Afro Samurai (Director's Cut) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)There's no doubt that Afro Samurai has a cool and simple concept and a very bloody style. In this future world of feudal Japan nothing seems to matter but two headbands that represent the two best fighters. To get to the number one fighter you must go through the number two and to get to the number two you must go trough everyone else. This way of life that nobody should have to live especially a child who has nothing but the headbands and revenge on his mind. As a child Afro saw his father who was the number one fighter at the time get massacred by a man named Justice. After the fight is over Justice takes the number one headband off of the head of Afro's father, which was not too far away from his body. Justice tells Afro something similar to what Uma Thurman said to Vivica A. Fox's daughter in Kill Bill, that if he wanted revenge he would fight him when he came for him.
Afro took those words very seriously and took a few things of his fathers including his very cool Katana. Afro immediately went from an innocent child to an almost emotionless man with a ton of weight on him as he begins his vengeful journey. Afro Samurai is a unique anime or story for that matter. You don't see too many people willing to put out a story with basically nothing but very bloody fight scenes for about two episodes before a really good story starts up. Especially in a 5 part series where the episodes are only between 20 and 30 minutes long. I can't lie because I love stuff like that and it made Afro Samurai all the more tempting to finish watching. The second is that this was a pricy anime to make costing $1 million per episode so I'm sure a few viewers from the Hip hop community were expected to watch this. Even if you're an action film fan you have to admit when there's too much action and not enough story Even in a revenge tail like Kill Bill with a certain scene that this anime could relate to 88 times over it had a mystery and story.
Afro was on the verge of being in the too much and not enough category and then a cool story hits you somewhere around the end of episode two. Flashbacks of Afro's life are showed, you see him as a kid again and the people who took him in and gave him his gritty skills. All throughout the 5 part series you see that the money was well spent because the animation is amazing and beautiful. The things that Afro does with his skills are crazy and this animation was a giant step up for anime samurai fight scene, it was flawless. The voice actors are great including Sam Jackson who is great for co-producing this and putting his foot in it.
I think it would have been cool to actually give Afro a real name, it's cool for people that take him on to call him Afro but I think he should have had a name for his other life before he became the Afro Samurai. In other words I kind of wish the story went just a bit deeper with a little bit more complexity. I think that Afro Samurai is a great series that everyone should see especially to view its beautiful quality.

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Ice Cold Soul and a Jones For Revenge
Afro Samurai (voiced by Academy Award® nominated Samuel L. Jackson) is an epic tale of a black samurai's hunt for Justice (voiced by Ron Perlman: Hellboy Alien Resurrection ) who murdered his father. With music score by The RZA ( Kill Bill Wu Tang Clan) Afro Samurai blends traditional Japanese culture, funky technology and hip hop to create a brutally fresh entertainment experience.
Director's Cut features:
15 MINUTES OF NEVER BEFORE SEEN FOOTAGE
Exclusive Manga art from Afro Samurai Creator, Takashi Okazaki
In the Booth with RZA - Music Production Tour
Director's Cut Edition of Afro Samurai is a 2-disc set with over 170 minutes of action!
All the cool action at a hot new price!

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Lakeview Terrace (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Don't think for one second that director Neil LaBute and screenwriters David Loughery and Howard Korder didn't know what they were doing. "Lakeview Terrace" is not merely a disturbing thriller about a black cop that hates his neighbors for being an interracial couple; it's an intelligent, thought-provoking examination of race relations in general, strengthened by its atypical cinematic approach to racism. How different would the reaction to this film be if the roles were reversed, if it told the story of a racist white cop that hated his black neighbor? It would most likely be ignored, because goodness knows we've seen such movies before. "Lakeview Terrace" is refreshing in its willingness to look at things from a largely unseen perspective, which in turn gives the audience more to think about. What a mature turn for LaBute, who completely missed the mark with his God-awful 2006 remake of "The Wicker Man."
It should be noted here that Lakeview Terrace, a suburb of Los Angeles, is where Rodney King was beaten and arrested by the police in the spring of 1991. This is obviously not a coincidence on the filmmaker's part, and neither is the fact that the story is ambiguous in its social commentary. Essentially, LaBute expects up to make up our own minds about who's right and who's wrong. Granted, it seems pretty clear-cut throughout the film; LAPD officer Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson) goes to great lengths to destroy the lives of his new next-door neighbors, and he does so because the husband, Chris Mattson (Patrick Wilson), is white and the wife, Lisa (Kerry Washington), is black. Turner begins slowly, dropping a series of subtle hints. His security lights, for example, come on in the middle of the night, and they shine directly into the Mattsons' bedroom. As the film progresses, his hostility escalates into full-blown psychological warfare.
I'm making this sound far too simple. Turner is not merely an evil man; as both a cop and a single father, he's seen his fair share of injustice. To elaborate would give too much away, but rest assured, he has very definite reasons for hating his neighbors, for wanting to not only get them out of Lakeview Terrace, but also to drive a wedge between them. Chris and Lisa are introduced as a lovey-dovey couple happy to be first-time homeowners. But it isn't long before tensions begin mounting. Example: Chris is hesitant to start a family even though Lisa is eager. He has legitimate reasons for wanting to wait; they just moved in, after all, and they need time to settle into their new lives. In spite of this, one can't help but believe it has nothing to do with settling in. While not directly stated, it may, in fact, have to do with raising biracial children. This, as it turns out, is a source of tension between Chris and Lisa's father, Harold (Ron Glass), who never seems to address his son-in-law without a great deal of effort.
Is it possible that Chris and Lisa were never meant to be together? Did they fall in love for all the wrong reasons? Again, none of this directly stated. But considering the way they're now treating each other, it seems very likely that they're rethinking some of the decisions they've made. Lisa thinks their biggest mistake was moving to Lakeview Terrace, not just because their neighbor is unfriendly, but also because she's away from her family and her friends. Chris, determined to prove himself as both a husband and a man, refuses to leave the neighborhood. This paves the way for the film's last twenty minutes, which, on the surface, unfolds in much the same way as an ordinary thriller. Below the surface lies miscommunication, grief, and a lifetime of hard feelings, none of which make it easy to determine who represents good and who represents evil. I say this because, when the climactic final battle between Chris and Turner begins, we immediately see that both men are pointing guns at each other.
The most interesting moments in "Lakeview Terrace" occur within the first ten minutes, when Turner and his children meet at the breakfast table. His young son, Marcus (Jaishon Fisher), comes downstairs wearing a Lakers jersey. Turner wants him to take it off because it displays the number twenty-four, which is Kobe Bryant's number. He's made it abundantly clear that from now on, they're giving all their support to Shaq. Why? Is it because of Bryant's highly publicized extramarital affair? Immediately afterwards, he scolds his fifteen-year-old daughter, Celia (Regine Nehy), for not using correct English. Is he encouraging his children to be the best they can be, or is he controlling them because improper speech reminds him of someone he hates?
While these questions are never answered, they still add a tremendous amount of depth to the story, solidifying Turner as a man holding a grudge against the world. I have no doubt that some audiences will see things from his point of view; when life hurts you a few too many times, hatred is completely understandable. On the same token, I'm sure that many will have no sympathy for him at all. Some will see him as a heartless monster preying on an innocent couple. Both arguments are valid. You should take them into consideration when watching "Lakeview Terrace," a taut, suspenseful human drama that will make you uncomfortable no matter what side you take. My hope is that it will start a line of communication. If it doesn't lead to peace, then maybe it will lead to an understanding. Of all the things noticeably absent from "Lakeview Terrace," a line of communication is the most important.

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In Lakeview Terrace, a young couple (Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington) has just moved into their California dream home when they become the target of their next-door neighbor, who disapproves of their interracial relationship. A stern, single father, this tightly wound LAPD officer (Samuel L. Jackson) has appointed himself the watchdog of the neighborhood. His nightly foot patrols and overly watchful eyes bring comfort to some, but he becomes increasingly harassing to the newlyweds. These persistent intrusions into their lives ultimately turn tragic when the couple decides to fight back.

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The Negotiator (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)Someone is embezzling money from the police department, and when Danny Roman is accused of the deed, he ends up taking several hostages within the department when things escalate and get out of hand. Danny has lost confidence in everyone in his own department, so he requests hostage negotiator Chris Sabian to help negotiate, and help prove his innocence. As the situation gets to a critical level, pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place. This is a very intense emotional suspense movie. Samuel Jackson and Kevin Spacey turn in phenomenal performances. This thrill a minute film is a definite must see.

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This film centers on a former FBI hostage negotiator who, after being framed for murder, tries to clear his name by taking several people hostage in order to uncover the guilty party.

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Soul Men (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Soul Men," a 2008 release, is a musical comedy road picture, with a template of sadness behind it. It stars more frequent action hero, Samuel L. Jackson, and the late Bernie Mac. It was written by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone, and directed by Malcolm Lee, noted American filmmaker Spike Lee's kid brother. Jackson plays Louis Hinds; Mac, Floyd Henderson. Together, they were once "The Real Deal," popular soul singers, and released a single record album. But it's been decades since they were together. Then the death of the supposedly legendary Marcus Hooks (John Legend), once their lead singer, gives them a very good reason to reunite: there's to be a memorial concert at New York's famous Apollo Theater, at which they've been invited to sing. It might just jump start their fallow singing careers.
So, quick as you can say Jackie Robinson, it becomes a road picture, as the quarreling ex-colleagues jump into a Cadillac in California, with four days to reach New York. There is lots of grumbling and fighting, and, be warned if it bothers you, a great deal of obscene language: with m-----f----- in almost every scene. Along the road, they will bump up against Rosalee, played by Jennifer Coolidge, in a distasteful sexist interlude that I could have done without. Also Cleo (Sharon Leal, Dreamgirls ), who is supposedly the daughter of one of the leads; they're initially not sure which; Lester (Affion Crockett), Cleo's none too bright, abusive boyfriend; Danny Epstein (Sean Hayes), their new manager, and Philip, (Adam Herschman), Epstein's gofer. Towards the end of the picture we meet the late great funk/soul musician Isaac Hayes, playing himself.
Hayes is very visibly ill and weak - he is used to do little more than walk across the screen. And I wish the producers had spent more money on the actors playing Philip (Herschman) and Cleo (Leal): they appear in many scenes, and granted, Leal is certainly pretty enough and sings very well; but they don't bring much to the screen.
However, the charismatic leads do bring a lot to their parts. Their comic timing is spot-on; Jackson's a good straight man, yet he can both pitch and catch: go know. The singing is fine, and the movie boasts a nice sound track of 1970's funk/soul hits. All in all, it's an enjoyable film. And, while it is the last film appearance of Mac and Hayes, I can recommend it as worth seeing for more than curiosity. Nevertheless, at film's post script, as the final credits roll, the interviews with Mac and Hayes are likely to bring tears to your eyes: they did to mine.

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Though it's been some twenty years since they have spoken with one another, two estranged soul-singing legends agree to participate in a reunion performance at the Apollo Theater to honor their recently deceased band leader.

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Coach Carter (Widescreen Edition) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)My daughter came over to visit this weekend, and she suggested that we rent this film. Since it stars Samuel L. Jackson and is about a high school basketball coach, I thought that it sounded promising. Well, it turned to be more than just promising. It is a movie that held me riveted to the screen the entire time it was on. Samuel L. Jackson is simply outstanding in the role of a high school coach who sees basketball as the means to an end and not the end itself.
Based upon a true story that took place in Richmond, California, it centers on a man named Ken Carter. He was asked by the retiring basketball coach of Richmond High School to return as a part-time basketball coach to the school from which Ken had graduated and left his mark many years earlier. The school is one of those schools in which people barely graduate and, of those that do, most do not go on to college. The basketball team was no great shakes either, having won only four games in the entire previous year.
Finally, Carter is prevailed upon to take over as coach. He has, however, decided that he wants to make a difference. He starts off by letting the team know who is boss and by trying to instill discipline and respect. He wants to go back to fundamentals. He wants to put the emphasis on being a student athlete. To this end, he makes it clear just what his expectations are. He drafts a contract that those who wish to remain on the team, as well as their parent, must sign. Some of the conditions are that the players must attend class, do their schoolwork, and pass their classes. Those who signed the contract ended up making the best move of their lives.
Coach Carter keeps his side of the bargain, turning the team into a formidable one on the court. Suddenly, basketball at Richmond High School begins commanding attention. Notwithstanding this, he still emphasizes that they are to be just as committed to their studies. While one might expect some resistance from the student athletes to such a change, one would expect support from the educators themselves. What is amazing is the resistance that he experiences from the teaching community who are reluctant to give him progress reports on how his players were doing academically.
When Coach Carter finally gets his long awaited progress reports and discovers that some of his student athletes are not holding up their end of the contract, all hell breaks loose. Even though they have had an undefeated season so far, he basically locks the gym and tells his players that there will be no more basketball, until he sees some academic improvement. To his surprise, the school board, as well as the parents, does not support him in this matter, and the situation becomes a media sensation on the West Coast. Support comes from an unexpected source, the student athletes themselves.
This is a heartwarming story about a coach who cared and dared to make a difference in the lives of kids that had little or no future. What he did for those students was incomparable, as he basically gave them a chance for a better life. Samuel L. Jackson is sensational as Coach Carter, dynamic and totally believable in the role. The young men who play his student athletes likewise give excellent performances. Ashanti also gives a surprisingly well nuanced performance as the girlfriend of one of the student athletes. Moreover, for those who enjoy great basketball, the on court scenes are extremely well done.
At the end of the film, there is a summary of what happened to these young men. When the viewer sees what happened to them, the viewer cannot help be but touched by the turn of events. Moreover, the DVD has a featurette on the real Coach Carter and the real student athletes for whom the appointment of Ken Carter was literally a life saving measure. This is a very well acted, deftly directed, inspirational film and one that is worthy of being in one's personal collection.

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COACH CARTER tells the inspiring true story of controversial high school basketball coach Ken Carter (Jackson).Making headlines for his emphasis on the importance of academics over athletics, Carter requests all the members of the team to sign contracts, promising to maintain a certain grade point average.When the players fail to live up to this agreement, Carter benches the entire team, locking the gym and forfeiting games to prove his point.This infuriates the community who sees this as a hindrance to the future professional athletic careers of the players.Through hard work and dedication, Carter eventually gets his point across to his team and the community, going above and beyond to ensure a solid academic future for his team.

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Black Snake Moan (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was drawn to this movie because I enjoyed director Craig Brewer's earlier film, "Hustle and Flow". If anything, I liked "Black Snake Moan" even better. The movie combines tawdry and lurid components with a tale of love, forgiveness, and hope. I don't think the film is exploitative. Instead it suggests in a simple way how sensual and redemptive parts of life often complement each other.
In thinking about this movie, I was reminded of George Eliot's novel, "Silas Marner", the bane of every high school student. In Eliot's novel, Marner, an embittered miser finds redemption when he raises Eppie, an orphaned girl, from childhood to young adulthood. Similarly, "Black Snake Moan" tells the story of a middle-aged black American man, Lazarus, portrayed by Samuel Jackson, who feels embittered when Rose, his wife of 12 years, leaves him for his best friend. Lazarus happens upon a young scantily dressed white woman, Rae, played by Christina Ricci, who has been beaten and left near-dead on a country road following a wild party. Lazarus takes her into his home and tries to teach and care for her. Ultimately, the movie suggests, both Lazarus and Rae receive a kind of hope, Rae by marrying her boyfriend, Lazarus by finding what may be a promising new relationship.
The story gets life through a great deal of tawdry sex. At the turning point of the movie, Lazarus chains Rae to a radiator to prevent her escape. Rae was a victim of sexual abuse and a neglectful mother, and in her boyfriend's temporary absence for military service, she throws herself at every man she can find. She appears in the movie scantily clad, in a cut-off blouse with a Confederate flag and in shorts. Lazarus has his own frustrations to work out from the loss of Rose, his wife. A black preacher, the Reverend R.L., played by John Cotham, helps both Lazarus and Rae and is the quiet hero of this movie.
In this movie, atmosphere and scene count for a great deal. The story is set in a small Tennessee town near Nashville, and the story is redolent with poor Southern life, both black and white. There is scenes in shacks and farms, and small town stores and streets, and in clubs and bars that bring the movie to life. Brewer shows the same love for and knowledge of the rural South that he showed in "Hustle and Flow". Most importantly there is music. The tale of sex and redemption is captured in the flow of the blues in a soundtrack and in performances by Lazarus himself. Jackson spent long hours learning the blues guitar in preparation for this movie. The movie includes two scenes of footage with the great Delta bluesman Son House holding forth appropriately on love, loss, and the blues. Music is a redemptive force in people's lives, and in this movie of the hot-blooded South, redemption comes through the blues.
I found the tawdry elements of this movie an essential part of the story it had to tell. "Black Snake Moan" is rewarding.
Robin Friedman

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In this tale of love, loss and faith, Academy Award nominee Samuel Jackson and Christina Ricci seek redemption Down South through the power of the blues and the transcendence of an unlikely friendship.

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Jackie Brown (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Jackie Brown" was widely received as a disappointing follow-up to Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," but I think it's actually a better movie, if less obviously so. It's hard not to be blown away by "Fiction" because of it's sheer audacity; "Jackie Brown" is a quieter film that shows Tarantino has the potential to become a mature and sophisticated director.
It's somewhat ironic that Tarantino, associated with the young hipster audience, made this film, because at the basic level "Jackie Brown" is about getting old. All of Jackie's motivations spring from the fact that starting over will soon become impossible for her. That the options available to a a middle-aged, lower income level, black woman in modern America are severely limited. Tarantino shows an amazing prowess for getting into the head of this woman. His sensitive direction coupled with Pam Grier's top-notch performance combine to make Jackie one of the most compelling and honest female characters to hit the movie screen in recent years.
The rest of the cast is uniformly excellent too. Robert Forster stands out as bail bondsman Max Cherry, who becomes Jackie's partner in crime, as it were. Samuel L. Jackson does well with the kind of part he seems born to play, but his character is not as interesting as the others and so makes less of an impression. Bridget Fonda is a scene stealer as a California beach bunny, and the contrast between her and Pam Grier is used quite effectively.
It's interesting to note that in the book this movie was based on, "Rum Punch" by Elmore Leonard, Jackie was white. Changing the race of the title character to black adds a whole other dimension to the film that the book lacks. This is one case where the movie greatly improves on its source material.
"Jackie Brown" will take some commitment on behalf of the viewer. It's leisurely paced and more reliant on character study than Tarantino's other films, but these aren't detriments. They merely illustrate that Tarantino has some range as a director, and I hope he continues to explore that range.

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Quentin Tarantino presents the premiere of the JACKIE BROWN COLLECTOR'S SERIES DVD, complete with your favorite award-winning movie, all-star cast, and never-before-seen footage. What do a sexy stewardess (Pam Grier), a street-tough gun runner (Samuel L. Jackson), a lonely bail bondsman (Academy Award®-nominee Robert Forster), a shifty ex-con (Robert DeNiro), an earnest federal agent (Michael Keaton), and a stoned-out beach bunny (Bridget Fonda) have in common? They're six players on the trail of a half million dollars in cash! The only questions are ... who's getting played ... and who's gonna make the big score! Combining an explosive mix of intense action and edgy humor, Tarantino scores again with the entertaining JACKIE BROWN!

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Pulp Fiction (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)Words cannot express how much I love this movie, but I will try my best. "Pulp Fiction" is one of my favorites. Quentin Tarantino is a very gifted director/writer. Although I love his directing, I must say it is his writing that really impresses me. But I will get to that later on in this review.
I think it's safe to say that the first time this movie was released on DVD, it was a little more than disappointing. There were no special features, sound and picture was so-so; I mean, my laserdisk at least had three different trailers of the movie. So, of course, I was very excited to learn that this movie was being re-released in a fully loaded special edition. Re-buying the movie was well worth it, for this edition of the movie is far superior than the other one.
The movie really consists of three different stories; not in any order. Any one of the stories could be their own little movies. The players are two hitmen, a boxer, the big boss, the big boss' wife, a crazy gun store owner, a gimp, a cop named, Zed, a man who makes problems go away, and a little suitcase with "666" for the combination. You add all this together and you get one hell of a movie.
The acting is more than superb; including one terrific cast with some heavy hitters (Travolta, Jackson, Thurman, Willis, etc.). Tarantino is a master when it comes to writing and directing. Especially when it comes to writing. I have never heard such clever and brutally honest dialogue in any other movie. I have said it before, and I will say it again; Tarantino reminds me of Raymond Carver, except with more humor.
Now, on to the special edition of this DVD. Is it better than the previous version? YES! Tons of special features, and not to forget the fact that the movie has been restored in high definition. Picture looks very clear. And the sound is also a lot better. You can watch the movie in DTS, which is always a good thing.
Special features.....where do I begin? There's a ton of them! It's not even funny how much stuff is loaded on this bad boy. And every one of them is great. Features include a documentary, an interview with Tarantino on "The Charlie Rose Show," trailers, filmographies, and many more. If you love special features, then you will not be disappointed.
"Pulp Fiction" is a great movie, and the new DVD edition is outstanding in every way. If you still have the older DVD of this movie, get this one now! If you haven't seen it yet, check it out when you can! Of course, with any other movie, there is a chance you may not like this movie. That's fine, nothing wrong with that. Don't let hype ruin your preception of the movie, just watch it as if it were any other movie. You like it, great; if not, well, at least you gave it a shot. Filled with sharp humor, great characters, outstanding dialogue, and some of the craziest surprises and twists, "Pulp Fiction" is a wonderful film, and will continue to be one of my favorites.

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Critics and audiences worldwide hailed PULP FICTION as the star-studded picture that redefined cinema in the 20th Century! Writer/director Quentin Tarantino (Academy Award(R) Winner -- Best Original Screenplay, 1994) delivers an unforgettable cast of characters -- including a pair of low-rent hit men (John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson), their boss's sexy wife (Uma Thurman), and a desperate prizefighter (Bruce Willis) -- in a wildly entertaining and exhilarating motion picture adventure that both thrills and amuses!

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One Eight Seven (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been very fortunate to have a great job as a teacher. I have been lucky enough to see all different types of schools: rural, suburban, and urban. My three years in a Bronx high school were some of the most challenging, frustrating, rewarding, scary, funny, heartwarming, and gutwrenching of my life. Inner-city teaching is truly one of the toughest jobs in the world.
There have been many movies about inner-city teachers: Dangerous Minds, The Substitute, Teachers, The Principal just to name a few. While none of those movies are terrible and some were fun to watch, none of them really showed what it is like to be a teacher. 187 is the only teaching movie I have seen that captures the emotions a teacher goes through teaching in that environment.
Now parts of 187 get carried away. I won't deny that. But the basic theme of what can happen if a teacher takes a situation to the level of the students is universal. No teacher is going to hunt down his/her students like in the film but again the basic idea of how to handle a threat or violence in a school is universal.
I also like how the film discussed how Samuel Jackson's character is trying to regain his desire to teach and playing that off the young idealistic teacher and the burned out teacher. These are real characters and I felt the comparisson and outcomes was extremely credible.
Bottom line is this, I do not think non-teachers will love this movie they might like it. But this is a teachers movie. Again, its goes over the top at times but the basic themes and emotions are extremely accurate.
This is a powerful and realistic film.

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A vicious high school student is dead.A gang hit?An act of sudden rage? Or did a once-idealistic teacher finally snap?The issues and the tension hit home when Samuel L. Jackson stars in a gritty urban-school thriller that's "gripping, high-octane entertainment" (Newhouse News Service).

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Snakes on a Plane (Widescreen New Line Platinum Series) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Look, if I wanted to watch one of the greatest movies of all time... "Citizen Kane" or "The Godfather" or "Jean de Florette" or "Airplane!", I would have stayed home with my DVDs. No. If I wanted subtle man-versus-vermin psychological horror, with organ music, I would have stayed home and listened to William Conrad as "Leiningen vs. The Ants".
No. No, no, no! I wanted to go out on a Friday night and I wanted to see snakes on a plane. Mo'fo' snakes on a mo'fo' plane. And that is exactly what I got.
The problems with this movie are very few. Number one, the main character in this movie is a surfer dude but the movie was shot in British Columbia. That's not a problem. Good second unit photography will have you convinced that you're on Waikiki Beach, and you didn't come to this movie to see surfer dudes, anyway. You wanted to see a CGI plane battling turbulence, and really vicious CGI snakes.
Number two, it takes about 20 to 30 minutes for the snakes to get out into the cabin and start rearing and biting. That's not a problem either. Make a list of every delicate body part you'd expect a snake to bite, and once the snakes get out, game on. You're waiting for the big python to show up? Well, that's at least an hour wait, but once he's out, game on.
Number three, it takes Samuel L. Jackson so long to drop That Line that you almost wonder if he's not ever going to say it. Again, not a problem.
Look, this movie was probably first-drafted in screenwriting class. The writers care way too much about their reluctant FBI witness to a mob hit scenario, when the audience just wants snakes. Snakes on a plane. And then when we finally hit the airport, you can do a head count of the passengers and figure out who's going to die, how, and when. There's the stuffy British business traveler (I had him pegged as the first to die), the hot-to-trot sexy young couple -- the girl's in pink thong panties, the aging flight attendant on her last flight, and the ambiguously gay male steward. Finally, the overweight comedy co-pilot with the Texas accent. The script writes itself.
But it's got snakes. Snakes on a plane. If you took the time to come to this page and rate the movie one or two stars, you clearly didn't realize what movie you were buying tickets to go see and you shouldn't have been there in the first place. If you want to see your awesomely bad snakes on a plane picture, this is literally the only movie to go see.
Sequels: Snakes on a Train. Snakes in Portland, Maine. Snakes in the Drain. Snakes in the Fast Lane. Snakes in the Cold November Rain. Snakes in a Music Video with House of Pain. Snakes in the Batter's Box with Ferris Fain. And finally... Snakes on a Train II. Bring it on!

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On board a flight over the Pacific Ocean, an assassin, bent on killing a passenger who's a witness in protective custody, let loose a crate full of deadly snakes.DVD Features:Audio CommentaryDeleted ScenesFeaturetteGag ReelMusic VideoTV SpotTheatrical Trailer

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The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)Okay, so sometimes I call this movie "The Long Kiss Goodbye" instead of "The Long Kiss Goodnight," but that does not detract from the fact this is one of my favorite action films from the post-"Die Hard" era (yes, more than "Speed"). The hook is fairly simple: Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) has had amnesia for eight years when suddenly Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson), the fourth-rate private investigator she hired to work on her case, actually stumbles over a clue. However, that becomes rather academic when some guy comes bursting through Samantha's front door trying to kill her and she dispatches him on pure reflexes.
What we have in this film are the requistie elements for a great action film: interesting characters, memorable dialogue, and great set pieces for the action. Geena Davis comes on like a next generation Sigourney Weaver, going through a fairly intense gamut of emotions as her new life collides violently with her old one (I think this might have been the film were Davis learned her hand/eye coordination was good enough for her to take up archery on a level just below Olympic caliber). Then there is Samuel L. Jackson: is there another action in America today who curses as well as this guy? Every time he swears it comes across as character development rather than profanity (okay, really kewl profanity, the type our parents would never want to hear coming out of our mouths). Think of this as a buddy film where the buddies have neither gender nor race in common.
The supporting cast features Craig Bierko as Timothy, a terrorist who prides himself on knowing when somebody is lying to him, Brian Cox as Dr. Nathan Waldman, the person who knows the truth about Sam, and David Morse as Luke, another important person from her past. The government as boogey man comes into play yet again in this film, but that old chestnut is not central to the fun and games. Despite Jackson's profanity laced tirades (although Davis holds her own at times), most of the really great lines in this film are not obscene. To make lines like "Chefs do that," "I took lessons," and "Am I lying?" great lines, you have to set them up in term of the characters.
The bottom line is nicely expressed by Henessey's character early in this film. When it comes to judging the quality of "The Long Kiss Goodnight," never make an assumption, because when you do, you make an "ass" out of "u" and "mption." You will not fall asleep during this film.

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A violent tale of a young mother who awakens after years of amnesia to discover she's an assassin, with her former bosses in hot pursuit.

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The Other Guys (The Unrated Other Edition) (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the funniest movies to come out in a very long time. Here's why:
1. The movie was filled with belly laughing funny bits that were surprising and not the typical cliche kind of stuff. I haven't laughed this hard in ages.
2. There was also a lot of subtle humor, also making this movie very entertaining.
3. Will Ferrell was absolutely hilarious. That's to be expected. What was so surprising was Mark Wahlberg. He was different from his normal hard as nails tough guy roles, and he played off of Ferrell just perfectly. He was so hilarious.
4. Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson were perfect in their roles. They weren't on for long, but they were part of some very funny bits. Michael Keaton also contributed some fun to the movie. Eva Mendes was perfectly cast. All in all, a superb cast that made for an uproariously funny comedy.
While there were periods that moved a bit slowly, that shouldn't stop anyone from seeing this movie. The laughs more than made up for any slower times. Also, those slower periods set up some of the funniest bits later on, and they set up the story.
It was really relaxing to laugh so hard. I felt like I had a mini-vacation. I'd absolutely recommend this movie.

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Misfit NYPD detectives Gamble and Hoitz (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) are sentenced to life behind the desk. They hate each other and the monotony of their meaningless jobs, as they’re forced to live in the shadow of the two biggest and most badass cops on the force (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson). But when those guys go down for the count, opportunity knocks for Gamble and Hoitz. Stumbling onto what could be one of the biggest crimes in years, can The Other Guys step up their game to solve the case without killing each other and destroying NYC in the process? From the director of Step Brothers and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

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