Steven Seagal Collection (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)Everyone has seen a Steven Seagal movie, and yeah you could say he is not the best actor... But what he lacks in acting skills, he makes up for in the action department... And Steven Seagal being one of the most known action superstars, needs to be able to break someone's neck, and not recite a love poem...The Steven Seagal Collection offers the best of the best, starting with.. Above The Law, you have Steven Seagal's first action adventure, directed by arguably the best action movie director, ranked up there with John Mctiernan (Die Hard 1 & 3) or maybe surpassing him... Andrew Davis would later go on to direct Under Siege, Seagal's best and most known movie... But getting back to Above The Law... Seagal plays Nico Toscani, a tough cop that was trained for vietnam, holds a sixth dan black belt in aikido, along with several marksmanship awards, and he has a strong italian bloodline and a supportive family in the Mob... Co-stars Pam Grier as Delores Jackson (coffy), Ron Dean as Lukich (the fugitive), and even a young Sharon Stone as Sara Toscani(Basic instinct, Gloria)... When a convicted drug dealer is let out on the streets, Nico suspects something is up, he's right... Mr. Zagon, a CIA agent is using drug money to finance personal obligations... He has come to chicago to kill those who know about him... He will come, kill, and leave unharmed and as free as a bird... He thinks he is Above The Law, but he ain't above Nico's and he'll find this out the hardway... In Hard To Kill Seagal plays the rough tough Mason Storm, father and husband...This time around a corrupt politician pays off thugs to permamnently erase all of his competion in the run for mayor... There's only one problem, Mason is hot on his trail... Mason cover is blown and he is shot numerous times with a shotgun, trying to save his wife he gives the attackers one more beating before he is left for dead... He's dead, but not for long..Mason Falls into a deep coma and with the help of his close buddy LT. Ommaly, he sleeps undiscovered and safe in a seven year coma, upon waking up Mason has one thing on his mind and thats veangence, he hooks up with a sexy woman(kelly labrock, then his real life wife), his thought to be deceased son, and he is out for revenge, and he gets it. In Under Siege Seagal plays Casey Ryback ex-navy seal, counter terrorist expert, expert in martial arts, tatics...And to top that all he is also a damn good cook. On the USS Missouri's final journey, Commander Krill (Gary Busey{Predator 2}) arranges for a killer party... A killer party is the best word for it, for when the party host William Strannix (Tommy Lee Jones{The fugitive}) and the super georgeous Jordan Tate(erica eleniak).. The party starts and the lives end... The mercenary group take over the grand battle ship, and its up to one man to save the ship, save the hostages, save Hawaii and save nuclear weapons from falling into the wrong hands... Who? Well the cook of course...In Under Siege 2, the one and only Casey Ryback(Seagal) is back, when he misses his brothers funeral, his neice and him take a ride in the grand and sleek grand continental train to pay tribute to there deceased family member who was slain in a plane crash... Upon arrival on the train, a mercenary army group takes over the train, they are undetectable, they are smart, they are strong, but this train is very different then most trains, because the man who saved the day in Under Siege is back and it looks like he has a double dose of bad luck... But fear not, this time Ryback has someone to help him, the unlikely duo of a Cook and a Train Porter... The renegade electronic wiz (Eric bogosian) has seized control of a top secret military satellite that can destroy and area of land, at any time... Its up to Casey Ryback the cook and Bobby Zachs the Train Porter to save the day...The satellite is locked onto its target, the grand continental is barreling toward a freight train hauling tons upon tons of gasoline, Ryback's neice Sara is being held hostage with hundreds of innocent commuters... Can he save the day? All aboard...

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The Siege (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Siege tells a hypothetical story about terrorist attacks on New York City by Islamic fundamentalists, and how an FBI department led by Special Agent Hubbard (Denzel Washington) tries to stop them. A CIA agent (Annette Bening) is also involved, and refuses to cooperate with the FBI, at least at first. When the attacks continue and the FBI and police are unable to stop them, President Bill Clinton imposes martial law and U.S. Army units under General Devereaux (Bruce Willis) occupy and isolate Brooklyn and round up all the young Arab men and place them in an internment camp. This leads to several consequences and to a final showdown that will not be revealed here.
The Siege was controversial already in 1998 when it was released: the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Council on American-Islamic Relations both protested strenuously and said the movie was offensive and discriminatory. After the 9/11-2001 terrorist attacks on the United States it can be seen that the movie was in some ways prescient: it practically predicted terrorist attacks on New York by Islamic fundamentalists, a fatal lack of cooperation between the FBI and the CIA, and the imposition of measures that reduced civil liberties for average Americans.
In fact, the key conflict in The Siege is not the conflict between the terrorists and the law enforcement agencies. The key conflict is an ideological one: On one hand there are those who believe that all possible means, including the use of torture and the detention and isolation of suspects with no access to legal process, can be necessary responses to a terrorist threat. On the other hand there are those who believe that use of torture and the reduction of civil liberties can never be justified, and that if one resorts to these measures then one has handed victory to the terrorists.
It is the emphasis of this ideological conflict that makes The Siege so thought provoking and leads me to award it five stars.
Others have panned The Siege as being too anti-military, claiming that the imposition of martial law is farfetched and the U.S. military depicted as too inhumane. Here it must be pointed out that in the hypothetical situation presented in The Siege there was an on-going series of terrorist attacks with no end in sight, a far different situation than that experienced on 9/11-2001.
It's interesting to note that the script for The Siege was written by Lawrence Wright, who later, in 2006, wrote a book, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, and won the Pulitzer Prize for it. This book is also highly recommended.
A few words about DVD extra material. The first DVD release (2000) includes a 13-minute special feature "The Making of The Siege", which is fairly interesting but nothing very special. There is a newer DVD release (2007) subtitled "Martial Law Edition" which includes two additional special features, "The Siege: Taking New York" and "The Siege: Freedom is History". Unfortunately I haven't seen this edition yet.
Highly recommended, at least if you want more than just action and drama and enjoy thought-provoking stories.
Rennie Petersen

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When a crowded city bus blows up in Brooklyn and a campaign of terror begins to make it's bloody mark on the streets of New York, it's up to FBI special agent Anthony "Hub" Hubbard (Washington) and U.S. Army General William Devereaux (Willis) to find out who's responsible and put an end to the destruction. Together, they face explosive danger at every turn when they team up towage an all-out war against a ruthless band of terrorists.

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Nothing But the Truth (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Nothing But the Truth" is based on the events surrounding the prison sentence of "New York Times" reporter Judith Miller after she refused to reveal the source who identified undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame.
Prompted by a failed assassination attempt on the President of the United States, investigative reporter Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale) discovers that a neighborhood woman is a CIA operative. Rachel believes she has happened upon the Big Story, and is backed by her editor (Angela Bassett), the newspaper's legal counsel (Noah Wyle), and her First Amendment lawyer (Alan Alda). Federal prosecutor Patton Dubois (Matt Dillon) wants her to name her sources. She refuses and is thrown in jail for contempt of court. She thinks she will soon be released, but as her incarceration lengthens, her relationship with husband (David Schwimmer) and son (Preston Bailey) starts to deteriorate.
Performances are first-rate in this tense political thriller. Beckinsale is sympathetic as the idealistic yet frightened reporter, but Dillon dazzles as the Javert-like Fed who will use anything and everything within his power to break the reporter's will. The changing relationship between Rachel and her family gives the film humanity and elevates it from a mere "ripped from the headlines" flick to one of depth.
Bonus extras include deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, and filmmakers' commentary.

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Inspired by true events. Kate Beckinsale and Academy Award® nominee Matt Dillon (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Crash, 2004) lead an all-star cast in this explosive story about a Washington, D.C. reporter who faces a possible jail sentence for outing a CIA agent and refusing to out her source. The all-star cast includes Academy Award® nominees Alan Alda (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for The Aviator, 2004), Angela Bassett (Best Actress in a Leading Role for What's Love Got to Do with It, 1993); Emmy® Award nominee David Schwimmer (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Friends, 1994), Golden Globe® nominee Noah Wyle (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture for ER, 1997-99) and Vera Farmiga (The Departed).

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Unstoppable Review

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(More customer reviews)Snipes plays an ex spec ops officer trying to cope with the loss of one of his men (who happens to have been his best friend). They were captured and Snipes was forced to make the ultimate decision - either let his friend die by being burned alive, or give him the order to step off a stool and hang himself. Snipes was forced to give the order to step forward and has never forgiven himself since.
His love interest, his friend's sister, doesn't know the circumstances behind her brother's death, but insists that Snipes visit a focus group to try and deal with the loss. Snipes tries, but he ends up calling her and asking her to meet him at a diner so he can finally tell her what really happened to her brother.
Snipes shows up at the restaurant early and is mistaken for another man. CIA operatives shoot him up with an experimental hallucinogenic drug that kills the victim in 6 hours, but makes them highly succeptible to suggestion.
As it turns out the CIA made a big mistake and Snipes escapes from the facility. The rest is a cat/mouse chase and a race to find the antidote before it's too late.
By today's standards this is a tame movie, but if you're a fan of Wesley Snipes you'll enjoy this film. It's low budget, but it's a lot better than other offerings I've seen. It's popcorn entertainment, but don't expect any big fights or a lot of action---something they could've elaborated on a bit. The title "Unstoppable" doesn't really match the movie.

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A FORMER ARMY SPECIAL OPS SOLDIER IS MISTAKEN FOR A GOVERNMENTAGENT. HE GETS INJECTED WITH A HALLUCINOGENIC MIND-CONTROL DRUG THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO ALTER HIS REALITY WITH SIMPLE SUGGESTIONS HE MUST SEARCH FOR THE ANTIDOTE ON THE RUN, WHILE BATTLING HISFOES, HIS INNER DEMONS & THE ILLUSIONS THE DRUG CREATES.

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The Men Who Stare At Goats (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)George Clooney, Ewen McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Robert Patrick, Stephen Root, Stephen Lang...THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS has an one of the best cast lineups of any 2009 film (a year in which a lot of good actors made a lot of good movies). The film is based around a supposedly true plot: "psychic warriors" trained to fight terrorists, led by a hippie soldier, attacked by an arrogant Army officer, and infiltrated by a bored investigative reporter and a former psychic soldier. It makes for a great story, and overall, GOATS succeeds brilliantly; it is a delightful, at times dark film (the last 20 minutes or so get so dark, you'll wish the whole film had been this gutsy) that proposes a lot of questions, and doesn't bother answering them (like any good satire should).
However, something's lacking. Peter Straughan's script isn't up to par; and Grant Heslov's directing seems at times undecided. The acting is fine--Clooney is understated; Bridges is himself; Spacey is delightfully off-kilter; and watching McGregor deadpan the question "What's a Jedi?" is just good geeky fun--but the film itself doesn't live up to the cast's combined talents. The end result is a film that's certainly an enjoyable watch, even laugh-out-loud funny in spots (though it's overall a subtle comedy; this isn't slapstick, it's satire), but doesn't have the lasting effect something with this weight should. The ending is ultimately a let-down; a lot of build up for very little. That's not to say the movie isn't worth your time; if you enjoy intellectual comedies, you'll definitely want to check it out. However, unlike others of the genre--DR. STRANGELOVE comes to mind, though it's probably unfair to compare any war satire to Kubrick's masterpiece--THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS doesn't stay with you once you're done watching. And that is a damn shame, because a film with this great a cast, and this interesting a premise, deserves--almost necessitates--a lasting presence. As is, we have an enjoyable intelligent comedy that is slightly less than the sum of its parts.

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In this comedic look at real life events that are almost too bizarre to believe, reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) discovers an experimental top-secret wing of the U.S. military called The New Earth Army, trained to change the ways wars are fought through New Age psychic power. In search of his next big story, Wilton tracks down Lyn Cassady(Academy Award® winner George Clooney), a shadowy figure who claims to be a member of this legion of “Warrior Monks” with unparalleled psychic powers who can read the enemy’s thoughts, pass through walls, and even kill a goat simply by staring at it.

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The Bourne Identity (Widescreen Extended Edition) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)First, I rate the MOVIE Bourne Identity and the older Collector's Edition DVD both as 5-star. I expected the Extended Edition DVD to include all in the older Collector's Edition DVD AND MORE. What you get with the Extended Edition DVD is a FREE TICKET (EXPIRES AUGUST 8th) to MOVIE Bourne Supremacy and a weaker DVD release that is largely a promotion for the new movie.

What you LOSE (Extended Edition DVD versus Collector's Edition DVD):
an extended farmhouse scene; DTS sound; Doug Liman's informative Director's Commentary track.

What you DO NOT GAIN (Extended Edition DVD versus Collector's Edition DVD):
the SAME alternate ending IN ROUGH, GRAINY QUALITY as in the deleted scenes of the Collector's Edition; the SAME deleted/extended scenes (except for the ADDED alternate beginning noted below and the OMITTED farmhouse scene noted above); the SAME Extreme Ways music video by Moby and the SAME DVD-ROM access to web site; no featurette whatsoever providing director Doug Liman's comments. (Did Liman tick off producer Frank Marshall or did he want to distance himself from this so-called upgrade by Universal?).

What you DO GAIN (Extended Edition DVD versus Collector's Edition DVD):
a FREE TICKET (EXPIRES AUGUST 8th) to Bourne Supremacy movie; pain-in-the-arse indirect PLAY THE MOVIE via a Play SUB-menu to select theatrical vs extended version that STILL forces you to use MANUALLY your DVD player's ANGLE button WHEN THE ALTERNATE ANGLE ICONS APPEAR ON YOUR SCREEN to access the bookended alternate beginning/ending version (both footages in UNFINISHED QUALITY that somewhat compromise the vendetta premise of the Bourne Supremacy); Special Features includes these SAME UNFINISHED alternate beginning and ending in isolation with producer Frank Marshall's mea-culpa that this less-than-explosive footage was a post-production C-Y-A due to 9/11 that test audiences ultimately bounced anyway; some worthwhile featurettes regarding Robert Ludlum, CIA practices from retired CIA operative/film consultant Chase Brandon, and a real psychologist's profile of Jason Bourne; a worthless transition promotion fluff to the Bourne Supremacy movie.

VERDICT: If DTS sound or Director Commentary tracks matter to you, DO NOT UPGRADE (yeah, right, upgrade); stick with or buy the older Collector's Edition DVD. If you don't already own the Collector's Edition or these factors don't matter and you intend to use the free Bourne Supremacy movie ticket BEFORE AUGUST 8TH, go with the Extended Edition DVD But shame on you, Universal for your promotional UPGRADE hogwash!!!

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BOURNE IDENTITY EXPLOSIVE EXTENDED - DVD Movie

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Meet the Parents (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)I wasn't really sure what to expect with Robert De Niro in a more comedic role and the so-so reviews of Meet the Parents. Well, let me be the first to tell you that all theses reviews were wrong and De Niro shined in his role as the father. The toilet humor of There's Something About Mary is still present in Meet the Parents--I won't give any of it away since the shock factor is what makes these scenes so hilarious. Ben Stiller is wonderful as Gregory, the misguided yet well-intentioned boyfriend of Jack's daughter. This movie had so many well placed comic moments that I never really stopped laughing. Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller make such a great pair because of the fact that they are such polar opposites. De Niro's paranoia feeds Stiller's own paranoia and makes for a lot of awkward but humorous confrontations. Their misunderstandings range from the hidden meaning of "Puff the Magic Dragon" to premarital relations. Mixed in somewhere within the gags and the shock humor is a nice romance story that is somewhat generic but never overshadows Stiller and De Niro's relationship. Meet the Parents is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time and I implore you to see it.

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MEET THE PARENTS - DVD Movie

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The Recruit (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)Al Pacino may not be the most versatile actor in the world, but he is a good actor; and, he proves it in this movie.
Al plays a 'scout' for the CIA looking for a few good spies. He finds bartender and computer hacker extraordinaire (how's THAT for a double career) played by Colin Farrell. The first spy talent seems to be keeping your 5 o'clock shadow exactly the same throughout the entire movie. :)
Colin and several other spy wannabes are chosen and sent to a training camp called 'The Farm' where Colin meets a delicious recruit played by Bridget Moynahan (NOTE: calling them by their character names just slows me down). Bridget quickly learns the spy trait at crying at the drop of a hat.
Without blabbing off too much more of the storyline, Al gives Colin an assignment that prepares him quite well for the life of a CIA agent.
There are several plot twists in this movie but not so many that it gives you a migraine. About the only thing that does is the constant verbal reminder in the film that "nothing is as it seems".
Overall, great acting all around and very good action scenes. The PG-13 rating is well deserved since it isn't overly bloody or violent.. i.e. it isn't going to put an idea into your teenager to go out and do something stupid.
Movie warnings: almost but not quite nudity (backless Bridget in a shower scene), sex with WAY too many covers, and profanity (mostly by the audience complaining about the covers).
Is it worth seeing? For matinee prices, definitely. For evening prices, yes, if you're into thriller movies.
And, just like in the movie, "PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONES." :)

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Academy Award(R)-Winner Al Pacino (Best Actor, SCENT OF A WOMAN, 1991) and Colin Farrell (MINORITY REPORT) take you deeper into the CIA than you've ever been before in this action-packed psychological thriller. James Clayton (Farrell), one of the smartest graduates in the country, is just the person Walter Burke (Pacino) wants in the Agency. James quickly rises through the ranks and falls for Layla (Bridget Moynahan, THE SUM OF ALL FEARS), one of his fellow recruits. But just when James starts to question his role and his cat-and-mouse relationship with his mentor, Burke taps him to root out a mole. As the suspense builds in a maze of gripping twists and turns, there are only two things James can count on -- he can't trust anyone and nothing is as it seems. It's the ultimate CIA thriller with so many surprise plot twists, you'll want to watch it again and again.

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