Just can't wait for the next episode

This series is fantastic. It's one of the best series for years. Glenn Close is brilliant - you love to hate her. When one episode ends, you just want to watch the next one immediately. The intrigue is brilliant.

More surreal

Unlike most other reviewers, I found this series less good than series 1, probably because everything pointed towards it ending. I found that this made the 1973 events less exhilarating than the first series. However, I still give it five stars for the brilliant acting, good script, political incorrectness and pace. However, I think I will be re-watching series 1 more than this series.

You can't beat the Gene Genie

I'll keep this brief....
- Gene Hunt and his crew are charismatic, entertaining characters that continue to be utterly compelling.
- The 70's setting was more amusing than the 80's but the anachronistic stuff is still amusing if sometimes slightly forced.
- Our replacement time traveller is not particularly likeable, convincing or intriguing. Where we might have empathised Sam's plight in the previous series,( i.m.o it's ridiculous not to make the comparison ), the less time this irritating lady is on screen the happier I am!
- Both series have ridiculous and somewhat boring central 'sci fi / fantasy' themes. This one's is lame.
A summary is difficult as it's such a mixed bag. It is disappointing compared to Life On Mars but, as another reviewer pointed out, still a lot better than most of the tripe on TV these days.
I love seeing Gene and co doing there thing BUT let me just say this. When I realised that there would have to be another series to sit through my heart sank. Hmmmm........

Bye Bye Morse, Hello Robbie Lewis.

With this second series I feel Lewis has lost the"ooh, not as good as Morse" tag and come into it's own.

Series One, in my opinion, nodded a little too often in the direction of Morse's ghost who always seemed to be one step behind Robbie Lewis.

Series Two is superb. Lewis and Hathaway are now their own closely knit unit and some of the interplay between them was touching and amusing. It was also nice to find out about Hathaway's"priestly past".

There was Morse and now there's Lewis. Buy this, you won't be disappointed.

Fantastic

Absolutely fantastic series. Gripping story, intelligently written and with some wonderful dry humour. Can't think of anything bad. Well done to everyone involved.

LOVE 24 BUT..........

SEASON 6 WAS BORING AND PREDICTABLE. I'VE LOVED 24 FROM DAY ONE, BUT THIS SEASON THERE WAS NOTHING NEW AND ALL WAS EASY TO SPOT. BUT ITS STILL JACK BAUER, WHO IS AWESOME! HOPEFULLY SEASON 7 WILL BE BLINDING, IT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE IT JUDGING FROM THE TRAILER............

An offer you cannot refuse

Throughout his long, wandering, often distinguished career Francis Ford Coppola has made many films that are great (Apocalypse Now); good (Rumble Fish) and fine (Rain Maker), many more that are flawed but undeniably interesting, and a handful of duds that are worth viewing if only because his personality is so flagrantly absent. Yet he is and always shall be known as the man who directed the Godfather films.

The first movie of the trilogy broke many records when it was released in 1972: it was, for example, the top grossing movie (a record broken in 1975 by"Jaws"); that year it also won three Academy Awards. It is also very highly rated by critics; the American Film Institute ranked it the third greatest movie of all time.

But in my opinion,"The Godfather" was a very good movie, not a great movie. It's sequels were even worse (but still much better than the garbage that Hollywood churns out today). The Godfather had poor plot development. In particular, I object to the way in which the putative master of crime was depicted conducting a vendetta; invariably an assassin would suddenly appear in proximity to the victim, plug him several times, or strangle him. There was never any evidence of skill or foresight on the part of the gangsters. Hitmen simply would appear at arbitrary intervals, and bump off a character the moment the screenwriter had no use for him. The single most egregious case of this is the assassination of Sonny Corleone by a horde of gunmen that appear as if by magic. Ambushes do occur in the real world, of course, and they often do employ massive overkill; but the planner has to know when and where to hit the target.

This is a common problem of action movies, especially when the protagonist is also a figure of the underworld. It is usually overcome by the writer focusing on fewer conflicts (e.g., the incomparably superior"Chinatown"), or by much greater research of the subject. Since the movie was adapted from The Godfather, it would have been possible to focus on fewer threads of the novel than Coppola chose. Or, had Coppola wanted to focus on the development of Michael Corleone's personality over time, then he could allocated more screen time to, say, the planning and decision-making. Of course, if he had, then he would have not made his gore quota.

The Godfather 2 is a very good movie, but not a classic. Much of the power of the second film comes from the contrast between the two stories. As Vito Corleone grows in power, he also grows as a family man, in both the sense of a father with children and a wife and in the extended sense in his role as Godfather. He becomes the center of a community, drawing others around him. But the other story, of the decay of all that Vito had built up through the leadership of Michael, betrays all the realities undergirding the delusions riddling Vito Corleone's Family. The rot and decay that characterizes Michael's reign are shown as the natural and inescapable result of the greed that drove the lives of those in the crime organization. Nonetheless, the contrast between Vito, surrounded by friends and family and associates, and Michael, killing friends and associates and even family members, alienating even his most loyal friends, sitting inside his armed compound alone couldn't be starker. There is a reverse symmetry between the two stories: Vito starts off alone and ends surrounded by family and friends, while Michael starts off surrounded with family and friends, and ends up alone. This is symbolized perfectly in the final scene in the film, in a flashback to December 7, 1941, when Michael reveals to his brothers that he has enlisted in the Army. They hear their father arrive elsewhere in the house and rush off to meet him, only Michael sitting at the table alone as the film ends.

As with the first film, the acting is beyond reproach. As great as Al Pacino has been in his career, Michael Corleone has been his greatest achievement. He and Robert De Niro excel in the two key roles in the film. Lee Strasberg came out of retirement to play Hyman Roth, and he was extraordinarily effective in the role. The late, great John Cazale was marvelously timid as the dim, confused, and indecisive Fredo, who both adored and resented his brother Michael. Michael Gazzo is unforgettable as Frank Pentangeli, who thinks he has been betrayed by Michael and turns government witness, and received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for his performance (he was beaten out by Robert De Niro), as was Lee Strasberg. Robert Duvall returns as Tom Hagen, who is more loyal to Michael than anyone else but who Michael distrusts nonetheless. Bizarrely, Al Pacino lost out to Art Carney, who was excellent in the rather minor film HARRY AND TONTO. It is hard today to understand how Pacino failed to win.

Winner of six Academy Awards, including Best Picture."The Godfather, Part III" (1990, 170 min.) - Now in his 60's, Michael Corleone is dominated by two passions: freeing his family from crime, and finding a suitable successor. That successor could be fiery Vincent (Andy Garcia), but he may also be the spark that turns Michael's hope of business legitimacy into an inferno of mob violence. This special collection also includes an additional disc containing over 3 hours of bonus material.
This effort is worth watching but it is the weakest of the three. Watch out for the talentless Sophia Coppola; she would have been better off on the other side of the camera.

Bargain

Bargain, cheers!


I wish they'd announced the death of the format ages ago if this is the outcome - cheapness.

The Bourne Ultimatum

I have found that making a sequel to a film is not always a good idea. Making two sequels to a film is an even greater risk. This movie certainly changed my mind, however. All of"The Bourne" movies are good, but in my opinion, this third one"The Bourne Ultimatum" is the best.

I loved it, BUT its not for everyone

This Oscar winning film is based on an unusual 2005 novel by American author Cormac McCarthy and is very faithful to the book. Beautifully brought to life with stunning cinematography, inventive direction, some great set pieces and, for the most part, realistic acting. I say for the most part because the main villain, played by Javier Bardem (who also won an Oscar) is like a malevolent phantom; a creature of pure evil, more like the Devil than a person. His nightmarish performance is the best part of the movie - every time he is on screen he chills and fascinates in equal measure.

The film is a modern day Western, set in 1980 on the US / Mexico border with a plot so simple it's not worth mentioning. The action is viewed from the perspectives of the three main characters; the psycho Bardem, a world-weary (and philosophising) Sheriff played by Tommy Lee Jones, and a man who gets himself into a heap of trouble, played by Josh Brolin. Although told at a slow pace, the first 2 thirds are very compelling, mostly due to the well-worked set-pieces and the ever-menacing presence of Bardem. The movie does however become ever more strange with a somewhat modernist attention to detail on small things, while the big events get glossed over. By the final third, it has become so interiorised that the action is threatening to cease at any moment. And in fact that's what it does. The film ends when you least expect it to. This has infuriated and baffled many, but, in restrospect, I feel it finishes at just the right time. It's in keeping with the real themes of the movie, which are not spelled out, (and it wouldn't be right for me to spell them out either).

If I had to compare this film to other Coen Bros films; the first two thirds are like Blood Simple and Fargo whereas the final third is more like Barton Fink (i.e a bad dream!). Not everybody's cup of tea, for sure, but like I said, I loved it.

Fantastic - again

The Wire has been unbelievably good from the outset and Series 4 does not disappoint. McNulty fades into the background but other familiar characters like Omar and Bubbles come to the fore powerfully. Prezbylweski takes centre stage as a teacher in high school and Bunk and Kima hold up the police angle. This is such good TV. There is a particularly chilling baby faced killer who contrasts with the"kids" on the corner beautifully. At the same time, one of the ex-Police chiefs is working with a psychologist to educate the corner kids in school. Fantastic drama which demonstrates why trying to"solve the drug problem" doesn't work. Watch, enjoy and learn

Haunting

What a stunning movie. I couldn't stop thinking about it afterwards and its one of those that has you flying to Wikipeia or whatever to find out how much of it is true and 'where they are now'. Highly recommended for a Saturday night in edge of your seat gangster thriller/bio with two great lead performances.

spellbinding

I have to mirror what a lot of other people have been saying. S6 part I was excellent but Part II is just in a diferent league. As another reviewer has so well summed it up, it has an 'End of Empire' feeling about it. Things start to feel so different the story lines develop and build and the tension mounts towards an end to everything as we know it. What you feel at the end is slight sadness, you have seen the last episodes of the vehicle for the best ever character in US American TV Drama history: Anthony"Tony" Soprano. Sure there is debate about the way it ends in the last episode but I like it, pure class! It is like you can choose for yourself! Is it Meadow or is it an assasin at the door, it doesn't matter! i am already watching those last 9 episodes again as I just can't get enough. Awesome!!

Morse - The Greatest

Here is one of those rare things that is so precious and is certainly worth every penny. I absolutely adore Inspector Morse and this DVD set is a brilliant collection to own.

A red Jag, a pint of beer, crosswords, Oxford and of course...Lewis. Poor Lewis. If you love murder mysteries and have never watched Morse then you clearly must.

The most important ingredient of the series though is clearly the late John Thaw. What a wonderfully gifted actor. He creates so much character to Morse that this is what makes the series so extra special. Without John Thaw, I believe it would not be the same.

The music is absolutley beautiful throughout and you never tire of listening to it. So brilliant twists through the series and some personal issues involved too.

Great stuff.

Morse - best detective ever!

Series 6 - Part 1 & Part 2

OK The final episodes of the Series 6 (part 2) which are number 77 thru 86, only aired on HBO in the states this year ending June 10 2007.

Part 1 aired in 2006:episode's 66 - 77 and is what you have in this DVD.

Part 2 as a DVD (region1) is scheduled for release October 2007 in the USA. On the basis that Channel 4 is yet to air Part 2, on E4 Or C4 I would not expect a release on DVD region 2 until that has happened.

The rational for why it's series 6 part 2 not series 7 is complex, and to do with US broadcast scheduling, and syndication, and production. Sex and the city for example ended with a similar 2 part series of 12 and 8 episodes.

Additionally and in this case David Chase had planned to make part 2 with 3 episodes only, but pressure from HBO persuaded him to push this out to 9. As a result the middle of part 1 has an extended foray into The Vito Spatafore story arc.

Enjoy

Not worth watching

George steals the show.
The plot? and editing leave a lot to be desired.
For an"intelligent thriller" it is pretty dumb with no thrills.

good...but why did they do what they did in the first episode?!

Dont get me wrong I liked this season of 24 but i was so upset after watching the first episode! I'm not going to give anything away cause I dont want to spoil anything for anyone. BUT WHY?!

thank god for spooks

first off, i'm an american so my views on spooks do come from a different perspective. that being said, there is nothing the equivalent of the show on american television. we can pack the airwaves with excellent shows like lost, csi (the original), grey's anatomy, battlestar galactica and other shows of similar quality, but absolutely nothing i've seen packs the overall punch of spooks. secondly, over the last year i've discovered bbc shows in box format (bodies, coupling, talk to me and many others) and am floored by their quality. the quality of the writing and acting along with the density of the content make for better viewing. i originally picked up mi-5 here (yes, i'm aware of the controversy over the name change and will replace it with the standard uk version) and quickly fell for the whole thing hook, line, and sinker. i subsequently couldn't wait to get my hands on the rest and decided to go ahead and order them directly from the uk. i strongly believe that the end of tom quinn going from the finale of series 2 into series 3 is the finest character arch i've ever come across. i was skeptical of adam carter at first and was quickly calmed by the storytelling. the very nature of the show and cast turnover rate keeps viewers on their toes. no one is safe and no idea is safe either. having seen the princess diana storyline, i can't imagine a u.s. drama tackling an idea like that or the aftermath document from the series 5 finale. what they do is big and of the moment and they don't waste time like american dramas do. i can see why people may have reacted the way they did to adams's breakdown but they should stop and think about what he's gone thru - he's been tortured at least twice, his wife died in his arms, he's nearly been killed by a sniper, and now he has to be responsible for his son while being aware of the evils in the world. you'll go to work tomorrow and wonder what you'll make for dinner that night. a bit of a difference. i'm astonished by the gravity of the premise - there are people in our world who have to constantly be on watch to protect us from harm without our even knowing it. sorry i rambled on and on. i do miss ruth from the show and feel jo and zaf were due bigger parts, but since everyone is still alive i'll have to wait for the next boxset sometime in 2008 i guess. goodnight.

a film of two halves

This is a long film. the first half is fantastic, the second half sends you to sleep it's so tedious. Daniel Day Lewis is awe inspiring, so much so that you don't really care what happens to the other characters. So I suggest you watch until the point where the pipeline is complete, then switch off. You won't be missing anything, and the good part will be fresh in your mind.