Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Set in 1950s Utah and filmed on location there, "Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy" depicts 16-year old Roy Parker's search for the truth about his great-uncle, the infamous real-life Western outlaw Butch Cassidy (the alias of LeRoy Parker). The fatherless youth must overcome the opposition of his determined granddad, who scolds him, "I spent the better part of my life trying to live down the reputation that your hero has laid out for the Parker name and you grow up worshipping him." After a jailbreak engineered by Jess, his best friend, Roy and Jess are joined by two other teens in a chase for Cassidy's buried treasure, pursued by dangerous criminals. Superb cinematography takes full advantage of Utah's rugged scenery in exciting chase sequences by automobile, river raft, steam train, and even airplane. Roy Parker is played by handsome Ryan Kelley, familiar to viewers of the "Smallville" TV series. Only an implausible ending detracts from this entertaining family film, suitable for all ages.

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According to legend, Butch Cassidy died in Bolivia. But what if he made it back to the States under an assumed name with a fortune in Ortega gold? Young Roy Parker aims to find out after discovering an old belt buckle that once belonged to his Great Uncle Leroy (a.k.a. Butch Cassidy ). Roy s determined to redeem the family name, learn his uncle s true fate and find Butch s stash of buried treasure with the help of his best friend, his arch rival and the girl who has stolen his heart. But they re not alone, a dastardly villain is hot on their trail and he will stop at nothing to get his hands on the fabled loot!

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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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The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)So the commercials all promote Jackie Chan and Jet Li. What they neglect to do is mention, I dunno, the **main character** of the film, a young Boston kid named Jason Tripitikas (played by Michael Anganaro).
So the movie's basically a kid film. You have a reluctant hero who gets sent to a fantasy version of China, and along the way he learns martial arts and Eastern philosophy.
What did I like about it? The fight scenes are, for the most part, fantastic. They start off a little weak, get better over time, and then get absolutely fantastic when you have both Jet Li and Jackie Chan in the film. The fight scenes are weakest when there's too much CGI in them -- but most of them are purely physical, and quite good.
The Chinese fantasy aspects are authentic, if not accurate (much in the same way the HBO series Rome is not a completely accurate recounting of events, but an authentic recreation of the tone of ancient Rome). They throw in things like The Monkey King and his golden staff, soldier monks, drunken immortals and even The Bride With White Hair. And the Chinese philosophy, for those familiar with it, is spot on.
Jackie Chan and Jet Li are fantastic not only as fighters, but comedically as well. (There's a scene involving rain that had absolutely everyone in the theater laughing hard.) Anganaro puts in a surprising turn physically -- he looks like he got a lot of martial training. Yifei Liu is heartbreakingly lovely.
It's probably a little scary for young kids -- there is some intense violence in the beginning, for instance. And there are sappy moments, as you would expect for a kid's film. But it means well. I have to say that I had a bit of trouble making out the English of some of the Chinese actors sometimes, tho -- and I'm Chinese-American! I worry others might have even worse problems.
Still, overall, I liked it.

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Individually, they've starred in the most adrenaline-pumping martial-arts adventures ever.Together for the first time, Jet Li and Jackie Chan join forces to create the greates epic of them all- THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM.As ancient Chinese warriors, they must train and mentor a 21st century kung-fu fanatic who's been summoned to fight a centuries-old battle and free the imprisoned Monkey King.If you're a fighting fan, the wait is over.The team is ready.The Kingdom has arrived.

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The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL suffers from overexposure to the passion for all things Tudor that has produced multiple novels, television series, and films that range from great to mediocre. Having not read Philippa Gregory's best selling novel, this viewer entered the theater without preconceived notions of the path the story would take/stray in the wake of heightened interest in historical data. From the opening scenes to the end the impression is one of having viewed some very beautiful scenery, sumptuous costumes, grand lighting - and very little involvement in caring for the plight of the characters. The soggy music score underlines the unrelenting dark atmosphere of the story and the production, and despite a cast of actors known for credibility in historic roles, there is little compassion stirred.
King Henry VIII (Eric Bana, in relatively little screen time) tires of Katherine of Aragon (Ana Torent) and her inability to bear a male heir. The Boleyn clan (Mark Rylance and Kristin Scott Thomas in collusion with the Duke of Norfolk David Morrissey) seize on Henry's frustration and serve up their daughters Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) to satisfy his dalliances. The younger Mary beds him first, does produce a son, but falls out of favor leaving Anne to work her newly honed skills of feminism learned during her exile in France on the easily seduced King to become his queen, yet is able to only bear him a daughter, Elizabeth. The results are tension in the castle, in the Boleyn family, and between the sisters Anne and Mary. History is molded by the writer to maintain more of a Hollywood soap opera that a recreation of fact and it all ends with beheadings and the child Elizabeth running gaily through sunny old meadows of England.
The actors all try to make us buy into this version of betrayal and lust and loathing, but the dialog (written by Peter Morgan) is tired and used and anything but in keeping with the period. But then, the movie is a collection of scenes that are very pretty to watch... Justin Chadwick directs. Grady Harp, March 08

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Based on the best-selling novel, The Other Boleyn Girl is a captivating tale of intrigue, romance and betrayal starring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Eric Bana. Two sisters, Anne (Portman) and Mary (Johansson), are driven by their ambitious family to seduce the king of England (Bana) in order to advance their position in court. What starts as an opportunity for the girls to increase their family fortune becomes a deadly rivalry to capture the heart of a king to stay alive.

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Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (Widescreen Edition) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Even with all the controversy surrounding Mel Gibson last year (and doesn't it seem as if each new week brings another celebrity meltdown?), I still looked forward to seeing "Apocalypto." Why? If for no other reason--the subject matter, subtitles, and lack of star power made it a bold choice for a major studio release. Films of this nature generally go into limited distribution to develop an audience and critical word of mouth before expanding, if they ever do. But with Gibson at the helm, "Apocalypto" debuted with much fanfare and backing just in time to be considered for 2006's Academy Awards. For some reason, though, I still missed "Apocalypto" at the theaters. I have heard every description imaginable from those that have seen the film--from the "best movie ever" to "excessively violent and disturbing." And while I wouldn't go to either of those extremes, "Apocalypto" is certainly an accomplished adventure picture.

Set in ancient Mayan times, "Apocalypto" is essentially the harrowing journey of one man, a youth named Jaguar Paw (a convincing Rudy Youngblood). Living a simple and isolated existence, his tribe are very at home within the forest. One day, the unthinkable happens. They are attacked by another group with apparent intentions of enslaving whomever they don't kill. Youngblood's wife and son are stranded in an underground well, many others are murdered, and Youngblood is among a dozen or so who are rounded up and marched out in bondage. The subsequent journey leads to a fantastical temple sequence, where it becomes clear that the prisoners are not to become slaves--but sacrifices. The remainder of the film deals with how Youngblood can escape this situation. The temple scenes feature a cast of thousands, ritualistic and brutal slayings, and a mob mania that is terrifying and believable. Racing against the clock to save his wife, Youngblood must escape back through the jungle--where all he has to help him are his cunning and an almost spiritual connection to his surroundings. The action is practically nonstop, it's inventive, and it is beautifully staged. Much of "Apocalypto," therefore, is absolutely riveting and wildly entertaining.

For the purists who will debate the film's historical accuracy, I will neither deny or confirm the legitimacy of the events that transpire within "Apocalypto." While there do seem to be some liberties taken with the historical timeline (as evidenced by a surprise in the ending--which I enjoyed despite its implausibility), I really don't think that this film aspires to be a "historical document." Gibson has made an adventure story using a Mayan backdrop. The feel and look of his picture stay as valid as possible to the timeframe, however, I never interpreted this picture as a "true" story. Guess what? Fictional liberties are taken in every motion picture. Otherwise every motion picture would be a documentary--and even documentaries have an angle or slant which make them less than "true" in many cases. "Apocalypto," at heart, is an effective action picture that makes interesting use of its Mayan setting.

I guess "Apocalypto" is not for the squeamish--however, the violence depicted is by no means unusual by modern film standards. You can see much worse in today's "torture" cinema, those films that pass for horror with current audiences. I suppose what makes "Apocalypto" more vivid is that the violence is in a believable context. There are some beheadings and some hunting scenes, but the brutality is intrinsic to the story "Apocalypto" is telling. I don't believe serious minded filmgoers will be put off by seeing some savagery depicted in a film about ancient Mayan cultures--it's not as if this is a Merchant/Ivory production with tea parties and witty banter.

I do recommend "Apocalypto." Beautifully filmed, the technical merits of the film are beyond reproach. The cinematography, score, and editing all enhance this exciting tale. I imagine these elements really shone bright for those who saw this on the big screen. A great action picture that is for adults--check it out. KGHarris, 03/07.

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From Mel Gibson, director of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST and the Academy Award®-winning BRAVEHEART (Best Director, Best Picture, 1995) comes the thrilling historical epic APOCALYPTO. This intense, nonstop action-adventure transports you to an ancient South American civilization, for an experience unlike anything you’ve ever known. In the twilight of the mysterious Mayan culture, young Jaguar Paw is captured and taken to the great Mayan city where he faces a harrowing end. Driven by the power of his love for his wife and son, he makes an adrenaline-soaked, heart-racing escape to rescue them and ultimately save his way of life. Filled with unrelenting action and stunning cinematography, APOCALYPTO is an enthralling and unforgettable film experience.'

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King Arthur - The Director's Cut (Widescreen Edition) (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have read the negative and positive reviews of this film, especially noting the numerous complaints about historical accuracy. But considering the era from which this story is created, and the various possibilities regarding exact time and place of events, (if they ever occurred at all), I think the film is a truly magnificent, thought-provoking piece about King Arthur.
Bringing in the aspect of the Sarmatians was long overdue in the Arthurian arena. Although various historians may argue the point, much evidence does point to the use of stirrups by about 8000 Sarmatian cavalry in the Roman army as early as 175 AD. With the commonly held belief that the stirrup was not introduced until many centuries later, I thought it a bold move for the movie makers to incorporate this into the film as well. It seemed to be one of the most commonly noted 'discrepancies' by reviewers, but I disagree - it is very accurate.
If you have watched only the PG13 version of this film, by all means, please watch not only the Director's Cut version, but take the time to also watch/listen to Antoine Fuqua's narrative over the film. His narration explains a lot, especially about how they had to change things drastically to make the mandated PG 13 rating. His explanation regarding his version of Lancelot and Guinevere is quite a statement as well.
The alternate ending was quite dark, or perhaps even depressing, in a way. I don't know which ending is more suitable, and actually would have liked to have seen perhaps a different ending altogether, just don't know what that would have been.
I thought the actors were incredible; the battle scenes (director cut) some of the only such scenes I've ever watched that let you identify the main characters' roles during the fighting; the photography was the best I have ever seen; the music illustrated and enhanced; and this movie left you wanting to see more when it was over.
There was no dwelling on use of special effects for blood and gore, or rediculous feats of super-power athletics, or campy remarks that would bring you immediately back to your own century. The horses were not constantly being tripped during battle scenes, either. All these were a welcome change from so many movies of today.
Above all, it passed the real test of a great movie - it left you with 'a feeling' after it was over.
In short, I loved it. Antoine Fuqua, you are a genius.

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King Arthur the Extended Unrated Director's Cut contains fourteen minutes of never-before-seen footage, including more intense battle sequences and the scenes "Rain and Snow" and "Saxons Surrounded." Bonus Features • Alternate Ending "Badon Hill" With Optional Director Commentary • Blood On The Land: Forging King Arthur • Cast And Filmmaker Round Table • Director Commentary • "Knight Vision" Trivia Track • Producer's Photo Gallery • Konami's King Arthur Playable Xbox Demo

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Princess Kaiulani (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm happy that someone did take the inspired action to make a movie about Hawai'i, that isn't all about the sexy hula girls and mai tai's. This movie has meat to it. The reason I say this is a must see movie for Hawaiians and Hawaiians at heart is that it makes you think. It makes you want to read and research your Hawaiian geneaology and Hawaiian history. The movie makes you to want to learn the TRUTH! As Hawaiians we must unite to move forward, we must educate our children like our ancestors did. We had a 90 percent literacy rate in the 1800's and early 1900's, our ancestors would be ashamed of us wasting our intelligence and not cultivating our youth to learn. I'm saying this to all people, educate your children!
The movie was very moving, a love story, with a beginning, middle and end. When we describe love, we tend to look at just the best parts and skip the ugly. Although the movie wasn't completely factual, it was a good depiction of how the time was and the politics of the day. How can you summize a person's life in 120 minutes? It's just a brief moment in time that is covered. Some of the facts were missing in the story, she did die on the Big Island and maybe that should have been shown, but there was enough sadness that we all know and understand.

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PRINCESS KAIULANI - DVD Movie

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A Knight's Tale (Special Edition) (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're a fan of Brian Helgeland, Paul Bettany (Chaucer), or just commentary tracks in general, don't buy the extended edition. The regular DVD has every feature the "extended" edition does - it just doesn't insert the deleted scenes into the movie. They're included as bonus features. This extended edition does not include the hilarious and insightful commentary track by Helgeland and Bettany, which is really the best thing about the DVD. You get more features for less money by buying the regular DVD release.

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A ROUSING STORY OF LOWBORN WILLIAM THATCHER'S QUEST TO CHANGE HIS STARS, WIN THE HEART OF AN EXCEEDINGLY FAIR MAIDEN AND ROCK HIS MEDIEVAL WORLD. FOLLOW THIS FEARLESS SQUIRE AND HIS BAND OF MEDIEVAL MISFITS AS THEY CAREEN THEIR WAY TOWARD IMPOSSIBLE GLORY THAT'S PART ROMANCE, PART ROAD TRIP & PART SWASHBUCKLER.

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Agora (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)Is it right to question? Is it proper to doubt? Is it the question itself, or the questioner, who offends in asking? These are some of the issues presented in "Agora", the compelling film by Alejandro Amenabar starring Rachel Weisz.
The film presents the fascinating life of the Roman philosopher/mathematician/scientist Hypatia, a neo-Platonist philosopher of 4th century Alexandria. Very little is known of her scientific or philosophical discoveries, as none of her writings survived the fall of Rome and the rise of Christianity. What we do know of her comes from other writers of the period, who tell us she was widely regarded as the bright jewel of the empire for her wisdom, virtue and brilliant erudition. The broader outlines of her life are known, as are the larger historical and cultural context in which she lived.
As the film opens, Hypatia is laboring to develop a theory that explains the orbits of the planets in contradiction to the accepted Ptolemaic model of the time. Amenabar and his writer take a few artistic liberties in his presentation, as he imagines Hypatia's train of thought along these lines in the absence of any documentary evidence. We just don't know if this was in fact the case. But never mind that, as Art is well served here.
Do the planets travel around the earth, or the sun? Hypatia struggles relentlessly with this question against the backdrop of abrupt and shocking changes in Roman culture. The early Christians have gained a political foothold with imperial favor, and begin to challenge the Pagans and Jews in the provincial capital. The confrontations become violent. As the Christians gain power, they repress any differences of belief and insist on agreement with their faith, often at the point of a sword. Fascinated with this emerging model of the universe, Hypatia persists in her inquiries in the face of growing danger.
Amenabar has created a very convincing Alexandria. The sets and costumes are wonderful, and the writing is quick and idiomatic. Rachel Weisz gives another stand-out performance as someone completely taken up with the process of thought. Weisz's Hypatia is a woman of great perspicacity, intellectual honesty, personal warmth and moral courage. She gives us the convincing internal struggle with a Really Big Idea, a feat of acting that requires great artistic restraint. She succeeds admirably. Hypatia's simple scientific experiments are mesmerizing and charged with drama. Her intellectual struggles are at the same time rigorous and intuitive, deeply moving, yet not cold or distant. She cares about the people around her as much as her Really Big Idea. The rest of the cast performs at the same superb level.
Much has been said elsewhere about the romantic interests in the film. Fortunately, these are entirely secondary to the larger contrasts of the emerging cosmological model and the ultimate closing of the Roman mind. And it is highly refreshing to see a plot driven by a conflict other than the typical Hollywood-formula "love interest".
In life, we know that Hypatia died a martyr to her beliefs. We also know that this moment in European history marked the beginning of the end of the free-thinking philosophy peculiar to Classical, Hellenistic culture. Which makes Hypatia's problems quite contemporary, as people everywhere face the same challenge today. Is it good or right to question? If history is any judge then it certainly is, because that is the only way one will arrive at the truth.

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Set in ancient Egypt under Roman rule, AGORA follows the brilliant and beautiful astronomer Hypatia (Weisz) who leads a group of disciples fighting to save the wisdom of the Ancient World, as violent religious upheaval spills into the streets of Alexandria. Among these disciples are two men competing for her heart: the witty, privileged Orestes (Isaac) and Davus (Minghella), Hypatia’s young slave, who is torn between his secret love for her and the freedom he knows can be his if he chooses to join the unstoppable surge of the Christians.

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