DVDpedia : Library : Title : B

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Drama

Duration: 143

Summary: Brilliantly conceived, superbly directed, and beautifully acted, "Babel" is inarguably one of the best films of 2006. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu and his co-writer, Guillermo Arriaga (the two also collaborated on "Amores Perros" and "21 Grams") weave together the disparate strands of their story into a finely hewn fabric by focusing on what appear to be several equally incongruent characters: an American (Brad Pitt) touring Morocco with his wife (Cate Blanchett) become the focus of an international incident also involving a hardscrabble Moroccan farmer (Mustapha Rachidi) struggling to keep his two young sons in line and his family together. A San Diego nanny (Adriana Barraza), her employers absent, makes the disastrous decision to take their kids with her to a wedding in Mexico. And a deaf-mute Japanese teen (the extraordinary Rinko Kikuchi) deals with a relationship with her father (Koji Yakusho) and the world in general that's been upended by the death of her mother. It is perhaps not surprising, or particularly original, that a gun is the device that ties these people together. Yet "Babel" isn't merely about violence and its tragic consequences. It's about communication, and especially the lack of it--both intercultural, raising issues like terrorism and immigration, and intracultural, as basic as husbands talking to their wives and parents understanding their children. Iñárritu's command of his medium, sound and visual alike, is extraordinary; the camera work is by turns kinetic and restrained, the music always well matched to the scenes, the editing deft but not confusing, and the film (which clocks in at a lengthy 143 minutes) is filled with indelible moments. Many of those moments are also pretty stark and grim, and no will claim that all of this leads to a "happy" ending, but there is a sense of reconciliation, perhaps even resolution. "If You Want to be Understood... Listen," goes the tagline. And if you want a movie that will leave you thinking, "Babel" is it. "--Sam Graham"

Beyond "Babel"
Other Interweaving Storylines on DVD
Other DVDs by Director Alejandro González Iñárritu
Why We Love Cate Blanchett Stills from "Babel" (click for larger image)

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Television

Duration: 960

Summary: Delenn's future love interest, Captain John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) arrived on "Babylon 5" in the first episode of season 2, "Points of Departure." The show marked the handing over of command of "B5" to Sheridan from Commander Jeffery Sinclair, actor Michael O'Hare becoming a victim of studio politicians who wanted a bigger star in the leading role. This excellent installment also revealed more about why the Minbari surrendered to Earth at the Battle of the Line when they were on the verge of victory. "Revelations" explains that Sheridan's wife, Anna, died during an archaeological survey of the world Z'ha'dum, the name being just one of many references to Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings (the bridge at Khazad-Dum). "The Geometry of Shadows" introduced the Technomages, characters who featured more significantly in the ill-fated spinoff series "Crusade" (1999), while "The Coming of Shadows" proved to be "Babylon 5"'s finest hour to date. The story of political intrigue foreshadowing the fate of two of the major characters beat "Apollo 13", "Toy Story", "12 Monkeys", and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "The Visitor" to win the Hugo award for Best Dramatic Presentation at the 1996 World Science Fiction Convention and proved so powerful that J. Michael Straczynski included it in his "Complete Book of Scriptwriting".
"And Now for a Word" took the unusual step of presenting a day-in-the-life of "B5" seen through the eyes of a TV news crew, just as the Narn declared war on the Centauri. The inclusion of a PSI-Corps commercial paid homage to Paul Verhoeven's satirical ads in "Robocop" (1987), while his later "Starship Troopers" (1997) seemed at times like a spoof of "B5"'s earnest space opera. In "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum," Sheridan learns that Morden was on the ship on which Anna died; the episode sees the captain pushed to his limits by grief and determination to discover why Morden survived. Three exceptional shows conclude the season. The Narn-Centauri war escalates in "The Long, Twilight Struggle," Sheridan faces a most unusual ordeal in "Comes the Inquisitor," and in "The Fall of Night" all hope of peace is shattered as a nerve-racking assassination attempt reveals a startling secret about Ambassador Kosh. "--Gary S. Dalkin"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Television

Duration: 968

Summary: "Matters of Honor" launched "Babylon 5"'s third season with the introduction of the "White Star", a spacecraft added to enable more of the action to take place away from the station. Also introduced was Marcus Cole (Jason Carter)--in another nod to "The Lord of the Rings", a Ranger not so far removed from Tolkien's Strider. In "Voices of Authority" the show finds an epic scale as Ivanova seeks the mysterious "First Ones" for allies against the Shadows, and evidence is discovered pointing to the truth behind President Santiago's assassination. A third of the way through the season "Messages from Earth," "Point of No Return," and "Severed Dreams" prove pivotal, changing the nature of the story in a way previously unimaginable on network TV. Earth slides into dictatorship, the fascistic Nightwatch takes control of off-world security, and Sheridan take decisive action by declaring Babylon 5 independent.
"Interludes and Examinations" presented the death of a major supporting character, while the two-part "War Without End" reached apocalyptic dimensions in a complex tale resolving the destiny of Sinclair and the fate of "Babylon 4" (dovetailing elegantly with the events of the first season's "Babylon Squared"), resolving a 1,000-year-old paradox and presenting a vision of a very dark future for Sheridan and Delenn. All this was trumped by the monumental "Z'ha'dum." In the preceding "Shadow Dancing" Anna Sheridan (Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Boxleitner's real-life wife) returned from the dead, no longer entirely human. In the mythologically resonant climax Anna invited Sheridan back to the Shadow homeworld with no hope of survival. Just as in "The Lord of the Rings" Gandalf fell into the abyss at Khazad-Dum, so Sheridan took a comparable leap into the unknown on an alien world. "--Gary S. Dalkin"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Warner Bros.

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 75

Summary: It'd be hard for any "Babylon 5" fan not to feel a surge of emotion when President Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) returns to the space station that was the setting of one of the monumental series in television history. "The Lost Tales" is a new direct-to-DVD series in an anthology format, the first installment of which, subtitled "Voices in the Dark," includes two stories centering on the return of Sheridan. The first involves Colonel Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) and a crewman (Bruce Ramsay) who appears to be possessed by a demon, to the bewilderment of the priest attempting an exorcism (Alan Scarfe). The second involves Sheridan himself, who upon returning to B5 is asked to pick up a delegate from the Centauri, prince Regent Vintari (Keegan MacIntosh), who's attending the 10th anniversary celebration of the Interstellar Alliance in the place of old Centauri friend Londo Molari. What Sheridan doesn't expect is a psychic visit by techno-mage Galen (Peter Woodward) urging him to kill the boy before he becomes a dictator. It's a treat to see Sheridan, Lochley, and Galen return from the original series (Woodward was also in the spin-off, "Crusade"), but "The Lost Tales" focuses on character-driven stories, and as such there's not a lot of action. The CGI effects are good, but sets are very limited and there are hardly any other cast members. (Sheridan even spends most of his time away from "B5".) Creator-writer J. Michael Straczynski has said that if "The Lost Tales" succeeds, future stories might focus on Delenn or Garbibaldi. While that would be welcome, it might be even better to get a feature film (a la "Serenity") that would presumably be on more of the epic scale that "Babylon 5" deserves. Bonus features are 17 minutes of off-the-cuff interviews held on the set with Boxleitner and Straczynski, Scoggins and the crew, and Straczynski with Woodward; memorials to late cast members Andreas Katsulas and Richard Biggs; and Straczynski's diaries and fireside chats, in which he recounts the show's production and answers fan questions. "--David Horiuchi" DVD features Interviews with J. Michael Straczynski, Bruce Boxleitner, Tracy Scoggins, and Peter Woodward Memorials: Andreas Katsulas and Richard Biggs The Straczynski Diaries: a multi-part series of vignettes as filmed by J. Michael Straczynski as he documents every phase of pre-production, production and post Fireside Chats: profiling the people of the B5 universe

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Babylonian Productions

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 90

Summary: After being punished for retreat from combat, Ranger David Martel is given command of the Liandra, a haunted 20-year old Minbari fighting ship. He's escorting ambassadors to a secret archaeological site, the oldest city on record and a clue to a dangerous ancient race.

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Babylonian Productions

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 94

Summary: Captain Lochley now has solid proof that Garibaldi is a disaster magnet: when he comes to the station to meet with one of his new company's subordinates, she's being sued by the owner of an illegal virtual reality "holo-brothel" and besieged by Soul Hunters looking for one of their soul vessels, this one containing the souls of the long-lost Ralga alien species.

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Babylonian Productions

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 94

Summary: The crew of Babylon 5 discover a mysterious artifact of unknown origin. The artifact influences the minds of people aboard the station and endangers the lives of everyone aboard. Takes place during season 4 of the Babylon 5 TV series.

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Television

Summary: Delenn's future love interest, Captain John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) arrived on "Babylon 5" in the first episode of season 2, "Points of Departure." The show marked the handing over of command of "B5" to Sheridan from Commander Jeffery Sinclair, actor Michael O'Hare becoming a victim of studio politicians who wanted a bigger star in the leading role. This excellent installment also revealed more about why the Minbari surrendered to Earth at the Battle of the Line when they were on the verge of victory. "Revelations" explains that Sheridan's wife, Anna, died during an archaeological survey of the world Z'ha'dum, the name being just one of many references to Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings (the bridge at Khazad-Dum). "The Geometry of Shadows" introduced the Technomages, characters who featured more significantly in the ill-fated spinoff series "Crusade" (1999), while "The Coming of Shadows" proved to be "Babylon 5"'s finest hour to date. The story of political intrigue foreshadowing the fate of two of the major characters beat "Apollo 13", "Toy Story", "12 Monkeys", and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "The Visitor" to win the Hugo award for Best Dramatic Presentation at the 1996 World Science Fiction Convention and proved so powerful that J. Michael Straczynski included it in his "Complete Book of Scriptwriting".
"And Now for a Word" took the unusual step of presenting a day-in-the-life of "B5" seen through the eyes of a TV news crew, just as the Narn declared war on the Centauri. The inclusion of a PSI-Corps commercial paid homage to Paul Verhoeven's satirical ads in "Robocop" (1987), while his later "Starship Troopers" (1997) seemed at times like a spoof of "B5"'s earnest space opera. In "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum," Sheridan learns that Morden was on the ship on which Anna died; the episode sees the captain pushed to his limits by grief and determination to discover why Morden survived. Three exceptional shows conclude the season. The Narn-Centauri war escalates in "The Long, Twilight Struggle," Sheridan faces a most unusual ordeal in "Comes the Inquisitor," and in "The Fall of Night" all hope of peace is shattered as a nerve-racking assassination attempt reveals a startling secret about Ambassador Kosh. "--Gary S. Dalkin"

Theatrical:

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Sci-Fi

Summary: In a distant future where corporations rule the world, Toorop (Diesel) a merc banned from the US for terrorist acts is hired by Gorsky (Deperdieu) to take a young woman Aurura (Thierry) to the US. When he arrives at the pick up spot, Sister Rebecca (Yeoh) joins them.



It seems everyone is after young Aurora, who knows how to operate an antequated Russian sub without ever having been on one and could speak 19 languages from the time she was two. Just what does this girl have? Toorop suspects it's a virus and if that's so, in a rare fit of compassion, he's going to kill her and burn her body.



Turns out, what she's carrying is something a good deal more nefarious and could actually change the world.



We've got some nice action in what's a rather obtuse plot. Honestly, PD James' "Children of Men" is a very similar story (Minus a few key twists) and is much better executed than this screen enactment of Dantec's "Babylon Babies."



Was it worth seeing? On a Sunday afternoon with not much else to do, yes. If you like Vin Diesel, Yeoh, or Thierry, yes. If you like really well-plotted sci-fi, it's not such a good choice. You have to work at figuring out what actually is going on.



Rebecca Kyle, August 2008

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre: Sci-Fi

Summary: Even though Robert Zemeckis was a filmmaker that Steven Spielberg liked and wanted to succeed, in the early 1980s, Zemeckis was on the verge of watching his film directing career come to a crashing end. Zemeckis had several films under his belt, but all of them had been flops at the box office and had received mostly negative critical reviews. In the early 1980s Zemeckis was probably best known as one of the co-writers of 1941, the only critically-panned film of Spielberg's early film career. Things changed in 1984 with the success of ROMANCING THE STONE. Zemeckis was being hailed and peopled wanted to know what the young filmmaker would do next. Initiated and supported by Spielberg, Zemeckis decided to go back to a story he had written years earlier with Bob Gale and thus BACK TO THE FUTURE came to be.



The idea for BACK TO THE FUTURE was spawned by Bob Gale after a visit to his hometown of University City, Missouri where he spent some time looking through his parents' high school yearbooks and wondered what it would be like to go back through time and meet his parents when they were teenagers.



In the film, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is an average student and aspiring musician that finds himself trying to come to find a balance between the middle-class existence he lives in and following his dreams of becoming a rock star and marrying his sweetheart Jennifer (Claudi Wells). Besides music, Marty spends a lot of his free time helping out his good friend, the local crazy scientist Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd). Doc Brown has finally succeeded in creating a revolutionary invention and needs Marty's help. The invention turns out to be a time machine fitted into a Delorean. The flux capacitor, the device that causes time travel possible, needs a tremendous amount of energy and in 1985 that means it runs on plutonium. Doc stole the plutonium from a group of Libyan terrorists who wanted him to make a nuclear bomb for them. Unfortunately, the Libyans track Doc down and kill him. They try to kill Marty, too, but he escapes in the Delorean and finds himself hurtling back through time to 1955. The only person who can help him is the Doc Brown from 1955. Marty kind of likes the era, but then he discovers that time travel is more dangerous than he ever imagined when he accidentally keeps his parents from having their first meeting. That encounter threatens Marty's own existence and before he can get back to the future, he has to get his parents to get back together.



BACK TO THE FUTURE was the highest grossing movie of 1985 and remains one of the most popular films of all time. It's not difficult to see why. The film has a great story and is full of great character portrayed by amazing group of actors. Most people can strongly relate to the characters in the story and regardless of when a person grew up, we can all relate to the feelings of Marty longing to have a stronger relationship with his family and get back home or with his father George (Crispin Glover) having to go through high school dealing with a bully or with Lorraine (Lea Thompson) longing to have a strong man in her life who will protect and defend her. Of course, there's also the whole element of time travel. I think most people are fascinated by the idea, even if many of us would never choose to travel through time if we had the opportunity.



As a time travel movie, the BACK TO THE FUTURE films stand alone. They are some of the few movies that set up rules for time travel and follow those rules through most of the series. There are very few films who illustrate the inherent dangers of traveling through time as well that BACK TO THE FUTURE does.



BACK TO THE FUTURE is a movie that everyone should see at once in their life. It has a broad base of appeal because it has just the right mixture of action, romance, and sci-fi. Highly recommended.

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre: Sci-Fi

Summary: Marty and Doc have barely recovered from their first time-traveling adventure when they launch themselves once more into the space-time continuum. But this time around, their attempt to fine-tune the future in the year 2015 creates an outlandish, alternate 1985 Hill Valley where bully Biff Tannen is rich, powerful and...Marty's dad!

Theatrical: 1980

Studio: Universal Pictures

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 119

Summary:

Theatrical: 1991

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 135

Summary: A somewhat contrived screenplay doesn't stop this thriller from serving up some of the most spectacular fire sequences ever committed to film. Like any Ron Howard production "Backdraft" is impressively slick and boasts a stellar cast, including Kurt Russell and William Baldwin. The actors play sibling rivals who have been at odds since the death of their firefighter father years earlier. Robert De Niro is the veteran fire inspector who is tracking a series of mysterious and deadly arsons, and Donald Sutherland is effectively creepy as the former arsonist who understands the criminal psychology of pyromaniacs. Rebecca De Mornay, Scott Glenn, and Jennifer Jason Leigh are featured in supporting roles. "Backdraft" is a triumph of stunt work and flaming special effects. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Miramax Home Entertainment

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 91

Summary: Instantly qualifying as a perennial cult favorite, "Bad Santa" is as nasty as it wants to be, and there's something to be said for comedy without compromise. The Coen brothers conceived the basic idea and served as executive producers, but it's director Terry Zwigoff ("Crumb", "Ghost World") who brings his unique affinity for losers and outcasts to the twisted tale of Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton), a hard-drinking, chain-smoking, foul-mouthed sexaholic safe-cracker who targets a different department store every holiday season, playing Santa while he cases the joint with his dwarf elf-partner Marcus (Tony Cox). With comedic support from Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, Cloris Leachman, and John Ritter in his final film, Thornton milks the lowbrow laughs with a slovenly lack of sentiment, warming "Bad Santa"'s pickled heart just enough to please a chubby misfit (Brett Kelly, hilariously deadpan) who may or may not be mentally challenged. As dry as an arid martini and blacker than morning-after coffee, "Bad Santa" is an instant cure for yuletide schmaltz, and if you think this appropriately R-rated comedy is suitable for kids, your parenting skills are no better than Willie's. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 91

Summary: "Balls of Fury" will score points with anyone who ever wished that "Enter the Dragon" played out in the subterranean "underbelly of ping pong" instead of the world of martial arts. Tony Award-winner Dan Fogler ("The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"), joining the ranks of Jack Black, Seth Rogan, and Jonah Hill as a schlub (romantic?) hero, stars as Randy Daytona, a Def Leppard-loving ping-pong wizard who, as a 12-year-old, was disgraced at the 1988 Olympics. Nineteen years later and gone to seed, he is reduced to performing a novelty act in Reno until an FBI Agent (George Lopez, and yes, at one point, he will proclaim, "Say hello to my little friend" a la Al Pacino in "Scarface") recruits him to infiltrate an underground ping pong tournament run by Feng (Christopher Walken), the arch villain who killed Daytona's father. Co-written by "Reno 911" colleagues Robert Ben Garant (who also directed) and Thomas Lennon (who costars as Daytona's taunting East Berlin rival), "Balls of Fury" is hit and miss, but it fitfully kills with some ace performances, including Walken, bringing more cowbell, as Feng, resplendent in silks and red fingernails (his Christopher Walken impression, while perhaps not as uncanny as Kevin Spacey's or Jay Mohr's, is dead-on). James Hong puts a wicked spin on the clichéd role of mentor, and action babe Maggie Q rocks as his niece. Look quick for David Koechner as hopeless entertainer Rick the Birdmaster, Patton Oswalt as an obnoxious early opponent, Kerri Kenney-Silver as a showgirl, and Diedrich Bader as one of Feng's imprisoned sex slaves (don't ask). With less go-for-the-groin humor than the title might indicate, "Balls of Fury" brings its A-game with some subversive bits of business, such as an ominous moment that is undercut when a menacing character is forced to re-enter the scene to ask for directions back to the highway. "--Donald Liebenson"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio:

Genre: Crime

Summary: Like its deaf protagnoist, 'Bangkok Dangerous' tries to find a way to communicate beyond language. There is very little dialogue in this film designed to elicit adjectives such as 'hyper-kinetic', 'high-octane', 'pulsing' etc. It is a cliche that most modern action films are glorified pop videos; 'Dangerous' plays like a medley of dance videos, a series of 5-minute chunks in which the movement of the editing and lighting is dictated by the rhythms of the techno, giving character movement and the staging of the action a deliberately late-night clubbing effect.
The film has been compared (ridiculously) to John Woo and Wong Kar-Wai, presumably because it is an excessively violent thriller, and tries to salvage romance and poetry from the detritus of urban post-modernism. But it has neither the rhythm, grace or sense of a choreographed whole of the former, or the risk-taking intelligence of the latter. A more accurate comparison might be with the thrillers of Brian de Palma - there is the same laborious, bombastic staging of set-pieces in which characters (including obligatory, vulnerable children) and space are shot from every possible angle in order to telegraph 'suspense'. But the Pang Bros. lack even de Palma's technical nous - they expend so much effort fumbling with complicated montages they forget to pay attention to the basics of framing a shot, and so their craft seems, on this fundamental level, inept.
The film begins well enough with a lavatory murder caught on CCTV, the clean, steely rattle of the gun splicing through the grainy black and white. But it all goes terribly wrong from there, in this tale of two hitmen friends, one a drug-addled wreck after an accident has forced him to retire, the other a sad-eyed deaf-mute who tentatively begins an almost-touching relationship with a beautiful chemists' assistant (this blatant attempt to siphon the neon-charm of Wong Kar-Wai by having an 'offbeat' romance in the middle of a genre piece, at least has the merit of offering an oasis of calm in a desert of head-pelting noise. Although the lead is cute and watchable, his character is fatally ill-conceived (he can write, apparently, but can't lip-read or use sign-language). Preposterous monochrobme flashbacks 'explain' his present situation, while the film's focus on his point-of-view is at odds with the pounding din the film is puffed out with. 'Dangerous' takes itself very seriously in trying to aestheticise this trashy material, but sometimes you wonder if the whole thing isn't just a big joke, especially a fast-forward, pixellated chase through the back alleys of Bangkok (the representation of whose underworld and city atmosphere is disappointingly generic) is pure Keystone Cops. But then you remember a vicious rape sequence shot like a glossy disco promo, and you realise that the joke isn't funny anymore.

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Arclight Films

Genre: Crime

Duration: 110

Summary: A cheerful, energetic, and completely entertaining movie, "The Bank Job" follows some small-time hoods who think they've lucked into a big-time opportunity when they learn a bank's security system will be temporarily suspended--little suspecting that they're being manipulated by government agents for their own ends. The result is that the movie doubles its pleasures: While the robbery itself has the usual suspense of a heist film, when the robbery is over the hoods find themselves being hunted by the police, the government, and brutal criminal kingpins who were storing dangerous information in a safety deposit box. "The Bank Job" won't win any awards, but it's enormously fun. Director Roger Donaldson ("No Way Out", "Species") propels the action along with vigor, editing zippily with perfect clarity among multiple storylines and various colorful characters. Jason Statham ("Snatch", "The Transporter"), as the leader of the bank robbers, successfully steps away from his usual bone-crunching roles to a more human presence. The rest of the cast--including Saffron Burrows ("Deep Blue Sea"), Keeley Hawes ("Tipping the Velvet"), David Suchet ("Poirot"), and many faces familiar from British film and television--give their characters the right degree of personality and flavor without getting fussy or detracting from the headlong rush of the story. A little sex, a lot of action, a sly sense of humor, and a twisty plot; if more movies had these basic pleasures, the world would be a happier place. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1989

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 126

Summary: Thanks to the ambitious vision of director Tim Burton, the blockbuster hit of 1989 delivers the goods despite an occasionally spotty script, giving the caped crusader a thorough overhaul in keeping with the crime fighter's evolution in DC Comics. Michael Keaton strikes just the right mood as the brooding "Dark Knight" of Gotham City; Kim Basinger plays Gotham's intrepid reporter Vicki Vale; and Jack Nicholson goes wild as the maniacal and scene-stealing Joker, who plots a takeover of the city with his lethal Smilex gas. Triumphant Oscar-winning production design by the late Anton Furst turns "Batman" into a visual feast, and Burton brilliantly establishes a darkly mythic approach to Batman's legacy. Danny Elfman's now-classic score propels the action with bold, muscular verve. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio:

Genre: Action/Adventure

Summary: Rarely has a film left me speechless, much less a comic book inspired film. Christopher Nolan's rendition of the DC comic character has. "THE DARK KNIGHT" may well be the best comic book film I have ever seen. Christopher Nolan, along with Jonathan Nolan has crafted a screenplay of nearly unbelievable proportions. The duo has taken the "Batman" mythos and has turned it into their own; what results is a film that captures the essence of the comic book and combines it to a truly gripping and engaging psychological crime drama-action-adventure. You heard that right, a psychological crime drama and an adventure.



I'll get right to the point, you don't need to read any reviews, (including this one) just watch this film. It stomps Burton's rendition of the caped crusader to the ground and MAY well eat "Batman Begins" for breakfast, lunch and dinner; all the more evolving the concept of Gotham City's "Dark Knight".



Still here, no trust? Ok then, here we go...



Gotham City is the battle ground. The mysterious "Batman" has the crime element by its ear. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is an incorruptible force in court and Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman) has his special unit to combat crime. Seems like a good time to be in Gotham, doesn't it? Wrong.

A mysterious "Joker" (Heath Ledger) has surfaced and seemed poised to take Gotham's soul by creating mass hysteria and chaos. Gotham's population is at the mercy of this madman--and what does he want? To prove a point.



Christopher Nolan has impressed me before, with his films; "The Prestige" and "Memento". But never as much this time around. The director has abandoned the idea that "Batman" has to have a comic book feel. The film goes for the comic book's soul. Nolan is armed with a near flawless script that exudes the spirit of Gotham City as well as its Dark Angel. If there are any holes in it then I cannot see it. The movie is unstoppable, the direction it went is awe-inspiring that it nearly gave me goose bumps. The movie not only portrays the usual Batman vs. Joker main event, it also defines the meaning of the word "hero" as well as the morality that surrounds the idea.



"The Dark Knight" has a lot of characters and the film develops each one. No one is a plot device, everyone has a purpose in the screenplay. Heath Ledger gives the performance of his career (Rest in Peace, Heath) and trumps Nicholson's portrayal. Ledger's "Joker" is very reminiscent of the Joker in the comic book "The Killing Joke". The maniac is not after money, he has no grand scheme but he wants to prove a point. This Joker isn't joking around, this villain is frighteningly twisted, maniacal and homicidal. Ledger performs as if he saw the adage: "Crazy people don't know they're crazy" and brings all to bear. There's no "origin" as to where he came from, although his past is suggested by his quippy remarks. The Joker will remain an enigma in this film, and I think it's a very smart move to do so. Christian Bale is still a great Bruce Wayne and as his cowled alter-go. Bale changes his voice to a raspy one when he is Batman. Aaron Eckhart is an intriguing Harvey Dent, the district attorney is charismatic, heroic and the embodiment of Gotham's hope, until he--well, has a very bad day. Yes, Two-Face makes an appearance and not to worry, the character won't be one-dimensional.



The film's success is that the plot has attained a life of its own. The characters can breathe and everything has a purpose. The film's main premise is not limited to our two nemeses. Even Gotham City itself has become a character in the movie as well as its inhabitants. Gotham is portrayed as a melting pot of chaos and disorder and one nudge towards the wrong direction may unbalance the city's moral fiber. Yes, the film has its bit of morality in it and explores the decency of everyday folk. Before, in "Batman Begins" James Gordon and Bruce's lost love Rachel (played this time by Maggie Gyllenhaal) embodied this idea, but the concept is more widely expressed this time around. The Joker's target is the soul of Gotham and never more has the stakes been this high. The Mantle of the Bat is by itself a separate entity from Bruce and the concept is even given more depth, just what it means and what it is.



The movie still has the tank-like Batmobile and a newer version of a Bat-cycle or in this case, a "Bat-Pod". The mantle of the Bat has undergone some updates to make it lighter but for me, it looked bulkier. Tim Burton's rendition of the Bat-suit may have the edge over this one but none are more accurate than the Bat suit in the fan film: `Batman Dead End". If the film had a fault, is that the fight sequences need some smoothening up. They're not bad, it's just that it's not as hard-hitting as I would've liked and the camera work needs to hang back a little bit so the audience can see the fight a little more. The action sequences itself are exciting, the movie does have some very cool car chases which are intense and adrenaline-pumping; further complemented by Hans Zimmer's very powerful soundtrack. The proceedings have that somber but intimidating "dark" feel that the film's cinematographer needs to be commended. The visuals are great, the CGI doesn't look they're CGI at all.



There are cleverly placed bits of humor that help the film's pace. Alfred (Michael Caine) supplies the sarcasm that is reminiscent of his character. The sarcastic exchanges between him and Wayne give a lot of depth to their relationship. Morgan Freeman reprises his role as Lucius Fox and his character has a humorous exchange in sarcasm with a Wayne Enterprises employee. Fox also serves a significant role as a man who serves as Bruce's conscience almost as much as Alfred. Even "The Joker" adds some twisted bits of black humor--"I have a magic trick..", boy, what a way to add an exclamation point to his character. The bits of humor help the film balance its darkness towards its gripping build-up to its end game.



BATMAN is a dark character and he is arguably the most interesting character in DC's line of comic books. The man is an enigma and very mysterious. Obsessed? Crazy? a Genius? This man is an urban legend and Nolan and company has successfully represented all these factors. Ledger's performance may have taken the spotlight since this is his last film and he does somewhat steal the show from Bale--from Bale not the character itself.



I'm not exactly sure how Christopher Nolan will be able to top this film. The promise of things to come and its climax has such an impact the way everything was structured through its storytelling. Comic book fans have a reason to rejoice, the director has taken the Batman myth to new heights. "The Dark Knight" is epic, deliciously exciting, unforgettable, groundbreaking, scary and manages to put the audience in the middle of the struggle between Gotham's Dark Knight and his arch-nemesis; The Joker. The film is very sincere and precise in its execution.



HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION! [5-Stars]



This review is Dedicated to the Memory of Heath Ledger.

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 140

Summary: "Batman Begins" discards the previous four films in the series and recasts the Caped Crusader as a fearsome avenging angel. That's good news, because the series, which had gotten off to a rousing start under Tim Burton, had gradually dissolved into self-parody by 1997's "Batman & Robin". As the title implies, "Batman Begins" tells the story anew, when Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) flees Western civilization following the murder of his parents. He is taken in by a mysterious instructor named Ducard (Liam Neeson in another mentor role) and urged to become a ninja in the League of Shadows, but he instead returns to his native Gotham City resolved to end the mob rule that is strangling it. But are there forces even more sinister at hand?
Cowritten by the team of David S. Goyer (a veteran comic book writer) and director Christopher Nolan ("Memento"), "Batman Begins" is a welcome return to the grim and gritty version of the Dark Knight, owing a great debt to the graphic novels that preceded it. It doesn't have the razzle dazzle, or the mass appeal, of "Spider-Man 2" (though the Batmobile is cool), and retelling the origin means it starts slowly, like most "first" superhero movies. But it's certainly the best Bat-film since Burton's original, and one of the best superhero movies of its time. Bale cuts a good figure as Batman, intense and dangerous but with some of the lightheartedness Michael Keaton brought to the character. Michael Caine provides much of the film's humor as the family butler, Alfred, and as the love interest, Katie Holmes ("Dawson's Creek") is surprisingly believable in her first adult role. Also featuring Gary Oldman as the young police officer Jim Gordon, Morgan Freeman as a Q-like gadgets expert, and Cillian Murphy as the vile Jonathan Crane. "--David Horiuchi"

"Batman" at Amazon.com
All "Batman" DVDs
"Batman Begins" 101: A Comic Book Primer
Where Have I Seen Christian Bale?
All "Batman" Comics and Graphic Novels
"Batman" Toys
"Batman Begins" Soundtrack
Stills from "Batman Begins" (click for larger images)

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 119

Summary: When "Battlefield Earth" was released in May 2000, this inept sci-fi epic qualified as an instant camp classic, prompting "Daily Variety" to call it "the "Showgirls" of sci-fi shoot-'em-ups." Other reviews were united in their derision, and toy stores were left with truckloads of "Battlefield Earth" action figures that nobody wanted. As the film's star and coproducer, John Travolta must have felt an urge to enlist in the witness protection program.
Recklessly adapted from the novel by sci-fi author and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and set in the year 3000, the film is no worse than many cheesy sci-fi flicks, but the sight of Travolta as a burly, dreadlocked alien from the planet Psychlo provokes unintentional laughter from first frame to final credits. As Terl, the Psychlo security chief who conquers Earth and hatches a secret scheme to steal all the gold from Fort Knox (which sits conveniently in wide-open vaults), Travolta hams it up as if he knows he's in a camp-fest. (In a cameo as a long-tongued Psychlo seductress, Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston, only adds to the absurdity.) Barry Pepper (the praying sharpshooter from "Saving Private Ryan") tries his best to convey charisma as Jonnie, the human slave who leads an uprising against Terl's tyranny, but he's adrift in a foolish plot that makes even smart humans look stupid.
The decrepit look of a dreary future is convincingly established (the ruins of Washington D.C. recall "Logan's Run" on a grander scale), but in the wake of its ludicrous climax, the best that "Battlefield Earth" can hope for is a "Dune"-like fate: it "might" improve in a longer director's cut--but that's wishful thinking. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Sci-Fi

Summary: I got this with some trepidation because I was not so thrilled with how Season 2 ended and Season 3 began. I felt the series lost something at that point. Sure, it was still gritty and had a quality unlike other shows in the genre but it felt like it had lost some direction and was floundering. (Note, I live in Japan so I am not up on most of Season 3 so I could be surprised yet.)



Anyway, the series had lost me somewhat but I still wanted to see more and I was intrigued by "Razor". Exploring the Pegasus and her crew seemed like an interesting angle. Well, I have to say it was.



"Razor" was something of a return to the First Season of BSG and part of the Second. It returned to strong storytelling, hard edged characters and drama, a look at why some of the various crew members were doing what they were doing, and excellent camera work.



All in all, this is a very good DVD to get.



Now, I'd love to see a show about Admiral Adama when he was in the First Cylon War. All those old Cylon Centurions and ships would be great to see again.

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Universal Pictures

Genre: Biography

Duration: 135

Summary: A biopic of the meteoric rise of John Forbes Nash Jr., a math prodigy able to solve problems that baffled the greatest of minds. And how he overcame years of suffering through schizophrenia to win the Nobel Prize.

Theatrical: 1991

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Kids & Family

Duration: 90

Summary: The film that officially signaled Disney's animation renaissance (following "The Little Mermaid") and the only animated feature to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, "Beauty and the Beast" remains the yardstick by which all other animated films should be measured. It relates the story of Belle, a bookworm with a dotty inventor for a father; when he inadvertently offends the Beast (a prince whose heart is too hard to love anyone besides himself), Belle boldly takes her father's place, imprisoned in the Beast's gloomy mansion. Naturally, Belle teaches the Beast to love. What makes this such a dazzler, besides the amazingly accomplished animation and the winning coterie of supporting characters (the Beast's mansion is overrun by quipping, dancing household items) is the array of beautiful and hilarious songs by composer Alan Menken and the late, lamented lyricist Howard Ashman. (The title song won the 1991 Best Song Oscar, and Menken's score scored a trophy as well.) The downright funniest song is "Gaston," a lout's paean to himself (including the immortal line, "I use antlers in all of my de-co-ra-ting"). "Be Our Guest" is transformed into an inspired Busby Berkeley homage. Since Ashman's passing, animated musicals haven't quite reached the same exhilarating level of wit, sophistication, and pure joy. "--David Kronke --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title."

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Dreamworks Animated

Genre: Kids & Family

Duration: 90

Summary: There aren't a lot of choices in a bee's life: a bee attends a few days of school, graduates from college, and chooses a job in the hive that he'll labor at for the rest of his life. Barry (Jerry Seinfeld) is different from his best friend Adam (Matthew Broderick) and all the other bees: he wants to see the world outside the hive and can't begin to contemplate doing the same job for his entire life. Naturally, the life of the "pollen jock" bees appeals to Barry because it's the only job that takes a bee outside the hive and into the larger human world. Once outside the hive, Barry breaks the most sacred bee law and speaks to a human named Vanessa (Renée Zellweger) in order to thank her for saving his life. A relationship quickly blossoms and leads Barry to the discovery that humans are stealing honey from the bees and selling it for their own profit. Vowing to hurt the humans the one place they’ll feel it, Barry brings a legal suit against the honey industry and the courtroom drama begins. There are some hysterical moments in the film, as one would expect from a Seinfeld production, and an abundance of one-liners, double-meanings, slapstick humor, and innuendo-laden dialogue that will keep adults guffawing throughout the show. Still, the whole concept of seeing the life of a common pest through non-human eyes is getting repetitive thanks to films like "Ratatouille", "Flushed Away", "Open Season", and "Over the Hedge". It should be noted, though, that this first foray into animation by Jerry Seinfeld was four years in production due to its collaborative nature, so its theme may actually have well predated all of the aforementioned films. Children ages 5 and older will love the bees' silly antics, though many of the jokes will go right over their heads and parents should be cautioned about some mildly suggestive humor. More than just a comical film about the life of one very different honeybee, "Bee Movie" is a social commentary that pokes fun at human behavior while stressing the importance of doing even the most menial job well and championing the power of working together toward a common goal. There's even a lesson to be learned from the bees about controlling one's temper. "--Tami Horiuchi"

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: Criterion

Genre: Drama

Duration: 103

Summary: The first film made in the newly independent Republic of Macedonia Milcho Manchevski's Before the Rain crosscuts the stories of an orthodox Christian monk (Gregoire Colin) a British photo agent (Katrin Cartlidge) and a native Macedonian war photographer (Rade Serbedzija) to paint a portrait of simmering entrenched ethnic and religious hatred about to reach its boiling point. Made during the strife of the war-torn Balkan states in the nineties this gripping triptych of love and violence is also a timeless evocation of the loss of pastoral innocence and remains one of recent cinema's most poetic evocations of the futility of war.System Requirements:Running Time: 113 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/COMING OF AGE Rating: NR UPC: 715515029421 Manufacturer No: CC1749DDVD

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Horror

Duration: 81

Summary: MTV Films makes a foray into the teen-oriented horror market with "Beneath", an unremarkable but certainly not unlikable chiller about a young woman (Nora Zehetner from "Heroes" and "Everwood") plagued by nightmares about her deceased sister. Said sibling (Carly Pope) perished years before in a fiery car wreck (caused in part by Zehetner's character), but constant visions of hands scratching at a coffin lid have the younger woman convinced otherwise. With the help of Pope's daughter, Zehetner investigates the truth behind her sister's death, which may lie at the heart of her husband's creepy, labyrinthine mansion. Veteran horror fans won't find anything new in first-time director Dagen Merrill's blend of haunted house scares and premonition thrills, but younger viewers will undoubtedly find "Beneath" suitably spooky at their next get-together (parents should know that the R rating is somewhat inflated and applies only to some mild violence and disturbing images). The DVD is widescreen and offers only previews for other Paramount titles as a supplemental feature. " -- Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 1953

Studio: Alpha Video

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 102

Summary: "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef" is a landmark, or rather watermark. The third ever CinemaScope production this was a prestige release, with Florida, Key West location Technicolor filming of never-before-achieved underwater cinematography, and four-channel stereo recording of a superlative Bernard Herrmann score. Even a still-impressive underwater battle with an octopus pre-dates the more famous giant squid of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954). The humans aren't bad either, with a young Robert Wagner making a charismatic if ethnically unconvincing Greek lead as sponge fisherman Tony, and Terry Moore playing Juliet to his Romeo with real vivacity. "--Gary S. Dalkin"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 114

Summary: Spectacular animated action scenes turn the ancient epic poem "Beowulf" into a modern fantasy movie, while motion-capture technology transforms plump actor Ray Winstone ("Sexy Beast") into a burly Nordic warrior. When a Danish kingdom is threatened by the monster Grendel (voiced and physicalized by Crispin Glover, "River's Edge"), Beowulf--lured by the promise of heroic glory--comes to rescue them. He succeeds, but falls prey to the seductive power of Grendel's mother, played by Angelina Jolie... and as Jolie's pneumatically animated form rises from an underground lagoon with demon-claw high heels, it becomes clear that we're leaving the original epic far, far behind. Regrettably, the motion-capture process has made only modest improvements since "The Polar Express"; while the characters' eyes no longer look so flat and zombie-like, their faces remain inexpressive and movements are still wooden. As a result, the most effective sequences feature wildly animated battles and the most vivid character is Grendel, whose grotesqueness ends up making him far more sympathetic than any of the mannequin-like human beings. The meant-to-be-titillating images of a naked Jolie resemble an inflatable doll more than a living, breathing woman (or succubus, as the case may be). But the fights--particularly Grendel's initial assault on the celebration hut--pop with lushly animated gore and violence. Also featuring the CGI-muffled talents of Anthony Hopkins ("Silence of the Lambs"), Robin Wright Penn ("The Princess Bride"), and John Malkovich ("Dangerous Liaisons"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Carlton Television

Genre: Drama

Duration: 120

Summary: The duke of York, nicknamed Bertie, was born as royal 'spare heir', younger brother to the prince of Wales, and thus expected to spend a relatively private life with his Scottish wife Elisabeth Bowes-Lyon and their daughters, in the shadow of their reigning father, George V, and next that of his elder brother who succeeded to the British throne as Edward VIII. However Edward decides to put his love for a divorced American, Wallis Simpson, above dynastic duty, and ends up abdicating the throne, which now falls to Bertie, who reigns as George VI. Now he expects to be, as constitutional monarch, little more then a figure head, but again faith has more in store for him: Nazi Germany proves such a formidable war challenger to the British Empire that the nearly desperate nation looks to its royal couple as comforting symbol of the unbroken spirit, a part they play with great success, while hosting chased monarchs and governments from continental Europe. After victory, life returns to normal, but pulmonary disease soon ends George's, leaving the throne to his still young firstborn, queen Elisabeth II.

Theatrical:

Studio: A&E Home Video

Genre: Television

Duration: 125

Summary: Rowan Atkinson's goofy Mr. Bean is one of those rare characters that manages to appeal to both adults and children alike. Drawing on the classic slapstick traditions of performers such as Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd Atkinson has created a timeless character capable of providing plenty of merriment. This release includes five episodes from the MR. BEAN television show: "Mr. Bean (pilot)" "The Return of Mr. Bean" "The Curse of Mr. Bean" "Merry Christmas Mr. Bean" and "Do-It-Yourself Mr. Bean."System Requirements:Running Time 125 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: NR UPC: 733961758351 Manufacturer No: AAAE75835

Theatrical: 1984

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action/Adventure

Summary: While its sequels were formulaic and safe, the first "Beverly Hills Cop" set out to explore some uncharted territory, and succeeded. A blend of violent action picture and sharp comedy, the film has an excellent director, Martin Brest ("Scent of a Woman"), who finds some original perspectives on stock scenes (highway chases, police rousts) and hits a gleeful note with Murphy while skewering L.A. culture. Good support from Judge Reinhold and John Ashton as local cops not used to doing things the Detroit way (Murphy's character hails from the Motor City). Paul Reiser has a funny, brief moment at the beginning, and Bronson Pinchot makes a hilarious impression in a great, never-to-be-duplicated scene with the star. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1987

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 102

Summary: The 1988 sequel to one of the most successful movies of all time finds Eddie Murphy reprising his role as Detroit police detective Axel Foley, and once again playing a fish out of water as he tries to solve a series of heists in Beverly Hills that may be connected to the attempted murder of his friend, a Beverly Hills police captain (Ronny Cox). Constructed in a much flashier and faster-paced visual style than the first film, the song still remains the same as Foley tries to keep his job in Detroit while solving crimes for the Beverly Hills cops. Murphy again makes the most of culture shock for comic effect, and the easy rapport between Murphy and Billy (Judge Reinhold), now a cheerfully over the top "Rambo"-esque figure, is still the centerpiece of this series. While not the least bit original, director Tony Scott ("Crimson Tide", "Top Gun") puts his own stamp on this installment and keeps the action and the laughs coming. "--Robert Lane"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 104

Summary: Third time is not quite the charm for Eddie Murphy's Axel Foley when he heads for L.A. once again to avenge a friend's murder. This time he's off to the Disneyesque WonderWorld, apparently the most hazardous theme park in America despite an army of shady security agents. John Landis directed Murphy in his first film hit, "Trading Places", and would seem a good match for this mix of action and comedy, but his sense of fun only emerges in a few scenes (chubby mechanics do a gymnastic Blues Brothers number to a Diana Ross tune) and his action direction is sloppy and shockingly violent. It seems wrong for the comic tone, and Murphy should have his foul mouth washed out with soap. On the plus side, Bronson Pinchot returns as Serge and all but upstages Murphy in two brief but hilarious scenes. "--Sean Axmaker"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 131

Summary: "Bicentennial Man" was stung at the 1999 box office, due no doubt in part to poor timing during a backlash against Robin Williams and his treacly performances in two other, then-recent releases, "Jakob the Liar" and "Patch Adams". But this near-approximation of a science fiction epic, based on works by Isaac Asimov and directed, with uncharacteristic seriousness of purpose, by Chris Columbus ("Mrs. Doubtfire"), is much better than one would have known from the knee-jerk negativity and box-office indifference.
Williams plays Andrew, a robot programmed for domestic chores and sold to an upper-middle-class family, the Martins, in the year 2005. The family patriarch (Sam Neill) recognizes and encourages Andrew's uncommon characteristics, particularly his artistic streak, sensitivity to beauty, humor, and independence of spirit. In so doing, he sets Williams's tin man on a two-century journey to become more human than most human beings.
As adapted by screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, the movie's scale is novelistic, though Columbus isn't the man to embrace with Spielbergian confidence its sweeping possibilities. Instead, the "Home Alone" director shakes off his familiar tendencies to pander and matures, finally, as a captivating storyteller. But what really makes this film matter is its undercurrent of deep yearning, the passion of Andrew as a convert to the human race and his willingness to sacrifice all to give and take love. Williams rises to an atypical challenge here as a futuristic Everyman, relying, perhaps for the first time, on his considerable iconic value to make the point that becoming human means becoming more like Robin Williams. Nothing wrong with that. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 104

Summary: A perfect marriage of novel but incisive writing, acting, and direction, "Big" is the story of a 12-year-old boy who wishes he were older, and wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old man (Tom Hanks). The script by Gary Ross ("Dave") and Anne Spielberg finds some unexpected ways of attacking obvious issues of sex, work, and childhood friendships, and in all of these things the accent is on classy humor and great sensitivity. Hanks is remarkable in the lead, at times hilarious (reacting to caviar just as a 12-year-old would) and at others deeply tender. Penny Marshall became a first-rate filmmaker with this 1988 work. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre: Television

Summary: I admit, I didn't want to like this show. After all, it replaced my favorite CBS sitcom from the previous year, The Class. But I gave it a chance, and I'm really glad I did.



The Big Bang Theory tells the story of 4 young geniuses, as they find it will take more than book-smarts to navigate the unchartered waters of relationships in the real world. Into their world of role-playing games and physics in-jokes comes Penny, a beautiful waitress who somewhat reluctlantly becomes the guys' guide to life outside their academic shells.



What really sets the show apart from other half-hour comedies is the writing. You'd probably need an advanced degree in math or science to know whether some of the jokes are based on real concepts, but it doesn't matter. Just watching the two leads (flawlessly played by Johhny Galecki and Jim Parsons) try to co-exist with Penny living across the hall is pure comic gold. Jim Parsons (as uber-nerd Sheldon) may be the funniest comic actor on t.v., and it will be a shame if he doesn't nab an Emmy nomination for his work here.



If you haven't been watching The Big Bang Theory, give it a try. And if you have seen it, I hope you'll join me in voting for a DVD release of this bright and funny show.

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 98

Summary: Bette Midler (THE FIRST WIVES CLUB, BEACHES) and Lily Tomlin (DISNEY'S THE KID, ALL OF ME, 9 TO 5) -- the first ladies of laughter -- star in this critically acclaimed box office hit about two sets of identical twins who are mismatched at birth. Forty years later, their paths cross amid the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, and the result is unrestrained pandemonium. New York's opulent Plaza Hotel is the setting for a wildly hilarious, classic case of mistaken identities, split personalities, and double trouble! With the unparalleled comedic talents of Midler and Tomlin, two's company ... four's a riot!

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 99

Summary: While kung fu warriors and otherworldly spirits battle over the fate of two women, Russell's swaggering idiot manages to knock himself out or underestimate the forces he's dealing with. Jack Burton, a tough-talking, wisecracking truck driver whose hum-drum life on the road takes a sudden supernatural tailspin when his best friend's fiancee is kidnapped. Speeding to the rescue, Jack finds himself deep beneath San Francisco's Chinatown, in a murky, creature-filled world ruled by Lo Pan, a 2000-year-old magician who mercilessly presides over an empire of spirits. Dodging demons and facing baffling terrors, Jack battles his way through Lo Pan's dark domain in a full-throttle, action-riddled ride to rescue the girl.

Theatrical: 1991

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 94

Summary: It is the future. Society has at last solved all its major problems, thanks to amiable lunkheads Bill and Ted and the inspiring music of their band, Wyld Stallyns. Only one man is dissatisfied with the way things have turned out, the evil De Nomolos. In an effort to change the future, De Nomolos sends evil Bill and Ted robots back in time to prevent the real Bill and Ted from winning a pivotal Battle of the Bands. What follows is a spirited journey through the afterlife as Bill and Ted try to rescue their girlfriends, save the future, and, oh, yeah, learn how to play the guitar. "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" swings easily between childish and clever humor, and is good at both: a Bergman reference is quickly followed by an equally funny bit about Death's stinky feet. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter seem happy to be reprising their roles and even manage to add funny spins on Evil Robot Bill and Ted. William Sadler very nearly steals the movie as Death, playing both his wounded dignity and budding desire to be funky to a T. As if that weren't enough, George Carlin returns as Rufus and Pam Grier does a cameo just for the hell of it. "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" is ample proof that not all sequels suck. Sometimes they're even better than the original. "--Ali Davis"

Theatrical: 1989

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 90

Summary: Like, radical, dude--but not nearly as funny as it should be, even though it was a box-office hit. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are a pair of dim Valley boys, whose life is made heinous by a school history project. Enter George Carlin as a futuristic dude with a time-traveling phone booth. So Bill and Ted go back in time to round up a gang of historical figures (Socrates, Joan of Arc) to bring back for their presentation. Abe Lincoln at the mall? That's about as witty as it gets, rendering this the kind of comedy that gives teenaged audiences a bad name. "--Marshall Fine"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Horror

Duration: 89

Summary: In the tradition of Open Water and Rogue comes a thrilling and suspenseful new horror film inspired by the true events of a terrifying crocodile attack. What begins as a leisurely boat tour down the rivers of Northern Australia becomes a horrifying race for survival when Grace Adam and Lee become hostages of a man-eating crocodile. When their boat suddenly capsizes in a mangrove swamp they are shocked to find that their guide is missing. Realizing they ve been attacked by a crocodile the only place they can find safety is up a tree. Now stranded in the flooded swamp starving and terrified the three must battle to survive the bloodthirsty beast who sits below just waiting for one of them to lose their grip System Requirements:Run Time: 89 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR/PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER Rating: R UPC: 043396237346 Manufacturer No: 23734

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: Speedy

Genre: Horror

Summary:

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: New Line Home Entertainment

Genre: Horror

Duration: 117

Summary: Aptly described by critic Roger Ebert as "a vomitorium of viscera," "Blade II" takes the express route to sequel success. So if you enjoyed "Blade", you'll probably drool over this monster mash, which is anything but boring. Set (and filmed) in Prague, the plot finds a new crop of "Reaper" vampires threatening to implement a viral breeding program, and they're nearly impervious to attacks by Blade (Wesley Snipes), his now-revived mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), and a small army of "normal" vampires who routinely combust in a constant conflagration of spectacular special effects. It's up to Blade to conquer the "über"-vamps, and both Snipes and director Guillermo del Toro ("Mimic") serve up a nonstop smorgasbord of intensely choreographed action, creepy makeup, and graphic ultraviolence. It's sadistic, juvenile, numbing, and--for those who dig this kind of thing--undeniably impressive. With the ever-imposing Ron Perlman as a vampire villain. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 117

Summary: Visually spectacular intensely action-packed and powerfully prophetic since its debut Blade Runner returns in Ridley Scott's definitive Final Cut including extended scenes and never-before-seen special effects. In a signature role as 21st-century detective Rick Deckard Harrison Ford brings his masculine-yet-vulnerable presence to this stylish noir thriller. In a future of high-tech possibility soured by urban and social decay Deckard hunts for fugitive muderous replicants - and is drawn to a mystery woman whose secrets may undermine his soul. This incredible 2-Disc Set features the definitive Final Cut of Ridley Scott's legendary Sci-Fi classic and the in-depth feature length documentary "Dangerous Days" and features all new 5.1 Audio. Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE UPC: 085391144823 Manufacturer No: 114482

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Horror

Duration: 113

Summary: Even skeptical fans of the "Blade" franchise will enjoy sinking their teeth into "Blade: Trinity". The law of diminishing returns is in full effect here, and the franchise is wearing out its welcome, but let's face it: any movie that features Jessica Biel as an ass-kicking vampire slayer and Parker Posey--yes, Parker Posey!--as a vamping vampire villainess can't be all bad, right? Those lovely ladies bring equal measures of relief and grief to Blade, the half-human, half-vampire once again played, with tongue more firmly in stone-cold cheek, by Wesley Snipes. With series writer David S. Goyer in the director's chair, the film is calculated for mainstream appeal, trading suspenseful horror for campy humor and choppy, nonsensical action. The franchise still offers some intriguing ideas, however, including Drake (Dominic Purcell), the original vampire, whose blood contains the secret that could destroy all blood-suckers in a plot that incorporates a sinister "blood farm" where humans are held--and drained--in suspended animation. And Biel's wise-cracking sidekick (Ryan Reynolds) in her cadre of "Nightstalkers" provides comic relief in a series that's grown increasingly dour. All of which makes "Blade: Trinity" a love-it-or-hate-it sequel... supposedly the last in a trilogy, but the ending suggests otherwise. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 143

Summary: Leonardo DiCaprio puts a handsome face on an ugly industry: In parts of Africa, diamond mining fuels civil warfare, killing thousands of innocents and drafting preteen children as vicious soldiers. DiCaprio ("The Departed") plays Danny Archer, a white African soldier-turned-diamond-smuggler who gets wind of a large raw jewel found by Solomon Vandy, a native fisherman (Djimon Hounsou, "In America") recently escaped from enslavement by a brutal rebel leader. Archer offers a deal: He'll help Vandy find his war-scattered family if Vandy will share the diamond with him. Drawn into this web of exploitation is journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly, "Little Children"), who agrees to help if Archer will tell her the details of how conflict diamonds make their way into the hands of the corporations who sell them to the Western world. DiCaprio is compelling because he never flinches from Archer's utter ruthlessness; Archer ends up doing the morally justifiable thing, but only because his desperate greed has led him to it. Hounsou and Connelly, though saddled with all the moral and political speeches, rise above the cant and keep the movie's treacherously formulaic plot rooted in human characters. But in the end, the story won't stick with you as much as the dead stillness in the child soldiers' eyes; the horror of African civil strife refuses to be contained by "Blood Diamond"'s uplifting message--and the movie is all the more potent as a result. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 106

Summary: It had to happen: A national tour of redneck comedians culminating in this frequently funny concert film, shot in Phoenix. Ron White's scotch-and-tobacco-fueled, fatalistic world view gets things off to a good start. ("That last engine had just enough power to get us to our crash site.") Larry the Cable Guy's creepy-silly persona helps deliver a set long on gross-out humor. ("I've been seein' a good-lookin' girl. But now I lost my binoculars.") Bill Engvall balances the tone with his family-man shtick. ("There needs to be a teenage driver's lane lined with tires and mattresses.") Main event champ Jeff Foxworthy offers fresh material about the act of ice-fishing as an out-of-body experience for fish, describes the bizarre sight of a leaf blower among items confiscated by airport security and, of course, renders his trademark re-re-re-definitions of what constitutes a redneck ("a glorious absence of sophistication"). Lots to enjoy here. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1980

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Drama

Duration: 105

Summary: The cinematography by Néstor Almendros garnered him an Oscar nomination. Unfortunately, the performance by then child star Brooke Shields garnered her a nomination, too--for a Razzie Award. She won, he didn't.
This 1980 remake of a much classier, 1949 British version features Shields and Christopher Atkins as children shipwrecked on a lush tropical island. They grow to maturity and fall in love, with the script paying special attention to their burgeoning sexuality. Should you desire more trite dialogue, there is an even less satisfying sequel, 1991's "Return to the Blue Lagoon". "--Rochelle O'Gorman"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Magnolia

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 93

Summary: BOARDING GATE (DVD MOVIE)

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Universal Home Video

Genre: Crime

Duration: 118

Summary: Released in late 1999, "The Bone Collector" was originally promoted as a thriller in the tradition of "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Seven", suggesting that it would earn a place among those earlier, better films. Nice try, but no cigar. "The Bone Collector" settles instead for mere competence and the modest rewards of a well-handled formula. With a terrific cast at his service, director Phillip Noyce ("Dead Calm", "Patriot Games") turns the pulpy indulgence of Jeffery Deaver's novel into a slick potboiler that is grisly fun only if you don't pick it apart.
Noyce expertly builds palpable tension around a series of gruesome murders that lead us into the darkest nooks of New York City. Now a bedridden quadriplegic prone to life-threatening seizures and suicidal depression, forensics detective Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) gets a new lease on life with a sharp young beat cop (Angelina Jolie) who's a wizard at analyzing crime scenes. She does field work while he deciphers clues from his high-tech Manhattan loft, and as they narrow the search their lives are increasingly endangered. As this formulaic plot grows moldy, Noyce resorts to narrative shortcuts, using perfunctory scenes to manipulate the viewer and taking morbid pleasure in his revelation of the murder scenes. And yet it all works, to a point, and the cast (including Queen Latifah and Luiz Guzmán) is much better than the material. If you're looking for a few good thrills, "The Bone Collector" is a pretty safe bet. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 110

Summary: Charismatic young stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus play two Irish brothers, Connor and Murphy, who believe themselves ordained by God to rid the world of evil men. Their first killing is in self-defense; but after that, they start killing with devotion, gunning down a summit of the Russian mafia. Willem Dafoe plays a gay FBI agent (he listens to opera while examining crime scenes) who knows what the boys are doing but feels that their vigilante tactics are necessary. There's not much plot to "The Boondock Saints"--it's mostly a series of violent scenes in which the boys are partially ingenious and partially lucky. The movie seems to want to provoke debate about vigilantism, but the scenario is too implausible to stir any real controversy. The peculiar mix of earnestness and machismo will not appeal to everyone, but it's certainly unique and may acquire a cult following. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 119

Summary: Freely adapted from Robert Ludlum's 1980 bestseller, "The Bourne Identity" starts fast and never slows down. The twisting plot revs up in Zurich, where amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), with no memory of his name, profession, or recent activities, recruits a penniless German traveler ("Run Lola Run"'s Franka Potente) to assist in solving the puzzle of his missing identity. While his CIA superior (Chris Cooper) dispatches assassins to kill Bourne and thus cover up his failed mission, Bourne exercises his lethal training to leave a trail of bodies from Switzerland to Paris. Director Doug Liman ("Go") infuses Ludlum's intricate plotting with a maverick's eye for character detail, matching breathtaking action with the humorous, thrill-seeking chemistry of Damon and Potente. Previously made as a 1988 TV movie starring Richard Chamberlain, "The Bourne Identity" benefits from the sharp talent of rising stars, offering intelligent, crowd-pleasing excitement from start to finish. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 109

Summary: Good enough to suggest long-term franchise potential, "The Bourne Supremacy" is a thriller fans will appreciate for its well-crafted suspense, and for its triumph of competence over logic (or lack thereof). Picking up where "The Bourne Identity" left off, the action begins when CIA assassin and partial amnesiac Jason Bourne (a role reprised with efficient intensity by Matt Damon) is framed for a murder in Berlin, setting off a chain reaction of pursuits involving CIA handlers (led by Joan Allen and the duplicitous Brian Cox, with Julia Stiles returning from the previous film) and a shadowy Russian oil magnate. The fast-paced action hurtles from India to Berlin, Moscow, and Italy, and as he did with the critically acclaimed "Bloody Sunday", director Paul Greengrass puts you right in the thick of it with split-second editing (too much of it, actually) and a knack for well-sustained tension. It doesn't all make sense, and bears little resemblance to Robert Ludlum's novel, but with Damon proving to be an appealingly unconventional action hero, there's plenty to look forward to. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 116

Summary: The often breathtaking, final installment in the" Bourne" trilogy finds the titular assassin with no memory closing in on his past, finally answering his own questions about his real identity and how he came to be a seemingly unstoppable killing machine. Matt Damon returns for another intensely physical performance as Jason Bourne, the rogue operative at war with the CIA, which made him who and what he is and managed to kill his girlfriend in the series' second film, "The Bourne Supremacy". Now looking for payback, Bourne goes in search for the renegade chief of CIA operations in Europe and North Africa, partnering for a time with a mysterious woman from his past (Julia Stiles) and constantly--constantly--on the run from assassins, intelligence foot soldiers, and cops. Directed by Paul Greengrass "(United 93)" with the director’s thrilling, trademark textures and shaky, documentary style, "The Bourne Ultimatum" is largely a succession of action scenes that reveal a lot about the story’s characters while they’re under duress. Joan Allen, Albert Finney, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, and Paddy Considine comprise the film’s terrific supporting cast, and the well-traveled movie leads viewers through Turin, Madrid, Tangiers, Paris, London, and New York. Overall, this is a satisfying conclusion to "Bourne’s" exciting and protracted mystery. --"Tom Keogh"


Beyond "The Bourne Ultimatum" on DVD
More "Bourne"
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Stills from "The Bourne Ultimatum" (Click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 122

Summary: Neil Jordan's somber "The Brave One" is a lot of things. A reflective movie about a crime victim's sense of dislocation and isolation from her own life following a harrowing trauma, the film will strike a chord with a lot of people who have known violence. "The Brave One" is also a provocative drama about the nature of justice, a theme explored endlessly in American movies that typically find law enforcement wanting. In Jordan's film, however, the conflict between instinctive vigilantism and legal protocols is approached with more deliberateness and complexity than usual. Finally, despite its seriousness of purpose, "The Brave One", to a certain extent, is drearily tethered to the old atrocity-and-revenge genre, bumping along to the familiar, "Death Wish"-like rhythms of an avenger seeking successive conflicts with bad guys he or she can blow away.
Somewhat at cross-purposes, "The Brave One" stars Jodie Foster in a shattering performance as Erica Bain, a popular essayist on a public radio station in New York. In love and engaged to David (Naveen Andrews), a doctor, Erica and her fiancé are brutally attacked one night by a gang of thugs. David is killed but Erica survives, only to find herself a stranger in her own skin, facing down her fears by shooting violent criminals.
With the city riveted by her anonymous actions, Erica becomes an object of curiosity for a police detective (an excellent Terrence Howard) disillusioned by his own struggles to protect the innocent from truly evil men. Jordan's previous films ("The Crying Game", "Breakfast on Pluto") resonate with "The Brave One"'s most interesting angle, i.e., that each of us possesses a hidden element in our identities that comes out in extreme circumstances, making us wonder who we really are. It's all excellent food for thought, but the film squanders much of its significance by thrusting Erica into numerous, outlandish situations in which her only alternative is to put a bullet in a bad guy. The result is a smart film tediously structured like a disposable B movie. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 177

Summary: Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning 1995 "Braveheart" is an impassioned epic about William Wallace, the 13th-century Scottish leader of a popular revolt against England's tyrannical Edward I (Patrick McGoohan). Gibson cannily plays Wallace as a man trying to stay out of history's way until events force his hand, an attribute that instantly resonates with several of the actor's best-known roles, especially "Mad Max". The subsequent camaraderie and courage Wallace shares in the field with fellow warriors is pure enough and inspiring enough to bring envy to a viewer, and even as things go wrong for Wallace in the second half, the film does not easily cave in to a somber tone. One of the most impressive elements is the originality with which Gibson films battle scenes, featuring hundreds of extras wielding medieval weapons. After Eisenstein's "Alexander Nevsky", Orson Welles's "Chimes at Midnight", and even Kenneth Branagh's "Henry V", you might think there is little new that could be done in creating scenes of ancient combat; yet Gibson does it. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Drama

Duration: 111

Summary: Is a mystery really mysterious when the end isn't a secret? Is espionage still thrilling when you know beforehand that the cloak has been pulled back and the dagger revealed? If it's a film as good as "Breach", the answer is a resounding yes. Here is a true story that's genuinely stranger than fiction: FBI agent Robert Hanssen spent over 20 years selling government secrets to the Russians, making him the most egregious traitor in U.S. history. He was an Opus Dei Catholic and a devout churchgoer who was also a sexual deviant, a straitlaced company man so trusted by his employers that they once appointed him to lead an investigation designed to reveal who the spy was--when in fact it was Hanssen himself. And in the end, he was brought down in part by 26-year-old Eric O'Neill, an agent-in-training who worked with him for just two months. Chris Cooper, a 2003 supporting actor Oscar winner for "Adaptation", is brilliant in the lead role, playing Hanssen as a dour, cold, ultraconservative cipher (women in pantsuits are just one of his peeves) whose conversations more closely resemble interrogations. Ryan Phillippe is also excellent as O'Neill, who's initially kept in the dark by the superior (Laura Linney) who assigned him to help expose Hanssen's treachery; thinking he's been brought in only to gather evidence about his boss' sexual transgressions, O'Neill finds himself caught in a profound moral conundrum, grudgingly admiring Hanssen even as his own marriage is severely tested by the older man's creepy and hypocritical intrusion into their lives, not to mention the FBI's strict rules against discussing the case.
Director Billy Ray (whose previous feature was also a true story: "Shattered Glass", about the young writer who fabricated stories for "The New Republic") and co-screenwriters Adam Mazer and William Rotko do an extraordinary job of maintaining the tension as the story leads to the conclusion that's been revealed in the first few frames (i.e., Hanssen's arrest in February 2001); the exquisite torture of O'Neill's having to keep Hanssen distracted while Bureau technicians search the latter's car is but one example. Moreover, notwithstanding the plot developments, the filmmakers manage to keep their focus on the personal interactions that are the film's key element: the relationships that O'Neill maintains with Hanssen, his father (a cameo by Bruce Davison), his wife (Caroline Dhavernas), and others are entirely credible. At once fascinating and horrifying, "Breach" is inarguably one of the best films of 2007. "--Sam Graham"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Deseret Books

Genre: Crime

Duration: 120

Summary: Richard Dutcher’s "Brigham City" is a rare find in the recent onslaught of murky religion-based thrillers and Satanic conspiracies--a modern crime thriller with a powerful and passionate spiritual message. In some ways it plays like a contemporary Western, with Dutcher as the upright county sheriff and local church bishop of a rural Utah town terrorized by a serial killer. Like the marshal of a peaceful frontier community, he first tries to shield his town from the horror, then pulls the good churchgoing citizens into a veritable posse. His cinematic skills may be a bit clumsy and his modern take on frontier justice naïve, but his heart is in the right place. He creates a portrait of family values, community ties, and neighborly caring with an honest, unaffected forthrightness. Ultimately, fear and suspicion is the real snake in Eden. "--Sean Axmaker"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Miramax

Genre: Action/Adventure

Duration: 118

Summary: Fairy tales come vividly to life in "The Brothers Grimm", a long-delayed fantasy/horror comedy that greatly benefits from the ingenuity of director Terry Gilliam. In lesser hands, the ambitious screenplay by prolific horror specialist Ehren Kruger (who wrote the American versions of "The Ring" and "The Ring 2") might have turned into an erratic monster mash like "Van Helsing". But Gilliam's maverick sensibility makes the film more closely comparable to Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow" and Neil Jordan's "The Company of Wolves", with the added benefit of impressive CGI effects and lavish (though cost-efficient) production design, making the most of a challenging $75 million budget. Kruger's clever conceit is to turn "folklore collectors" Wilhem and Jacob Grimm (Matt Damon and Heath Ledger, respectively) into 19th-century con artists who perform bogus exorcisms of "evil enchantments" while traveling from village to village in French-occupied Germany. The two soon find themselves ensnared in a genuinely supernatural crisis involving the curse of the Mirror Queen (Monica Bellucci) and such fantastical marvels as the Big Bad Wolf, the Gingerbread Man, and a host of other truly enchanted (and not altogether friendly) flora and fauna. It's kind of a mess, switching from over-the-top humor (mostly from Peter Stormare as a manic villain) to serious fantasy involving the beautiful Angelika (Lena Headey), who proves to be the Grimm Brothers' most reliable ally. And like many of Gilliam's films, "Grimm" suffered from production delays (during which Gilliam filmed "Tideland"), distributor fallout, and several changes in its theatrical release date, but none of these issues prevent the film from being a welcomed addition to Gilliam's remarkable list of credits. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 97

Summary: "You measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you," says the quietly wise Carter Chambers, played with gravitas and grace by a Morgan Freeman. In Rob Reiner's moving, often hilarious film "The Bucket List", all sorts of people measure themselves against the two heroes, Chambers and his hospital suitemate, Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson). But as Cole finds, having spent his entire life building a Fortune 500 company, none of that much matters when cancer, the great equalizer, pays a visit. The film traces the adventures of the two unlikely friends, who meet in a hospital cancer ward, each given six months to live. The "bucket list" of the title refers to a lifelong list of goals that a teacher of Chambers once advised him to compile--and achieve--"before you kick the bucket." Soon the two are off on what may be the last grand adventure of their life, vowing to tick off as many goals (skydiving, race-car driving, seeing the wonders of the world) as they can in the time they have left. What starts as a medical melodrama becomes a road trip, yet the men's mortality realities are never far from thought. The two leads give impressive performances, and remind the viewer of just how few American films focus on the lives and loves of senior citizens. Nicholson even manages to lose his persona in his character, much as he did in "About Schmidt". There's a lovely John Mayer tune, "Say (What You Need to Say)," that's perfectly matched to the film's clear-eyed view of life: What does one person leave behind as his true legacy? --"A.T. Hurley"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Disney/Pixar

Genre: Kids & Family

Duration: 95

Summary: There was such a magic on the screen in 1995 when the people at Pixar came up with the first fully computer-animated film, "Toy Story". Their second feature film, "A Bug's Life", may miss the bull's-eye but Pixar's target is so lofty, it's hard to find the film anything less than irresistible.
Brighter and more colorful than the other animated insect movie of 1998 ("Antz"), "A Bug's Life" is the sweetly told story of Flik (voiced by David Foley), an ant searching for better ways to be a bug. His colony unfortunately revolves around feeding and fearing the local grasshoppers (lead by Hopper, voiced with gleeful menace by Kevin Spacey). When Flik accidentally destroys the seasonal food supply for the grasshoppers he decides to look for help ("We need bigger bugs!"). The ants, led by Princess Atta (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), are eager to dispose of the troublesome Flik. Yet he finds help--a hearty bunch of bug warriors--and brings them back to the colony. Unfortunately they are just traveling performers afraid of conflict.
As with "Toy Story", the ensemble of creatures and voices is remarkable and often inspired. Highlights include wiseacre comedian Denis Leary as an un-ladylike ladybug, Joe Ranft as the German-accented caterpillar, David Hyde Pierce as a stick bug, and Michael McShane as a pair of unintelligible pillbugs. The scene-stealer is Atta's squeaky-voiced sister, baby Dot (Hayden Panettiere), who has a big sweet spot for Flik.
More gentle and kid-friendly than "Antz", "A Bug Life's" still has some good suspense and a wonderful demise of the villain. However, the film--a giant worldwide hit--will be remembered for its most creative touch: "outtakes" over the end credits à la many live-action comedy films. These dozen or so scenes (both "editions" of outtakes are contained here) are brilliant and deserve a special place in film history right along with 1998's other most talked-about sequence: the opening Normandy invasion in "Saving Private Ryan".
The video and DVD also contain Pixar's delightful Oscar-winning short, "Geri's Game". "--Doug Thomas"