Breaking Windows

Although it is not getting drug through the mud by press, the movie was a disapointment. Jordan and I went to see it before Thanksgiving, and we should have seen Beowulf.

In the video game series, Agent 47 is a clone, all the assassins are clones. In the movie, they are just orphans raised to be silent assassins. So the fact that they have bar codes tatood to the back of theirs heads makes no sense in the movie. They have bar codes in the game because they are clones.

The movie has many plot threads, a couple of which are just plain confusing, and the hooker plot thread is entirely uneeded. Why does 47 need her again? One plot line, maybe more, were not fully resolved, but I am not about to see it again to try and figure it out.

The movie has a heck of a lot of action. The action is not bad. But this is a movie based on a video game called Hitman, not Blow Shit Up All The Time. Its the same thing as if they made a movie and called it Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid and in realiity it was just Die Hard 4 with the title of Splinter Cell.

Agent 47 makes stealth kills, that is his job, and that is how he gets paid. Hells bells, the second game is even called Silent Assassin.

While Dougray Scott played a believable role, Timothy Olyphant is not a cold hearted killer. He looks like a big ole' teady bear with his head shaved. He worked in Die Hard 4 quite well, not in Hitman, though.

The movie has a funny sex scene. Nika gets on top of 47 and tries to seduce him into having sex. Having no social skills whatsover, he plants a syringe in the topless womans neck, nocking her out.

Another funny bit, as 47 breaks through a hotel window running away from the Russian police, two kids are playing Hitman: Blood Money. It is a split second clip, but you see the iconic back of 47's head (in the video game).

The movie had decent action, a couple scenes with tits, and some rye humor, but it was not a Hitman movie.

It is worth seeing at the matenee price.

High Tension makes no sense. There's no need to discuss plot points, dialogue, or acting, because this movie makes no sense. The ending is the real killer here, not the guy walking around with a saw chopping people up. It's a shame too, because the movie lives up to its name until the final moments.

Every once in a while, movie fans are blindsided. In the case of 1997 in the midst of all the hype over Titanic, out pops tiny and ignored Breakdown. This small $35 million masterpiece of a thriller is engrossing from the moment it begins to a classic movie bad guy death that's appropriate for the superbly fleshed out villain. It's one of Kurt Russell's finest and one of the best the genre has ever seen.

There has never been anything like King Kong. Not the remakes, not the cartoons, and certainly not any book. It’s a visual treat, even now over 70 years later, and a testament to what can be achieved on film.

Walking Tall needs to breathe. This has to be one of the shortest movies to come from a major studio in some time, but the length is perfect for what it is. If you want straightforward action, Walking Tall is what you're looking for.

The first film in the series to be rated higher than PG, this is a dark, brutal, and incredible farewell to the series that couldn't avoid being criticized simply based on expectations. Episode III is unrelenting in special effects, flawlessly creating worlds we've never been to, making this a fresh sequel that still meshes with the rest of the series. The dialogue is brutal to sit through though.

This is not a DVD review. I will leave it up to someone more qualified to rate the audio quality and video transfer of this DVD. This is merely a rant.

There are two flavors of this DVD - a single disc and a two disc Deluxe Edition with extra features. An employee of an unnamed store told me there was a problem with the Deluxe Edition because of the comic book on the second disc, and they only got eight of them, with no more coming. It looks like I can buy it from Amazon, though. So I do not know what he is talking about. And I cannot find anything about a problem with the DVD by searching through many sites.

Here comes the rant part. Even the two disc set has no commentary track by Christopher Nolan. While I would like to see the features (they do look impressive), I am not going to buy it if there is no commentary from the director.

There are hardly any words to describe the visual flair of Ong-bak. Tony Jaa is as intense as anyone on screen, refusing wires or special effects assistance. That's something you need to be aware of before watching. Most of the stunts included here shouldn't even be humanly possible without assistance, yet they're here.

Written by a phone-obsessed Larry Cohen (he also wrote the tense Phone Booth with Colin Farrell), Cellular is a movie that relies on some logic gaps to get started. Characters do dumb things, and you can only yell at the screen in an attempt to help them overcome their mind block. Once things begin rolling, the action scenes start, and the tension can build, all of that is excused.

There was potential for Jaws 3. The original title, Jaws 3, People 0, would have made it the greatest film ever just based on the title. Anyone involved knew there was nowhere left for the series to go. Let's all take a moment to thank Universal for shooting that idea down and leaving us scarred for life with this disaster.

Not content to just destroy King Kong in 1976, a year later Dino De Laurentiis decided the success of Jaws was enough to warrant Orca. This "killer whale gone mad" flick might have had some merit if it's obvious the release wasn't so obviously a cash-in. There's a fantastic performance by Richard Harris, and Bo Derek takes her first role in a movie that's just not worth watching.

Airwolf is one of those 80's shows that simply wouldn't work today. It has nothing to do with the quality, and everything to do with the way it was filmed. There's no model work, no CG, and everything was done the way it should be: live. That's not to say corners were not cut to save on the budget (said to be around $1 million per episode), it's just refreshing to go back 20 years and see stunts like this pulled off without the assistance of computers.

They don't make them like this anymore. From the production values, witty script, to the booming soundtrack by Klaus Badelt, "Pirates of the Caribbean" is an incredible, wild ride worthy of the term "new classic." Regardless of its flaws, this is a movie that will sneak right into your memory and stay there for countless reasons, not the least of which is Johnny Depp's performance.

It's great to see a movie make no compromise in staying true to the comic book it's based on. "The Punisher" is unrelenting when it has a chance to be violent, something other adaptations have failed to do. That means little when you see the final product.

Frank Castle (Thomas Jane) has made his final bust and is planning his retirement. When things go awry during a party, his family is murdered and he is thrust into a battle with Howard Saint (John Travolta), a Tampa underworld king. Seeking vengeance, Castle begins to dismantle Saint's group one by one until his revenge is complete.

Whether or not you read the books, there's hardly any denying that the "Harry Potter" movies work really well. Now on their third iteration, the films continue on the same path, even with a change of directors. "Prisoner of Azkaban" offers up and incredible amount of entertainment for just about any age group while adding to the lead characters story better than any other film in the series.

If super heroes really did exist, we would take them for granted. That or we would submit them to non-stop genetic experiments to find out what makes them tick. Seems that Peter Parker is starting to figure all of this out in the incredible "Spiderman 2." It doesn't make for a bad DVD set either.

Certain movies require a little investigation before viewing. You shouldn't just walk into the video store and grab whatever you see. If you do, you may very well walk out with something like "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky." Never has such a level of gore been attained in a feature film and unless you know what you're getting into, you probably shouldn't be putting this one into the DVD player.

Not everyone had the opportunity to grow up during the peak of Disney animation. "Bambi" was likely ancient by the time most of us were born. That doesn't mean it's any less enjoyable, but every generation should have one to remember their childhood by. For a lot of us, that movie is "Aladdin."

After the surprising success of "Blade," it's no surprise that four years later a sequel was spawned. A new director in tow, "Blade II" is the typical sequel, a lesser version of the original. That's not saying that the film is a failure, just a step down due to a few missteps and some really nasty CG work.

Simple creatures as they are, vampires have been around for what seems like eternity. They have also filled our movie screens for seemingly just as long. No will likely ever forget Universal's original treatment back in 1931, but much like the legend itself, the movies have tweaked their origins to suit themselves. "Blade" is a fantastic, brutal, and wild ride with a great new look at how these creatures live. And die.

I have heard good things about this DVD. I picked it up used yesterday and I am very glad I did. I probably should have spent the money to see this in the theater. What a wild ride! Great movie, a lot of fun.

The DVD extras are great, and more then I expected from just reading the box. The Behind the Scenes documentary was longer and better then most. 12 deleted scenes too!

The Good: Another comic book/graphic novel brought to life that does not suck! The twist from super heros to literary figures is a nice change, Tom Sawyer was a nice touch.

The Bad: The worst CG in the movie was when the building blows up in Kenya at the beginning of the movie. The fire looked fine, the initial explosion look really bad.

There is defiantly a market for the comic book genre, and not everyone thinks these movies are hot. That being said, this niche has proven lucrative for the movie industry.

Final Thought: Great movie and great DVD.

Some people have the will to survive. No matter the situation, this small group of humans will find a way to make it out alive. In the case of "The Day After Tomorrow," this seems to be every major character. A simple yet spectacular looking disaster movie in the first hour, the film takes a wild and totally incomprehensible turn in the second half all while leaving logic out of the script.

For an action franchise to succeed, the series must continually up the ante, throwing characters in even more unbelievable situations. "Die hard: With a Vengeance" does just that. It's fast, it's funny, and light years ahead of the disappointing "Die hard 2."

Once again, John McClane (Bruce Willis) finds himself on the wrong end of a bad day. A terrorist bomber named Simon (Jeremy Irons) is holding the entire city of New York hostage, requesting only McClane perform a wild series of tasks. Caught up in the mix is Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson), forced to tag along after inadvertently getting involved. With the police caught up in the situation, the terrorist group begins their plan of robbing the Federal Reserve Bank of $140 billion worth of gold.

Vaulted into international superstardom with the release of the $80 million blockbuster "Die Hard," Bruce Willis became a household name practically overnight. Two years later, most of the cast and crew return for another round of action and comedy, but something went wrong. Missing the frantic pace of the original (or any respectable acting), "Die Hard 2" falls flat.

John McClane (Willis) waits for his wife who is soon to land at Dulles Airport in Washington. Suspecting something is wrong, he is soon entangled in terrorist plot to rescue a drug lord from captivity. Leading the technically advanced group is Colonel Stuart (William Sadler) who soon discovers his plans going awry when McClane makes the first kill. Keeping his wife's plane in the air as a threat by cutting power to the landing strip, McClane has a short amount of time to help the numerous aircraft stranded in the air and make sure the escaping fugitive fails to make an exit.

Bruce Willis was a virtual unknown at the time he secured the lead role of John McClane in "Die Hard." His biggest stint was on the TV series "Moonlighting," making this film just a slight change of pace. Add in a mix of Hollywood's best action writers, producer and director, and you've got an American classic.

John Mclane (Willis) gets off his plane in New York, hoping to meet his estranged wife during a business party at Nakatomi Plaza on Christmas Eve. After finding her inside the 40-story building, a group of international terrorists led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) begins their plan to steal $640 million worth of bonds from a secured safe inside the building. Unbeknownst to them, the 11-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department beings to slowly dismantle their plans along with the help of a few friends.

It has to be hard to keep a movie series going for three installments. "Jaws 3" failed miserably, "Robocop 3" was abominable, "Alien 3" didn't do so well, and it's better to forget "Critters 3." Yet another failure was "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III" which premiered a bit late into the merchandising phenomenon. The "Power Rangers" had settled in for their invasion and it doesn't take much thought to figure out that a distinct lack of care presides over this final film in the series.

April O'Neal (Paige Turco, reprising her role from the second film) finds an ancient Japanese scepter at a pawnshop. Preparing to present the gift to Splinter, it suddenly sucks her into a time warp, sending her back Japan in the year 1603. The Turtles figure out the scepter and send themselves back in order to rescue April. Stuck in Japan, the four shelled heroes now must also defend a small clan from an overbearing warlord and his English counterpart.

You'll find a lot of people who consider the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" to be a classic. I'm one of them. However, I'm in the minority of people who considers the sequel to be a classic as well, just on an entirely different level. Though it doesn't follow the comic book, lightening the mood and upping the humor level gives the film the tone of the cartoon that more people are familiar with.

The Shredder, surviving the fall into the garbage truck at the end of the first film, kidnaps Professor Jordan Perry, head of TGRI, the company responsible for mutating the turtles. Creating two monstrosities of his own named Tokka and Rahzar with the scientists help, Shredder takes the advantage and even has the final canister of ooze that could mutate the heroes back into normal amphibians. With the deck stacked against them, the Turtles head into action with their new partner Keno (Ernie Reyes Jr.) to stop the Foot Clan from a complete take over of New York.

Pop quiz: Name the most successful independently produced film in Hollywood history. Stumped? You're reading a review of the DVD right now. Hotter than Pokemon at their peak, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were a merchandising machine, and their current comeback is pretty strong as well. It didn't get much bigger than this however, the first feature film.

Four mutated, talking, teenage turtles and their master, a giant, mutant, talking rat name Splinter, begin to defend New York against a major crime wave. At the heart of this big news story is the Foot Clan, led by Splinter's old nemesis Iroku Sakai, otherwise known as Shredder. With their master kidnapped by this group of thugs, the turtles join together with news reporter April O'Neal (Judith Hoag) and Casey Jones (Elisas Koteas) to rescue Splinter and save the city from the menace.

Believe it or not, Rambo is named after a brand of apples. Yes, one of the single greatest Green Berets in movie history is named after a fruit. I can't say for certain if the apple company still exists, but the movies are still revered by many as the greatest action films of all time. The series ended here with "Rambo III," a disappointment at the box office when it failed to make back one of the largest budgets in movie history at the time. This couldn't possibly be a surprise to anyone viewing it.

Working at a monastery and stick fighting on the side for extra cash, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) now lives the solitary life. He is once again approached by his former commander, Colonel Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna) to head into Afghanistan to help rebel forces fend off a Russian invasion. Refusing the offer, Trautman goes in with planned group but is captured. Unable to accept his commander and friends are held behind enemy lines, Rambo agrees to go in with minimal help to rescue the hostages.

The "popcorn movie" is a tradition in Hollywood. These are the movies that lack any sort of logic, plot, or believable acting, but are so much fun, you find yourself enjoying them in the anyway. It could be argued that "Rambo II: First Blood" is the original. You'll never see another movie with such a low level of logic produced again anytime soon. But, who cares? It's fun.

John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is serving a rather short prison sentence for his crimes in the first film. Recruited by Colonel Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna reprising his role), the man who trained him, Rambo is sent back in to Vietnam to see if any P.O.W.s remain. Though told only to photograph, Rambo takes things into his own hands along with Co Bao (Julia Nickson-Soul), learning the truth behind the camp in the process.

It's a shame that the "Rambo" series de-evolved into a cheap knock-off of other countless action movies. Most people write off the first film like they do the sequels. The original is a brutal, vicious, fight for survival against a small town that rejected the Vietnam War hero, based off an even more violent book. "First Blood" is not for the squeamish, but a great way to spend an evening if you don't mind some pretty grim scenes.

John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) visits the small town of Hope, trying to find a friend he met in Vietnam. Upon his arrival, he finds his friend is dead (from cancer caused by the war) and is ushered out of town by the local sheriff (Brian Dennehy). Refusing to leave, he is taken in and abused by the authorities. After lashing out, he heads for a forest just outside of town where the battle between the Green Beret and local police force begins.

Ever watch a movie in a theater and leave being completely unsure about what you've just seen? You get into the car and just kind of stare blankly at the dash, baffled by what just unfolded. "Kill Bill Vol. 1" was one of those movies except for the fact that I stared at my TV screen after watching the DVD. I was confused, unsure if what I had just seen was entertaining. "Kill Bill Vol. 2" solved my quandary. The Bride (Uma Thurman), having finished off two people from her "list," immediately begins seeking vengeance on the final three people who tried murdering her during a wedding rehearsal. Budd (Michael Madsen), Elle (Daryl Hannah), and of course Bill himself (David Carradine), prepare for the wrath of the Bride. What she doesn't know is that her daughter is actually alive and in the hands of Bill. Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" opens with an ingenious segment in which all of the films main characters are finishing off a meal. The segment leads into a highly entertaining argument about tipping the waitress. Though it has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the film, this single scene enables viewers to get a feel for each of the characters in brilliant fashion. The snappy and witty dialogue the director is famous for tries to be transferred into this second chapter of the "Kill Bill" saga. One has to wonder what went wrong. This is a film so wildly different from the first you have to wonder how they can be connected (they are technically the same movie, simply split into two parts). Where the first edition was kinetic, fast, and full of energy, this second part is dull, lifeless, and lacks any real tension. You would have to be an idiot not to figure out that Bill would meet his demise by the end of the film. The plot of the entire saga is as paper-thin as an ancient 8-bit video game: "You're out for revenge against those that betrayed you! Fight off the 5 bosses and give them what they deserve!" Of course, that's really not what's important here. Tarantino is as gifted as they come with a camera and it shows here. Even if you know nothing about the way a film is made, you will still appreciate some of the shots produced here. The acting is also great, particularly David Carradine. The problem here is that the maddening pace and dialogue just don't work. In a nearly 20-minute scene, Tarantino gives a wonderful homage to 70's Chinese kung-fu films with Gordon Lu playing the old and wise martial arts expert. While certainly a well produced segment (probably the best in the film, including the classic quick-zoom camera shots) it's only purpose is to give an explanation for how The Bride finds her way out of an early tomb in ridiculous fashion. Most of the character-oriented segments here are not the least bit entertaining, funny, or dramatic. The characters that were so wild and fun in the first film are nowhere to be found. Gone is the dark comedy from the opening scene from part one. Gone are the wonderfully over-the-top and wonderfully shot fight scenes. All that's left are some minor conversations that really have no reason to be included. In this one, we get a drunken bouncer and a woman who's only purpose is to add a minor piece to the Gordon Lu segment mentioned above. Nearly all of their conversations are useless. Towards the end, Thurman makes a stop in Mexico, which I see absolutely no reason for. Usually in a Tarantino film this is welcome pacing, but here they just don't have underlying comedy that fills his other films like "Pulp Fiction." Admittedly, the final 30-minutes are great, if only for David Carradine's outstanding performance. This is the point of the movie where the dialogue finally kicks into the Tarantino style. It just works, even if he does drag on a bit too long. Carradine rambles on about a dead, stepped on fish, and other completely insane topics, all the while making his character even more inherently evil. THAT'S what this movies dialogue needed for the entire running time: Purpose. (** out of *****) Miramax presents "Kill Bill Vol. 2" in 2.35:1 widescreen, preserving the wonderful cinematography the way it should be. The color is here is way over the top, but it looks gorgeous and it all holds together. Some severe edge enhancement is noticeable early on, but about a half-hour in, you won't notice it again. A few of the scenes have excessive grain, but this is usually for effect. The black-and-white segments have excellent black and contrast levels. Compression is never an issue, making this one just shy of reference quality. (****) Viewers have the option of listening to the film in either standard 5.1 or DTS. The DTS track seems almost unnecessary considering most of the film is front loaded, but the "buried alive" scene must be heard using the format. Only a few brief moments feature rear speaker usage. Fight scenes are disappointingly dull, even though they have numerous opportunities. The LFE channel is used effectively when it is called upon, but these are really the only highlights. (***) It's already been said (in a rather controversial style) that these films will eventually be treated to massive special editions, so the extras here are less than adequate. A roughly half-hour feature on the making of the film talks about some key scenes and how they were done, but interest level here is low. The only other extras include a brief deleted scene and a musical performance from the film's premiere. (**) This is a movie I was definitely looking forward to. I didn't have the opportunity to see it in theaters, but it's hard to believe the big screen would make this anymore tolerable. The few flashes of brilliance are marred by twice as many moments of sheer boredom. This is a film that needed to be trimmed down quite a bit before release.

Treasure Planet was an ambitious project for Disney. The cost was astronomical, but it shows through on screen. The odd mix of traditional hand drawn animation and computer generated imagery is hit or miss but it certainly has a look all its own. Sadly, the movie was the biggest flop in the history of the long standing studio making a meager $32 million back from a budget close to $200 million. This is probably the reason the DVD was released only in single-disc form as opposed to this and a separate 2-disc limited edition like most of their new films. Treasure Planet retells the classic Robert Louis Stevenson tale of Treasure Island with a futuristic sci-fi twist. Rebellious teenager Jim Hawkins (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) stumbles upon a map leading to a planet that is loaded with buried treasure. Along with Doctor Delbert Doppler (David Pierce), he sets off on a ship to find the legendary planet, unaware that some of the crewmembers are not on board just for the flight. The new spin put on this classic is certainly imaginative and the characters are lively, but the entire experience is just dull. It almost seems like the film is just going through the paces without any real effort. Sure the animation is strong (superb even), but all the action just seems contrived and forced. In fact, there is very little here that separates this one from a standard Saturday morning cartoon (only this is 90 minutes). But, as mentioned before, the animation here is just stunning. The mix of CG and classic hand drawn animation works through most of the film. There are a few moments where it doesn't seem quite right, but you might be surprised to learn how some of the CG was used. The budget was certainly put to good use. Sadly, this is just about the only thing the film has going for it. This is a standard cartoon that will likely please some of the younger kids, but as far as a family film goes, this one completely misses the mark. (** out of *****) Treasure Planet is presented in 1.66:1 widescreen. Kudos to Disney for including liner notes as to why this is the best way to watch the film. Of course, they also say to use the zoom feature to eliminate the "black bars," but at least they tried something to show people the superiority of the format. This is a direct digital transfer, something the company has been doing for sometime. This is a miraculous transfer thanks to this process that completely eliminates film grain. Some of the brighter reds and blues exhibit some compression problems, but this is only apparent a few times. It's not quite as sharp as say, A Bug's Life, but this is still one of the best looking animated films on the market today. (****) Immersing you into the film's world is a great 5.1 Dolby Surround mix, assaulting the viewer from every angle. Numerous scenes contain ambient sounds in the rears while the characters move around the front sound field. Action scenes are stunning; a few of them reference quality. The bass is occasionally weaker than it should be, but this is a minor complaint. (*****) The disc isn't the packed extravaganza you would expect from such an expensive film, but a few features are interesting. Oddly, the menus here are just awful, with the same features scattered across different segments of the disc multiple times. The special features menu is split into four sections: Space Adventure, deleted scenes, behind the scenes, and commentary. First up is the unique commentary that not only features a few of the producers and directors talking about the film, but cuts away to various features so you can learn even more. When the clip is done, you'll go right back to the film where you left off. Once you select this, you will have to watch all the features. You can't choose which you want to watch. Three deleted scenes are included and feature not only an alternate ending, but a new opening as well. These three scenes are in various stages of completion and are introduced by the directors. There are 5 different small featurettes that cover various stages of the production, none of them much longer than 5 minutes. Disney's Animation Magic is a 14-minute feature hosted by Roy Disney that looks at the process the studio goes through to create a feature like this. There is some great information here and it is worth a look. Next is a 12-minute look at pirates, from the myths to the facts. Finally is an adventure game that takes place on a tour of the RLS Legacy, the main ship in the film and a music video. (***) This will likely be the final time Disney tries this combination of CG and hand drawn animation so it's a shame the movie wasn't better. It is truly a unique look and as a DVD enthusiast, this one is probably worth a look, but the movie itself is hard to recommend. The special features are hardly up to par either, though worth a look if you rent the disc. Otherwise, this one is for the younger set only.

The years following the release of the classic Steven Spielberg movie E.T. brought on a flurry of cheap rip-offs, each one trying to cash in on the movie's popularity. One of those was the 1986 Disney film Flight of Navigator, directed by Randal Kleiser (Grease). This time travel family film brought in a meager $18 million at the box office. It deserved a lot more. 12-year old David Freeman (Joey Cramer) is all set for a great 1978 Fourth of July celebration when he falls down a ditch deep in a forest looking for his brother. When he wakes up, he's 8 years in the future and hasn't aged a day. He's lost, confused, and scared as his parents have not only moved, but of course aged. The authorities get a hold of NASA who soon take David to study him. At the same time, they find a flying saucer that seems to have a connection with the child. With the help of an intern (a young Sarah Jessica Parker), he escapes for a wild ride on the ship with the help of Max (Paul Reubens), a computerized robot eye. I'm not sure what to say about this movie. Anyone who seen it as a child loved it during the theatrical run back in 1986 and anyone who sees it today will have fun. This is a perfect family film with some great special effects, strong acting, and it's a wild ride throughout. The time travel aspects can be confusing to a child (I had no clue what was going on when I was younger), but they'll still have fun thanks to the spaceship, cute creatures, great music, and wisecracking robot. After you've shown the young ones E.T. for the first time, sit them down with this one next. (**** out of *****) Flight of the Navigator is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. I'm unsure if this is the proper aspect ratio as I've read from various sources that it was filmed as wide as 2.35:1 and some people even say it was cropped for theaters (highly unlikely). Regardless, this is the best the movie has ever looked, suffering from only excessive grain in some scenes (especially early on). Colors are perfect without any bleeding and black levels are solid. It's not reference material, but considering the age of the film, this is superb. (****) Listening to the film is quite a treat even though it's only presented in 2.0 Dolby Surround. The sound field is quite active, especially the soundtrack. Check out the music around the 47-minute mark for a nice showcase. Some of the sound effects make their way into the rears as well. The lack of any real bass is a disappointment, but this a great 2.0 mix and probably one of the better uses of the format I've heard. (***) Sadly, this disc is completely void of extras. The disc starts up with some full-screen previews for other Disney features, but that's it. Chapter stops are minimal. There isn't even a trailer for the feature. (*) If you have kids under the age of 10 in your house, this movie is an absolute must have. Actually, you should probably have it anyway. Completely underrated and almost forgotten, this movie has stood the test of time. Disney has done a great job with the presentation of the movie as well. It's a shame that it's devoid of features though.

Based off not only a book but a 1963 movie regarded as a classic, Jan De Bont's "The Haunting" has alot to live up to. Both the book and original movie are held in high regard so the advent of computer special effects should take this story to new heights. Then again, the man who gave us Speed 2 could completely blow it and make one of the most awful movies in recent years. Yeah, that's more like it.

Bruce Lee is probably one of those people who will never be forgotten. His legacy is simple invicible, staying alive in movies like this. Enter the Dragon is the epitome of martial arts movies, a genre bogged down by so many cheap low budget knock offs that it's downright disgusting. Here is the pinnacle on DVD yet again, this time in a 2-disc form for the first time. Han, a rich, mysterious man invites a group of the worlds best fighters to his island to compete in a tournament. Here, he trains hundereds of students in the martial arts and completes some rather shaky buisness deals involving illegal drugs. Bruce Lee gets caught up not only in the tournament, but has been hired by the British government to figure out exactly what Han is doing on the island.

I can't imagine what it's like to make a movie with Jerry Bruckheimer, Don Simpson, and Michael Bay. These guys know one thing: How to make things blow up. Bad Boys was a huge hit for the crew back in 1995 and here we are in 2003 with a long time in coming sequel. Though far from the quality of the original, there's still enough here to recommend for people who like things blowing up and a car chase that rivals anything else ever put on film. Martin Lawrence and Will Smith return, playing 2 Miami cops, this time to catch a violent ecstacy dealer smuggling the substance in the most unusual way imaginable. Countless sub-plots are tossed in, one involving Will Smith and Lawrences sister and yet another dealing with Lawrnces emotional issues. It all leads to an explosive finale in Cuba for the final showdown. There is very little story here. Most of the character interaction only serves to extend the running time way over the 2 hour mark. The superb action sequences are a sight to behold (including the stunning car chase mentioned above), but the minute storyline surrounding them doesn't make them anymore intersting like it should. Smith and Lawrence are gut-busting hilarious, but the language used here is asinine. Not that it's offending, but it's mostly used as an attempt to increase the comedy factor. That's not good writing. Also, some of the CG effects used in the action scenes are painfully obvious. Still, this is a sequel that does what it's supposed to do: Make everything louder, bigger, and crazier. In that, is succeeds. (*** out of *****)

Twister still ranks high as far as summer movies go. This one drew huge crowds and the money this one raked in is disgusting, much like Jan De Bonts other actionfest, Speed. Did it deserve it? Probably. This is a great popcorn action flick and an outstanding disc to boot. Bill Paxton stars as a storm chaser along with his extranged wife played by Helen Hunt. Their goal is to get a look inside a tornado with the newly developed machine called "Dorothy." It sends up hundereds of tiny little receptors that capture all the data about the twister and send it back to their computers. Of course, there is a rival group with better equipment out to do the same thing. It's an intense ride that has them not only battling the elements, but trying to save thier jobs as well. This is not a movie you should expect to go into expecting a deep plot. The romantic storyline is really unnecessary and only serves to give a little bit of backstory to the characters, setting it up for the disaster to come. This one is all about insane action and spectacular effects that still hold up. Some of the sequences are just ridiculous, but as far as braindead action movies go, this is a classic. (**** out of *****)

At age 7, it caught me: Ninja Turtle mania. Mere words cannot express my love at that age for these comic book creations. For countless years at Halloween (and other days I deemed neccesary), I'd don the home-made-by-mom costume of Donatello and kick some major ass.....well, thin air actually. But that's beside the point. Now their on DVD in animated form and my life couldn't be better (or sadder if you stop to think how overjoyed I am about a nearly 15 year old cartoon being on DVD....and still remembering the lines). This set contains all 5 episodes of season 1. Yeah, only 5 episodes. But, Artisan has been kind enough to toss on 4 extra episodes that never made it to the airwaves when the show finally met its demise in the mid 90's. So, that brings us to a total of 9 episodes (roughly 3 hours of glorious entertainment) forever preserved digitally. The first 5 episodes deal with the origins of the turtles, the beginnings of Shredder and Krang's "relationship," and the beginnings of other various characters who would become the centerpiece of the series. The extra 4 episodes are better off forgotten, one including the mutated amoeba known as the "Globfather" (yeah, Globfather). The single DVD package is housed inside a cardboard slipcase featuring embossed artwork. Each episode is presented in full frame and is surprisngly clear. Compression problems will be evident on high end set-ups, but everyone else should have little trouble. The only scratches occur on the animation cells themselves and are really bad in a few episodes. It's hilarious to see a fingerprint suddenly appear and then dissapear. The newer (unaired) episodes look a bit better than the older ones, but only in the area of the colors which are a bit brighter. This is most likely due to the tone of the episodes than the DVD itself. The sound is basic Dolby 2 channel stereo and is hardly better than any VHS version. Come on, you KNOW you loved TMNT II. Vanilla Ice prancing around a stage proclaiming "Ninja Rap!" is too much for anyone not to enjoy. Though the cartoon never quite reached those cinematic highs, anyone who grew up with this classic series should immediately pick up this disc. Here's hoping season 2 is not far behind.

Ten Academy Award nominations is alot for any movie. Whether or not it deserved that many could certainly be debated, but Master and Commander is still decent entertainment. Plus, as far as a home theater film, they don't come much better. Oh, and it has cannons too....lots of cannons. Master and Commander tells the story of the HMS Surprise and it's humungous crew. Their mission on the waters sends them out to capture the Acheron, a French boat headed off to potentially start a war. As expected as a viewer, things don't quite go as planned and the more advanced French boat hands them a beating. Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) is determined to complete his given task and pursues the boat against the will of his crew. This is the furthest thing from an all out action movie I've seen in some time. Don't be taken by the trailers. It's still a great movie, but there is far too much padding and unneccesary development. Take about a half hour off the running time and you've got a near perfect movie. Granted, I know nothing of the acuracy of the film (I've never even ridden a paddle boat at a theme park), but it looks real to these eyes. The final action sequence is also confusing as it's nearly impossible to tell who is actually killing whom, but hey, it's got cannons......lots of cannons. M & C is available in 3 DVD seperate editons. There is a standard single disc edition in both full screen (ack!) and widescreen. Also available for a ludicrous price of $29.99 or $34.99 depending on where you shop (more on that later) is a 2-disc "Collectors Edition," packed with features. The movie, print, and sound is presumed to be the same quality on all 3. Reviewed here is the 2-disc. Presented in a very wide 2.40:1 aspect ratio, this movie is gorgeous. The print starts off very dark to set a claustrophobic mood and the contrast with the bright skin tones is awe-inspiring. A few of the foggier sequences have noticeable grain, but this could also be the effect of the fog. It's very hard to tell. The sequences shot on the Galapogos islands are spectacular in their beauty and the DVD captures everything with fine detail. Now, I think I may have mention cannons a few times. Simply put, their a home theater fanatics dream weapon. This movie proves it with the