The Joker Steals The Show

I gave this movie four rather than five stars because I think it suffers from being just slightly over long, its unsure whether it wants to be family viewing or just as sinister as it could be and I'm still not sure that Batman himself hasnt been miscast.

This is the second in the series of films which began with"Batman Begins", it is set years after the first film. Crime and corruption are still a problems in Gotham but pale in comparison with what they once where as a consequence of not just Batman's vigilante justice but some crusading politicians and cops.

Bruce Wayne is contemplating retiring Batman, partly for personal reasons (a love interest) but also because he feels the"state of emergency" conditions of the first movie, which had Rasa Ghoul contemplating liquidating the place, have passed.

Enter The Joker who steals the show from everyone, a psychopathic jack the ripper style character wanting nothing other than to indulge his homicidal and sadistic urges. The characterisation of The Joker is unsurpassed and is destined to become one of the archetypical film psychopaths like Hopkin's Hannibal Lector, unmistakeably unhinged, insanely compulsive and repulsive, any ingenuity in his scheming is pretty much unsurpassed by the sinister, sick nature of the same.

In the end circumstances leave no doubt that Gotham isnt ready for a world without Batman, although public attitudes to the same are changed for good, another film's set up but not in any way which detracts from this set piece.

The movie's great but I'm a fan of a lot of Batman comics, books and films and still feel that in these movies The Batman himself lacks prescence.

Great Movie!!

What a great movie it is! And now in Blu-Ray Disc, it's just wonderful. And those IMAX scenes, breathtaking!! Totally Recommended.

No ifs, no buts...The Wire is the most captivating TV show ever!!!!

The Wire is utterly captivating, well written, brilliantly produced and simply the best TV show ever. A big statement i know but having been introduced to The Wire two months ago i am now on series 4 (there are 5 in total) and totally obsessed and unlike many TV dramas that loose their plot after one series, this just gets better and better. The characters evolve, the plots thicken and the waters get even murkier between what/who is right or wrong. I have constant debates with friends about which series is best, who to love and who is good and which characters currently precide in my top 5 (currently: Lester, Carver, Cutty, Boadie and Clay Davis just for his one liner). The way David Simon and Ed Burns explore each character makes you feel like you know or at least understand them and even though the plot is set in Baltimore, the issues can be related to many cities. Unlike many other TV shows on today, The Wire makes you think and challenges you. Since i started watching it, i have brought all the books that accompany the series (The Wire: Truth Be Told) and previous works by David SimonThe Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighbourhood], [[ASIN:1847673112 Homicide:]. If you should only buy one thing, buy The Wire. You won't be disappointed and i can only say how envious i am of what awaits you. ENJOY!!!

sick and pathetic

I chose this film solely on it being an Oscar-winner, knowing nothing about the story. I am very disappointed. I continue to fail to see how anyone can get pleasure out of making, acting in or watching a film about a gartuitous psychopathic killer. Pathetic. While I can accept there is a market for such films, I cannot see how this one could win Best Film. Best Film should be awarded for a combination of great acting, writing, cinematography, direction, etc, not just on the basis that the viewer gets a voyeuristic thrill from seeing inocent bystanders blasted to death. There are so many great realistic stories to film, this choice for me is bizarre. Don't buy, unless gratuitous violence is your thing.

Can't get better

I loved the first series and the second kept me equally enthralled - I had to pace myself not to watch too many episodes in one go as you want to know what happens next.

You need to have watched series one first so coming to it new or mid-episde would be impossible - but I think it is the finest Police TV ever.

THIS IS NOT 24 HOW WE KNOW IT!!!

This should have got 24 back on track for the big release of season 7 for me it came of the rails and didn't get back on. There was no real tension with the real time factor as for Jack he wasn't the Jack we know and all love. The story seemed rushed from the word go I think it just seemed a bit pointless even doing it. I am massive 24 fan and I really was looking forward to the release of this but having watched it I will not be buying it to add to my DVD collection of 24 it really is a waste of money. I really do hope season 7 makes up for this because if it doesn't I think 24 will be losing a few fans will be a shame.

A nice little taster

Ever wondered what MI5 really do? Well this is your chance to find out! Spooks is a new series which charts how MI5 and the Spooks in its employ deal with the everyday threats against Britain. In season one we're introduced to Harry, Tom, Danny & Zoe and get to see them in action as they face extremist anti-abortionists, race-riot ringleaders and Kurdish freedom fighters....to name but a few. Spooks has the suspense, intrigue and backstabbing that we would expect from an agency of spies and it all works together to hook you from episode one straight through to the end.

My biggest gripe about Season 1 of Spooks is that it's just too short. You're only getting into the swing of it when it ends and you wish you'd ordered season 2 at the same time as season 1!

The best tv series I've ever seen

The Wire is so well thought out. Every character has a story and depth and most importantly is multi faceted. No one is a"goodie" or"bady" as such. People are just people, capable of good and bad. Nothing gets sentimental for the sake of it and nothing seems to be written for the benefit of the audience.
Season 4 was my favourite and now I've watched them all, miss it terribly.

Must see TV

I bought the first two series of the wire on the basis of comments on the amazon web site. Could it really be that good?. To my eternal shame it was several months before I finally got around to watching it. You should be in absolutely no doubt that this is landmark television. If you never watch another TV series for the rest of your life, you must watch this. The downside is that it is so good that it makes it difficult to watch virtually anything else without feeling that you have been short-changed.

Menu impossible

I really love Spooks and bought this box set a year ago intending to collect all seasons. However, after a year grappling with the ridiculous menu in this set I've gone right off the idea. It's all I can do to access the episodes - and they are as good as ever - but I still haven't managed to access any of the extra features because I just can't figure out how! If I'd wanted a nerdy computer game I'd have bought one. When I buy a DVD I expect a straightforward menu with obvious direction to episodes - titled and numbered would be nice too - and a clear link to extras. There's also the red mist inducing silly intro you've to sit through very time you go to the menu. Therefore despite Spooks as a programme rating at least four stars, as a product this set can only scrape three.

The thought was there ........

I bought this for my brother for his birthday but alas he informed me that he would have rather had something else (even though he loves Hitchcock and I thought the extra features would be"right up his street"). I have seen a few of the more famous films and was actually looking forward to him telling me all about them and the"extra bits". I said I would get him something else - so will be keeping them myself (my husband said he would like them too) - so looks like an early Christmas present for us ...... my brother's loss I think.

Two of the best superhero films of recents times

This is a very strong double pack. Christopher Nolan has done a stellar job with the reboot of this franchise.

Batman, over the years has taken a fair old flogging as a franchise. I used to love the cheesy TV show when I was a kid and was completely thrilled with Tim Burton's two Batman films which are still up there in my reckoning, the first one being particularly outstanding. Then we had the shocking efforts of Joel Schumacher on Batman & Robin and Batman Forever which upped the 'camp' to ridiculous levels . Schumacher is either on it with the likes of 'Falling Down' and 'The Lost Boys' or way off the mark. Anyway Back to Batman!

Now comes Christopher Nolan with these masterful re-imaginings. At first I was not overley impressed with Batman Begins. It didn't grab me in the least and yet almost against my will I bought the dvd version on a whim. I watched it again and was blown away. What Nolan has done with this franchise is make it so much more believable. I've rarely seen a character depicted with such drive in a film as Bruce Wayne. However, the story is told so well you absolutely know where all this energy is coming from as it pushes Bruce Wayne to become Batman and attempt to somehow redress the balance in Gotham City.

Using his trademark flashbacks Nolan superbly fills in all the backstory to the young Bruce Wayne as he is being trained by 'Ducard' (Liam Neeson) under the pretense of working for Ra'a al Ghul and shows the viewers how a pre-batman Wayne received most of his training. I love this element of the film. After being asked to execute a man and refusing, Bruce has to escape his master and the league of shadows to stay true to what he believes in and save his own life.

The disc in this pack is pretty good. Not up to the standard of the Dark Knight but it's a definite big step up from DVD. The general consensus is that this disc is a straight copy of the HD-DVD version and as such uses less bandwidth (Average around 20mbps) for the video than regular high-end Bluray releases. It's consistently around 8-12mbps a second lower than the Dark Knight's data rate which average around the high 20's to low 30's and peaks right up into the high 40's when things get busy - numbers HD-DVD could only dream about (thank god the better format won this time). Anyway, it's not a bad transfer just not as good as it could be. No doubt a remastered Bluray specific edit will show up and I'll definitely buy it. This will certainly suffice in the meantime.

Both discs have lossless Dolby TruHD soundtracks so that's good.

The Dark knight moves the story on superbly from the first film. I've posted a separate review of that film so check it out. Suffice to say I think the Dark Knight is the best superhero film I've seen by a long way (Spiderman can't compete, X-men can't compete, the Superman re-boot can't compete). It simply trounces everything with excellent pacing, Heath Ledger of course, great gadgets, story development, believability and great twists.

This is a great pack containing two of the best superhero films and is highly recommended.

WOW!!!

This is just brillant. The version seen on SKY1 is nothing compared to this version, its 20 minutes longer (containing some really essential scenes) plus theres no adverts (not even a ticking clock) the prequel plays as one long movie with not a single interuption. Trust me when i say this"24 is the best show RIGHT NOW on TV" without a doubt. This DVD is brillant and is really something all 24 fans should have sitting on their shelves. It comes in a cardboard sleeve like motion picture DVDs, it contains some brillant special features including a"making off feature" which really complements the prequel with a great commentary that again all 24 fans will have to listen too, its brillant and Kiefer can really talk for England. Make sure you get this, its brillant.

I loved it

This is a great series, from first frame to final credits.

I admit that I was completely taken into the glossy, glamorous, ultimately shallow world of the US legal system as depicted here - and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment.

While I fully accept the comment that the show sometimes felt like an ongoing marketing campaign, on a perverse level, I actually felt that element added to its enjoyment. Moreover, neither the show nor the actors involved, ever appeared to take any of it too seriously.

As for the Rainbow comparisons, I actually thought Rose Byrne was pretty good as the clever but extremely naive, rather pompous young lawyer, who makes the mistake of believing in her abilities just a little too much. And Glen Close makes a hugely enjoyable 'villain'.

To any potential viewer, don't over-analyse, just sit back and enjoy!

I've given it 5 stars because it was so entertaining, and on watching the series a second time, I loved it even more. Good television is a rare commodity in this reality/celebrity TV obsessed age, and I salute any series steers away from this sorry state of affairs.

BUY THIS DVD COLLECTORS STEEL BOOK NOW!!

All i can say is that unlike any box sets ive seen, this is a fantastic steel book,very slimline has the 3 dvd's inside,compact stylish and has the cool steely appeal, that all 3 films have themselves, i doubt Matt Damon will ever find a role that he plays any better than Jason Bourne, for me he is even better than james Bond,even beats the new fab daniel Craig,these 3 films are just the best action thrillers ive seen,great story, great action ,great locations,great cast,great pace, keeps your mind interested all the way through, a must for any action mad die hards,filmed brilliantly,gritty stuff,but this steel book is way the best buy,cannot reccomend enough!!!!jason bourne or james bond???????? JASON BOURNE every time, Matt Damon is completely believable,his stunts are great, not over the top, like bond dramatic car chases jumps fights, more realistic, but still terrific,my advice for what its worth BUY BUY BUY!!!!!!

What a way to bow out!!

If you love the novel like structure and subtlety of The Wire, this last series will blow you away.

A great series and a great ending. I just can't believe it's over. The game's not the same anymore!!

Good... I supose

Well, it was always a risk getting a new team in and seeing as everyone has got so used to the original team. It wakes a while to get used to new characters, but I think they have done it well here. The new team are likable but the mind does have difficulty adapting at first.
The first half of the series is a bit rocky, but as soon as the Adam character is fully immersed in the [spooks] world, it begins to gain momentum. I look forward to seeing Season 4 on DVD as I only saw two episodes when it was on TV.

QUALITY SERIES

THIS SERIES JUST GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH, JUST LIKE 24, BRILLIANT TO WATCH, SHAME THE BOX SET WAS TOTALLY SMASHED ON DELIVERY, DISCS OK THO

one of the best series I know

Great, I've seen all the episodes of the 4 seasons. It's always a great pleasure, a bit scary I must say, but so close to our era... The characters are fabulous, I especially appreciate Harry Pearce, and his britishness... I recommend it as much as I can !