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Family movie reviews for "Consumer Information" sorted by average review score:

Band of Brothers
Released in DVD by HBO Home Video (05 November, 2002)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
An impressively rigorous, unsentimental, and harrowing look at combat during World War II, Band of Brothers follows a company of airborne infantry--Easy Company--from boot camp through the end of the war. The brutality of training takes the audience by increments to the even greater brutality of the war; Easy Company took part in some of the most difficult battles, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the failed invasion of Holland, and the Battle of the Bulge, as well as the liberation of a concentration camp and the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest. But what makes these episodes work is not their historical sweep but their emphasis on riveting details (such as the rattle of a plane as the paratroopers wait to leap, or a flower in the buttonhole of a German soldier) and procedures (from military tactics to the workings of bureaucratic hierarchies). The scope of this miniseries (10 episodes, plus an actual documentary filled with interviews with surviving veterans) allows not only a thoroughness impossible in a two-hour movie, but also captures the wide range of responses to the stress and trauma of war--fear, cynicism, cruelty, compassion, and all-encompassing confusion. The result is a realism that makes both simplistic judgments and jingoistic enthusiasm impossible; the things these soldiers had to do are both terrible and understandable, and the psychological price they paid is made clear. The writing, directing, and acting are superb throughout. The cast is largely unknown, emphasizing the team of actors as a whole unit, much like the regiment; Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston play the central roles of two officers with grit and intelligence. Band of Brothers turns a vast historical event into a series of potent personal experiences; it's a deeply engrossing and affecting accomplishment. --Bret Fetzer
Average review score:

Amazing
Although Ian might think war is horrible and evil, it sometimes is needed. What are Holy Wars for? Man kind isn't perfect. Yes, it would be easy if everyone just sat down and said, "I'm never going to start war again," but it's never going to happen. Don't live in your, "everything should be perfect," world because it's never going to happen. You're going to have people hating each other because of religion, land, and jealousy. It's man's nature. I bet even now you have a sort of "war" going on when you fight or yell at someone. You contradict yourself.

In those times of dispute you need people willing to go out and say, "hey, I will get myself killed if it saves 1,000 lives somewhere now and in the future." And having an uncle in WW2, this movie made me even more proud of him. I would find myself bragging that my uncle fought to save lives, even if he had to take some in the process, and after this miniseries I found myself even prouder. This movie makes you proud of them because you see what they have to put behind them to do. When I watched the scene with Maj. Winters running onto a hill only to see a young boy kneeling in the grass and he hesitates to shoot him, you come to realize this is something these men will never forget. They realize what they're doing, but they do it because it's their duty.

This was an amazingly well done miniseries. I was so proud of it. I remember before it came out on HBO I would count down the days waiting for it to come on. Then when it did I would record it every week because I had school the next morning and couldn't stay up late. So I'd get home on Monday and sit down and watch it. There's nothing to explain the feelings you get when you're watching this. It's like you're actually living through it.

And it was actually nice to see a war documentary type movie that didn't have a love story written in. I can't tell you how much I loved this mini series.

I'm 18 and can respect a movie like that. It's more than just about heroes and winning, it's an insight on the horrors of war that you've only heard about.

Who could foget the poor guy who died yelling, "I don't want to die," over and over again?

Not to mention the music composed by Michael Kamen is beautiful. Rest his soul.

Excellent and I don't even do war flicks
This is a worthy offering. Touching, engaging, interesting, historic, just incredibly well done. My husband was eager to watch this and I couldn't have cared less, but I got drawn in and before i realized it, I was saying, "It's OVER???"

Definitely a must see.

Greatest Movie Ever
Pertaining to "Ian Cooper's" comments below: If you notice, every time someone has a negative comment about this film, which is a close to a documentary film as you can get, there is the difficulty to acknowledge it's brilliance outright and there's alway some kind of side agenda to steer the reader away from what this movie is. It's a TRUE story about the 101 Airborne 506 PIR. Period. Ian Cooper wants to re-write history from Wakefield, MA. Ian acts like the US jumped into WWII in 1939 after the Germans crossed the border into Poland. Neville Chamberlain would have been proud of you, Ian. Thank the lord we don't 100 Ian Cooper's in the US Senate.


Scrooge
Released in DVD by Paramount Home Video (23 September, 2003)
MPAA Rating: G (General Audience)
Director: Ronald Neame
Starring: Albert Finney and Alec Guinness
A mixed bag as variations on A Christmas Carol go, this 1970 British musical tells the usual story of Scrooge (Albert Finney) and his spirits on Christmas Eve, although the whole thing is set to music by Leslie Bricusse. Except for Finney's feisty and involved performance, however, there isn't much to recommend this. The songs, which absorb so much of the evolving story line and emotions, are not all that good. Plenty of support, however, from the likes of Roy Kinnear (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) and Dame Edith Evans (Tom Jones), the handsome production is directed by veteran Ronald Neame (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie). --Tom Keogh
Average review score:

WOW Its about time!!!
I have been a huge fan of this movie since its release. Right up there in my ten best list. I own the VHS version and our family watches it together each holiday season. I have been wating for the DVD release for years and could not believe it when I saw it at Amazon. Ordered it right away. The best Scrooge ever. THANK YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH!!!!!

"Sing a Song of Gladness and CHEER", for "Scrooge" is HERE!
Well, IT'S FINALLY HERE! "Thank You Very Much". The critics hated it, said it was too corny, too sweet. Well, when I first saw it in 1970, I loved "SCROOGE". I figured that the critics were only frustrated out of work actors, writers, composers, and directors. Full of sour grapes. I saw "Scrooge" that year well over 45 times. Let's see, I would have been, 15 years old, and my admission to the theatre then would have been, .25¢, a huge popcorn, .25¢ and a 22 oz. Coke, .10¢ and a big nestles chocolate bar, .05¢. Boy have times changed! Now to the film. GREAT score by an accomplished and AWARD winning musical genius, Leslie Bricusse, who also gave us, Willy Wonka, and others. The Cast, Albert Finney as SCROOGE, what a great entertaining performance. He is supported by a great cast, Sir Alec Guinness, as the late, Jacob MARLEY, Dame Edith Evans as Ghost of Christmas Past, and Kenneth More as the Ghost of Christmas Present. The ever favourite retelling of Charles Dickens', "A Christmas Carol" set to music and dance. A great compliment to that other Dickens' hit, "Oliver". "Scrooge" is full of life, love, music, & dance. This is a beautifully updated, yet authentic to the period, TREASURE. The critics are probably still mixed, but, I for one would like to say, "THANK YOU VERY, VERY, VERY MUCH, THANK YOU VERY, VERY, V-E-R-Y MUCH!" This Christmas is starting out on a Big Bright Note! Thank You Paramount Home Entertainment! You brought "Scrooge" out on dvd before another Christmas Passed! So, ADD some Holiday Cheer to your Christmas this year and Now everyone can, "Sing a Song of Gladness and Cheer!" The BEST Ebeneezer SCROOGE is FINALLY HERE! I have performed in the Milwaukee Rep. Theatre's "A Christmas Carol" over the years, completeing well over 2000 performances, if you like the Story, take it from me, this is the BEST!

"Thank you very much!"
Charles Dickens' 1843 short story entitled "A Christmas Carol" has provided a lot of inspirational material for film producers since the beginning of the film industry in the early twentieth century. Probably more than a dozen films have been based upon this short story with varying degrees of poetic license. In 1970, director Ronald Neame (who co-adapted Charles Dickens' novel "Great Expectations" to film in 1946, for which he received a shared Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay Writing) presented one of the more unique versions of classic story as a musical, entitled simply as "Scrooge". Not everyone who has watched this musical version has liked it as much as versions that have less poetic license, but the music and singing in "Scrooge" did not diminish the original story. Instead, it provided a unique way for the characters to express their emotions in each scene. Further, the Academy Awards recognized the film with four Oscar nominations for Best Original Music, Best Song (for "Thank You Very Much"), Best Costume Design and Best Set Decoration.

Playing the infamous, penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge in this musical version was Albert Finney, who received a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical for the role. Joining him were Alec Guiness as the ghost of Jacob Marley, David Collings as Bob Cratchit, Edith Evans as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Kenneth More (1914-1982) as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Paddy Stone as the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, Michael Medwin as Ebenezer's nephew Fred, Mary Peach as Fred's wife, Richard Beaumont as Tiny Tim Cratchit, Frances Cuka as Mrs. Cratchit, Karen Scargill as Ebenezer's sister Kathy, Laurence Naismith as Mr. Fezziwig and Suzanne Neve as Isabel Fezziwig. The songs that were sung in the film, including my rating for each, are listed below:

* "A Christmas Carol" (4.5, sung by Chorus).
* "Christmas Children" (4.5, sung by David Collings, Richard Beaumont and Karen Scargill).
* "I Hate People" (5, sung by Albert Finney).
* "Father Christmas" (4, sung by 'Street Urchins').
* "See The Phantoms" (4.5, sung by Alec Guiness).
* "December the 25th" (4, sung by Laurence Naismith & Chorus).
* "Happiness" (4.5, sung by Suzanne Neve).
* "You...You" (5, sung by Albert Finney).
* "I Like Life" (5+, sung by Kenneth More & Albert Finney).
* "The Beautiful Day" (4, sung by Richard Beaumont).
* "Happiness (reprise)" (4.5, sung by Suzanne Neve & Albert Finney).
* "Thank You Very Much" (5+, sung by Anton Rodgers (playing Tom Jenkins), Albert Finney & Chorus).
* "I'll Begin Again" (5, sung by Albert Finney).
* "I Like Life (reprise)" (5, sung by Albert Finney).
* "Father Christmas (reprise)/Thank You Very Much (reprise)" (5, sung by Albert Finney, children & Chorus).
* "A Christmas Carol (reprise)" (5, sung by Albert Finney & Chorus.)

Overall, for being engaging and entertaining, as well as having good music, I rate the 1970 musical "Scrooge" with 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it.


Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Third Season
Released in DVD by Fox Home Entertainme (07 January, 2003)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Boreanaz, and Eliza Dushku
The third season of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer was marked by the arrival in Sunnydale of renegade slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku), a moody loner who seemed to like her demon-staking calling just a little too much. While Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) was always wary of Faith, the two developed a deep friendship and appreciative rapport--that is, until the evil mayor of Sunnydale (Harry Groener) tapped into Faith's dark side and lured her into his plot to take over the world, first as a double agent spying on Buffy, then as out-and-out nemesis. And as the mayor's ascension approached--which happened to fall on Sunnydale High's graduation day--Buffy and Faith's battles got nastier and nastier, as Buffy attempted to wrestle with her dark side (literally and figuratively), save the world and her friends, and keep her lover Angel (David Boreanaz) out of Faith's evil clutches.

Chock-full of exceptional episodes, this third season started out with a bang (the superb season opener "Anne," in which a runaway Buffy finally returns to her Slayer calling) and never let up. Among other highlights, the season introduced former vengeance demon and soon-to-be regular Anya (Emma Caulfield), fleshed out Angel's tortured character (and readied him for his own series), and featured a hilarious doppelganger Willow (Alyson Hannigan), a vampire from a parallel universe, who in Willow's own words was "evil and... skanky... and kinda gay!" (Total foreshadowing there, folks.) The season's pièce de résistance, though, was the two-parter "Graduation Day," wherein Faith tries to kill Angel, and the students of Sunnydale High prepare to do battle with a mutated mayor and his army of demons. Aside from the series' exceptional writing and acting, this compelling year of Buffy was anchored by the consistently excellent Gellar, as well as Dushku's complicated Faith, a girl you truly love to hate. By the time you finish these episodes, Faith will have cast a spell on you that you'll find very hard to shake. --Mark Englehart

Average review score:

Buffy Season 3, The Best
Season 3 of Buffy is the best season of all. Why? Eliza Dushku (Faith) that's why. She is so hot. I think that it is too bad that she was never added to the opening credits. I guess that she was a recurring character and not on a contract even though she was on for most if not all of season 3. This is the season that they later altered the theme song and kept this one until the show ended. James Marsters (Spike) is hot and in case you didn't know this hunk is 41!

The Best Series of Buffy
Ok, this series deserves a complete episode-by-episode rating

Anne - 7/10 Good start but not brilliant. Buffy is living away from home trying to get over Angel, and she falls into a hell dimension.

Dead Man's Party - 7/10 Good handling of the uncomfortable feelings between the Scoobies, but why zombies?!

Faith, Hope and Trick - 8/10 The New Slayer, Faith, arrives, but she unintentionally brings with her some new baddies...

Beauty and the Beasts - 9/10 The return of Angel. Major Buffy angst.

Homecoming - 10/10 Cordelia's selfishness leads Buffy to challenge her for Homecoming Queen, Willow and Xander kiss, and Mr Trick holds a Slayerfest '98 competition. A really brilliant episode, full of great Cordelia and Buffy bitchiness and the ending is really funny!!

Band Candy - 10/10 Another brilliant episode. The adults of Sunnydale eat bewitched candy that reverts them to a youthful state of mind... and Giles and Joyce do something they will regret... and Ethan Rayne is in this one too!!

Revelations - 9/10 Faith's new watcher arrives but isn't all she seems to be...

Lover's Walk - 10/10 THE angst episode of the series. Oz and Cordelia see Willow and Xander kissing, Spike comes back after Drusilla has broken up with him... this episode really plays on your emotions, especially when they trick you by showing you a funeral scene near the end (people who have seen this episode will know what I mean!)

The Wish - 10/10 Another great episode, set in an alternate universe where Willow and Xander are vampires. The best part is the slow-motion fight-scene at the end, where we see our Scoobies fighting and killing each other *sniff*.

Amends - 8/10 Good episode although it didn't appeal to me instantly like most of the others did. The gang tries to find out why Angel is back in town and meet the First Evil (who crops up again as the Big Bad in Season 7). Jenny Calneder appears in this one.

Gingerbread - 9/10 Two children are found dead, the town goes on a witchhunt and blame Buffy and Willow for their deaths, and attempt to burn tbem at the stake. It is hilarious how Buffy kills the baddy in the end... and oooh, evil Joyce!!

Helpless - 9/10 Buffy's powers are taken away by Giles without her knowledge so that she can take a Council test pitting her against a vampire with only normal human strength. BUT the vampire escapes from his containment...

The Zeppo - 10/10 A Xander-centric episode, which although a big battle happens, we don't actually see much of it because we are following Xander being an unsung hero trying to stop the school from being blown up. And sleeping with Faith.

Bad Girls - 8/10 Pretty nothingy for most of the episode, following Buffy's downwards spiral to be like Faith, but a brilliant plot point when Faith kills a human...

Consequences - 7/10 Continues the angst over whether Faith will tell the police that she killed the man...

Doppelgangland - 10/10 Continues The Wish. Willow-vampire has been sent to this dimension, and there are some of the funniest Buffy scenes ever when Angel tells Buffy and Xander that (he thinks) Willow is dead and they already know about the Willow-vampire, and when Willow confronts her vampire self.

Enemies - 9/10 Faith's bad side is exposed when she and the Mayor - the Big Bad of season 3, and the best Buffy villain ever, he is just such a jovial yet evil chap - take away Angel's soul with magic. Only their trick is in turn tricked by Buffy.

Earshot - 8/10 Buffy gains the power to hear people's thoughts, which is quite a weak individual plot line, but there are some very funny moments - Giles walking into the tree at the end, for instance.

Choices - 7/10 Buffy wants to take the fight to the Mayor, but when Willow is captured, it doesn't seem like such a good idea. Ooh, and Oz is violent.

The Prom - 7/10 Another weak stand-alone episode where werewolves are trained to attack the Senior Prom. Nice that all the characters are dancing with their love interests, even Buffy. A feel-good episode before the seaon finale.

Graduation Day Parts 1 and 2 - 10/10 The best season finale of the lot, tying in first place with Season 2 finale where Buffy killed Angel. Faith shoots Angel with a poisoned arrow,l Buffy stabs Faith because the only cure for Angel is the blood of a Slayer, but Faith manages to get away, so Buffy sacrifices herself and only just survives, Faith is in a coma and Oz and Willow sleep together for the first time. In the second part the whole school attacks the Mayor as he ascends on Graduation Day, Cordelia stakes a vamp for the first time, we see Jonathon attacking vampires with great gusto, Harmony is bitten... And Buffy blows up the Mayor... and the school. The ending is simple and very poignant, with the cover of their yearbook saying, "The future is ours".

An amazing series. Faith is a very complex character, and the Mayor is a brilliant villain, like a kindly uncle, but you can see the evilness in him, but almost a nice kind of evilness. He is a truly amazing character. This is the last series where they are at high school, and after this series Buffy seems to loose something, a certain centered quality, since the Scoobies paths split out so much after this, as peoples' lives do when they enter university. This, and series 2, should be owned by everyone. All hail Joss Whedon.

The season with Faith.
The third season started out very dramatic with "Anne" and then quickly became lighter as it went on. No this season wasn't as good as the second season was but it was still an improvemnt and it closed many chapters that were opened in the second season.

This season brought in Faith a character that is a favorite of many of the fans of the show. It saw Angel leaving along with Cordy. It got a new, awesome, opening with a fuller sounding theme. And it hearaded the coming of Dawn and it saw what would be one of Buffy's final nemisis, The First, from the episode "Amends."

This season closed the chapter of the relationship of Buffy and Angel (there are appendixes to that chapter though in later seasons). It also graduated Buffy and the gang from high school. This season was fantastic but not as good as the next one.


Alias - The Complete First Season
Released in DVD by Buena Vista Home Entertainment (02 September, 2003)
MPAA Rating:
Starring: Jennifer Garner
Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) is a super (and super sexy) spy, fighting nefarious villains and working for the good guys--or so she thinks. Recruited as a college freshman for espionage work, Sydney found her true calling with SD-6, a secret division of the CIA. When her hunky doctor-boyfriend proposes to her, she decides to let him in on the truth she's not supposed to tell anyone: she's not a grad student with a demanding job for an international bank, but a secret agent who constantly puts her life on the line for the free world. But when SD-6 discovers her security breach, her fiancé is brutally assassinated, and Sydney suddenly finds herself face-to-face with the truth: she's been working for the bad guys. Deciding to become a double agent for the CIA and bring down the evildoers, Sydney gets one more surprise--her estranged father (Victor Garber) is also working for SD-6, and the CIA as well. Welcome to the family, Syd!

Confusing? This is all just in the first episode of Alias, the brainchild of Felicity creator J.J. Abrams that plays like a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and James Bond. With its double-edged tension (how long can Syd play double agent?) and one heck of a MacGuffin (the dreaded Rambaldi device, the mythic creation of a Renaissance genius), the show leads its viewers from episode to episode with visceral, compelling action, not to mention the nascent romance between Syd and her CIA handler, Vaughn (Michael Vartan), and her clashes with her heretofore distant father. Sharp, smart, and always suspenseful, Alias' center was held by the gorgeous Garner, a stellar action heroine and an even better actress who could pull off Sydney's exotic undercover missions and conflicted emotions with equal dexterity. By the end of this first season, which concludes with a breathtaking cliffhanger, you'll be seduced into Alias' world with, happily, no desire to escape. --Mark Englehart

Average review score:

RICHLY ENTERTAINING -- THE BEST SEASON OF TV YOU'LL EVER SEE
There has never been before, nor do I ever expect again, a season of any TV show as much fun as the first season of Alias. Following season one, Alias is still one of my favorite TV shows, but season one easily takes the cake for my favorite season of any TV series, ever.

Alias is to spy thrillers what Star Wars is to science fiction: sheer escapist fun with enough underlying drama to give it some depth. Since it's designed to be escapist entertainment, it's not intended to be realistic (there's even a little science fiction worked in), but it's no parody either -- the superb acting, which IS emotionally realistic, is a pleasure to watch. Alias is a rich labyrinth of tense espionage, twists and turns, thrill-ride suspense, mysterious secrets, inter-organizational intrigue, character humor, and poignant drama performed by a top-notch cast. It's wonderfully complex, as any great spy-thriller should be, and in this case, complexity has never been so much fun.

Alias is very serialized, so you must see it from the beginning! If you haven't been watching and you want to give it a try, then I can't recommend the season one DVD set heartily enough.

If you've been avoiding trying Alias because you've assumed it's just another hot-chick action show, then, quite frankly, you have absolutely no idea what you've been missing. Although it is true that Alias is part action show and that Jennifer Garner is "hot," Alias is NOT just another hot-chick action show. On the contrary, Alias is in fact richly entertaining at a great many levels. This is reflected in the fact that season one was nominated for eleven Emmy Awards (of which it won two) and that Jennifer Garner won a Golden Globe Award for best dramatic actress for her role as Sydney Bristow in season one. The wonderful thing about this show is how it can have depth and wonderful acting but not be afraid to be a whole lot of fun at the same time.

This show is SO MUCH FUN! Buy this set and prepare to sit on the edge of your seat!

I am addicted to Alias!!!
I am a 34 year old woman and I am addicted to Alias. This is a fantastic, thrilling, complicated, action-packed series. I have never loved a tv program like I love alias. Jennifer Garner is a power-house of actions. She is a layered and complicated heroine. The supporting cast is awesome. The look of the show is amazing and every episode is like watching a movie. I am left breathless until the next episode. Seriously, folks, I love this show. For all of you who have missed this show because it airs opposite the Sopranos, you must not let this show slip away. The dynamics of all the characters and the plots. It is like a masterpiece painting that has been made into a jigsaw puzzle. Please buy this series and please watch the show on TV. You won't regret it!!!

Very Good
I've watched Alias seince it came out. And When i bought this season, I got all upset because I didn't have the second season. But on the third i'll by it. As for season one, it great.


Ever After - A Cinderella Story
Released in DVD by Fox Home Entertainme (13 January, 2004)
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: Andy Tennant
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Anjelica Huston, and Dougray Scott
Take away the Fairy Godmother, and what have you got left from the Cinderella fable? The story of a girl for whom a bad stroke of luck is no match for her internal strength and purity of heart. Drew Barrymore plays Cinderella's alleged inspiration, Danielle, in this romantic drama that purports to tell the "facts" behind the Grimm brothers' story. One of three daughters of a man (Jeroen Krabbé) who dies and leaves her fate in the hands of a conniving stepmother (Anjelica Huston), Danielle is cast into the lowly role of a servant. Meanwhile, her sisters are evaluated as possible mates for a French prince (Dougray Scott), but he's far more intrigued with Danielle's intelligence and beauty--not to mention her way with a sword and fist. Directed by Andy Tennant (who directed Barrymore in TV's The Amy Fisher Story), Ever After has that rare ability to win the heart and mind of a viewer simply by being committed to its own innocence, particularly where Barrymore's luminous performance is concerned. A contemporary take on an old, virtually forgotten Hollywood convention--the costume adventure with middling artistic ambition but real audience appeal--Ever After is a surprisingly delightful film. --Tom Keogh
Average review score:

Great family movie
I just discovery this movie and came to tell the world about this wonderful movie that my whole family jut enjoyed. To my surprise this would the 764th review of this movie, so i guess a few people have discovered it already.

Beautifully photographed and acted, the script takes a old story and presents it in a manner that lets the story live anew.

The 4 stars is because I save my 5 star grades for something extra, extra special, unique and brilliant such as The Lion King and the Princess Bride.

10 stars!!
I absolutely LOVE this movie. I have honestly watched it at least 10 times. It's one of the sweetest stories ever made, a great adaption of the Cinderella story.

Danielle de Barbourac, after the death of her father, grows up as a servant girl under her stepmother and two stepsisters (one of which is not so bad). She is a girl with a strong will and a stronger throwing arm, as she flings apples at the runaway prince as he speeds away on her family's horse. He is thrown off the animal by her strikes...Danielle realizes its the prince, and so the story truly begins.

Prince Henry dreads having an arranged marriage to the Princess of Spain and has ran away many times. He is in many respects, still a young boy. After this episode, the King informs him that he will have until the masked ball to choose his own wife, or else the arrangement with Spain holds.

Henry sees Danielle again as she dresses up like a courtier to save one of the servants that her stepmother has sold into slavery. She looks familiar, but Henry can't recall. He is intrigued by this spitfire of a girl and Danielle leaves him with the name Countess Nicole de Lancre.

The romance evolves through several forbidden "dates" with Leonardo da Vinci as the "fairy godfather". Meanwhile, Baroness de Ghent (the stepmother) and Marguerite (evil stepsister) has had their eyes on the Prince ever since they received news that he will be able to choose his own bride.

I will not ruin the climax of the movie as it is the best part of the film. But needless to say, they lived happily ever after. It's a wonderfully enchanting film and Drew Barrymore couldn't be more perfect for the role. This movie also has many great quotes full of wit, humor, and love. It will touch your heart and I couldn't recommend this film more. It's a must-see and a must-buy!

The score by George Fenton is also powerful, touching, and magical. I recommend the soundtrack for all lovers of the movie as well as classical music.

~Tell Me a Fable~
This is a wonderful version of the Cinderella story. Drew Barrymore plays the role of Danielle (Cinderella), Dougray Scott plays the Prince Henry, and Angelica Huston plays the wicked stepmother Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent. The cast couldn't have been better! Especially Angelica who adds more "evil" to her character with the lifts of her eyebrows (trust me, it makes all the difference :] )

Instead of the original mice, her fellow servants are her friends, and Leonardo de Vinci is her "fairy godmother".

Her gown was gorgeous and the location was awesome. The accents were a bit bumpy, but everything else was great!

The fable was told differently in this movie and Andy Tennant did a good job directing the film. It's an awesome movie! Watch it and see for yourself!


The Iron Giant
Released in DVD by Warner Home Video (23 November, 1999)
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: Brad Bird
Starring: Harry Connick Jr. and Eli Marienthal
This gentle reworking of Ted Hughes's 1968 novella was the unseen gem of 1999. Hogarth, a young boy who lives in the Maine woods during the cold war, befriends a giant robot. As with E.T., the iron giant is a misunderstood outsider who becomes a child's best friend, and Hogarth does his best to hide the massive figure from his mom (voiced by Jennifer Aniston) and the local scrap-yard beatnik (Harry Connick Jr.). Soon the suspicions of neighbors and a government agent (Christopher McDonald) spell trouble.

With no songs, no sidekicks, and no cheap ending, The Iron Giant is a refreshing change-- like an off-Broadway production compared to the glitz of Disney's annual animated extravaganzas. Director Brad Bird may have Family Dog and The Simpsons to his credit, but this film doesn't have that brand of scatological humor. As with the best family entertainments, there are gags that adults will howl at while the kids are watching something else (see Bird's interpretation of cold war propaganda). And the star is one cool piece of animated magic. Voiced by Vin Diesel (Saving Private Ryan's hulking Private Caparzo) and filled with more gadgets than a Swiss army knife, the giant is a grand thing to behold. And like another famous cinema tin man, our hero--and the movie--has heart. Superb entertainment for ages 5 and up. --Doug Thomas

Average review score:

Classic
As kid movies go, this is a winner, with an interesting, thoughtful, tear-jerking original story, hip retro style, great performances, and a non-violent theme moms can feel good about. If I'd made it or worked on it, I'd be proud. My sons love this - we've had it for a long time and it's still one of their favorites.

Great movie, but don't buy it now!
This is an excellent movie through and through. The ending makes me cry like a baby every time I see it. You may want to put off purchasing this movie right now, as there is a Special Edition w/ deleted scenes and other extras coming out sometime soon. It was supposed to be released Aug 2003, but has been pused back to 2004 for some ungodly reason. I can only hope it is to redo the case into a proper plastic case instead of the craptacular cardboard "snapper" case they currently have planned for it. Just a word of warning to keep you from getting burned by buying the original DVD release so soon before the SE (hopefully) comes out.

A Classic Nobody Saw....but Everyone Should
Truly one of the greatest animated films of all time (not Lion King)! Who would think Warner Brothers would come out with somthing that totally soared over Disney films at the time. This film has it all and more: A robot who found out there's more to him than just defense....a sensitive child who befriends the robot with true loyalty....and an ending that would even make John Wayne cry. There are pleanty of good gags in this movie to keep adults laughing with wit and insight (some that mocks our country's past with the Cold War). I HIGHLY recommend this movie to ANYONE! Anybody wanna see a movie with great humor, a touching story, and some good animation?....go to the video rental store and watch it right away!


The Temptations
Released in DVD by Hallmark Home Entertainment (25 July, 2000)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Director: Allan Arkush
Conceived as a television miniseries, this portrait of the epochal Motown vocal group scores as one of the most detailed re-creations of the '60s pop milieu ever filmed. Told largely through the eyes of founding member Otis Williams (Charles Malik Whitfield), The Temptations portrays its protagonists as soul Everymen whose early triumphs closely followed, and helped expand, Motown Records' emergence as "the Sound of Young America," providing an inspirational fable for black Americans.

Inevitably, of course, the story is also a cautionary tale about the price of success for both the Temps and their mentor, Motown founder Berry Gordy (Obba Babatunde). With hit records and tours, Williams and his partners grapple with drugs, alcohol, depression, jealousy, and delusions of grandeur. In particular, the galvanic lead singer David Ruffin (Leon) serves as both a focal strength and potential destroyer for the group, as his ego combines with a mounting cocaine habit to create a monster. At the same time, Gordy's eventual decision to leave his and the label's home, Detroit, for Los Angeles marks a loss of innocence for the group and their label-mates. The film provides ample insider detail about how the former Ford assembly-line worker created and controlled his unique hit factory.

Based on the biography coauthored by Williams and former manager Shelly Berger, the project gets a vital boost from behind the camera, thanks to executive producer Suzanne DePasse, herself a former Motown exec, and director Allan Arkush (Rock 'n' Roll High School). That lineage probably pulls some punches in terms of individual characters and Gordy's machinations, but it also affords The Temptations its convincing detail, as does the generous running time--a mixed blessing, due to the original two-part broadcast, which might have benefited from tightening for this video version. Giving the show its greatest kick are the group's original hits, performed and choreographed convincingly in lip-synched sequences. --Sam Sutherland

Average review score:

Temptations - Today, Tomorrow & Always Forever!
The Motown sound lives within the very essence of me. When this movie came out, I had to have it. Watching this movie draws you even closer in knowing each individual Temptation more on a personal basis. The Temptations are "the sound" of Motown. Nobody can even come close to being as good as they are. The Temptations are and always will be #1 in my heart! I have even purchase The Temptations Live In Concert to complete my set. God bless each and every Temptation past & present. And to you Otis, my friend, never let your candle go out. You have brighten so many lives, including mine. God bless you my friend.

Fantastic Movie
I wasn't able to watch the movie when it aired on NBC. But I purchased the DVD a year ago and fell in love with the movie. Watching actor Leon portrayed David Ruffin's character was wonderful and somewhat spooky. He played that role to a tee. Leon sounded like David, had the same mannerism as David that it was so amazing.
I was proud at the performances by all the actors in the movie. Even though she had a small part, I was proud of Rhonda Ross Kendrick who is Diana Ross' and Berry Gordy's daughter who played Maxine, Paul's wife, I was proud of her performance as well.
Sure there were inconsistencies in the movie. Yes, the producers of the movies should have let the audience, particularly the younger audiences know what happened to the lives of these wonderful, yet troubled men who made up the Tempting Temptations.
(...)want to know about all that, read Otis' book or do research for yourself. But other than that, the movie was excellent in my book. The choreography in this movie was OUTSTANDING. The music was fantastic and the costumes was fabulous.
I would recommend this movie wholeheartedly. Yes, in some ways this movie is factual as well as fictional, but it is still worth watching and it will make you go out and read the book and do your own research about this fantastic group who will always be the number one in my book.

Excellent!!!!
This movie was excellent to say the least! It never grows old. It tells the story of the successful motown group The Temptations. It goes in a timeline of dates from the time they were nobodies to the time of Melvin's death. This movie goes into detail of what happened behind the scenes. The trouble with David, Paul's alchohl abuse, ect. I really would recommend this to anyone!


The Temptations
Released in DVD by Hallmark Home Entertainment (25 July, 2000)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Director: Allan Arkush
Conceived as a television miniseries, this portrait of the epochal Motown vocal group scores as one of the most detailed re-creations of the '60s pop milieu ever filmed. Told largely through the eyes of founding member Otis Williams (Charles Malik Whitfield), The Temptations portrays its protagonists as soul Everymen whose early triumphs closely followed, and helped expand, Motown Records' emergence as "the Sound of Young America," providing an inspirational fable for black Americans.

Inevitably, of course, the story is also a cautionary tale about the price of success for both the Temps and their mentor, Motown founder Berry Gordy (Obba Babatunde). With hit records and tours, Williams and his partners grapple with drugs, alcohol, depression, jealousy, and delusions of grandeur. In particular, the galvanic lead singer David Ruffin (Leon) serves as both a focal strength and potential destroyer for the group, as his ego combines with a mounting cocaine habit to create a monster. At the same time, Gordy's eventual decision to leave his and the label's home, Detroit, for Los Angeles marks a loss of innocence for the group and their label-mates. The film provides ample insider detail about how the former Ford assembly-line worker created and controlled his unique hit factory.

Based on the biography coauthored by Williams and former manager Shelly Berger, the project gets a vital boost from behind the camera, thanks to executive producer Suzanne DePasse, herself a former Motown exec, and director Allan Arkush (Rock 'n' Roll High School). That lineage probably pulls some punches in terms of individual characters and Gordy's machinations, but it also affords The Temptations its convincing detail, as does the generous running time--a mixed blessing, due to the original two-part broadcast, which might have benefited from tightening for this video version. Giving the show its greatest kick are the group's original hits, performed and choreographed convincingly in lip-synched sequences. --Sam Sutherland

Average review score:

Temptations - Today, Tomorrow & Always Forever!
The Motown sound lives within the very essence of me. When this movie came out, I had to have it. Watching this movie draws you even closer in knowing each individual Temptation more on a personal basis. The Temptations are "the sound" of Motown. Nobody can even come close to being as good as they are. The Temptations are and always will be #1 in my heart! I have even purchase The Temptations Live In Concert to complete my set. God bless each and every Temptation past & present. And to you Otis, my friend, never let your candle go out. You have brighten so many lives, including mine. God bless you my friend.

Fantastic Movie
I wasn't able to watch the movie when it aired on NBC. But I purchased the DVD a year ago and fell in love with the movie. Watching actor Leon portrayed David Ruffin's character was wonderful and somewhat spooky. He played that role to a tee. Leon sounded like David, had the same mannerism as David that it was so amazing.
I was proud at the performances by all the actors in the movie. Even though she had a small part, I was proud of Rhonda Ross Kendrick who is Diana Ross' and Berry Gordy's daughter who played Maxine, Paul's wife, I was proud of her performance as well.
Sure there were inconsistencies in the movie. Yes, the producers of the movies should have let the audience, particularly the younger audiences know what happened to the lives of these wonderful, yet troubled men who made up the Tempting Temptations.
(...)want to know about all that, read Otis' book or do research for yourself. But other than that, the movie was excellent in my book. The choreography in this movie was OUTSTANDING. The music was fantastic and the costumes was fabulous.
I would recommend this movie wholeheartedly. Yes, in some ways this movie is factual as well as fictional, but it is still worth watching and it will make you go out and read the book and do your own research about this fantastic group who will always be the number one in my book.

Excellent!!!!
This movie was excellent to say the least! It never grows old. It tells the story of the successful motown group The Temptations. It goes in a timeline of dates from the time they were nobodies to the time of Melvin's death. This movie goes into detail of what happened behind the scenes. The trouble with David, Paul's alchohl abuse, ect. I really would recommend this to anyone!


Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl
Released in DVD by Buena Vista Home Vid (02 December, 2003)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Jonathan Pryce
You won't need a bottle of rum to enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, especially if you've experienced the Disneyland theme-park ride that inspired it. There's a galleon's worth of fun in watching Johnny Depp's androgynous performance as Captain Jack Sparrow, a roguish pirate who could pass for the illegitimate spawn of rockers Keith Richards and Chrissie Hynde. Depp gets all the good lines and steals the show, recruiting Orlando Bloom (a blacksmith and expert swordsman) and Keira Knightley (a lovely governor's daughter) on an adventurous quest to recapture the notorious Black Pearl, a ghost ship commandeered by Jack's nemesis Capt. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), a mutineer desperate to reverse the curse that left him and his (literally) skeleton crew in a state of eternal, undead damnation. Director Gore Verbinski (The Ring) repeats the redundant mayhem that marred his debut film Mouse Hunt, but with the writers of Shrek he's made Pirates into a special-effects thrill-ride that plays like a Halloween party on the open seas. Aye, matey, we've come a long way since Jason and the Argonauts! --Jeff Shannon
Average review score:

This Is My Favorite Movie
I've seen this movie 7 times. I can't get enough of Johnny Depp. I never thought he was that good looking before, but eye liner and mascara on the man, he's drop dead gorgeous. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. The film would have been really dull without his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow. This role fit him like a glove. I can't see anybody else in this role.

Johnny Depp as the loopy Captain Jack Sparrow
Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow commands attention and carries this entire movie through a hilarious adventure. Depp's portrayal of a loopy pirate commandeered to find the Black Pearl seems like a Indiana Jones adventure at sea. The maverick, confident, navigator this time has to find a pirate ship full of cursed and hideously ghostly pirates. There is some sarcasm and there are predictable moments but it's such a great film. I almost forgot - Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley play the star struck, beautiful (yawn) young couple. BUT without Depp's fanciful performance those two would have brought this movie to a screaching box office blunder.

Truly amazing!
Pirates of the Caribbean is an AMAZING movie. Johnny Depp is inspired! The acting is amazing, and they couldn't have picked a better cast. Way to go! 'Pirates' rocks. Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!


Clue
Released in DVD by Paramount Home Video (27 June, 2000)
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Starring: Eileen Brennan and Tim Curry
Undoubtedly the first movie in history to have played in theaters with three different endings (depending on which theater you attended), Clue is a silly whodunit based on the familiar board game featuring Colonel Mustard, Mrs. Peacock, and all the other usual suspects. A broadly comic cast play the sundry suspects gathered in a mansion to solve a murder, knowing that one of their numbers is the culprit. Michael McKean, Eileen Brennan, and Tim Curry are the best of the bunch, and the film is as lightweight an experience as a round of the game itself. Directed by Jonathan Lynn (My Cousin Vinny). The video release contains all three endings. --Tom Keogh
Average review score:

Great Movie! Everyone should see!
I was on vacation in California and I had never seen the movie before. Well the Nuart center they were performing the movie live. I must say it was wonderful! Colleen Camp was there. It was so amazing I can't even explain it! If you haven't seen the movie you HAVE to see it!

Hillarious and more complex than the game!
Clue is based on the classic mystery solving board game. In the movie, the original suspects come into a complex adventure that takes you further than the game would. The story follows as a group of people are invited to Mr. Boddy's mansion. Boddy claims to have called them on financial business. But when the six people discover that they have to use a covername given to them and find it mysterious that the host is taking forever to arrive, they get suspicious. Finally, Boddy arrives and presents them with objects that can be used as weapons (the revolver, candlestick, etc.). He turns off the lights and tells them to kill him. Not even the strong Colonel Mustard could do a thing like that but when they turn on the lights, Boddy is dead! The clan and Boddy's butler (the hillarious Tim Curry)go out to find whodunit and realize there is someone else in the mansion!
This movie is full of suspense, adventure, and laughter making it a must see! And the best part is you can try to solve the mystery on your own through the movie if you so desire!

Comedy + Mystery = Brilliant!
This is one of the funniest movies of all time. It combines the genres of comedy and mystery into a hilariously entertaining whole. The dialogue is fast, clever, and chock full of subtle humor. There is plenty of physical comedy too. The story line is well written and the alternate endings are wonderful. All the endings are possible, I went back and saw who was where and it worked! The actors are all brilliant and they can say so much with just a look. Tim Curry as the butler was simply a pleasure to watch! This is one movie that didn't get the attention it deserved. Perfect to watch anytime!


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