Great film, even better in HD

This film was one I'd been waiting for and loved every minute in the cinema, which I believe was the best cinema experience I've had to date.

It was great to relive it on DVD when my brother bought it to see it for the first time, but now that HD-DVD is more accessible in price I knew it was something I had to do, and I don't regret it AT ALL.

Absolutely stunning visuals show just what this 'dead' format can do. Every scene has new life as each grain of sand, freckle and piece of flying debris looks so good you can almost feel it. A must for any HD collection and now even more worth getting since the price has halved from the initial RRP. 6 out 5 stars :)

Captivating and fun...

...are just two words I would use to describe this. I saw it yesterday for the first time, and was amazed how much fun it was. Great characterisation and animation, and the little boy is just scrummy!

My favourite (apart from James) was the Centipede, as I LOVE Richard Dreyfuss in anything. He was such a wise guy....

"That'll teach you to mess with me, you overgrown sardine - I'm from Brooklyn!"

How much I enjoyed this film just goes to show that I'm a big kid - 37 going on 7!

lovely duvley

I must say that the little mermaid is a classic Disney treasure and that i now know that king Triton is ginger because in the little mermaid Ariel's beginning i discovered that he has ginger hair and a ginger beard and that i don't understand why that Melody has brown hair and also after viewing the little mermaid 2 go dwell in the sea i also noticed that Ursala has a anorexic sister like a stereotype kind of family as if to say that universe ate all the pies and her skinny little sis Morgana shoved a tooth brush down her throat. skinny person before i watched the 2nd film i didn't know her name so i used to call her skinny Ursala because i felt the need to and another thing its great and across two discs you should find out how the film was made one disappointment is why doesn't it explain how the dad is ginger in 1 and grey in another /,









and buy paris hiltons album. paris hilton rocks my socks. she is a great singer better than jodie benson's even. why didnt paris hilton do her voice? we could have heard that song she made. if they ever re-release it again on ebay i want her to do the soundtrack. using her vocals. her god-blessed chords. great woman.

Superb movie, impossible to classify

I watched this movie for the first time a number of years ago. Since then I've watched it over and over, and every time I notice something that I missed last time. It's one of those unique movies that's completely impossibly to classify. Maybe an adult fairy tale with a strong tongue-in-cheek script and superb performances from every member of the cast. Does anyone else think Mandy Patinkin looks like a clone of Gene Kelly in this movie?

A Childrens Classic

I loved this film almost as much as my children.
It is without doubt the best kids film ever made.
I loved Shrek and Small Soldiers , but and my kids say TOPY STORY is Number One.

Never forgotten!

One of those classics that you can watch as a child,
and remember it in later years. Although released in 1971
it is much better and heart-warming than the 2005
version - and that's coming from a Johnny Depp fan!

not great, not even good...but still better than the Phantom Menace

Hype, or hyperbole to give it its full title, is defined as a figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated, and is used to evoke strong feelings and create a strong impression, but is not meant to be taken literally. Lets be honest here, with that definition I could have described any of the Star Wars movies, and if anything has been associated with so much hype it makes your head spin, it has been these movies, in particular the so called prequels. However, other words are also associated with these films, words such as disappointment and anger, especially after the travesty of a movie that was the Phantom Menace, so it was with some trepidation that I came to the second of the movies.
To briefly sum up, Attack of the Clones deals with the ongoing attempts by the dark lord of the Sith to fracture the federation so that he can step in and sieze power, using a rebel jedi Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) as his cats-paw, whilst the true jedi attempt to hold things together and stave of the inevitable war. Along the way we are treated to several bits of Star Wars history, including the precursor to the infamous storm troopers in the shape of the Clones, a huge army that is being secretly built by agents unknown, and the romance between Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christenson), a romance that we know will only end in tragedy.
Unfortunately, the film is just such an ungodly mess that it is hard to really give a damn about any of it. The plot rattles along at such a pace that it is sometimes dizzying, with revelations coming on top of revelations as deep dark secrets are exposed and plots uncovered with such ease that it makes you wonder how they have remained secret for this long (apparently, no one in the Star Wars universe understands the concept of security). The cast do their best with some hackneyed dialogue (even Ewan McGregor as Obi-wan does not come out of this looking or sounding good). Samuel Jackson as jedi Mace Windu is pretty good, but the real problem with the film is the love story between Anakin and Padme. Instead of a gradual, believable romance, these two spell their feelings out in long winded conversations, laying everything on the table and spouting some of the most cringe worthy platitudes I have ever heard in a movie. Portman looks great but spends an awful lot of the movie staring wistfully of into the distance or at Anakin, and whilst I have seen Hayden Christenson in Shattered Glass, so I know he can act, in this movie he has all the acting ability of a lump of wood.
Even the special effects grate after a while. The battle between the clone army and the droid army of Dooku never looks anything less than impressive, but this is exactly what we have come to expect, and the speeder chase through the towers of the Coruscant cityscape is annoying in its frivolousness. Even watching a small army of jdei's cut loose cannot lift this film above at best the mundane. On the plus side this film is better than the simply awful Phantom Menace, but once again this is a film that does much to damage the reputation of the cherished originals.

The BEST Star Wars Trilogy

I found these 3 films to be very enjoyable.
You could tell straight away that a lot of effort was put in each and every film.
The idea of using a sabre that has a field of light around it which can almost cut through anything is incredible.
Most adults or customers say that these films are really more for children but it can be interesting because this story is about a sweet little boy which becomes the cruel and treacherous Darth Vader.
Watch the intense fights as dramatic music come on.
Who will win will be the question that will be ringing inside your head.
This is what each and every film is mainly about...


A New Hope: Luke Skywalker meets an old Jedi who claims himself as Ben Kenobi + whilst new sith Darth Vader tries to get a word out of Princess Leia.

The Empire Strikes Back: Luke Skywalker tries to train without the help of his mentor who passed away in 'The New Hope' + Luke finally finds out about a member of his family who had no idea they were related just like Luke + he has to be trained by the great Master Yoda!

Return of the Jedi: Intense battle between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker + is Darth Vader completely evil after all? + who destroys darth sidious + finally the Sith are destroyed and everyone parties down + a few old friends might pop in as imaginative characters at the end.

Hope you enjoy this spectacular trilogy which has the unique abilities of George Lucas inside.
I would recommend to buy these films, if you don't you will seriously regret it!

Better than I thought it would be!

Not having heard much about this one, I didn't expect big things. I love being wrong from time to time! This was well-made, funny, and could be enjoyed by all the family. Stronger than Shrek 3, for example, the homour in the film was surprisingly good and plentiful. Loo-d be mad to miss it. (Sorry!)

A good film - spolit by unnecessary bad language

This film keeps faithfully to the book but, for some reason, it has been considered necessary to put in some bad language that certainly does not appear in the book. A couple of"bloody hells", several more"bloodies", one"arse" and a"bugger". One wouldn't even notice this mild swearing in an adult film, but, in a film for children, it jars. Why is it considered necessary? Is it because it was scripted by Americans who do not recognise this as swearing? Doesn't this bother any other parents?

Another great British kids' show, but why oh why Region 2 coding?

First, let me say that Shaun the Sheep is a great TV show for kids of all ages. However...

As an expatriot Briton living in the US I am constantly baffled by DVD manufacturers' insistence on producing kids TV titles in region 2 format (so that they can only be viewed on region 2 DVD players). Sadly this is the case with such classic children's TV shows as Shaun the Sheep, The Clangers, Mr. Benn, Ivor the Engine and The Wombles, and it makes it hard or virtually impossible to see these TV shows outside Europe. Region 2 format was intended to prevent people from buying videos abroad before their domestic theatre release - this is hardly going to be an issue with children's TV shows - especially ones that have been shown on TV for up to 40 years! Why, why why are these shows issued in region 2 format when it's surely just as easy to release them in open region 0 format so that everyone everywhere can view them???

Bagpuss, Paddington Bear and Trumpton are all issued in region 0 format, so thankfully these are viewable everywhere. Please, video producers, use the format that allows the most people to use the product. This is a no-brainer - you'll sell more DVDs if you open up the formatting so that everyone can enjoy the product, and you lose nothing by doing so.

Tom & Jerry, not exclusivly Hanna & Barbera"stuff"

In the period between 1941 and 1955 there where at least 2 separate teams at MGM under Quimbys supervision, namely Hanna & Barbera and Tex Avery. It was a steady flow of ideas and cartoonist excahange between the 2 teams. It’s quite obvious that Tex Avery had a strong influence on the early Hanna Barbera’s use of typical wild Tex Avery gags, giving the early Tom& Jerry a certain Daffy & Elmer or Bugs & Daffy"feel" to them.
As can be seen in the later Hanna Barbera movies, they left this crazy influence and became more apropriate and Disney-family-like in story and style.
What a loss to us all !

Excellent example of HD DVD

So pleased this is available in the UK first.

Fantastic transfer to HD DVD well worth the extra money just for the clarity of the picture image.

I was wondering whether on a film with a large number of special effects whether the clarity would be a problem but it isn't. Each frame is bright and clear.

Roll on the other Harry Potter films in HD

Outstanding

My son (aged five) loves this - as do his parents and grandparents! Lots of great storylines with humour that will please children and sophisticated adults. Totally unsuitable for those of limited attention span who prefer short, shallow stories with flashy GGI animation.

Classic Disney Animation

101 Dalmatians is one of the best Disney animated films ever made. The classic story of Pongo and Perdita, the two dalmatians who somehow manage to have ninety-nine puppies is well known around the world. As is the film's evil villain, Cruella De Vil.

In the film, she decides that she wants to use the precious puppies to make an exquisite fur coat. However, when Roger and Anita - Pongo and Perdita's owners - refuse to give them up, she chooses to steal them instead. The adventure which ensues will captivate the whole family and unite those young and old in appreciation for this often unmentioned classic.

An animated masterpiece that will enchant, thrill and uplift the whole family!

Beautiful film, wonderful acting

The Railway Children is essentially a film about people who are not afraid to care about each other without expecting anything in return. The story probably seems to many people today to be an unlikely fantasy. Is it really possible that a group of children would take the time to go around town and collect birthday presents for some guy who works on the railway? Well, when you consider the film is set over 100 years ago, it's quite possible. What else did kids have to do with their time when the most advanced consumer product was the pocket watch? The day was still 24 hours long but there was no TV, mobile phones or boy bands to waste your time on. Back then, people probably had the time to be kind to each other and they could do it without fear of being scammed.

The children's acting is extraordinarily good. Jenny Agutter shines in her first major film role and Sally Thomsett is the most natural child actor I've seen to date. The adults do a good job too with Bernard Cribbins at his best as the railway guy whose pride gets the better of him.

The DVD is fine but not great; there are no extras at all and the picture is a bit smudgy in the night-time scenes. It is however quite clear in the bright daytime scenes with no noticable grain.

The film is presented in 1.66:1 format (15:9) which is not wide enough for a 16:9 screen and leaves dark bands at the left and right. However, according to the Internet Movie Database this is exactly the format the film was made in so this is more a note than a complaint.

Notwithstanding the lack of extras on the DVD, the film is so good that I'd still advise you to buy it. If I had a time machine, I'd forget the future and I'd go back there, to a time when children waved at trains and got excited by a paper-chase.

Excellent *spolier*

This film is the perfect Harry Potter film. I love both the books and most of the films and i really enjoyed the take on the good novel.

I found the novel actually quite boring because of the 100 or so pages wasted on the quidditch world cup. The film portarys this part perfectly. I loved the imagery put across through Voldemort, a perfect scary character. The death eaters were great.
Harry and ron's awkwardness about the yule ball was funny and well portrayed.
The casting was perfect, the CGI was spectacular, and unlike its follower, the CGI didn't take over the whole film.

This film was a perfect length for this book, for the longer book of order of the phoenix, they should have increased it to 3 hours.

This is a great film taking on a slightly boring book and i just hope and pray that David Yates takes on his critiscism for the 5th film and changes the sixth film for the better. Please can someone tell the numerous directors of the harry potter series that no one actually minds if it 3 hours long, we would actually prefer it if it was a good film.

Anyway, great film.

Re-mastered version sucks, but it doesnt matter .... the treatrical version is on this disc too.

Dont watched the re-mastered version, Jabba the Hut looks stupid and the rest of the changes are just unnecessary. Watch the original version and see why Star Wars was such a hit in the first place. A great movie from the once brilliant versionary mind of George Lucas, before his lust for money almost ruined the franchise with dodgy prequels like Phantom Menace.

Perfect

I have an English background but we live abroad and I'm raising my children (the older now 2 1/2yrs) bilingualy. So obviously I select the DVDs to watch very carefully - she is only allowed a minimum of television anyway. This one is perfect because:
- Enchanting nice stories, very loveable character
- of the 'good old' kind - unlike the typical Walt Disney stuff
- Nice English (not American) spoken
- Kipper has a very pleasant voice
- Each story has a perfect goodnight-length (approx. 10mins) and an obvious end (so there is no debating whether one can see any more)