Brilliant enchanting film

An enchanting film, well on par with 'Finding Nemo'. One of those films that give you a warm cosy feeling at the end. Would recommend for children and adults alike.

Great action thriller

A group of Chicago cops are involved in a raid from which $3,000,000 disappears. The local mob go after them and the body count starts to rise. The new Chief of Police makes it clear to the last remaining officer that he will look the other way if he takes the law into his own hands. When the policeman finds he can't follow through on this someone else does and he finds himself and his girl are being hunted by more or less everyone for their own reasons. Turn your brain off & enjoy !

Certificate 15. Another age advisory.

Another in a spate of American movies where the age certification label signals the opposite of what was intended, Die Hard 4.0 is definitely for audiences of a physical age no greater than 15, and with a mental age of probably not much more than five.

A dreary, witless, shambolic affair lacking any resonance with the original high-concept movie, it's a stringing together of the most improbable bangs-and-crashes that Computer Generated Imagery can provide with interlinking scenes of dialog that are almost as leaden as the CGI itself.

McClane in original guise was a cinematic hero: as resourceful and quick-witted as they come. Here he's reduced to being nothing more than a foil for stunts so evidently, and so mind-numbingly, implausible that their sheer fakery robs the movie of any interest or entertainment value at all.

A waste of time, even if turned off after the first interminable hour.

Does enough to keep you watching for 100 minutes.

What surprised me the most about I, ROBOT was how watch able it was despite having a simple storyline with a somewhat predictable conclusion, because lets face it while the set pieces and the effects are all very well done, the story is just a little predictable, don't expect any groundbreaking material besides the effects. However the well-choreographed action, stylish effects and Will Smith factor help make this an undeniably good film, which is based on a series of short stories from the acclaimed Sci-Fi writer Isaac Asimov. I have never read any of these but learned enough about from the moderately interesting bonus material. Set in the year 2035, the world has changed to the point where all our technology now goes through personalised machines, there is a perfect circle of protection thanks to the three laws of Robotics which were designed to ensure humanity's command over the rapid number of machines entrusted with the running of our day to day lives. Pretty standard stuff so far, the problem that occurs in this perfect system begins with the apparent suicide of Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell) a pioneer of robotics, enter homicide detective Spooner (Will Smith), who doesn't trust Robots and harbours resentment over their very existence. Naturally he believes there is more to the case than meets the eye, which of course there is and straight away he starts digging further into the case leading to a long line of special effects laden action sequences, murder mystery, more big action scenes with a surprisingly enjoyable if predictable plot. The end result is a very polished, above average Science Fiction action movie which covers familiar territory but maintains its appeal through solid acting, highly impressive visuals and the above mentioned action which puts to shame some of the more recent releases of the Sci-Fi Action genre. Will Smith gives a strong performance; one of his best that I have seen, in a role tailor made for him, as the somewhat paranoid, irrational detective on a mission, Bridget Moynahan is the supremely up tight"robopsychologist" (thank you wikipedia) who the filmmakers, thankfully avoid creating a typical romantic entanglement with Smiths character which would have made the film too by the book and routine. Alan Tudyk (whom Dodgeball fans will remember as"Steve the pirate") provides the voice and movements of Sunny, the main Robot who is believed to be responsible for the murder of Doctor Lanning. I would delve further into the plot but as I said I, Robot doesn't have too-many surprises, I can't judge how accurate an adaptation of Asimov's but found I,Robot to be an entertaining and impressive feature, crafted with excellent CGI and featuring a typically reliable performance from Will Smith. Definitely worth seeing, I,Robot is a Sci-Fi action film that does the job with style without just being a popcorn flick, but instead a sharper entry in a long line of Sci-Fi which has covered this material before.

Now for the bonus features available. Ill be honest I picked up the two-disc edition and while there is a decent amount of bonus features on disc two to watch on the making of the film and pieces on Robotics, I never really sat down immersed myself in them for too long, I enjoyed the movie but not to the point where I would be interested enough to see behind the scenes and only picked up the two disc version because it was very good value. Plenty of bonuses available, including a few incomplete deleted scenes and extended scenes, and the usual insight into the special effects, the score done Marco Beltrami, (who also did the music for Terminator 3), and production diaries, interviews and trailers and three separate commentaries on disc one. If you really liked I, Robot then I would recommend the two-disc edition, as it is good value for the amount of features you get, if not pick up the one-disc release.

A very entertaining B-movie.

Even if it's not a masterpiece, Romero's return is a tight, not very scary but nicely satirical B-movie, filled with sharp comments about today's America (it's pretty funny to see Dennis Hopper's character say"we don't negotiate with terrorists!") and very efficient in terms of action and dialogue. Sometimes it looks and sounds more like a John Carpenter than a George Romero's film. It's a kind of"Escape From New York" meets"Prince of Darkness" meets"Vampire$" done by the man who created the zombie movie - and so, the only filmmaker who's really authorized to take some risky liberties (like the zombies starting to learn, evolve and become... human, for better or worst). Some people passionately hate this movie (even Romero fans!), but I think it deserves a second chance. Yes, Zack Snyder did a much more scary and exhilarating film with his"Dawn of the Dead" remake, but Romero's much more intelligent in terms of social satire. And the truth is, that's one of the reasons we loved his zombie movies in the first place...

PS - Being a fan of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, it was a delight to see the"Shaun of the Dead" pair playing two very frustrated zombies in a quite funny set-up!

Spooky!

It was good on TV. It is good on DVD. Shame about the menus which are more trouble than they're worth.

Word of warning - it seems that DVD [2] has episodes 1 & 2 of the series on it whereas DVD [1] has episodes 3 & 4 on it. Probably some deep encryption going on - but a bit spooky when the stories don't follow on!

Excellent

So much has been said and written about this movie I wasn't going to even bother writing a review... but then I couldn't help myself.

I could describe the plot to you, but that has been done. I'm mainly I'm going to explain why I selected 5 stars, when in comparison to truly great movies it...well it would hardly share the same category. I'm a believer in judging a movie or TV show by its intentions and the success of carrying them through to the end result, not neccessarily by its place in the Cannon of film. HSM2, as with HSM intended to entertain with great acting, great dancing, a good plot and of course, the Disney morals. With this in mind, it succeeded.

Clearly, the brains behind the franchise realised that the target audience of the tweenies were not the only demographic drawn [almost unwillingly] to the first movie. The sequel certainly shows this realisation and also the growth of the actors and the gentle change in styles.

Loving musicals, but only expecting to get a little fix, I bought the first and was hooked, (though it kind of stands out next to Rent, Moulin Rouge, Chorus Line, Cabaret, etc.). When the sequel arrived, I bought it without a second thought. Surprise, surprise, I loved it. It certainly has a slightly more mature and complex style in the characters' behaviour/interactions with each other, (even their tone of voice) and dialogue. It has a much more complex structure within the music and even more so in the dance, without moving to far away from the established style.

The talents of the actors are shown more clearly with greater respect. Lucas Grabeel, (Ryan) is allowed to shine through his voice and amazing dancing abilties, stepping out from Ashley Tisdale's, (Sharpay) shadow. Particularly in 'I Don't Dance' with Corbin Bleu (Chad) who also gets the same chance. This movie isn't purely the 'Troy and Gabrielle Show', which being amazed by Lucas's talents especially, was refreshing.

It's a musical, [obviously] and that genre can provide a realistic look at life. Although I don't honestly think HSM2 does this, I again go back to intent. This movie gives an impression of realism of American teenagers, close enough for the target audience to relate, but far enough away to escape and dream. As for anyone older watching this movie, I'm not so sure realism actually matters and perhaps its lack of total authenticity is what appeals to us; perhaps we only want the sunny, rosy escapism.

This movie is cheesy, yes. It doesn't stretch the imagination in it's plot or film making, (cinematography, set design, costuming, etc.) though Kenny Ortega's choreography is renowned outside his involvement in this movie and he never lets you down. It is not a work of excellence, in cinematic terms, but there is just something about this movie that has the world in a craze. Perhaps it is simply because the talent is so blatently thrown in front of you on screen. That is something I don't know how anyone can doubt. Dislike the film, fine. Hate the film, ok. But why doubt the talent or the intentions; or the successful executions of them?

This is one of those movies that 'is what it is'. Once you get that, the reason for its seemingly surprising broad appeal is not so hard to understand. It does what it does and it does it with flare.

(Though I'm still kinda embarrassed that I like it so much...or at all.)

American take of football violence

This film is by far the worst I have seen in a long time. The script, the chracters, the acting, the mockney accents, the cinematograpy. This film has been made for Americans as any Londoner would be able to tell that the different locations it had nothing to do with the club it was based on, West Ham Utd. Avoid it at all accounts.

You haven't bought this already?

Few TV series should last forever, except this one... If I was to have a famous Dad, he would be my ideal...but then anything would be better than a drunken sociopath who stinks of fish...But that's another issue...So, this series is really good, it can feel too improvised and smug with itself, but overlook these imperfections as part of a form that delivers some unforgettable lines and setups. I never really liked the Seinfeld show, or Sour Grapes (his movie); But, if you recast them with that of Curb Your Enthusiasm, they dramatically improve. The central personality of Larry Davids performance lights up every line. If Sour Grapes had David...Imagine Charlie Chaplin or The Marx Brothers movies played by others. Okay perhaps Sour Grapes wouldn't improve that much...but other personality led comedy shows like Ellen, Roseanne, and Seinfeld pale in comparison to Curb Your Enthusiasm.

More 4 is showing repeats, but it's best to buy the DVD box set, this is TV you'll want to keep, to pass on to others. More 4 is showing trailers with one of my favourite lines about David thinking a nativity scene Jesus was a monkey. A Jewish guy mistakenly telling a bunch of Christians that Jesus is a monkey, always makes me laugh. Beloved Aunt...The German Shepherd dog, the intractable situations he falls into. The funny thing is David is always right in a world that's entirely wrong. I have my doubts that Americans can be quite that prissy, but this show is a comedy of manners.

HBO has a stunning track record of producing the great shows in a golden age of TV. Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, OZ, and so on... Oh and I must mention Rome, that's great, even with the magnificent Julius G Caesar dead...(hey, it's history, I ain't giving away plot secrets).

Comedy geniuses all have their forte, Mel Brookes made movies like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, the great movie comedies. Stand-up comedy of Richard Prior. Larry David is a genius of TV comedy. This unreservedly deserves full marks.

exclusive for a reason

I thought Afro Samurai was a good show and don't really understand what all the negative fuss is about. As much as people have claimed it being a very simple plot, it was told well enough.

I actually think it's a good thing that the hero character doesn't have much dialog. Thankfully the show didn't sell-out completely all because of Hollywood star Samuel L. Jackson. The character stays very true to his mysterious nature and watching to the end of the series I was left with so many questions that I HAVE to watch the next series now.

For what its worth, Afro Samurai is one of the few Anime's I've seen lately without laughing aloud at the complete lack of elegance some of the recent stuff has to offer.

I see this DVD being an exclusive for a reason, because it'll be something everyone wants when its no longer available. I'm glad I now have mine!

Excellent

This is perhaps the most accessible of the Studio Ghibli productions for the UK audience ( closely followed by Kiki's Delivery Service )

Unlike"Spirited Away" ( with it's Japanese bath houses and radish spirits ) this has a more british edwardian or european feel for the first half before the bombing sequences

Yes there are gaps in the back story and it does vary from the original book but on its own merits this is a masterpiece

concerning the stand-up cd...

to start off: the 7th season of seinfeld is brilliant. many, many laughs, great writing, wonderful actors.

the cd included in this"exclusive" version consists of about 20 minutes of standup-material from the first 6 seasons... on one single track!? make no mistake about it, the material is great and incredibly funny, but a mere 20 minutes of previously released material on one single track is not my idea of an"exclusive" edition.

nevertheless, I can hardly wait for the remaining two seasons!

In a word................

OVERRATED.