Batman Begins [HD DVD]

Amazon.com

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?

Co-written 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)

DVD Features

The first disc is filled out by the theatrical trailer and a Jimmy Fallon-starring Batman Begins spoof from the MTV Movie Awards. The second disc consists of eight featurettes (about 105 minutes total) on a variety of topics. "The Journey Begins" covers the early stages of the movie, including the casting and how director/co-writer Christopher Nolan brought in co-writer David S. Goyer for his comic-book expertise. "Shaping Mind and Body" covers Christian Bale's fight training, and other featurettes discuss the sets (the Batcave is shown being constructed out of wood and sheets), the Batman costume, the Batmobile, the monorail sequence, and the hazards of filming in Iceland. All the behind-the-scenes featurettes are solid but somewhat routine, and while "The Journey Begins" is the widest overview, there's not really any centerpiece documentary (all are 8 to 15 minutes, and there's no Play All option). Interviewees tend to be the same throughout: Nolan, Goyer, Bale (the only cast member to get much face time), and other crew members (it's nice to hear from the stunt people).

Potentially more interesting to fans is "Genesis of the Bat," which covers the comic books that influenced the film, including The Long Halloween, Neal Adams's Ra's Al Ghul from the '70s, Dennis O'Neill and Dick Giordano's The Man Who Falls, and Frank Miller's Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns. Interviewees include DC Comics editor Paul Levitz and artist Jim Lee, but the latter's involvement eventually degrades the featurette into a pitch for DC's All-Star Batman line. A nice bonus to the Deluxe Edition is a mini comic book (DVD case-sized) that has Batman's first appearance (Detective Comics #27), The Man Who Falls, and a 48-page excerpt from The Long Halloween. (Once you get a taste of Halloween, you'll want to pick up the full-length, full-size version.) Filling out the disc are overviews of four gadgets and eight characters, DVD-ROM features, and a variety of poster-art concepts. To get to the features menu, you have to scroll through a multi-page Goyer-scribed comic book, which is a good read, but you can't skip it the next time you want to watch the second disc. Note that the comic book is also viewable in French, and the second disc offers a French menu and French (but not English) subtitles for the featurettes. --David Horiuchi

Description

Batman Begins explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents' murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect and an array of high tech deceptions to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city.

Customer Reviews:

I liked American Psyco better.......2007-09-12

I got that batmobile for my son thats probably the best part of the movie. They need to make that next movie they hinted at in the end with the joker. Bottom line- roof top batmobile chase, more please, Christian Bale batman eeeygh I don't think so.Batman Begins Deluxe Batmobile Vehicle

Batman Is Worth the extra cash for this HD-DVD.......2007-09-11

Batman Begins as a movie is great. The plot and settings of the movie really makes it feel like a real batman movie. Not colorful and very dark. The HD DVD transfer is amazing, with black levels beyond belief. If you have the standard def version and compare it to the HD version, you will notice a huge difference on any size high def t.v thats over 27 inches. I recommend this to any HD DVD owner, even if you have the standard dvd. a must.

Deffects Absent.......2007-09-06

Tim Burton's original Batman was truly groundbreaking and did deserve the huge amounts of praise it recieved (I never really cared for any of the sequels. While the Joker was surreal, at least he was accetable. Batman Returns carried the unreality a little far). However, it was flawed. Mainly, it was small things that caught my attention, such as the fact that Batman's suit was so stiff that he could hardly fight in it (did it bother anybody else that he couldn't even turn his neck?) and the movie made me wonder how organized crime could realisticly be so obvious in a city and no one do anything about it. Batman Begins makes the corruption of Gotham's judicial system and police department very real and makes you realize that an independent like Batman, as unlikely a hero as he is, is badly needed. And instead of skirting around the issues with the batsuit we finally see every part of it explained from the horns on his head to the reason for the design of his cape and(GASP!) it actually seems plausable, even almost likely. Other pluses include: Unlike in so many other movies, the special effects are not just there for themselves, but really add to the story. Other portrayals of Batman make him seem unstable and even dangerous to those he is supposedly protecting, while here he is an immovable, if dark, force for good with solid, sain reasons for doing what he does. (This movie just goes to show how adaptable Batman really is. There are so many good ways to portray him!) The villains, too, are unbelievably lifelike considering their origins (like Batman, the comics), good acting and a well devised plot draw you in and keep you wide-eyed, and, though some may say the movie was just too long, I loved every minute of it!

One of the best to show off your HD system!.......2007-09-01

I've noticed that everyone wants to review the film but nobody talks about its HD muscle. After buying many HD-DVDs I will say that Batman Begins is the overal best combination of amazing picture and fire setting audio! The Dolby TruHD audio track is stunning and somehow manages to make your house sound more like a movie theater than anything else out there. 100% recommended

Chris Nolan's Superhero Film Noir Restarts The Franchise.......2007-08-23

When I was a kid, I'll admit that I kind of hated Batman, thanks to reruns of the 1960s television series. On TV, Batman was sanctimonious, shallow and corny. In 1989, however, the advent of Tim Burton's Batman movie exposed me to a whole new side of Batman: a flawed, moody outsider who lived in a corrupt, gothic metropolis, and who was more than willing to act lethally if he felt it was needed. Batman became a huge success, and was one of the first "summer megahype movies" to benefit from the new Hollywood press machine. While the movie may have emphasized style over substance, seeing Michael Keaton's Batman (using an arsenal of high-tech vehicles and gadgets) take on Jack Nicholson's deformed Joker was pure entertainment. Batman fever reigned high at the time, but Burton's sequel, "Batman Returns", couldn't match the freshness of its predecessor, despite being a quite solid effort. Keaton and Burton left the franchise, leaving Val Kilmer in the unenviable position of tackling the role of Bruce Wayne in Joel Schumacher's inordinately campy "Batman Forever". Val Kilmer's almost psychadelic take on Batman wasn't enough to overcome the gaudy neons and cartoonish portrayals which plagued the movie; nonetheless, the movie was financially successful. With George Clooney as Batman, 1997's "Batman and Robin" was the inevitable straw that broke the camel's back, and was so terrible that it stalled the careers of Chris O'Donnell and Alicia Silverstone, and led Clooney to admit that he "was the guy who screwed Batman up". It looked like the franchise was dead, and the Batman movie license languished for years in development hell. After some false starts, "Memento" director Chris Nolan was the guy who was to revive the Batman franchise with this movie, which chronicles the very beginning of Batman's career.

While it has become fashionable to subscribe to the revisionist position that Tim Burton's "Batman" was a bad movie, the truth is that Nolan was clearly inspired to some degree by Burton. The look of Batman's armored outfit, the militaristic motif of the Tumbler (aka the Batmobile), the gritty take on city corruption- these are all clearly derived from Burton's work. However, Nolan's Gotham, while still dark and menacing, is not steeped in gothic fantasticism, but rather in a slightly more modern take on the classic noir urban setting of the mid 20th century. The characters are all portrayed and explored much deeper than the 1989 movie, and both the hero and villains behave more realistically.

The storyline hews closer to the various Batman comic books as well. The movie begins with Bruce Wayne (played by "American Psycho" star Christian Bale) locked in an Asian prison, being recruited by the enigmatic Ducard for the League of Shadows, a mysterious organization of vigilantes run by the even more mysterious R'az Al Ghul. Wayne trains to become a crime fighter, and through flashbacks, we see Bruce Wayne's childhood shattered when his wealthy and well-intentioned parents are killed by a desperate mugger. After college, he returns to Gotham City to kill the mugger, who is about to be released in return for testimony, but is beaten to the punch by Carmine Falcone's mob organization. Realizing that mere revenge is a doomed path, Wayne disappears to live life as a criminal, and gain insight. Back in the present day, Wayne is about to be inducted into the League, but things turn sour when he learns their true plans. Barely escaping with his life, Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham with an idea in his head- to create an alter ego which will strike fear into the hearts of criminals. Back in Gotham, he finds his father's company is in danger of losing its way, and is about to go public, thanks to the machinations of Earle, who was trusted with the company. Wayne finds allies in family butler Alfred, Lucius Fox, a former Wayne Enterprise executive who was demoted to a dead-end job in research, Rachel Dawes, his childhood friend turned idealistic assistant D.A., and Sergeant Jim Gordon, an honest cop in a district overrun by corruption. However, things are about to get "complicated", with both Carmine Falcone and corrupt Dr. Jonathan Crane (whose alter ego is the Scarecrow) acting as pawns for an even more sinister force preparing to unleash hell on Gotham.

First off, with the exception of Katie Holmes' flat portrayal of Dawes, the acting is top notch. The cast is a treasure trove of outstanding actors, including Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Rutger Hauer, Tom Wilkinson, Cillian Murphy, and Linus Roache, to mention a few. While some may object to the slower pacing of the movie, it works well, and creates tension. The movie is saturated with browns, yellows and oranges, creating a warm glow to contrast with the sinister atmosphere brought by the story, while the minimalist soundtrack is appropriately gothic when needed. The movie seems busy at times, with not one but three main villains, and the requisite goons. The action sequences are presented at a frantic pace, and some may take issue with Nolan's filming of fight scenes in such an "indirect", chaotic manner. But in the end, this is a superhero movie of the highest order, which tries to balance the fantastic with the realistic, and usually succeeds. The movie viewer has been pretty fortunate with comic book movies as of late, with Superman Returns, the X-Men movies, and the Spiderman movies. By returning to the noir roots explored by Tim Burton, yet filming things his own way, Chris Nolan managed to restart the franchise without disrespecting what was done well in past iterations.

The single disc DVD version has literally no extras, whatsoever. However, the movie was so good I'll overlook it....this time. Whichever version you get, the movie is outstanding.

The Charlie Chan Chanthology (The Secret Service / The Chinese Cat / The Jade Mask / Meeting at Midnight / The Scarlet Clue / The Shanghai Cobra)

Average customer rating:

Marketing over Matter
Not great--just very entertaining
charlie chan chanthology
Charlie is my hero
Warner Oland, Why Did You Die?

The Charlie Chan Chanthology (The Secret Service / The Chinese Cat / The Jade Mask / Meeting at Midnight / The Scarlet Clue / The Shanghai Cobra)
Starring: Sidney Toler , Mantan Moreland , Edwin Luke , Hardie Albright , and Frank Reicher
Director: Phil Rosen , and Phil Karlson
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Classics | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00020X87A
Release Date: 2004-07-06

Amazon.com

Though the Charlie Chan film franchise has earned brickbats for its casting of Caucasian actors as the Asian sleuth, the movies have retained popularity among aficionados of '40s-era B-crime pictures, and the six-disc Charlie Chan Chanthology, all featuring Sidney Toler as Chan, should please that crowd. The Missouri-born Toler starred in 11 Chan pictures for Fox before purchasing the rights to the character from creator Earl Derr Biggers's widow and bringing it to budget studio Monogram, where he starred in 11 more Chans before his death in 1947 (Roland Winters replaced him in six more features until 1949). At Monogram, Chan became a Secret Service Agent (a move calculated to cut down on exotic locations and sets), and comedy was integrated into the plots via Mantan Moreland's chauffeur Birmingham Brown; Benson Fong also joined the cast as Number Three Son Tommy, with occasional appearances by daughter Frances (Frances Chan) and son Eddie (Edwin Luke, brother of Keye Luke, who played Number One Son Lee in the Fox Chans).

Other than that, the six films collected here (the first six Chans for Monogram, and all but five directed by Phil Rosen) are largely indistinguishable from one another save for the murder victims and their demises. In The Secret Service, Chan investigates the death of a wartime inventor; a San Francisco socialite expires in The Chinese Cat; daughter Frances is involved in the murder of a psychic in Meeting at Midnight (a.k.a. Black Magic); another government scientist is killed in The Jade Mask, and death by remote control is the focus of The Scarlet Clue. Director Phil Karlson (Kansas City Confidential) adds some noirish atmosphere to The Shanghai Cobra, which has bank employees dying from apparent snakebites. Dated and controversial as they may be, the Chan films are engaging diversions for vintage mystery fans. No extras are featured in the set. --Paul Gaita

Description

Disc 1: CHARLIE CHAN IN THE SECRET SERVICE Disc 2: THE CHINESE CAT Disc 3: THE JADE MASK Disc 4: MEETING AT MIDNIGHT Disc 5: THE SCARLET CLUE Disc 6: THE SHANGHAI COBRA

Customer Reviews:

Marketing over Matter.......2007-08-15

I've seen this boxed set many times, prominently featured in a chain bookstore. Thank goodness I bought it used: it's expensive at half the price.

MGM has given us six Charlie Chans from Monogram, three from 1944, three from 1945, each running slightly more than an hour. Each is on a separate disk, with scene selection and subtitles, but nothing more.

All six feature the reliable Sidney Toler and the consistently entertaining Mantan Moreland. Benson Fong appears in three as No. 3 Son Tommy Chan. The rest of the actors are mostly tried-and-true, long-lived career bit and character actors like Al Bridge (perennial cowboy), Gene Roth (perennial heavy), Cyril Delevanti (perennial butler), and George Chandler (perennial comic working stiff).

All six films are written by George Callahan, an inept, "Swiss cheese" writer: plots full of holes. Five of the six are directed by Phil Rosen, who started out as a cameraman for Edison and never did progress beyond the "filmed stage play" phase of cinema history.

The prints are all good quality visually, though a couple of them do not always track steadily. Monogram is responsible for dark scenes being consistently underlit. (One film, "Black Magic," is marketed under its TV title "Meeting at Midnight," which, an imposed subtitle tells us, was the "original title.")

The best film in the set is "The Shanghai Cobra." The director is Phil Karlson, best known for Kansas City Confidential (1952), the Phenix City Story (1955), and Walking Tall (1973). He brings a noir sensibility to the visualization, and he uses locations often and effectively (the other films are almost entirely studio-bound).

I get the strong feeling that writer Callahan needed and took strong guidance from those around him. Thus, the McGuffin in "Shanghai Cobra" is a cache of radium, not the usual jewels or war plans; the film has, uniquely, a romantic duo and a flashback. In "The Jade Mask" Al Bridge delivers more country corn than Toler ever did Confucius. The weakest of the six films, "The Scarlet Clue," is redeemed only by Mantan Moreland's "mindreading act" with fellow vaudevillian Ben Carter.

(In my library I have an old playscript entitled "The Haunted House: An Ethiopian Entertainment." Be aware that much of Moreland's comedy is of that ilk. Be aware also that he was a talented entertainer, well worth watching for that--often the only entertainment on the screen at all.)

Let me close by admitting that, having seen most of these films in the distant past, I didn't watch any of them continuously, but kept stopping and starting the show. The only way I could find them interesting was by referring constantly to the Internet Movie Data Base, reading cast lists and actors' credits. These films are typical Poverty Row product.

Not great--just very entertaining.......2007-07-05

These Sidney Toler Charlie Chans move well-- good dialogue-humor is well done--Sometimes a bit too stereotypical--but it's easy to see why these movies were so popular in their day. All in all they hold up better than I would have expected. Most enjoyable.

charlie chan chanthology.......2007-07-04

Wonderful! Just what I remember it being when I was young....If you remember the Chan mystery series then this is the one, Charlie Chan's children are in these series. The Dvd's came on time and couldn't wait to watch them..my teenage son came home and started watching with me, he was entranced and we had a marathon and watched all of them. Great product!

Charlie is my hero.......2007-07-03

This vendor responded to my purchase very quickly. Well-packaged, no damage. I'm in Chan heaven. Charlie Chan rocks!

Warner Oland, Why Did You Die?.......2007-06-27

These Chan films are from the Monogram series, long after the series, which had begun so brilliantly with Warner Oland at 20th Century Fox 10 or more years earlier, had fizzled. Fox dropped it after a handful of Sidney Toler films (which aren't available yet on DVD). Supposedly Toler bought the rights to the name Charlie Chan from the widow of author/creator Earl Derr Biggers and then sold himself and the rights to Monogram. The films suffer terribly. Toler is a tired old man in ersatz oriental makeup, and cheap, boring, repetitious "comedy" relief is provided in extremis by Mantan Moreland as a cliché blabbering, superstitious black lackey. The stories are so-so, but whatever values there may be are undermined by those two main stars. Benson Fong, as Number Three Son, is generally good -- charming though not so enthusiastic as Keye Luke -- but most of the time he has to play opposite Moreland or, in one pathetic film, a Chinese actress named Frances Chan as his sister of the same name...and she couldn't act her way out of a wet paper bag.

There are two more Warner Oland Chan movies that have yet to make it to DVD. It would be nice if Fox would release those along with the early Toler films. But forget these Monogram pot boilers.

Average customer rating:

side aching laughter
What a difference a second viewing makes.
funny as hell!!!
Scary Movie
Pretty funny

Scary Movie
Starring: Jon Abrahams , Giacomo Baessato , Lloyd Berry , Rick Ducommun , and Carmen Electra
Manufacturer: Dimension
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Teen | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

School Days | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Frighteningly Funny | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: B00004Z4WQ
Release Date: 2000-12-12

Product Description

Dimension

Amazon.com

If you've seen Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, then you know the entire plot of Scary Movie. That's okay, though, because this is a parody, and it helps to know the story in order to be able to get the jokes. No, the biggest surprise here is not the story as much as the amount of full-frontal male nudity. Really, in addition to all the dick jokes (and the ass jokes and fart jokes), there's a couple of shots of the male member, one of which is erect and used as a weapon. Scary Movie somehow ended up with an R rating, which in a sense is groundbreaking; perhaps our ratings board is loosening up after all.

But is it funny? That's the most important question, and the answer to that is yes. In the vein of Airplane!, with a dash of the Farrelly brothers, Scary Movie keeps throwing jokes at you one after another. The law of averages says some of them have to hit, and enough of them do to keep the movie entertaining. Unlike the makers of Airplane!, however, the Wayans brothers aren't making this movie out of a love of the genre, and unlike the Farrelly brothers, they don't make fun of retarded people with any sort of respect, so the humor throughout feels a lot uglier. Still, there are enough funny scenes in Scary Movie to make the viewing experience worthwhile. Special credit must go to Lochlyn Munro as Greg, the over-the-top jock, who steals the movie up until the time he's gotta die.--Andy Spletzer

Customer Reviews:

side aching laughter.......2007-08-13

the first time i watched this movie...i could not stop laughing from the beginning. i came out with my side aching from laughing and my mouth hurting from grinning. i watch it the other day and eperiance the same reaction. this movie is a must see film for those who enjoy the wayan brothers and for those who watched 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' and 'Scream'. Watching this movie makes you laugh instead of scream when you do get around to wacthing these horror movies again. Get this movie you won't regret it!!

What a difference a second viewing makes........2007-06-12

I erased my initial 3-star review because it wasn't totally fair. I watched this a second and third time, and I tell you, I'm almost ready to give this 5 stars, but I won't. The first time, I couldn't fully appreciate the crass humor, but I realize that it is a classic. But it's still a classic I'm unwilling to give 5 stars.

Along with the Wayans' brand of comedy, comes an unshakeable annoyance at some of their jokes because of their juvenility. Unlike White Chicks, the Wayans show no restraint with their toilet and sexual humor in Scary Movie. Why does every joke have to revolve around sex? Are the Wayans Brothers that sexually obsessed? All in all, it's a funny picture if you can abandon your decent sensibilities for a little while and just have fun. That's what I did, and I'll not hesitate to watch it again and again. Scary Movie is also the funniest in the 4 part series.

funny as hell!!!.......2006-11-27

Horror mocking is awesome, espessially for horror fans who know whats going on.

Scary Movie.......2006-08-19

Product - exactly what I ordered - and delivery very fast.
Enjoy dealing with Amazon.

Pretty funny.......2006-08-17

All in all I found this film pretty funny but not as funny as Scary Movie 2. There was nothing wrong with it, I had no complaints but fans of the slasher flicks 'Scream" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" will appreciate this film for the potential it holds. However I am not a fan of those movies so this doesn't hold as many thrills for me. I would recommend it for anyone who wants a good laugh. Regina Hall and Anna Faris definetly have a big future in the world of comedy as this movie will show. Plus the Wayans brothers add so much to this movie. However I'd warn against eating or drinking while watching this movie unless the viewer doesn't mind spewing said itens out their nose!

Average customer rating:

The Man in the Iron Mask
Love it
Rather enjoyable movie
"One For All, and All For One!"
bad acting, bad script, terrible movie

The Man in the Iron Mask
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Jeremy Irons , John Malkovich , Gérard Depardieu , and Gabriel Byrne
Director: Randall Wallace
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Swashbucklers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0792839137
Release Date: 1998-08-12

Amazon.com

Footnotes in movie books are likely to reduce this swashbuckling adventure down to a simple description: it was the first movie to star Leonardo DiCaprio after the phenomenal success of Titanic. As such it automatically attracted a box-office stampede of Leo's young female fans, but critical reaction was deservedly mixed. Having earned his directorial debut after writing the Oscar-winning script for Mel Gibson's Braveheart, Randall Wallace wrote and directed this ambitious version of the often-filmed classic novel by Alexandre Dumas. DiCaprio plays dual roles as the despotic King Louis XIV, who rules France with an iron fist, and the king's twin brother, Philippe, who languishes in prison under an iron mask, his identity concealed to prevent an overthrow of Louis' throne. But Louis' abuse of power ultimately enrages Athos (John Malkovich), one of the original Four Musketeers, who recruits his former partners (Gabriel Byrne, Gérard Depardieu, and Jeremy Irons) in a plot to liberate Philippe and install him as the king's identical replacement. Once this plot is set in motion and the Musketeers are each given moments in the spotlight, the film kicks into gear and offers plenty of entertainment in the grand style of vintage swashbucklers. But it's also sidetracked by excessive length and disposable subplots, and for all his post-Titanic star power, the boyish DiCaprio just isn't yet "man" enough to be fully convincing in his title role. Still, this is an entertaining movie, no less enjoyable for falling short of the greatness to which it aspired. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

The Man in the Iron Mask.......2007-07-20

This was a very good movie with an all star cast. It is well worth watching again and again.

Love it.......2007-06-24

Kinda historical, more for eye candy and a rush. Overall, a really cool movie. If you like Count of Monte Crisco you will love this.

Rather enjoyable movie.......2007-06-15

I've enjoyed this movie several times and know that it is a family hit. It shows the contrast of good and bad decisions and how they can effect an entire kingdom. The honor and loyalty of the royal guard to the people in conflict to their responsibility to their king.

I thought the acting was very good and convincing as well as the scenery and the storyline was good. It had my interest and I was left satisfied with no real unanswered questions at the end.

I would recommend watching this movie, and even adding it to your library.

"One For All, and All For One!".......2007-04-25

This is a magnificent movie and would be a great addition to anyones' collection. The actors do an amazing job portraying the musketeers in this version of the Man in the Iron Mask. The sounds and scenery add to the wonderful ambiance created in this film. I have owned it since it came out and still enjoy watching it every time. It has one of the greatest endings of any movie I have seen, every director should strive to have an ending like this.

I guess all I can say is, if you don't at least see this movie you're missing out.

bad acting, bad script, terrible movie.......2007-04-18

This is an unsophisticated, badly written, terribly acted movie that just doesn't work. I can't imagine what the reviewers who like it were thinking. DiCaprio is ghastly. None of the actors can read any of the lines convincingly. The damsel in distress has the most childish, silly voice.... Awful movie.

Average customer rating:

Clever to the bone.
One of the Best!
What a Scream!
Great Thriller
"There are certain RULES that one must abide by in order to survive a horror movie..."

Scream (Dimension Collector's Series)
Starring: David Arquette , Drew Barrymore , Lisa Beach , David Booth (II) , and W. Earl Brown
Manufacturer: Dimension
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Slasher Flicks | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Frighteningly Funny | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Teen Terror | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: 630521610X
Release Date: 1998-12-08

Amazon.com essential video

With the smash hit Scream, novice screenwriter Kevin Williamson and veteran horror director Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street) revived the moldering corpse of the teen horror picture, both creatively and commercially, by playfully acknowledging the exhausted clichés and then turning them inside out. Scream is a postmodern slasher movie, a horror film that cleverly deconstructs horror films, then reassembles the dead tissue, and (like Frankenstein's monster) creates new life. When a serial killer starts hacking up their fellow teens, the media-savvy youngsters of Scream realize that the smartest way of sticking around for the sequel is to avoid the terminal behaviors that inevitably doom supporting players in the movies. They've seen all the movies, and the rules of the genre are like second nature to them. One of the scariest/funniest setups features a kid watching John Carpenter's seminal Halloween on video. As Jamie Lee Curtis is shadowed by Michael Meyers and the kid on the couch yells at her to turn around, Craven reverses his camera and we see that the kid should be taking his own advice. The fresh-faced young cast (including Drew Barrymore, Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette) is fun to watch, and their tart dialogue is sprinkled with enough archly self-conscious pop-culture references to make Quentin Tarantino blush. --Jim Emerson

Description

A crowd-pleasing smash hit with a sizzling cast -- critics are calling SCREAM the hippest thriller of the year! Afer a series of mysterious deaths, a seemingly peaceful community becomes a place where no one is safe ... and everyone is suspect! That's when an offbeat group of friends rally to unlock the town's deadly secrets ... and get caught up in a lively mix of thrills, chills, and surprises! With hot stars Drew Barrymore (CHARLIE'S ANGELS), Courteney Cox (TV's FRIENDS), Neve Campbell (54), Skeet Ulrich (AS GOOD AS IT GETS), and David Arquette (BEAUTIFUL GIRLS).

Customer Reviews:

Clever to the bone........2007-09-08

Scream directed by Wes Craven is still a classic, one of the few horror films that actually work as a whole. You get a few laughs, some screams and at the end you want to watch the film over and over again. Behind the original Halloween, Scream is my second favorite horror flick. Great performances by Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Aqruette and Drew Barrymore. I highly recommend this movie, it's a real scream!

One of the Best!.......2007-08-01

This is one of the few movies that I've ever seen that scares me each and every time I watch it. It was also one of the few shows where I hadn't figured out who the killer was before hand. If you haven't seen this, make it one of your next rentals!

What a Scream!.......2007-07-29

If you have never seen this movie you have missed a good one. Though it is not especially "scary" it is definitely addictive, bloody, captivating, fun, and innovative. I believe that is why the movie has been such a classic for so long. But what else would you expect from Wes Craven. Easily the best slasher since Halloween. A must have in any movie collection!

Great Thriller.......2007-06-17

A great thriller, though extremely cheesy. I'm not a very conservative person, but I was surprised by the amount of swear words. As usual, the special "collector's edition" extras are nothing special.

"There are certain RULES that one must abide by in order to survive a horror movie...".......2007-05-23

By the mid-'90s, the teen slasher genre seemed utterly played out. But in 1996, a seemingly unlikely figure helped resurrect the genre. That man was director Wes Craven, the horror maestro who had himself been largely responsible for kickstarting the genre in the '80s with the classic "A Nightmare On Elm Street" (1984). A dozen years later, he directed a new classic called "Scream." Written by Kevin Williamson ("Dawson's Creek"), it's a self-referential horror film/satire that's both terrifying and hilarious.

Craven had actually written and delivered another self-referential, postmodern take on the teen horror genre two years earlier, with "New Nightmare." But since that film was the seventh installment in the left-for-dead Elm Street series, it was largely overlooked. "Scream," on the other hand, boasted a new story line, more laughs and a hot young cast, and it quickly became a hit with critics and audiences.

Neve Campbell plays Sidney Prescott, a teenage girl still coping with the violent death of her mother a year earlier. Now, a deranged killer is offing her classmates and other members of the community. Worse, the murderer's got his eye set on Sidney, terrorizing her with a series of creepy phone calls. A tabloid reporter (Courtney Cox) thinks the current serial killer may be the same person who murdered Sidney's mom.

Sidney's friends try to comfort her by cracking wise about horror films and offering advice on how she can avoid becoming the killer's latest victim. It may not sound helpful, but it's better than leaving herself in the hands of bumbling Deputy Dwight Riley (the perpetually annoying David Arquette). In the end, everyone is a suspect, and Sidney races to find the killer's identity and save her life.

"Scream" succeeds as both a satire and a horror film. Williamson's excellent script tweaks every scary movie cliche and asks the question every horror buff wants to know: Why, when the heroine is being chased by the killer, does she run up the stairs instead of out the front door? It's a blast to watch the film's characters talk horror, even as they're being stalked by the killer.

Of course, the humorous self-referencing wouldn't be nearly as fun if the movie wasn't damn scary in its own right. With a petrifying opening sequence, Craven immediately establishes that he hasn't lost his touch for delivering scares. Ferociously acted by Drew Barrymore -- giving perhaps her finest performance to date -- it's guaranteed to leave you whimpering.

From there, the laughs and scares come fast and furious and don't stop 'till the film's knockout finale. While "Scream" did regrettably spawn a slew of weak imitations (including its own limp sequels), the original is a scary treat you don't want to miss.

Average customer rating:

Great Movie
Zorro Nut
The Mask of Zorro
family film
LOVE MY ZORRO

The Mask of Zorro (Deluxe Edition)
Starring: José María de Tavira , Diego Sieres , Emiliano Guerra , Yolanda Orisaga , and Paco Morayta
Director: Martin Campbell
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Swashbucklers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000ARXF96
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Description

A sweeping romantic adventure of love and honor, tragedy and triumph set against Mexico's fight for independence. Twenty years have past since Don Diego de la Vega (Hopkins) fought oppression as the legendary hero, Zorro. Now he must find a successor and he chooses Alejandro Murietta (Banderas), a bandit with a troubled past who he must, somehow, transform into the fearless fighter he once had been. Then, armed with sword, whip, mask and the jet-black stallion, Tornado, the new Zorro must stop tyrant Raphael Montero, newly returned from Spain with a plot to actually buy California and enslave the populous to work in his mines.

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie.......2007-09-07

This is a great movie a definite must buy for all!!! Also fast shipping from Amazon!!

Zorro Nut.......2007-09-05

I'm partial to Zorro from my youth. This is a decent effort with the usual Zorro to the rescue theme. It brings back nostalgia for those old segments (weekly serial) that were played on Sundays at noon with Ovaltine as the advertiser. Get out your sword and mask and get ready to save the good guys.

The Mask of Zorro.......2007-06-13

I love it for a modern day sword fighting movie it is entertaining and a must have.

family film.......2007-05-07

Great entertainment for the whole family, I enjoyed it age 72 and my grand children 14 and 11 and daughter age 45 .........forany age I think.

LOVE MY ZORRO.......2007-01-10

Antonio Bandaras is the far best Zorro actor. His accent brings life to the folk hero. Catherine Zeta-Jones is perfect for the part she plays.
Over all the movie is great for those who like action movies as well as romance. Bring on Antonio as Zorro!

Nacho Libre (Special Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Outrageously Funny & Much Better Than I Expected
Give me a break, this movie is HILARIOUS
NaCHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! "It's the best!"
Nacho funny Nacho
Effective in what it sets out to do, just not over the top hilarious...

Nacho Libre (Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Jack Black , Ana de la Reguera , Héctor Jiménez , Darius Rose , and Moises Arias
Director: Jared Hess
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000HRMAPO
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Amazon.com

This Jack Black vehicle seems, on the surface, like a perfect fit for the actor: an opportunity to showcase Black's unique style with the extreme facial gestures and exuberant physicality that have become his forte. Black plays Ignacio, a lowly cook in a monastery in central Mexico who feeds orphans by day, and wrestles in the town square at night. Ignacio teams up with Esqueleto (Hector Jimenez), a street urchin who tormented him, to form a tag-team duo that goes up against the strangest wrestlers Mexico has to offer. Besides doing it for money to feed the orphans, Ignacio is also fighting to win the forbidden affections of Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la Reguera) with predictable difficulty. While the movie has likeable characters and the plot is enjoyable enough, it can't overcome its plodding pace and formulaic structure enough to keep the movie interesting throughout. Jack Black is a very strong comedic actor, and the wrestling scenes offer plenty of chances for slapstick, physical comedy, but watching him run around in red briefs and blue tights amounts to half the laughs in the movie, and there's just not enough here for him to really work with. When he plays a more well-formed character, as in School of Rock and High Fidelity, his strengths really show. But in Nacho Libre he's saddled with a caricature. Weighed down by too much low-brow humor and a script that goes nowhere, Nacho Libre just can't make full enough use of Black's talents to overcome the obstacles. --Daniel Vancini

Description

Jack Black is at his comic best as Ignacio, a disrespected cook at a Mexican monastery that can barely afford to feed the orphans who live there. Inspired by a local wrestling hero, he decides to moonlight as the not-so-famous Luchador "Nacho Libre" to earn money for the monastery -- not to mention the admiration of beautiful nun Sister Encarnacion.

Customer Reviews:

Outrageously Funny & Much Better Than I Expected.......2007-09-13

I make no apologies for liking this movie. It seemed everyone at the video store, from the manager on down, all thought otherwise....but I took a shot, rented it, and laughed my butt off watching this film. Now I own it.

Jack Black was hilarious as the monk-pro wrestling wannabe "Nacho." The premise alone is humorous: an overweight Mexican monk who would rather be a famous wrestler. It doesn't say much for his spirituality, but it made for a lot of laughs.

It's all outrageous, absurd humor, not meant to do anything but: evoke laughs, at any cost......just harmless fun. Detractors should keep that in mind. Black's tag-team partner, "Esquelito" (Hector Jimenez) was just as funny as the main star, if not funnier. None of these "monks" in here were realistic figures, especially the nun: "Sister Encarcion." (Ana de la Reguera ). No offense, but only in the movies are nuns this beautiful. Wow, Reguera looked like a cross between Penelope Cruz and a young Winona Ryder.

Although it's a comedy, the story had some nice touches of sentimentality and humanity, namely: "Nacho's" attitude adjustment, his genuine compassion for orphaned kids that the Brothers and Sisters took care of, and his basic desire to do good despite a very weak commitment to "vows." Maybe that's why there are so many critics of this film: it wasn't mean-edged and nasty enough to satisfy them.

Also, if you appreciate bold, beautiful colors, you'll find this an attractive movie. There was a feast of brilliant colors shown. I was impressed how much effort was made to make this movie look nice in addition to getting laughs.

Give me a break, this movie is HILARIOUS.......2007-09-04

I do not understand how people are not finding this movie to be one of the funniest ever. I actually had no high hopes for this movie therefore, took forever to see, and was greatly suprised at how funny it is. As well, the more I watch it, the funnier it gets. There are so many little details in this movie that get my stomach hurting laughing so hard. The soundtrack to this movie is exceptional as well. Nacho's song to Ramses 'at the party' gets me EVERY time. Just hilarious.

NaCHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! "It's the best!".......2007-08-11

Jack Black in stretchy pants - need I say more? You either "get" this movie or you don't. I get it big time. Laughed my asterisk off. Could watch it weekly. Should have been nominated for an Oscar, but life just isn't that fair.

Nacho funny Nacho.......2007-07-11

We absolutely LOVED this movie. I thought the accent was perfect, and my kids ages 8 and 4 along with my husband and I could not stop laughing. We are about to buy the movie for our collection.

Effective in what it sets out to do, just not over the top hilarious..........2007-07-06

`Nacho Libre' was referred to us by some friends and so, despite not caring to much for seeing it, my wife and I decided to give it a try. Immediately I saw comparisons to `Napoleon Dynamite' and realized that this may just be funny. Gladly I can say that the money was well spent. `Nacho Libre' succeeds in making me laugh, and I'm sure it will bring quite a few laughs to each and every viewer. It's far from perfect and will not be remembered as comic genius, but then again it's a small Nickelodeon film with dry humor and fart jokes so it's not to be expected to reign supreme. It delivers what it sets out to deliver, easy laughs. Jack Black is not the funniest guy around, but he knows how to poke fun at himself in order to rouse a laugh, and here he has plenty of playing field with his pudgy physic and boyishly immature charm.

The film focuses on Ignacio, a cook in a monastery who dreams of being a pro wrestler. He desires to help the orphans whom he feeds and all in all is a decent kind hearted man. When the beautiful nun Sister Encaracion moves into the monastery he begins to try and woo her but he runs into opposition and inside competition. After being attacked by a street urchin by the name of Esqueleto he decides to team up with this man in order to tag-team wrestle for money. This way he can purchase fresh and tasty food for the orphans and hopefully win the heart of Sister Encaracion.

The acting is decent, what's to be expected from a film of this caliber. It's not supposed to be brilliant acting so do be disappointed when you realize it's not. Jack Black is his usual funny self, if you find him usually funny, but to me it was Hector Jimenez who proved to be best in show. His Esqueleto has the best one liners and he has the physic of a thirteen year old corpse so the physical comedy is golden. Ana de la Reguera is pretty much a prop here, she's pretty and that's all they really need her to be, someone we believe Black's character would fall for, but also someone we believe could fall for Black. She works just fine.

The real heart of the laughs here comes from the outrageous wrestling matches. The fighters get crazier and crazier and the moves are as outlandish as they are painful to watch. Black and Jimenez really shine here with their physical comedy and they provide some of the only `laugh out loud' scenes in the film. That's not to say that the film is a waste if not for a few fight scenes, but these scenes are the only scenes, at least for me, that excite a vocal reaction. There are other funny scenes but they are laughs I can keep to myself. The script could have been a little tighter maybe, but when you sit back and see the style of comedy they were going for it actually works well. If you're a fan of the humor used in `Napoleon Dynamite' then you'll enjoy `Nacho Libre' and if you're a fan of Jack Black then I'm sure you've already added this family comedy to your DVD library.

Average customer rating:

This is awesome!
Good choice
Awsome, Lego's best movie yet!!!!!!!!
AWESOME!
Not what I had In Mind...........

Bionicle - Mask Of Light
Starring: Jason Michas , Andrew Francis , Scott McNeil , Lee Tockar , and Christopher Gaze
Director: David Molina , and Terry Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Science Fiction | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Fantasy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Animation | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DTS | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

All Disney Titles | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00008WFHG
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Amazon.com

Lego's Bionicle line has sprouted this complicated but impressive family movie, Bionicle: Mask of Light, to bolster the toys' mythic appeal. The story focuses on the robotic Matoran tribe from the island of Mata Nui, which is protected by six powerful guardians known as the Toa. Two small Matorans--one a potentially heroic "herald" and the other a historian-witness called "chronicler"--find a sacred mask of light, suggesting the imminent of arrival of a seventh Toa. Identifying that mystery figure proves difficult, however, especially with the evil spirit of shadows, Makuta, attacking Matorans with mechanized-crayfish warriors in a bid to possess the precious mask. This is the kind of out-of-nowhere, dense fantasy that requires one to get up to speed quickly on a lot of exotic detail, terms, history, etc. But Mask of Light is also enjoyable as expressive, CGI animation with thoughtful art design, striking color, and excellent vocal performances. --Tom Keogh

Description

For the first time ever, the world of BIONICLE(R) comes to life in an epic motion picture event -- BIONICLE(R): MASK OF LIGHT! Experience the action-packed adventure that has enthralled millions of fans. Discover the latest chapter in this legendary story in an all-new CGI animated movie. It's nonstop action as Jaller and his best friend Takua set off on their journey to find the 7th Toa, a mysterious guardian who will help protect their island home. With the guidance of the Mask of Light and the united strengths of the other six Toa, the brave companions must overcome the powerful Makuta and his menacing Rahkshi. They must prevail or the island of Mata Nui will be doomed to an eternity of darkness!

Customer Reviews:

This is awesome!.......2007-03-18

Out of all 3 movies, I think this one is the best. It is about this Matoran named Takua who finds a mask embedded in stone and he and his friend, Jaller, have been told by the Turaga that they must find the seventh toa. When Takua realizes he is the herald, he refuses the responsibility and tells the Turaga that Jaller is the herald. When Jaller persuades Takua to join him, the Turaga assume that Jaller wants Takua to put the story on the Wall of History. They were wrong. When Makuta tells Takua that if he doesn't give the mask to him, Jaller's life would be spared. After that, Takua quit the mission altogether. When the Rahkshi cornered them, the Toa Nuva came to help. When Turahk killed Jaller, Takua put on the mask, becoming Takanuva. Then with the help of the other Toa Nuva, they built the Ussanui. Takanuva used this to break into Mangaia, Makuta's lair. This severely damaged it. Then Makuta challenged Takanuva to a game of Kolhii. When Takanuva won, Makuta was furious. Then Takanuva pulled Makuta's mask off, sending both of them into a pool of energized protodermis. This made them Takutanuva, a form of Takanuva and Makuta. Takutanuva lifted a wall, letting the Toa and Hahli out of Mangaia. He brought Jaller back to life, but this weakened him. Only Takanuva was known to survive. This movie is the best!

Good choice.......2007-01-05

My son is 8 years old and he loves this game. He is a bionicle fanatic!!

Awsome, Lego's best movie yet!!!!!!!!.......2006-11-25

1,2,3,4,5,6,7? A 7th Toa? i wonder how Makuta is doing right now?

AWESOME!.......2006-03-09

Being a die-hard bionicle fan, when I found this, I watched it several times. I thought it was excellent. Sure, a few details were off and such, but, overall, it's very good.

The beginning was very light-hearted, poking fun at Vakama, the Toa, and the dangers of kohli. As the movie went on, it became much darker.

I'm not gonna spoil it for those who haven't seen it. But, anyone can enjoy it. I know I did.

Not what I had In Mind..................2005-12-06

Batman - Mask of the Phantasm (Keepcase)

Average customer rating:

Worth Watching
The best Batman yet!
A BELIEVABLE BATMAN
Captures Batman better than any other movie
The Most Detailed Batman Origin From The 90s Animated Era

Batman - Mask of the Phantasm (Keepcase)
Starring: Kevin Conroy , Dana Delany , Hart Bochner , Stacy Keach , and Abe Vigoda
Director: Eric Radomski , and Bruce W. Timm
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

10-12 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Kids & Family | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

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