National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ben Gates is just not doing well at all:
His girlfriend broke up with him
He's living with his father
and....
Ben Gates' Great Grandfather, Thomas Gates, is just about to be nationally recognized as a hero when Mitch Wilkinson steps out and announces he has evidence that Thomas Gates was part of the conspiracy to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln.
In order to clear his ancestor's name, Ben, his sidekick Riley, and Ben's father start to investigate an order of Southern militants. What they discover was that Queen Victoria supported the Southerner's cause and she was attempting to help them find a treasure to finance the war.
Naturally, there's a treasure involved--the famed City of Gold. In order to find this treasure, they must race against Mitch Wilkinson and kidnap the US President to get to the Presidential Book of Secrets, containing information about everything from the City of Gold to Area 51 and the Kennedy Assassination.
Along the way, Ben's ex-girlfriend, Abigail, and Mom, Dr. Em Appleton, are added to the treasure hunting crew.
In my opinion, "Book of Secrets" has exceeded the "National Treasure." The story's better, the ensemble cast is strongly refined, and both the jokes and action just keep coming. Everyone in the cast save for Ed Harris impressed me. I honestly wasn't sure whether Mitch Wilkinson was a mercenary or a misguided man trying to claim some fame for his own family.
And yes--there appears to be a good chance we will see more of Ben Gates' adventuring. This one sanctioned by the President himself. I'm looking forward to Film 3.
An added bonus was the Disney cartoon up front where Goofy gets a bigscreen TV. The story details an armchair quarterback's quest for the optimal viewing experience and how simple it is to set up a modern home theatre system. The jokes were so fast and furious I had tears in my eyes by the end and my stomach hurt from laughing. This cartoon is second only to my all-time favorite movie cartoon featuring the "Madagascar Penguins" that featured in front of "Wallace and Gromit--the Curse of the Were-Rabbit."

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Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) sets out to find the lost 18 pages from the diary of Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth. One of the 18 missing pages has been discovered by Jeb Wilkinson (Ed Harris). On that page are the names of the Lincoln assassination conspirators. Thomas Gates, Ben Gates' great-great-grandfather, is listed on the page. After discovering this, Ben does not want Thomas Gates to be remembered "as a conspirator in the assassination of the man who brought this nation together." His quest to clear his family's name leads to unexpected twists and turns. Agent Sadusky (Harvey Keitel) tells Ben that a secret book has the information he needs. The president's "book of secrets" holds documents, for presidents' eyes only, of all the nations secrets; from the truth behind the JFK conspiracy, the missing minutes from the Watergate tapes, and Area 51. When Ben's request to see the book is denied, he says he must kidnap the president. Each clue leads him closer "to a discovery that the world isn't ready to believe."

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Troy (Two-Disc Full Screen Edition) (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Features 2 new extras: "Troy In Focus" a 23 minute interview and a new 5 minute introduction by Wolfgang Peterson. Most of the other special features have been ported over from the previous edition.
First the most important question is whether or not this double dip is worth it? Absolutely because the additional footage only enhances the film giving it additional depth. The transfer is striking (regardless of which format)as well. In many respects this isn't a double dip because we get a film that is superior to the original version.
Unlike "The Illiad" Wolfgang Petersen's film "Troy" seemed too short and for good reason; Petersen had to trim the film down to a shorter length for its theatrical release. Luckily Warner gave Petersen the opportunity to revisit this epic film and add more meat to the bones of a film that had the look of an epic but was missing much of the emotional depth.
Petersen restores roughly 32 minutes to the film giving additional depth to the various relationships in the film. While "Troy" isn't a perfect epic, it's much improved. James Horner's score is still occasionally obtrusive but the overall impact of Petersen's film with its marvelous performances from Brian Cox (who steals almost every scene he's in), the quiet power of Eric Bana and even the gravity of Pitt as Achilles is far more effective than the previous version.
Image quality is superb for both the DVD and Blu Ray verisons of the film (the Blu Ray, of course, gets the nod because the images are much sharper, crisper with better definition but the DVD isn't too shabby either). Audio for the Blu Ray is presented lossless while the DVD's audio sounds terrific given the limitations of the format. Colors are a bit bolder here than on the previous version to my eyes.
It appears that a lot of the special features from the previous edition have been ported over and the only new things are the introduction by Petersen as well as a retrospective 23 minute interview where Petersen discusses the genesis of the original film and this project.
This film version much more closely resembles what he had in mind when he took on the project. Greek mythology purists will find some of the changes disturbing but some of the changes enhance the film pulling the strands of the story together a little tighter.

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Brad Pitt picks up a sword and brings a muscular, brooding presence to the role of Greek warrior Achilles in this spectacular retelling of The Iliad. Orlando Bloom and Diane Kruger play the legendary lovers who plunge the world into war, Eric Bana portrays the prince who dares to confront Achilles, and Peter O'Toole rules Troy as King Priam. Director Wolfgang Petersen recreates a long-ago world of bireme warships, clashing armies, the massive fortress city and the towering Trojan Horse.DVD Features:FeaturettePhoto galleryTheatrical Trailer

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Wicker Park (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)WARNING: SPOILERS TOWARDS THE END...I went into this movie thinking that it would be an entirely different thing, more fatal attraction than what it actually was. However, seeing the movie, I can understand how some people might feel as if they were jipped because the actual movie is different than what the previews make it out to be, but the truth of it is, this movie tells about the consequences of how one person can affect all those around them. In this way, I believe that its more real life than hollywood. Although I admit, the movie can be slow in the middle, especially when the viewer figures out whats happening and whats going to happen faster than the movie moves, it is towards the end where the plot really starts to pick up and I guarantee you, at the very end when Josh Hartnett and Diane Kruger are just about to find each other, but yet keep on missing each other by fate, you literally want to scream and throw something because you want it as much as they do. Its a great movie, but only for those that can appreciate it for what it is, a story about unbreakable love between two people struggling to get through all odds and accept it for what its not, a high-paced thriller.

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Enter the torrid and treacherous world of Wicker Park, where deception and seduction walk hand in hand. Starring an outstanding cast of Hollywood's hottest young stars, including Josh Hartnett(Pearl Harbor), Rose Byrne (City of Ghosts), Matthew Lillard (Scream) and Diane Kruger (Troy), Wicker Park is a sizzling, action-packed noir thriller that will leave you breathless.What if the woman you loved disappeared without a word? Without a trace? How far would you go to find her again? When Matthew (Hartnett) glimpses his lost love (Kruger) in a crowdedcafÃ(c), he's determined not to lose her a second time. But determination soon turns to obsession, as Matthew finds himself on a dangerous and chilling journey, where no one is who they seem and chance meetings with a sexy brunette (Byrne) might unravel friendships, careers and lives.

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