Description

Digital VHS (D-VHS) is the first high-definition home video format. These tapes deliver more than double the lines of resolution and 10 times the capacity of DVDs. When played in a D-VHS player attached to an HDTV set, these movies will sound and look better than ever. D-VHS tapes can be played only on D-VHS players. ... Read more

Reviews (403)

Masterful and Commanding
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is the latest attempt by the Hollywood establishment to revive the nautical adventure genre that enjoyed great popularity during Hollywood's "golden age." Based on Patrick O'Brian's phenomenally successful novels about British heroism during the Napoleonic Wars, the film traces the efforts of Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and his loyal crew to intercept and destroy an errant French warship in the Pacific waters near the Galapagos Islands. Although this movie will disappoint any audience member who is expecting a great deal of background information about the historical intricacies and personalities of the Napoleonic Age, it will thrill and entertain all filmgoers who love the kinetic energy and old-fashioned showmanship of a well directed swashbuckler.
Veteran director Peter Weir is entitled to an Oscar nomination simply for staging some of the most dazzling and exhilarating naval battle sequences of all-time. The violent encounters between Aubrey's HMS Surprise and its French counterpart the Acheron were so gripping and realistic that several audience members at the showing I attended were literally gasping for breath as they left the theater (the sound of cannon fire and rushing water no doubt reverberating in their ears). However, Weir deserves the most credit for his detailed and provocative portrayal of every aspect of life aboard a British warship, circa 1805. Audiences get to see the chief lieutenants create strategies and chart courses, the midshipman cope with the responsibilities holding authority over much of the crew while still conforming to the expectations of their superiors, and the common sailors, mates and boatswain confront unbearable weather and inedible food as they prepare to risk their lives for the country they love. Several characters leave an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of viewers, particularly Max Pirkis as a prepubescent crew member who faces the amputation of an arm with unwavering courage and Lee Ingleby as an indecisive midshipman who becomes convinced that his presence is cursing the ship. The battle scenes owe much of their punch and power to Weir's realization that it is far more engaging to watch complex, multifaceted figures battle it out for God and country than it is to watch caricatured personalities scramble through combat without purpose or motivation.
At the center of the fray is Russell Crowe, who thoroughly captures Captain Aubrey's intensity and charisma. It isn't easy to play a character that orders the vicious beating of an unruly sailor in one scene and makes charming toasts to wives and sweethearts ("may they never meet!") in another, but Crowe succeeds brilliantly by imagining Aubrey as an impulsive individualist who stands by his instincts and emotions in any context. When the Captain engages in heated philosophical discussions about loyalty and leadership with his friend Dr. Steven Maturin (Paul Bettany), it is riveting to watch the star's fascinating portrait of a man obsessed with his own righteousness. Crowe will almost certainly reap some significant awards from this impressive performance, and at the very least he has found a profitable new franchise to sail through the rest of the decade with.

The War on the Waters
I came to 'Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World' with little expectations beyond reasonable entertainment. I was thus surprised that this was a powerful little human drama about a vicious chase in the high seas.

What makes 'Master and Commander' successful is not the plot, which is a straightforward cat and mouse story. Rather, it succeeds because of its gritty sense of realism and the ability to capture the feel of time and place.

While most historical movies feature ordinary, contemporary people in period dress (see 'Gangs of New York'), Master and Commander does feel like it takes place in the early 19th century. It is little things, like Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) motivating his troops by demanding "Do you want your children to sing 'La Marseillaise'?", or the real excitement the characters display in discussing Nelson.

Also powerful is the film's feel for the hardships of warfare on the Sea. Early in the film, a child loses his arm, and throughout the movie real characters suffer casual death. At one point Jack Aubrey must choose between saving one man and saving his crew, and he allows the man to drown. This form of realism is so rare in Hollywood films, in makes 'Master and Commander' truly unique.

The great weakness of the film is its episodic nature. There is scarcely a plot - the hunt for the French frigate "Acheron" is merely a framework for the individual happenings, which include a storm, a suicide, and most infamously, a rather overlong subplot about Crowe's sidekick's (Paul Bettany) Darwin-like expedition to Galapagos Islands.

Indeed, the emergence of this subplot makes the second half of the film slow and much less interesting then the first half. Although the scenery is breathtaking, the story just fails to move, until Bettany's accidental discovery of the Acheron, which sets the stage for the climatic battle.

Director Peter Weir and his crew should be commanded for a great adaptation of Patrick O'Brien's seafaring adventure. If there will be a sequel, I will go with high expectations.

EVERYTHING --& more!!
1. this is THE cute guy movie. from 8 to 80, small, tall, thin or round, this movie will have someone for you. i can only imagine my sister, who once had a list of 254 men she Truly Cared About that included people like the guy 3d from the left in the second scene of Star Trek 2, drooling like a pet of pavlov w/in the first 3 minutes.

2. & speaking of star trek-----

russell crow _IS_ Captain James T. Kirk.

this is the most postmodern movie i have ever seen!!

here is an actor playing a captain playing an actor playing a captain!!

i think captainhood has been forever embedded in the mind of anyone young or old & privileged enough to see the _real_ & _only_ Star Trek as meaning one thing: William Shatner. watch the timing!! watch the _gestures_!! watch the way he looks at the camera. the likeness is uncanny!!

my partner watched this movie a couple of days before i did & when i said to him, "you know who that is--" he said he had thought the same thing.

amazing!!

dont worry, i LOVE Captain James T. Kirk. when i was a very little kid, even younger than any of the little kids in this movie, my parents & i saw him (the actor, not the captain) screaming at his girlfriend at a folk dance festival. that image is embedded in my brain as well!!

anyway.

Captain Kirk, in order to be Captain Kirk, MUST have his Spock. & here, of course, he does. but oddly his Spock is only the entrée into........

3. the Monty Python element. think John Cleese, younger (much much younger), w/ a lot of freckles & a slightly skinnier jawline. think his uppercrust gestures & the way he often looks up at you (thru the camera) w/ those eyes..... right here. Mr. Spock as a naturalist-warrior-sailor-doctor who also, on the side, runs the Ministry of Silly Walks.

but thats not all!!

you also get, in this movie that was modeled on "Star Trek transports itself into Monty Python & the Holy Grail on the High Seas" --the old guy. you remember the Old Guy. he is embedded in yr brain too. i know he is. & it will be very very hard for you to watch a scene wherein he appears w/o thinking of eric idle, hanging on a dungeon wall & singing. every single time.

but nobody is singing "la marseillaise" b/c when you finally do meet those french types, they are too busy yelling things like:

"oh you english pig-dogs!!" --you get that too!! i almost expected a bunch of fruit & a cow to come flying over the side of the boat.

& theres more-- so much more-- it makes ones brain itch trying to remember it all.....

4. &, speaking of an itchy brain, in addition to heroic self-surgery, one also gets: trepanning. woohoo!! personally, i recommend amanda fielding's video (worth looking up) as she is doing real-life, real-time self-trepanning, but this one works as a little preview. & besides, she doesnt stick a quarter into her skull.

5. &, wait, there is so much more!! poop on the poopdeck (rewind or you will miss it. my partner, who worked on lots of boats made us rewind so i wouldnt miss it)-- & LOTS & LOTS of animals. i LOVE this movie!!

but probably not in the way that peter weir intended. which is why i gave it 4 stars. it is the most postmodern movie i have ever seen. the whole thing seems plotted, directed & acted as if it were a bunch of archetypal television programs strung together or laid on top of one another (lets not forget marlon brando (rip) in "mutiny on the bounty," although that might just have been inspiration for the costumes) (& do remember "the poseiden adventure" & undoubtedly "titanic" (i havent seen it)) w/ unbelievably fabulous images of oceans, islands, ground & ships-- just gorgeous stuff from the director of "the last wave."

& yes, it is a roiling barrel of entertainment.

Cat and Mouse on the high seas
Set in the Napoleonic Wars of the early nineteeth century, Master and Commander is based on the Patrick O'Brian's historical novels. The essence of the story is a chase starting off the coast of Brazil and ending up off the Galapogos islands, between a French ship with its clever commander and the HMS Surprise- the ship at the center of the story.

The movie itself is richly laid out in genuine props of the era, which succeeds in giving it an air of realism. Russell Crowe does a fine job as Captain 'Lucky Jack' Aubrey, a man with a history of experience and well respected by his sometimes grumbling men. The supporting cast is excellent with a list of characters that adds to the richness of life on a seafaring ship of that era.

Crowe doesn't grandstand and take over the movie allowing the story, other characters and action to speak for themselves. A lot of credit should of course go to Peter Weir for his direction and his adaption of O'Brian's novel.

Master and Commander is very reminiscent of old Hollywood epics and a quite enjoyable movie. I honestly didn't expect much and came away very satisfied and entertained.

Highly entertaining and recommended.

Well acted action-adventure film
A definite surprise - I enjoyed this movie much more than I thought I would. Very well acted, especially Paul Bettany as Dr. Stephen Maturin and Max Pirkis as the very young midshipman who loses his arm in the opening battle scene. While the special effects of the movie are amazing, they didn't overshadow the depth of the characters protrayed. Unless you are a reader of the O'Brian novels (which I recommend even more highly than the movie), you wouldn't notice one major change. The Acheron was really the USS Norfolk - an AMERICAN ship - not French. I guess the producers figured we wouldn't put down our dollars to see a movie where we were the losers. ... Read more

Description

Digital VHS (D-VHS) is the first high-definition home video format. These tapes deliver more than double the lines of resolution and 10 times the capacity of DVDs. When played in a D-VHS player attached to an HDTV set, these movies will sound and look better than ever. D-VHS tapes can be played only on D-VHS players. ... Read more

Reviews (219)

A fun action film
Well, despite a few very minor errors, this is a great action movie. It's one of those movies that at times tends to keep you at the edge of your seat waiting on "how is the main character gonna evade his pursuers this time?" (hope i didn't give away much). The movie is great in the sense that it has lots of action for all those action-junkies like myself, and yet it still makes a lot of sense. It's not just one of those shoot-em-up and run-around-for-no-reason movies. The movie is suspenseful in a sense and has a great story, plus occasional comedy relief from no other than Owen Wilson. Some do consider Owen to be completely wrong for this part but he kind of has the right chemistry for the role. Plus, him and Gene Hackman kind of connect and depict in many ways a relationship between a "captain" and his "troop". Plus the movie is directed really well that it makes this film seem so much more realistic. (that maybe also have been caused by the fact that this movie really was shot in southeastern Europe and some of the cast were actual natives of these lands, not some americans trying their hardest to impersonate people of other nations.) Overall, a fun, exciting movie for the family, and it really does deserve the full five stars.

Behind Enemy Lines-A Interesting War Film
Behind Enemy Lines, was a decent war film, as for debuting director John Moore I say it was a good start. Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman star. Owen Wilson plays a Navy pilot, Chris Burnett who is shot down by Serbs. Gabriel Macht, plays Stackhouse who is Wilson's co-pilot, but sadly gets executed by Serbian troops in Camo. From here we get thrilling action sequences and death-defying stunts, that only one can imagine. Loud and explosive, espeically if you have watched the DVD. The DVD features many extra features, from Behind-the-Scenes to Director's Commentary and even a trailer for Minority Report. The acting is good, I must say I like Owen Wilson he is quite funny, and Irish director John Moore does a fine job, for his first film I should add. Good performances and loud action sequences as well as some historic facts and beautiful scenery make this film what it is. Despite upsetting reviews, I enjoyed this film. Behind Enemy Lines is rated PG-13 for War Violence and Some Language, so an exceptable choice for preteens. I should add that some review attacked the violence portrayed in this film, they said it was too violent and way too bloody, I happen to disagree. Behind Enemy Lines is worth owning and I enjoyed it. Maybe you can too, atleast rent it. Now available to rent or own on Video and DVD.

Dire !
This film just goes to show how pompous and stupid Americans are ! Not just through the highly stereotyped film but due to the completly DIRE direction.
The scene in which "our boy" arrives at the (first) rendezvous point and radios in, for example, when Hackman looses the radio signal then blares out "where is he ? I need a location" (after he was just told he'd reached the rendezvous point) closely followed by a quick radio conversation with no location whatsoever resulting in everyone going to the same place. The only reason you would want to see this film is to make you feel good that the Americans only came into World War 2 at the last minute! Pedictable and Lame (Soundtrack is ok though Fluke and Feeder both English bands ... how patriotic :) )

Behind Terrible Movies (like this one)
--

In "Behind Enemy Lines," the writer, producers, and director apparently got together with some military PsyOps people at which point they asked each other, "How can we best portray the US effort in the Balkans?" "I know," they exclaimed in tandem, "we'll create a glossy, patriotic movie that's completely inaccurate!

"Let's make the Serbs the unshaven evil guys who assassinate Americans. Let's make the Muslims the clean-shaven, peace-loving victims who save the American(s). And let's make the Americans, well, just normal Americans with normal attributes like incontestable honesty, unimaginable bravery, irrefutable nobility, and the rest of it. The problem is, of course, none of it is true.

It's not difficult to understand why movies like this get made. Obviously, to fetch some money. It also helps if they can bolster support for, and simplify the explanation of, dubious wars. But it's a boring template -- a tired, salami-factory formula.

The film does have some special effects -- jumpy ground-level cameras attempt take the nervous viewer closer to bleak, desperate landscapes, etc., -- but it's all been done before. There's nothing remotely innovative here. Indeed, adding special effects on top of so many clichés makes the film seem triter, stupider.

Unless movies co-scripted by the Pentagon are your thing, "Behind Enemy Lines" makes for pretty awful viewing. That it fails on so many levels isn't surprising -- when was the last time the US Government made a good movie?

--

Wow
This movie is based upon a true story.

It's Christmas day but that doesn't mean that Burnett and Stackhouse will be spared of a mission to fly over war-torn Bosnia.
As they fly over Bosnia, these two brave American soldiers notice that the serbs are still roaming the Bosnia's region but worst of all they discover a mass grave. The hand-blooded serbs don't like the idea of Americans shooting photographs from the plane and reveal their ugly deeds to the world so they Shoot the plane succesfully then things start to go terribly wrong as the Americans are behind dangerous enemy lines.
One gets captured and executed immediately. The other one escapes and this movie is how he survives.

Absolutely accurate. The Serbs and French commanders who back up their war crimes are shown like they truly are.

A must see movie.

Highly Recommended ... Read more

Reviews (37)

The ultimate revenge trip
This screen adaptation of the A.J. Quinnell novel has received mixed reviews, but I found it remained generally true to the spirit of the book.

Creasy (Denzel Washington) is a broken-down, alcoholic, ex-special forces assassin. Visiting his friend Rayburn (Christopher Walken) in Mexico City, he ends up taking a job as a bodyguard to make ends meet. A kidnapping spree has spread throughout Latin America and a wealthy young couple hires Creasy to protect their young daughter. Less concerned with her safety, their primary reason for hiring him is to fulfill the terms of a kidnap-insurance policy.

Pita (Dakota Fanning)'s spunk and unabashed friendliness slowly penetrate Creasy's veil of pain and alcoholism. Soon, he's not only protecting her, but is also coaching her at swimming and helping with studies. Then, in the turning point of the film, despite Creasy's quick-witted defense, Pita is kidnapped from her piano lesson and Creasy left for dead with multiple gunshot wounds.

Corrupt cops, mobsters, and other officials are all taking their cuts from the kidnapping game. As Creasy begins to recover, he sets off on the ultimate roadtrip of revenge. And all hell breaks loose.

I rated this film four stars. Tony Scott has to tone down the nausea-inducing quick cuts, fades, over-exposures, and other tricks of the trade. When he gets into story-telling mode, he does his best work, as Fanning and Washington are nearly perfect in their roles. Do yourself a service and read the books. Nothing matches the entire Creasy series.

Makes "Deathwish" look like a cakewalk.
"Death is his art. And he's about to paint his masterpiece."

That is the right line for this movie, spoken by Christopher Walken, the right actor. Obsessed with the grandeur of bloodshed, "Man On Fire" is apocalyptic, spun from the roughest parts of the Old Testament. Tony Scott's movie is a kidnapping drama set in Mexico City - a "special place" according the end credits. Special indeed - take the film at its word, and half the cops are corrupt and in competition with kidnappers for ransom money. The corrupt judicial unit, dubbed "La Hermandad," is impenetrable. Unless you're Denzel Washington.

In a performance that melds elements of his Oscar-winning turn in "Training Day" and his work in "Courage Under Fire," Washington is John Creasy, a suicidal alcoholic ex-Marine offered a job through war-buddy Rayburn (Walken) to protect the daughter of a sweatshop industrialist (Marc Anthony). This daughter, Pita, played by the increasingly skilled Dakota Fanning - who's given dialogue and mannerisms better suited to a 16-year-old - charms Creasy out of his shell, makes him become her swim coach. Fanning is, in a sense, a peculiar little girl, so far beyond her years in gestures that when she laughs at a joke of Rayburn's that she'd have no way of understanding, we begin to wonder if her maturity has been misused.

So then - Pita's snatched in a setup, Creasy's shot, and after he recovers, his counterpunch makes "Deathwish" look like a cakewalk.

"Kill them all," Pita's mother (a glammed-out Radha Mitchell) whispers as Creasy holds his Bible. This vengeance either invigorates you or it doesn't. As these films go, "Man On Fire" is among the most violent and malevolent. The script, by Brian Helgeland, pretends to ask the larger questions about sacrifice and morality, but it isn't into sparing lives. There is torture, then more of it, then death. When a nightclub is blown up, the crowd roars. That's quite a bit unlike the recent fire in Rhode Island.

The most controversial scene involves a rectum bomb set to Creasy's digital pager. "I wish - you had more time," Creasy intones ironically. A corrupt cop, stripped to his underwear and bent over a car under a freeway, has no more time.

Cynical and a bit beefier, Washington is good as the tough hombre with a rocket launcher. The mark of a good actor is to want what he wants even when we shouldn't. Washington's that guy. Walken shuffles around with his offbeat cadence, utters the movie's best line, and disappears. Anthony is jittery in a limited role. Mickey Rourke makes a cameo using his real, non-sandpaper voice. Mitchell isn't much of an actor, but she's platinum gorgeous, and a perfect trophy wife she makes. Between her and Anthony's character, you wonder where Pita got her smarts.

Mexico City, when we can get a clear view of it from Scott's dizzying camera, is a bright, messy backdrop. Scott's editor on "Spy Game," Christian Wagner, achieves the feat making sense out of chaos and vice versa, though an early scene featuring a drunk, bawling Creasy could have been pieced together more clearly. Helgeland adapts A.J. Quinnel's novel, and it's not his best work - the plot holes are big enough to drive Hummers through. Scott resorts to flashing dialogue, both Spanish and English, on the screen in a pop-art, free-verse-poetry presentation that's at first unique, then distracting, then annoying. Notice, too, that it doesn't start happening until Fanning's offscreen.

As it unfolds on a desolate bridge near a Biblical tree in the middle of Mexico, the end of "Man On Fire" is the kind of preordained, wide-shot-to-show-significance material Scott has loved since "Enemy of the State," the first of his "import" trilogy that hopefully ends with this film. Prior to that Will Smith vehicle, Scott made hard-boiled, straight-ahead popcorn flicks - "Days of Thunder," "Top Gun," "The Last Boy Scout" "Crimson Tide" - that were shallow, lurid, painfully macho but, at the very least, aware of themselves and fun. "Man On Fire" is enamored with its potential greatness when it's really a B-movie playing with an A-list star and budget.

Washington is Creasy Bear...storyline diverges from the book
If you've read the book, the movie's storyline is a little disappointing. If you've seen the movie and haven't read the book yet... You really need to. It is most satisfying, and will give you a better understanding and appreciation of the character Creasy.

The location switch from Italy to Mexico works well. Of course, we miss out on the Isle of Gozo. As with most novel-to-cinema adaptions, we miss out on a lot of subplot (Creasy's women). And as is inevitable with a major studio production, the ending has been "Hollywood-ized." (can't tell you more without giving away the ending... read the book).

However, Denzel Washington does an excellent job portraying the character Creasy, as I knew he would. Dakota Fanning is Pinta, no question about it. Christopher Walken, always a good choice, was an excellent casting choice here. A.J. Quinnell would be proud. Marc Anthony...? Well, A.J. Quinnell would understand.

Great Movie
Denzel Washington is one of the greatest actors around. And Dakota Fanning is absoultely amazing.
The script just has you on the edge of your seat the entire time. With alot of surprises and suspense.
Very enjoyable, one of the best movies this year.

Absolute Masterpiece
This movie is by far once of the best movies I have seen in a very very long time. One guy made the comment that Denzel didnt have a character that was believeable, this couldnt be anymore further from the truth. This movie is great from opening credit to the closing credits. Denzel once again not only wows me but Dakota Fanning did an outstanding job also. Anybody that hasnt seen this movie really needs to take the time and watch this. GREAT, AWESOME movie. you will all be happy you did...September 14th cant come soon enough.....5 stars isnt a good enough rating for this movie but its all i can give it

GO SEE THIS ... Read more

Description

Digital VHS (D-VHS) is the first high-definition home video format. These tapes deliver more than double the lines of resolution and 10 times the capacity of DVDs. When played in a D-VHS player attached to an HDTV set, these movies will sound and look better than ever. D-VHS tapes can be played only on D-VHS players. ... Read more

Reviews (242)

An Original Suspense-Thriller
With a fascinating premise, Phone Booth begins with some well-conceived New York City imagery, then taking viewers to the busy life of crude publicist Stu Shepard, played by Colin Farrell. After making a call to Pamela McFadden (Katie Holmes), who he is having an affair with, though she, quite innocently, does not know that Stu is actually married to his wife Kelly, Stu hears the phone booth ring, and he answers the phone. On the other line is a sniper who will shoot him if he hangs up or tells anyone. Soon, after the Caller proves his motive by gunning down a man ready to force Stu out of the booth, the authorities arrive.
A triumph in some fantastic photography and editing, Phone Booth is a modern example of the quick-cut editing seen in most trailers, but does it well. Split-screen technique is usefully inputted here, again displaying the quick pace of this man's life. A jolting, synthesized musical score accompanies the cinematography, and is at just the right level.
The movie is directed by Joel Schumacher, who handles the premise well, and written by Larry Cohen, whose dialogue is realistic. Stars Colin Farrell and Forest Whitaker, Captain Ramey of the NYPD, have a good screen presence that lasts the single-set suspense-thriller. It is Kiefer Sutherland, as the voice of the Caller, who menaces the characters and the viewers with his taunting, threatening tones, who really steals the show. His demands and hateful voice add to the movie.
However, the "urban reality" that the film provides is only stereotypical and clichéd. Teeming with break-dancers, prostitutes, and baseball-wielding pimps, the inner-city portrayal isn't quite believable, and the shouting prostitutes get really annoying. And while it lacks in a truly exciting finish, the film makes up for it with the tension throughout.

Intense
Phone Booth is easily one of the most intense 80 minutes in film history. Word to the wise, never pick up a ringing public telephone.

THE STORY:

Stu Shephard (Colin Farrell) is a Manhattan publicist guilty of a few things: being a somewhat dishonest businessman and lustfully fawning after a young actress, Pamela (Katie Holmes) despite being married. Little does he know that someone's been watching him lust after Pam. When Stu enters his Manhattan phone booth to talk to Pam (as has been his ritual) he's taken hostage by a psychotic sniper (Kiefer Sutherland) who's determined to make "bad men" repent for their unrighteous actions. Things go from bad to worse for Stu when he's accused of shooting a street pimp from the booth and the swat team arrives to take him into custody. Unfortunately for him, the sniper won't let him leave the booth till he confesses his sins.

THE COOL THINGS:

It amazes me that the entire movie takes place on a street corner in a phone booth - all 80 minutes of this movie. It amazes me further that the movie manages to remain engaging and enthralling. The suspense maintained by the movie is very reminiscent of Sutherland's other current big profile work, namely 24.

The sniper character voiced by Sutherland is easily the highlight of the movie. The sniper is obviously a psychotic stalker and killer. However, he is also at the same time an avenging angel with an odd sense of justice.

BEST SCENES:

Well, quite honestly, the whole movie is basically one big scene at the phone booth. At a brisk 80 minutes the movie moves along at a brisk pace and is quite honestly one big thrill ride.

THE DVD FEATURES:

Not much to write home about here. For the DVD you get the now standard director's commentary (great listen) plus the theatrical trailer for the movie.

THE VERDICT:

At a short 80 minutes "Phone Booth" is perfect viewing - a quick but intense thrill ride. Think of it like a quick high, it doesn't last very long but is worth every minute.

Highly Recommended

Not an entire waste of 81 minutes.
This is a movie that I put off watching for a long time, because it sounded really boring. Trap a man in a phone booth, and talk him to death? Yawn.

I finally watched it with the rationale that it is Colin Farrell in the booth, and therefore would not be another "My Dinner with Andre" kind of movie.

While I've seen better movies, this one kept my attention, and I would never consider it to be 81 minutes of my life irretrievably lost. Colin Farrell is brilliant as Stu Shepard, but the rest of the cast fails to register on the "Wow" scale. Katie Holmes is cute, but horribly miscast, and Forest Whitaker won't be putting this one down as one of his better performances. Nobody else even registers, except of course the caller, who has a suitably creepy voice.

The concept is intriguing, as a mystery caller with a wealth of technology and information seeks to right the wrongs of the world, one slime-ball at a time. Worse offenders must have crossed his path, but for some strange reason, he decides to target Shepard for the "crimes" of fantasizing and nearly cheating on his wife, for faking his success, and for not being nice to people in general. After Shepard manages to tip off the police, and they finally realize that something's not right with the scenario, the movie wraps up in an untidy hurry.

The major let down for me was the prominent billing for Keifer Sutherland, even with his face in the cover shot, so you definitely knew something was wrong by the time you got to the end, said end being quite unsatisfying.

Plot holes abound, but if you can get past them, you will enjoy Farrell's performance.

Amanda Richards 7/12/04

Another Kid movie
This movie is supposed to be another action packed thing. But its more like a 2 year olds scary movie. This guy goes in to a phone boothe at a time given and if he puts down the phone hes gonna get shot. Theres this big red dot that stays on him all the time so if he puts down the phone hes gonna get shot.

Flawed but it's has Excellent Direction.
A Sleazy Publicist by the name of Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell), who decide to pick up a ringing phone from a New York City Phone Booth. After he called his Girlfriend/Mistress (Katie Holmes). Once he picked up the phone, Stu starts talking to a Mysterious Deranged Intelligent Person (Voiced by Kiefer Sutherland). Then Stu finds himself on the deadly end of a High-Powered Rifle Scope. Now Stu must outwit a Psychotic Sniper before He's out from the Phone Booth to Freedom.

Directed by Joel Schumacher (8MM, Falling Down, Tigerland) made a Clever, Suspenseful, Taut Dark Comedy Thriller. Farrell gives a Dynamic Performance and a Chilling Voice Work by Sutherland. This film was only shot in 12 Days in December, 2000 and it was release in April, 2003. Which it was probably, the best way to shot the film to keep the mood realistic. DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer (also in Pan & Scan) and an strong-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has an fine commentary track by the director and the original theatrical trailer. Do not miss this unique psychological thriller. Terrific Cinematography by Matthew Libatique (Abandon, Gothika, Requiem for a Dream). Written by Larry Cohen (It's Alive Trilogy, Guilty as Sin, Q-The Winged Serpent). Panavision. Grade:A-. ... Read more

Description

Digital VHS (D-VHS) is the first high-definition home video format. These tapes deliver more than double the lines of resolution and 10 times the capacity of DVDs. When played in a D-VHS player attached to an HDTV set, these movies will sound and look better than ever. D-VHS tapes can be played only on D-VHS players. ... Read more

Reviews (416)

The League of Extrodinary Gentlemen
A horribly burned madman, known as the Phantom/Fantom, is making very powerful weapons, is creating a world war and worst of all, it's not even the 20th Century yet! To combat this Phantom of the Opera wacko, "M"(Richard Roxburgh) has recruited 7 literary characters, each with their own special abilities and talents, to stop this madman. This team, which includes the Hunter Allan Quartermain(Sean Connery), the Rouge Rodney Skinner aka Invisible Man(Tony Curran), the Scientist Captain Nemo(Naseeruddin Shah), the Vampire Mina Harker(Peta Wilson), the Immortal Dorian Gray(Stuart Townsend), the Spy Tom Sawyer(Shane West), and the Beast Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde(Jason Flemyng and ugly CGI). Together, they form the League of Extrodinary Gentlemen.

This looked like a really fun movie. But in the end, it could of been done better. Now, I'm not very familiar with the comic book so I don't know how true this is to the material, but this film's weakest points are the script, which is terribly silly and pointless, and the horrible special effects. The action scenes were clumsy and you don't find any big suprises out of this film.

The actors range from good to bad. Sean Connery's a great actor, but he's just not believable as Quartermain because of his age. He seems too old to be able to do the physical things he can. Tony Curran is never given a chance to make us like his character. Skinner's a jerk most of the time and going back and forth between an actor in makeup and CGI effects is tedious. Naseeruddin Shah, as Captain Nemo, is fun to watch, but his fighting abilities seem a little hard to swallow. He's one of the better characters in the film. Peta Wilson does a fine job as Mina Harker. Her character is one you're really able to like. Stuart Townsend is great as Dorian Gray. He pulls the role off very well and has some pretty good lines. Shane West is good enough to make us like Tom Sawyer. He's got some really cool moments. Jason Flemyng is perfect as Dr.Jekyll, though the Hyde character looks really stupid(Facial expressions and deformations all over him.)

Overall, I'd say see it at least once. You might like it, you might hate it. Decide for yourself.

OK for hard core Connery Fans only!
No matter how many average, weird, or downright awful movies Sean Connery makes, he'll always command an audience. In this film, Connery plays a retired British explorer roped into preventing WW I by leading a team of misfits in a vaguely Bondian adventurer. As a nice twist, most of the misfits consist of 19th Century British villains such as Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man, and Captain Nemo. Of course, no one bothers to explain why such villains would agree to unite for any cause other than, well, villainy. The film is comic book-y in a bad way, with ridiculous dialogue and a poor sense of continuity, and the effects are frequently unintentionally funny, especially Mr. Hyde's appearance. Connery makes the film work as a throwaway action film, but it's clear from the extras that the cast and some of the crew were deluded into thinking this was something more. Not surprisingly, this movie plays much better on DVD than it did in the theaters. If you're a die-hard Connery fan, you'll like this one. If not, and you want to see Connery at his best, you'd be better off with Goldfinger.

not terrible - it's fun
You probably know that LXG has the Invisible Man, Alan Quatermain, Captain Nemo and company in it. You can read the good and bad reviews. I haven't anything to report other than that I enjoyed it and LXG doesn't deserve it's bad rep.

LXG is GREAT!
I love LXG! It's cartoony and action packed and has so many of my favorite fictional characters in it. Most importantly it's got Peta Wilson in a perfect role for her. Ultra-sexy Peta is one hot vampire chick! The reviewer who said she didn't do any vampire stuff must not have really seen the flick. She drinks human blood! What more do you want dude? She flies and turns into bats too! That's not vampire stuff? Stop smokin' and WATCH THE MOVIE!
Don't let bad reviews written by people who didn't see LXG turn you away. It may not be your thing or it might be. I had a ball watching LXG. Give it a go, have some fun with it, enjoy the characters, watch Peta do vampire stuff,.. and hell just watch Peta! She's HOT!

One very poorly polished turd...
Everyone I know who's seen this film, myself included, hated it!! It's an interesting concept, but none of the actors really shine here and the look of certain things, such as the ship, are totally overdone and stupid looking. You'd think a movie with a vampire chick in it would be good, but she doesn't do any vampire-like things. I appoligize if anyone "doesn't find this review helpful," but seriously, I TRIED trading this DVD in to a local DVD store and they turned me away. This is no lie, they had 17 used and unsold copies already. Please don't waste your time on this flick. ... Read more

Description

Digital VHS (D-VHS) is the first high-definition home video format. These tapes deliver more than double the lines of resolution and 10 times the capacity of DVDs. When played in a D-VHS player attached to an HDTV set, these movies will sound and look better than ever. D-VHS tapes can be played only on D-VHS players. ... Read more

Reviews (74)

The Best Movie of 2000!
There were ALOT of good movies in 2000(Shanghai Noon, MI2, Unbreakable,Gladiator, etc.), but this movie was truly the best. If you though Robin Williams was funny in Mrs. Doughtfire, you a'int seen nothing yet. This movie is a WHOLE lot different from that movie, so if you didn't like Mrs.Doughtfire, don't skip this movie just because of that. Martin Lawrence is one of the funniest actors around, next to Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey. He adds his own certain brilliance to the film only he can provide. There were so many laugh out loud scenes in this film your belly will be aching like crazy. The DVD makes it even better, with extra features up the wa-zoo. Deleted scenes, bloopers, music videos, making of, trailers and TV spots, and even a Me,Myself, & Irene trailer. The acting is one of a kind, and if you miss out on this movie, you miss out on alot, trust me.

Not that good.
You've seen them: Mrs. Doubtfire, Some Like It Hot, and now Big Momma. Of course, there's tons of others where the whole movie is revolved around morons dressing up as women. Morons being men.

Big Momma's House is that kind of movie with a Martin Lawrence twist on it. Only it's more to protect a fine woman from being killed by her criminal ex. She has a son as well.

This movie has lots of loopholes in it, and just the stupidity of it. No woman would go for someone who dressed up as their mother and thought she was a theif, and then she would make love to that person in a church.

Of course, there's too many crotch, giant butt, or giant breast in the face jokes, but it's still a little funny. Blue Streak was funnier, though. That's the Martin Lawrence movie.

This is the mindless, tasteless entertainment people manage to enjoy. This is fluff for a good time, if there's nothing else to really see at the theatre. Most of it is repeated material, too. Not badly directed, though. Recommended for mindless entertainment.

BIG MOMMAS HOUSE DVD-MARTIN LAWRENCE
A FUNNY MOVIE, ONLY BEACAUSE MARTIN LAWRENCE IS SO GOOD WHEN IN CHARACTER.LIKE IN HIS TV SHOW MARTIN(WHY ISNT THAT TV SHOW ON DVD? EVERYTHING ELSE IS)WHEN HE PORTRAYS HIS MOMMA OR SHENAYNAY OR OTIS.AN OK MOVIE TO CHECK OUT. BRING MARTINS TV SHOW TO DVD!!!! HE WAS BRILLIANT ON THAT SHOW.

MARTIN LAWRENCE IS GREAT
Loved this movie's comedy, the jokes, and the story line to match.

Laughing Good time
I love this movie. I laugh time and time again. It is funny comedy. ... Read more

Description

Digital VHS (D-VHS) is the first high-definition home video format. These tapes deliver more than double the lines of resolution and 10 times the capacity of DVDs. When played in a D-VHS player attached to an HDTV set, these movies will sound and look better than ever. D-VHS tapes can be played only on D-VHS players. ... Read more

Reviews (120)

DON'T SAY IT'S GOOD!!!
I was recently 'lucky' enough to see Don't Say A Word at a preview screening at my local movie theatre (in the UK). It's always exciting to be able to see a movie weeks ahead of the general public, plus it has a promising cast. In particular, Michael Douglas is a very fine actor that seldom makes poor movies and I've been very impressed (so far) with Famke Janssen's transition from model to actress but unfortunately that was about all there was to get excited about.

The opening bank robbery double cross scene of the movie is promising enough but unfortunately it's all downhill from there really. To say that the basic premise of the movie is pretty ridiculous and implausible is to understate. Dr Nathan Conrad an eminent psychiatrist is called in to help a clearly psychotic and uncommunicative patient, Elisabeth Burrows (Brittany Murphy), only to wake the next day to find that his daughter has been kidnapped by, the recently released from a ten year stretch in pokey, Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) and his bad boys. Apparently locked inside Burrows clearly loony head is a six digit code that will reveal the location of a $10 million diamond and in order to get his daughter back Dr Conrad has until 5 pm to retrieve the code. Yeah, like in reality that would be possible!

Don't Say A Word is by no means the worst film you will see this year but unfortunately when push comes to shove it's a thriller that quite frankly fails to thrill. There are so many plot holes so big you could drive a truck through them and all of the characters are so totally underdeveloped that you neither get a feel for them nor do you particularly care about them. Director Gary Fleder seems to be aiming at a David Fincher (Seven, The Game) type dark menace feel for the movie but instead you are just left feeling that you have seen this all somewhere before and done better (i.e., Ransom, Seven etc.). Michael Douglas is an Oscar winning actor, who has given us many excellent performances over the years (in movies such as Traffic, The Game, The Wonder Boys etc.) but even he can't cope with a lousy script. Famke Janssen meanwhile is left with even less to play with in her role as a bedridden housewife with a broken leg, who is still somehow able to deliver a sound beating to a hardened criminal, whilst Sean Bean is suitably menacing and makes a good fist of his bad guy role for most of the movie but inevitably in the end, even he is let down by some awful lines and an implausible plot. Brittany Murphy meanwhile in the showy mentally disturbed young girl role is okay too but ultimately this slick film is an overwhelming disappointment. Take my advice and wait 'til its on cable!

disjointed mess.......
I thought it might be interesting given that I like both Douglas, although he has a tendency to get involved in many roles that are really retentive. I also like Bean's work and so I thought why not see what is happening in this one.
With the opening sequence I thought I might have made a good choice. Then the screen says that it is now 10 years later and we see Dr. Nathan Conrad on his way home from work. After he chats with his wife about their turkey the next day, which is Thanksgiving, he receives another call from the lockup from a fellow shrink.
This is where things start to go wrong. First of all, when he sits down with Elizabeth, who has been in psyche lockup for the past 10 years, he immediately is taken by how she is not presenting with diagnosis from past or present. That is our first clue that things are not exactly as the other shrink indicates. Then it really gets messed up. The following morning his daughter has been abducted and the race starts. First of all, I am going to assume that 'you have till 5" is only for control purpose by Patrick or is it because the red diamond, which I assume also is a diamond because a red ruby that size would not be worth $10 million in any gem shop.....is going to self destruct because it is has been 10 years of searching for it? Who knows. We are also lead to believe that the entire apartment is bugged in less than one day? with his wife flat on her back with a cast on her leg all the time it is being bugged? Did she not think it odd that someone was bugging it? And many other things that do not add up. Meanwhile, they have dragged a body from the river and we now have a detective trying to sort out the missing woman. In the end the doctor determines that he must get Elizabeth out of lockup so they can now go to where it all happened. When they show in slow flashbacks what happened 10 years before in the subway, we see her father pushed down in the tracks and then ultimately stumbles directly into the path of the oncoming train. And most importantly the three who did this, and who are still after her now, were apparently arrested by the platform police at the time. There were apparently many onlookers when it happened. So why are they free? Are we lead to believe the police just released them and told them not push anybody else in the path of a train?
Finally when he figures it out where the doll is, that contains the ruby, he receives yet another call from Patrick who tells him he has three minutes? And the doctor tells him he has the item and no more clock running. That is what I would have told him to begin with. When Patrick asks where he says "You know". Well if he knew all along why didn't he just go get it?
Bottomline is that it lays an egg all the way thru.
I give Douglas and Bean credit for sticking it out. If they felt as frustrated with the plot line, they at least did not show it on the screen.

Predictable and trite, but not without merit
I don't like watching Michael Douglas act, because I can't recall the last time I ever saw him demonstrate credible range. Even when his character is entirely different than a character from another of his movies, I still feel like I'm watching the same character.

I didn't see this movie in the theatres because I thought the marketing for the movie was ludicrous. I remember thinking, when I saw the ads on buses and television, "You've got to be kidding me."

But my roommate convinced me that it was actually a decent film, so we rented it. I don't know if this was a faithful rendering of the book, but the movie itself was formulaic and predictable, from Platt's role, to the final ending. It also left a number of questions unanswered. How did Murphy's 8 yr old character know which coffin her father was in? Unless I missed something huge, that would have to be one incredibly talented child. Also, how exactly did Bean's character know that there was a six digit number stored in this girl's brain? We can surmise that he read the newspaper article that said that the girl was found wandering around on Hart island, and from that he assumed that she knew - but that's still an assumption, and a broad one at that.

There are some action devices employed in film that I have grown vomitous over, and a few are used here. (They shouldn't be, given that this was supposed to be a taut thriller.) Douglas steals a cell phone from an innocent citizen, when all he had to do was refuse to answer his own phone when the bad guys called him, and then he steals a boat, when perhaps some of his $200 an hour salary would have greased the boat owner's palms. Besides, how did he start the boat? I might have had my head turned, but dang, these guys that steal boats in movies have some amazing skills that you wouldn't think they possess.

The detective in the film seemed to exist only to fire a few shots at the end and give Douglas's character a chance at survival. Her acting was abysmal, and the scene with Platt's character was disastrous. Not to mention why the aforementioned bad guys broke their word to him regarding his girlfriend. That made NO sense whatsoever - and what made even less sense is that the broken word plot point was dropped right there. It didn't go any further. We never found out why.

This would get a 2 but for one thing: Brittany Murphy. With a few minor and forgiveable exceptions, her acting gave the movie its only real verisimilitude.

Enjoyable Character-Driven Thriller
Dr. Nathan Conrad (Michael Douglas) is a highly trained and highly paid psychiatrist. His patients usually consist of those wealthy enough to afford his fees, but he cannot turn down his friend's request for help. Dr. Louis Sachs (Oliver Platt) is desperate for someone to break through with a female patient who recently killed someone and could end up jailed in a mental institution for the rest of her life. What Nathan doesn't know when he agrees to help is that locked inside Elisabeth's mind is a series of numbers that Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) is more than willing to kill for...

Don't Say a Word wasn't particularly original, but I thought that all of the actors in the film did a superb job, which pushed the movie up from a three star rating. Michael Douglas has long since perfected the role of innocent bystander who is sucked into a nefarious plot and manages to turn it all around, but I also truly believed that he created a bond with his patient and, while he cared for her, he cared for his daughter a great deal more. Brittany Murphy was riveting as the disturbed Elisabeth and I love her vocal inflection when she says "I'll never tell." Sean Bean was also wonderful in his role as the kidnapper/killer/thief and is constantly underrated, if I do say so myself. The weakness in this movie is the plot seems pretty contrived and easy to figure out. You know exactly how the movie will end before you even start watching it, but you want to see how they manage to get there. There were also some jarring inconsistencies that bothered me while I was watching the movie such as why Patrick killed Elisabeth's father before he told him where the diamond was (and in front of so many witnesses, too!) and why Detective Sandra Cassidy (Jennifer Esposito) was always at the right place, at the right time - every time the movie cut to her and her role it was jarringly out of place and felt like it wasn't a part of the story. Anyway, aside from small complaints like that, this is a fine movie to watch late at night from home. Enjoy it as a rental.

Another movie about the upper class fighting crime
This is just another boring movie about a rich guy who takes a bite out of crime. He and his wife use their superior intellect to beat the bad guys.

Off course, 99 percent of the police play only a minor part, showing up at the end to carry the dead bodies away.

This plot has been done before a million times. This is not an interesting movie. ... Read more

Reviews (284)

Weak adaptation made good by Weisz, Hackman, and Hoffman.
Very weak adaptation of the John Grisham novel lacks the big bang of the book, and settles for a messy look at Gun Control that does not fit the structure of what the book was intended. The film itself looks unprofessional, and the screenplay is not good ether. The plot has no soul, and the intentions of the characters are not really giving a real motive to work with. The whole high tech side of gathering information about the jury is really ridiculous and should be put in a spy film other than a court movie. The acting is good with Gene Hackman, Rachel Weisz, and Dustin Hoffman doing their best with what is giving but their efforts are wasted in keeping the movie afloat while the script problems begins to eat itself alive while you are watching the screen. Never the less, Hackman, Weisz, and Hoffman do keep you compelled with what is going on, even when the movie does not.

Judging by how they made this film, John Grisham should never let Hollywood make another movie out of his books, because they always turn out pretty bad.

Improbable but Intriguing Thriller.
New Orleans is set to be the site of a monumental courtroom battle between gun manufacturers and anti-gun activists. A woman whose husband was killed when a disgruntled client went on a shooting rampage at his brokerage firm has enlisted the help of prominent New Orleans attorney Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman) in suing the gun manufacturer whose "Saturday night special" killed her husband for damages. The Vicksburg Firearms Company has gotten themselves the best attorney that money can buy, and they have hired a crack jury consultant by the name of Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman) to ensure their victory before the trial has begun. But both Fitch and Rohr discover, much to their consternation, that the jury may not be theirs to influence. Juror Nick Easter (John Cusack) and his girlfriend Marlee (Rachel Weisz) have the jury in their pocket and intend to sell it to the highest bidder.

"Runaway Jury" is based on John Grisham's best-selling novel of the same name. I haven't read the novel, but I understand that Wendell Rohr's character has been altered substantially for the film in order to more clearly differentiate between the two rival parties, and a gun manufacturer has been substituted for a tobacco company. The explosive confrontation between Rohr and Fitch -the only scene that these two great actors share- did not occur in the book. "Runaway Jury" is an effective, although almost entirely implausible, thriller that sucks the audience in by giving us a taste of what goes on behind the scenes in high profile court cases. Specifically, we get to see the bizarre sub-culture of jury consultation and manipulation. The length and expense to which parties will go to stack a jury is endlessly fascinating and overcomes the story's more fantastic elements. The "war room" where Fitch and his team plot and plan is particularly interesting. The film's cast is spot-on. John Cusack is one of those actors that inspire sympathy in any role, which is helpful here since we know nothing about Nick except that he is trying to sell a jury. Dustin Hoffman is convincingly idealistic and naive as Rohr. And Gene Hackman is deliciously ruthless as Fitch. "Runaway Jury" has enough twists, turns, and thrills to keep us interested for the duration of its 2-hour-plus running time. It's a fun, unpredictable thriller with the added bonus of some insight into the art and science of jury selection.

The DVD: This is a terrific disc that will more than satisfy fans and film buffs alike. These are the bonus features: 2 deleted scenes with director's commentary. 2 scenes from the film with actor commentary: Gene Hackman comments of the film's last scene, and Dustin Hoffman comments on the Washroom scene in which he appears with Hackman. "Exploring the Scene" featurette about the genesis and filming of the Washroom scene, the only scene in the film which Hoffman and Hackman share, including interviews with the two actors and director Gary Fleder. "Off the Cuff", an interview in which Hoffman and Hackman talk about their long friendship since 1956 when they were both students at The Pasadena Playhouse, sharing an apartment in New York, and some more recent anecdotes. "The Ensemble", a short featurette about the cast, including interviews with Rachel Weisz and John Cusack. A "making-of" documentary, which isn't very informative but includes, among other things, a short interview with Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, who was the jury consultant for the defense in O.J. Simpson's trial. "Shadow and Light", an interview with the film's cinematographer, Robert Elswit. "A Vision of New Orleans", in which production designer Nelson Coates shows us around the courtroom set that was created for the film. "Rhythm", an interview with the film's editor, William Steinkamp, in which we see an example of his important contribution to the film. The disc also has a full-length audio commentary by director Gary Fleder, which I didn't listen to, because I was worn out from the other extras. Much thanks to 20th Century Fox for putting together a feature-packed disc and especially to Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman for contributing so much of their time. Dubbing is available in French and Spanish. Subtitles are available in English and Spanish.

The strong performance of Rachel Weisz is the only plus here
Derivative thriller that not only does not stay close to the book but also lacks the insight to give a better show. The script has too many problems and the pacing starts and stalls at will in the most starling of moments. The acting is fine with Rachel Weisz stealing the show and doing better than she should have consitering the script is flat and Gene Hackman doing his best work in years. The whole espionage aspect to the film just does not work, and in reality, the case would have been throng out of a real court. The acting is the only plus in this film and that is a miracle because the rest of the film just does not work.

Thanks to Rachel Weisz and Gene Hackman, the movie is just ok but if it had a decent script, it could have been better.

Anti-gun propoganda
This movie is utter nonsense done by leftist actors who hate the 2nd ammendment more than the people who actually kill people. Don't waste your time by watching this or any other left wing nonsense.

Weisz, Hackman and Hoffman are great but the film is not.
Lackluster adaptation to the John Grisham novel has only the acting to save it for total disaster with great performances by Rachel Weisz, Gene Hackman, and Dustin Hoffman but they are working from a half baked script that in essence does not know what it wants to be and direction that is marginal at best. The tobacco story is gutted for a pure and simple look at gun violence, and the setting of New Orleans is not the original setting of the book.

If you want to see this movie, the acting more than makes up for the problems it has, but not by much. ... Read more

Description

Digital VHS (D-VHS) is the first high-definition home video format. These tapes deliver more than double the lines of resolution and 10 times the capacity of DVDs. When played in a D-VHS player attached to an HDTV set, these movies will sound and look better than ever. D-VHS tapes can be played only on D-VHS players. ... Read more

Reviews (168)

Entrapped by itself.
When this movie was originally released in theatres, I was warned not to see it on the big screen. I was told it was a bad movie, not worthy of watching. I didn't understand why so many people told me that; I mean the film has Sean Connery, contains a seemingly interesting plot, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. There was also a lot of discussion over the fact that Sean Connery was old enough to be Catherine Zeta-Jones' grandfather, yet he was playing her love interest. Luckily, I didn't see the movie in theatres and I am grateful for that.

ENTRAPMENT starts off on the right foot. The film's early scenes are interesting and demand attention. However, about thirty minutes later, the movie takes an unexpected twist into territory it should not have entered: romantic entaglement with bad dialogue and no chemistry. Even though Sean Connery is pushing 75, he's still considered by many to be one of the sexiest men alive. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a beautiful young woman and attracts the eye of many men. Nevertheless, just because two people are physically attractive does not mean that there will be any chemistry between them. In this film the chemistry between Connery and Zeta-Jones is like the chemistry between the same sides of a magnet: instead of uniting, the two objects pull away from each other. Of course, it doesn't help that the movie is full of bad dialogue and many of the emotional scenes of Zeta-Jones are totally forced with no reality or logic to them at all. The screenwriters should have kept to the basics instead of relying on dazzling special effects to save the film.

There are a few good action scenes, especially at the beginning. However, towards the end even those are so blown out of proportion that you begin wondering when the masked superhero will arrive that can match Connery's superhuman skills and foil his evil plans. Overall, ENTRAPMENT is a movie that had a lot of potential, but ending up getting entrapped by itself.

Sean and Catherine Magically Transcend and Transform!!
I apologize, this is probably nothing more than a "3-star" (or even two!) movie in the traditional sense. However, Catherine Zeta-Jones has emerged as the brunette version of positively and literally the most beautiful and majestic woman to ever grace the legendary Hollywood screen: Princess Grace Kelly. The presence and charisma of Sean Connery, of course, has always transformed mediocre films into true spectacles. Now, delicately introduce the tender and multi-talented Zeta-Jones, and you enjoy a relationship that combines the eloquence of James Stewart and Donna Reed ("It's A Wonderful Life") with the mesmorizing qualities of Elvis Presley and Ann Margaret ("Viva Las Vegas"). At this point, if you can possibly manage to persuade your brain to overlook some far fetched and perhaps ill conceived plot twists, you're probably ready for the home stretch: A razzle dazzle conclusion with gut wrenching suspense and cool special effects. There is something sleek and silky smooth about this DVD production and its main characters that defies description. If you seem to like what you're hearing (and seeing) so far, trust me: This special DVD version is worth its weight in gold. But for heavens sake, what's up with "Suave Sean" slurring his "s" words and butchering the "r" sounds?? A few quick speech therapy sessions to address this mild regression, and I'd be tempted to give the sequel "five stars" (but only if Connery keeps his partner in crime who is also a highly romantic companion)!

Entrapment a DVD review
Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery star as two ingenious jewel, painting, and money burglars who plan a huge heist at the turn of the millenium during New Years Eve in 1999.

Zeta is actually an insurance detective, Virginia Baker trying to find, the person responsible for a couple of burglary crimes in the area.

She suspects Mack (Sean Connery aka Robert MacDougal) is the person behind it, but rather than try to bring him in, she decides to get the man's confidence, and convinces him to try to pull of a big heist thus implicating Mac some more and
getting the evidence she needs to put him behind bars for a long time.

Mack is not an idiot, and he distrusts her from their very first meeting.
By the end of the film, one of the film will have pulled a great heist while the other
will either be in jail for a long time or worse. Their 2 contrasting styles in the movie, and their styles in pulling of different heists in the movie is really fun to watch.

The acting and special effects and stunts are also great including the culminating
climatic scene near the end where Mac and Virginia plot their big escape after
a heist.

There are some problems with the film however. Virginia is young and naive and
she takes the lies and garbage that Mac says at face value. Mac is not even a good
liar yet Virginia's character is dumb enough to believe this old thief'ss lies.

Now on to the dvd itself:

The DVD is very well done and contains a great
number of features:

* Deleted scenes

The deleted scenes in the movie are actually quite good, in fact, I think they were alot better than a couple of the scenes in the finished draft of the movie.

One great deleted scene is the car chase that Mack and Virginia get into while trying to dodge a couple of hitman that are tracking them down.

The scene has a great climax at the end that has you guessing what's going to happen next.

The scene is actually in the film, but what you get in the finished movie is actually
less than half of the original scene!!

Needless to say, I think this scene was great and should have been put in the original film.

Other features in the DVD include:
* Special feature on the making of the film

*Special commentary on the film itself

The commentary is teriffic, the director Jon Amiel, provides a lot of great insights and fact into the characters and Catherine Zeta herself, that fans may not
know.

*Alternate ending to the film!!!

The alternate ending in the film is actually very similiar to the original ending
with minor differences.

*Special trailers of the film
* Production Notes and much more!!!

Entrapment from head to toe is one of the best heist/thriller movies in quite a long time.

It gets predictable in a couple of areas, but the film is entertaining from beginning to
end.

Rent the DVD and enjoy it, along with the film itself.

HONOR AMONG THIEVES?
Let's get the sexist comment out of the way: Catherine Zeta-Jones is simply one of the most beautiful women to ever grace a movie screen!
Now, with that out of the way, ENTRAPMENT is an enjoyable heist movie, and we're never sure who's zoomin who!!! Sean Connery is elegant, if a bit lethargic, in his role, but always an actor who is fun to share a couple of hours with. Zeta-Jones does a good job in her role, but her acting chops have certainly matured since this film.
Ving Rhames and Will Patton are adequate, but other actors could have done just as well.
There are some really breathtaking scenes, especially with Jones in the initial heist and the jawdropping escape from the bank. It's not the best movie either one has made, but in spite of Jon Amiel's routine direction, I enjoyed it.

Give Me a Break...Sean connery's HOT
First off, I'm tired of people harping on the age difference bewteen CZJ and Sean. Some of the classic Hollywood pairings have been older men with younger women: Bogie/Bacall, Clark Gable/Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant/Audrey Hepburn, even Julia Roberts/Richard Gere. So...move on. What matters is if the pair work well together, and Catherine and Sean are great together. By the way they never actually hook up, but if they had, it would have been very intense. The chemistry between the 2 was very evident to me throughout the entire movie, I was egging on a romance. But Sean's character is above the physical involvement level with partners, so Catherine is held at bay. The movie reminded me of a classic thriller, a movie loaded with action...but thank God, not an "action movie". Enough of a hint at romance to keep us gals interested...but certainly not a romance. And on top of everything it was smart and well done. It took me on lots of twists and turns, and I loved them all. I'd gladly watch Catherine Zeta-Jones & Sean Connery (now 3 years older) re-pair in a sequel. By the way...I'm 19, and I'd take 53 year old Richard Gere any day over some of the young guys I see posing and looking pretty in movies today. As long as we see more Sigorney Weaver in Tadpole type roles for women (older woman dates younger man) keep 'em coming. ... Read more

Product Description

This is the 2nd item in The American Pie Series. ... Read more

Product Description

This is 6 VHS Tapes Tape 1- Evidence of The Unseen, by T.D. Jakes. Let the Bishop show you how just a tiny seed of faith can tirn your life around. Tape 2- The Blessing. by Pastor Creflo Dollar. This message will teach you how to experience God's flavor in all of its fullness. Tape 3- Seek My Face. by Dr. claudette Copeland. This is a message for every woman or man who is craving a touch from God. You don't have to wait any longer! Tape 4- Seize The Face. By Bishop T.D. Jakes & Bishop Noel Janes. When opportunity knocks, do you know what to do? This message will show you to make the most of it! Tape 5- Loosed To Love/Walk Right Into It. by Evangelist Rita Twiggs. Learn why being loosed from your past is only the first step to receiving everything that God has for you. Tape 6- After This One. It's A Praise Thing. by Co-Pastor Suzie Owens. Discover how your attitude can change you from the inside out. ... Read more

Description

Digital VHS (D-VHS) is the first high-definition home video format. These tapes deliver more than double the lines of resolution and 10 times the capacity of DVDs. When played in a D-VHS player attached to an HDTV set, these movies will sound and look better than ever. D-VHS tapes can be played only on D-VHS players. ... Read more

Reviews (1184)

This Movie is Why "Professional" Critics Must Go
I didn't see this movie in the theaters because it had gotten very mixed reviews from the so-called professional movie reviewers. But, when it hit the local vidoe store, I thought I would give it a try. WOW, what a kick in the teeth, interesting, and fast moving journey into one man's mind. The path this movie takes is fantastic.

Norton and Pitt are perfectly cast, and supported by a crew of fight club members that make for a well-acted show. Meatloaf, Ed Gil, Jared Leto, et. al. are great in support as the members/followers of the leads. Helena Bonham Carter has the only real female role in this film and is perfectly cast. But as much as the acting, this movie is made by the story. Unconventional, with a great twist at the end, the whole movie kept me on the edge of my seat. As with many great movies, it is hard to classify the genre (action, comedy, drama), as there is a sampling of all in this film. In the end, I would just classify this as a great film.

Much was made of the violence of this movie when it first hit the theaters. Those critics overstated the case. There is blood and violence in the movie, but it is not excessive and it serves the plot well.

If you missed this in the theater, see it now. If you saw it once, see it again. I will.

Fight Club-another reason to own a DVD player.
If any DVD was produced on the same level as the Terminator 2 Ultimate Edition and the Toy Story 3-Disc box set, it is this DVD. Fight Club is not only a VERY well produced DVD, but the supplemental material will keep you busy for LITERALLY hours. You will finally have a reason to 'break in' that angle button on your remote. As a story, Fight Club takes a more cerebral approach to ones thought processes. Containing many cool effects, Fight Club may make the average movie viewer pop a few Excedrins while trying to figure out the point of the film. While many may finish the movie in total confusion, mostly everyone will agree that Fight Club is a unique movie experience. When I received the DVD package, I was instantly impressed with the graphic design of the outer package, the discs themselves and the booklet that is included. Initially, this DVD comes off as a "special edition" rather then a simple "movie release on DVD". Whoever created the graphics on the cover and throughout the booklet has a very active imagination. Disc one has the film, disc two has the supplemental material. ** Pause the third FBI WARNING at the beginning of the disc....it is quite funny** Disc one offers you your usual "chapters" choices with 'moving' scenes (like The Matrix), audio setup for Dolby surround for both a 2 speaker setups and 5.1 setups in English and Spanish. This is also a THX certified DVD, so it includes a THX setup screen. Disc one also gives you the choice of several audio commentaries to listen to throughout the film, including David Fincher, Bradd Pitt, Ed Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, the novelist and the screenwriter, the Director of Photography, Visual Effects Supervisor and a couple of others. In a nutshell, you have a choice to listen to A LOT of people, a great addition to this DVD. Picture quality of Fight Club was incredible. Overall, the picture is moody and dark with beautiful blacks and wonderful color detail. It is beautifully photographed with incredible shadow detail and crystal clear highlights. Sound quality was equally impressive. Being THX certified, you can expect nothing less then awesome. Edward Nortons voice-over sounds very live, as though he's sitting right in front of you. The sound has beautiful detail, with stereo separation being impressively realistic and the music and dialogue recorded incredibly well. Surround detail is amazing with some scenes having deep bass that will make the neighbors call the cops. Disc two will stay in your DVD player for a long time. The supplemental material includes crew and cast information. behind the scenes of the production, the visual effects and on-location footage with commentaires and multiple angles.......WOW! Disc two also contains seven deleted scenes as well as trailers, TV spots, music videos, an interview with Edward Norton and a bunch of storyboards, visual effects stills, paintings and many other additions to keep your fingers happy on that remote. The Producers of this DVD should be applauded....not only is the picture and sound quality top-notch, but the graphical elements and the supplemental materials included are fantastic and incredibly entertaining. I highly recommend this DVD for those who enjoyed this movie in the theatre, who are curious about the film, or those simply interested in seeing what a superb DVD release is all about. Enjoy!

Not bad, but...
OK, blend Matrix, Guy Richi, and Osama Bin Laden and you get a masterpiece? A funny comedy, not more. Fight Club is brilliant in the beginning with all that satire, but when it gets philosophical, I felt like I have seen this before.

Famous Fight Club quote.
"F*** Martha Stewart. Martha's polishing the brass on the Titanic; it's all going down, man."

-- She just 5 months in prison and 5 months of home confinement. Isn't it wierd how much of this film has been almost prophetic?

Outstanding commentaries
All the commentaries you could want, and they're all great. The actor's commentary is at least as entertaining as the film. ... Read more

Video Description

This is a D-VHS TAPE, not a VHS TAPE. You must have a HDTV and a D-VHS deck to enjoy this. Retail is $44.98. This movie is in HDTV, 4 times better than DVD. THIS IS NOT A COPY. THIS IS A STUDIO RELEASE. ... Read more

Description

Digital VHS (D-VHS) is the first high-definition home video format. These tapes deliver more than double the lines of resolution and 10 times the capacity of DVDs. When played in a D-VHS player attached to an HDTV set, these movies will sound and look better than ever. D-VHS tapes can be played only on D-VHS players. ... Read more

Reviews (114)

men of overratedness
I watched this movie very optimistically for the first time. I thought it was going to be a compelling and intelligent military drama. I knew De Niro and Cuba Gooding, Jr. were going to be fantastic. Oprah said this movie was incredible. How could it be wrong?
I have to say, for what it is, it's ok. I think other movies have done a better job of accomplishing what this film tries to do. DeNiro is always brilliant. This, however, is not my favorite DeNiro character, and I got the impression that the man himself was uncomfortable with the role at times. I've heard everyone rave about Cuba Gooding, Jr. and DeNiro's performances were great. But, not landmark or anything.
The plot, though based on a true story, is basically an inadequate Forest Gump formula. If you want to see DeNiro deliver amazing performance, watch "the Deer Hunter." if you want to be inspired to achieve anything, watch "Forest Gump." If you want to see an incredible Cuba Gooding, Jr. performance, watch "Jerry McGuire." Peace out.

Great acting and very satisfying true story
Gooding and De Niro both gave outstanding performances in this true story of one determined man's fight to become the first African-American Navy diver. De Niro plays "Billy Sunday," an unsavory, basically unlikeable character whose racism only serves to strengthen the resolve of Carl Brashear (Gooding). As time goes by, even De Niro grows to admire Brasheir's character and strength of will. Brashear faces innumerable obstacles. De Niro eventually becomes his champion, assisting his efforts. It is a great true story. The terrible racism of the past is still a disgrace to our society, and we all know that for every successful "Brashear" there were countless worthy but not so fortunate black aspirants in the service who were kept down because of their race. It's a happy story with a positive message...I hope many, many young people will see it.

A man to look up to--Carl Brashear!
"Men of Honor" was another excellent film but it left me wanting to know more. It was the fact-based story of the Navy's Master Diver Carl Brashear. He was the first black man to attend and graduate from Diving School. Cuba Gooding Jr portrayed Brashear who at a young age decided he wanted to be a diver for the Navy. BUT when he entered the Navy blacks were only allowed in the kitchens.

After coming to the attention of his CO, Brashear was given an opportunity to attend the school he really wanted to. He came face to face with Billy Sunday played by Robert DeNiro. In many ways Sunday wanted to see Brashear complete the course but his commander portrayed by Hal Holbrook tied his hands. Eventually Brashear was successful.

As Brashear's career progressed, Sunday's fell apart. Then there was a terrible accident, which resulted in Brashear losing a leg. The Navy wanted to retire him but he fought to stay in. Sunday came to his aid and helped him recover from the amputation. He was by his side when Brashear had to go to court to fight for the right to stay in the Navy. The court scene was very moving.

Yes there was a little romance in the movie and yes there was vulgarity but this film was very good. However it left me wanting more so I will have to go find of copy of the book the movie was based on to learn more about this amazing man's life. I wanted to see more of his training, more of what he went through, and more of the treacherous dives he went on that made him what he became.

Carl Brashear's story deserves to be told...
I have heard some bad things about this film..."overdramatized fluff", "typical cliched writing" and so forth...

This film is so much better than the sum of its reviews.

First, the story--face it, it deserves to be told. This is about a real man who goes through the tenth level of hell and back to achieve his dream of becoming a Master diver. He has to face bigotry from his classmates and his superiors--the latter of whom are determined to fail him based on his skin color alone--and push himself past his limits to succeed. Yes, the plot was hokey in some areas, but a few hokey spots does not a bad film make.

Second, the acting. Only Cuba Gooding, Jr. could have pulled off the role of Carl Brashear, the diver in question. His performance was very well executed and brought me to tears in spots. Robert De Niro was wonderful as always, and I really don't care that Billy Sunday was a composite of Brashear's superiors throughout his career instead of a real person, because he pulled it off without a hitch. At times he reminded me of R. Lee Ermey, but the role would not have had the same depth if the latter had been cast--it was written for De Niro. The supporting cast was excellent as well--especially Charlize Theron and Aunjanue Ellis, whose roles, although small, were nonetheless pivotal.

The DVD version, both wide and full screen, includes a feature about--and narrated by--Carl Brashear himself, who was the head military advisor to the film, and it is definitely worth watching. I myself was amazed at the accuracy of the movie and was deeply inspired by this man who had had so much to overcome. George Tillman, Jr. did a wonderful job with his story.

Overall, I give it five stars out of five. If you thought this film was complete crap, then maybe you should go rent "Gigli." Criticism aside, though, "Men of Honor" isn't so much a biographical feature as it is a testament to the strength of the human spirit, and Carl Brashear is living proof.

This film is great, no matter what a dumb critic says!
This heartwarming drama is and extrodinary film with extremely great acting as well as cinimatography. I would put this wonderful drama in at least the top 20 greatest movies of all time, believe me this is a truly outstanding piece of work and I would recomend it to any one, with a heart. ... Read more