Austin Movie Reviews

Plenty of other reviewers have already commented, correctly, on how low-quality the image is on this DVD. In an age when movies from the 50's are restored to crystal clarity, this treatment of a movie from 1979 is unacceptable. But another problem is that the movie just isn't very good either. Sure, we all love the Muppets. But look objectively at the movie itself. The plot about the villain trying to kill Kermit feels too nasty given the overall light tone of the film. The assassin brought in to shoot Kermit with a speargun is especially creepy. Of course, scary elements in kids' films have a long and respectable history. But here, they feel out of place. Another problem is the utterly moronic level of much of the dialogue and the extreme overacting. Yes, I know, it's a kids' film. But Disney has shown us how kids' movies can entertain adults as well. Although it has its moments, The Muppet Movie nevertheless features scene after scene of really lame dialogue, jokes, and plot points. A key example is Mel Brook's cameo as a German mad scientist. He enters the scene clicking his heels like a member of the Gestapo. Do we really need Nazi references in a Muppet movie, even if they are from Mel Brooks?

I love the Muppet Movie. Its nods to film noir and buddy films, the music by the fabulous Paul Williams, the celebrity cameos, the characters--especially Miss Piggy and Fozzie.

Now then, I always watched the Muppets very aware that the movies were working on both the child and adult level, and happily put in the DVD anticipating my favorite muppet joke of all: when Kermit walks into a bar after having lost Piggy and says, sadly, "I'll have a grasshopper, please."

Great joke! Kids won't know what a "grasshopper" is or that he is boozing over being stood up--they'll just tune out til the music!

So why did they cut it from the DVD?

Especially when they kept the visual that Kermit drank alllll the champagne after Piggy left, and Rowlf's assertion that every night he has "a coupla beers." This PC thing has gone too far. I suppose it's not enough to deduct a whole star--except it's my all time fave muppet moment.

Oh well, love the movie. And love the DVD option of watching it in French, where they have to change Piggy's trademark "Moi!" to "Me."

The Muppet Movie is where the Muppets started! This magical tale can be watched over and over again and never get old. Here are some of the highlights of the film that keep me watching it:
- When Kermit first meets Fozzie Bear in a dingy cafe
- The wonderful songs, my personal favorite being the Electric Mayhem's "Can You Picture That?"
- Animal (reason enough, right?) the crazy drummer for the Electric Mayhem
- The road trip (makes you feel like you're on a trip too)
- MISS PIGGY, being herself (If you don't know who Miss Piggy is or have never watched a Muppet show you have GOT to buy this DVD just to see her!)

Those are just a few things I love about this show. I don't think you'll be dissapointed if you give the Muppets a chance! I also recommend all the other shows in the Muppet Feature Film series.

Brief Introduction

To start, I must say that this is by far the best WWE/WWF event, best Wrestlemania, and best Sports Entertainment event of all time. When my brother and I first viewed this, we were fairly new to the wrestling world, and by the end we were in shock. In this review, I will express points of each match that we particularly liked, however, I will not give any spoilers as to who won the match except in a couple places.

Matches:

Match 1:
Intercontinental Championship Match
Chris Jericho VS. William Regal

As soon as the great entrance to this Wrestlemania ended,which, in all honesty, was good enough to give us chills; going all through the greatest moments, this was the first match that greated us, and at the time, though it was the first match, it was one of the greatest we had ever seen. As soon as the match began, it became obvious that the match would be good, but we had no clue how good. It had a good back story to it, and was able to freshen up the rivalry. (8/10)

Match 2:
APA and Tazz VS. Right to Censor with Stephen Richards

Right to Censor is one of the most annoying groups in wrestling and it was good to see them get into a fight with someone who can hold there own. This match was very fun to watch because APA is always great, and Tazz had one of his best matches. There is a reason they call him the Suplex Machine. (7/10)

Match 3:
Hardcore Championship
Kane VS. Raven VS. Big Show
This match was actually quite funny and entertaining, going all around backstage, using some very creative ways to hurt each other. I can't say much about this match because I ran long on the first two, but it was very fun to watch!(9/10)

Match 4:
Test VS. Eddie Gurrero
European Championship

This was probably my least favorite match at Wrestlemania 17, but that's not saying much, it is definitely worth the time to watch. It couldn't really compare to the other matches, but Eddie was fun to watch of course, and had a good story line going in. I did not like all the outside interference and I must say I didn't think it was very fair. (5/10)

Match 5:
Kurt Angle VS. Chris Benoit

Very good technical match, lacking in some places, but still very entertaining...these two have great chemistry and Kurt was funny. (8/10)

Match 6:
Chyna VS. Ivory
Women's Championship

I said I wouldn't give away any matches, and if you don't want to know, don't read on. Chyna completely dominated this match and if I didn't say who won, there wouldn't be much to say. Very short match. (6/10)

Macth 7:
Vince McMahon VS. Shane McMahon Guest Ref: Mick Foley Street Fight

Great match, lots of action, and great story line. Very controversial story...very good match, very entertaining to watch father and son fight it out, GREAT match, one of the best. (10/10)

Match 8:
TLC Match Edge and Christian VS. Hardyz VS. Dudleys
Tag Team Titles

What can you say about TLC? It was GREAT. Very entertaining and some very creative ideas by whoever put together this match. Looked like a car wreck after the match, and the Hardyz dare-devil style added greatly. (10/10)

Match 9:
Gimick Battle Royal

It was great to see some of the oldies back into the ring, announced by Mean Gean Okerland and Bobby the Brain, it was very fun to watch! (8/10)

Match 10:
Undertaker VS. Triple H

Undetaker is by far our favorite wrestler, and again put on a show at Wrestlemania. Most fans will know who won, since 'Taker has never lost at Wrestlemania, and it went out of the ring in this match. Very fun match to watch take place. Hardcore matchup, ref knocked out through most of match (10/10)

Match 11:
The Rock VS. Stone Cold Steve Austin

One of the greatest matches, many two-counts, even after special manuvers. This was a GREAT match, though it had a dissapointing ending after such a hard fought match. The best match at Wretlemania 17, if not of all time, except for the ending. (12/10)

Conclusion:
This is the best Wrestlemania of all time, and would reccomend it to anyone who says they are a WWE/WWF fan!!!!

What a slobberknocker! Wrestlemania X-Seven was hot from top to bottom. Everything from the action to the twists to the raucous Houston fans helped make this show one of the greatest of them all. I also even recount being blown away by the elaborate stage set and lighting the first time I watched this. Boy, the WWE really knows how to put on a show. Here are the matches:

Chris Jericho vs. William Regal was a satisfying opener, but I wish it got more time. What ever happened to Regal? I miss him. The six man tag match was good for what it was but thankfully kept short. The Hardcore Title brawl was entertaining, especially when Raven takes his bumps. Guerrero vs. Test was your standard match, nothing too special. Now here's when the night gets good...Angle vs. Benoit was one of the best of the night. A great technical clinic with a nice swerve at the end. Okay, I was wrong...next, Chyna vs. Ivory was a dud, but after this throwaway it heats up. Shane O'Mac vs. Vinnie Mac couldn't tell a better story. The insertion of Linda Mac helped generate extra drama and the whole match was exciting. TLC II, just a feast for the eyes, enough said. The Gimmick Battle Royal was just great. You might as well just buy this ppv just to watch the (old) Iron Sheik and (old) Sgt. Slaughter go at it one more time. Triple H vs. Undertaker was surprisingly solid. One of my favorites of the night being that I'm a huge UT fan. The out-of-ring brawling made most of this match. And finally, (arguably) the greatest Wrestlemania main event of all time...Rock vs. Austin was just perfect all around. I hadn't felt so tense watching a Wrestlemania main event since watching Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 12. Just a stunning end, albeit a temporary end, to a legendary feud.

You won't be disappointed with Wrestlemania X-Seven. If you don't own this, you certainly need to!

Wrestlemania X7 is one of the greatest PPV's of all time, TLC, Father-Son Wars & WWF Titles, all here...

This is one of Joe Pesci best movie's I think he's ever done it's funny but not the stupid funny type of movie's it had a good story line too, his nephew and friend are acuse of murder and it's up to Cousin Vinny to save the day but can he do it doese he really know how to be a lawyer and prove his case I think this movie shows to never dout yourself never say you can't do something because it may surpise you in the end what you really can do

"My Cousin Vinny" might just be a comedy classic. There's nothing that unique about it; the (rather hokey) plot and stereotypes upon which the comedy is built are fairly standard. Yet it's performed with such heart you can't help but love it. Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, and Fred Gwynne carry the movie splendidly and earn every laugh they get. This is one of those movies where you don't need the DVD extras to make it special (which is good, since there are essentially ZIP). It's special all on its own. At a price this low, you should definitely add "My Cousin Vinny" to your DVD library.

I totally enjoyed this movie. It starts out with two
young Italian boys on their way to college. While traveling through a small town in Alabama they are falsely accused of murder and Bill calls home asking for a lawyer to be sent to help them. The family send Bill's cousin Vinny, who has never tried his first case.
Vinny is played by Joe Pesci and his girlfirend is played by Marisa Tomei. What an outstanding couple they made in this movie. I laughed myself silly and shared it with everyone I knew. Think about it! A Northern Italian Lawyer in a Southern town, you can imagine the friction, but oh the comedy that is there. If you haven't watched this movie yet, you need to run out and get it. You won't be sorry, it is great!

This is a GREAT concert!

Video is good and the audio too. There are a few songs that have different mixes but all in all, BUY IT!

This is probably the best music DVD that I currently own, along with "Jimi Plays Berkeley", "Jimi Hendrix: Live at the Isle of Wight", and "Stevie Ray Vaughan: Live at the El Macambo." I first bought this concert on VHS in 2000, and later purchased it on DVD in 2003, which is of much better quality. Highlights include renditions of "Voodoo Chile (Hendrix)" & "Leave My Girl Alone (Buddy Guy)", plus Stevie's own "Crossfire", "Pride & Joy", "Tightrope", "The House Is Rockin'", "Riviera Paradise", and an extended "Cold Shot."
The best song is obviously "Voodoo Chile", which is much cleaner than the 1968 original by Hendrix. This DVD actually taught me to play that song. I would keep replaying that track until I got each and every riff down perfectly. Now, I can somewhat play "Voodoo Chile" the way Stevie did some 20 years ago. Also check out the bonus video for "Little Wing", another Hendrix song redone by SRV and his award winning band, Double Trouble.

Pure magnificent Tight rope was pure magic and he showed his love toward music and the entire DVD is great.

Something Is Wrong With This PPV. It was awful. Don't Buy It.

This was one of the best WrestleManias i've ever viewed. Most of the card was solid and the DVD itself is packed with some great extras.

SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT Extra
* RVD & Kane v. Lance Storm & Cheif Morley - Tag Titles

Should have replaced "Millerlite Catfight" segment during the actually show. Great match. Very intense action. Dudley Boyz even get involved and are a huge factor in the outcome.

* Matt Hardy v. Rey Mysterio - Cruiserweight Title

This was a very good opener. The only letdown was the crowd reactions and the finish.

* Undertaker & Nathan Jones v. Big Show & A-Train

Limp Bizkit plays The Undertaker to the ring. Events during Sunday Night Heat turn this into a handicap match. The Undertaker "is" this match. The Big Show and A-Train ride on his back the entire contest. Nonetheless, a surprisingly entertaining match with Nathan Jones saving the day in the end.

* Victoria v. Trish Stratus v. Jazz - Women's Title

This is by-far the greatest women's match ever, whether at a WrestleMania or any other show. All three women give their all and put on a damn good show with, sadly, a lackluster crowd reaction, which is what kills this match. Steven Richards' comedic antics spice this one up as well.

* Team Angle v. Los Guerreros v. Chris Benoit & Rhyno - Tag Titles

The best three-way tag match to ever take place so far. Great performances by Chavo and Eddie Guerrero, who gave the greatest show of athletisism in the bout. Nice chaotic climax to end this one.

* Shawn Michaels v. Chris Jericho

Excellent contest. Shawn Michaels had an unbelievable entrance. Michaels not only pulled out some old tricks, but revealed some new ones. Chris Jericho also stole the show. Couldn't have asked for more from these two atheletes, with a post-match encounter that will leave any HBK fan with a sour taste in their mouth (shame on you Jericho).

*WrestleMania Catfight
Millerlite Catfight Girls v. Torrie Wilson v. Stacy Keibler

Horrible gimmick match. Yes, the clevage (or what little bit there is..) is there. But..not only is it pointless. But we end up seeing Jonathan Coachman in his underwear and nothing close to the billing. oh well. Only bad spot of the night.

* Triple H v. Booker T - World Title

Great match. Triple H pulled out all the stops. Booker T showed why he deserved to be in a WrestleMania title match. Overall, Booker T stole the show with a throwback to his old Harlem Heat days (you'll just have to watch to find out). Would have been a perfect match had we seen Triple H pull out the 'ol sledge hammer and even more so, had we seen the man who really deserved to win walk out with the gold.

* Hulk Hogan v. Vince McMahon - Street Fight

Awesome match-up. This is where the crowd was the loudest the whole night. Just how any street fight should be. Bloody and violent. A shocking return by one of Hogan and Vince's old nemesis'. Unbelievable ending.

* Stonecold Steve Austin v. The Rock

One of the best match-ups of the night. The crowd is really into this one as well. Lots of nearfalls. This one will keep you on your toes until the very end...and what an end it was to an excellent feud. Nothing as shocking as X-7, where Austin turned heel, though. But still incredible.

* Kurt Angle v. Brock Lesnar - Championship Title

Best match on the card. When watching this, just keep in mind that Kurt Angle is wrestling with a broken neck and you'll realize why. Brock Lesnar proves that he's more than just a "power-based" wrestler. There is no point in this match where you will want to stop and grab a snack or fast foward. The entire match is solid. Great performance by both men.

All in all a top notch show. Great DVD. This WrestleMania alone could very well convert a non-fan into a hardcore fan. Not the best. Maybe not even in the top five. But definetely one of the best Mania's of all-time. Limp Bizkit's performance is amazing even if you're not a fan of their music. Ashanti's rendition of America the Beautiful at the beginning of the show is missing from the DVD (what's up with that?). The DVD extras are great, but it would have been nice if they would have included an extra historical match or two from prior Mania's. For example, the first two Austin/Rock encounters. Otherwise, an excellent DVD.

Wrestlemania 19 ranks up there with some of the best Wrestlemania's ever.

Matt Hardy vs. Rey Mysterio-Cruierweight title- This match was okay. They shuold of given these two talented uperstars more than 5 minutes at a 4 hour ppv.

Undertaker vs. A-Train and The Big Show-It wasn't good, but it was better match then anyone expected. Undertaker won to continue his Wrestlemania undefeated streak.

Victria vs. Trish vs. Jazz- Women's title-Good ladys match. better then I expected it to be. Trish won!

Benoit/Rhyno vs. Guerreos vs. Team Angle-tag team titles- Not as good as it should have been, but it was still very solid. Although it should have gotten more time.

Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Micheals- Now this wasa great match! It had real wrestling and it had that wrestlemania feel to it. A True Classic!

HHH vs. Booker T-World Title- I was dissapointed that HHH won, but it was still a great match.

Vince Mcmahon vs. Hulk Hogan-Streetfight. Bloody match! I really enjoyed this match. One of my favorite wrestler of all time returned!

The Rock vs. Stone Cold- The weakest out of their three wrestlemania matches, but it was still the usual greatness from these two.

Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle-WWE championship-Amazing Match! it was a true wrestlemania classic title match!

This gem isn't your typical holiday movie that isn't heavy on sentiment. What Jodie delivers is a perfect slice of life film on how people deal with family traditions, e.g. Thanksgiving. I can't help but see either a family member or a friend in each character. IMO, Jodie's commentary is probably the best I've heard on any DVD. It sold me on buying the DVD because I can relate to her experiences with her family.

Jody Foster must have had hidden cameras stashed in my house to get ideas for this gem. I'm 33 and, according to Jody's commentary, I fall right into the crowd that understands this material. My wife and I thought this movie was hilarious. Charles Durning plays my father to a T! This movie does a magnificent job of depicting the hell and hilarity that is "The Holiday Season".

I'm a big Holly Hunter fan but regardless of that this movie was hilarious. The situations and family interactions were all too familiar to real life whether it was my family or a friends. It is a bit on the depressing side at times, but over all you get a good feeling from watching it. Highly recommend it

This movie is funny as hell it had me from beginnig to end if you don't have this movie pick it up you won't regret it. In fact its cheap now so thats another reason to buy this movie.

Norm Macdonald is naturally funny. His sense of humor brightly shined through the flimsy material he had to work with on Saturday Night Live. Here, Norm has a movie's length to display what SNL doled out in small nuggets.

Norm plays Mitch, a guy who can always think of a simple, swift, and cruel way of punishing people who wrong him, but isn't good at much else. When forced to come up with a $50,000 bribe to get his best friend's father a new heart, he decides to capitalize on his special gift. The plot works well enough to not take away from how hilarious this movie is.

Norm is, of course, horrendously funny. His delivery is so brilliant that he can turn the worst jokes into gold. They also incorporate his "note to self" jokes into the movie. Artie Lang, Chris Farley and Don Rickles are also hilarious.

Summary: funny funny funny funny funny.

I hate being let down by comedies. I really do. When you see a movie as creatively funny as this, you just have to admire it. I don't know if so many people know about it, but it's defintely one of the top five funniest movies I've ever seen. I think if you like Top Secret, you might like this.

Well, Treasure Planet used to be my favorite, but now, I don`t know if I have a favorite movie! It has good characters, a good storyline, great feel-like-your-there animation, and an absolute great music (even I think the Goo-Goo Dolls are idiots!). I like the soalar-surfing parts alot. I hope you consider this reveiw.

For a host of reasons, "Treasure Planet" is sure to please the moppet audience for which it was intended. The art and animation is nothing short of sublime: the acme of the animator's art. The coloring is dazzling yet subtle. The conception of the ships is bold and original. The design of the characters - particularly Long John Silver, B.E.N., and Mr. Scroop - does not disappoint. The script (for the most part) is deft; the pace, brisk; and the voices of the characters matchlessly brought off.

So what's the problem with this movie?

Well, for the ADULT audience, at which many aspects of this movie are aimed, several hurdles come a-knockin', particularly when it comes to the way the plot stumbles storywise.

Lemme see if I understand: Dr. Dilbert Doppler is financing - exclusively commissioning - the entire ship with his "savings" (this is made clear). So how is it that his homeboy Jim gets stuck having to swab the decks and peel potatoes? The script tried to play this off as a whim on the part of our Protestant work-ethic captain, but for all that, it doesn't make a lick of sense and those upstairs knew it. I suppose Disney figured that, as I suggested, the kids in the audience wouldn't storm out of the movie-houses protesting the gross illogicality of this situation, since no sooner are we presented with it than we are introduced to the Cyborg's mesmerizing appendage. Just one of many irritating examples of how the barrel of their exposition could have used a cork or two. I had no problem believing that there were three-masted ships sailing through the ether and a dozen other ludicrous premises, but Jim's cabin-boy status posed a believability problem that nagged at me through a big chunk of the film.

And what's with Jim's pathetically trendy space-board? Is our age really so cynical that we can't simply make a movie that doesn't have a "cool and rebellious" hero at its center? Christ. Voltaire was "cool and rebellious." Jim ("prepubescent twit") Hawkins isn't. In years to come this transparent attempt to connect with today's "extreme generation" is definitely going to date the movie in an embarrassing way. God forbid Disney remake Snow White! All the dwarves would probably be into body-piercing and bungee-jumping! Definitely one thing that's great about movies like Pinocchio and The Little Mermaid compared to this kind of film: in those older films there was never any attempt to cast the events and characters onscreen in the light of recent fads, hair-dos, etc. It was possible delightfully to lose oneself in the imaginative worlds presented without being rudely summoned back to the grimy modern world we all inhabit. Even so, I had nearly forgot about that idiotic board until the end of the movie, when it returns with a vengeance. Save your popcorn bag: you'll need it for the vomit.

And what's with Morph, the ubiquitously ingratiating sidekick? Sheesh. I mean, does Disney have such a low opinion of children today that it invariably assumes none of them will want to see a movie unless there's some impossibly adorable (and scrofulous, if you watch carefully) creature thrown in there? Am I asking too much?

(Well, at least the principals didn't break into a maudlin chorus every 5 minutes; this is something of an improvement over the traditional Disney fare. Although there are a couple of sappy songs - such as shortly after Jim meets Silver - mercifully, though, they aren't sung by the characters.)

A final thing that I found annoying with this movie (am I alone?) was that, in the end, NOBODY gets the treasure. I mean, I know the treasure's just series of nicely-drawn pictures, but at the end of the movie this gigantic mountain of gold and jewels is utterly destroyed and NOBODY gets it, not even the villain! I found this immensely irritating; the audience had definitely made an emotional investment in this treasure. Finding it was the whole point of everything, and when things simply don't pan out, we are left feeling cheated and unsatisfied. Couldn't the loot at least have gone to an orphanage or something? True, Jim was tossed a few coins, but then, in the idiotic finale, we see his mother has inexplicably used them to rebuild her inn (which, we are led to understand, had been on the point of giving her a coronary), rather than using them to go to graduate school, or build a better life for herself somehow. This, also, rubbed me the wrong way.

Yes, "Treasure Planet" is an irritating letdown in every way except visually. What is clear from the film's coloring, detail, and computer-aided graphics is that animated movies are right on the cusp of really growing up, really becoming serious vehicles for art and storytelling - at least potentially. But for some reason the studios that have the power to create meaningful animated films insist instead on infantilizing the media, wasting millions of dollars cranking out dreck so laughable that even the kids it's intended for see right through it.

This is an animated science fiction story based on Robert Louis Stevension's Treasure Island. The script is very good though, as usual with Disney, not as enlightened as one would wish or hope. The animation and design are breathtaking, the characters are fun and the songs are minimally intrusive. All-in-all, I was pleasantly surprised by this film, and look forward to re-reading the book so I can see how it compares.

Disney's forte continues to be their state-of-the-art dvd extras, and this disc is no exception. There are trailers and featurettes galore, games, music videos, deleted scenes, an alternate ending and a commentary track with the producer and two directors. Spoken language options are English, French or Spanish, and English captions are available.

Well, Treasure Planet used to be my favorite, but now, I don`t know if I have a favorite movie! It has good characters, a good storyline, great feel-like-your-there animation, and an absolute great music (even I think the Goo-Goo Dolls are idiots!). I like the soalar-surfing parts alot. I hope you consider this reveiw.

For a host of reasons, "Treasure Planet" is sure to please the moppet audience for which it was intended. The art and animation is nothing short of sublime: the acme of the animator's art. The coloring is dazzling yet subtle. The conception of the ships is bold and original. The design of the characters - particularly Long John Silver, B.E.N., and Mr. Scroop - does not disappoint. The script (for the most part) is deft; the pace, brisk; and the voices of the characters matchlessly brought off.

So what's the problem with this movie?

Well, for the ADULT audience, at which many aspects of this movie are aimed, several hurdles come a-knockin', particularly when it comes to the way the plot stumbles storywise.

Lemme see if I understand: Dr. Dilbert Doppler is financing - exclusively commissioning - the entire ship with his "savings" (this is made clear). So how is it that his homeboy Jim gets stuck having to swab the decks and peel potatoes? The script tried to play this off as a whim on the part of our Protestant work-ethic captain, but for all that, it doesn't make a lick of sense and those upstairs knew it. I suppose Disney figured that, as I suggested, the kids in the audience wouldn't storm out of the movie-houses protesting the gross illogicality of this situation, since no sooner are we presented with it than we are introduced to the Cyborg's mesmerizing appendage. Just one of many irritating examples of how the barrel of their exposition could have used a cork or two. I had no problem believing that there were three-masted ships sailing through the ether and a dozen other ludicrous premises, but Jim's cabin-boy status posed a believability problem that nagged at me through a big chunk of the film.

And what's with Jim's pathetically trendy space-board? Is our age really so cynical that we can't simply make a movie that doesn't have a "cool and rebellious" hero at its center? Christ. Voltaire was "cool and rebellious." Jim ("prepubescent twit") Hawkins isn't. In years to come this transparent attempt to connect with today's "extreme generation" is definitely going to date the movie in an embarrassing way. God forbid Disney remake Snow White! All the dwarves would probably be into body-piercing and bungee-jumping! Definitely one thing that's great about movies like Pinocchio and The Little Mermaid compared to this kind of film: in those older films there was never any attempt to cast the events and characters onscreen in the light of recent fads, hair-dos, etc. It was possible delightfully to lose oneself in the imaginative worlds presented without being rudely summoned back to the grimy modern world we all inhabit. Even so, I had nearly forgot about that idiotic board until the end of the movie, when it returns with a vengeance. Save your popcorn bag: you'll need it for the vomit.

And what's with Morph, the ubiquitously ingratiating sidekick? Sheesh. I mean, does Disney have such a low opinion of children today that it invariably assumes none of them will want to see a movie unless there's some impossibly adorable (and scrofulous, if you watch carefully) creature thrown in there? Am I asking too much?

(Well, at least the principals didn't break into a maudlin chorus every 5 minutes; this is something of an improvement over the traditional Disney fare. Although there are a couple of sappy songs - such as shortly after Jim meets Silver - mercifully, though, they aren't sung by the characters.)

A final thing that I found annoying with this movie (am I alone?) was that, in the end, NOBODY gets the treasure. I mean, I know the treasure's just series of nicely-drawn pictures, but at the end of the movie this gigantic mountain of gold and jewels is utterly destroyed and NOBODY gets it, not even the villain! I found this immensely irritating; the audience had definitely made an emotional investment in this treasure. Finding it was the whole point of everything, and when things simply don't pan out, we are left feeling cheated and unsatisfied. Couldn't the loot at least have gone to an orphanage or something? True, Jim was tossed a few coins, but then, in the idiotic finale, we see his mother has inexplicably used them to rebuild her inn (which, we are led to understand, had been on the point of giving her a coronary), rather than using them to go to graduate school, or build a better life for herself somehow. This, also, rubbed me the wrong way.

Yes, "Treasure Planet" is an irritating letdown in every way except visually. What is clear from the film's coloring, detail, and computer-aided graphics is that animated movies are right on the cusp of really growing up, really becoming serious vehicles for art and storytelling - at least potentially. But for some reason the studios that have the power to create meaningful animated films insist instead on infantilizing the media, wasting millions of dollars cranking out dreck so laughable that even the kids it's intended for see right through it.

This is an animated science fiction story based on Robert Louis Stevension's Treasure Island. The script is very good though, as usual with Disney, not as enlightened as one would wish or hope. The animation and design are breathtaking, the characters are fun and the songs are minimally intrusive. All-in-all, I was pleasantly surprised by this film, and look forward to re-reading the book so I can see how it compares.

Disney's forte continues to be their state-of-the-art dvd extras, and this disc is no exception. There are trailers and featurettes galore, games, music videos, deleted scenes, an alternate ending and a commentary track with the producer and two directors. Spoken language options are English, French or Spanish, and English captions are available.

This film is possibly the most emotionally powerful film I have ever seen. I have never cared more for a group of characters as I did for those in "Secrets and Lies." Director/writer Mike Leigh is famous for giving his actors the outlines of their characters and having them improvise most of their lines. This technique succeeds brilliantly here - you feel as if you're a part of these people's lives. All the actors turn in wonderful performances - Brenda Blethyn as the long-suffering poor single English mother, Marianne Jean Baptiste as a young black girl in search of her natural parents, Claire Rushbrook as Blethyn's rebellious daughter, and Phyllis Logan as Blethyn's well-to-do yet frustrated sister in law. At the center of it all is a monumentally understated performance by Timothy Spall, who as Blethyn's brother attempts to hold everyone's lives together as they face the pain of their ordinary existence. A truly moving film that is one of the best ever.

Sit back and savour the genius of the master storyteller, Mike Leigh. In Secrets and Lies, Leigh draws incredible, multi-dimensional performances out of a talented cast headed by Brenda Blethyn and Timothy Spall; quite the finest performances I have seen in a Leigh film.

There is no need for lengthy analysis here. As usual, the director does not aspire to grandeur, but simply presents his characters with utter sincerity and conviction, and allowing us to travel with them on their journies. The tension culminates in a brilliantly acted climax and a touching, low-key final scene reminiscent of that of his earlier, and inferior, Life is Sweet.

I didn't see this movie when it first came out, i waited till it came on Cable, and watched everytime it came on, and I love it so much, that I found myself working out to it, each time I saw different things, the actors, Timothy Spall one of my favorite actors and others did a very good job, I think its one of the best movies to view.