Gorilla at Large/Mystery on Monster Island

Description

Disc 1: GORILLA AT LARGE (1954) Disc 2: Mystery on Monster Island (1981)

Customer Reviews:

Two B-Movie Gems from the MGM Vault!.......2007-07-26

MGM's been releasing these Midnite Movies double-features for awhile now, and we've seen some true goldens, along with some absolute slop.
This new double-bill falls into the goldens, though you wouldn't think so to read the titles.
The two of these films both intertwine the genres of monster-horror and noir-mystery, creating sometimes silly but always entertaining funhouse rides that you'll want to watch several times.

Average customer rating:

OUSTANDING - but long as heck
Visually stunning HD DVD with a so-so plot.
Excellent Showcase for HD-DVD
Higher Definition on Low Quality
The Bigger they are. . . . The harder they . . . well, you know!

King Kong (HD-DVD)
Starring: Adrien Brody , Kyle Chandler , Thomas Kretschmann , Naomi Watts , and Jack Black
Director: Peter Jackson
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000ICM5VW
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Customer Reviews:

OUSTANDING - but long as heck.......2007-09-13

This is really two movies in one if you ask me, there is the original King Kong in New York but then there was the addition of were he came from in the beginning.

This movie was probably the longest I've watched in many years but well worth the time invested. They managed to keep you on the edge in many parts while relaxing a little in others. My family actually stayed awake through the whole thing, this is a first in a long time as well. For a new version of a classic it really did the original justice and then some. It could have been easily split into 2 parts but was well worth leaving it as one as well.

Even though it's long I'm sure I'll be glad to watch this a few more times, though I'll have to make sure that I only do so on days that I know I will have the 3+ hour to sit around and do nothing. I think this a good bi-yearly video.

VIDEO QUALITY was just remarkably outstanding throughout the entire film! I don't think there was one scene that was not simply outstanding as far as quality goes.

Visually stunning HD DVD with a so-so plot........2007-08-14

This HD DVD is arguably the king of HD DVD demo material right now. The colors are sharp and vibrant, and the film is crystal clear. The audio is just as good. The only reason I took a star off is because the actual movie script is decent at best. Adrian Brody does a pretty good job, but overall the movie's plot is average. Luckily, I bought this movie for the stunning visual experience, so I'm not disappointed.

Excellent Showcase for HD-DVD.......2007-07-06

This is, by far, the best picture quality I have ever seen in HD. I have a half-dozen HD-DVDs and this one is clearly the best looking. Now I know why Microsoft packed this title in with the Xbox360 add-on drive. If you want to see what your HDTV can really do, check out this movie on HD-DVD. All I could say throughout watching this was "wow!". Every shot is ultra-sharp, no compression artifacts at all. Great colors, especially on the sky shots. Basically some of the most amazing footage I've ever seen.

I've never seen the movie before (not even the original) and I totally loved it. The whole production is top-notch. I didn't find it to be long at all. Jackson took as long as was necessary to tell the story properly. In fact, more movies should be 3 hours long. Despite what other people are saying about the CG effects, it is really only even barely noticeable on the stampede scene. Most people don't even realize how much special effects are used in the movie. Do you think King Kong is a man in a suit? Do you think Peter Jackson traveled back in time to film on location in new york city? Pretty much the whole movie is using some 3d graphics and green screen work. And it looks absolutely fabulous in HD.

Bottomline, this is an excellent showcase for HD-DVD. It is worth picking up just to see how good an HD-DVD can be on your HDTV. Highly recommended.

Higher Definition on Low Quality.......2007-06-01

The WETA folks must have took the year off when they were working on King Kong because this movie looks horrible in HD. The compositing errors and weak green screen work are only highlighted by the HD DVD's quality.

The Bigger they are. . . . The harder they . . . well, you know!.......2007-04-22

This movie is good.... The people on the island were more interesting than anything. King Kong did look cool and a little sense of sadness with his face expression and everything. I bought the HD DVD because they said this movie was amazing on it! Well, I must say that this HD DVD rocks! The clarity and clearness of the picture. Uhm, wow! The color of the pictures so alive! Uhm, wow! Even lol Jack Black look pretty good on HD. Uhm, another wow is the Actors. If you love the movie KING KONG, but the HD, you won't be disappointed. Can we be honest for a moment? I dont even care for the movie, but HD is AWESOME when it comes to the Big Black Kong of this movie! BUY IT! Atleast just for the HD! I give HIGH props for the picture of the Definition of this movie!

Average customer rating:

Pointless, really
King Kong sized absurdity
She Never Gets Whiplash
Pretty exciting movie
Do away with the ice pond and it's 5 stars

King Kong (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Adrien Brody , Kyle Chandler , Thomas Kretschmann , Naomi Watts , and Jack Black
Director: Peter Jackson
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JO20
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Amazon.com

Movies don't come any bigger than Peter Jackson's King Kong, a three-hour remake of the 1933 classic that marries breathtaking visual prowess with a surprising emotional depth. Expanding on the original story of the blonde beauty and the beast who falls for her, Jackson creates a movie spectacle that matches his Lord of the Rings films and even at times evokes their fantasy world while celebrating the glory of '30s Hollywood. Naomi Watts stars as Ann Darrow, a vaudeville actress down on her luck in Depression-era New York until manic filmmaker Carl Denham (a game but miscast Jack Black) entices her with a lead role. Dazzled by the genius of screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), Ann boards the tramp steamer S.S. Venture, which she--and most of the wary crew--believes is headed for Singapore. Denham, however, is in search of the mythic Skull Island, hoping to capture its wonders on film and make a fortune. What he didn't count on were some scary natives who find that the comely Darrow looks like prime sacrifice material for a mysterious giant creature....

There's no point in rehashing the entire plot, as every movie aficionado is more than familiar with the trajectory of King Kong; the challenge facing Jackson, his screenwriters, and the phenomenal visual-effects team was to breathe new life into an old, familiar story. To that degree, they achieve what could be best called a qualified success. Though they've assembled a crackerjack supporting cast, including Thomas Kretschmann as the Venture's hard-bitten captain and young Jamie Bell as a plucky crewman, the first third of the movie is rather labored, with too much minute detail given over to sumptuous re-creations of '30s New York and the unexciting initial leg of the Venture's sea voyage. However, once the film finds its way to Skull Island (which bears more than a passing resemblance to LOTR's Mordor), Kong turns into a dazzling movie triumph, by turns terrifying and awe-inspiring. The choreography and execution of the action set pieces--including one involving Kong and a trio of Tyrannosaurus Rexes, as well as another that could be charitably described as a bug-phobic's nightmare--is nothing short of landmark filmmaking, and a certain Mr. Spielberg should watch his back, as Kong trumps most anything that has come before it.

Despite the visual challenges of King Kong, the movie's most difficult hurdle is the budding romance between Ann and her simian soulmate. Happily, this is where Jackson unqualifiedly triumphs, as this unorthodox love story is tenderly and humorously drawn, by turns sympathetic and wondrous. Watts, whose accessibility balances out her almost otherworldly loveliness, works wonders with mere glances, and Andy Serkis, who digitally embodies Kong here much as he did Gollum in the LOTR films, breathes vibrant life into the giant star of the film without ever overplaying any emotions. The final, tragic act of the film, set mostly atop the Empire State Building, is where Kong earns its place in movie history as a work that celebrates both the technical and emotional heights that film can reach. --Mark Englehart

Description

Academy Award-winning director Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) brings his sweeping cinematic vision to King Kong. Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody star in this spectacular film filled with heart-pounding action, terrifying creatures and groundbreaking special effects unlike anything you've seen before! Get ready for breathtaking action in this thrilling epic adventure about a legendary gorilla captured on a treacherous island and brought to civilization, where he faces the ultimate fight for survival. Experience the movie that critics are hailing as a "rousing, exciting cinematic adventure!" (Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood)

Customer Reviews:

Pointless, really.......2007-09-16

This version of King Kong is so similar to the original, it was pretty much pointless to go to all the trouble of remaking it. Peter Jackson, by all means, is a decent director. But with his previous films, there was something ultimately no other director could capture, like with Dead/Alive and Heavenly Creatures. Even the Lord of the Rings trilogy will be really hard to surpass by directors fifty years from now.

But King Kong is a bunch of fancier scenes and lines from the original movie, then a ton of extra nonsense just to make it seem a whole lot different and original. This version would have been good if time on the boat, on the island, and in New York afterwards would have been cut in half. It's a drag to watch.

I did give it two stars, though, for the special effects and some of the action scenes were pretty cool. I also like Jack Black, so seeing his face in the midst of this was refreshing.

King Kong sized absurdity.......2007-08-27

It's strange, but looking at the reviews this movie seems to be a love/hate movie. I can't imagine what makes it so polarizing. I found it cringe-worthy.

My biggest gripes: nearly every action scene is cartoonish. A stampeding horde of brontosauruses not only can't outrun humans... it runs with them, over top them, without stepping on anyone. For several minutes. The same problem happens with the rest of the crazy dinosaur/island creatures... they don't seem to adhere to any principle of physics and motion, but gnash and crash and fall down all over the place while magically avoiding the main characters.

Another problem is the love story. Why would a woman care about a freaking monkey? One that has eaten human sacrifices for decades, and that destroys everything whenever he feels like cutting lose. She doesn't recognize that part of him, just that he's a big sweet monkey who has love in his heart too. Awwww. Not only that she doesn't just seem to like him as a friend. She seems to want to marry him. A 30 foot tall, man eating monkey. Of course, that's the original story, but they failed to help explain it any better.

One more gripe: Jack Black. Great guy, very funny. He screws up this movie because it's not a comedy. Sorry Jack but you don't belong in a dramatic action movie where everyone's waiting for you to crack jokes. He doesn't crack any, by the way, but there's the problem. He's not one of those guys who acts well outside his comedy, and as an important personality in this film it's almost embarrassing to watch him have no dramatic presence.

The one good thing is the visuals (for the most part, sometimes the CG feels disconnected from the actors), there's a lot of beauty shoved into some scenes.

She Never Gets Whiplash.......2007-08-26

Even after suspending disbelief to get into this movie's world, you have to keep on going. How she keeps from breaking her neck, or even getting whiplash, is amazing. Why can't Kong get around the wall with all of his amazing abilities? What do the natives do for a living -- that is, when they aren't offering people who drop by as sacrifices to Kong? Farm? Do embroidery? (And the scenes with them doing a sort of drugged dance was really worth a chuckle.) All that said, it's entertaining. And most of the unbelievable (in the movie's own world) stuff is in a way fun to see. So I gave it 3 stars. It's worth about $5 to see. (I'm very glad Peter Jackson was much more careful with The Lord of the Rings movies.)

Pretty exciting movie.......2007-08-23

I have seen the original and thought it was good but to me it seemed ancient and not 'classic'. Perhaps I am too young to see it that way. But at least I have seen the movie, on more than 1 occassion. Anyway, I love Peter Jackson and I loved this film. Yes, it was a tad overlong but I dont mind long movies as long as they keep my interest. The effects and acting were wonderful and amazing. Peter Jackson and his Weta team are genuises in that department. In this, I actually felt sypathy when King died, as opposed to the original where I felt nothing. Naomi Watts is quickly becoming my favorite actress. She can truly do anything. Kong Himself was by far some of the best effects in film history. There is no way anybody can complain about that. I saw it in the theaters and it was an awesome experience. That is probably the best way to see this, on a very big screen.

Do away with the ice pond and it's 5 stars.......2007-08-22

This film delivers what it is suppose to deliver: FUN. This isn't serious drama, this is cartoon type fun. Jack Black was terrific as Carl Denham, Adrien Brody was okay as the hero and Naomi Watts was great as Ann, the beauty loved by the beast. That said, the star of this film is the giant ape and a wonderful job they did bring the beast to life. I did not care for the scene on the frozen pond in New York. That really was dull and contrived, but the rest of the movie moved along well and it did not seem three hours long. The supporting actors were also very good, including the cameraman, the captain and of course the male movie star. Was it better than the original? Well, I loved the original and I was prepared to be disapointed by a remake. I was not however. If only all remakes could live up to this standard.

King Kong - Extended Cut (Three-Disc Deluxe Edition)

Average customer rating:

Pointless, really
King Kong sized absurdity
She Never Gets Whiplash
Pretty exciting movie
Do away with the ice pond and it's 5 stars

King Kong - Extended Cut (Three-Disc Deluxe Edition)
Starring: Peter Jackson
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000H30B2C
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Amazon.com

The extended version of Peter Jackson's King Kong adds 13 minutes to the running time--fortunately those 13 minutes include two dynamic action scenes and no material has been added to the movie's belabored set-up, which tries to give depth to these quintessentially b-movie characters with a clumsy patchwork of melodrama and in-jokes. But once movie-maker Carl Denham (Jack Black, School of Rock) and his crew finally arrive at Skull Island, the movie kicks into gear with spectacular action, technical wizardry, and genuine feeling. Though Kong seems crafted to dazzle the eye on the giant screen, the overlong structure improves when you can take an intermission at will. At home, each scene can be approached on its own terms, be it the insanely choreographed battle between Kong and three T. Rexes or the subtle and multi-layered interplay between Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts, Mulholland Drive) and Kong (played, through motion-capture technology, by Andy Serkis, who previously played the similarly animated Gollum in Jackson's Lord of the Rings). The addition of a rampaging ceratops and an underwater race with what the movie's crew dubbed a "piranhadon" not only add more eye candy, but provide some valuable moments of character development. But in the end, that's frosting on the cake; when the movie's weaknesses and strengths are weighed, the emotional power of the fantastical relationship between a woman and a giant ape is a real cinematic achievement. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Pointless, really.......2007-09-16

King Kong sized absurdity.......2007-08-27

She Never Gets Whiplash.......2007-08-26

Pretty exciting movie.......2007-08-23

Do away with the ice pond and it's 5 stars.......2007-08-22

Average customer rating:

Great movie to add to your Pokemon collection
A child's favorite.
Enter the chosen one
Pokemon Rules
Pokemon The Movie 2000

Pokemon - The Movie 2000
Starring: Veronica Taylor , Rachael Lillis , Eric Stuart , Addie Blaustein , and Ted Lewis
Director: Michael Haigney , and Kunihiko Yuyama
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B00003CXLM
Release Date: 2000-11-14

Amazon.com

Thanks to a greedy Pokémon collector, Earth's weather patterns are askew and its population doomed unless Pokémon trainer Ash can return three glass balls to their proper place in this second Pokémon feature. Unlike the television show, the movie features little violence and no Pokémon battles in the classic sense. Instead, the focus is an environmental one: what happens when humans interfere with the harmony of Earth's elements--in this case fire, ice, and lightning. Even Team Rocket have a (temporary, to be sure) change of heart, joining Ash and Misty in their effort to free the three imprisoned birdlike Pokémon who regulate those elements. The good intentions of this 76-minute film, however, don't make it any less dull for grownups (even though this feature is better than the first). Even more mind-numbing than the feature is the lead-in short, "Pikachu's Rescue Adventure," in which Pikachu and Pokémon friends follow Team Rocket's feline down a hole into a Munchkinland-type place. Without the humans for dialogue, viewers must endure a full 20 minutes of nothing but the squawks and squeaks of pocket monsters. As the movie's title song says, "We all live in a Pokémon world." (Ages 3 and older.) --Kimberly Heinrichs

Customer Reviews:

Great movie to add to your Pokemon collection.......2007-06-21

I enjoyed this one just as I enjoyed the first movie. As some have said before...it is more lighthearted than the first one which is nice. It starts with the three legenderies; moltres, zaptos, and articuno being captured and its up to ash to "save the world" lugia makes an appearance and a powerful one at that. the movie didnt fail to entertain and i reccomend it highly to any fan. its going on the shelf with the rest of my pokemon collection.

A child's favorite........2007-02-18

A true fan of Pokemon would enjoy this movie. It is now my two son's
favorite of all the Pokemon movies in their collection of movies.

Enter the chosen one.......2007-02-17

This was the second pokemom movie to be released. This year celeberate the 7 anniversary of this movie and abouth the 9 or tenth anniversity of the TV. Series. A word of warming even though this movie got a g rating I do not recommend this movie to any one under the age of 13 due to heavy fantasy violence and thematic elements. For those of you that did not watch pokemon season 2 when it first aired or when it was on cartoon newtwork back in 2003 or 2002 in re runs you might not be aware that the line up has changed. This movie takes place during the orange island series. It has been a few months since the incident with mewtwo that end in a heroic battle. After ash nobly scarificed his own life to stop the fightig. Just to inform you ash was revived at the end of the first movie by pokemon tears and has never been killed again since the first movie. We also have a new character in this movie taking brock's place. The movie begins with Ash Misty and a new characters Tracey a pokemon artist who is substituing for Brock after he decide to stay behind and assit proffesor ivy near the end of the first season. While the three of them are traveling to the Orange Islands the boat is blown off course in a storm and lands on Saumdo island. There Ash is choosen to be part of a festival. The future of the world is at stake and evil colector has captured the legendary pokemon Zapados and Moltres and is going after Articuno too lure out the beast from the sea the fourth new legendary bird Lugia. This causes the balance of nature to become unstable. It's up to ash and Lugia to restore the peace among the three legendary birds. Will he succed or is the eartgh doomed tio be utterly destroyed. Also to inform you this also was the first time team rocket switched sides and went from being villians to heroes. If you like this I also recommend the other movies and the Yugio movie

Pokemon Rules.......2006-12-24

Yet another great Pokemon movie. My daughter loves it. I watch it with her too and its entertaining for me as well.

Pokemon The Movie 2000.......2006-11-04

My grandson loved the movie. I also like the Pokemon series of movies.

The Island of Dr. Moreau (Unrated Director's Cut)

Average customer rating:

MST3K Fans Rejoice -- Rifftrax is Here!
I hunt master.HUNT! Yes hunt. Azazello likes a good hunt.
Disturbing& dysfunction & dark = perfection
Just when I thought that the 1st one couldn't get worse..
very interesting adaptation

The Island of Dr. Moreau (Unrated Director's Cut)
Starring: Fairuza Balk , Marlon Brando , Mark Dacascos , Peter Elliott (II) , and Clare Grant
Director: Frankenheimer, John
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0780619951
Release Date: 1997-08-20

Amazon.com

Previously filmed in 1933 (as Island of Lost Souls) and 1977, the classic H.G. Wells story was filmed again for this graphic 1996 version. The film was roasted by critics, but it's an utterly fascinating failure, largely due to the performances of David Thewlis, Val Kilmer, and especially Marlon Brando in the title role as a mad (and in this case outrageously bizarre) scientist whose experiments in crossbreeding humans with animals have gone terribly awry. Thewlis plays the wayward scholar who is rescued at sea by Kilmer and brought to Moreau's island to discover the doctor's unnatural "children." Fairuza Balk plays Moreau's half-cat daughter, but it's Brando and Kilmer (in one scene doing a killer Brando impersonation) who steal the show, along with the astounding makeup effects created by Stan Winston. A guilty pleasure by any measure, this movie has definite cult-favorite potential, and in addition to offering a "director's cut" with previously unseen footage, the DVD includes audio commentary by director John Frankenheimer, who replaced the original director on short notice and completed this film under highly stressful conditions. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

MST3K Fans Rejoice -- Rifftrax is Here!.......2007-08-24

And the people cried out with one voice, "Maketh us a movie in which Marlon Brando can don a muumuu, false teeth, clown white make-up and a really gay bonnet. See that it also stareth Val Kilmer at his scenery-chewing best. And, yea, putteth the extras in hot, smelly animal suits and maketh you the plot absurd." And, lo, did John Frankenheimer deliver unto us The Island of Dr. Moreau. And it was good. Truly, you must see it to believe it. But you must only see it accompanied by this RiffTrax, for which Mike enlisted the talents of Kevin Murphy, or else you WILL die.

I hunt master.HUNT! Yes hunt. Azazello likes a good hunt........2007-07-17

And Clint Bronson loves a good HORROR film and that's what
you get with this baby! A remake that once again I find
telling myself is far superior to the orig,(Don't get me wrong
I really enjoy The Island of lost souls,and the Burt Lancaster
one was one of the first HORROR films I saw on the Big Screen)
But this classic tale from H.G.Wells story of the MAD & MACABRE
did need a major facelift. Stan Winston's makeup in this is
phenominal to say the least and the acting from everyone was
excellent. Val Kilmer really seem's to be enjoying himself
(could be he had just become a father)and lights up every
time he has a scene.Brando to is fantastic and yes he knows
he is and I myself consider him a lil overrated(c'mon he's
good but not GOD!He could never do a DR.STRANGELOVE like
Sellers)but he too shines in this.This movie has great music
which I feel is essential to a HORROR film and a amazing
script to boot. Fairuza Balk has such beautiful eyes,when
she is on camera it is really hard to watch the other actors
even when it's them giving dialog.Come visit the island of Moreau
you won't want to leave...Or maybe you won't be allowed...........

NOTE: This movie has fantastic dialog that seems to stay with me
long after viewing!

MOREAU:Don't you feel the heat as I do? I-I-I can't tolerate
the sun and what it's doing to us and all living things.

NONE ESCAPE...NONE ESCAPE...THAT! LAW! WAS BROKEN!
DO YOU HEAR LO-BAI....Do you hear.

and the most famous: LOOK AT THESE PEOPLE! LOOK AT HIM!
The actor David Thewlis is referring to the character Majai
who is thee smallest man I have ever seen.No lie he makes
MINI ME from Austin Powers look like Kobe Bryant

Disturbing& dysfunction & dark = perfection.......2007-01-25

A big-budget remake of the H.G. Wells story (previously filmed in 1977), The Island of Dr. Moreau follows a shipwrecked sailor (David Thewlis) who stumbles upon a mysterious island. He's shocked to discover that a brilliant scientist (Marlon Brando) and his lab assistant (Val Kilmer) have found a way to combine human and animal DNA -- with horrific results.

Just when I thought that the 1st one couldn't get worse.........2006-12-06

..I sat down and watched this. I couldn't believe all the critics hated it and it was rated in the top 10 worst films of that year by all of them. Saddly, I found out that they were right. This is amazingly bad. I just don't know how you can go from pre-production to post and still produced vomit like this.

very interesting adaptation.......2006-08-22

It is sad and fascinating that so many reviewers could not only not enjoy this interesting adaptation of the Wells novel but were upset!! It probably depends on what one got out of the original novel. Wells wrote a tragedy and this film underscores that folly is at the root of both tragedy and comedy.

Moreau plays God in his dream of engineering a super race. But he is imperfect and his creatures are only thinking beasts. Thus he must theatrically play God to them in order to control his failures. This is a metaphor for the human condition and it is a disturbing fact to face that whether or not there is a God, religion has always been used by elites to control people.

Moreau has trapped himself in a tragedy which is an absurdity. It is a kind of maddness that might be portrayed as horror, or tragedy, or comedy. This film tries to put them all together, which is very interesting, but will not work for everyone and might just seem confusing, and then all the technical flaws pop out -- but I only take off one star for them.

I give it four stars for being interesting and for some memorable performances. Trapped in this mad mess and in isolation Brando and Kilmer that they were led to by their idealism they have gone off the deep end and have become transformed from men of science into characters totally involved in their dream gone mad. Right, you can't tell that Kilmer was ever a brilliant neurologist -- that is the point. That is the horror, he has become a comical character.

There is a bit of this is Bridge on the River Kwai. Guinness is so swept up in his dream of showing British "can do" that he forgets he is helping the enemy. He is a tragic figure, but one can almost laugh and say "what is that clown doing" as he inspires his men to build the bridge. Harrison Ford in Mosquito Coast similarly is a tragic/comic person in pursuing his dreams.

If you follow the concept of the film closely, Brando and Kilmer and this film do a better job at mixing the tragic and the comic. And the film is an opportunity to think about broader social and historical issues if one is so inclined, though not so much about human nature per se as the above. Of course not everyone is!! If the world we live in sometimes seem mad, to what extent is this because it is so much the product of grand dreams gone sour? A lot, if you think about it.

It is often said that Wells wrote science fiction, serious literature that is, not escapist science fantasy. Moreau is sort of the Frankenstein theme, which is a serious one, but with religion thrown in, which added newer layers.

Average customer rating:

Good movie, sub-par release
Great Godzilla movie
The Mother of Godzilla Adventures!!!!!
Boring and Cheesy
Could be better, could be worse.

Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla II
Starring: Masahiro Takashima , Ryoko Sano , Megumi Odaka , Yusuke Kawazu , and Kenji Sahara
Director: Takao Okawara
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0006SGYLK
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Description

In response to Japan's request for a countermeasure against Godzilla, UN engineers construct Mechagodzilla, a giant robotic version of Godzilla. Nonetheless, Godzilla proves himself a force to be reckoned with against this monstrosity and battle ensues.

Customer Reviews:

Good movie, sub-par release.......2007-03-20

GvsMG2 is one of my favorite Heisei Godzilla films. I used to watch it vigorously as a kid when it was released on VHS in '99.

When Tristar announced they had acquired the rights to several G-films and were releasing them to DVD, I was a little disappointed that this was not on the list. When they finally did release this particular movie, I couldn't wait to get it. Unfortunately, when compared to the Tristar DVDs of Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster or the original Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, this one falls short of my expectations.

First of all, the fact that both Japanese and English audio is available is a plus. However, they're NOT in 5.1 surround but 2.0 stereo and handled pretty poorly with lots of unequalized sound and echos. I won't talk about the English dub except say that it's god-awful. Even worse, the subtitles are taken from the English dub and NOT translated from the Japanese version, which means that what you're reading in English isn't what they're saying in Japanese. Alot of things are mistranslated or overly simplified and sound just plain stupid.

Second, the anamorphic widescreen is again a plus, but the quality of the print is not pristine, surprising for a film that's only a little older than 10 years. The print itself is the same video print Tristar released on VHS, with bland fonted credits at the beginning and worst of all the removal of the closing credits, replaced by a quick copyright statement. For a movie like this where the credits are rolling over an actual scene from the film, this is unforgivable. It was terrible on VHS, and why they did the same for the DVD is inexplicable. As a side note, all the other Tristar DVDs (excluding the 2 double-sided discs for GvsKG/GvsMothra and GvsSG/GvsDestroyah) come with the complete credits, especially the newer films.

Special features, like all the Tristar releases, are non-existent, which is a real shame. I don't understand why Tristar doesn't include making of features on ALL their discs because the Toho R2 releases have a wealth of making of featurettes and trailers, so they do exist and are available.

In conclusion, while better than the first crop of DVDs released by Tristar in the late '90s/early '00s, this one falls well below their better quality releases of some of the older films as well as the newer ones. If you could care less about print and audio quality, special features, and correct subtitles go ahead and buy this DVD. If you want the definitive version, get a region-free player and buy the R2 DVD.

Great Godzilla movie.......2007-03-11

Better than the first Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.My son really like Rodan and Fire Rodan.

The Mother of Godzilla Adventures!!!!!.......2006-08-21

This is a really good movie. Cool MechaGodzilla and great special effects. This is the only Godzilla 90's movie where you don't see wires every time you see a flying monster But the only reason that I give this movie four stars is the look of Rodan (Scratch that. Radon) He looks really weird in this movie. But a big leap on Baby Godzilla. He doesn't look like Cookie Monster anymore. Awesome Finale!!

Boring and Cheesy.......2006-06-21

I don't know what has happened. When this first came out on video in the late 90's I loved it. It was my all time favorite Godzilla movie. But now, several years later, it makes me cringe.

The movie starts out great, with the Mechagodzilla score blaring as we see the new-and-improved Hesei Mechagodzilla. In fact, my favorite aspect of the movie. After that point, we are introduced to dull characters speaking cheesy dialogue. I am fine with the dubbed track, as I expect the sub-par dubbing that Tri-Star made for these films. But the original Japanese track with subtitles is just as bad, which was suprising. As far as the characters go in the movie, most have gone through little development before the movie ends. At least the human characters do. Godzilla, Baby Godzilla and Rodan show a lot of emotion in this film, and the Godzilla suit was tweaked to give it a more feral look. The suits all look great, and they are handled well, though Rodan looks very fake while flying, since his wings barely flap at all, a frequent problem I've noticed in movies with flying kaiju. The updated Mchagodzilla looks feirce and powerful, but he does not instill the same amount of awe as the original.
But who cares about all that. Some people buy this movie just for the monster fights. Sadly, they aren't very notworty. The firt fight, between Godzilla and Rodan, is the only one worth pointing out, as it is fast paced and brutal, but the fights between Godzilla and MEchagodzilla are simply lame. They consist of the two monsters firing their energy beams at each other until one is incapacitated. The whole final battle is just spent firing beams, and is very unoriginal and unexciting.
So, in conclusion, both the human plots and monster fights are fairly boring, and the only upside is the one intense battle in the beggining of the film and the great score.

Could be better, could be worse. .......2006-05-24

A middle of the road Godzilla flick, this film sees one of Godzilla's classic foes return, marking the third time Godzilla has clashed with his mechanical counterpart. This second incarnation of Mechagodzilla is a construction of the humans as opposed to aliens, and is designed to put an end to Godzilla's reign of destruction, as opposed to conquering the planet.

Based upon the technology left behind by Mecha-King Ghidora in 1991's Godzilla vs. King Ghidora, this version of Mechagodzilla is impervious to Godzilla's atomic breath weapon and is loaded with missiles, laser cannons, and a weapon called the plasma grenade that can absorb Godzilla's breath and then use it against him. It also has electrical cables called shock anchors that can pierce Godzilla's skin and hit him with a powerful electrical charge, and an ultimate weapon known as the G-Crusher that can paralyze Godzilla. Why have I gone to all this trouble to tell you about Mechagodzilla's weapons? I did that because in the end, they don't matter, and Godzilla trashes Mechagodzilla badly. There, I've spoiled the ending; I'm a bad man. I guess you probably guessed that, though, because it always seems that Godzilla finds a way to win, no matter how badly the deck is stacked against him. I know Godzilla is supposed to be the villain and all, but be honest, how many of us are really rooting for the humans to destroy him? I always cheer for Godzilla to teach those puny humans a lesson they should have learned a long time ago: You cannot kill Godzilla; you can only piss him off. Let him stomp Tokyo flat and find a nice place to live where he won't come and crush you. Problem solved.

A large chunk of the film's plot centers on a baby Godzilla found on a distant island, and the return of Rodan. Rodan and Godzilla have a violent custody battle over the baby, but by the time they're finished, those dastardly humans have stolen the kid (who has yet to hatch at that point). Godzilla and Rodan are both telepathically drawn to the baby, and the humans decide to use this to smash the nuclear leviathan once and for all. What's interesting is that the baby Godzilla actually seems afraid of Godzilla - maybe he thinks he'll be an abusive dad - and calls out to Rodan when he needs help. Rodan spoils the human's plans by snatching the baby, but Mechagodzilla proves to be far too much for the pterodactyl to handle - Rodan's "death" at Mechagodzilla's hands is pretty gruesome. In the end, Godzilla prevails with Rodan's help. The baby Godzilla seems apprehensive at following his adoptive father - it seems like he would much rather stay behind with the humans, but the scientist who's been working with him knows he must leave. The fear you can see in the baby's eyes as it approaches the shore to follow Godzilla out to sea is pretty touching.

I found this film to be entertaining enough, and the return of Rodan was cool. Mechagodzilla seemed a bit overpowered, and doesn't look nearly as slick as his third incarnation in the Millennium Series. As usual, I could have done with a bit less human drama and a bit more giant-monster action, but you can't have everything, right? Still, as far as Godzilla adventures go, this one is well-done and fairly satisfying, it just lacks that "little extra something" to catapult it to the level of such masterworks as "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah" and "Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidora: Giant Monsters all-out Attack".

Average customer rating:

A family movie? No. Japanese Flight of the Pheonix? Yes
Go after monster the old school way
son of the gogzilla
THE ONLY THING MISSING IS THE WIFE
A Really Well Done Movie

Son of Godzilla
Starring: Tadao Takashima , Akira Kubo , Bibari Maeda , Akihiko Hirata , and Yoshio Tsuchiya
Director: Jun Fukuda
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00066KWCO
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Amazon.com

The monster-about-town becomes doting dad when he adopts orphan lizard Minilla, the result of a radioactive storm caused by a scientific experiment gone wrong. This decidedly juvenile affair shows signs of the series' cost-cutting measures and Godzilla himself has been redesigned to reflect his new, younger audience, with an oversize head and big, doll-like eyes. This kindler, gentler lizard king proceeds to protect the happy-go-lucky kid from the newly mutated giant insects of the island and teaches him how to breathe fire. Much of the film is played for comedy--Minilla blowing smoke rings instead of flames, skipping rope with Dad's tail, skittering about like a mischievous little kid as put-upon Godzilla tries to keep the tyke focused--and is obviously aimed at Godzilla's enormous adolescent audience. But as always, the picture delivers great monster battles, notably with the mutant spider giant Kumonga. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

A family movie? No. Japanese Flight of the Pheonix? Yes.......2007-07-12

I've heard some people say that this is a kids movie. They're wrong. the scientists who live here have to deal with (before the expirement) unusually large praying mantises and after the expirement, giant praying mantises, the son of Godzilla, one of their memebers going mad, Godzilla, and the Spiga (A.K.A. Kumonga) gives a great story and good music, so I suggest adding this to any monster movie collection

Go after monster the old school way.......2007-04-28

This movie has a lot of old school fraknstein monster violence in it. From the old trying to take down a monster with the old shoot gun to the flameing torches. In this movie a gropup of reasearcher are in the middle of wheather project. All goes othe than a couple of attack my 15 feet tall prey mantisis. After a malfucation goes wrong during the experment on of the radioactive capsules goes of wrong. They island is incased in a nuclear storm with nuclear lighting a boil hot water near boil point. Shortly after word a baby godzilla is found and attacked by the now enlarged praying mantisis. Now the scientist with aid of a local reporter and young women must make it off the island will avoid godzilla who comes ashore and adopts the young baby godzilla. Can they scientist get of the island before Godzilla the the pray mantisis or a gigantic spider known as Spiga or Kumoga in godzilla conpedium vaporise crushed or devour them to death. Find out in the thrilling conclusion. A word of advice don't spend more than 25 dollars for a copy of this dvd unless your a real godzilla fantic like me or if the positive rate is very high of the copy your intersted in like say about 90% or higher.

son of the gogzilla.......2007-04-26

I was impress with the service.the movie, by the way, is cute.The delivery was very fast, including with a tracking #.Amazon has done avery good job in communication.I know there always room for improvements.but done a good job.

THE ONLY THING MISSING IS THE WIFE.......2007-04-19

It's been said many times that this is the worst Godzilla Movie in the series. Seeing as how Godzilla flicks are never striving for great artistic merit along the lines of The Godfather and The Godfather II, there's no need to call any Godzilla movie bad. Let's face it. All Godzilla movies are bad in some way. That's what makes them so fun. Men in rubber suits and monsters on wires destroying tiny models. Probably my least favorite in the series is the Original, which takes itself far too seriously. Although it scared the beejezus out of me when I was 5 years old. I was watching Godzilla movies in the 60's, folks.

But, I have to tell you, when I was a kid, this is the one they would always show on TV along with MONSTER ZERO and DESTROY ALL MONSTERS. It's so bad it's THE BEST!! This is one of my favorites. The costumes and the special effects are so rank they stink up the screen with an amateurish zipper skin monster movie beauty. This movie ROCKS!! Although, I love the whole Godzilla Legacy. The only thing that maybe kills some of the joy is Minya's annoying little whining cry. WAWA. WAWA. Wow, just as weird as GODZILLA VS HEDORAH (or SMOG MONSTER). And far more friendly.

If you have a little boy. Forget Disney or Pixar animation, this should be the first movie he ever sees. How young is too young for SON OF GODZILLA?

LONG LIVE THE KILL OF ALL MONSTERS!!

ENJOY.

A Really Well Done Movie.......2007-01-31

I have been a fan of Godzilla since the 80s and I have to say as far as the movies when Godzilla is a good guy, this is extremely underated. The plot makes sense and the monster battles are as great as always. This is the debut of Minya (or Minilla), which throws people off the movie since he isn't that popular with American fans. However, this film also introduces two fan favorite monsters as well, Kamacuras (Gimantis in this movie) and Kumunga (Spiega in this movie). Another thing that some don't like is the way Godzilla looks, which was intended by the creators to look friendly, just really looks ugly. I highly recommend this movie to fans of the genre and Godzilla fans in general that have heard bad or good things about. I say, give it a try and watch it for yourself. I did, and really enjoyed the movie for it's very interesting plot and new monster that are introduced. For a children's film, this still has an adult feel to it which makes it fun for all ages. I love it!

Average customer rating:

Pointless, really
King Kong sized absurdity
She Never Gets Whiplash
Pretty exciting movie
Do away with the ice pond and it's 5 stars

King Kong (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Adrien Brody , Kyle Chandler , Thomas Kretschmann , Naomi Watts , and Jack Black
Director: Peter Jackson
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000E97Y6A
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Pointless, really.......2007-09-16

King Kong sized absurdity.......2007-08-27

She Never Gets Whiplash.......2007-08-26

Pretty exciting movie.......2007-08-23

Do away with the ice pond and it's 5 stars.......2007-08-22

King Kong (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Pointless, really
King Kong sized absurdity
She Never Gets Whiplash
Pretty exciting movie
Do away with the ice pond and it's 5 stars

King Kong (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Adrien Brody , Kyle Chandler , Thomas Kretschmann , Naomi Watts , and Jack Black
Director: Peter Jackson
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Jungle Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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