Topic: Dave's DVD/Blu-ray Reviews

[dfmorgan]

Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith

A part of

Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Year: 2005
Director: George Lucas
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen
Overview: The STAR WARS saga is now complete on DVD with Episode III REVENGE OF THE SITH. Torn between loyalty to his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the seductive powers of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker ultimately turns his back on the Jedi, thus completing his journey to the dark side and his transformation into Darth Vader. Experience the breathtaking scope of the final chapter in spectacular clarity and relive all the epic battles including the final climactic lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan.

Watched: 2nd. Oct 2011
My Thoughts: The final part of the prequel trilogy. I enjoyed this a lot more than the earlier 2. In this they really set up the original trilogy with the 4 births - The Empire, Darth Vader, Luke and Leia.

My Rating: I found this to be enjoyable and so a 4

[dfmorgan]

The Warrior and the Wolf

Year: 2009
Director: Tian Zhuang Zhuang
Cast: Joe Odagiri, Maggie Q, Tou Chung Hua
Overview: More than two thousand years ago the Han Emperor sent his army to the far western border of China, way beyond the Gobi Desert, in order to subdue rebellious tribes. It was a treacherous and inhospitable zone where, when winter came, the land belonged to the wolves. After much war and bloodshed, Commander Lu and his men have given up the battle and begun their retreat

Trapped by a blizzard, they take refuge in a village of the 'cursed' Harran tribe where Lu commandeers a shack and where, initially to his distaste, he finds a beautiful but mysterious Harran widow hiding in a pit beneath it. Passion quickly overcomes their mutual distrust and suspicion, and they become lovers... but Lu does not comprehend the great price that he will end up paying for their illicit passion...

Watched: 7th. Oct 2011
My Thoughts: hmmmmm. I'd like to say this was a revelation and a riveting film, just to rebuff Jon's comments when I purchased it, but sorry it wasn't. Now off to look at Jon's review. Maybe I'll report back once I've read it.

My Rating: Whilst not totally bad, it had Maggie Q in it, no more than a 1

[Najemikon]

My Thoughts: hmmmmm. I'd like to say this was a revelation and a riveting film, just to rebuff Jon's comments when I purchased it, but sorry it wasn't. Now off to look at Jon's review. Maybe I'll report back once I've read it.

My Rating: Whilst not totally bad, it had Maggie Q in it, no more than a 1

  sorry, Dave. I'd have been impressed if you had been able to enjoy it.

[dfmorgan]

  sorry, Dave. I'd have been impressed if you had been able to enjoy it.

No problemo, I tried to like it. I thought your review covered the film very well, although the love came after he showed compassion when he saved her from the bite or sting she suffered in the lake/sea.

[dfmorgan]

The Expendables

Year: 2010
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li
Overview: SYLVESTER STALLONE stars as Barney Ross, leader of The Expendables, a tight-knit team of skilled combat vets turned mercenaries. Hired by a powerful cover operator, the team jets off to a small South American country to overthrow a ruthless dictator.

Once there, they find themselves caught in a deadly web of deceit and betrayal. Using every weapon at their disposal, they set out to save the innocent and punish the guilty in this blistering action-packed thriller.

Watched: 8th. Oct 2011
My Thoughts: A very enjoyable action film. Usual park your brain on the side table fare and just let your eyes and ears take everything in.

My Rating: A fun and enjoyable 3

[dfmorgan]

H.O.T.D.: High School of the Dead: Complete Series Collection

Year: 2010
Director: Tetsuro Araki
Cast: Junichi Suwabe, Marina Inoue, Eri Kitamura
Overview: A seemingly ordinary day at Fujimi High School rapidly descends into a terrifying nightmare and a deadly fight for survival for a group of teenage students who find themselves caught up in the chaos caused by an outbreak of a new disease that turns its victims into ravenous, flesh-eating zombies. Forced to slay large numbers of their teachers and fellow students just to escape the confines of the school, they soon learn that the outbreak is not only a local of even national problem but also a global one.

As the pandemic rages out of control, society begins to collapse and everyday moral codes begin to crumble. Now it is up to Takashi Komuro to unite the small group of school friends and other survivors and lead them on a journey that they hope will take them to a place of safety beyond this new world of the living dead.

Episodes:
1. Spring of the Dead
2. Escape from the Dead
3. Democracy Under the Dead
4. Running in the Dead
5. Streets of the Dead
6. In the Dead of the Night
7. Dead Night and the Dead Ruck
8. The Dead Way Home
9. The Sword and the Dead
10. The Dead's House Rules
11. Dead Storm Rising
12. All Dead's Attack

Watched: 11th./12th. Oct. 2011
My Thoughts: Quite an enjoyable series. I was only going to watch a couple of episodes but in the end I watched them all over two days.

A worldwide contagion has caused people to become zombies and we are introduced to our protagonists, five students and the school nurse, over the first couple of episodes as they realise the predicament they are in. They escape the school and try to find safe haven and their parents. The first six episodes cover just the first days events and the remaining six a further two days. The zombies conform to the standard zombie mythos with one minor change that I could see

(click to show/hide)

, they are blind

. The contagion is spread by being bitten by the zombies, as per usual for zombies, so how it could be worldwide in a matter of minutes this way I'm not too sure. One nice thing I spotted was what appeared to be an homage to Shaun of the Dead with the  petrol company at a petrol station being called Shaun. From the start and throughout there is fan service* aplenty which can be off-putting for those who don't like fan service.

*Fan service is described at wikipedia here.

My Rating: I did enjoy it for a 3

[dfmorgan]

Gantz

Year: 2010
Director: Shinsuke Sato
Cast: Kazunari Ninomiya, Kenichi Matsuyama, Natsuna
Overview: Gantz is based on a hit manga series created by Hiroya Oku and stars leading Japanese actors Kazunari Ninomiya (Letters from Iwo Jima) and Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note, Detroit Metal City).

After an accident on the train platform, recently deceased childhood friends Kei and Kato find themselves transported to an empty apartment populated by other confused strangers and a mysterious black ball known only as Gantz, which issues them a set of strange suits and alien weapons, instructing them that their lives are forfeit and now they must exterminate "dangerous aliens" from Earth in a series of games.

Watched: 14th. Oct 2011
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this film. An interesting concept of bringing people back to life to fight aliens. Looking forward to part 2 when it comes out next year.

My Rating: A really enjoyable 4

[Tom]

If you have missed it, here is my review of it. It's not indexed yet.

[dfmorgan]

If you have missed it, here is my review of it. It's not indexed yet.

Thanks Tom  . I've got the anime on its way to me and I may well look into the manga as well now.

[dfmorgan]

Green Lantern

Year: 2011
Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard
Overview: Experience the action as it was meant to be seen as Green Lantern takes flight in full HD! In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite force of protectors for peace and justice has existed for centuries. They are the GREEN LANTERN CORPS. When a new enemy called PARALLAX threatens to destroy the universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of the Corps' newest recruit, the first human ever selected: HAL JORDAN (Ryan Reynolds). Bringing the popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, Green Lantern also stars Blake Lively (Gossip Girl), Peter Sarsgaard (Orphan), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett* and Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins**.

Watched: 15th. Oct 2011
My Thoughts: I quite enjoyed this film. As with many others based on US comics I have no real knowledge of the mythos and background so cannot compare with the comics, but overall I thought that how Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) became the Green Lantern and his initial misgivings and eventual acceptance were handled well. The ending of the film sets up for a sequel.

My Rating: An enjoyable 3

[dfmorgan]

Potiche

Year: 2010
Director: François Ozon
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini
Overview: Suzanne (Deneuve) is a "Potiche"; a beautiful, subservient wife dedicated to serving the selfish whims of her tyrannical husband. But after the exploited workers of his umbrella factory decide to strike, Suzanne takes on the role as head of the company to great success. Although business and personal politics are about to collide with the arrival of Maurice (Depardieu), a charming union leader and a former lover of Suzanne's.

Starring two of the most iconic stars of French cinema, Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu and directed by acclaimed filmmaker François Ozon (8 Women, Swimming Pool), Potiche is a hilarious, stylish and subversive romantic comedy that turns the battle of the sexes on its head and refuses to pull any of its punches.

Watched: 22nd. Oct 2011
My Thoughts: A wonderful gentle comedy. All three leads play off each other marvellously with general excellent support from the remaining cast. At times it almost descended into farce territory but managed to pull back from there and stay a lighthearted comedy.

My Rating: A wonderful 4

[dfmorgan]

Main Hoon Na: Collector's Edition (2003/India) (United Kingdom) Director: Farah Khan Writing: Farah Khan (Original Material By), Rajesh Saathi (Screenwriter), Abbas Tyrewala (Screenwriter) Length: 175 min. Video: Widescreen 2.20:1 Audio: Hindi: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English

Stars:
Shahrukh Khan as Maj. Ram Prasad Sharma
Sushmita Sen as Chandni
Sunil Shetty as Raghavan
Zayed Khan as Laxman Prasad Sharma
Amrita Rao as Sanjana

Plot:
To your very surprise, the film is based on the current-favorite Bollywood theme of Indo-Pak relations and formulated as a mission film. Of course it's loaded with dollops of fun, humor, romance, action and emotions as well. In Bollywood slang – a complete masala film! Major Ram Prasad Sharma (Shahrukh Khan) yearns to see the ambitious project Mission Milaap become a reality. A mission that will prove to be the dawn of a new tomorrow! Where long standing enmity between two countries will begin to see its end. But some forces do not want that dawn to come. One of them is Raghavan (Sunil Shetty) who will do anything to prevent the strategic move. For this reason his devious shadow looms large over General Amarjeet Bakshi's daughter Sanjana (Amrita Rao) , whose life is in danger. Every drop of Ram Prasad's blood glistens with the shine of pride for his country and he will not allow dark actions to create an eclipse in its bright future. To protect Sanjana, he goes to her school as a student… indeed 'Back to School'! Here fun and frolic conceal his real intent. Will anyone here guess that he has just lit funeral pyre of his martyr father Brigadier Shekhar Sharma (Naseeruddin Shah) . The ashes have emerged but the fire has not subsided. For he has to fulfill his fathers last wish. Strangely, the fulfillment of his wish also lies in this very school… completing this mission will be no easy task. For it involves intense emotions and long – standing misunderstandings. These two missions are now his life-blood. The weapon of one mission is Gun and that of the other is Love. But the road to both is that of Truth. The only option is victory. The only man is Ram Prasad Sharma. And the only mantra is Main Hoon Na!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Production Notes
• Music Videos
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

A quite enjoyable film. It started as a full blown action fest but soon changed to the more normal Bollywood song and dance, with minor action bits, leading to the romance elements before ending in another action fest. There were elements of The Matrix and Mission Impossible within the action sequences and to me the final action sequences set in a church were a nod to John Woo films especially with the white doves flying around. Overall this was enjoyable but I had a couple of quibbles, but then again the expected outcome wouldn't occur if you didn't suspend belief at points in the majority of films. My main quibbles were the resolution to the family conflict

(click to show/hide)

where at one point the mother states that 20 years of hurt cannot be overcome in 20 days but 20 minutes later it was

and the fact that to fall in love all you have to do is dress feminine if you're the female and b) cut your hair if you're the male.



Rating: an enjoyable 3

Editted to remove an incorrect aspect within the review.

[Tom]

and the fact that to fall in love all you have to do is a) dress feminine if you're the female and b) cut your hair if you're the male.

This is what I also had a problem with. Especially since Amrita Rao looked way hotter before the makeover. I also didn't like it, that even though she mentioned to Lucky that she doubts that he loves her for her and not her new clothes, she never goes back to being herself, so that he has a chance to prove otherwise.
But I disagree with you on the haircutting. She loved him before the haircut. The haircut was just for him to show his mother that he loves her and that he was willing to get a proper haircut for her.

[dfmorgan]

But I disagree with you on the haircutting. She loved him before the haircut. The haircut was just for him to show his mother that he loves her and that he was willing to get a proper haircut for her.

Yes you are quite right my fault in over thinking in writing this review.

[dfmorgan]

Gantz II: Perfect Answer (2011/Japan) VIZ Pictures, New People Entertainment, Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Writing: Length: 142 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1 Subtitles:

Stars:


Plot:
The battles continue as Kei and other members still reside in the "in-between" world of GANTZ. Determined to resurrect friends who have died in battle, Kei and other members trapped in the "in-between" world of GANTZ are aiming to score the 100 points needed to break through. An emergence of a mysterious investigator, however, complicates the situation further. The battle continues on as the two dimensions start to merge together. Some fight for love, and others fight for justice. At the end, who will sacrifice the most?

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Production Notes
• Interviews

My Thoughts:

I did enjoy this film but found myself a tad confused. The first film Gantz followed the anime but this film departs from that path, it is possible that this film follows the manga but not having read that I cannot comment. We are introduced to a new lady with a black ball and an investigator who both have an impact on the Gantz participants. There is a new level of conflict between Gantz and the aliens leading to a conclusion which I'll admit I was not really expecting.

Rating: I enjoyed this for a 3