5 comments about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Blu-ray].

1. I actually saw this movie in 2001. I hadn't planned on reviewing it on Amazon until I noticed so many recent, positive reviews. Here's my entry, to offset the imbalance created by those positive reviews:
   
   This is the type of movie which would be best to watch on a Saturday morning when you're extremely ill and have neither the energy nor desire to find the remote so as to change channels or, get up and manually do so.
   
   As with the Blair Witch Project, much hype accompanied this film, none of which was deserved. The "fight" scenes were touted as the best ever. What you actually get is a lot of sword and sword-like play filmed at close quarters for the most part, so that you are unable to see any artistry in the choreography. Since it is a period piece, they use reproductions of Chinese clothing from way back when so it's hard to see any action as the long robes and sleeves whirl about.
   
   In addition to the swirling robes which obscure the action, the film is waaay too long and, it seems to employ all the old, shopworn plots used in the majority of martial arts movies: the good guy's master is killed and his death must be avenged, there is a sacred object which has been stolen and must be recovered (in this case, it is not stolen once, but TWICE!), there are two schools of fighting - one is evil and one is good, the good guy comes across an extremely talented fighter and wants to serve as master/teacher (Hey! If this person could kick the good guy's butt, why would this person need a teacher?), the person whom everyone thinks is a tough guy is actually a tough girl (Yo! Add some carrots to your diet - you didn't notice the arched eyebrows, soft skin and small hands on your masked toughie?).
   
   My number one complaint (and as you can see, I have many) is the use of that stupid Matrix-like technique in the fight scenes.You know, the one where people run in mid-air and fight in mid-air and simply hang in mid-air. It looked stupid when it was first used and now, several movies later, it looks just as lame. We have people flying all over the place and walking among the treetops. Gimme a break! Everything else is done on the up and up, then they want you to suspend ALL belief in gravity and reality.
   
   The film is in Mandarin Chinese which, luckily, I am fluent in (just kidding). I have no quarrel with movies which must be "read," but I DO have a quarrel with movies like this one which simply stink.
   
   One good point: The scenery is beautiful. The trees were especially attractive...until people started walking all over them.
   
   My rating: 1 star (a little something for the trees)



2. A great movie you get drawen into, the fighting is breath takeing and the affects are great.



3. I upgraded to Blu-ray from my well-worn DVD copy (the 2001 release). I have not seen the previous Blu-ray release that came as part of the three-pack, so my comments below compare the stand-alone Blu-ray to the DVD.
   
   The Blu-ray transfer is a definite improvement over the DVD, though not to the degree of some other transfers I have seen. Much of the film was shot "soft" by Ang Lee to cover for wire-work and, basically, to suit his own taste. Those scenes remain soft on the new transfer. Not much if any of the grain has been removed and it occasionally flares up. So while it doesn't provide the "digital sharpness" (for a lack of a better phrase) of many recent releases, it does present what the director intended and I don't list that as a fault.
   
   Black levels have improved and several scenes have had exposure levels altered (all for the better). Coloring remains much the same as the DVD. Most noticeably, the offensive random noise and dirt from the DVD release has been cleaned up. That in itself is a good reason to upgrade.
   
   Sound is now in Dolby TrueHD and emphasizes the clash of swords a bit more but it is no huge improvement. I've never listened to the English audio track so I don't know if that's changed at all, but the sub-titles have been reworked and that is good news. It seemed easier to follow some of the plot nuances (like the master-pupil concerns) which I had to piece out over several previous viewings of the DVD. Extras are the same with one addition, a commentary track by Peter Pau (cinematographer) which is worth listening to.
   
   Overall this is a definite improvement over DVD and fans should consider buying. I always thought the DVD rushed and beneath Sony for a film that won so many Academy Awards; this is a good step up. Oh, and Michelle Yeoh looks more gorgeous than ever in HD.



4. Many people consider this to be the greatest martial arts film ever made. I'm not a martial arts expert, but I can tell that this is simply a masterpiece. It's brilliant from beginning to end: the fight scenes, the breathtaking scenery, the haunting music, the realistic sets/buildings, and even the occasional bits of humor. This is not your usual Bruce Lee martial arts flick, where silliness pretty much plays a dominant role in the action. Here the action scenes, as well as the dramatic scenes, are done with beautiful skill and are taken very seriously. Every single actor in this film (Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Cheng Pei-pei, etc.) do an extraordinary job, while director Ang Lee tells the story with his own uniquely artistic craft. It's safe to say that I really like this movie, even if it isn't really one of my personal favorites. It's a great film, and it should be required viewing for those who love films made from the East.
   
   Grade: 9.5/10



5. Fine transfer to Blu-ray format. Lovely to look at, would love to have had more extras. But the price was good.

5 comments about Red Cliff International Version - Part I & Part II.

1. This is one of the greatest Epics ever put on film, and with fabulous production values.



2. This is one excellent movie, good from start to finish. Very glad that i now have it in my collection



3. Really great Movie by John Woo...Lot's of action...Beautiful scenery...The International version is the best...A real Winner!!!



4. It was quite long, but hey there's two parts so you can watch it in sections. No Cantonese dub.



5. I only viewed the International version of this film, so I cannot compare it with the shorter version. In fact, I have only viewed two John Woo films...Face/Off and Broken Arrow, neither which come close to this epic story. This is definitely a war movie, full of brilliant strategies but also a movie about relationships, loyalty and trust. Spectacular scenery, settings,costuming and choreography.

5 comments about Fist of Legend [Blu-ray].

1. this movie tops all martial arts movies. this movie has meaning and a true love story from jet lee never before seen in any movie ever made. i recomend this movie for those studing martial arts. "If you Learn to adapt to those around you and use there energy against them selfs you will become unbeatable"



2. Awesome movie!!! Solid story line, beautifully choreographed fight scenes, one of the best Jet Li movies ever!!! Enjoy!!!



3. This movie has everything you'd expect from Jet Li. That being said, anything not directly in Jet Li's hands is just reaching. As a fan of wuxia films I must tell you that this is the worst of anything from Yuen Woo Ping. Normally I'd say anything with Jet Li and Yuen Woo Ping is a must see but not this one. If you are just looking for epic fight scenes then this movie is great, but considering the prowess of Bruce Lee I'd say that the only things that came close were Jet Li's ability and the fight choreography. Even Fong Sai Yuk is better than this. Watch the original or if you want good Jet Li then buy Tai Chi Master.



4. The PQ is above from the dvd version, but itsn't top notch, sometime the grainy is too much, but sometime it get clear and sharp.
   
   The AQ is a little poor, some of the punch effect get delayed about 0.3 second, so u will see the punch first than the audio effect.
   
   The Movie : the story is not to difficult to be known, the fighting sequence is very awesome, the angle of camera is very attractive for Asian movies martial art on that yearrs, so.. that's ok, it's good enough
   
   The Subtitle : the english subtitles sometime is different from the language that it spoke from the actors/ess, but if u don't understand about chinese language, there's no problema at all.
   
   The Opening : this one maybe the negative point that meka me low, the opening that's made by Dragon Dynasty is so very very poor and disgusting, maybe it will be better if Dragon Dynasty use the original opening from the movies
   
   So , if u one of Jet's fan, this one u must have, I'm not the Jet's fan but I like this movie so much from the first I look it on cinema those years ago.



5. Fist of Legend's story is presented well. The action scenes were choreagraphed well too. Fist of Legend is about a Chinese fighter taking revenge and proving the Japanese wrong. A great movie you should watch.

5 comments about Kill Bill - Volume Two [Blu-ray].

1. Arrived before Xmas which was good. No complaints from beneficiary. I liked the fact I was kept advised of the location of the product as it moved through the shipping maze.



2. The only thing more exciting and action filled than Kill Bill movies, is Kill Bill movies in Bluray. Excellent movie



3. Una Thurman is a fine actress, and shows it in this Hi action movie, she swings a mighty sword for sure.Can't wait to see the second half of the movie



4. I explained in my review of Kill Bill Vol 1 that I generally did not enjoy watching the first film because of its excessive style & overstuffed pop culture homages and references. Well I didn't enjoy Vol 2, either, but it's because of different reasons. The second half of Tarantino's Kill Bill has a fairly simpler style, and far less pop culture references. That's the good thing, at least for me. But unfortunately, it doesn't stop me from disliking the film. The problem I have with Vol 2 is that numerous scenes are unbelievably ponderous mostly because of excessive dialogue. I don't have anything against dialogue-driven films (All The President's Men and Glengarry Glen Ross are some of my favorites that choose words over action), but the conversations in this particular film are pretty dull and uninteresting. They drag on so long that you have no choice but just sit there and wait for the fight scenes. And speaking of fight scenes, there are only fifteen minutes of fight scenes here compared to the half hour in Vol 1. You'll be sorely disappointed if you're expecting to see Uma Thurman battle dozens of swordsmen yet again. I did like the performances: Thurman and the late David Carradine are wonderful onscreen, and the supporting cast do a great job on their own. Still, I can't say that I enjoyed watching Kill Bill Vol 2. Like Vol 1, it's not a film that I would admire, even though many others do admire it. Again, if you love this film, then that's fine by me. But in my honest opinion, I don't really like this film, so I don't care for it very much.
   
   Grade: C-



5. KILL BILL VOLUME TWO is really the first film (I might even argue there were signs in JACKIE BROWN) where Tarantino's "all-talk-as-a-substitute-for action" began to grow weary. In his masterful homage KILL BILL VOLUME ONE, Tarantino did something entirely different from his previous films...he went minimal on the dialogue and let the action dominate the tale; in his previous films, long scenes of dialogue would build the tension into a surprising crescendo of violence. VOLUME ONE went the opposite direction...extensive action scenes that were either interspersed with moments of levity (Bride and Vernita's fight coming to a comical halt after her daughter returns from school, the "trix are for kids" moment between The Bride and O'ren, The Bride stopping to whip the little Crazy 88 boy with her Hanzo sword); these were classic moments. And the dialogue in VOLUME ONE, what little there was, was immensely witty, original, snappy, and quotable. I'd say that VOLUME ONE has the most quotable dialogue of ANY Tarantino film! Sometimes, less is more. In VOLUME TWO, Tarantino goes back to his roots and this was not a good return for me. Admittedly, the main cast (Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Darryl Hannah) is excellent and do a great job of inhabiting their characters, but Tarantino really overdid it on the talking!
   
   KILL BILL VOLUME TWO concludes the saga of The Bride (Thurman admirably reprising the role from ONE, but looking a lot less sexy than she was in ONE) on her quest to eliminate her fellow Deadly Viper Assassination Squad members Budd and Elle (Madsen and Hannah, who had cameos in ONE) and, of course, their leader Bill (Carradine in an assured performance). The opening scene fills in the gaps by detailing events prior to the wedding massacre. We finally get to see SEE the mercurial character Bill and Carradine's portrayal is the main reason I even remotely like this film at all. He manages to make Bill simultaneously lethal and sympathetic, an amazing feat. Actually, this opening scene and the concluding scenes with Bill are the best of the film, but everything in between is a muddled mess.
   
   While Madsen is very good as Budd, I felt like his chapter was the weakest. That scene at the strip club where he is a bouncer was completely UNNECESSARY. It just seemed like filler with a bunch of pseudo-real, stereotypical characters: the drunk, high foul-mouthed owner (who wasn't very convincing!), the aging bitchy stripper (who came across as just a bitch!). Also, how in the heck did The Bride (who obviously did her homework, honed her skills, and used her best instincts before she approached her targets in ONE (Vernita and O'Ren) let Budd get the upper hand on her, especially given that fact that she must have KNOWN that he knew she was coming (his brother Bill told him as soon as he found out she took down O'Ren and her army). Did she just think he'd be sitting there waiting for her to slash him with her Hanzo sword?! She's smarter (or at least I thought she was!) than this. Budd's outsmarting of The Bride is another amateur Tarantino trick disguised as a realistic moment. And, remember, this film, Part TWO, is supposed to be a more "realistic" representation of the Kill Bill universe, the counterpoint to the fantastical Part ONE.
   
   Then there is the Pai Mei flashback, which ties in to how she will escape her current predicament. These scenes are OK, reminiscent of the kung fu 70s movies, but they seem a bit to "obligatory" with all these "cool" moments illustrating where she learned all those moves that she executed in ONE to take down her enemies in that film. Surviving the ordeal, during which time Elle kills Budd (in a perversely funny moment), then the Bride has the showdown with Elle (and we learn The Bride's real name in the process). Then, The Bride "magically" shows up at the doorstep of some guy named Esteban (Michael Parks, who played Earl Macgraw in ONE) who is yet ANOTHER former mentor of Bill and HAPPENS to know where she can find him! It is at this point when I realized that Tarantino really didn't have a plot or story for this film and that everything that happens is just a convenience to serve the plot to keep the film moving to it's obvious conclusion. As hard as it was for her to conquer her enemies in ONE, in TWO, everything was just too pat to be convincing.
   
   Of course, the concluding scene between The Bride and Bill is extremely engrossing (mainly because of Carradine) and, if the overlong middle scenes had not been so monotonous and poor, it could in some way redeem this film, but 2 strong scenes do not a great film make! Ironically, for all the dialogue and speechifying in TWO, I was much more involved with and felt I knew more about the characters in the non-talkative, dialogue-lite part ONE! The characters in ONE jumped off the screen and left a lasting impression with me...not so much in TWO. Seems like many that say that TWO is better than ONE do so simply because it happens to contain more dialogue and is delves deeper into character, but it's just a bunch of characters talking and talking and at the end of it all, we still don't really know much of anything about them. The main characters in ONE are much more interesting, including The Bride ONE trumping The Bride TWO. Part ONE is good enough for me!

5 comments about Kill Bill - Volume One [Blu-ray].

1. Its like the fan boys who talked in superlatives about Planet Terror, and the fan base of sci-fi lemmings on amazon who salivate at edgy, whino-college gutter films like, the ever hyped, and truly disappointing Cloverfield.
   
   Kill Bill is just a Jackie Chan film going artsy. It's just art-house on Meth; its ludicrous, which is probably what it is supposed to be from jump street, but I have had enough of Scream acerebral thinking. I am sure it is boat loads of fun working with Quentin. There obviously is a reason movies like this are made. Five stars indeed. I'd rather watch reruns of Ghandi and a marathon on AMC of awful Clint Eastwood films like Unforgiven, then to ever, EVER sit through a Quentin film again.
   
   If this is the kind of raw new talent coming from Hollywood in that era, I certainly have a chance to bring my ideas to fruition.



2. Needless to say, this is an excellent film. Highly rated by all. The Blu Ray edition is excellent. Great visuals and clarity. Outstanding sound. Is it night and day when compared to ordinary DVD, no, but certainly worth the additional investment. The sound quality improvements alone make this version an excellent choice. The price can't be beat.



3. Sick of this guy riding on Pulp fiction and Reservoir Dogs for the rest of his life. They were great movies... but this movie is an imitation of Sergio Leone\Ennio Morricone work. There is no vision here... In fact what tarantino has done is work backwards. Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns were inspired by Japanese films amongst many things. Here, Tarantino turns a spaghetti Western back into a Samurai tale. There are scene for scene shots from 'Good, Bad and the Ugly' and that makes me angry.
   
   Its an entertaining film but Tarantino is just ripping Sergio a new one... Kill Bill Vol II and Inglorious Basterds aswell.
   
   Then there is the homage to B-grade movies ahem ahem
   and the manga derived animation... as if we've been hiding under a rock
   
   Has he devoted his life to resurrecting other people's work.
   
   He gets the big bucks for this? He openly admits he likes someone or something and he rips it off and thats ok now...



4. This dvd came very quickly and was in great condition. This seller is awesome.



5. What's not to like about a film's credentials like Uma Thurman, David Caradine, Daryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, and... If you're a fan of comic books, or graphic novel's, and/or G.N.'s translated into film(like the Batman movies, Sin City, or "V" for Vendetta, etc.), this is one for you! Tarantino's filmmaking style lends itself well to this "animated adult comic book" style! Uma does a typically powerful roll, and well cast as a modern chick superhero with today's C.G.I. realism! Her sly"I know what you're thinking" smile is perfectly cast! A truly fun, sexy, action adventure, trip into the imagination. A visual Feast! Sit down to it and expect to have a good time, without any other motivations!

5 comments about Dragon Ball GT: Season Two (Includes A Hero's Legacy movie).

1. If you're familiar with the Dragonball franchise, than you know what to expect. Dragonball GT usually gets a bum rap by fans of the franchise, but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. While not as action-packed as Dragonball Z, and not as funny and slapstick as Dragonball, I felt it found a decent balance between the two, with some good fight scenes and some comedic moments.
   
   This season starts off finishing off the Baby Saga. I found the story of this saga a little weak, but overall it provides alot of action, so it's a strong finish.
   Next we have the Super 17 Saga, which is a great view for those who have been following the show, since they throw in alot of nostalgia, bringing back old villians and characters. This is, however, a very short saga, which is a shame because it had potential for alot more story and twists.
   The third and final saga here is the Black Star Dragon saga. It seems alot of people find this saga the best out of all of Dragonball GT, but I actually found this a little weak. The story doesn't come together like it should, and there was so much potential for alot more intense action, that they didn't really capitalize on. The cover of this season showcases SS4 Gogeta, but we really only get an episode or two of him.
   And lastly, thrown in with this season, is the only Dragonball GT movie they made, "A Heroes Legacy". I've read some reviews about this movie being boring and pointless, but I completely disagree. It's a little heart-warming story, that is very remeniscent of early Dragonball. It makes it feel like the series goes full circle, which I thought was a great way to end it.
   
   Overall, if you're a fan of the previous shows, invest in this one, and you won't be dissapointed. The story has its plotholes, but the animation looks good and the three language tracks gives you alot of option for how you listen to it, depending on which track you're a fan of (I personally prefer English with American music). Although they are remaking Dragonball Z with the new Dragonball Kai, it looks like we're not going to be recieving anything new, so take assurance knowing that this is most likely the last season in the story of dragonball you can own, and that's something worth having.



2. Once we get away from Goku being a child the movie gets a lot better. I would have loved to have seen more Vegeta fights though. :-)



3. Throughout the years we have watched one of the most noble and pure hearted men grow from naïve child to fierce warrior. Now we reach the final season of Dragon Ball GT. After handling evil in many shapes and forms, Goku has to defeat his deadliest of all opponents, himself!
   
   After the defeat of Baby and the jump to Super Saiyan 4, all Goku and the gang want to do is relax. Sorry guys you're not out of the woods just yet! Goku has to first take down a few old foes just to find out that the Dragon Balls which has relied upon to bring peace and good to the world have turned against him. Now the balls have broken and each one has released its own evil Shadow Dragon. Each one is stronger than the next and Goku doesn't even know if Super Saiyan 4 can take them down.
   
   While this show has been dumped on by many loyal fans I have to say the ending of this show was quite impressive. Considering that there was only one more season to work with the writers really tried to cram it all in and tie up all the lose ends. Many events and characters from Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z play a role in these final few episodes so you will be pretty surprised how it is all incorporated together. I love the fact that after all the adventures that the Z gang has had over the years it was Goku himself that almost cost every one certain doom. In the end of all things Goku makes a Frodo like exit from the world realizing that he is too dangerous to be a part of this world and this time he meant it for good. I liked how the show was just given a strait up ending in Goku's exit and in the end the whole story was really put together quite nicely. I feel that GT is a very important series to watch especially since Dragon Ball Z really didn't seem to be the perfect ending, but GT definitely got it right and the in the end I was satisfied.



4. Great Series, its the end of Dragon Ball Saga, but i'm thrilled how it ended.



5. GT destroyed the Dragonball legacy! The characters don't seem right and it's too different. I don't recommend it if you are a die hard DBZ fan, don't want to let you down.

5 comments about Ip Man.

1. This is a great story that is captured beautifully in this film. The set and costumes are quite detailed, and most of all I was amazed at the choreography. If you enjoy Kung Fu movies, this is definitely one for your collection. I can't wait to see the second one.



2. Blu ray movie hung on the start up menu using Panasonic players. Google on line and discovered the work around. Either press 0, 0, 0 or press 1; then ok will force the moive to play. Once it started to play, press pop-up menu to change the audio/subtitle setting. It worked on the Panasonic BD-35 and BD-605 players.



3. Movie was AWESOME!! Donnie YEN is the BOMB! The seller was great on getting it to me as well! God is Love



4. Bought this blue ray dvd.It did not work.Id did not show the function choices at the bottom (such as..play movie,screen selection,special features etc..).It just froze.Could not play the dvd.Had to return it for another one and it did the same thing.Finally, I had to return it and got my money back.Never had the chance to watch the movie.I never had this problem before with other blue rays.One thing though,return was easy and painless.Just print the label,tape it to the dvd,take it to ups store and drop it off.No return fees.But it's pain in the a.. nevertheless.



5. Basically, this is a bad period film in the guise of a martial arts film. Has some decent fights, though there is too much wire work (although by that, i'm kinda of saying that there shouldn't be any wire work). The fights at the beginning are a lot better then the ones in the middle and end of the movie. The most interesting thing about the film is the great Fan Sui Wong is the role of the bandit Jin. He's clearly the most interesting fighter / actor to watch in the film. Otherwise, this movie starts out decent, but by the end of the film, you find yourself saying that the film is pretty bad. If you're looking for a great old-scholl martial arts movie, then this ain't it.

5 comments about The Matrix (10th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray].

1. It is the regular 2.35:1 movie. I don't know why it was listed as 1.66:1
   
   I really wanted a version of the movie that would fill up my screen :(
   
   Otherwise it's "The Matrix" and you can't go wrong with this movie.



2. I haven't had a chance to watch but a few minutes of this movie. So far the picture and sound quality is very good. Price was good.



3. O filme é fantástico, mudou tudo no cinema depois dele, além do qu, a entreg do Amazon.com é super rápida, filme nota 10 e Amazon.com também nota 10.



4. I used this as a teaching tool in my philosophy class dealing with the issue of dualism. It was excellent for that purpose. Good movie, too. If you look deeply into it and analyze it, the movie has a good lesson.



5. This is a aweasome movie. The action scenes were great. And love the black leather jacket Kenau was wearing. A very bad awesome movie. Love the running up the wall.

5 comments about Red Cliff International Version - Part I & Part II [Blu-ray].

1. This is one of the greatest Epics ever put on film, and with fabulous production values.



2. This is one excellent movie, good from start to finish. Very glad that i now have it in my collection



3. Really great Movie by John Woo...Lot's of action...Beautiful scenery...The International version is the best...A real Winner!!!



4. It was quite long, but hey there's two parts so you can watch it in sections. No Cantonese dub.



5. I only viewed the International version of this film, so I cannot compare it with the shorter version. In fact, I have only viewed two John Woo films...Face/Off and Broken Arrow, neither which come close to this epic story. This is definitely a war movie, full of brilliant strategies but also a movie about relationships, loyalty and trust. Spectacular scenery, settings,costuming and choreography.

5 comments about Ip Man (Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray].

1. This is a great story that is captured beautifully in this film. The set and costumes are quite detailed, and most of all I was amazed at the choreography. If you enjoy Kung Fu movies, this is definitely one for your collection. I can't wait to see the second one.



2. Blu ray movie hung on the start up menu using Panasonic players. Google on line and discovered the work around. Either press 0, 0, 0 or press 1; then ok will force the moive to play. Once it started to play, press pop-up menu to change the audio/subtitle setting. It worked on the Panasonic BD-35 and BD-605 players.



3. Movie was AWESOME!! Donnie YEN is the BOMB! The seller was great on getting it to me as well! God is Love



4. Bought this blue ray dvd.It did not work.Id did not show the function choices at the bottom (such as..play movie,screen selection,special features etc..).It just froze.Could not play the dvd.Had to return it for another one and it did the same thing.Finally, I had to return it and got my money back.Never had the chance to watch the movie.I never had this problem before with other blue rays.One thing though,return was easy and painless.Just print the label,tape it to the dvd,take it to ups store and drop it off.No return fees.But it's pain in the a.. nevertheless.



5. Basically, this is a bad period film in the guise of a martial arts film. Has some decent fights, though there is too much wire work (although by that, i'm kinda of saying that there shouldn't be any wire work). The fights at the beginning are a lot better then the ones in the middle and end of the movie. The most interesting thing about the film is the great Fan Sui Wong is the role of the bandit Jin. He's clearly the most interesting fighter / actor to watch in the film. Otherwise, this movie starts out decent, but by the end of the film, you find yourself saying that the film is pretty bad. If you're looking for a great old-scholl martial arts movie, then this ain't it.