The Mighty

Amazon.com

Caught between the purest of intentions and unimaginative shortcuts to sentimentality, The Mighty is nevertheless rewarding enough to make it worth seeing. Kieran Culkin stars as Kevin, a terminally ill but spirited young boy who befriends a healthy but illiterate social outcast, Maxwell (Elden Henson). They realize that together they are a stronger, braver force than they are as individuals, and the various opportunities they have to confront persecutors and memories of their bad fathers are handled very effectively by director Peter Chelsom (a very original filmmaker who made the terrific Funny Bones). The curious adult casting includes Sharon Stone (a natural scene-stealer even when she doesn't intend it) as Kevin's saintly mother, and Gillian Anderson in a quite-unbelievable supporting role. Chelsom's lapses in judgment are not terribly significant (imaginary appearances by Camelot-era knights on horseback are the most annoying), though one could argue that a plot to kidnap one of the boys is a cheesy way to underscore the kids' redemptive loyalty to one another. Still, all in all, you can laugh and cry at this tale of rare friendship, and admire the sensitive performances by Chelsom's younger players. --Tom Keogh

Description

Award-winning actresses Sharon Stone (SPHERE, CASINO) and Gillian Anderson (THE X-FILES) star in this uplifting motion picture that's received overwhelming critical acclaim! With his loving and supportive mother (Stone), 13-year-old Kevin (Kieran Culkin) moves in next door to another teen, Max. Though both have problems that label them as outcasts, Kevin and Max discover that by proudly combining their strengths and uniting as one, they can overcome their individual limitations and triumph over any adversity! As the two set out on a series of courageous adventures, they find the mightiest treasure of all: friendship! With Gena Rowlands (PLAYING BY HEART) and a stellar supporting cast, THE MIGHTY is truly exceptional entertainment that will lift your spirits and touch your heart!

Customer Reviews:

Mighty.......2007-09-16

A must have. A very inspiring movie that makes you think and view life. Will bring tears to your eyes and for me the characters reminded me my friends. GREAT!!!!

The MIghty--an unusual teen story for the whole family.......2007-08-31

We ordered copies of this DVD after watching this movie on cable. We were impressed by the story line--one smart short handicapped teen befriends a big slow ridiculed teen. We ordered copies for our grandsons, ages 9, 7 and 3. But this is a movie for everyone. Very moving, very hopeful story with some adventures thrown in.

The Mighty.......2007-07-19

This is one of the best movies ever made, especially for children struggling with identity issues (all children)! The acting is superb. The story comes from the book, "Freak, the Mighty." Adults enjoy it as much as the kids. My family has watched it several times. Kieran Culkin is a marvelous child actor. It is Sharon Stone's most domestic role to date, and she does a wonderful job. I love it!!!

What a wonderful movie!.......2007-05-17

This was such a touching movie. If you enjoyed the movie Simon Birch then you will love this movie. It's inspirational and a tear jerker!

A Must See Movie.......2007-05-13

While watching this movie it takes you back to when you were in school..and the truth about how cruel kids can be. But at the same time how they can stand up for what is right. I have loaned this movie out to everyone I know.They all have purchased it after watching it.
Another must see movie ( Pay it Forward) you won't forget either of these movies.

Average customer rating:

Believing is not necessarily enough
Great movie!
Pleasant love story
Shadyac, take it from me and TLC, don't go chasing waterfalls.
Dragonfly

Dragonfly (Widescreen)
Starring: Lisa Banes , Kathy Bates , Kevin Costner , Matt Craven , and Kathryn Erbe
Director: Tom Shadyac
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005JKZH
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Amazon.com

"Belief gets us there," explains nun Linda Hunt to grieving widower Kevin Costner, an emergency room doctor whose ordered world is startled by "messages" from his dead wife. She's talking about the journey from life to death, but it describes the doctor's road from fact to faith equally well as he puzzles out the otherworldly events of his life. Costner's mourning comes off less lost and sad than simply emotionless and inert, but he finds good support from Kathy Bates as his sassy neighbor. Her appearances, along with a few startling horror-movie-type shocks, energize a film otherwise shrouded in loss, grief, and the hushed mood of supernatural spookiness. It's like a fusing of Ghost, The Sixth Sense, and The Mothman Prophecies, a New Age melodrama in a sentimental key that works through a rather contrived mystic mystery to a glowing climax. This is less a ghost story than a modern twist on the old-fashioned miracle. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Believing is not necessarily enough.......2007-09-05

An amazing thriller that goes against any kind of logic. Everything is wrong, resolutely wrong. A pregnant woman, a doctor mind you, decides to take a bunch of kids to the jungle deep in Venezuela on an adventurous sabbatical. An accident throws the school bus down into a river. No survivors. The husband, another doctor, is then the victim of visions, hallucinations, seizures of some kind that he very quickly interprets as signs from her trying to speak to him from where she is. He believes and thus is led to going back to where she died and to the village of Indians living at the foot of the waterfall where she met her fate. I won't reveal the end. The film is not interesting because of the thrilling suspense, nor because of the rather sentimental ending. It is interesting because of the way it describes the reactions of normal people in front of something, or someone that does not satisfy their expectations of what they call sanity. Anything or anyone that looks suspiciously insane in our society is at once rejected, becomes suspicious, and is supposed to be pushed aside into some kind of social sabbatical, or even worse is hassled by the guardians of normality in our social order, i.e. priests, and cops, and doctors. The point is that the story that supports this fact is so hectic and farfetched that it gets the true fact down the chute along with the unbelievable elements in the story. Believing is essential, provided what is believed is believable. Otherwise the film becomes pure entertainment, and it is too somber to be pure entertainment.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

Great movie!.......2007-07-16

I can't say enough good things about this movie. Kevin Costner is outstanding in this role. It's a great story from beginning to end with a beautiful message. A truly intense believable thriller! I have watched this movie several times and still look forward to seeing it again. Highly recommended!

Pleasant love story.......2007-06-21

First, I do have to say I like Kevin Costner is just about any movie, but this brought out a very gentle side of Costner.
The movie is part spiritual, mystery, thriller, romance and love. It is definitely, "what would and how far would you go to unearth a mystery and give your love and life for the one you were meant to be with."
I really like the movie-I own the movie (B)

Shadyac, take it from me and TLC, don't go chasing waterfalls........2007-05-19

The concept of death surrounds me recently. Not that friends and/or family or passing away, but with the films and television programs that I have been watching recently, it seems to be a common occurrence. I am in the middle of viewing full seasons of "The 4400" which deals with the death of some to cause a "ripple effect" that would heal the world, "Monk" - which in each episode someone dies and it is up to Shalhoub to solve the mystery of the dead person, and surprisingly I am trying to figure out "Lost", which is teetering on the exploration of the possible death/purgatory of its central characters. So, with all this "death" surrounding me, why not pick up a film that may give me a chuckle (due to the director's prior comedic turns) as well as give me a new insight on the unknown explanation of the death phenomenon. One would hope that this would be the case with "Dragonfly", but upon a second viewing - as well as the voice of director Shadyac informing us that he didn't enjoy the final cut of this film - it was only discovered that Kevin Costner cannot paint us a picture of death - nor should we ever ask him to.

To be utterly up front with anyone reading this review, I am not going to paint a pretty picture of what I witnessed with this outing. There was nothing, I repeat, nothing of value with this film that tried to blend the teary eye of Costner with that of "The Sixth Sense". First time drama director Shadyac (who would be better known as the founder of "Ace Ventura"), cannot seem to grasp this film as he continually combines cliché elements from other films, random occurrences that never quite link us to the ending, and a complete waste of actual talent. He has the blocks to build the story, but instead he just tosses them into a waterfall hoping that they will land upright. Was this a supernatural thriller, was it a romantic drama, or was it just another venue for Kevin Costner to attempt to apply his "leading man" status to? For me, I couldn't quite see where Shadyac was going or what genre he was interacting with. The trouble begins with the story, of which couples with soul-mates, dragonflies, and coming back from the dead, as well as what a popular majority thinks. Listening to the commentary, Shadyac explains that his cut of the film wasn't as received as the final cut because too many people knew the ending prior to it happening. In my eyes - that is worthwhile if the story continues to attract us - but in "Dragonfly" that is not the case. The story is trite and quite dull, leading to an ending that surprises mainly because you don't care any further. Joe Darrow lost his wife, cannot cope even months later, and begins to think that she is contacting him from the dead - but for what reason? If you weren't pulled in by my synopsis, then I do not suggest viewing this film because in 22 words, I have probably told you everything.

The acting is atrocious, possibly the worst roles created for two very talented actors. I am speaking of both Costner and that unknown talent that normally reverberates from Kathy Bates, but seemed to be missing this time. Perhaps it is the tone, the vague symbolism, or just the fact that these two needed paychecks that soured this film, but instances were not connecting. By the big "surprise" at the end, we are either so tired of the events or have (in my case) forgotten them, that there is no "gasp" or shock, merely just excitement to have a finale to this horrid broadcast. Shadyac has talent as a director, I even find myself laughing at "Bruce Almighty", but drama is not his cup of tea. This film was too dark without any signs of light, which can be a good thing for skilled directors, but not for first-time Shadyac. He needed a blend of comic with the eerie unknown, which would have offset the disaster this train was headed towards. Costner couldn't carry Shadyac's work, and became murky and muddled through the middle. He had no central focus, so we - as audience members - didn't know who he was. Was he crazy or just in love? How come we never saw his love for his wife? Unanswered questions that Shadyac and Costner never allowed anyone to answer.

To add to my disgust was the filming overall of this movie. Just as I was confused as to the real ending to the film, I am sure that those involved were equally as confused. We move, rather quickly, from children seeing the dead, to dragonflies, to white water rafting, all the way back to some native tribe in South America. It just seemed like we were jumping rather quickly, but in the wrong direction. Without giving it away, I had forgotten the main element to the ending when we got to it because we were muddled with so many other un-needed moments that the ending just seemed watered down and dull. Honestly, I was bored with this movie because it lead us down one path, somehow jumped to another, and tried to make it back to that original path that was already lost and forgotten. The music didn't match with the actions or emotions of the characters, the hints were hidden and expected, there was no moment of self-discovery. There wasn't a scene in the film where I suddenly went, "oh, I get it" -- and that is sad. "Dragonfly" had the potential, I just felt that Shadyac was behind the wheel of a vehicle that he couldn't control, and as you listen to the commentary, you can sense (and at times hear) that he didn't want to be behind the wheel at all.

"Dragonfly" is a pointless corporate film driven to bring in more money while capitalizing on the income produced by "The Sixth Sense". There are borrowed elements that Shadyac cannot control as well as actors that walk through their scenes wondering when the paycheck will arrive at their doorstep. This is the worst film to see Kathy Bates perform, and Costner continues to dig himself a bigger hole. As you listen to the commentary, this film underwent quite a bit of changes due to viewer issues and response, which I think is the worst way to edit a film. Shadyac has no problems saying that he edited this wrong, and that he didn't like "x" scene, and that he felt this was completely amateurish - which only helps solidify a inner feeling of disappointment with the film. He selflessly promotes "Bruce Almighty" during this film, which drove the nail further into the already built "Dragonfly" coffin. I do not suggest this film to anyone unless you like your water from the tap, meaning that if you don't mind drinking muddled, tainted, and possibly poisoned liquid - than "Dragonfly" will be the film for you. It was that bad.

Shadyac, take it from me and TLC, don't go chasing waterfalls.

Grade: * out of *****

Dragonfly.......2007-05-08

Very good movie. Most interesting as it starts as sorta very sad when the doctor loses his wife while she was on a missionary trip. Couple of weird and a little scary movie until the end which is a heartfelt surprise. The doctor (Kevin Costner) wins something most beautiful. It's definately worth watching.

Airport Terminal Pack (Airport/Airport '75/Airport '77/Airport '79 - The Concord)

Average customer rating:

NOT BAD FOR THE PRICE FOR NOSTALGIA MOSTLY!
Great Movie Pack - Crappy Amazon
It is good
The complete Airport series
airport terminal pack.

Airport Terminal Pack (Airport/Airport '75/Airport '77/Airport '79 - The Concord)
Starring: Jack Lemmon , Lee Grant , Brenda Vaccaro , Joseph Cotten , and Olivia de Havilland
Director: Jerry Jameson , Jack Smight , and George Seaton
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000WN05A
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Description

The Academy Award-nominated Airport and the sensational sequels that followed are now together in one high flying collection, the Airport Terminal Pack. Prepare to take off for non-stop thrills and edge-of-your-seat excitement as you fly to extremes with Hollywood's royal jet set, including: Charlton Heston, Burt Lancaster, Jimmy Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Lee Grant, Jacqueline Bisset, Dean Martin, George Kennedy and many more.

Airport
The original airplane disaster movie nominated for ten Academy Awards including Best Picture.

Airport 1975
A mid-air collision leaves a 747 without a pilot and little hope for survival.

Airport `77
A 747 is trapped underwater in the Bermuda Triangle. It's a race against time and the elements to save the passengers and crew!

The Concorde: Airport `79
At twice the speed of sound, the Concorde must evade a vicious attack by a traitorous arms smuggler!

Customer Reviews:

NOT BAD FOR THE PRICE FOR NOSTALGIA MOSTLY!.......2007-09-10

The Hollywood disaster films of the 70's are remembered fondly by the people who grew up with them. I was one of those kids who saw these in the theater. I watched the original Airport from this set and must say it is a weaker film than "Poseidon", "Towering" and even "Earthquake" The film has the formula, but it is too long(135 minutes) and not enough disaster for my taste. Even though "Airport" came out first it's not the best disaster epic by a long shot and by the time the sequels were coming out the disasters were starting to wear thin. The transfer is very good and I found the set for under $10.00! It's hard to argue at that price! If your a fan...what the heck!?

Great Movie Pack - Crappy Amazon.......2007-07-25

I purchased this Airport Movie Pack months back to have the classics on DVD - well worth it since they don't make movies like this anymore. I have nothing bad to say about the content, but one thing I want to mention to all customers who purchase DVD's beware - both my discs were broken in the center and after opening them, they don't play and I am now stuck with 2 broken DVD's and amazon's policy is open DVD's can't be returned - so I am stuck with piss poor DVD's from Amazon that are useless! It's your choice, but from now on I will buy them from a store where I can exchange them for ones that work - shame on Amazon, they should leave a waiver for damaged goods from the manufacturer. I
WILL NEVER BUY ANYMORE DVD's FROM AMAZON because of this. Take your chances but I won't anymore!

It is good.......2007-07-23

It was really good. Worth Watching.

But I really value the response and promptness of Amazon team. It is great and unique.

Thanks a lot and keep it up

The complete Airport series.......2007-07-07

The Academy Award winning Airport is a great movie. 4 1/2 stars Helen Hayes steals the show as a stowaway and won the Best Supporting Actress Award that year. Burt Lancaster, Jean Seberg, Lloyd Nolan, Jacqueline Bisset, Barry Nelson, Maureen Stapleton, Van Heflin, Dana Wynter, Barbara Hale and even Dean Martin are all good. George Kennedy also stars and would be in all three of the sequels that followed.

It is based on the Arthur Hailey best seller about a snow storm, a bomber and a busy airport all at one time. The musis by Alfred Newman is sooo good and the opening credits with his music is very exciting.

One of the best disaster films ever made. A bit dated yes, but still holds up well. A must see.

Airport 1975 and Airport '77 I had written reviews off under their seperate titles on Amazon.

Airport 1975 - 4 stars -All Star Cast-Karen Black, Charlton Heston & Gloria Swanson

Airport '77 - 5 stars - All Star Cast -Jack Lemmon, Lee Grant, Olivia de Havilland

The Concorde-Airport '79 - 3 stars
The last in the series. I love the opening credits and music of this film. I know that this film has been attacked and criticized. When you think about the movie after it is over it is far fetched but I enjoyed it anyhow.

The Conconrde is under attack when someoone on the plane is carrying documents that will land a billionaire in jail. So he goes about trying to destroy the plane. I thought the plane whizzing around the skies was pretty cool.

Now the cast is somewhat all star and then some are defintely not. The all star cast includes Geroge Kennedy, Alain Delon, Susan Blakely, Robert Wagner, Cicely Tyson, Mercedes McCambrige (her final film), Martha Raye, Eddie Albert and David Warner. The rest of the cast is bargain basement or embarassing. Jimmie Walker should be ashamed of himself as an Africian American male taking the role of a pot smoking musician. Bargain basement cast includes John Davidson, Sybil Danning,Avery Scheiber and Charo (who thank goodness is only in it less than five minutes).

What a shame that with the other three films being so good and different from each other that this had to be the last and final one.

airport terminal pack........2007-06-12

cannot review, because when i went to watch either disc it would not play. tried three differnt dvd players. all said the same thing. cannot read disc.

Giacomo Puccini - La Bohème / Francesca Zambello · Tiziano Severini - M. Freni · L. Pavarotti · San Francisco Opera

Average customer rating:

Happy Birthday MIMI
Heartbreaking!
Pavarotti and Freni pretending to be bohemians
A special thrill for fans of Mirella Freni
star-studded dull performance

Giacomo Puccini - La Bohème / Francesca Zambello · Tiziano Severini - M. Freni · L. Pavarotti · San Francisco Opera
Starring: Mirella Freni , Luciano Pavarotti , Gino Quilico , Italo Tajo , and Nicolai Ghiaurov
Director: Brian Large
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003M5GA
Release Date: 1999-11-30

Amazon.com

In 1989 when this production was taped, Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni had already enjoyed long, distinguished careers. In other words, they were considerably older than La Bohème's romantic young couple, Mimi and Rodolfo. If you find this consideration important, it might be wise to skip this Bohème and invest instead in the bright, youthful, and energetic Sydney Opera production or the visually striking 1998 Metropolitan Opera production. So far, La Bohème has fared better on DVD than any other opera, and the San Francisco Bohème faces serious competition.

But this is a vintage production deserving attention on its own merits. As a matter of survival, veteran singers learn how to make experience compensate for the loss of youth, and Freni and Pavarotti are outstanding examples of how this can be done. They are aided by a sensitive stage director, a visual treatment responsive to the opera's changing moods, and an expert supporting cast deeply involved with the story and the music. They fit convincingly in roles with which they have been living for decades; both are still in good vocal condition, and the emotions are convincingly conveyed. In the supporting cast, note the excellent performances of Gino Quilico and Nicolai Ghiaurov. --Joe McLellan

Description

Puccini's bittersweet opera of high-spirited bohemians and the doomed love between Rodolfo, the idealistic poet and Mimi, the consumptive flower-maker, is a beautifully balanced series of tableaux depicting the infectious joie de vivre of youth and the tragic waste of disease and separation. The legendary and incomparable partnership of Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavarotti as the two lovers has been captured in this special live recording from stage of the San Francisco Opera. Brian Large has adapted Francesca Zambello's production for the video, further illuminating the fascinating interaction of Puccini's deeply human characters. Gino Quilico sings Marcello, the colorful and moody painter, whose tempestuous relationship with the flirtatious Musetta (sung by Sandra Pacetti), comically mirrors the more profound love of Rodolfo and Mimi. Nicolai Ghiaurov sings Colline. "Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni turned in incandescent performances as Puccini's young lovers."--San Francisco Times

Customer Reviews:

Happy Birthday MIMI.......2006-02-28

Today I received this in the mail. It arrived on Mirella Freni's 71st birthday. So I did watch it and really enjoyed it. I'm a really big Freni fan and enjoy her in this role. I like the Karajan one from the 60's better,but this one has better sound. I own the Pavarotti with Scotto one, which is also excellent and the one from Austrailia, both fine additions to any collection. However, Karajan was right when he told Mirella Freni that she was Mimi. So Happy Birthday Mirella Freni. You have been a great gift to the opera world. You are Mimi.

Heartbreaking!.......2003-06-25

Anyone who has read my reviews knows that I am the biggest Freni fan imaginable. She does not disappoint me here. Yes, at this stage, her voice is a size too large for Mimi, more suitable for heavy verismo such as Tosca, Fedora and Manon Lescaut. The voice is far heavier than in her two previous studio recordings from the 60's and 70's. The vibrato is also a trifle wider than it was but all this is amply excused by her warmth and mature insight into the role. The tragedy of Mimi has never before been so heartfully portrayed. The emotions are stronger than before and by the end of the opera she totally hits her stride and a quarter of a century melts away. This is a must for all Freni fans.
Pavarotti, unfortunately, does not begin to match Freni's contribution. As many singers, such as Freni, experience a lowering of voice and a widening of vibrato, they become greater interpereters, greater artists. For Pavarotti, you don't find this. As his vocal resources diminish, so does his artistry. he sings faster than before, without as much inspiration. Still, he musters up some of the old magic and, in the end, provides a decent, if not splendid partner to Freni.
The rest of the cast is pretty darn good. The voice of Musetta may not be the most beautiful, but she provides much pleasure for this viewer. Quilico is a great Marcello! So is Ghiaurov as Colline, the one bass that can dominate an ensemble. The conducting doesn't set me on fire, but it's not bad.....serviceable. I love the staging and the sets.

Pavarotti and Freni pretending to be bohemians.......2003-01-18

One thing I find dissapointing in many Pavarotti opera productions is that everything seems to be adapted for Pavarotti instead of Pavarotti being adapted for the plot (or the music). Everyone knows who is the star, there is no Rodolfo in Paris having a romance with a ill-fated girl; it's just Pavarotti with a wig pretending he is still able to sing a good Rodolfo and some other singers trying not to distract us. Excellent Freni does awful singing in this production and her overacting ruins her singing many times.

A special thrill for fans of Mirella Freni.......2001-11-10

As someone fell in love with Mirella Freni as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro and who heard of her pre-eminence as a Puccini interpreter, I have been quite satisfied with this DVD. Because I am not a particularly devoted or knowledgeable fan of Puccini, I cannot really compare the merits of this version of La Boheme as opposed to any other. Nevertheless, not being immune to Puccini's legendary ability to write music that goes directly to the heart, I am invariably transported into a painful but beautiful world every time I watch this DVD.

star-studded dull performance.......2000-09-23

Despite the vocal stars (and the previous effusive reviews), this performance is quite simply dull thanks to the leaden conducting. The camera work is annoying in its preference for closeups instead of taking a nice perspective and letting us focus on the overall action. Pavarotti is certainly better than he is today but still has the annoying habit of ending phrases with an "uh". The von Karajan film with Freni & Raimondi is much better (it should be on DVD soon) and the best of all is the Australian DVD. It doesn't rely on "names" just talent and is conducted with all the passion that this version misses.

Average customer rating:

Write this again...in thirty years
A GUILTY PLEASURE
Stupid
Fraser triumphs as a student who learns the value of an education
Get That Boy A Floppy Disk...

With Honors
Starring: Joe Pesci , Brendan Fraser , Moira Kelly , Patrick Dempsey , and Josh Hamilton
Director: Alek Keshishian
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0790742055
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Amazon.com

Joe Pesci gives his most likable performance to date, elevating this predictable comedy-drama. A stuck-up Harvard senior (Brendan Fraser) believes his life is ruined when an educated bum (Pesci) finds his thesis. The bum wants to trade each page for a favor during a harsh New England winter. Of course, the student learns more from his new friend than from the halls of Harvard. Some silly, melodramatic parts including an unbelievable classroom lecture make this comedy tiring at times. But the cast and dialogue ring truer than the tired plot. A solid first feature from Alek Keshishian (Truth or Dare), who graduated with honors from Harvard. --Doug Thomas

Description

Armed with a copy of a harvard student's thesis, a homeless man makes the desperate student an offer: in exchange for food and a place to stay during the harsh winter, he will return the thesis one page at a time.

Customer Reviews:

Write this again...in thirty years.......2007-05-09

This predictable story attempts to be deep, but never makes it past the shallow end. Pesci's great truths to the youth are simplistic, and presented to the students in uninteresting undramatic ways. The students buy into him...only because the script tells them to. I think even junior college students wouldn't take Pesci or his rantings seriously. It's a nice premise, but the script doesn't have the weight necessary. My guess is that the scripwriter was relatively young, and couldn't be expected to present the great essential truths learned from a life lived, when he himself hasn't made that journey yet. A suggestion: "The Paper Chase" with Timothy Bottoms and John Houseman...a much better, satisfying, and involving film about growing wiser while attending Harvard.

A GUILTY PLEASURE.......2007-04-06

What can I say? I like this movie. I know it is manipulative and contrieved. You know how it's going to end, but it is a very entertaining movie! It does have it's virtues though. A very insiteful film that has a lot more going for it than just another college frathouse flick.

Stupid.......2006-12-05

To put it succinctly, Brendan Fraser is a college senior who ends up writing a ridiculously long thesis, which is then swiped by Joe Pesci, the homeless dude who, predictably, is really quite wise. The problem is that his "wise" sayings aren't really too wise; he's like the guy you know who is always trying to sound intelligent, but doesn't really know that much. Joe Pesci's character is pretty annoying. That's probably why he ended up friends with Brendan Fraser's character.

Fraser triumphs as a student who learns the value of an education.......2006-05-11

... a life education, that is. Brendan Fraser has never been one to take on a role with any substance or complexity and this film is certainly not a divergence. I don't begrudge the guy for going for the paycheck -- and he must not begrudge himself either because it seems it's all he does: Dudley Dooright, George of the Jungle, The Looney Tunes Movie, Mummies I & II, Monkeybone, Bedazzled, The Scout, Airheads, Encino Man, etc.

In this earnest to the point of humiliation film, a homeless man throws Fraser's thesis into a furnance. (And as an earlier reviewer pointed out) Let's forget the fact that Fraser is smart enough to get into Harvard but not smart enough to back up or copy his thesis. Because if we were to allow logic into our minds then our hearts would follow. See what I'm saying.

What is an uncanny coincidence is that I brought a homeless man into my thesis defense. Regrettably the man could not enlighten my professors, but he did leave a funny smell in the room after he had asked them all for spare change. This was not one of those "noble homeless" that Pesci portrays here so unconvincingly. It was one of the mentally challenged people whose very existence, is filled with desperation and indignity. And the worst part was that he bit Doc Ahern, took a whole chunk of his ear out.

I only hope this movie does not damage all the progress that the homeless have made in this country. If the average citizen believes that the only thing holding back the homeless is their "live for today, make yourself happy" attitude, then we're in worse shape than I ever thought.

Get That Boy A Floppy Disk..........2006-03-29

I couldn't help being impressed by the favorable comments some of the "citizen reviewers" (as I like to refer to us) have posted below. I sometimes write reviews in a kind of pseudo-professional mode--and sometimes do just the opposite. But it's always interesting to me to see the disparity (and occasional congruity) between the views of the pros (for which nowadays you only have to consult "rottentomatoes.com")and us amateurs (as exemplified here).

But when I am not playing critic, I sometimes recall playing actor, artist, singer or actor myself (done the amateur thing in all of those realms too) and become perhaps a little more appreciative of and grateful for the "non-professional" point of view. Sometimes the non-professional audience "gets" the point of a work more readily and more completely than the more jaded critical corps. I can't help but think of how the filmmakers and the cast members would appreciate some of the kinder comments posted below. It's nice to know that your work touched somebody.

Which is not to imply that WITH HONORS (the movie I am ostensibly reviewing here) is a particularly good film. It really isn't. The filmmakers have their hearts in the right place, but this story of an ambitious young grad student learning some valuable life lessons at the hands of street wise and plain old philosophically wise middle aged bum (Joe Pesci) is fairly predictable and not much to write home (or to write a thesis) about.

Forgive the joke. It is, of course, a college thesis written by college whiz Montgomery Kessler (Frazer) that serves as the keye plot device in this film. Young Monty loses his sole copy of his academic masterpiece (has this genius never heard of FLOPPIES?) only to find that it about to become kindling for the proud,unbowed and self-avowed bum, Simon Wilder (Pesci), who generously offers NOT to burn the young scholar's work in exchange for a bit of help in the food, clothing and shelter department. Montgomery is at first appalled. But you can pretty much guess what's going to happen next. The natural resentment and qualified disgust Monty feels toward Simon will soon enough give way to friendship and respect. And this nose-to-the-grindstone academic noodge will soon learn about *LIFE* from this graduate of the School of Hard Knocks.

Of course, almost no sooner does their friendship take root than it is discovered that Simon also has a fatal disease (asbestiosis, which has its roots in Simon's years in the Merchant Marine--so, you see, he is a victim of the system). He will die--we will soon see--tragically rejected by his own family, but nonetheless embraced by his new-found family (Monty and his housemates).

It's a variation on a theme older than the movies. I note one reviewer defends the film by noting that there ARE some surprises. There may be, but not enough to elevate the film into the "true original" category. But it's reasonably well acted, well photographed and competently directed (not really a bad beginning for first time dramatic director Alek Kesheshian--whose previous work included the Madonna doc TRUTH OR DARE). And while I don't think it deserves kudos, every film finds its audience (well, not EVERY film, but a good many), and for younger viewers who haven't been brought up on a steady diet of hokum, it could even be a refreshing change of pace from their actual steady diet of special effects laden action films.

Sometimes we older viewers tend to forget that our "old hat" may be new for SOMEBODY. This is a film with heart, and that counts for something. As fans of WITH HONORS get older--and perhaps a little more jaded themselves--they might even find that they understand and even begin to agree with the criticisms levied against this sort of film. They will likely see that a film can be simultaneously heartwarming AND manipulative. But they will probably still look back at it affectionately. And they may re-watch it (perhaps furtively). At that point, they might start to consider it something of a guilty pleasure. Actually, it's nothing to feel particularly guilty about. It's an OK film with an OK message and some good acting.

That too counts for something.

Average customer rating:

Moody, elegant, perfect!
Review
Out of all of the "Bonham Carter" Period films,THIS IS THE ONE WHERE SHE REALLY GLOWS!This is HER movie that defines her career
Dark elegance!
The Wings of the Dove

The Wings of the Dove
Starring: Helena Bonham Carter , Linus Roache , Alison Elliott , Charlotte Rampling , and Elizabeth McGovern
Director: Iain Softley
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0788815490
Release Date: 1999-09-14

Amazon.com essential video

Queen of the costume drama Helena Bonham Carter finally got a chance to loosen her corset a bit with this exquisitely mounted (Sandy Powell's costumes were nominated for an Academy Award) romantic drama based on Henry James's classic novel. Set in turn-of-the-century London and Venice, Wings of the Dove is a stately departure--more PBS than MTV--for Iain Softley, director of Hackers and the birth-of-the-Beatles biopic Backbeat. But there's enough romantic intrigue to perhaps fuel a week's worth of daytime TV talk shows: My Lover Seduced a Dying Heiress for Her Money.

Bonham Carter, who won several critics association honors for her performance (she was nominated for a Golden Globe and Oscar as well) stars as Kate, who is engaged in a secret affair with Merton (Linus Roache), a journalist whose poor financial standing makes marriage impossible. Kate's manipulative aunt (Charlotte Rampling) threatens to disown her unless she marries the more suitable Lord Mark (Alex Jennings). Opportunity--admittedly sordid--arrives in the form of Millie (Alison Elliott), an American heiress whom Kate befriends. When Kate learns that Millie is dying, she suggests to Merton that he seduce her to make her last days happy, and ensuring that Millie will leave Merton her money when she dies. Merton reluctantly agrees, just as Kate begins to have second thoughts that threaten to sabotage the scheme.

One of the most rapturously reviewed films in recent years, Wings of the Dove is a must-own film for the Merchant-Ivory crowd. But guys: don't dismiss this as a "chick flick." Beneath its Masterpiece Theatre exterior beats the wild and untamed heart of Dawson's Creek. --Donald Liebenson

Description

Highly acclaimed as one of the year's most outstanding movies, THE WINGS OF THE DOVE is a provocative tale of passion, temptation, and greed. Helena Bonham Carter (HOWARDS END) delivers a stunning, award-winning performance as Kate, a beautiful young society woman whose desire for a common journalist (Linus Roache) presents her with an impossible decision: leave him, or marry -- and face a life of poverty. Events take an unexpected twist, however, when Kate befriends a lonely young heiress (Alison Elliott) whose own tragic secret offers an irresistible ... but dangerous ... solution. Nominated for 4 Academy Awards(R), this intriguing story of forbidden love is a motion picture event you won't soon forget!

Customer Reviews:

Moody, elegant, perfect!.......2007-08-02

Not being a fan of Helena Bonham Carter, costume dramas, or Henry James, I purchased this DVD because it featured Venice. Now I can't wait to see it again. I was completely riveted. The growing sense of tension,as Kate manipulates circumstances to suit her own ends, and then becomes a victim of her own maneuvering, is hard to shake even several days after I saw the movie.

I did not feel the sex scene at the end was gratuitous or jarring in any way. In fact, it made complete sense. The acting is uniformly excellent, with the possible exception of Elizabeth McGovern as Millie's companion - she really didn't have very much to do.

This is also a very beautiful movie - costumes, scenery, and in the words of Indiana Jones, "Ah - Venice!"

Review.......2007-07-11

I gave it a 3 because I could not give it a 3.5.

I turned it off the first time I watched it because I did not like the first 20 minutes. About a week later I watched it and went through the whole thing. The scenery is great. I do watch movies for that but I expect a great performance. I do not blame the actors. I believe it was beyond their control. Not a bad flick. It was worth the money I paid for it.

Out of all of the "Bonham Carter" Period films,THIS IS THE ONE WHERE SHE REALLY GLOWS!This is HER movie that defines her career.......2007-04-21

There really is not much that I can add plotwise to the other excellent reviews here at Amazon.What I can say though is that Helena Bonham Carter has often been referred to as "the Queen of costume dramas" which has unfortunately pigeonholed her into being some kind of one dimensional charicature of herself in some eyes.Well....it is in Henry James' WINGS OF THE DOVE (one of the better James" novel adaptations to screen) under the very able direction of Iain Softley where "Mrs.Tim Burton" blossoms and shows that she has a pair of eyes that can express the complete range of emotions without saying a word.(Didn't Norma Desmond,the great silent screen star of SUNSET BOULEVARD say,"We didn't have words...we said it with our eyes!"?).Though WINGS OF THE DOVE is certainly a fairly engaging story in it's own right (it is a melodrama that certainly follows some formulas),it is Miss Bonham Carter's beyond-admirable performance that makes this beautifully filmed in the streets and canals of Venice tragic love triangle really worth the watching alone.Some actresses SO fit the bill as their characters (I am reminded of Meryl Streep in SOPHIE'S CHOICE and Fernanda Montenegro in CENTRAL STATION,and currently Helen Mirren in THE QUEEN)that to ever to consider a remake down the line by some director would mean having to outdo what is already perfection.Bonham Carter hit an absolute career defining moment in this film.Here she is not the ingenue of the 1983 ROOM WITH A VIEW,but a full come-of-age bonifide star who received both nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press and The Academy.She deserved every bit of those accolades in the role of Kate,for WINGS OF THE DOVE really is Kate's story anyway.

As for the supporting cast,Linus Roach is more than suitable as Merton and plays well opposite Miss Carter.I,personally,have never found the parts of the Americans played by Alison Elliot and Elizabeth McGovern to be anything at all.I truly feel that Miss Elliot fails to capture the necessary fragility/emerging sexual woman role with any kind of true conviction as Millie Theale.As for Miss McGovern,the part is limited at best,but there is not much there in the delivery nor in the look.

Dark elegance!.......2006-06-20

Iain Softley directed this elegant film yet it reminds me of a Merchant/Ivory production, not just for the Helena Bonham Carter connection, but because of the incredible production values (costumes, art direction, and cinematography) that make the film look more costly than the actual numbers. The acting is good from most if not all the cast. And the screenplay deals well with the triangle that Kate (Carter) allows herself to fall into despite the emotional danger to herself. Despite a dark premise the character Millie adds a bit of brightness to the story. And the views of Venice really capture the exotic nature of the place with comparison to 1910 London. This film earned its R-rating with the ending. But it did show how much the two main characters have changed by what previously occurred. It's a well done costume-drama.

The Wings of the Dove.......2006-02-23

Good subject, the workings of a devious female mind. A complicated love triangle. Superb acting.

Average customer rating:

movie & packaging
Oh please!
Pretty good movie.
One more kiss
Very good movie...

One More Kiss
Starring: Valerie Edmond , Gerard Butler , Valerie Gogan , James Cosmo , and Carl Proctor
Director: Vadim Jean
Manufacturer: Henstooth Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000EXDRUI
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Description

When Sarah Hopson (Valerie Edmond) realizes her successful high-rise New York lifestyle is devoid of meaning, she packs her bags and heads for her home town in the Scottish Borders to look for Sam, her childhood sweetheart and the only man she ever loved. Sam Murray (Gerard Butler of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, DEAR FRANKIE) runs a restaurant. He and Sarah grew up together and Sam hoped they'd grow old together. His world fell apart the day Sarah left and now she's back, standing on his doorstep and telling his wife she'd like to spend some time with him.

Customer Reviews:

movie & packaging.......2007-06-11

A keeper and have watched it three times. Will share with family & friends.
Extremely well-packed and in perfect shape.

Oh please!.......2007-02-17

I love Gerard Butler and he does a supberb job however, both he and his "love" are self absorbed and have not a bit of compassion for his wife who needlessly has to suffer her husband's increasingly compassionate and obvious love for his ex. Of course, we want to feel the moments of compassion for her pending death and a bit does surface but overall she was selfish, thoughtless and couldn't care less for the suffering she brought with her need to be wanted by the man she had rejected. Maybe he'll never get over her loss but certainly after his thoughtless actions he deserves being alone.

Pretty good movie........2007-01-10

Good movie ... especially if you are a Gerard Butler fan. Not your typical romance ... makes you think a bit.

One more kiss.......2007-01-04

If I could, I give a "CERO STARS" I would do it, This movie is a joke, I can't belive the story of "love" of a selfish woman who is dying of cancer and the best she could do before she die is broke and destroy a marriage, destroy the life of the man she love, his wife and others in her path, and die peacefuly, and happy of what she did in the last days of her life, I was so upset and sick that, after I finish with the movie, the DVD went direct to the trash (not even in the recycle container) so bad I make the producer of this film some money and I can't have a refund, not even the good looking Gerard Butler (an actor who I really love) and the reazon why I bougth the movie can save it. please, don't waste your time and money, if you are a fan of Gerard, better buy a poster picture of him with your money.

Very good movie..........2006-11-10

It is a sad movie, but it has a good story behind it. Again, an early Gerard Butler movie..he is so young in it. If you like love stories and/or Gerard Butler..SEE IT!!

Average customer rating:

Long Day's Journey Into Night
Hepburn will blow you away
A Long Dysfunctional Collapse in Oblivion
Journey Into "Home" Life
Awful journey into the night of the times!

Long Day's Journey Into Night
Starring: Katharine Hepburn , Ralph Richardson , Jason Robards , Dean Stockwell , and Jeanne Barr
Director: Sidney Lumet
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001US6DM
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Customer Reviews:

Long Day's Journey Into Night.......2007-06-28

Sidney Lumet's slow-burning adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's semi-autobiographical play depicts a theatrical family's slow disintegration with haunting precision. Ralph Richardson is ideally cast as the fading family patriarch, while both Robards and Stockwell (O'Neill's proxy) are superb as the two sons, each consumed by their own afflictions. Hepburn executes a tour-de-force as the fragile, brain-addled Mary Tyrone, a spectral symbol of the family's decay from within. Lumet wisely sticks to the letter of the play, and the results are unforgettable.

Hepburn will blow you away.......2006-10-16

There is no denying the brilliance of this. Everything from the ground up, of this film is amazing: material - O'Neil's play is one of the finest pieces of drama ever written; the performances are first class - among them, and most notable, Katharine Hepburn - absolutely mind blowing, its staggering to think this is the same person that did The Iron Petticoat, however here Hepburn is in top form...at her brilliant best (which she was for most of her career, really only the occasional Iron Petticoat, Spitfire fiascos - other than that, the greatest actress ever. The director, Sidney Lumet does a fine job directing it simply, but effectively.

All this combined...makes this an incredible picture. One of the finest.

Something that is interesting that I noted while reading Hepburn's autobiography "Me: Stories Of My Life" is the fact that this was rehearsed for many weeks in a warehouse, and then shot largely in sequence so the actors could perform long scenes, instead of having to keep cutting. In the end, we are basically seeing a theatre quality performance. There is a very real, raw, live feel to it - strikingly effective.

As for what the other reviews said about poor dvd quality: I cant say I really noticed that at all. I found the WHOLE thing brilliant.

A Long Dysfunctional Collapse in Oblivion.......2006-08-15

I came away from viewing "A Long Day's Journey into Night" with the impression that I had seen a masterful performance. My negative impressions were with the script. I have enjoyed Eugene O'Neill's plays but confess that, like Tennessee Williams, I'm not inspired by his work. In "Long Day's Journey", the aspect that confounded me the most was the number of times that different actors cursed a fellow family member and reconciled within the next 30 seconds. If these charactors merely learned to count to ten before expressing their thoughts, this could have been a short three act play. This self-induced emotional roller-coaster reminded me of a boss or two that I had in the past. From them I learned to disregard both praise and criticism when displayed arbitrarily. I guess this aspect made me tend to disregard the emotions on display in "Long Day's Journey". On the other had, the cast was certainly up to the task of acting out those emotions. Each of the four main characters had his or her turn with their emotional outbursts. Katherine Hepburn probably stood out the most with her scenes and it's surprizing that hers was the only Oscar nomination to come out of this film.

What is the point of this play? Well, my take on it is that it is the story of how a family of four disintergrates by each following their own path towards destruction. The irony is how they had the power to reinforce each other but chose the opposite approach. I suppose that is the explanation for the frequent emotional roller-coasters that frustrated me. O'Neill showed us that each character was both devil and angel to his family members. Where was the strength to come from with a supporting cast like that? Ironically, in this autobiographical play, the person with the gravest challenge ended up with the best outcome. Of course, that wasn't in the play or movie; it was in the life of the playwright. Depending on how autobiographical this play actually is, it may go a long way in explaining O'Neill's pessimistic outlook on life.

Journey Into "Home" Life.......2005-11-30

The 1962 classic film takes a drastic look inside a family that has various issues within the household. Immediately the audience is introduced to Katharine Hepburn, playing the role of the Mary Tyrone. She captures the role of a mother struggling with a morphine addiction perfectly. In the beginning of the film there are suspicions from other members of her family if she is staying clean. The father, played by Ralph Richardson, tries to keep concerns of the family away from his wife in order to help in her recovery. Richardson does a great job with his character in showing the audience the ongoing strain of a husband that has to deal with his wife's emotional rollercoaster she continually invites her family on. The eldest brother is smart. He is tired of pretending that everything is alright. He is tired of excusing his mother's behavior, and acting like his brother isn't nearly as sick as he looks. The youngest brother is suffering from the consumption and is grappling with his own sickness as well as his father's choice not to pay for a good doctor. The audience is over taken by the issues the family is working through, and the positions of each character in regards to what is taking place around them. There is a continuous motif of denial. Denial of emotions, issues, and acknowledging what is occurring inside the "home". The actors bring issues of drugs, alcohol, money and sickness to life in a time where topics examined in the film were not typical discussions for the dinner table. Despite the family's anger towards one another, it's obvious there is a basic need to come together. The cast is excellent and the story is fascinating making the overall film to be magnificent, and highly recommended.

Awful journey into the night of the times!.......2005-11-21

Sidney Lumet confessed without hindrances his profound admiration by the artistic presence of Carl Dryer and how his films determined and affianced his vocation as filmmaker. This brief introduction can help us to understand much better (thinking in the memorable Dryer ` Days of wrath) the final decision who guided to Lumet to undertake this awful and brutal living nightmare around the members of a family: She is an serious drug addict, her son alcoholic and the other is dying of tuberculosis.

With such premise it is so easy to imagine and conclude we will watch a complex picture loaded of visible depressive character and disturbing sordidness. The luxury cast was decisive to arrive to secure port. Katherine Hepburn and Richardson are more than admirable in this classic adaptation of Eugene O Neil, the merciless eye, the speaking trumpet of bad news, the ineffable inquirer of a society in crisis, like Baudelaire in France, Papini in Italy, Becket in Ireland or Strindberg in Sweden who reveled the harrowing Expressionism literary, showing the rotten entrails without piety.

Mature, haunting and powerful film that strikes over and over on our spotted conscience with an only objective, to beat the soul through the catastrophe for reaching the cathartic experience.

Average customer rating:

The Terminal
3.5; not really great but not terrible either
Cute without being sappy
Good Flick
Enjoyable and Uplifting Fantasy

The Terminal (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Tom Hanks , Catherine Zeta-Jones , Stanley Tucci , Chi McBride , and Diego Luna
Director: Steven Spielberg
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
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ASIN: B00030M9P6
Release Date: 2004-11-23

Amazon.com

Like an airport running at peak efficiency, The Terminal glides on the consummate skills of its director and star. Having refined their collaborative chemistry on Saving Private Ryan and Catch Me if You Can, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks mesh like the precision gears of a Rolex, turning a delicate, not-very-plausible scenario into a lovely modern-age fable (partly based on fact) that's both technically impressive and subtly moving. It's Spielberg in Capra mode, spinning the featherweight tale of Victor Navorski (Hanks, giving a finely tuned performance), an Eastern European who arrives at New York's Kennedy Airport just as his (fictional) homeland has fallen to a coup, forcing him, with no valid citizenship, to take indefinite residence in the airport's expansive International Arrivals Terminal (an astonishing full-scale set that inspires Spielberg's most elegant visual strategies). Spielberg said he made this film in part to alleviate the anguish of wartime America, and his master's touch works wonders on the occasionally mushy material; even Stanley Tucci's officious terminal director and Catherine Zeta-Jones's mixed-up flight attendant come off (respectively) as forgivable and effortlessly charming. With this much talent involved, The Terminal transcends its minor shortcomings to achieve a rare degree of cinematic grace. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

The Terminal.......2007-09-05

I ordered my copy from Andrewsgroup. The DVD arrived damaged, and I have had no response from Andrewsgroup, can't even get their address so I am stuck with a useless copy.

3.5; not really great but not terrible either.......2007-07-09

Unlike directors such as John Carpenter or Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg tends to take on new stories and themes every time he comes out with something new. This could be frustrating since at times we want another serious masterpiece like Schindler's List or we just want a rollicking good time like Jurassic Park. So it's interesting in that the Terminal is neither in that he's more in an Always/E.T mode here, going for sentimentality and drama than thrills or gravitas. But this film is no E.T but then again it's not as bad as Always so it's kind of stuck in the middle: good without being great.

Inspired or maybe not but a real-life story, the film centers on Viktor Navorsky from the fictional country of Krakohzia who flew in to New York. But while he was in the air, rebels overthrew the government which essentially made his passport invalid and now he's stuck in a curious dilemma: he can't enter the United States since he has no valid passport yet he can't go home since he doesn't have a "home" to go to. He's basically stuck in the airport and has to live there. But don't mean he can't make friends and he becomes acquainted with some of the other hired help, a gorgeous stewardess and to a lesser extent, the guy running the airport security.

A film like the Terminal has a strange predicament since in lesser hands, this would've been an awfully boring movie yet in the hands of Spielberg and Tom Hanks, it becomes a slow good movie. This isn't really a film that's bound to get you all energized a la War of the Worlds and it doesn't have a Munich-esque message and it's there simply to have a good time. But even though it's really only 2 hours, the film feels longer than that as Viktor just lives and lives at the airport with one group supporting him and one man (sylishly played by Stanley Tucci) are not. It's a good movie to watch with your spouse but on its own, the film doesn't really do much.

That doesn't mean there isn't anything to like and Hanks gives a good performance as Viktor. Appears slow yet can actually offer surprising insight, it's the kind of role where in someone else's hands, he would just be cartoony. The only weak link is Catherine Zeta-Jones. It's not for aesthetic reasons since let's face it, she's really easy on the eyes; but she's kind of thinly written and her fascination with Napoleon and her bookishness comes across as just...strange. Speaking of aesthetic, the film has a great set with the airport built from scratch using a hanger and it's quite something to see. Sure it looks like any old airport but the fact they actually made one complete with working escalators and working restaurants makes it more special for some reason.

Sure this film isn't that great and of his recent output from A.I to Munich it's probably the worst, yet there's something watchable about the whole thing and that's quite something.

Cute without being sappy.......2007-06-29

A very nice film. Very nice. Is it a great film? Perhaps not, but it's a remarkably well-produced film, and well-acted. It is done well enough for people to ignore a plotline which stretches credulity at more than a few points. Even though viewers will have a reasonably good idea that things will work out OK, the film keeps us engaged by moving along at a brisk pace, never bogging down with exceptional sentiment. The coda --- a tribute to a son's promise to his father --- is definitely the best part of the movie by far, the most touching, and helps to redeem some of the weaker moments which preceded it. Overall, very satisfying. Did I mention that it was very nice?

Good Flick.......2007-06-25

Speilberg is not capable of making a bad movie. It's just not in the realm of this Universe' possibilities. Tom Hanks does a great job of playing a sympathetic foreigner who turns out to be a hero. Catherine Zeta Jones breaks his heart ofcourse but in the end her character is just in it for the cash like most of the rest of us. There's also a jazz theme to the flick which tells me Speilberg is a jazz fan. An even better but underated Speilberg flick is A.I.. This flick is not quite up to that standard but still worth a few viewings especially if you strongly relate to underdogs.

Enjoyable and Uplifting Fantasy.......2007-04-22

I did not want to watch this movie first - I don't like the claustrophobic movies where the fun has been made of the characters who are awkward foreigners that can not speak English. Spielberg's "The Terminal" has got it all but I've came to like it. Technically, it is great - the work of Spielberg's set decorators' and cinematographer's is superb. After a few obligatory jokes based on the main character's total puzzlement and confusion regarding what is happening to him, film starts to look at that man closer and finds a lot in him to admire.

I don't think that making the villain of huge proportions of Stanley Tucci's character was such a great idea. It is not exactly clear why he is determined to make Victor's life even more confusing and miserable with the tenacity deserving better purpose. It was not exactly necessary to make a hero and saint of Hanks' character, either.

With all the negatives, "The Terminal" for me is an enjoyable and uplifting fantasy - sentimental, of course and not perfect but fine and enjoyable. The most important for me was the part when we finally find out why Victor Navarsky (Tom Hanks), the citizen of the fictitious Eastern European Country Krakozia came to New York City, NY, USA. The story behind his arrival is simple, sweet, and touching.
3.5/5

The Barbarian Invasions (Les Invasions Barbares)

Average customer rating: