Scarily possible

I was dubious about seeing I am Legend as I'd heard mixed reports ranging from it being classed as `just ok' to it being branded `abysmal'. I was more than pleasantly surprised then to find I actually enjoyed I am Legend.....well as much as you can enjoy a movie which depicts the future as a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by zombies!

Until I'd watched The Pursuit of Happiness I never rated Will Smith much but this is now 2 movies in a row where he's impressed me so I guess I might have to change my opinion. What separates I am Legend from every other zombie movies on the racks at the moment is the depth of Will Smith's character. His portrayal of Robert Neville, a scientist looking for a cure to a modern-day plague created by man will make you laugh and cry with him, jump out of your seat when he gets scared, and you cheer for him throughout. With the exception of his dog, Smith had no live contact and with attempts to find a cure constantly failing he heads towards insanity. Coupled with his anger and hopelessness Smith portrays a whole array of emotions that surprised even me.

I was expecting a zombie shoot-em-up and settled into something much more thought provoking and intense and it certainly deserves a look, even if you're not into the whole undead thing. Overall I think I am Legend was one of the better movies I've seen lately and therefore gets 5 stars from me.

totally inconsistent

The script is just awful, inconsequent, unintelligible. I haven't read the book so the movie is totally inconsistent. You can watch the movie but don't ask what is about.

From bad to worse

I'll try to keep it brief to not give too much away

Firstly, Prison Break should have been a show that ended after season1, with them in panama, happy ending.

But it didnt. As a result, all this writer's strike stuff has greatly affected the show. Season 3 is only 12 episodes long, and to be honest, it's just a poor copy of the season1, with the exact same plot problems. Outsiders/securing the money/getting people in on the escape.... After a while you just get bored of the same scenario, the same characters arguing about the same thing.

Secondly, somehow all the survivors of season1 have been all put in the same prison in season 3 ... wow what coincidence! (i'll try not to spoil ... let's just say they pretty much act in the exact same way as season1 the"oh i hate michael, but he's gonna get me out so im gonna do what he says then backstab him")

Thirdly, it was almost hilarious how they dealt with the character 'Sarah Tancredi' . Without giving too much away: let me just say it was laughable, completely ridiculous. And after that, i knew the show had died.

Finally, it's such a shame to see how such a great show has become so boring and unimaginative. The only reason why this avoids 1 star, is because of the FIB character and his side story. Other than that, to sum up:
Season1: a bit of delaying, but still amazing
Season2: lacked any aim or plot, created a false sense of ending for the series like season1, when we knew the show wasnt going to end.
Season3: a poor, almost desperate copy of season 1... supported by a very weak overall plot. Very little sense of suspense.

I definitely wouldnt pay money to see this season.

Sparkles like the stars

What a lovely film. Was very impressed with Claire Dane's English accent and Charlie Cox seemed to turn from a gawky awkward teenager to a handsome young man - this lad has bucket loads of charisma, he will go far!

My only gripe about this film and it is only a small criticism is Ricky Gervais who just seemed like he was playing another version of David Brent.

Although I loved this film, I am knocking a star off for the disappointing extras. Why, when this film was so popular at the UK box office, do we only get commentary and the rest of the world gets bloopers, making of and deleted scenes?!

on an action-packed level it delivers with gusto

If frenetic action and loud explosions are your thing, you're going to love The Bourne Ultimatum. On an action-packed level it delivers with gusto. However, if your taste runs more toward dialogue and character development, you'll find yourself squirming halfway through and wondering how much longer until it's over. Being that I fall in the latter category, I could only see my way fit to give a 3-star rating. I can see and somewhat appreciate the edge-of-seat tension, but the plot left much to be desired...

A blu-ray best!

I was quite reluctant about watching this film seeing as most reviews complained about how awful it was. But I thought I'd give it a try and"I am Legend" turned out to be a surprisingly good movie with a brilliantly controlled performance from Will Smith.

The film starts with a whole host of production companies as Emma Thompson does a prologue in the form of a TV interview. From then on (until half-way through) the movie is simply Smith and his dog wondering the streets of New York trying to survive - with the occasional flashback, of course. In the latter, less good, section all hell brakes loose as the 'infected' go hunting.

The normal ending lacks fluidity but the alternative version is far better, displaying much more emotion and simplicity.

So, my advice would be to buy this blu-ray - which is truly marvellous with shining NY shots - purely for the alternative ending and don't bother with the other version. You'll be much more satisfied that way.

A Legendary Performance From Will Smith

I seem to have a habit of seeing a trailer on tv or online for a film and decide to go to the cinema to watch it and for whatever reason I hardly ever manage to go before its withdrawn. This was the same for I Am Legend i really wanted to go to the cinema for it but managed to miss it,after watching the DVD im gutted i missed out on the big screen experience the story is a fairly simple one in that scientists have managed to find a cure for cancer by altering the gene of a virus that kills cancer cells. Good stuff right? well no as the film starts with 3 years after the trials we see a vision of New York,not the bustling streets like you'd expect but derelict,over grown vegetation and general abandonment. Im not sure if its all CGI but the image looks pretty scary,and yes this has been done in 28 days later,but the film doesnt rip off any ideas from said film. Its hard to try and fit I Am.. into a specific genre as its not really horror even though the idea is scary plus its not really an action film either,yes there are a few fight scenes but its not all mindless gore and guns. Id say either rent or buy the DVD the perfomences are spot on and you really feel for Smiths character by the end scenes,i have seen the alternate ending and feel the original cinema is alot better but thats just personal preference with the 2 disk version you basically have 3 copies of the film though with 2 on disk and one as a digital copy. All in all its a great film that you shouldnt miss.

Slow moving but packed with detail. Recommended

If you're looking for the more traditional western then don't watch this; however, if you're looking for a thoughtful, extremely well shot & well developed film then this is a"must see".

There is economic yet effective use of a commentary running through the film which adds to the feeling of authenticity.

Pitt is perfect & exudes sheer menace in his role of Jesse James. Similarly, his colleagues give off a palpable air of panic & tension in his presence.

The film reaches the inevitable shooting of JJ but does not end there as there are some interesting insights into how Robert Ford handled his new found fame.

Rent it, settle into a comfy chair & enjoy.

MACHO MACHO MAN.....!!!!!!

Well this film certainly rivals Top Gun for sheer camp carry on!

A few people seem to get a bit hot under the collar about historical accuracy - can you show me one film in the history of cinema that was factualy correct in every way? Nope. But so what, we don't go to the cinema to be educated - we go to be entertained! And 300 is, well... somewhat entertaining. The fast, slooowwww, fast, slooowww, cut of the fight scenes is effective, but sadly a bit overdone throughout - and tends to come across as lots of individual scraps rather than a more panoramic view of the battlefield - and the film is pretty much one big battle! We are distracted from this only by the somewhat marginalised sub-plot of the spartan queen back home fending off the advances of the typecast sneaky cad (forgot his name already), etc...

The script on the whole is poor - suffering from weak attempts at comedy one minute, followed by hollow proclamation of honour the next (made up mostly of Gerry Butler, sporting a full set, shouting SPARTA!!! and hugging his beefy chums).

The whole thing really is quite camp; 300 beefy, shiny, suspiciously good looking men (most soldiers are ugly and hairy) who are suitably oiled up and practically naked! (I tend to cover up when fighting hordes of angry persians). As for Xerxes - the baddie - well he is certainly scary! When he isn't chilling out in his freaky mutant sex parlour, he sort of stands on a really big throne being all God-like - but actually looking more like the only gay in village.

Visually - good but could have been better.
Script - a bit of naughty boy stealing from another well known sword and sandals methinks (starring Russell Crowe). Otherwise very poor.
Sound - nothing impressive here, the grunge/rock electric guitar eating, drum thumping with the beefy boys in slow motion just added to the comic value.

Overall - makes you want to go to the gym in speedos and shout SPARTA!!!! whilst flexing one pecs in the nearest mirror, but otherwise not much cinematic breakthrough here.

Worth buying? No.

Utter rubbish

So glad I didn't pay to see this.

Terrible script, badly delivered lines, poor acting and the effects are no better than a car commercial...

Finally someone has made what I've been waiting for.

Whilst many know Ross Kemp as"that bloke off the telly", here he really shines as a great narrator to a most extraordinary series.

Kemp seems to slide into the extremely guarded world of the military with relative ease, however you are always aware that he never quite fits in and nor, it appears, does he attempt to. Instead he narrates the goings on of the Royal Anglican with great empathy and if you have ever disrespected the military before thinking your argument through (as I myself have done in the past) this series will shake a few of your supposed morals. There are some real heart breaking moments in this series, along with great moments of pride. No matter what your standing on war, this is a series not to be missed if you want to know more about the reality of modern conflict.

This series deserves a 5 just for the balls shown by everyone involved for allowing such a series to be made, and to such a great standard.

Casino Royale - Changing of the guard

I was personally in the forefront in castigating Daniel Craig as a no-hoper after having watched Sir Sean Connery at the helm as 007 many many years back. I even refused to watch the movie when my daughter hired the DVD.
As it happened Casino Royale the movie was on the box and I had nothing else to do so I thought"Why not, could it possibly be that bad?" I'll be the first to admit that I was pleasantly surprised.
Daniel Craig is suave, stunning in a swimming trunk, tough, a good actor to boot and human all in one packaging. He has changed James Bond forever and need I say for the better. Agent 007 has a new persona and his name is Daniel Craig.
The movie dispenses with the implacable and indestructible Bond (and his cars) and replaces him with a real life boy next door who bleeds, lives and loves just like the rest of us. No mean feat indeed.

Bravo Daniel Craig!!
Bravo to the new James Bond!!

Fast-paced fun for Indiana Jones / Lara Croft / Da Vinci fans

National Treasure 2 is an unusual sequel in that it out-performs the first film. It follows the same format of a globe-trotting treasure hunt with Nic Cage as the slightly daffy professor on the track of an historic mystery. However, NT2 positively gallops along from one clue to the next, dashing from the USA to Paris to London and back again -- just in time to burgle the two most well-protected buildings on the planet and then kidnap (!) the President.
NT2 isn't a serious film but it does have a very serious cast and an edge-of-the-seat director. So Cage is well supported by the likes of Harvey Keitel, Jon Voigt and Ed Harris (who plays the bad guy. Well, sort of. You'll see!). NT2 probably takes huge liberties with actual fact and historical events but it is tightly plotted and extremely enjoyable. Bad guys always drive (indestructible) Range Rovers, and James Bond ain't the only man to wear a dinner suit under a wetsuit.

The continuity is spotty in places, and Cage is guilty of mumbling some of what should be snappy one-liners. But we (two reasonably intelligent adults) enjoyed it from beginning to end and it's perfect entertainment for a mixed audience. NT2 isn't as outright silly as the final Lara Croft film, nor is it as pompous and slowly-paced as the Da Vince Code. It's a tense adventure romp, and it's set a pretty high standard for the Indiana Jones comeback...
8/10

Probably the only version of Blade Runner you'll ever need to see

By now, most viewers will be fairly familiar with Blade Runner (1982) in some capacity. For example, I'm sure anyone with a passing interest in film has already seen it, if not on video then most probably on late night television or the initial"director's cut" edition from 1991. This new"final cut" attempts to clean up some of the flaws and errors that director Ridley Scott was unable to fix at the time of that last particular revision; finally giving us the film as it was always meant to be seen in shimmering anamorphic widescreen; with a pristine image backed by a beautifully mixed soundtrack and all the embarrassing little schoolboy errors touched up with the magic of CGI.

The actual plotline remains almost identical to that of the aforementioned"director's cut"; with the voice over gone and the more open-ended climax present and correct. I thought Scott might have perhaps been a little more radical and mixed in a few of the alternative takes from the legendary work-print version, but no; this is his idea of what Blade Runner is, was, and always should be... and I'm sure most die-hard fans, and indeed, casual viewers, will find little here to complain about. At a first glance the plot seems fairly routine; a loose re-working of the Phillip K. Dick novella, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, in which a grizzled bounty hunter Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) tracks down and terminates rogue androids (here known as replicants) who might pose a threat to the status quo of this dark and dank dystopian future world. Scott adds a sense of further cinematic depth to the story by juxtaposing the science-fiction elements of the plot with the conventions of film noir in a way that was very much revolutionary back in 1983, having only really been seen on a much smaller scale with the Jean Luc Godard film Alphaville (1964).

It is in part his depiction of the world of Blade Runner that gives the film much of its power and mystique, as Scott envisions a world of densely populated, multi-cultural, consumerist drones lost in a maze of looming skyscrapers, neon strip-lights, darkness and torrential rain; all of which is perfectly realised by his team of highly skilled production designers, art directors, set-decorators and craftsmen. The cinematography too was radical for the time in which the film was created, with Scott building on his background in TV commercials and the work that he had done on his first sci-fi masterpiece Alien (1979) to create a look that is continually dark, dank, distressed and decaying; finding beauty in the most bizarre places and capturing a sense of lonesome claustrophobia that became a staple of subsequent films, commercials and music videos for the next twenty-five years.

The film looks better than ever here, with the re-mastered picture and sound quality and the very subtle use of CGI to clear up things like out-of-sync dialog, support wires on the spinners and the obvious stunt-double for Joanna Cassidy's character Zhora; all helping to maintain the endless feeling of plausibility that the world of Blade Runner presents. Admittedly some fans have complained about Scott changing the glorious shot of the dove being released into the bright blue sky for a more suitable shot of cloudy dusk, but I suppose it does make more sense in maintaining the dark world in which the film unfolds. The only new addition that seemed slightly strange to me was in clearing up the original confusion as to how many replicants were actually missing. Much of the film's mystique revolves around the central question as to whether or not Deckard is, in fact, a replicant; a theory that initially came about due to a dubbing error during Deckard's briefing with Captain Bryant. Given that Scott has been one of the most vocal supporters of this theory, it seems odd to me that he would correct this line of dialog in such a way that destroys any real mystery surrounding the"Deckard as replicant" debate.

Whether or not you buy into the Deckard/replicant theory is secondary to the exotic atmosphere created by Scott and his production team, or the central narrative paradox presented by the replicant characters, in particular, Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer). The crux of Blade Runner deals very much with the idea of a synthetic human being more human than the humans themselves; with much of Blade Runner focusing on Batty and his gang of robots in arms trying to prolong their limited lifespan by any means necessary. Once again, Blade Runner is radical in the sense that it gives us a villain that is very much exciting, charismatic, and empathetic in their pursuit of life, and in direct comparison to our supposed hero Deckard, who seems bored, tired and completely lost against the sheer strength and intellectual menace of the iconic Batty.

This isn't a film that everyone will adore; without question it has its flaws like any other film, but regardless, remains a visually impressive and endlessly beguiling science-fiction, mystery noir (and more so than ever on this re-mastered, special edition DVD). Others have already explored the wider aspects of the package itself, pointing out how the five-disk box-set is very much for the die-hard obsessive's, while the two-disk set would appeal more to the casual fan who loves the film and wants the version closest to Ridley Scott's original vision. Without question, Blade Runner is a significant work of science-fiction cinema that manages to overcome any such flaws in character or narrative to take us on a trip into a world far beyond anything we've ever seen before.

Great entertainment

The Indy trilogy is great fun and has stood the test of time well. Raiders of the Lost Ark hasn't aged at all and neither had The Last Crusade. The Temple of Doom has a few dodgy effects and is a tad corny in places but is still nevertheless very entertaining. It's worth revisting these films on DVD before the fourth installment comes out later this year.
Great fun.

Great but not Amazing.

This is one film that you can safely say makes you think after you've seen it.
In the film you feel the diamond almost becomes a character in itself, greed and money is what leads to the conclusion..And to think all the blood that has been shed has happened because this diamond was there.
I for one will be making sure I know where my diamonds come from before I ever go out and get a ring or jewellry for someone.

Tense, Sensual, Espionage Film

'Lust, Caution' is a film based on a short story about Japanese- occupied Shanghai and Hong Kong during World War II. It is a film of espionage and carnal power. Ang Lee the famed director of 'Broke back Mountain' directed this film. Much as been made of the sexual component to this film. Sex is used as control in this situation and lends an air of the attitude and feelings of the main characters.

Wong Chia-Chi, Tang Wei, is a student and aspiring actress, when she is recruited by a young man to act in patriotic plays. Her most interesting part comes when acting leads to real life, and she is asked to seduce Mr. Yee. Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, plays Mr Yee with great constraint and control. He is a Japanese collaborator and has caused the deaths of many of their friends and collaborators. What Wong Chia did not count on was the deep feelings that surfaced within this relationship. She plays her part exceedingly well. This affair goes on until it is time for the final action. About to fulfill her mission, she has a change of heart and all the best laid plans are lost. The New York Times Critic, MANOHLA DARGIS has said,"Like too many films that try to put a human face on history without really engaging with it,"Lust, Caution" feels at once over padded and underdeveloped: it's all production design and not enough content." I disagree wholeheartedly with her review.

This was a film that began slowly and built to a tempo so that the history of the Japanese invasion was felt, and the hatred of the Japanese and those that worked with them against the Chinese was palpable. The story was finely wrought and the emotions were on view for all to see. The erotic component was a plus and conveyed the emotions that were too difficult to say.

"For Lee, it goes deeper, into areas of control. Yee approaches sex with the sadistic relish he'd use to torture a suspect, while Wong Chia-Chi acts the role of subservient vessel. When they both drop the masks and yield to grander passions, the effect is devastating. The actors deserve the highest praise. Leung goes places he's never been before as an actor. And newcomer Tang Wei gives a performance that will be talked about for years. Lee is a true master, and his potently erotic and suspenseful Lust, Caution casts a spell you won't want to break." Peter Travers

Highly, Highly Recommended. prisrob 03-28-08

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Brokeback Mountain (Widescreen Edition)

Am i gonna be unpopular now?

I know this may annoy Matrix buffs but over the course of the past few years the more i watch this film the more it irritates me to the point of cringing. This is all the more strange as i used to love it.

It is quite difficult to pinpoint why i dislike the film so much but there is an underlying element of cheesiness about this film which i never originally noticed and as such it has decended into a two star b movie. Agent Smith is excellent whenever i see this film but the rest of the cast appear to be sleeping their way through.

This was a seminal film at release but the longer time goes on i can see it becoming a bit of a chore to watch especially when special effects are continuing to advance. All in all not the worst film i have ever seen but falls short by a long distance im afraid to say and only adds to the public impression that Keanu Reeves cannot act.

For his one excellent performance seek out Devils Advocate because he is brilliant!

Better than 12, worse than 11

It's far better than Ocean's 12, which was lazy slow and smug. It doesn't have the snap of 11, and there's a guy in it who looks just like Al Pacino but can't be because Al Pacino used be a decent actor and this guy is just irritating.

Fortunately neither Julia Roberts nor Catherine Zeta Jones is around, but Andy Garcia gets to play a good bad guy badly.

Worth one watch, but not more

over the top..

its a good action film until john mclane was hanging onto the jet ...then it was rediculouse...but other than that it was an 'okish' film...the first die hard film was a classic...this one isnt.