The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Lizzie McGuire Movie picks up where the Hit Disney Channel Original TV Series left off. Hilary Duff is back as Lizzie, a gorgeous and good hearted, but totally insecure teenage girl, preparing to leave Jr. High and move on to bigger and better things. The movie focuses on a very special graduation trip that Lizzie and some of her classmates take that summer, to Rome, Italy. Hoping this will be her chance to find adventure instead of bad luck for a change, Lizzie and her best friend Gordo vow to take chances and have fun, and forget about the embarrassing social order of school and home. Once in Rome, Lizzie's friend-turned-enemy, Kate, mopes about being ignored by the Italian boys, meanwhile, Lizzie's old crush Ethan scopes the chicks, and Gordo repeatedly catches himself scoping Lizzie. But Lizzie is entranced by an Italian pop-star she's just met, Paolo, who's amazed at the likeness Lizzie shares with his former singing partner, the dark-haired beauty Isabella. Paolo begs Lizzie to perform on stage with him at a major awards show in the guise of the vacationing Isabella, and, remembering her vow to have an adventure, Lizzie agrees to go through with it. Time passes as Lizzie is being prepped for the fraud, and as it does, she finds herself growing closer to Paolo and discovering assertive qualities she didn't know she had. But as Paolo's scheme is rising to fruition, Gordo is having a heck of a time keeping Lizzie's adventures secret from the group of American travelers and their vicious chaperone/tour guide. Back home, Lizzie's little brother Matt, under the evil influence of his friend Melina, is working on another plan to ruin his sister's reputation, this time requiring himself and his parents to travel to Rome as well. When the day of Lizzie's big performance finally arrives, so does Lizzie's family, not to mention the mysterious pop-star Isabella! It's anybody's guess how the big show will turn out, not to mention who will get the girls in the end!
The Lizzie McGuire Movie was a wonderful surprise, even for this loyal Hilary lover and long-time fan of the series. From the super cute and perfect opening scene, to the fan and crowd pleasing feel-good ending, this was a perfect movie for such a great hit TV show. I must admit, it WAS pretty weird to see all the Lizzie McGuire characters on the big screen, but it was very cool once I got used to it. The graduation scene bothered me a bit, because they felt they had to give an explanation for every major character, making statements the TV show fans already knew, like how Kate used to be Lizzie's best friend until she became popular, etc..., but that was the only thing in the whole movie that bugged me. It wouldn't even have been that bad, if not for the way they did it, rushing from one character to another like, "we need to get these character explanations out of the way," mentioning how Lizzie's other best friend, Miranda, was away in Mexico and things like that. But like I said, that was the only part that bugged me in an otherwise incredibly great movie! As a long-time fan of the show, a couple of parts nearly made me cry, though I'm sure sometimes it was just the result of seeing my dreamgirl, Hilary Duff, up there looking incredible and doing the best acting I've ever seen her do! The part where she gets on stage and does her thing, I was really getting choked up, because after coming to know the character the way we have from the TV series, it was amazing to see the things Lizzie was doing in this movie as she finally found her confidence! I should also say that Hilary has really improved as a singer, actress, and in everything else she does! She even did a great job as Isabella, the Italian pop-star! There were only a couple of times where she lost the accent a bit. But every girl should be able to look that good with both blonde AND brown hair! Ha. I wonder how Hilary would look as a redhead? I can't say enough good things about this movie! I just can't wait till it comes out on DVD. My eyes are even a little teary right now. Oh, what I would have given to have traded places with Gordo in that movie!

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Join America's sweetheart, Lizzie McGuire, on the trip of a lifetime in the theatrical hit THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE, starring teen sensation Hilary Duff (AGENT CODY BANKS). Goodbye, home! Hello, Rome! Lizzie, along with classmates Gordo, Kate, and Ethan, is celebrating with a graduation trip to Italy to experience la dolce vita -- and some awesome pizza! In a whirlwind of comic events, Lizzie is mistaken for Italy's biggest pop diva, Isabella, and falls for Paolo, Isabella's handsome singing partner. Transformed from awkward teen into international pop star, Lizzie now has the choice of a lifetime. Will becoming Italy's next singing sensation also mean leaving her family and close friends behind? It's up to Lizzie to embrace newfound courage and do things she never thought possible. Find out what dreams are made of in THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE.

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Ben 10 - Season 4 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)We find out in Season 4 that there are alot of alien races out there that are fighting one another for control of the galaxy. As we all know, there is one 10 year old kid that ain't going to let that happen and that is Ben Tennyson. Season Four opens up with Ben living out a perfect day, perhaps too perfect-I'm afraid- as he soon discovers and things escalate from there. While most of the episodes walk a familiar ground, the plot thickens more as you soon discover before the Season is over. Team Tennyson may be no more. As for extras, we are given three alternate versions of the Ben 10 Secret of the Omnitrix movie. While each version has minor changes(different heroes used to combat the enemy, a pop up trivia version for fans, etc), they are still worth watching. I'm glad Cartoon Network included this movie with Season Four(it makes one less thing I have to buy in order to have the complete Ben 10 Collection). Other than that, nothing much to speak of.
While I'm older than the audience this series was created for, I can honestly say that it appeals to me too. See, Ben is living every kid's dream of being a hero and I think that is what appeals to fans of the show, including me. I mean, who wouldn't want to be a real hero?? Besides, the cartoon is fun with lots of twists and turns in the storyline. With all the aliens that Ben turns into and the things that he faces, that makes for alot of episode possibilites.
If you're into Ben 10 Alien Force, you owe it to yourself to pick up the series that started it all: Ben 10. I'll admit, I wasn't much of a fan til I saw the new show. The series is definitely worth picking up.
Now, it is time for me to pick up Volume One of Ben 10 Alien Force.

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Ben Tennyson was just an average 10-year-old kid – until he discovered a strange alien watch in a crashed meteorite. Called the Omnitrix, this watch gives Ben the ability to transform into any of 10 alien heroes, all the while keeping his 10-year-old personality.

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Crossroads (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie has everything you could ever wish for to become an Academy Award Winner. With each passing minute, the plot thickens and leaves you wondering what will happen next. "What happens after Britney sees her long-lost mom? Who's the real father of the baby? Why did Britney give up her virginity to that guy and not to the other one?, etc." Such issues would have a profound impact on how the viewers would look at their own lives and would make them reflect on what they have been doing for the past 1.5 hours of watching this film. Indeed, the issues presented in this movie such as getting deflowered, getting pregnant without the guy knowing, running away from home to discover oneself and then found by dad and then to run away again to be with the boy who popped her cherry, etc. are very unique and settled in a very appropriate and convincing way as the viewers are treated to a finale of a croaking, whining, earwax splitting vocal spectacle which drills into the minds of the viewers that we should always remember to treat Britney as someone special; not a girl, but not yet a woman. Britney drives home the message that she's a little girl trapped in a woman's body; which of course makes pathetic, lifeless, looser men like me want her more. It's like reaching out to something so near yet so far away but then I just can't keep my eyes off her navel. I'm sure that Britney would surpass her mentor Mariah Carey in terms of acting talent and would get the recognition she deserves. With her starry-eyes transfixed on everything and everyone at the same time, she makes acting look so easy and dumb. Of course, it's not surprising because it seems so natural for her to look like that. All said, this film thrives on Britney's charm and persona, and nothing else, which is enough to make me patronize every move she makes and consequently, pour more money into her deep pockets so that she could pay her house, while I watch her from my trailer.

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THREE CHILDHOOD BEST FRIENDS, AND A GUY THEY JUST MET, TAKE A TRIP ACROSS THE COUNTRY, FINDING THEMSELVES AND THEIR FRIENDSHIP IN THE PROCESS.

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Raise Your Voice (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)I can't believe this movie practically had me crying in the beginning. If the movie does anything right, it's the ability to try and jerk a tear out of it's audience. It worked on my mom! I was totally skeptical at first-- not a huge Hilary Duff fan --but this is a pretty good movie, despite the facts that it employs every single movie character cliche and (at times) has the cheesiest dialogue ever.
Duff plays Terri, who wants to go to a music school in LA. Her brother Paul(played by Jason Ritter-- who's too cute for his own good!) is practically her best friend, he supports her like crazy. Her father doesn't want her to go, but her flaky aunt and cool mom do. When Terri's brother is killed in a car accident, she's not sure she wants to sing anymore, and dad certainly doesn't want her going away to a music school. So when Terri is accepted, her mom and aunt cover her back so she can go. Paul would've wanted her to go. She meets a cute guy (Oliver James, in the same role he played in What a Girl Wants), a cool teacher (John Corbett!), and makes some cool friends. Can she overcome her grieving to perform in front of the crowd and sing her heart out?? Will she win the $10,000 scholarship that the music school offers to the best performance? Take a wild guess... hey, it might just surprise you. (But if you pay attention it probably won't. That's okay, though!!)
The emotion is there-- that of a grieving sister and family. It's well played; I ALMOST cried (I held it in!). The dialogue is so bad in some spots, but funny and original in others. It seemed to yo-yo back and forth. It's a cute movie for teen girls, they'll swoon over Oliver James, and a pretty good movie for anyone else who can see past the cliches (I did) and just enjoy the movie. Of course it's going to be cheesy sometimes, but that's the charm! Check this one out sometime!! RECOMMENDED!!

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Hilary Duff stars as Terri, a small town girl with the voice of a big-time singer. Following her dreams, she heads to L.A. for the summer at a famous music school. Life in the big city is full of surprises, but with the help of some cool friends, an encouraging teacher, and a super cute boy, this All-American girl will have the time of her life. DVD Features:Deleted Scenes:w/optional directot commentaryFeaturette:Behind-The ScenesFull Screen Version:Both Widescreen & Fullscreen versions on one discMusic Video:Hilary Duff's "Fly"Other:Interactive Jam--compose your own song and get critiqued by a professorOuttakesTheatrical Trailer

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Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie was by far the worst Thomas production ever made. I was horrified when I discovered that Britt Allcroft wrote it; now we know why she always had a co-writer when she was writing episodes for the TV series, and why she was kicked out of Gullane Entertainment afterwards.
The script is so poorly written that I feel sorry for the trees used to make the paper that it was written on. The Island of Sodor, in the TV series an island off the coast of England that was more or less normal, has been turned into a magical ghost town populated by talking trains and literate animals. Why Britt Allcroft chose to make such a rapid departure from the TV series I will never know. She also filled the script with complicated plot devices that few children will be able to understand (you'd need to be Einstein or Stephen Hawking to figure out the answer to the riddle on the windmill wall), and threw her healthy knowledge of the Thomas characters out of the window (Thomas is portrayed as a goody-goody, Bertie as being annoyingly hyperactive, Henry as being a whiny pain in the neck, and James as being so short of brain cells that he doesn't know what the word "shoo" means).
Usually, bad scripts bring in bad acting, and this movie was no exception. Alec Baldwin's character was so annoying (I'm sure I'm not the only person who wishes Diesel 10 had dropped him off the viaduct), and took the limelight that should have been given to Thomas and the other engines. Peter Fonda's character was the most miserable, depressing character in the history of children's movies. Mara Wilson's character was better, but still seemed like a teenage girl younger than her years. And what was the point of having big name actors anyway? It's not as if little children are going to recognise them.
I also find the film to be overly violent. Diesel 10 is so nasty that it's no wonder little children started crying and asking to leave the theater when he made his first appearance. We're never told why he's evil either, he just comes off as a character who wants to destroy steam engines for no reason whatsoever. In the original series, if a character was evil it was usually for a good reason. In a similar fashion, while characters in the TV series might be evil, they never went further than playing tricks on the other engines and trying to get them sent away. Here, Diesel 10 tries to kill Mr Conductor and Junior in scenes that make me amazed the film got a G rating.
Then there's the fact that the steam engines get what can only be described as outstanding cameos. When I went to see this at the theater, I noticed a lot of little children fidgeting and looking bored during the scenes with the human characters. Really I'm not at all surprised that they were; they came to the theater to see their favorite blue engine and his friends, not a Lilliputian railroad conductor who had lost his gold dust.
Last but not least, what can little children learn from this movie? The TV series episodes all have morals in them, like "don't tell lies" and "don't get too full of yourself." Other than a brief line at the end about helping each other, this movie has no moral value in it whatsoever (unless you count teaching children to be senselessly violent a moral).
In September of this year a second Thomas movie is coming out, albeit shorter than this one and being released direct to video, called "Calling All Engines." Cross your fingers and hope it's better than this turkey.

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THOMAS & THE MAGIC RAILROAD - DVD Movie

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10 Minute Solution - Kickbox Bootcamp (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)As with the other DVDs in the 10-Minute Solution series, Kickbox Bootcamp features five 10-minute workouts. You can pick one for a quick 10-mintue blast, follow all five in sequence for a killer 50-minute routine, or mix and match them as you wish to get just the workout you want. The 10-Minute Solution series is all about flexibility-one reason why I own several DVDs of the series. The instructor on this DVD is Keli Roberts. The five workouts, all with some element of kickboxing flavor, are:
Basic Training: This segment is basically "Beginner Kickboxing"-a good starting point for people who haven't had much kickboxing experience; however, I still found it a great workout even though I have been doing kickboxing for about a year. While teaching you the basic punches and kicks that will be used throughout the DVD, Keli keeps your heart rate up with faux jump roping, boxer shuffle, and other cardio moves.
Ultimate Buns and Thighs: This segment incorporates kicks into a lower body workout that includes lunges and plies. The method Keli uses to teach kicking is quite simple and effective. This was a good workout. I didn't feel the burn as much as in the TamiLee Webb "I Want Those Buns!" workout, but then Keli doesn't use quite so much repetition and it therefore wasn't as hard on my knees.
Arm and Shoulder Sculptor: Here we switch to an upper body focus using light hand weights to get more benefit out of the punches. I started with the 5-pound hand weights I use for at-home upper-body work, but had to switch to 2-pounders to keep up with Keli's fast pace. She also does some quick punching sequences in between weight segments. I really liked this workout and, from the look of Keli's upper body, I'd say she knows what she's doing!
Fat-Burning Blast: This segment definitely puts the "Bootcamp" in the title. It begins (after the warm up) with a very difficult sequence-going from a stand to a squat to a plank (push-up position) to a squat to a stand over and over (and incorporating other-even more challenging-moves as the sequence progresses). Once you get past that sequence, there is a series of lateral agility drills-sliding, jumping and stepping side to side. By far, my least favorite of the DVD.

Washboard Abs: Keli definitely doesn't depend just on crunches here-she does planks, side work and a few Pilates moves as well as crunches to work out your obliques, upper and lower abs. This is a good workout, and I didn't make it all the way through on the first try. That's a good sign, though, because it gives me something to work toward.
Pros:
1. Keli doesn't use the same tired moves as every one else-despite the MANY exercise DVDs I've tried, there were many new moves on this DVD and I loved that.
2. The warm-ups and cool-downs, while brief, are excellent and tailored to each workout.
Cons:
1. There is almost no color contrast on the menu, so figuring out where the "cursor" is and which button you're selecting is very difficult. I found this highly annoying.

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NO TIME TO EXERCISE? We have the solution for you – the 10 Minute Solution! Instructor Keli Roberts has developed 5 distinctive and supereffective bootcamp-inspired kickboxing workouts, each one specially-designed to whittle your body into tip-top shape and each one only 10 minutes. Split them into 5 separate workouts, or mix and match to hit your own unique problem areas … or do all of them together for one total-body 50 minute workout!BASIC TRAINING This focused "get-you-going" segment really lays the groundwork for your total-body fitness goals. Use it as a starting point to prepare for the other segments, or as a stand-alone, calorie-busting workout.UTIMATE BUNS & THIGHS If a toned, tight, strong lower body is what you desire, you’ll find it here! These 10 minutes are jam-packed with fat-burning moves and some unique exercises you’ve never seen or done before – and they work!ARM & SHOULDER SCULPTOR Get ready to chisel and sculpt that upper body. This ultra-effective program leads you through punches, jabs and upper cuts and utilizes light hand weights for even faster results.WASHBOARD ABS Everyone wants tight, flat abs and with this program you can get them! Keli combines time-proven abdominal exercises with some ground-breaking techniques so that you’ll see REAL results … fast!FAT BURNING BLAST This energetic segment is all about getting your heart rate up and your body weight down! The Fat Burning Blast is an excellent complement to any of the other segments, or — done alone — it’s an action- packed, ultraefficient way to blast away calories and burn carbs

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Man on Wire (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was lured into seeing this film by my teenage son, who is a circus acrobat by genetic conviction as surely as Philippe Petit was a high-wire walker and as I am a musician. I would never have entered the theater if I'd known what I'd be seeing. I have a pathologically empathetic response to films. When I was a little kid, I used to shout out warnings to Tweetie Bird when the cat got near. During fight scenes, my whole body twitches and my wife gets nervous for the safety of the unsuspecting head in front of me. I'm a climber in real life. I've been to the summit of Annapurna. But my blood pressure rises and I tremble with acrophobia at Hollywood simulations of climbing. This film Man on Wire took two years off my life, I'm sure. It's that intense, with its coy intersplicing of still photos and super-eight footage of Petit in mid-air and lovely slow talking-head interviews of Petit and his accomplices, years later, clearly establishing that they all survived to tell the tale.
Those interviews of middle-aged daredevils, reminiscing about their greatest caper, were as intense for me as the dodgy accomplishment of the adventure. It was literally the end of a love affair with life for all of them, something "too hot not to cool down," an overture too overwhelming to be followed by a mere opera. When Petit's boyhood friend broke down in tears at the waning of their friendship, when Petit's wife-the-love-of-his-life felt the reality that his life no longer needed hers, the whole social cost of Petit's obsession moved me also almost to tears. Hey, I might have cried if my heart had slowed down to twice normal. I felt an urge to grab my son and hug or shake him, saying "don't let your art be more to you than your life."
There's more to this film than a mere victimless heist thriller.

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On August 7th 1974, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire and illegally rigged between the New York's twin towers. After nearly an hour dancing on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail before he was finally released. This documentary complies Petit s footage to show the numerous extraordinary challenges he faced in completing the artistic crime of the century.

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