5 comments about Witchblade - The Complete Series.

1. The series is not nearly as good as everyone says. It's watchable but thats about it.



2. Mistery, suspense and lot of action on an original series. They gave pleasant surprise. Every series set up an structure from pilot episode, whichblade breaks it( i dont say how and when, i dont want to spoil it)and that is a thing i dont see very often. I saw the first and only season on a weekend, what else to say?



3. This is an item that I wanted before it even existed: the Witchblade TV series on DVD. I saw it on TV a few years back and loved it. I later discovered the comics that this series is based on but I prefer the TV version, as they are quite different.
   
   The series is structured like a cop drama, but there are a lot of sci/fi and fantasy elements to it. The Witchblade is a magic item with enough of a personality to be subtly controlling events and Sara's destiny.
   
   Yancy Butler plays a convincing tough yet sexy female cop, Sara Pezzini. She does a great job acting, and would reccomend this series on the strength of her personality alone.
   
   I also especially like the dynamic between her and Nottingham (Eric Etebari). Nottingham is a secret favorite of mine, even though he's only a minor character. I'm not sure why he appeals to me so much, but he's the mysterious, cool, and somewhat weird (creepy?) lackey of the "bad guy" Kennith Irons. It's hard to figure out what his motives are, but sometimes totally the amoral assassin, sometimes he seems to be in hopeless unrequited love with Sara. But that's just my take on him...
   
   This is a great series, and I was sad to learn it was cancelled after the second season. (On a side note, it was weird re-watching it and seeing the Twin Towers in the New York skyline...)



4. I was expecting a series more like the humorous and over-the-top (books) Dresden Files, but what I got was a lugubrious, badly acted, horribly written, cheesy series about a humorless warrior woman, a creepy "guardian angel"/trainer, and adversaries so silly and desperately serious I fell off the couch laughing while they spoke their ridiculous lines. "Come not between the dragon and his wrath"--this is the sort of scintillating dialogue you will be subject to. Beware! But hey, the sountrack's good, and that's why I gave it a star. Aaaahhh....



5. excellent tv show, too bad they had to take it off the air. I am extremely glad they put the show on cds.

5 comments about The X-Files: I Want to Believe (Single-Disc Edition).

1. The first 20 minutes are curiosity provoking but the rest left me saying to myself "So what?".
   
   **** SPOILER. DO NOT READ this if you HAVE NOT WATCHED the movie.
   
   The remaining of the film is far-fetched, not suspenseful and dragging.
   In North America, there's no group of people who are systematically killing others to get parts for transplants. It's because they'll be investigated by police very soon. It might happen in other countries like China where there were reports body parts of executed prisoners were collected for transplants paid by foreigners.
   
   Besides, the action scenes are like TV shows. There's no excitement.
   
   The film also drags in many scenes.It seems they tried to make an one-hour TV show longer to fill up 100 minutes.
   
   It's worth seeing once for curiosity



2. I am an X-File fan from day one!!! I loved the first movie, but this one was just 'okay!' Even though the X-Files dealt with more than just aliens, the aliens were, and still are, the main theme and what drives the 'following' of the X-Files, so I found myself just watching a Thriller, not an X-File classic!!!



3. As an avid X-files fan since the very beginning, I was ecstatic to hear that Chris Carter and the powers that be had decided to delve back into that universe after all these years. How wonderful it was going to be to see Mulder and Scully triumphantly united on film once more! Sadly-utter shock and disappointment was my only reaction having seen the final product. The only thing I could think of was "They brought back Mulder and Scully for this?"
   
   Honestly. What was the point of this film? To call this movie a boring version of CSI is being too kind. To call it a dud episode of X-Files, stretched thin into feature length, is to heap undeserved praise upon it. Make no mistake, this movie is "X-Files" in name only. There is no trace of the X-Files "spirit" anywhere to be found among the tedious and downright coma inducing story line. Gone are the charismatic characters you loved from the series and in their place you'll find robotic actors delivering their lines as if they were dragged kicking and screaming back into these roles. You could've substituted any characters into the roles here, Mulder and Scully need not apply. It honestly wouldn't have made a difference. I'm not trying to be a film snob here, but I just can't help shaking my head trying to fathom why this movie needed to be created. Why on earth bring back two of television's most iconic characters then do nothing with them that makes them who they are?
   
   I own all of the X-files box sets as well as the first movie on DVD. However, I cannot imagine purchasing this movie, nor do I have any desire to put myself through the agonizing boredom of watching it again just because I'm a fan. "I Want To Believe" that despite a July release date-this movie was Chris Carter's April Fool's Day joke to his fans and that the real movie is still waiting somewhere on a shelf for us to enjoy.....



4. Being a long time fan of the show, especially the dynamics of the complicated Mulder and Scully relationship, this film did not disappoint. The complexities of the show complete with multiple meanings behind discussions and questions of faith and belief are still alive and well. I loved the intertwining storylines. I especially appreciated seeing Mulder and Scully's relationship taken to another level - very moving. Movie was totally under-appreciated.



5. I can't believe this is being called an X-Files movie! This piece of junk pales to even the worse ever episode of the series. It doesn't even come close. Why Scully and Mulder were raked through the mud of this movie is beyond me and is a total embarrassment. I am a huge X-Fils fan but this movie made me sick. The whole story sucked as did the attempt to make it creepy? The political agenda behind this movie makes me wanna puke in the faces of the writers. It was so entrenched in the plot that you had to be blind not to see it.
   I hope they never make another X-files movie again because they don't deserve the chance and shame on the actors for making this one.
   X-Files my a**!!!! This movie is CRAP!!

5 comments about Smallville - The Complete Seventh Season [Blu-ray].

1. Warning! Several spoilers!
   
   I have long had a conflicted reaction to SMALLVILLE. On the one hand I really like a lot of the main characters -- the reconception of Lex Luthor and the invention of the character of Chloe Sullivan are two major contributions to the Superman mythology -- and there are in each season at least a few exceptionally good episodes. On the other hand, SMALLVILLE narratively remains one of the most timid shows on TV, barely moving the overall story along from one season to the next. Fans of LOST became unhappy with the series both in Season Two and at the very beginning of Season Three because the show seemed to go into something of a holding pattern. Instead of moving the story along, it seemed to be standing still (luckily LOST dramatically picked up the pace in the last 16 episodes of Season Three and all of Season Four). But compared to SMALLVILLE, even at its slowest LOST seemed to be moving along at a jacket rabbit pace. Both shows seem slow compared to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, which has moved its story along at a refreshingly brisk pace.
   
   So, all in all, not much happened in Season Seven of SMALLVILLE, much like all previous seasons. The goal of the show seems to be to stretch it out as long as possible, not to make the best show that they can. Four or five episodes can pass with virtually nothing of significance having happened, and then you get an exception one like "Descent," in which Lex kills his own father Lionel, and Lex is transformed into something approximating the utterly evil Lex Luthor of traditional Superman.
   
   But the timidity of the writers/producers dominates the show. Only at the end of the season do we finally see what appears to be the genuine end of the Lana/Clark romance. Lois was introduced seasons ago, yet it is hard to imagine her and Clark having much chemistry (that will be the great challenge for Season Eight, making the eventual romance between the two of them seem not merely possible but plausible). They seem more than anything like non-kissing cousins. New plot wrinkles were introduced in Season Seven, like Clark's cousin Kara arriving and the emergence of the Veritas organization, but these mainly seemed to be ways of postponing the real story. And what is that? How a mild-mannered farm boy (as Lois puts it) can be transformed into the world's greatest super hero. In Season Six we seemed to be moving a bit in that direction with Oliver Queen urging to use his abilities for some greater purpose, but in Season Seven Clark seems to have regressed. He seems -- to be blunt -- to be clueless about what he should be doing with his life.
   
   The biggest story surrounding Season Seven really is about what it portends for Season Eight. There is absolutely no question, the changes from Season Seven to Eight will be enormous. Michael Rosenbaum (Lex) and Kristin Kreuk (Lana) both will be more or less leaving the show. Lex should be present in at least the first episode of Season Eight, but while both are supposed to return in guest roles, neither is expected to play a major role next season. Also gone is John Glover as Lionel Luthor. It could have been worse. After these three major characters were acknowledged by the studio to be leaving, Allison Mack's agent demanded a substantial raise, since Chloe would be the only major remaining character besides Clark from Season One. After a few days of posturing and an enormous outcry of outrage by fans, it was announced that Chloe would indeed returning (I hope her raise was a good one -- she deserves it). This good news was tempered with reports that Laura Vandervoort, who had been excellent in Season Seven as Kara (aka Supergirl), might not be returning in Season Eight. I hope they bring her back. This show has lost an exceptional number of familiar faces in recent years. They ought to try and keep any good, new one. There are rumors that Oliver Queen aka The Green Arrow might be back for at least part of Season Eight.
   
   But my major concerns with Season Eight return to questions of narrative. Speed it up, guys! They really need this season to deal with two major issues and then bring the series to an end. First, they really need to make this particular Clark and this particular Lois believable as a romantically destined couple. Second, they need to give Clark the backbone to face up to the significance of his having the powers that he does and what that entails. In other words, Clark needs to become heroic on a truly super level. As far as the romance goes, there have been other shows that have successfully replaced one epic romantic couple with another. The love of Buffy's life was Angel, but her romance with Spike was engrossing in its own way. And while for three years the great romantic couple on THE O.C. was Ryan and Marissa (though I personally preferred Summer and Seth), Season Four made us forget all about R&M by unexpectedly pairing Ryan with Taylor, a character he had had absolutely no romantic vibes with in Season Three. The show needs to hit the ground running in Season Eight pushing the whole Lois and Clark thing. We have to believe that they might have a future together by the time the series ends. Right now it takes a heck of a lot of imagination to imagine them together.
   
   Update (July): The people taking over the production of the show apparently are having some of the same feelings about the need to develop the Lois and Clark connection as I mentioned above. Multiple leaks indicate the Season 8 will show a definite racheting up of the relationship between those two, though initially it will be more comedic than dramatic. I think that could be wise. It is easier to imagine them developing feelings through comic situations than heavy emotionally ones. But the leaks definitely have me looking forward to what comes next. Also, confirmation that Oliver Queen will be very close to a full time character and the announcement that Doomsday will be played by Sam Witmer (best known as Crashdown from Season One of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA).



2. I've watched the show faithfully from the beginning and it's just now getting close to living up to its tremendous potential. To me, the show peaked with the seventh season episode "Apocalypse" where we saw the world without Superman and peeked into the world of the modern Superman comic books.
   
   I suppose there's no point in going through the episode details because if you're buying this you surely know most of that. So, focusing on the Blu-Ray version... the menu system is gone. We've seen this on Blu-Ray movies where it just plays the movie upon loading the disc. Same here. Loading the disc just starts playing the episodes. Pressing the menu button does not bring up the list of episodes, and is used only to allow access to special features.
   
   Since the episodes themselves do not contain title cards and the printed insert does not include a chapter key - you're on your own trying to use the skip buttons to find episodes on the disc.
   
   Part of why I buy the box sets is to be able to find a particular favorite episode to watch - not to watch the whole series in chronological order again. So, needless to say the menu design is severely flawed for a box set of this type.
   
   Also, there are just three discs in the box for the entire season of 20 episodes. Therefore the HD, although still good looking, by necessity is at a lower bit rate quality than the Blu-Ray format can deliver. The season six set had 22 episodes on four discs.
   
   I'm hoping that Clark will actually fly in season 8. He's been the Flash for seven seasons and it's about time that gimmick end.



3. Me encanta Smallville y luce muy bien en alta definición, pero se nota que no llega a una calidad de visión digna de un blu-ray. Se nota una gran diferencia con respecto al dvd pero aun así la imagen podria ser mejor, a pesar de todo, genial. Una buena compra.



4. Very Nice season and plenty of extra features.If you love Smallville then you definitely need to pick up this season.



5. Season seven of Smallville proves that they should have ended this show a year or two ago. Amidst trying to round out characters that really don't need rounding and introducing a slew of new eye candy, this season really falls flat as a satisfying season.
   
   Probably the only two pieces of saving grace to the season were the introduction of Kara Kent, and Michael Rosenbaum's performance as Lex Luthor. Kara Kent, played by Laura Vandervoort, is Clarks long lost Kryptonian cousin who's been trapped in suspended animation for the last two decades. Not only does she add another piece of delectable eye candy to this season, but she also helps to fill out some of Clarks back story as the last son of Krypton.
   
   Without a doubt, Lex Luthor has to be the writers favorite character. The writers seem to love exploring and growing Lex's character, and season 7 is no different. This is in stark contrast to the other character this season, like Clark.
   
   Clark more or less is stuck in his role as a overly protective, brooding, alien. On a positive note, they explore more of Clark's Kryptonian heritage this season by bringing new characters to the table. In what could have been the best sequences of the season, we are introduced to Clark's biological mother, and Kara's megalomaniac father. But they actually manage to screw this up, by cutting the story arc to only one episode. What!!!
   
   As for the other characters, they just don't feel like they have any direction. This season really felt like they didn't know how to make the existing characters interesting anymore so the solution was to add just a bunch of other characters into the mix. Sort of sad really. They truely broke Lana's character, and Cloe's biggest obstacle this season was finding a haircut that worked for her.
   
   Honestly I feel like the days of truly intriguing story arcs are over. As much as I loved a ton of episodes that came after, they really should have ended the show on season 5. Just one man's opinion.

5 comments about The 10th Kingdom.

1. 10th Kingdom was a mini series originally aired on NBC in 2000. Although the ratings at the time were not what everyone hoped they would be, the series did, and still does, have a loyal following - and with good reason.
   
   A stellar cast, attention to detail, witty, inteligent writing, beautiful locations and good old fashioned fantasy make this 'movie' great. I've often described it to my friends as a "believeable fairy tale." The characters from the fantasy realm are truly believable and very seldom campy. The main characters from 'the real world' are believable in their interaction with the fantasy world because they accept they're there, but still question why you have to "guess my name before you can have my magic axe" and other such wonderful scenes.
   
   If you enjoy fantasy or fairy tale type movies (I'll say it's somewhat akin to Stardust although 10 Kingdom is more reality based) that are family friendly but made to cater to grown-ups, you should definitely watch 10th Kingdom. And if you're looking at this review, you're likely considering purchasing it, in which case you're probably already in love with it.
   
   The price for this 3-disc set was incredibly reasonable, I paid for expedited shipping and it arrived on time in perfect condition.



2. This is a long children's fantasy movie with at time very uneven acting.
   I think the witch mother-in-law may be the best acxtted part.
   I really enjoyed the movie, but it seemed caught between a cartoon
   and a Disney fairytale reenactment? The trolls are like none I've seen or heard of before. It has an alternate universe type plot with a mirror gateway
   like the classic Alice in Through the Looking Glass.
   I suppose the wolf can have his tail surgically removed in New York, ha, ha...



3. this is a good movie. for a family its 4 hours long maybee more. but this movie is fun. cuddle up under the blankets when u watch this movie it a fun movie made by Hallmark. I got it on VHS but the movie Quality is terrible because the put the whole movie on VHS & VHS 4 hour long dosent get good picture. buying it on dvd would improve the picture



4. I think a lot of people may miss the fact that the corniest parts of the movie seem intentional and add to the fun. This movie isn't meant to be taken seriously! It's meant to be fun!
   
   Great dvd to watch when you just want to relax, be entertained and not think about plot too much.
   
   There are parts adults will like more and kids will like more.
   
   The characters work well together and it's an adventure, love story, and fairy tale with some moral messages along the way. Hard to beat that!
   
   Don't think it's appropriate for really young viewers, but think young teens, maybe even pre-teens, and their parents would both like. There are some sexual innuendos that parents should be aware of, and the scary scenes would probably be disturbing for kids under 8.



5. I have seen this movie (all 7+ hours) probably 8 times! The Tenth Kingdom is full of imagination and fun, and keeps you wanting more after its over. I can't wait to find out if there will be a sequel, the characters are so intriguing that I find myself dying to know what happens to Virginia, Wolfe, and Tony! If you like feel good adventures and fantasy, I highly recommend The Tenth Kingdom.

5 comments about Rodan/War of the Gargantuas.

1. The wait is over! Devoted fans of Toho's classic Japanese monster movies can now add this excellent two-disc set to their collection. This is a perfect double-feature: RODAN and WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS are two of my favorites. Plus, there's also a wonderful documentary, BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE.
   
   So with all this going for it, why does this set only get four stars? Well, not to be an ingrate, but I do have some minor quibbles. Both RODAN or WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS are bereft of Extras ... no commentaries or theatrical trailers. Nothing. (On the Japanese laserdisc edition of RODAN, the lovely overture is included, as well as an exciting theatrical trailer. Why couldn't those have been included here?) Also, the Japanese print of WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS is too dark during several passages, while the American print is sharp and clear. Perhaps a commentary track would have explained this discrepancy.
   
   That said, however, I'm grateful to have these films in both the American and original Japanese editions. These titles have often been severely underappreciated by film historians and scholars. But fans know that these are two top-notch efforts brimming with superb special effects, representing those talented Toho craftsman at their very best. What's Japanese for "Hallelujah!"?



2. I was enchanted to hear that Gargantuas was finally being released on dvd
   a little surprised it was not paired with Frankenstein conquers the world
   but enchanted just the same. As with all of Classic media's past releases
   this one has the American & Japanese version of Gargantuas and Rodan This
   was my first time seeing Gargantuas in an American widescreen version All
   versions prior were always full screen. (there is a momentary sound pause
   after the credits which leads me to believe that two different sources of
   film might have been used) For those who are fans of the Japanese version
   which uses more of the Akira score, BEWARE that this print of the film is
   extremely dark so dark in fact that many of the night shots come out very
   shadowy. This was my first and only complaint with Classic Media who have
   up to now have always presented such high quality films prints. That said
   all else including the Rodan prints were flawless. Also included is grand
   little featurette which showcases the unsung heroes and technicians that
   made Toho studios this is really a well put together piece that shows the
   care (and sometimes turmoil) of the greatest monster studio that ever was
   What a great treat for anyone who first saw these movies at the drive-in
   or on late night television.



3. Being a fan of TOHO Monster movies this is a very good I love the restred version of RODAN with its add seens and as for WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS I love what they did to this movie and how well its been restored just like I remeber seeing it at the drive-inn.This movie will make a fine addtion to your TOHO (GODZILLA)MONSTER MOVIE DVD collection.



4. I have been waiting for 'War of the Gargantuas' to be released on DVD for many years. I had not seen this film in 30 years and I have to say the wait was worth it! The U.S. film print here looks very good and the film is more fun than I remembered. Even better is the inclusion of the original Japanese release. Unfortunately, the Japanese print is dark and not very crisp, but since my concern was for the film I grew up with, this is acceptable to me. The Japanese version is nice to see for curiosity, but I don't see me watching it more than once or twice.
   
   Now about the film, if your a fan of Godzilla type films (ToHo), I really don't need to point out that these films are not meant to be taken too seriously....at least in America! This film is a hoot and the FX are actually pretty good for the most part. The scene with the green "Gargantua" attacking the airport is a stand out! This film was a quasi-sequel to 'Frankenstein Conquers The World', but all references to the first film were removed when release in the U.S. 'Sanda VS Gailah Frankenstein's Monsters' (the original Japanese title) has never looked so good!
   
   'Rodan' which is featured on the first disc in this 2 disc set is another good film from the studio, but unfortunately, my copy would not play, so I sent for a replacement, when I tried the replacement it wouldn't play either!?? I have an expensive Denon DVD player and for the most part it is worth every penny, but for some reason it does have trouble playing certain DVD's. 'Casino' 2 disc was a problem disc and now this 'Rodan' disc. They both play on my other DVD players. I am surprised I am the only reviewer who has experienced this problem. The 'Rodan' disc has a new documentary on it, which is very interesting. Happy "Shocktober" to all my horror buddies! from yours truly Dr. Shock!



5. This is a good time to be a fan of Japanese kaiju flicks. For years we suffered through badly edited and badly dubbed releases just to get a glimpse of our favorite monsters. But now there is Classic Media, putting out the best releases of some of the most obscure kaiju films, and doing them with a respect and quality I never imagined possible. It is a dream come true!
   
   This two DVD set contains two of the most sought-after films, 1956's "Rodan" ("Sora no daikaiju Radon" or "Giant Monster of the Sky Radon") and 1966's "War of the Gargantuas" ("Frankenstein no Kaiju: Sanda tai Gaira" or "Frankenstein's Monster: Sanda vs. Gaira). Both have had previous US releases, but with considerable edits and we are seeing the full films here for the first time. As with other Classic Media titles in the Godzilla series, both versions of the films are included, the original Japanese release and the US dubbed and edited version. It is nice to have both, but it doesn't take a genius to know which one you should be watching! Interesting bonus documentaries are also included, making this set an absolute must have.
   
   "Rodan" was the first kaiju flick filmed in color, and the mutated pteranodons still look great. Although a single Rodan would soon crossover into the Godzilla series with Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster, here there are actually two of the beasties to torment Japan, a male and a female. Because they can fly, "Rodan" is quite quick paced and action-packed compared to many kaiju flicks, as the two monsters zoom around doing battle with jet airplanes and destroying bridges. No slow motion stomping here. Without giving away any spoilers, the ending of "Rodan" is a tear-jerker, a hard task for a film featuring men in giant rubber suits.
   
   "War of the Gargantuas" is a real treasure, and I am so happy to finally have a nice copy on DVD. A sequel to the 1966 Frankenstein Conquers the World, (but not to the planned but never produced "Godzilla vs. Frankenstein". Sigh...), the story has the mutated cells of the Frankenstein monster spawning two giant hairy beasts, Sanda (mountain monster) and Gaira (outside monster). Because the both monsters are human-like, the suitimation really shines here, and the two beasts are able to get really down and dirty in their battle. In fact, their fight was the basis for the battle between The Bride and Elle Driver in Kill Bill. It is knock-down drag out.
   
   If you like giant monster flicks, you are going to want this DVD. It is that simple.

5 comments about Battlestar Galactica - Razor (Unrated Extended Edition).

1. Sigh. It's been a long time since a new episode of my two favorite sci-fi shows aired a new episode and still months more until "Battlestar Galactica" and "Lost" are back on television. Fortunately, I get to have my "Battlestar Galactica" fix again with the release of "Battlestar Galactica Razor: Unrated Extended Edition".
   
   I've been watching the remake of "Battlestar Galactica" since it first premiered on Sci-Fi channel and have been really engrossed in each episode's storyline. Very well-written (although I do question the direction of the latter of Season 3), one of the interesting storylines was the introduction of Admiral Cain (Michelle Forbes).
   
   At the end of Season 2, we watch as the crew of the Battlestar Galactica and the crew of Battlestar Pegasus come head to head. You wondered why Admiral Cain was hard edge and you were stuck in your seat wondering if the two battlestar's and their crew would go head to head and destroy each other.
   
   "Battlestar Galactica Razor" provides the backstory of what took place on the Battlestar Pegasus after New Caprica was nuked by the Cylons. How Admiral Cain runs her ship and what happens if you are disloyal to her.
   
   She's totally opposite of Admiral Adama, thus the title "razor". She's hard edge, stone cold, she'll cut you like a knife and she's unstable.
   
   Under Cain, we are introduced to Officer Kendra Shaw (played by Stephanie Jacobsen - who is Portugese, Chinese and Norwegian btw...), as we watch as she joins the Pegasus and in the beginning is already taking hell from Admiral Cain for showing up late.
   
   But we get to see the transformation of Kendra Shaw. A proper and rule-abiding officer and then how being under Admiral Cain has turned her to a razor and also a junkie.
   
   "Battlestar Galactica Razor" is jam-packed with drama, action and a well-written storyline as viewers get the back story of why Admiral Cain became what she is but definitely some interesting revelations that helps set things up for season 4 (the final season of "Battlestar Galatica").
   
   Although I missed the televised version of Razor, I can imagine that the unrated extended edition featured on DVD lies within the violence of the film. For example, in one scene, Admiral Cain's second in command gets shot point blank in the head and blood is splattered all over the command area. Something you don't see in the normal edition of the series.
   
   I also enjoyed how the film has three parts to it. More like three time lines.
   
   The first time line revolves around Kendra Shaw (played by Stephanie Jacobsen), as you watch her as she becomes an officer on the Pegasus under Admiral Cain and having to do things that may seem very morally wrong to viewers but in a way, as you think about it, Admiral Cain's decisions is what kept the crew of the Pegasus alive.
   
   This includes Shaw and security crew of the Pegasus shooting and killing innocent civilians who thought the Pegasus were there to save them and you also see what happens when you become disloyal to Cain.
   
   The second time line features Shaw under Apollo's command of the Pegasus (taking place after the death of Cain) and the third timeline revolves around Adama when he was much younger and a pilot during the first Cylon war.
   
   What's interesting is that we get to see the original Cylon (yes, the one from the "Battlestar Galactica" that aired nearly three decades ago. Adama discovers a warehouse where cylons are experimenting on humans and you get to learn about the hybrids that the Cylons are creating.
   
   All in all, I like the balance and how everything was tied together. I expected as much from the current Battlestar Galactica cast but I was really impressed with the work of the newbies on the show, specifically Stephanie Jacobsen.
   
   I've never seen Stephanie Jacobsen's work before and also among the first times I have seen an Asian woman sporting a thick English accent and Jacobsen's role as Kendra Shaw who has been transformed to somewhat of a razor is convincing and you learn how she became nearly like Admiral Cain but at the same time, what made her different from Cain and trying to make amends for the things that transpired while working under Cain.
   
   The other major cast members make their appearance in the film and I expected nothing less from those actors such as Olmos, Bamber, Sackhoff, McDonnel, Helfer, etc. Each of the Galactica originals did a great job but I was really impressed by Michelle Forbes and that she returned back in uniform to play Admiral Cain again.
   
   The character is so cold and unstable that to see how tyrannical she was as the head of Battlestar Pegasus was shocking but at the same time, you can see her reasoning and why her crew never really fought it. A different perspective from what we have been used to seeing on the television series.
   
   As for the DVD, the DVD is jam packed with a lot of bonus material. Deleted scenes, a featurette titled "The Look of Battlestar Galactica", a featurette titled "My Favorite Episode So Far" with the crew discussing their favorite episodes from the first three seasons, a sneak peak of season 4, a trailer of season 4, commentary on the unrated extended edition with executive producer Ronald D. Moore and Writer Michael Taylor, as well as webisodes featuring Oscar Adama when he fought in the first Cylon War.
   
   If you are a fan who has been watching the series and enjoying the storyline, you're going to dig "Battlestar Galactica Razor".
   
   Not only is it well-written and well-acted, but you get answers of why Admiral Cain is the way she is and what led to her downfall. But most of all is the surprise ending that leads into Season 4 regarding Starbuck. Wow!
   
   I think that people not familiar with the show, watching it for the first time will still enjoy the series but there's a lot of backstory (especially when they recap the series) of what has happened during seasons 2.0 and 2.5, that perhaps they may not enjoy it as much as one who is already enjoying the television series.
   
   But nevertheless, it's an awesome film that I really enjoyed and as for the DVD, it's jam packed with special features, you really can't go wrong.
   
   I will say that I highly recommend the "Best Buy" edition if you are planning to purchase the DVD. I think it sucks that the DVD that is going on sale is missing this featurette because it's the only interview with Forbes and Jacobsen and if you don't buy the "Best Buy" version, you won't seem them in the special features on other releases from different stores.
   
   All in all, if you enjoy series (especially if you are collecting the series on DVD), you owe it to yourself to buy this DVD!



2. "Battlestar Galactica - Razor"
   
   Picking up when Leigh Adama takes control of the Pegasus: Leigh (Jamie Bamber) needs a new XO but wants to choose one from the original crew, someone who will help to carry Admiral Cain's legacy. After reviewing the files of the officers Apollo lands on Officer Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen). After Kendra's introduction, her perspective of the events that took place on Pegasus prior to meeting up with the Galactica are interwoven with a tale taking place in the present which is connected with something that happened to Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos) in the past. Present and past adventure ensues...
   
   The description of "Razor" may leave you thinking this is a convoluted telling but the stories are actually cleverly interwoven and well told. We see on Pegasus the way things may have unfolded on Galactica if Adoma had been without his moral sounding board of Leigh and President Roslin. A much darker turn of event took place on Pegasus which was spoken of in the regular series but the blanks are filled in here.
   
   The Good: All the same things you enjoy in the regular on going series from most of your favorite characters to surprisingly good effects for space battle scenes and interesting directing which is always present and gives the show its unique look. The new character is interesting and we get to watch her quick evolution. This was shot between seasons 3 and 4 and adds another question mark to one of the main characters for you to ponder as you watch season 4.
   
   The Bad: Nothing memorable
   
   Overall: If you are a fan of the show you have to pick this up. It helps fill in the blanks about Pegasus and other events surrounding some other historical events.



3. Battlestar Galactica is the best tv series of the 21. century. This edition is beautiful, i keep the cover opened at the top of my bookshelf.
   It has a beautiful papercover above the normal dvd cover. The film has good sound and picture too. About the bonus features: Deleted scenes - some not really interesting minutes
   The Look of BSG : Ron Moore talks about the ship and its similarity to second world war's aircraft ships, cool. My favourite episode so far - The main characters talk about their favourite episode , interesting.
   Minisodes - Husker and the cylon hybrid , well, most of it is already in the film but thanks. Commentary with Ron Moore and Michael Taylor - I miss the english subtitle to the audiocommentary because I dont speak/understand english perfectly and I need that. Sneak Peek to season 4 , Season 4 trailer . The making of BSG Razor - It is on the surprise second disc. It has funny moments with the actors , really good to see it. Okay the second disk was a gift but it is a bit unusual to put a 20 minutes video to a 4,4gb disk.
   You can see my pictures of the dvd edition here:
   http://indafoto.hu/spockcooper/bsg_razor_dvd



4. 
   The story of RAZOR has already been well detailed by other reviewers here so I will keep my review to pure analysis of the episode assuming that people reading this are already fans of the BSG series.
   
   In Razor we get the missing back story of the Pegasus told in parallel time lines - Past with Admiral Caine and present with Lee Adama. The bridge between these two times lines, apart from the Pegasus crew under Caine, is one Kendra Shaw played by Australian actress Stephanie Jacobsen. It should be said from the outset that most North Americans will not recognize her accent and think it is English ... it is not, it is a standard neutral Australian accent.
   
   It was great to hear a familiar Aussie accent within the BSG story line and Jacobsen as Kendra Shaw proves herself to be every bit as tough and resourceful as Kara Thrace ( Starbuck ). In one scene when William Adama and Lee are watching Kendra Shaw drill a team of marines for weapons training Adama Snr comments "I'd like to sell tickets to that dance" when it is revealed that Starbuck and Shaw don't get along. We get the distinct impression that something inside Kendra Shaw is quite broken, perhaps even more broken than Starbucks emotional past. This sets us up for the past events of the Pegasus under Caine which begin to unfold.
   
   Kendra Shaw is the legacy and product of Admiral Caine, during Razor we witness the back story explaining what makes Admiral Caine the woman she is, as well as what drives her ultimate Raison D'etre. The results of her hard nosed and single bloody mindedness culminate with devastating consequences on two occasions during RAZOR's back story as well as revealing her motivation behind the treatment under interrogation of the Cylon No6. In one scene we see Caine playing with a folding knife keepsake where she states to Kendra Shaw ... "When you can be this, as long as you have to be ... then you become a razor".
   
   The story of Razor in a metaphorical sense explores the theme that in a war of survival of the human race people are often required to do things and act in ways that are contrary to our morality and common code of normal behaviour. That to win against machines human beings are often required to set their emotional life aside and become nothing more than a weapon ... a razor. The dilemma in all this however is that nobody can survive being a Razor indefinitely without having it exact a heavy toll. Everybody is emotionally scarred, nobody is left unscathed - this is the paradox of our humanity. We even realize as the seasons roll on that the Cylons themselves are not free from the heavy burden of human feelings and emotions, this seems to be their very own Achilles heel.
   
   In the modern day we see Lee Adama being given command of the Pegasus where we initially find Kendra Shaw working the kitchens having been previously busted back to nothing for repeated insubordination after Admiral Caine's murder at the hands of the Cylons. Lee Adama realizes that he needs a strong personality who represents the past life of the Pegasus crew and after some verbal jousting assigns Shaw as his new Executive Officer.
   
   As the episode gathers pace Adama Snr transfers over the Pegasus to oversee a mission to discover the nature of a strange hybrid fleet of Cylons which takes us into a third back story involving William Adama and the first Cylon War. It is this back story that really impressed me as a BSG fan from the orignal series in the late 70's ... I grew up with the original Galactica and the entire sequence with young Adama quite frankly rocked! There were many cool references to old school Cylons ( Toasters ) and the old school Cylon Raiders and Vipers. There is one particular scene in this sequence where the rookie Adama takes on two Cylon Raiders resulting in an incredible free falling fight scene.
   
   To spell anything else out would get into spoilers but while I loved this addition to the series there were a couple of moments that I found a tad weak - sadly I will not be able to reveal them here for the sake of those who have yet to watch Razor but rest assured they aren't big enough to drop this rating from 5 stars. RAZOR is superb and we need more BSG!
   
   I wish they would make more prequels and back stories for BSG ... the guy that plays the young Adama could easily lead up a series based on the first Cylon Wars ... SO SAY WE ALL!



5. The very prospect of adding shedding new light onto the story of the pegasus excited me so I looked forward to watching it. The story I feel could have been a little better, but the acting and special effects were top notch as always. A must for any fan of the series!

5 comments about Stardust (Widescreen Edition).

1. I've never read the book, so I've no idea how it compares. But this movie positively dazzled me. I found myself sitting here on the edge of my seat biting my nails when it was a tight spot and clapping my hands when I was delighted with how something turned out. If you love magical tales with great characters and romance alongside, please watch this movie! I'm going to try to read the book now. Because surely if I thought the movie was so good, the book must be ten times better!



2. I pretty much bought this DVD the first available moment. This is due to the fact that friends had to drag me into the theatre to watch this movie. My high school boyfriend had Neil Gaimond's novel as his favorite book, so I went ahead and read it back then. All I remember is I hated it.
   
   So it's indeed strange that I loved this movie as much as I did. (Perhaps because some change was made with the storyline, sorry fans). It's whimsical, pretty, and full of princess bride-esque humor. This is classic fairy tale in all its glory, hit with a mit of modern humor and subtle sexiness.
   
   Should be appreciated by all fantasy fans.



3. 
   Many excellent books have been turned into disappointing films, and quite a few into good films which equal or come close to matching the book. But I can count on the fingers of one hand the films based on books as good as Neil Gaiman's "Stardust" which actually surpass the book. This is one of them.
   
   Neil Gaiman himself was joint Producer with Director/screenwriter Matthew Vaughn, and they worked with an all-star cast including Michelle Pfeiffer, Clare Danes, Charlie Cox, Robert De Niro, Sienna Miller, Ian McKellern, Peter O'Toole, and Ricky Gervais to produce a marvellous famly adventure.
   
   After a brief reference to a letter arriving at the Royal Society which places the action in the 19th century, the story begins in the sleepy English village of Wall, a quiet and totally normal place except for the structure from which it takes its name, which is a wall between our world and Faerie. Most of the time the villagers maintain a watch on the one gap in that wall to stop people passing through in either direction, but once a year there is a carnival just inside Faerie which people from our side are allowed to attend.
   
   Ben Barnes plays the young Dunstan Thorn, a villager who visits that fair, and on one of the stalls he meets a beautiful girl (Kate Magowan) who has been enslaved by an evil gypsy magician. They spend some time together and she gives him a glass flower as a gift before he returns to wall: nine months later he gets another present in the form of a basket containing their newborn baby, the infant Tristan Thorn.
   
   About twenty years later, Tristan has grown into a handsome lad, played by Charlie Cox, who is something of a daydreamer and hopelessly in love with a beautiful village girl called Victoria (Sienna Miller).
   
   Tristan is one of two rival suitors for Victoria's hand. After they watch a shooting star fall to earth on the far side of the wall, Tristan tries to demonstrate his devotion by promising to fetch it for her. He tricks his way past the guard at the wall, and heads after the fallen star.
   
   However, the fallen star was knocked out of the sky for a particular reason. In Faerie a dying king (Peter O'Toole) has summoned his four surviving sons (Jason Flemyng, Mark Heap, Rupert Everett, and Mark Strong) to decide who will succeed him. So he throws the jewel which denotes the rightful ruler of Stormhold into the sky, where it brings down a star, advises his sons that whichever son of the line of Stormhold retrieves the star will be his successor.
   
   When the star falls to earth, she appears as a beautiful woman called Yvaine (Clare Danes) with the royal jewel of Stormhold round her neck, and there are several people searching for her. Dunstan wants to take her to his sweetheart, the surviving sons of the old king want the jewel, and she is also pursued by the evil and very powerful witch, Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer). Lamia is running out of life force/magical energy which she can renew if she cuts out the heart of a living star. So Yvaine is in great danger ...
   
   Where the book is bit dark and adult in places, the film is a delightful story which will suit adults and children alike - there are a few scary bits but nothing which most small children will be unable to handle, and there is a lot of humour, some pitched at adults and some aimed at everyone but all of it in good taste.
   
   In general the film is very true to the book, but a few things have been added. There is a scene where Yvaine and Dunstan find themselves in the sky and are rescued by a flying ship which is collecting lightning bolts. In the book this is a relatively short interlude, but in this film this has been developed into a marvellous sub-story in which the master of the flying ship, Captain Shakespeare, played brilliantly by Robert de Niro, pretends to be a ruthless pirate but has a secret. Ricky Gervase has an amusing cameo just after this as "Ferdy the Fence."
   
   The ending has also been completely reworked from Neil Gaiman's original novel, with a very dramatic climax which will come as a "surprise ending" for anyone who has read the book. If you are interested both in reading the book and watching the film, I would advise you to tackle the book first: the ending of the book may seem anticlimatic if you have previously seen the film.
   
   Acting is excellent throughout, particularly Charlie Cox and Clare Danes who were both very successful as the main lead characters, while Michelle Pfieffer and Mark Strong were both superb as two of the most sinister villains in the film. Rupert Everitt was rather wasted as a prince who is murdered almost immediately after being introduced.
   
   Special effects were magnificent. There is a good section on many versions of this DVD about how they were made.
   
   Overall this was a fantastic film enjoyable for adults and children alike and I strongly recommend it.



4. My fiance wanted to see this film and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The storyline is filled with humor, action and fantasy driven effects. Great performances by the entire cast, and a great escapist ride!



5. Although the trailer doesn't make it seem that exciting this is a really funny and creative movie. Highly reccommended!

5 comments about Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition).

1. Why have I waited Till August of 2008 to rate the 3 Prequils? Because I am sick and tired of Everyone who THINKS they are a Star Wars Critic or Fan,Bashing Star Wars and George Lucas. Now to the Review.. Ok I admit Episode I was the Weakest of the 6 Films, but for a reason. If you are Looking at each film Individually then you are cheating yourself. George set out to do what he always wanted to do, tell the story of.... Not Darth Vader, But Anakin Skywalker. To do that you have to go to the Beginning. His Youth. AS a Slave Boy, What molded him? What led the Jedi to him? If all you are Looking for is an Action Thriller Movie you are in the Wrong Place. Yes Jar Jar was Silly, Yes In Fact Dumb. But Take Him for what he is "an Idiot" Used Almost Exclusively for Episode I. However The Plot lines and the Story are what were important in the Prequels. Obviously Special Effects are going to rule any Star Wars Movie. as they do in all 6. Darth Maul Everyone Says was so Cool they should have kept him around. All I hear is He was "too cool to Kill Off" and I say " He Really was Cool, But he Served his Purpose. His Character needed to Be killed off ....For the STORY" and as George always says "Story First" Next. Liam Neason as Qui-Gon GIn was Essential and The Overall Story was Pivotal AS a Beginning To (NOt Darth Vader) but Anakin's Origin's . WE See his Incredible ability to Love.(Which Will lead To his Ability to Hate). WE see His Intuition with the Force, the POdrace and the Space battle were all controlled by the force(and Darth Sidious) Nothing will happen to his prize. The Movies make Sense the more you read into them.
   Why were they not as successful as the Original Trilogy? People Come up with a Million and one Excuses. The real reason is The Original Trilogy - Nobody EVER saw anything like that before. A Million Movies came out since, each one outdoing the next, people got Spoiled. Now Star Wars When the Bar was set so high- Nothing could have met the expectations people had. So when 3 Great movies came out each one better then the last, people who were already Spoiled weren't getting the Undeliverable Movie they wanted. They were let down."What it isn't better then Perfect?" That is the Reason.



2. The Star Wars Episode 1 dvd was in gerat shape. The cover had very slight wear and tear but also in good condition. My overall interaction with this seller was great. Great!
   
   Thanks!



3. I got this item in great condition for a great price. I love the star wars movies and you can get them here for a great price.



4. This entire movie, except the end, was mediocre. I wish he didn't go back and do 1, 2, and 3 but he did and we have to live with it.



5. Nowadays, it is hard to find someone who has not seen the Star Wars movies. If you are one of the lucky few who escaped the Phantom Menace's hype attack during its theatrical release, there is no reason to waste your money and time now to ruin your fond memory of Episode 4 & 5, unless, that is, you are under 8 years old, which is the target audience of this movie. Enough said.

5 comments about Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition).

1. The other reviews are longer to read than the movie itself! The fact is, all six films are wonderful! If Lucas had filmed in order part one, two, three, four, etc. We as an audience wouldn't have cared by part five and the better fims would have been lost forever, selling nothing! But since Lucas filmed 4,5,6, and then returned to 1,2,and 3, focusing more on special effects, he kept his fans far more interested and sold millions, possibly billions!
   Lucas is a genius! I loved the Phantom Menace! It is a cool name and wonderful movie. Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith just got better and better!
   You love these movies! Go on admit it! You can keep complaining but you're not fooling anyone!



2. Okay, here we go: you waited patiently for Episode I and felt let down. Episode II was an outright betrayal. There's something left here in this franchise, right?
   
   There is a heartbeat here. If you can hear it through the clutter of Jedi Counsel del iberations, Mace Windoo doing his haughty strutting thing, and ignore the Chase of General Emphysema On a Lizard thing, you can watch and enjoy this movie. Hey. I'm here to help.
   
   We all wanted to see Yoda and Obi Wan do that fighter pilot thing, and here we finally do. The filmmakers owed us, big time, for the wretched Yoda performance of Episode II ("Dawson's Creek in Space"), which looked like it had been choreographed by the same guys who did "Xena: Warrior Princess" and shot by a team of CG artists instead of photographers. Hence, the camera work and fight choreography are vastly improved over Episode II.
   
   The plot is still loopy and ridiculous. (In a cut scene, we see that Padme took part in a high school Model UN to prepare her for her role as elected Queen. Yes. Really.) Never mind that. We want to see how Anakin became Darth, and that's saved for the Last Battle. Aside from the fact that Padme tells Anakin "I don't know you anymore," (WHAT?!), the battle is epic, sweeping, well choreographed, scored, and cut, it pays off big at the end and you get to see Anakin fully transformed into the bloodless and wrathful Darth. (Although he does yell "Noooooooo", which subtracts somewhat.)
   
   Lucas tried to wrap up a lot of things here, and there are a lot of skeins left lying around and aren't really tied up. Leah goes to live on Alderaan (we knew it as her adopted world) and Luke is busted back to Tatooine. Obi Wan goes there, too, to "look after" Luke from afar. In a bizarre moment, Yoda gives Obi Wan a calling card so he can hook up with Qui Gon. Okay, it's more like meditation, but does that make it better?
   
   Episode II left all us True Believers in a trance and desperate to salvage anything from the series gone amok. Lucas finally put out a movie without romantic interludes, some real drama, and without too much absurd racist stereotypes. This is as good as it gets, kids. I for one was glad to eat up.



3. loved this movie from start to finish.nothing about this movie i did not like and no part of the movie i did not like great movie and so was the first movie but i do not know what happened to the second ond that one was completely off the chart dead.



4. I loved this movie so much I saw it in the theater 5 times. It is action packed and has great visual effects but the script and acting but Vader wans't the best. Oh well, the ending was cool...



5. So the time has come that I review "Revenge of the Sith." As those who have read my reviews for Episodes I and II will know, I do not have much sympathy for the people who continue to claim that these three films have wrecked their lives forever. What life is this that you ever had, Universal 1-Star reviewer, if a few movies you didn't like devestated you THAT much? "George Lucas raped my childhood". Get real... or at least get therapy.
   
   Alright, so George Lucas is a much more creative--and, in all likelyhood, much more intelligent--person than these one-star reviwers who somehow seem to think that they could do what he's done better than he's done, but even HE was facing a tall order in delivering "Star Wars-- Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" to viewers successfuly. Not only was he looking at a fanbase in which many had completely lost faith in him after the previous two films, but he was also releasing a climactic story that brought with it close to thirty years of hype and expectation. (Of course his job was theoretically made somewhat easier in that all the fans who were THAT disatsified with the first two prequels should have learned to lower their expecations by the time the third one came along. In practice, however, some things simply never change.) Nonetheless, against the odds of ever satisfying these people, some of whom literally wanted him in court for the supposed rape of their childhood memories, George Lucas resolved to finish his great life's work... and "Revenge of the Sith" is the final result of that resolve.
   
   As the film opens, it is made clear that the Clone War, which started in the previous segment of the series, are still very much in full swing after of the passage of three whole years. The Seperatists, led by Jedi-turned-Sith Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), aided by General Grievous of the battle droid army (an ILM creation voiced by sound editor Matt Wood), have landed the most devestating blow as yet to the Republic by kidnapping Supreme Chanellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid.) The first 20-25 minute portion of the film deals with the rescue mission headed by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), who is now a full Jedi Knight rather than an apprentice. They are now fast friends with a good history of great comradship throughout the war.
   
   While Palpatine is eventually rescued by the Jedi--and Count Dooku ends up removed from the picture swiftly--General Grievous has escaped once again, and so, says Palpatine, the war must continue until he is captured. Meanwhile, Anakin's secret wife, Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) has gotten pregnant; but good news turns sour when Anakin has what he believes is a prophetic dream of Padme dying in childbirth. He has good reason to suspect that this dream represents an event that will come to pass, as he had a similar experience with his mother several years previously. Simaltaneously, Obi-Wan is sent, based on received intelligence, to get rid of Grievous, who is hiding on a distant planet, once and for all, and Yoda goes to Kashykk, the Wookie planet, to lead another battle, so Anakin gets left alone with Chancellor Palpatine to battle his conflicting emotions and desires. Without divulging any excess information, it is from this point on that the real story, twisted and twisiting, begins.
   
   I cannot emphasize enough that this film, in its every element, dwarfs its predecessors. The space battle that opens the film, through which Anakin and Obi-Wan force their way to rescue the Chancellor, is the gigantic and exciting space battle in the entire series, rivaled in thrills only by the final battle from "Return of the Jedi." And fittingly so: this is the final space battle we are very likely to see in this series. Some have complained about the CGI use, but A)It looks GREAT, completely realistic and B) the battle itself is so exciting and invigorating that one hardly thinks to imagine how it was created while it's happening. (Plainly, I've never understood how CG can bother anyone as much as it has some. It could have something to do with growing up in the '90s and early 2000s, but I don't get what annoys people so much about CGI versus puppets. The Coruscant interiors are often breath-taking, and I don't know anyone can deny that the 2005 digital Yoda isn't WAY more realstic looking than his puppet form. OK, he needed a little more work in 2002, but I'm hardly complaining since he looks so *real* in 2005 that I could reach through the screen and touch him.)
   
   As great as the opening space fight is, the lightsaber battles are even better. In spite of the fact that most of his fight work was done by a double, Christopher Lee commands incredible presence in his one scene as Dooku. It's also a great three way fight, with a lot of clashing swords, tension, and at least one brilliant piece of dialogue delivery from Lee. The ending also puts to shame much of what came before (hint: the long trail of severed body parts throughout this series is taken to a whole new level with a beheading. Like producer Rick McCallum, I greatly appreciate that Lucas had the courage to put this moment in the film.) There are four other saber fights in the film. Of them, Grievous' fight with Obi-Wan is the most fun purely in the sense of great action. Grevious isn't Darth Maul, but it is extremley cool that he fights with four lightsabers at once, and, for that matter, that he is in fact a gravely injured human being cobbled together in a manner similar to Darth Vader. Add to this the resourcefulness of Obi-Wan--who, at one point, can be seen landing Grevious a good blow or two with an Electro-Staff, possibly the *coolest* weapon introduced to Star Wars since the saber itself--and you have a more-than-worthy action sequence before you.
   
   Oustide of this, it really is hard to decide on a favorite lightsaber duel in this film. Mace Vs. Darth Sideous allows Sam Jackson one more opportunity to be the baddest purple lazer-wielding Jedi in the galaxy, and shows of Ian McDiarmid's acting skills superbly, winding up one of the most exciting sequences in the whole series. But I really have to give the props to intercut face-offs of Darth Sideous and Yoda, and Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. I seem to remember reading some criticism around the time of the film's release about the decision to have Sideous and Yoda's duel placed directly alongside Anakin and Obi-Wan's, but from the moment it began, I thought it was a brilliant sequence: at the same moment in time as two friends turned bitter enemies are fighting each other, the ultimate forces of Good and Evil in the Galaxy are facing off. It's a superb idea... and it looks great, too! Not only do we have the two greatest and most epic sword fights in the series, but there is a visually amazing segment in which Sideous begins hurling objects in the Senate room at Yoda; this is worth seeing not only for the incredible tenson and the struggle for domination between these two characters, but also because Ian McDiarmid hams it up deliciously opposite his "little green friend" in shot after shot. He's like a kid playing with a new toy--and that approach could not be more appropriate than it is. Tiny Yoda is, at times, like a toy in Sideous' palm.
   
   So the action is great, but what about the other elements? As I keep saying, this movie completely dwarfs its predecessors in all areas. Ian McDiarmid, in the role of Darth Sideous, is likely to be the first actor to jump out at you as being absolutely brilliant. McDiarmid is a Royal Shakespeare Theatre actor, and he performs with all of the excellence associated with such qualifications. While he eminates the role of a ruthless villain in some scenes, perhaps his greatest triumph is the scene at the opera (not kidding-- a scene in a Star Wars movie that takes place at an opera) where he begins to cajole Anakin into joining him with the implicit promise that he can teach Anakin how to save Padme from certain death. Apparently, McDiarmid's unusual, crackling tone has more to do with a soar throat than anything else, but either way it enhances an already excellent scene. Elsewhere, he slips chillingly back into his Emperor voice (to wit: "I can FEEL it.")
   
   I am confident that almost every reviewer who posted here with praises extoled Ewan McGregor's excellent take on a younger Obi-Wan. His range--from silly, completely over-the-top humor, right to utter pain and disapointment--has to be seen to be believed. It is that brilliant and moving a performance. He is certainly one of the greatest young acting talents we have today-- even if just for his uncanny ability to chanel Sir Alec Guiness' role minus 20-30 years near PERFECTLY. Elsewhere, Frank Oz manages to leave the viewer wondering that he has never broken into an acting beyond all those muppets; his voice performance is stirring and, again, dwarfs what he has done in past installments of this series. Samuel L. Jackson shifts admirably between his stoic and battle-ready sides. While he actually gets to *act* MUCH more in this installment, he is not as memorable as in Ep. II. He shows off his range at times, but he doesn't have the opportunities, as in previous pictures, to reveal his personality, and that's part of being in a *series* of movies: you're probably going to be more memorable when you first revealing your personality than later on when everything has been established.
   
   Natalie Portman has surprisngly little to do, all things considered, but makes the viewer feel her character's emotions with all the necessary weight. She really nails her last scene with Anakin, especially considering the wordy dialogue, and the scene in which she and Anakin are staring out of their windows, looking in each other's direction, says it all with no words and a lot of artistic excellence from all involved.
   
   Hayden Christensen. Hayden, Hayden, Hayden. It's hard for me to believe that so many can absolutely cruficy him for his work in this series. To some, he will be forever "wooden"-- if these people were to ever admit otherwise, they would lose their pride, it seems. The truth is, however, that, perfect or not, he nails the role of someone who, blinded by and consumed with power and greed, turns against his friends, against the principles he has lived for his entire life, and is brimming with an agony of conflict that eventually must overflow. From tender scenes of love to thunderous outbursts of anger and darkness, he rarely misses a beat. It's hard to believe that anyone could wood behind any of his work in this film. He improved greatly from Attack of the Clones (where, again, he seldom missed a note where it counted), and is now able to play a completely three-dimensional, inherently tragic figure. Kudos to him! He has an uncanny ability to role off virtually the most flourid lines Lucas can conncot for his character.
   
   Elsewhere, some say the film was predictible... DUH! We've already seen parts 4-6, so we know what has to happen, at least at the most basic level. It's predictible for us, but it wouldn't be for someone coming to the series with no prior exposure generations from now, beginning logically at the point of Episode *1*. The bottom line is that it simply isn't fair to hold predictibility against this or any of the Star Wars prequels. For today's audiences, it was an inherent problem. However, George Lucas is a great storyteller, so he was able to overcome this. The storyline of this movie is strong-- it keeps suspense going, and is well-paced and believable within the context of the Star Wars world. The characters are well-drawn, with strong motiviations for their actions; what, other than the unmatched power of love, is likely to turn one to the ever-present Dark Side of the Force? Ultimately, this whole series is a masterwork of storytelling, whatever else it may or may not be.
   
   "Revenge of the Sith" certainly has imperfections. The acting isn't perfect, the dialogue still triggers a shake of the head from time to time, but it is a wonderful and tragic film taken in total.
   
   W.O.

5 comments about The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition).

1. These extended movies are significantly better than the original releases, however I have found one problem. They play fine on a DVD player, but when I try to play them on a computer running Vista and Power DVD, I get something like a subtitle that runs at the top of the movie and lists all the credits while the movie is playing. This goes on the entire movie. This seems to be somehow connected to the normal subtitles because if I turn the regular subtitles on, these credits disappear.
   
   If you are planning to watch these movies on a computer, this is something to be aware of, as it is incredibly distracting and basically makes the movies unwatchable.



2. muy buena presentacion... pero no sub-titulos en el primer cd.
   soy de latino america y aunque conozco el idioma ingles, en mi opinion la primera pelicula deberia de tener todas las caracteristicas completas...
   
   very good presentation ... but no sub-titles in the first cd.
   I am of latin america and although I know the English language, in my opinion the first movie should have all the characteristics of complete ...



3. This box is a great release, not only adding 2 hours to the entire trilogy (30 mins. for FoTR, 40 for TT, 50 for RoTK) but also a huge bonus content.
   
   Let`s talk about the extended cuts. I`ve watched LOTR 3 times before getting this box and i was stunned when sometimes i didn`t recognise the movie. The added scenes are very important in character development as well as for tying plot knots. Each movie is divided into 2 discs, so changing the dvd at the middle of the run is necesary.
   
   As for the remaining 6 discs, they are filled with goodies. You will see how elaborate the process behing the trilogy has been. Everything will be discussed, from pre-production to the department behind the weapons and armor you see in the movies.
   
   If you enjoyed LOTR you will be amazed how magnificent the uncut film looks like. Untill the ultimate edition is on sale, i recommend this with all my heart.



4. What can you say this is one of the greatest films of all time, and the extended version makes you never want to watch the original. Daughter is totally obsessed, she is now reading the books. If you love the original you have to get this version.



5. was pleased but one of the discs was severely scratched to where I missed quite a bit of the movie, one out of four not bad.