Dakota Movie Reviews

A wonderful addition to any DVD collection. R.L. Stine, the man behind the "Goosebumps" legacy, has returned with this collection of tales from his "The Nightmare Room" series. This disc features four episodes from the television series. The episodes in question are "Camp Nowhere" (Parts 1 & 2), "Don't Forget Me" and "Full Moon Halloween." "Camp Nowhere" sees Russel, Dave, Erin, and Charlotte attend Camp Hawkwood. The campfire story depicts a ghost-camp. In a routine initiation the four experience the `story' first-hand. Will they escape alive? In "Don't Forget Me" a family moves into a new house. Danielle is left to look after her brother Peter when the parents go away. To make him a better brother, Danielle decides to hynotize Peter, who then begins to act strange. Does this have anything to do with the calls from the basement or is it a hynotization gone wrong? Lastly, in "Full Moon Halloween" a rumoured werewolf is attacking people. An invite to a surprise Halloween party for five friends soon turns into a game of `Who is the werewolf?' Will everybody pass, fail, or is it all a hoax? Each of the episodes are excellently scripted and are great stories. The episodes even feature familiar faces....faces such as Amanda Bynes (Big Fat Liar), Sam Jones III & Allison Mack (Smallville), Frankie Muniz (Malcolm In The Middle), Madeline Zima (The Nanny) + a few others. In term of the special features, they are quite excellent as well. Aside from trailers from other Warner Brothers titles, an an intervew with R.L. Stine entitled "The Nightmare Files," there is a bravery test of our darkest fears in "Do You Dare," and lastly a choose-your-own-adventure type of interactive game with "The Nightmare is Yours:Sink or Swim" where you decide your fate. I recommend that this disc be picked up because the stories and features are things that people of all ages would enjoy. So please don't forget to venture into "The Nightmare Room" or else "The Nightmare Room" will venture into you! :-)

I watched Camp Nowhere once and I really like it alot, and the part that I really liked the most is when one kid was cutting down the tree and everybody else was running from the storm to get back inside, but the camp was gone, and the people who were there were gone forever.

After seeing Jim Carrey bring to life such an iconic character as THE GRINCH with such celebratory ease, you would expect much of the same from the comic genius of Mike Myers. However, from the moment THE CAT IN THE HAT first appears, I constantly felt that I was watching "Ausin Powers" in a school play as the Cowardly Lion in THE WIZARD OF OZ. Just slap the lion's accent on Austin and there you have it. Same gestures, same jokes, except now they feel more forced. I got the feeling that many of the ideas that were abandoned in HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS were resurrected and reworked for CAT. Not that the film isn't without several comedic moments. I just got the feeling that this movie could have been much more and instead turned out to be just your average kids-movie-with-adult-themed-innuendo-jokes.

That being said, the kids in the audience couldn't stop laughing and the comments from the audience ranged from "awesome" to "great" with only a couple "so-so's" mixed in. It's a children's book, and that's your audience. Parents will at least be pleased that there are plenty of jokes aimed directly toward them, as well.

My primary problem is that I can't separate it from THE GRINCH. It's a separate film and should be rated as such. Therefore, I rate it slightly better than average. Most likely however, you will rate it higher.

I think this will be one of the best movies on earth! If you remember The Grinch, that was an awesome movie, so what can you expect from this?
Mike Myers looks like he will be an awesome Cat in the Hat. I've seen previews and they are all great and funny.
Can't wait to see this movie!!

after the sucess of the grinch, Universal decides to release another good Dr.sesus book to theathers and they got anther good comedian, Mike Myers,who is the funniest man since Jim Carrey came along.

The movie is going to be good and funny

COOL DVD for kids age 12-16 or older- r.l. steins books are genius and his movies are pretty good too this dvd teaches some lessons to kids while at the same time scaring them or adding some suspense. dvd has 4 diff scary stories and a cool DO you dare? challenge as an extra on the dvd - its sort of like the books he has where u can choose diffrent paths to take but this is on the computer which makes it even cooler - if u take the wrong path u die or u can get to the end if u take right path - u can play it on the dvd player or computer.
EPISODES ON THIS DISK
1. MY NAME IS EVIL- 4 STARS
2. SCAREFUL WHAT U WISH FOR- 4 STARS
3. TANGLED WEB- 5 STARS
4. FEAR GAMES- 3.5 stars
and then the haunted cave game extra feature
plus trailors - highly recomended dvd

This is the TWILIGHT ZONE for kids... with young teens menaced by the supernatural...though usually with a not-so-subtle moral to the story. MY NAME IS EVIL is the best of this bunch...though they are all good, intelligent fun for the 16 and younger set.

A wonderful addition to any DVD collection. R.L. Stine, the man behind the "Goosebumps" legacy, has returned with this collection of tales from his "The Nightmare Room" series. The disc is a highly enjoyable one and is full of tricks and treats for all ages. 4 episodes are featured on this disc. In "My Name is Evil" Morgan visits a carnival with friends and is told he is `evil' by a gypsy. Bad things start to happen, but the question is are they a fluke, or is the prediction true? In "Scareful What You Wish For" Dylan is followed around by Buddy, his supposed `best friend.' He belives that it is a childhood toy come to life. Will Dylan be able to stop Buddy's attacks, is he crazy or will he become just another victim? In "Tangled Web" Josh is a compulsive liar who uses words to get out of everything. But when a supply teacher shows up and believes his lie, things get interesting. Josh's lies begin to come true! Will Josh be able to escape the trouble he put himself in or will he become a casuality of his own words? Lastly in "Fear Games" teens are selected to take part in `The Fear Games.' Upon arrival at Tranquility Island April is told of a witch that inhibits it. During the games she sees that the witch legend may indeed be true. Will she and the others be able to escape reality tv alive? The stories each feature familiar faces from current televison....Tippy Hedren, Ashley Peldon (Catlin's Way/Thunder Alley), Besty Randle (Boy Meets World), David Carradine, Justin Berfield (Malcolm In The Middle) + the twins from "Big Daddy" and a few others. The acting is superb and each episode is excellently done. In terms of special features, there are a few. With "The Nightmare is Yours: The Haunted Cave" you have an interactive `Choose Your Own Adventure' type of story in which you decide your very fate. "Do You Dare?" is a trivia feature about our darkest nightmares. "The Nightmare Files" is an interview with R.L. Stine himself. Lastly, there is a "Trailers" feature that showcases other Warner Brothers titles that are available. I highly recommend this DVD as it provides a wide variety of entertainment for people of all ages. Do you dare attempt to venture into "The Nightmare Room?" :-)

This Movie gave a very very good impression about the relationship between the father and his child whatever the mental differents are :)

Sean Penn was fantastic. Michelle Pfeiffer was just as Oscar worthy. Dakota Fanning is so mature for her age and could probably act circles around most adults. Richard Schiff was a great jerk of a lawyer, he has such a stern demeanor and visage. Laura Dern, making a sort of come back to the silver screen, was subtle yet as important as Sam. The story is easily conceivable, but the vigor and care with which the players deliver this story's touching story and inspiring words and outcome make it so enjoyable and so darn good. It's a great movie, and if you don't cry when Laura Dern gives Lucy (In The Sky With Diamonds) back, you're not human. It's like not crying at Fried Green Tomatoes or Steel Magnolias, you just have to cry. The soundtrack is great, Eddie Vedder is a perfect match for "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away." Amiee Mann and that other gentleman, I feel bad forgetting his name, are so melodic on "Two Of Us." All around, cinema, script, performances, score and soundtrack, this movie has it all: commercial appeal and critical success, even if I'm the only one that thinks so. It's great!

I saw this movie the same weekend that I saw John Q and I have to say that this was on the exact opposite end of the spectrum even though it's in the same genre! How is it on the opposite? Simply put, the emotions that it illicit are genuine.

Just from reading the plot above, I think it's fair to say that that there is a high chance that this movie could be a simple sob story that goes for the cliche in order to get you to cry. That NEVER happens in this film. Every emotion, although sometimes gut wrenching, is elicited genuinely from the actors and the story. I should also mention that I grew up next door to a mentally challenged neighbor, so I have had experience with the subject. Although Sam is clearly at the upper end of the spectrum in terms of mental deficiency, Penn nails the role and I think it's one of the best performances of his life. Playing the role of a retarded person is not easy. It's not just a matter of talking funny, or acting stupid - Penn clearly illustrates that fact. Not to mention that he's able to hold the screen acting opposite a child and 5 dogs!

In conjunction with Penn's performance, the writing is truly incredible. It's realistic and doesn't portray any of the characters as caricatures of themselves. Richard Schiff, for example, could have been portrayed as simply "the bad guy" in his role as Turner, State's Attorney. It would have been an easy choice for the writer's to make and unfortunately, it's a choice that many movies tend to make. Instead, Turner is portrayed as someone doing his job and looking out for the best interests of the child. Although it's one of the more minor roles of the film, the fact that none of characters were "throw away" just goes to how how well the script was written.

One other element that is often overlooked is the cinematography. Elliot Davis really gives this movie a unique style and feel in his photography and actually plays a role in telling the story. As the color pallets change for the perspective it makes it easier to tell where the perspective has changed as well. One of my favorite scenes involves the Sam in the courtroom and Davis' use of 4 cameras to capture the scene coupled with Richard Chew's editing makes that scene so compelling.

Lastly, I have to mention the performances given by the lead women in the cast. Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays Sam's lawyer Rita Harrison, gives one of her best performances in her career. The arc that she is able to take her character is not easy. She goes from being someone who has very little in the way of redeeming qualities to someone you can deeply care for. She really stretched herself in this role and took some chances that pay off in spades. And last, but not least, Dakota Fanning plays Sam's daughter Lucy. I haven't seen Dakota in any other films yet, but now I want to. Although playing a child, when you're a child isn't much of a stretch, having to play a child that understands the mentally challenged is. The script gives her everything she needs for the scene, but Dakota has to deliver it and she does. Her talent is well beyond her years and the emotion she is able to convey through her eyes and in her reactions to other characters is truly impressive. Her role could have been the weak link that brought the movie to a much lower level, but she proved to be one of it's anchors.

Make no mistake about it, this is a tear jerker, but in the best sense of the word. It's an honest look at a unique situation that shows us many facets and pulls no punches.

This movie directed by Boaz Yakin (Fresh, Remember The Titans) has a certain charm to it. It was going for the warm fuzzy's and along the way found a real heart for me.

Cocky and not-so-bright Britney Murphy (Just Married, 8-Mile) plays a aristocratic well to do teen who suddenly looses what she ahs to find out she needs to get a real job. In her attempt she is befriended by a mother played by Heather Locklear (Looney Toons Back In Action, The First Wives Club) who needs a caretaker - babysitter for her young daughter played by Dakota Fanning (I Am Sam, The Cat In The Hat).

The two teach each other a valuable lesson about life. One - Brittany needs to lean how to grow up, the other - Dakota - needs how to learn to have fun. The two are forced to tolerate each other in order to appease the mother. However, in the process of hating each other, they learn a lesion in family friendship and that people are not what they seem to be on the outside.

That's the warm fuzzy! Really nice heart - it does get a little slow in parts, but the chemistry of little Dakota with everyone on screen is amazing. You can't help not liking her even after she plays this temperamental little brat.

As far as the theatrical experience, a good film for the teens and young adults but it is not really for the really young or middle aged crowd - it does have a syrupy side that may give some a tooth ache. This would be a great DVD to have for the family. Let me know what you think. (11-12-03)

The plot of "Uptown Girls" revolves around a rich daughter of a dead rock star named Molly *Brittany Murphy" who gets scanned out of her inheritance so she must get a job taking care of the bratty daughter of a record exec. The acting in thsi film is actually very good and the little girl did a great job. Brittany Murphy is amusing onscreen as she usually is. The movie is lighthearted as a whole until towards the end when the predictable ending doesn't come into play and tragedy is introduced instead. Very sad. Still, a very good movie.

I think that "Uptown girl" is a sweet mix of everything you would want to see. It's funny with a touch of tears, romantic..and well just GOOD. Brittany Murphy has become one of my favourite actress's through this movie; I feel that a good part of her acting is just her personality (except in real life she knows about the whole grownup role). As for "Ray"? "Flash News" she is absolutly fantastic .....i admire her!! (and that's all i can say) The reason this movie needs....yes yes NEEDS to be seen is just because the person infront of the screen never gets bored . Trust me when I saw this movie i was in the plane coming back from New York, and well a lot of times planes aren't the best theaters. Am I right? This movie has a message, and is not totally blahhh, and dull it shows a little bit of everywoman out there, the permanent conflict: To grow up? or not to grow up? and most of the times the little girl decides she wants to and vice versa. This "mixage" of fairy tale and harsh reality is fantastically produced!! CONGRATULATION Uptown girl crew: You have a winner!!

This movie directed by Boaz Yakin (Fresh, Remember The Titans) has a certain charm to it. It was going for the warm fuzzy's and along the way found a real heart for me.

Cocky and not-so-bright Britney Murphy (Just Married, 8-Mile) plays a aristocratic well to do teen who suddenly looses what she ahs to find out she needs to get a real job. In her attempt she is befriended by a mother played by Heather Locklear (Looney Toons Back In Action, The First Wives Club) who needs a caretaker - babysitter for her young daughter played by Dakota Fanning (I Am Sam, The Cat In The Hat).

The two teach each other a valuable lesson about life. One - Brittany needs to lean how to grow up, the other - Dakota - needs how to learn to have fun. The two are forced to tolerate each other in order to appease the mother. However, in the process of hating each other, they learn a lesion in family friendship and that people are not what they seem to be on the outside.

That's the warm fuzzy! Really nice heart - it does get a little slow in parts, but the chemistry of little Dakota with everyone on screen is amazing. You can't help not liking her even after she plays this temperamental little brat.

As far as the theatrical experience, a good film for the teens and young adults but it is not really for the really young or middle aged crowd - it does have a syrupy side that may give some a tooth ache. This would be a great DVD to have for the family. Let me know what you think. (11-12-03)

The plot of "Uptown Girls" revolves around a rich daughter of a dead rock star named Molly *Brittany Murphy" who gets scanned out of her inheritance so she must get a job taking care of the bratty daughter of a record exec. The acting in thsi film is actually very good and the little girl did a great job. Brittany Murphy is amusing onscreen as she usually is. The movie is lighthearted as a whole until towards the end when the predictable ending doesn't come into play and tragedy is introduced instead. Very sad. Still, a very good movie.

I think that "Uptown girl" is a sweet mix of everything you would want to see. It's funny with a touch of tears, romantic..and well just GOOD. Brittany Murphy has become one of my favourite actress's through this movie; I feel that a good part of her acting is just her personality (except in real life she knows about the whole grownup role). As for "Ray"? "Flash News" she is absolutly fantastic .....i admire her!! (and that's all i can say) The reason this movie needs....yes yes NEEDS to be seen is just because the person infront of the screen never gets bored . Trust me when I saw this movie i was in the plane coming back from New York, and well a lot of times planes aren't the best theaters. Am I right? This movie has a message, and is not totally blahhh, and dull it shows a little bit of everywoman out there, the permanent conflict: To grow up? or not to grow up? and most of the times the little girl decides she wants to and vice versa. This "mixage" of fairy tale and harsh reality is fantastically produced!! CONGRATULATION Uptown girl crew: You have a winner!!

If Lou Diamond Phillips wasn't in this movie it would be entirely lacking in substance. He brings a feeling of depth to a otherwise sickly sweet story of young love, anguish and charity. With few moments of credibility this movie may raise your spirits but little else.

The movie is a great family film with a great cast. there is lots of action in this film. The music was done by Chris Christian who at one time worked with Amy Grant, and Michail W. Smith. If you are looking for a great get the family together movie then Dakota is it!

What really shines out in this movie is the amazing acting job by the adorable (and now very handsome) actor Robert Lemus, as the young brother who has an unfortunate mishap with a water tower (Eric Dakota). Unfortunately this amazing actor has since left the show biz world to pursue an academic career at Princeton University but all his fans wait with baited breath for his return to the silver screen.

This movie was horrible!!! I watched it with my twin 6-year-olds and we were all equally bored and disappointed with this video! It was just SO far off from the story and all these extra characters (an excuse to add some star names to the mix), just came and went randomly. Most of the jokes seemed more aimed at adults than the kids it is intended for. My kids, however, are OBSESSED, with the older version of this story starring Chloris Leachman as the witch and complete with the original Engelburt Humperdink music. The video is hard to come by though. Someone should re-release it. It's great.

My husband and I watched it with our 6 and 3 year old. We ALL thought this movie was hilarious! Keep in mind though that it is silly and pretty corny but I think that's what makes it so funny. Beware there are is lot of gaseous humor. :) My kids watched this about four times in two days! It has the classic Hansel and Gretel story with a bit of a Halloween touch. We all thought it was great and we will definatly be adding this to our collection.

I rented this movie for a 3yr old and a 6yr old, expecting an updated retelling of the Grimm Fairytale. It was a whole lot better. The movie had some new characters and fun twists! The movie visually entertained my 3yr old, and my 6yr old loved the story and I loved the fun quirks and joke references. In a world where precious little is simply plain fun entertainment - this movie rocks! We will be purchasing this DVD and probably giving a few as gifts!

Fine and down right homespun comedy with Reese Witherspoon as a Fashion designer who goes back home to divorce her ex-husband and finds out that things are not as simple as she would like, and finds her real self in the process. This is a fine little comedy that is a saucy and as heart warming as they come, and it will put a smile on your face after its over.

Sweet Home Alabama is a touching movie about true love and fate that brought tears to my eyes. It truely was a sweet movie, probably a "chick flick" but that's not the point. It's predictable from the beginning but keeps the suspense to a point where you are wondering how that situation is going to work out and then how the next one is. Overall it just keeps the hope of true love conquers all up for people starting to doubt and will warm your heart. I loved it and can watch it again and again.

This is a really cute movie - I like it a lot. Reese Whitherspoon plays the part of Melanie Carmicheal, an up-and-coming NY city fashion designer who gets engaged with the most eligible bachelor in town (The son of a high-profile judge, the JFK Jr. type)... But Melanie has a few skeletons in her closet that she must hige much better before she walks down the isle with Mr. Right.... She travels back home to a small town in Alabama to get -gasp!- a divorce from her childhood-sweetheart/husband. When she gets there she is mortified of her past: all the two-steppin', twangin', hillbillies that she grew up with are totally beneath her. and she declares war on the husband who refuses to give her a divorce. But, after a few days of being back home, she starts to realize that what she thought she wanted may not be what she wants at all.

Reese Whitherspoon is so cute in this movie. And Candice Burgeon plays a great b!tch (the future mother-in-law from hell!) It's a really good romantic comedy that most guys won't even mind watching (Mine didn't!) The dvd comes with an alternate ending too.

This is still entertaining despite its predictability. A family of three are held hostage in three separate places under the gun of three different criminals. See it for the performances.

Okay, If you are confused by all these reviews, I'll tell you this: you can find this movie absolutely fantastic or just have a good time with it. For me, it was the second option. It is a well-aimed Friday night thriller which manages to keep you on your seat until the end. However, It's very predictable, but the performances are very effective, mainly Theron's and Love's..
Courtney Love succeded with her role but Kevin Bacon was kind of annoying at times.
Overall I'd say it was a very entertaining movie, not something I would watch twice, but it deserves some more attention, as it is far better than many of those extremely commercial thrillers out there.

this is a ultra suspenseful and entertaining movie. i rented it over at my grandmas and even my grandma loved it. i've seen it twice since and it still never gets old.