James Marsden

X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Whose fault is it anyway?
The Best movie in the X-Men trilogy!
Failure of a finale
the last stand????
ok

X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Hugh Jackman , Halle Berry , Ian McKellen , Famke Janssen , and Shawn Ashmore
Director: Brett Ratner
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Superman Returns (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Mission Impossible III (Widescreen Edition)
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) [Region 99]
Ice Age - The Meltdown (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000HCO83Q
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Amazon.com

X-Men: The Last Stand is the third installment in the popular superhero franchise, and it's an exciting one with a splash of fresh new characters. When a scientist named Warren Worthington II announces a "cure" for mutant powers, it raises an interesting philosophical question: is mutant power a disease that needs a cure, or is it a benefit that homo superior enjoys over "normal" human beings? No surprise that Magneto (Ian McKellen) and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants resist the idea that they need to be cured, and declare war on the human race. But it's a little tougher for the X-Men, led by Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Cyclops (James Marsden), and Storm (Halle Berry). If you're Rogue (Anna Paquin), for example, your power means you can't even touch your boyfriend, Iceman (Shawn Ashmore). To compound matters, someone previously thought dead has returned, and might be either friend or foe.

With director Bryan Singer having moved on to Superman Returns, the franchise passes to the hands of Brett Ratner (Rush Hour), whose best work is done in the big action sequences such as a showdown between mutant armies. But it's difficult to manage the sheer volume of characters when adding longtime comic-book stalwarts such as Beast (Kelsey Grammer) and Angel (Ben Foster), and one character in particular deserved better than an off-screen dismissal. And fans of the original Dark Phoenix comic book story might be underwhelmed by the movie's resolution. X-Men: The Last Stand is presumably the last film in the series, but the ambiguous ending leaves possibilities open. Look for the two writers most responsible for making the X-Men who they were, Stan Lee and Chris Claremont, in early cameos. --David Horiuchi

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Description

Experience the awesome power of The X-Men's epic, final battle. Join well-known mutant heroes and villains, and meet a cadre of all-new warriors -- including Angel, Beast, Juggernaut and Colossus -- in this thrilling, explosive adventure! After a controversial "cure" is discovered, mutants can choose to retain their superhuman abilities or give up their unique gifts and become "normal." When peaceful mutant leader Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) clashes with his militant counterpart, Magneto (Ian McKellen), the battle lines are drawn for the war to end all wars. Bursting with nonstop action, spectacular special effects and exclusive extras, X-MEN THE LAST STAND is a force of nature that "will blow you away!"

Customer Reviews:

Whose fault is it anyway?.......2007-06-18

I've watched this movie a couple of times now, and I still can't decide if I like it or not. Some complain about Halle Berry's increased role in the film. I don't understand how she couldn't have a bigger part, since Cyclops and Professor X die and Jean is a zombie most of the time. That only leaves Wolverine and Storm as the remaining members of the team!
My question has to do with the script. Which came first, the poor script or folks jumping ship, or did a bad script get even worse when key players bolted?
Marsden and Singer ran off to do Superman. Superman was good, but it wasn't great. Since the story is about Dark Phoenix, it would seem that Marsden would have had a bigger role as Cyclops in X-Men than as Lois Lane's fiance. And Singer had done the two previous very successful X-Men movies. Why would he think doing Superman would be better than XMIII? It sounds like both men knew a bad thing when they saw it and ran away as fast as they could.
And what about Patrick Stewart? Did the original story called for Xavier's death, or did Mr. Stewart want to be written out of the story? His death seemed to serve no purpose in the storyline - other than it was easier to show her evil side by killing him off as opposed to having DP destroy star systems as she did in the comic.
Of course the other possibility is that they were setting up the Wolverine movie by doing away with the X-Men......

The Best movie in the X-Men trilogy!.......2007-06-16

This is the Best movie in the X-Men trilogy! I enjoyed this movie a-lot! It's more entertaining than Bryan Singer's X-Men movies. Brett Ratner and Hugh Jackman did a great job with this movie! X-Men the Last Stand is great film! Bryan Singer is a poor director! Bryan Singer's work on Superman Returns proves that he could not direct a superhero film. X-Men :The Last Stand is a must see movie! A

Failure of a finale.......2007-06-12

This is supposedly the last in the X-Men series before they go on to more focused films like Magneto and Wolverine. The Last Stand is appreciably different than the two previous installments due primarily to it featuring a different director, and secondarily because they continue to introduce more characters from the series. This does make it markedly more difficult to maintain focus. The original X-Men comic books took years to move through the same story arc. This was evident while viewing this film. The story seemed fractured because there were so many sub-plots. It was almost like there was a bunch of different movies cut and put together. The forays into the characters we forgot we were supposed to care about are forgettable, and could easily have been cut. However, it was an entertaining film throughout with great acting and spectacular effects. The battle scenes were bigger than the last two films because the mutants moved from the underground to do battle out in the open. I really don't know what else to say. Now that I'm actually writing this down, the movie wasn't all that great. It was a lot of fun to watch, but it could have been much better. The effects tried to compensate for the weaknesses elsewhere, but even the giant finale battle was sort of aloof. We were sort of detached from what was actually going on, and I felt it was more of an atmosphere of battle than actual action. I think as a package of three films - the X-Men trilogy - everything would be really cool. I enjoyed it, I really liked it, but it is far from being the pinnacle of movie making - even at comic book standards.

the last stand???? .......2007-06-11

Having enjoyed the first 2 Xmen I have to admit to being disapointed with the so called last stand. Once again the effects are outstanding. The acting wasnt too bad but not great Ian Mckellan as Magneto is a great performance. Now not being into the comics i probably am at a disadvantage but I dont understand killing off 2 of the main characters and so early at that. The film just left too many questions and not enough answers. The basis for the film is that a doctor has discovered a cure for the mutant gene which does not sit well with many mutants especially Magneto who in his own mind feels that mutants have risen above normal human beings and are entitled to dominate the world. Also Jean Grey has returned from the grave i guess you can say and her powers are now almost unstoppable. After she destroys everything in sight including her mentor and former boyfriend she is now at the side of magneto who intends to use her powers to put mutants above human. Wolverine and storm and a some other good mutants want equality for all and must stop magneto and his war. The battle at the end is ok but a little too easy a conclusion. Ofcourse there is a lot of room for a sequel at the end including the hint of Dr xaviers return in the credits. I hope the proposed Wolverine and Magneto prequels are better. Worht watching just not that great. Will leave die hard Xmen fans a bit confused

ok.......2007-06-06

i loved the first 2 x-men movies. wouldn't it be pc to say "x-people." brian synger, the director of the first 2 movies, was away doing 'superman returns;' (i'm still not sure if that was a remake or a sequel). superman returns also stole cyclops, which is why is was only in the beginning of X3.

the portrayal of the phoenix, the super-powerful jean grey, was poorly done and could have been so much more. she just sat in the background until the end. the whole premise of the movie was poor too. all they had to do was make apocalypse the main nemesis. he's an alien who was entombed in ancient egypt by the revolting people, kind of like star gate. his mutant powers are far beyond any one mutant. they are like rogue, where he absorbs them from other mutants, but can use the newly acquired powers forever, not just temporarily. that's how i understand apocalypse anyway. the "cure" for mutantism was a weak plot. there was no main, solid theme. pieces were just thrown in at random, there was no continuity or flow.

i loved the magneto freeing the imprisoned mutants scene a lot- throwing all those cars around. i liked seeing the wide variety of mutants like shockwave, etc., but still no gambit. it was cool to see storm do a tornado too.

the effects were great, but the plot was weak. it's a shame to end on a bad note. maybe if they get synger back, they can make a cool fourth one; just wait a while until the bad taste leaves everyone's mouth though. they left it open for a fourthquel, with professorX (i don't want to ruin it, but watch the last scene at the end of the credits) and magneto too. there's so many superhero movies now. venom was cool, can't wait for the silver surfer. maybe even ironman? i wonder if they'll play the black sabbath song of the same name during that movie. superheros are cool, everyone loves them. they show how we can become something beyond ourselves and help others. some people do this already in their own way, like a parent or a friend, others just want to be rescued. i used to have super powers when i would drink a lot. one moment i would be in one bar, and then, all of a sudden, i would be teleported to another bar along with some of my friends too. everyone has a little super in them. will you use it for good or for evil?

Superman Returns (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Great Update to the Christopher Reeve films
Roundtrip to Krypton in 5 Years???
f---ing toilet paper!
The best Superman movie I've ever seen!
Super Disappointing.

Superman Returns (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Brandon Routh , Kate Bosworth , Kevin Spacey , James Marsden , and Parker Posey
Director: Bryan Singer
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition)
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) [Region 99]
Ice Age - The Meltdown (Widescreen Edition)
Mission Impossible III (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000J10ERO
Release Date: 2006-11-28

Amazon.com

If Richard Donner's 1978 feature film Superman: The Movie made us believe a man could fly, Bryan Singer's 2006 follow-up, Superman Returns, lets us remember that a superhero movie can make our spirits soar. Superman (played by newcomer Brandon Routh) comes back to Earth after a futile five-year search for his destroyed home planet of Krypton. As alter ego Clark Kent, he's eager to return to his job at the Daily Planet and to see Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth). Lois, however, has moved on: she now has a fiancé (James Marsden), a son (Tristan Leabu), and a Pulitzer Prize for her article entitled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." On top of this emotional curveball, his old archrival Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is plotting the biggest land grab in history.

Singer, who made a strong impression among comic-book fans for his work on the X-Men franchise and directed Spacey in The Usual Suspects, brings both a fresh eye and a sense of respect to the world's oldest superhero. He borrows John Williams's great theme music and Marlon Brando's voice as Jor-El, and the story (penned by Singer's X-Men collaborators Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris) is a sort-of-sequel to the first two films in the franchise (choosing to ignore that the third and fourth movies ever happened). The humorous and romantic elements give the movie a heart, Singer's art-deco Metropolis is often breathtaking, and the special effects are elegant and spectacular, particularly an early airplane-disaster set-piece. Of the cast, Routh is excellent as the dual Superman/Clark, Spacey is both droll and vicious as Luthor, and Parker Posey gets the best lines as Luthor's moll Kitty. But at 23, Bosworth seems too young for the five-years-past-grizzled Lois. It's nice to see Noel Neill, Jack Larson (both from the classic Adventures of Superman TV series), and Eva Marie-Saint on the screen as well. Superman Returns is one of those projects that was in development for seemingly forever, but it was worth the wait -- it's the most enjoyable superhero movie since Spider-Man 2 and The Incredibles. --David Horiuchi

On the DVD
The two-disc edition offers about three hours of documentaries and other features. "Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns" is an eight-part documentary about the movie, going back to Bryan Singer conceiving the movie back in 2004. There's a lot of on-set footage and analyses of special effects and stunts such as Brandon Routh's flying (helped by his swimming regimen), focusing more on the filming process than the design. For example, we see how the Metropolis scenes were shot but not how the often-striking sets were designed. Marlon Brando appears briefly in the bloopers section, and "Resurrecting Jor-El" spotlights the techniques used to create his footage. The eleven deleted scenes (about 15 minutes total) contain nothing earth-shaking, but it's nice to see more Eva Marie-Saint, one scene of Clark back in Smallville that could have altered the dynamic of his return to The Daily Planet, and a scene between Kevin Spacey and Parker Posey that is good for a laugh. --David Horiuchi

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Description

He's back. A hero for our millennium. And not a moment too soon, because during the five years (much longer in movie-fan years!) Superman sought his home planet, things changed on his adopted planet. Nations moved on without him. Lois Lane now has a son, a fiance and a Pulitzer for "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." And Lex Luthor has a plan that will destroy millions - no, billions - of lives. Filmmaker Bryan Singer (X-Men) gives the world the Superman it needs, honoring the legend everyone loves while taking it in a powerful new direction. Brandon Routh proves a perfect choice to wear the hero's cape, leading a top cast that includes Kate Bosworth as Lois and Kevin Spacey as Lex. And the thrills - from a sky-grapple with a tumbling jumbo jet to a continent-convulsing showdown - redefine Wow. "I'm always around," Superman tells Lois. You'll be glad he is.

Customer Reviews:

Great Update to the Christopher Reeve films.......2007-06-23

Superman hears about the discovery of the remains of the planet Krypton. So he disappears for five years to check it out. When he returns, he finds that the world has moved on without him. Lois Lane has a child and lives with her boyfriend (who happens to Perry White's son).

Superman feels a bit lost in the modern world. But he makes a stunning and dramatic reappearance and immediately gets back to doing what he does best: fighting crime and upholding truth and justice.

In the meantime, his old rival Lex Luthor (played by Kevin Spacey) plots against him and against the United States of America. The movie is full of humanity and compassion. It presents a modernized Superman for the 21st century.

My only complaints are that Superman looks a little too digital and cartoonish when dressed in his costume. Also, the film spends too much time with Lex Luthor's plot when in my view he isn't worth the time. Not only that, Kevin Spacey's Luthor lacks the humor and likeability of Gene Hackman's Luthor. This new Luthor is all creep.

But the storyline is intriguing and Superman's interactions with Lois Lane and her child make for compelling viewing. Recommended.

Roundtrip to Krypton in 5 Years???.......2007-06-21

The only problem I have with the plot is Superman's roundtrip flight to Krypton in 5 years. Jorel states that he's "been dead for many thousands of your years" and it doesn't make much sense that it only take 2.5 years to reach Earth. I always thought the spaceship had some sort of age suppression technology and it took the infant Kalel a long time to reach Earth.

It would have been much better if the movie started off with a spectacular action sequence in which Superman does something that causes the death of someone while trying to protect them. Then he decides to go into exile and returns 5 years later. Other than that, I thought the movie was great with outstanding visual effects and a stellar cast.

f---ing toilet paper!.......2007-06-21

this movie is right up there with the hulk movie ! i mean seriously tho, what a piece of s@-%! the storyline made absolutely no sense and was so boring. i thought superman 3 was my last disappointment after they came back with superman 4. superman 2 was and still is the best of the saga!

The best Superman movie I've ever seen!.......2007-06-19

Like everyone else at the local theater, I sat spellbound through the whole thing. I'd been reluctant to see it because despite how old they are, I'm a big fan of the original Chrstopher Reeve movies not to mention I'd heard they pared Lois off with somebody else and hated the very idea. Still, the rest of my family was going. So, reluctantly, I went, thinking that they probably had changed everything. Surprise! Wrong. First a link to the old movies, then..."Hey! Isn't that music kind of familiar?" I was grinning before the first actor came on screen. And I'd seen Kevin Spacey on other movies; he never suggested to me the Lex Luthor type. Guess what? He did even better than Gene Hackman (if THAT is possible)! Luthor has a feel of realism that makes you see how dangerous he really is. Kate Bosworth, probably not the Mommy type, plays the transformed Lois Lane with understated skill. And last but oh so definitely not least, when I got my first good look at Superman, I was stunned enough to wonder whether Christopher Reeve had a son, younger brother, or even a cousin who was in acting! Then I wondered if maybe they made Brandon Routh up to look like Reeve so we'd like it, but not so. The mood of the movie at first is 'this is life as usual' with Clark Kent as the nearly invisible intruder and Superman the wild card come to shake things up. This movie was so good that not even the horrible new suit that looks like plastic/rubber or their feeble attemp to compare Superman to Jesus Christ as Savior can tarnish it's shine!

Super Disappointing........2007-06-19

What else can you say about a franchise "restart" that feels, plays, and ends like a drawn out coda instead of a jubilant new beginning. Helmer Brian Singer is handed the keys to the character that can do anything, along with 60+ years of stories to draw from, but what does he do with it? An Oxygen network movie of the week, with almost perfunctory nods to what the character is really about. Singer attempts to pull drama and tension from the romance of the 80's movies, but since the actual parting between the leads is never adequately explained, there is no real tension in it, nor any real drama to be had in its resolution, only the ill-defined squirming sensation that relationship sitcoms get in season 2.

This genre and this character each have clichés of their own. Those clichés are fundamental to making the character who he needs to be, and the stories true to that character. The question has to be: Why do a Superman movie if you don't really want to tell a Superman story? I am at a total loss for some the new direction taken by this movie. A new character is introduced that has nothing to do with the established mythos, a character that will gobble plot space in any subsequent in-continuity stories. Without giving anything away, imagine if you went into a Bond movie, and they had replaced "M" with a pair of CGI wisecracking dogs voiced by Robin Williams and Larry the cable guy. It might be funny, and it might make a few bucks, but it wouldn't be a Bond movie anymore. That's what we have here: a story line that drifts cheaply and unnecessarily so far away from the source that it's no longer Superman.

Routh and Spacey do serviceable jobs, respecting and building on the previous actors' styles while adding the touches needed for the new project, but Kate Bosworth is a total disaster. Staggering from scene to scene with a freshly tasered junior high vibe that conveys nothing of what her character is supposed to be. Lane, the reporter, is 30-ish, sharp, refined, sexy, accomplished, and world weary but still energetic and positive. Bosworth comes across as 19, slow, dull, suburban, mousey, coddled, and resigned. (Better casting would have been to put the underutilized Parker Posey in this role, but she's wasted providing paint-by-numbers comic relief.)

Even the iconic outfit, a 100% no-brainer, is just wrong. The color scheme was so bad that I had originally thought it was deliberate disinformation to throw off merchandise counterfeiters. No such luck. Baby blue and dark brick red: The man of steel rendered as your grandma's basement laundry room.

Off the reservation on the major plot points, tone deaf on the female lead, wrong on some obvious details, and silent on the continuity problems. Just two or three action pieces, and a final climax that never climbs above "OK, I pushed hard once, but now I'm REALLY pushing hard".

Worth a watch just to say you've seen it, but it's a let-down to anyone expecting a Superman movie to tell a Superman story.

Average customer rating:

Great Update to the Christopher Reeve films
Roundtrip to Krypton in 5 Years???
f---ing toilet paper!
The best Superman movie I've ever seen!
Super Disappointing.

Superman Returns (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Brandon Routh , Kate Bosworth , Kevin Spacey , James Marsden , and Parker Posey
Director: Bryan Singer
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition)
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) [Region 99]
Ice Age - The Meltdown (Widescreen Edition)
Mission Impossible III (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000J10EQU
Release Date: 2006-11-28

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Great Update to the Christopher Reeve films.......2007-06-23

Roundtrip to Krypton in 5 Years???.......2007-06-21

f---ing toilet paper!.......2007-06-21

The best Superman movie I've ever seen!.......2007-06-19

Super Disappointing........2007-06-19

Average customer rating:

Lament For Broken Dreams
It should have been called The Ambassador Hotel...!
"Waiter, there's a hollow point in my soup..."
The Once and Future King
Disappointing!

Bobby (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Harry Belafonte , Laurence Fishburne , Heather Graham , Helen Hunt , and Joshua Jackson
Director: Emilio Estevez
Manufacturer: The Weinstein Company
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Good Shepherd (Widescreen Edition)
The Queen
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition)
Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000MEYJHY
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Amazon.com

In the final quarter or so of Bobby, writer-director-actor Emilio Estevez finally starts tightening his grip on the viewer as we head inexorably toward the film's climax: the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in a Los Angeles hotel kitchen. In the course of these scenes--among them Kennedy's acceptance speech after winning the California Democratic presidential primary (the senator is seen only in file footage), his death at the hands of gunman Sirhan Sirhan, and the chaos and despair that ensued--Estevez steadily ratchets up the sense of tension and dread. Knowing exactly what's coming, while the characters onscreen don't, is excruciating, as is our grief at hearing RFK's own words, so eloquent, so hopeful and inspiring, as we watch the horrible events unfold and wonder what might have been (sure it's manipulative--but it works). But the rest of Bobby isn't nearly as compelling. Nor is it really about Kennedy, despite its obvious adulation of the man whom many thought would defeat Richard Nixon in the '68 general election. In the tradition of, say, an Irwin Allen disaster flick, we're invited into the lives of nearly two dozen folks, most of them at least partly fictional, who were at the Ambassador Hotel that June day, including guests, staff (kitchen workers, switchboard operators, management, etc.), campaign workers, reporters, and more. There are lots of movie stars in the cast, and some of them (Sharon Stone, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy) are very good. But caring about the quotidian minutiae of these people's existences is a chore, and Estevez crams so many issues into his story (the Vietnam war, drugs, alcoholism, voting irregularities, adultery, racism, immigration, communism… even L.A. Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale's streak of consecutive shutouts) and tries so obviously to establish parallels between then and now that too much of the movie feels gratuitous and forced. A warts-and-all film about Robert Kennedy's extraordinary life and career would be welcome. Unfortunately, Bobby isn't it. --Sam Graham

Description

(Drama) A re-telling of the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in 1968. The film follows 22 individuals who are all at the hotel for different purposes but share the common thread of anticipating Kennedy's arrival at the primary election night party, which would change their lives forever. This historic night is set against the backdrop of the cultural issues gripping the country at the time, including racism, sexual inequality and class differences.

Customer Reviews:

Lament For Broken Dreams.......2007-06-15

I think Estevez's purpose here, and one that he achieved pretty well, is to show the tragedy of Robert Kennedy's death in an ordinary human setting, and contrast those events with today. Providing you are not waking from a 50 year sleep or completely ignorant of history, you will know that Kennedy's death hangs over the entire film. Estevez records the day's events in a deliberately soapy, and mostly entertaining style, to contrast then with now - has anything changed? This technique, with clips of RFK's mostly unscripted speeches, constantly reminded me of what has been lost. Comparisons with today's politicians are painful in the extreme. I once watched as RFK spoke, without notes, for 22 minutes, quoting freely from the classics. Few politicians today could even name a classic, let alone quote from one.

The soap was mostly relevant - blacks and Latinos in the kitchen, the girl marrying to keep a young man from Vietnam - a stupid war, young lives wasted, black voters obstructed at the polls. Sound familiar? Of course it was soapy - the film has to be sold, get past the factory fed US media and make some money. That cast needs to be paid! The acting was mostly first-rate, the ultimate tragedy was contrasted with the petty concerns of those around RFK, and another life was extinguished, adding to those of John Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. All in the space of 5 years. A great deal of hope died with them.

I was a little bored, briefly, during the less successful soapy bits, but, overall, very impressed, very entertained and very moved. I find it pertinent that the media has, generally, given this a lukewarm reception. It touches on issues of human behaviour, decency and justice that are taboo today, not entertaining enough - get back to Big Brother, we'll do the thinking for you. RFK's words over the final scenes are incredibly poignant. Idealistic for sure, but where are the politicians of today with heart and vision, capable of this level of oratory. They would be ridiculed and marginalized at best - witness our media's misrepresentation of Chavez in Venezuela.

This was an Everyman's guide to what has been lost and you cannot help but compare with today. That was the point. That was the purpose. Worth a hundred of what passes for entertainment almost everywhere else. Heartily recommended.

It should have been called The Ambassador Hotel...!.......2007-06-12

While this film had some touching moments, and the interjection of real footage with fake new film footage was done well, for the most part this film tries to be too much to too many causes. And the only cause it should have been concentrating on was that of Robert Kennedy!
I lived through the day this actually happend...and I don't believe this film captured the horror of that place and time. His words being spoken as a narrative in some spots in the film was touching and interesting to hear again in this year of 2007....but the overall film failed on many levels. I think 3 stars here are generous...2 may have been the correct number to give. And why this film had an "R" rating is beyond me? All those sexy actresses, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, and no nudity? What a waste of talent!

"Waiter, there's a hollow point in my soup...".......2007-05-24

The 1960's was a golden age for assassins - beginning in '63 with civil rights leader Medgar Evers getting it in the back and culminating in '68 with yet another instalment in the curse of the Kennedy's with the gunning down of Robert F. If you imagine that the JFK shooting five years earlier is the Beatles of assassinations then RFK's is probably The Small Faces; nowhere near the scale or impact of the earlier act but still had a resonance that shook the decade that followed and can still be felt to this day.
Affectionately remembered as BOBBY in this Emilio Estevez directorial debut Robert F. Kennedy appears in actual news footage leading up to his date with destiny at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles at the hands of a simpleton named Shiran Shiran. Around this historical event Estevez weaves a tale of twenty two guests of the hotel at which Kennedy is to give his fateful last speech in the build up to the California Primary elections. Because the story follows no one character in particular the film has the episodic feel of a soap; but even then the stories rarely involve each other and the strands are only tied up a the end when they all wind up in the pantry when the bullets start to fly - which is fair enough if that is how it went down - but it appears that, apart from the assassin himself, all the characters here are fictional which kind of makes a mockery of the end title telling us that all the other people who were injured in the shooting survived. How did they manage that when they never existed in the first place? Even the iconographic shot of `Bus Boy' Juan Romero leaning over the dying senator has, here, been rendered as the fictional Jose Rojas.
The myriad characters in question are played by a veritable smorgasbord of A-listers. Sharon Stone and Demi Moore's scenes together are an enjoyable joust, as a beautician who's had her day and a whiskey soaked diva respectively. Less interesting, however, is Anthony Hopkins and Harry Bellefonte's yawn-fest as a pair of old retired doormen who spend their time (for reasons unexplained) hanging about the hotel playing chess and talking about knocking on. Haven't you two got homes to go to?

Lacking the creeping tension of Oliver Stone's gloriously overblown JFK, BOBBY leaves you with the sense of a dashed hope; that this senator, appearing as he did among an endless litany of political clowns, gangsters, charlatans and fools, could have really made a difference and may, just, have been the leader he pretended to be.

The Once and Future King.......2007-05-19

Nominated for a Golden Globe Award, BOBBY is writer-director-actor Emilio Estevez' tribute to Bobby Kennedy. Estevez develops the stories of over 20 ordinary people, mostly fictional, who were at the Ambassador Hotel that fateful night in June of 1968 when Kennedy was shot and whose lives intersect with the senator's. The ensemble cast, most of whom give excellent performances, consists of Demi Moore, Anthony Hopkins, Sharon Stone (I didn't recognize her), Lawrence Fishburne, Christian Slater, Helen Hunt, William Macy, Martin Sheen, Harry Belafonte et al.

Included on the DVD is footage about the filming of BOBBY as well as interviews with some of the people who were at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles the night Kennedy was shot. (I had forgotten all the support that he gave to the farm workers of California, but one of their organizers appears on the DVD.

The movie at times can be a bit slow; occasionally you can see its scaffolding. On the other hand, the soundtrack is quite wonderful including the song written for the film by Bryan Adams, "Never Gonna Break My Faith," sung by Aretha Frankllin and Mary J. Blige. And whatever may be the movie's flaws, you never question the director's passion. There is wonderful sad footage of Kennedy during his brief presidential campaign. Although alive when he was assassinated, I had forgotten both the adoration of and the size of the crowds his campaign drew. He was such a fine, to-the-point speaker. His concerns expressed so eloquently in his speeches are the same as today: poverty, an unpopular war, racism, etc. It's as if nothing has changed in the last 40 years. Although perhaps it is futile, one has to ask how different the world might have been if he had lived and been elected president.

This film should be seen by those of us who remember and loved him as well as a new generation of Americans who never knew him.

Disappointing!.......2007-05-07

I know I wasn't supposed to, but I expected Bobby to be similiar to JFK. Well, it wasn't! Not even close! How is it possible to have so many superstars ie Anthony Hopkins, Harry Belafonte and make a bad film? The subject matter covered; sex, drugs and race in the late 60's, is poignant and the special features segment is extensive. The film however, lacks a cohesive plot. There's so many little stories going on that you don't get a chance to immerse yourself into the overall film. And before you know it, you're facing the assisination scene, which is the final scene, and complete dissatisfaction. I would've given it one star, but the individual performances and the special features episode forced me to give the project and additional star. In my opinion, you cannot embark on something as ambitious as the RFK assisination without first exploring the man and his politics.

Average customer rating:

gripping
Pretty Good Movie.
suprisingly good
One of the Best Ever
What would you do?

The 24th Day
Starring: James Marsden , Scott Speedman , Sofía Vergara , Barry Papick , and Charlie Corrado
Director: Tony Piccirillo
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Gay & Lesbian | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

Latter Days (Unrated Edition)
The Trip
Gone, But Not Forgotten
Brokeback Mountain (Widescreen Edition)
Just a Question of Love

ASIN: B0002IQE2I
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Customer Reviews:

gripping.......2007-05-14

The acting is really good and the storyline gripping and believable. Recommended watching.

Richard

Pretty Good Movie........2007-03-27

I thought the movie flowed rather well. A great flick to watch as a movie night with friends. Only gave it 4 stars because I thought the ending could have been presented a little better but, it was still pretty good.

suprisingly good.......2007-02-07

This is good! No doubt about it. Good cast! Believable story. obviously it was a play before hand. but great story. that Marsden guy was surprisingly believable at being gay. well worth watching, only problem is shoddy sound and no subtitles in English

One of the Best Ever.......2007-01-21

"THE 24TH DAY"

One of the Best

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

"The 24th Day" is an independent film of a play written and directed by Tony Piccirillo and is unquestionably one of the best films to be released in the last few years. How it managed to go almost unnoticed is a question I will never understand. It s one of the most engrossing stories I have ever seen, the acting is what awards are made for and dialog and direction near perfection. It is a beautifully moving film that you will not likely forget. Let me say from the outset that this is going to be a major rave review. I know that I give a lot of good reviews but "The 24th Day" rises high above almost everything else I have reviewed. I just don't understand how I could have missed it--it is already three years old (but it is available on DVD).
I feel I must say that in my opinion it is one of the finest achievements of American cinema. The script is one of the most amazing pieces of writing around and the acting seems to have fallen from paradise.
From the moments the credits roll you are treated to a beautifully photographed film. The film opens in a singles bar and slowly moves to the cluttered and musty apartment of Tom (Scott Speedman). Here it is quite cleat that Tom's guest, Dan (James Marsden) thinks that he has come to have a sexual experience. As the banter between the two men progresses, we hear a lot of typical cruising jargon and then all of a sudden, Tom reminds Dan that this is not the first time they have been together. Five years previously they had an evening of sex and that had been Tom's only foray into gay sex. During the last few weeks, Tom has been stalking Dan in revenge. It seems that he is HIV positive and the only place he could have gotten the virus was from Dan. Tom in turn transmitted the virus to his wife who after testing positive died in a car crash--just 24 days before.
Dan becomes captive to Tom and is tied and gagged while Tom withdraws a syringe of blood which he takes to be tested for HIV. He informs Dan that if it tests positive, he will kill him; if it is negative Dan is free to go. All of the action takes place in the apartment in this two character drama. During the dialog of the avenger and Dan such topics as truth, AIDS, gay vs. bisexual vs. straight sex, meaningless sex and commitment arise.
As we watch the development of the "relationship" between the two men, each disclosure becomes more and more startling and the men go through transformations, each more frightening then the one before until the story reaches an almost unbearably surprise climax. The audience is left to decipher and resolve the final issues. I sat in my seat exhausted. The movie wore on me and the tension was exceedingly strong.,
This movie is the real thing--it is provocative, it is tense and it is impossible to predict. Never preachy, the film makes some interesting insights into personal responsibility.
It is the actors that make the movie what it is. It is not easy to maintain the level of tension when there are only two actors on the screen. Both of the actors are so much into their own roles that when the movie was over, I sat bewildered and lost when I realized that I had actually been watching a movie and not really experiencing the tension that the actors portrayed. What really gives this movie its importance is the way it confronted real issues, those that we as gay men should constantly be aware of. It shows us that everyone is responsible for his own conduct and the consequences. We live in a world where strange things are accepted--bare backing for one and substance abuse for another. What this movie portrays is what every man has to think about and to embrace. Here is a gay drama that addresses sexual responsibility in a mature and adult way.
Here is the best of low budget drama. We have two actors carrying a film alone, on their shoulders and doing so admirably and with style. The simplicity and storyline of the film a so much and this is a film that YOU MUST SEE.

What would you do?.......2007-01-04

What would you do if something you did five years ago cost you everything you have by calling into question everything you are?

This question isn't only asked but answered by Tom (Scott Speedman), on the 24th day of a revelation that cost him the life he was so desperately trying to build. Five years ago Tom had a one night stand with Dan (James Marsden). It was an urge that had been building up inside of him for years that he quelled, until that night. It was the first and only time he'd ever been unfaithful to his wife. But that one indiscretion began a ripple effect that touched and eventually destroyed every other aspect of his life.

After their one night together Tom goes on with his life as if nothing happened. He made a choice that night -- to love his wife, and in so doing he completely submerged this other part of himself. The part that was/is attracted to men. Until, in the most horrible way imaginable Tom's wife discovers the truth about her husband and their life together.

Tom is HIV positive. And in his mind he could have only contracted it one way - Dan. So Tom "accidentally" runs into Dan at a bar. Dan doesn't recognize him and they go back to Tom's place. Dan thinks he's there for sex, but Tom has other plans. Tom knocks Dan out and ties him to a chair then forcibly extracts blood from him in order to get it tested.

For a lot of people that would be the end of movie, but this movie delves deeper. Because while Tom is angry and wants his revenge, we are also shown that he is still very much attracted to Dan, and that even tied up and held prisoner Dan is attracted to Tom. And it's in the duality of the situation they find themselves in that is the crux of the film. It's a two man passion play that isn't afraid to touch on those things we'd rather not think about in the cool dispassionate light of day. Things like, love, betrayal, denial and the hardest of all acceptance. In the end its about what you're responsible for and what you're willing to take responsibility for. And ultimately can you live with that.

The Lion King 2 - Simba's Pride (2-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Very rushed childhood
A great sequel thats as good as the first and my personal favorite.
the best lion king ever!
the best lion king ever!
NOOOO! THIS IS NOT A GREAT MASTERPIECE!!! IT"S NOT AS GOOD AS THE FIRST!!!!!

The Lion King 2 - Simba's Pride (2-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Matthew Broderick , Moira Kelly , Neve Campbell , Liz Callaway , and Michelle Horn
Director: Rob LaDuca , and Darrell Rooney
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animals | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DTS | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

All Disney Titles | Disney Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

The Lion King (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
The Lion King 1 1/2
Tarzan (Special Edition)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
The Jungle Book (Limited Issue)

ASIN: B0001I55W4
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Amazon.com

This two-disc presentation of the popular sequel delivers a better sounding DVD and looks a bit better than the initial release (although the original was pretty sharp). There are no changes in the film except a pop-up viewing mode with facts--fun and otherwise--about the film. The second disc is for the kids, including games, a cute documentary on African animals, and another installment of the Virtual Safari. This "ride" puts you in a jeep with Timon and Pumbaa as they race the jungle and pride lands bumping into various obstacles, all in booming Dolby 5.1 sound. The best extra is the new short "One by One" a modern day tale of Africa and the finest short from the studio since 2000's "John Henry." --Doug Thomas

Description

All the power and majesty of THE LION KING return in this final volume of THE LION KING trilogy! This Special Edition features an all-new vibrant picture presentation from the digital master. Meet Kiara, Simba's headstrong daughter and heir to the Pride Lands. While on the prowl for adventure, she encounters the mischievous Kovu, a young member of the banished Outland Pride chosen to walk in Scar's paw prints. As they seek their proper places in the "Circle Of Life," Kiara and Kovu find that they may be the only hope for healing the rift between their prides! THE LION KING 2: SIMBA'S PRIDE Special Edition includes original cast members, stunning Disney animation, and six spectacular songs. Complete your family's LION KING collection with this enchanting film!

Customer Reviews:

Very rushed childhood.......2007-04-01

I'm ----, using the kid's review cause it's so much easier.

Better than most disney followups, though as another reviewer stated, TLK 2 spent too little time on Kiara and Kovu's childhood. When watching TLK2 I could not help but feel that the cubhood was just "thrown in" so as the audience would get what was going on in the "real" half of the story. In fact, Kovu and Kiara only spent about 20 to 25 percent of the movie as cubs, which actually kept them from gaining that endearing appeal that Simba and Nala had.

Now, as for the considerably longer second half of TLK2, I must give Disney credit for hiring some mediocre directors/screenwriters for this one, instead of the usual slapped together sloppy crap that has to this day become typical of disney direct-to-video followups. When compared to other DTVs, TLK2 is very impressive. But when compared to real disney films like the original Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Bambi, it completely flops. Just a little more effort, disney, and this could have been yet another one of your classic films.

A great sequel thats as good as the first and my personal favorite........2007-03-11

I love this film. It and the first are really good movies. The actors + animation are great in this, plus it picks up just about where the first film left off. This is one ofe the much better Disney sequels. Recomended highly.

the best lion king ever!.......2007-02-26

lion king 2 is the i think most romantic lion king ever!I love the music especially the song (love will find a way).lion king 2 is also a hilarious new story with you know who timon and pumbaa.once kiara gose out to play,she sneks of from timon and pumbaa and starts to run off to the outlands.once she is in the out lands ,she mets a firce lion cub named kovu.when kovu and kiara get older they fall in love.but simba dose not trust him when zeira attacks so simba makes kovu leave the pride lands .but than kiara gose out to find kovu and dose find him.then just in time kiara and kovu stop simba and zeira from fighting .so the out landers come back to the pride lands to join simbas pride with kovu, kiara,simba,nala,timon and pumbaa.i relly liked the lion king 2 and i hope you will to.

the best lion king ever!.......2007-02-26

lion king 2 is the i think most romantic lion king ever!i love the music especially the song (love will find a way).lion king 2 is also a hilarious new story with you know who timon and pumbaa.once kiara gose out to play,she sneks of from timon and pumbaa and starts to run off to the outlands.once she is in the out lands ,she mets a firce lion cub named kovu.when kovu and kiara get older they fall in love.but simba dose not trust him when zeira attacks so simba makes kovu leave the pride lands .but than kiara gose out to find kovu and dose find him.then just in time kiara and kovu stop simba and zeira from fighting .so the out landers come back to the pride lands to join simbas pride with kovu, kiara,simba,nala,timon and pumbaa.i relly liked the lion king 2 and i hope you will to.

NOOOO! THIS IS NOT A GREAT MASTERPIECE!!! IT"S NOT AS GOOD AS THE FIRST!!!!!.......2007-02-09

Hi I'm Sarah and I'm 8 years old. Now that I've got your attention, I hope that you read my review.

This is about Simba's cub Kiara. *suddenly see a full grown lioness in her place* Hey, I thought that she was a cub! She grew up in like 1 second!! That's how you'll feel when you turn on the lion king 2. It DOESEN'T SPEND ENOUGH TIME ON KIARA BEING A CUB!!!!! Her boyfriend Kovu is Scar's son. He like, is really cute and has a lot of character as a cub, but *watch Kovu grow into a lion with a mane* he suddenly loses over half of that lovableness, and his grown up voice is like, soooo forgetable!!! Simba is sooo different too. His mane is a purplish color, and he's like soo bossy and out of character!! It's not even funny either. He never leaves Kiara OR Kovu alone!!!

This is definately one of disney's best sequels. Why do I say that after ranting and raving about this movie? Watch Lady and the Tramp 2, Bambi 2, and Little Mermaid 2, and you'll understand....

Average customer rating:

Great Update to the Christopher Reeve films
Roundtrip to Krypton in 5 Years???
f---ing toilet paper!
The best Superman movie I've ever seen!
Super Disappointing.

Superman Returns (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Brandon Routh , Kate Bosworth , Kevin Spacey , James Marsden , and Parker Posey
Director: Bryan Singer
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition)
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) [Region 99]
Ice Age - The Meltdown (Widescreen Edition)
Mission Impossible III (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000J10ER4
Release Date: 2006-11-28

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Great Update to the Christopher Reeve films.......2007-06-23

Roundtrip to Krypton in 5 Years???.......2007-06-21

f---ing toilet paper!.......2007-06-21

The best Superman movie I've ever seen!.......2007-06-19

Super Disappointing........2007-06-19

X-Men - The Last Stand (Full Screen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Whose fault is it anyway?
The Best movie in the X-Men trilogy!
Failure of a finale
the last stand????
ok

X-Men - The Last Stand (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Hugh Jackman , Halle Berry , Ian McKellen , Famke Janssen , and Shawn Ashmore
Director: Brett Ratner
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Monsters & Mutants | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( X ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Superman Returns (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Mission Impossible III (Widescreen Edition)
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) [Region 99]
Ice Age - The Meltdown (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000HCO83G
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Whose fault is it anyway?.......2007-06-18

The Best movie in the X-Men trilogy!.......2007-06-16