so well, drinking and wooing the ladies despite those pesky villains trying to take his mind off his favorite hobbies. This rates a solid 2.5 stars out of 4.

Dino still Cool
Ok,I realize that by any normal standard this would qualify as a bad film. The production values are as poor as you can imagine and the plot (something about retrieving a flying saucer from the clutches of the enemy) pretty damn ridiculous. Yet, the first time I saw this film several years ago I absolutely loved it. The jokes center on booze and sex,and needless to say,Dean Martin handles them as only he can. As far as Matt Helm films go,"The Silencers" and "The Wrecking Crew" qualify as better "spy" films,yet for pure trashy fun nothing beats the "The Ambushers". The babe factor is over the top, and the ribald humour of this film makes James Bond seem stilted and serious. From its cheesy theme song right down to the Slaygirls,this is politically incorrect sixties camp to the max. Watching it now you'll lament the fact that nobody can make a film this light hearted anymore. Dean and the rest of the cast treat the whole thing as a put on. A real drive in treat from the go go era; if this film actually had great action sequences I'd have died.

Double Disaster
If you ever heard that the Matt Helm series was entertaining, believe me, it wasn't these two entries. They, especially "The Ambushers", are just plain bad. Funny thing is, the other two Helm movies, especially "The Wrecking Crew", offer fine entertainment. It had to do with the directors, as Henry Levin directed the two bombs, and the guy, who would go on to direct the classic "Walking Tall", the others. There is nothing whatsoever redeemable about the Ambushers, and Murderers' Row is noteworthy simply for the appearance of Ann Margeret and an over-the-top performance as Karl Malden as the villian. Neither makes much sense at all.

A Great Bad Movie
A great many of us will be familiar with the image of Hugh Hefner (Founder and Publisher of Playboy magazine) at one of his famous parties. We can picture in our mind's eye Hef walking around Playboy Mansion in his robe and pajamas, cocktail in one hand, cigarette in the other. (Actually, Hef usually smoked a pipe. But for the sake of argument, we'll say it was a cigarette.) He's smiling. He's mingling. He's making small talk, with amusing bon mots and double entendres.

Now imagine that, instead of a robe and pajamas, Hef is decked out in attire that would have been fashionably casual for an affluent male in the 1960s. And while keeping everything else the same (the cigarette, the cocktail, the utterly casual attitude), imagine Hef in the underground lair of an evil Arch-Villain who is ready to visit death and destruction across the globe. Oh, and make Hef a James Bond-esque spy.

You now have the basic feel for the four Matt Helm movies, of which "The Ambushers" (1967) was the third. (The others were "The Silencers," "Murderer's Row," and "The Wrecking Crew.")

The Matt Helm movies were made as star vehicles for Dean Martin. By the mid-60s, Dino had cemented his reputation as a boozing playboy, and the Matt Helm role was written with this in mind. In the movies, Matt Helm is a boozing, affable, world-famous photographer of beautiful women who works for "Slaymate" magazine (which fits in nicely with the Hugh Hefner analogy...). BUT THAT'S JUST A COVER! Helm is REALLY a boozing, affable super-competent secret agent for the Intelligence Counter Espionage (ICE) organization. And in all four movies, he casually wanders his way through whatever the bad guys have to throw at him as though he were looking for the nearest bar.

I should point out that the Matt Helm movies are all pretty bad. But they're wonderfully bad, and they're great, cheezy, campy fun. I tend to speak glowingly of the Matt Helm movies because I enjoy them for their over-the-top campiness, but more serious-minded viewers will probably be turned off.

And let me tell you: THE AMBUSHERS spares *no* expense in the "campiness" department. Try this plot on for size:

The ICE organization is testing out a new, super-secret flying saucer. That's right, a flying saucer. As MacDonald (James Gregory), head of ICE points out, if it works it will put the other planets "right next door," and the rest of the universe will be "just around the corner." It's never sufficiently explained why a counter-espionage organization would need to go to other planets (much less the rest of the universe), but no matter. They've made it and they're testing it.

The test works fine, until the saucer is forced to land by Mysterious Bad Guys. The leader of the Mysterious Bad Guys enters the saucer, and the pilot (a female) screams. Fade to black. This all takes place within the first 10 minutes of the movie.

Cut to Matt Helm, in Matt Helm heaven. He's helping to train a cadre of new ICE agents who, coincidentally enough, all happen to be gorgeous, scantily-clad babes. Go figure. But he runs into a white-haired, crazed woman who thinks all men are out to kill her. It's his old partner! It's also the woman who piloted the flying saucer! Will wonders never cease? (Answer: Of course not! This is Matt Helm!)

Naturally, Helm is assigned to find the saucer, and he has to take his former partner (who's now recovered) because only females can fly the saucer. The reason is because the saucer uses "electromagnetic fields" to propel itself around the neighborhood. And, according to the movie, electromagnetic fields are lethal to males. No, I never learned that in my basic physics classes either, but there you are.

You can guess the rest. Typical spy-movie stuff with the usual Matt Helm twist. Helm still wanders from place to place as though he's looking for the nearest bar. During one fight scene he gets knocked into a huge vat of beer, much to his obvious delight. And in a send-up of his singing career, the very final scene shows him trying to teach an attractive new recruit how to make love while on the job. The recruit is cold and unresponsive, even after Helm puts on a Dean Martin tune. But when he puts on Frank Sinatra, she responds amorously, much to his chagrin.

High points of the movie:

* The whole "electromagnetic fields are lethal to men" bit, which had me rolling on the floor.

* A couple of male bad guys dying from, as near as I can tell, turning completely red all over. Even their clothes. This is, apparently, the inevitable consequence of exposing men to electromagnetic fields. (Now you know why your Mom always told you not to sit so close to the TV...)

* The obvious set pieces when Helm is supposed to be outdoors.

* A set of railroad tracks which leads right up to the very edge of a cliff, apparently for no other reason than to allow a railroad flatcar to careen dramatically off said cliff.

* The *incredibly* cheesy effects, which include ray guns that emit sparks, and radar towers that emit obvious "radar" noises.

* Helm turning his belt into a sword by the simple expedient of getting it wet.

It's true that none of the other Matt Helm movies are pinnacles of the film-maker's craft. But the plot and cheesy special effects make THE AMBUSHERS a cut below the others. In ranking the four Matt Helm movies in terms of overall quality, this would be #4 on my list. But in ranking them in terms of laughs (both intentional and otherwise), this is easily #1.

Matt Helm makes Austin Powers look like Smiley
Hopelessly cheeseball, sexist comedy, but entertaining in a creepy, pathological, what-were-they-thinking-back-then kind of way. The smarm content is high, but this is one for the 60's time capsule. Prepare your jaw for much dropping. ... Read more

Reviews (185)

A few scenes more
Sergio Leone proudly served up his finest spaghetti Western to a Roman audience in the final days of 1966. The premiere print of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" sprawled over three hours in telling its tale of three desperados in search of gold amid the chaos of the Civil War.

The men from United Artists also were on the trail of treasure. American audiences, they knew, would not sit for a 178-minute Western, especially not an import starring a TV actor (Clint Eastwood).

Out came 17 minutes, and so was breach-born the version of "Good, Bad, Ugly" that has endured as a male-bonding touchstone for four decades. Looking to make things right (and to mine more gold), MGM a few years ago decided to re-create the storied film that unspooled in Rome that night. The restored, full-length English version of Leone's epic is worth every dollar in this two-disc DVD Collector's Set.

Sure, Leone's film loses much on the small screen -- its borderline-surrealistic vistas shot in Spain are legendary -- but the DVD's visuals are clean, with decent contrasts (anamorphic widescreen, 2.35:1). Compared to MGM's 1998 release, there's a dramatic reduction in flatness, speckling and miscellaneous wear. The 5.1 Dolby Digital audio has its moments but isn't up to the standards of the imagery.

The DVD medium is, of course, unrivaled at presenting the history of complicated productions like these. MGM's set gets that job done, for the most part. Eastwood biographer Richard Schickel does the heavy lifting in a commentary that, amazingly, runs on fumes only near the end of three hours. The 2002 restoration project is covered in an 11-minute docu that goes over the added/restored scenes. They mostly just smooth out the narrative, but it's hard to reimagine the film without them.

"Good, Bad, Ugly" is as closely associated with composer Ennio Morricone as with Leone. Film music historian Jon Burlingame talks about the maestro in a short featurette and in a more-detailed audio lecture. No explanation is given for Morricone's lack of participation on the DVD, and you get the feeling he's been downplayed for not playing along.

There are two types of people, my friend......
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is the classic spaghetti western that completes Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy. This is personally my favorite over the other two, although all three are great. The movie follows three men in their pursuit of $200,000 in gold. The story is set in the Civil War in southern Texas. The adventures of the three characters include a Union prison camp, a huge battle reminiscent of World War I, and of course the famous showdown in the Sad Hill Cemetery with Tuco running frantically around the graves looking for the one marked "Arch Stanton."

All three main characters give excellent performances here. Clint Eastwood stars as Blondie, Eli Wallach as Tuco, and Lee Van Cleef as Angel Eyes. The fourth star has to be Ennio Morricone's soundtrack. The music is fabulous throughout and well worth buying the soundtrack. Also starring are Mario Brega, Luigi Pistilli, and Aldo Sambrell. Leone's use of extreme close-ups and epic landscapes are excellent throughout.

The DVD is awesome and well worth the purchase. It contains the widescreen presentation, excellent color and sound, theatrical trailer, and 14 minutes of never-before-seen footage with English subtitles. This footage includes scenes that help explain how Angel Eyes ends up in a Union prison camp and also how Blondie later joins up with Angel Eyes' gang. After seeing the movie so many times without this footage, it was odd to see it, but still very entertaining. A must have for Spaghetti western fans!

Brilliant Restoration!
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is Sergio Leone's magnum opus. An audacious undertaking, it would have flopped miserably in any other director's hands. Only someone so commited to his artistic vision as Leone could have pulled off this bombastic pageantry of human nature in all its facets, its capacity for cynicism, greed, bloodlust, revenge, heroism, redemption and honour.

This movie must be *experienced.* Put the DVD in, turn the stereo all the way up and let it pummel you from the moment the Lardani titles blast onto the screen in a blaze of Technicolor fury. The montage of colour, interspersed by stark black and white visages of Eastwood, Van Cleef and Wallach is a tough act to follow, like Saul Bass' mesmerising titles for Hitchcock's "Vertigo."

The wait is now over! Last year, MGM/UA issued a restored 35mm print, which showed at the Film Forum in Manhattan. First restored in Italian by Cineteca Nazionale, the English-language restoration was spearheaded by Martin Scorsese, whose efforts with the Film Preservation Foundation have helped fund preservation of America's celluloid heritage. Both Eli Wallach and Clint Eastwood returned to the sound studio to dub new dialogue for approximately 20 minutes of restored footage. Both sound a little older and scratchier, but these added scenes help to explain both Tuco's and Angel Eyes' gangs and some plot points that were previously unclear. However, they both sound great! (Van Cleef's voice was dubbed by a professional voiceover artist, and sounds almost on target). The movie now has the true feel of a sprawling epic, one that's earned its right to take its time.

This special edition DVD features the movie restored to its original length in the Italian version, and comes jam packed with interviews with Eastwood, Wallach, producer Alberto Grimaldi and -- most importantly -- Mickey Knox, who wrote the English language dialogue. Knox crafted lines that lived up to the larger than life screenplay. You'd swear the original was in English, the dialogue is so perfectly tailored!

But the vision is singularly Leone's. It starts slowly, as a band of bounty killers home in on their prey, small-time bandit Tuco Ramirez (THE UGLY, played by the venerable Eli Wallach). They pile through a saloon door, then the camera imediately pans away laterally. Suddenly, his body hurtling through the front window in a rain of glass, Tuco bursts onto the street -- in what has to be the most absurd grand entrance in screen history -- revolver in one hand, a chicken leg in the other. It's total chutzpah on Leone's and Wallach's part.

If you think *that* can't be topped, watch Wallach's entire performance. Animated is putting it mildly. More than a performance, Wallach is a one-man band, nay, Army. Never has such a selfish, petty, ratty and shifty little man been played so larger than life. Wallach smirks, scurries, grimaces, chuckles, shouts, bellows and slyly oils his way across the screen in what has got to be the hammiest performance ever by a method actor. Or *any* actor: He makes Orson Welles, Burt Lancaster and Charles Laughton look like the grey and sullen cast of Woody Allen's "Interiors," he's so alive with passion that he literally sweats his performance out through the filthy pores on his stubble-ridden face. And he's wonderful!

If that's a tough act to follow, you haven't met the bad. They don't come any badder than Angel Eyes, Lee Van Cleef's hired killer who's got ice water running through his veins. Van Cleef is ruthless, bold and heartless. Riding out of nowhere onto a doomed man's rancho, Angel Eyes pays a visit, carrying out a murder for hire. The price: $500. But the victim offers him $1000 to look the other way. No dice: Angel Eyes isn't in it for the money. Rather, he's a man who loves his work, and always sees the job through. So, the poor sod dies anyway.

Clint Eastwood is as cool as a cucumber as The Man With No Name (but really one with sort of a name, in this case "Blondie," which is Wallach's moniker for him). It's fun watching the ongoing relationship between Blondie and Tuco as bounty hunter and prey. In another life, they would have been great pals, but in this life ("we're all alone in this world," Tuco confesses to Blondie, half seriously, half cynically) their love of money is thicker than friendship. So, they invent ingenious and cruel ways to exact revenge of each other.

It's during one of Tuco's sadistic plots - in which he marches the pale-skinned Eastwood across 100 miles of scorching desert - that the plot finally comes to a head: A driverless stagecoach full of wounded Confederates happens across their path, and through a twist of fate, Tuco and Blondie each have two halves of a secret which, if put together, will make them a quarter of a million dollars richer. But, without each other the two halves are worthless. Thus does Tuco do a 180 from brutal executioner to Blondie's would-be saviour. Now that he could be rich, he suddenly realizes how valuable their friendship is.

It's not before long that they wind up with Angel Eyes, as they're captured by Union soldiers. At the prisoner of war camp, a deadly game of cat and mouse begins. Van Cleef is now more restrained and less thuggish as he deals with Tuco to extract the secret; his henchman Wallace (Mario Brega, a Leone stalwart), pummels it out of Tuco.

In epic fashion, after a shootout in a deserted town and a bridge demolition that explodes across the screen, Tuco, Blondie and Angel Eyes make their way to the cemetery where the treasure is buried. In a fanfare of brass, percussion and chorus, the three face each other down in the cemetery plaza. It's a gorgeous and cathartic set piece. Credit must go not only to composer Ennio Morricone but also to musical director Bruno Nicolai, who conducts the score con fuoco.

The West as it never ws
It took an Italian to revolutionize the American Western. Everything was strange and new about the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Perhaps the strangest was that it was not a contest between good and evil -- the white hats and the black hats -- as was the typical western, but instead had a plot driven by the greed of the three characters -- one of whom is charitably called good, the other two certifiably bad and ugly.

The music is extraordinary -- one of the best and most original soundtracks ever. The photography is weird -- no one had ever focused so close-up on people's eyes or the pores in their skin. The violence is brutal and surreal. The three-cornered gunfight is one of the great scenes from cinema. The scenery is off. It doesn't look like the American west -- and in fact it isn't. The movie was made in Spain. The characters are incredibly seedy. Most of them look like they took a bath about a decade ago and haven't changed their clothes since. And nobody gets the girl -- because there isn't any girl.

I love this movie! It makes my all-time top ten list. Clint Eastwood is cool beyond belief; Eli Wallach is a hoot; and Lee Van Cleef is really, really bad.

"Such ingratitude after all the times I saved your life..."
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is Sergio Leone's epic masterpiece. While it is part of his Spaghetti Western Trilogy( all three films have different characters and plots), the film stands on its own and really shows you how good a movie can really be. This movie has it all. It has action, drama and even some comic relief in it. It is a timeless classic that is unforgettable. When I first saw it, I was a little kid and couldn't truly appreciate it as I can now at age 22.

Blondie (The Man with No Name) isn't your typical good guy. He mainly does things that suits his own agenda. However, when compared to the murderous Angel Eyes and the greedy Tuco, Blondie is saint. This tale involves bloodshed, shoot-outs, search for treasure, and double-crossing. And it all takes place while the Civil War is going on, which makes things a lot more "interesting" for the notorious three. The West has never been wilder or more unpredictable than it is now. With an incredible score, excellent acting, and superb story-telling, this is one memorable film that you will never forget.

As I said in the beginning, the first time I saw this was when I was a little kid. When I just recently purchased this new edition of the movie, it truly was like I was watching it for the first time. Coming from a guy who isn't a big fan of Westerns (I don't mind them, but I don't watch too many of them), I absolutely LOVED this film. In fact, I wanted to give it a standing ovation when it was all said and done due to how moved I was by it. This really is filmmaking at its finest. I wasn't terribly impressed with Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America," but he is absolutely flawless with this amazing and timeless Western. It is slower than the second film ("For a Few Dollars More"), but I think that makes this all the better. The build up of tension is much more present in this film, and you really get the sense that these characters are real people. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach are brilliant in their roles, and a lot of props need to go to Lee Van Cleef as he is absolutely chilling in his role.

This new edition really does the film the justice it deserves. The film has been restored to the director's original vision as much as possible, giving you an extra 18 minutes. You will notice the added scenes as the voices have been re-dubbed (the first time you will notice this will throw you, as I think that specific part has the worst re-dubbing, but the other added scenes are done a lot better, even if you still notice it). The picture looks incredible and the sound is great. Extras included are commentary from Richard Schickel, a couple of documentaries and featurettes, poster gallery, deleted scenes and the original theatrical trailer. Along with the nice packaging, you get an 8-page booklet that includes pictures from the film along with Roger Ebert's most recent review of the film. And, you get some mini-posters included inside the packaging as well. A superior edition of the movie, without question.

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is a pure triumph in filmmaking and should be seen by everybody at least once. Don't let the fact that this is a Western throw you. I think this can be enjoyed by everybody, and even by those who are not big fans of Westerns. A film filled with authentic emotion and action, this is one that shouldn't be missed by anyone. I LOVE this movie, and I cannot express that enough. -Michael Crane ... Read more