Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life [Blu-ray]

Lara Croft in Raiderette of the Lost Pandora's Box
It would be easy to dismiss "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" as being a cross being "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and a James Bond movie except for two things. The first is that there is nothing inherently wrong with combining those two elements, even if the genesis of your character is a series of video games. The second is that despite the overwhelming plot similarities between this second Lara Croft film and the first and third Indiana Jones movies, there are actually things going to with the titular character. We are not talking profound psychological development here, but for an action film there is actually something else going on as well.

The main thing, of course, is the action, which is why the James Bond comparisons are so obvious. An earthquake shakes the Greek island of Santorini and the next thing we know Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) is on the trail of Pandora's Box. Apparently it was what brought life to Earth and inside it there is one...
A fun & fitting encore
If you liked the first film in the Tomb Raider series, "Cradle of Life" will deliver just as much fun. The sequel begins with artistocratic archeological adventuress Lady Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) diving off the coast of Greece, where a volcanic eruption has uncovered the fabled Lunar Temple. Within the underwater temple, Lara discovers a mysterious orb. As with many of her tomb raids, however, things soon go awry, and the orb falls into enemy hands.

Representatives of the British intelligence agency MI-5 recruit Lara to retrieve the orb, which Alexander the Great created as a map to Pandora's Box. MI-5 fears that a scientist known for creating biological agents will use a plague contained in Pandora's Box to create weapons of terror. Lara scoffs at MI-5's offer to send agents to assist her, and insists on an assistant of her own choosing--a possibly untrustworthy mercenary (Gerard Butler) who is her former lover. And thus the quest for the orb begins anew.

Once again, Jolie...
LCTR The Cradle of Life - An enormously entertaining film!
While most seem to be either a real big fan of the Lara Croft Tomb Raider movies or someone who despises them, I'll take up the role of a big fan. Just as in the first movie, Angelina Jolie's rendition of Lara Croft is absolutely wonderful. This second film, in what is undoubtedly going to be many, is another great action flick that is enjoyable entertainment from the beginning to the end.

While I only have a vague, passing familiarity with the video games, I can say, without a doubt, that this and the first movie make an enormously enjoyable leap from the pc screen to the silver screen.

Angelina Jolie's performance as Lara Croft, to include her impeccable British accent, is nothing less than stunning. I find it absolutely wonderful to see such a beautiful and agile actress take on the "James Bond" type role and handle it with such seeming ease. While these films won't win her any Oscars, they will indelibly mark her among the tops in action film stars. Gerard...
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The Dark Knight Rises (Blu-ray)

Epic conclusion to Nolan's Batman trilogy
Having been a huge fan of Chris Nolan's previous two Batman films, couldn't wait to watch this when it was released. And The Dark Knight Rises didn't disappoint. The conclusion to the trilogy is fitting for the franchise, for Batman, and for Bruce Wayne (though I have read rumors that Nolan might come back for another film in the series or maybe a Batman/Superman film - hope some of this is true!).

The film starts with a frail Bruce Wayne having pretty much retired and living a private life eight years after he eliminated the Joker. The peaceful Gotham City where police officers feel they will soon be "chasing overdue library books" is rocked by a series of events orchestrated by the ferocious and calculating villain, Bane.

The pace of this film is slightly slower (and heavier) compared to the previous two films, partly because there are a lot more characters in this film, and Nolan being the master storyteller that he is, gives each character enough time in the...
A unique and engaging superhero epic
As someone of the unpopular minority who didn't like Christopher Nolan's previous Batman film 'The Dark Knight' (but really liked 'Batman Begins') I find 'The Dark Knight Rises' a pleasant surprise. It carries a lot of the elements of the first two films, especially TDK's darker tone but manages to off-set it's self-seriousness with a strong story, terrific action-scenes and characters I wanted to root for!

The story of 'The Dark Knight Rises' takes place eight years after the events of 'The Dark Knight' Gotham Ciy is seemingly crime free and the Batman hasn't been seen since (still wanted as a fugitive after the events of TDK). In steps Bane: a super-strong, methodical terrorist leader intent on destroying Gotham and ends up forcing Batman/Bruce Wayne out of retirement. There's a lot of elements at work in this dynamic story (taking obvious influences from the Batman comics Knightfall, No Man's Land and Dark Knight Returns) and the movie's almost 3-hour length is felt, but...
It doesn't quite fit...
After watching this film the first time, I wasn't quite sure what to think of it. I knew it wasn't a bad film, but at the same time it just didn't sit right with me for whatever reason. So I went back and watched Begins and TDK and I think I figured out why I didn't really care for it. In my opinion it doesn't seem to fit with the other two films.

Warning: Some spoilers

First there's the setting. The concept of a broken and retired Batman living as a recluse is interesting, but it seems to sort of contradict what we saw in the other films. We learn that he hasn't been Batman for 8 years since Dent was killed, which made me wonder, why is he in such bad physical shape then? Rewatching The Dark Knight, I didn't see anything to show where these injuries came from. Why is his leg screwed up? The last scene of Dark Knight was him running away from the camera. If he hasn't been Batman since then and has been living like a hermit, how did he screw up his leg? Also, why...
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Fantastic Voyage [Blu-ray]

Terrific reissue from Fox of sci-fi Cold War gem (updated for Blu-ray)
Updated: 10/10/13--The Blu-ray looks simply marvelous for a 50 year old film. Yes, there are some scenes that are a bit soft but that's due to the multiple optical effects. This is a very nice presentation and a top notch transfer from Fox.

Audio sounds terrific as well with both the original mono and a 5.1 remixed presentation presented lossless. It sounds really exceptional.

The special features are ported over and in standard definition.

Original DVD review:

Fans of 60's science fiction will appreciation the deluxe terrific reissue of "Fantastic Voyage" put out by Fox. While very much a product of the mid-60's, "Fantastic Voyage" holds up surprisingly well in just about every area. I doubt that fans need a recap of the plot but I have one at the end of this review if you're interested.

First up we get a brand new marvelous looking transfer for the film. It isn't perfect but it couldn't be because of the source material. Some...
FANTASTIC ADDITION TO MY SCI-FI DVD COLLECTION
This was a excellent addition to my sci-fi collection. All of these movies are solid classics.
If bought separately this would have cost me around $56.00. This set is just $17.99.
No double-sided disc's here, this set was done RIGHT with a 4 disc set all SINGLE SIDED. Graphic covers on all the disc's also.
All 4 disc's are protected in a illustrated inner plastic casing , with a attractive laminated illustrated cardboard outer case.
The movies in this Fox 75th year stuio classics collection are:

Fantastic Voyage (1966)/ color/ 100 minutes...includes:
1) on/off commentary by film + music historian Jeff Bond.
2) on/off isolated score track with commentary by film+ music historians Jeff Bond, Jon Burlingame and Nick Redman.
3) Lava lamps + celluloid: a tribute to the visual effects of Fantastic Voyage.
4) Whirlpool scene: storyboard to scene comparison.
5) original props
6) trailer + TV spots
7) Galleries

The...
The first film to portray the vast world of inner space...
After his successful direction of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", Richard Fleisher tried his hand with a new kind of submarine... His "Fantastic Voyage" ventured upon the unfamiliar seas of the human bloodstream, and carried the magic of miniaturization to its logical limits-the shrinking of four men and a woman to microbe size, making the voyage entirely rough and hazardous...

The plot follows a team of three scientists: a surgeon (Arthur Kennedy); his technical assistant (Raquel Welch); the chief of the mission (Donald Pleasance), plus the skipper of the ship William Redfield and a security agent Stephen Boyd for a possible "surgical assassination"...

The interesting submarine ("The Proteus") is miniaturized by a secret branch called CMDF (Combined Miniature Deterrent Forces) and injected into the bloodstream of a defecting Russian scientist who has suffered brain injury and a coma from an assassination attempt... The crew must navigate to the scientist's brain...
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Rush (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD with UltraViolet)

Full Circle for Ron Howard
The first movie Ron Howard ever directed was "Grand Theft Auto." Since then, he has built a storied, award-winning career; now he has come full circle to another auto-racing film. This biography is based on the true story of an Austrian Formula One champion and his British arch rival. I found it thrilling, involving and highly entertaining.

We see:
* Daniel Brühl ("Ladies in Lavender") as three-time Formula One champ Niki Lauda, a buttoned-down technocrat, friendless and charmless, but a brilliant analyst who understands all the elements of racing: the track, the engine, the body, the weight, and above all, the competition.
* Chris Hemsworth ("Thor") as handsome James Hunt, exuding the joie de vivre of international success. He revels in the booze, the drugs and the women that go along with fame and is always the darling of the press because he is so quotable.
* Olivia Wilde ("The Change-Up") as Suzy Miller, soon to be the famous supermodel Suzy...
The Greatest Sports Rivalry I Never Heard Of
I went in to see this movie with absolutely no idea what it was about, other than race cars (I prefer drag racing, Formula 1 is one of those European things I never paid attention to). Now I am obsessed with both Hunt and Lauda...the cinematography is great, the 'feel' of the era is palpable, the racing scenes are exciting, the casting was brilliant...all in all a wonderful suprise. Even if you aren't a racing fan, it's worth a look. And the soundtrack...wonderful!
My only complaint? It was too short.
I grew up watching Formula 1 but too late to see James Hunt and Niki Lauda fight it out. Doesn't matter because this story was always going to get my attention. In fact rarely have I looked to forward to a film. I was not disappointed.

I won't go through the premise here. If you're reading this I expect you already know it. I will say that this film travels at a pace akin to the cars it features. There's not a moment to get bored or for the mind to wander. To the contrary. I wanted every scene to be longer, I wanted to spend more time with these people. I was hungry to know them, flaws and all. This is no glossed up little package of hero-worship. Both Hunt and Lauda are as selfish and spiteful as they are inspiring and talented.

The music is brooding, compelling and exciting by turn. The camera work is intimate and amazing. (You see through Niki's bury eyes, you see from inside helmets and from under and along the cars. You see every shudder they...
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Robin Hood: 40th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

Worth the upgrade? Probably.
Previous to this 'Most Wanted Edition' release, Disney had released a Gold Collection version. Having seen the two head to head, the Most Wanted is definitely a worthwhile purchase, though purists may wish to hang onto their Gold Collection Edition.

For those interested in the movie's plot (though if you don't know it by now), this 1973 Disney film follows the adventures of the classic Robin Hood story (though all the characters have been replaced by Disney animal versions), where he and his pal Little John are constantly thwarting the plans of Prince John, his servant Sir Hiss, and the rotten Sheriff of Nottingham. It doesn't follow the original legend too closely, but then, Robin Hood is a walking, talking fox, so don't expect historical accuracy. Made during Disney's less 'talked about' era (the void between Disney's untimely death and the song stylings of Elton John), the film is still a delight for adults and children. At least, I like it, but critics and animation...
Clever Cartoon Version of a Classic Tale
There have been dozens of movies and television shows that capitalize on the legend of Robin Hood. This version is clever and funny, and the music of country music legend Roger Miller makes this movie one for everyone to watch.

Everyone knows the tale of Robin Hood. Forced to be an outlaw, though always loyal to King Richard, Robin Hood fought against the usurper Prince John. Robin Hood sheltered and protected poor people and redistributed wealth from the rich to the needy poor. Robin Hood performed these deeds from his base in Sherwood Forest.

Though we have seen this movie with many different great actors, this version has excellent comedy and very good animation. Robin Hood is appropriately swashbuckling and handsome, and Maid Marian is beautiful; both characters are drawn as foxes. In fact, all the characters in this movie are animals, as Alan-A-Dale points out at the beginning of the movie.

This film has its share of great actors. Englishman Brian...
A Good Transfer of a Good Film
Firstly, those who have complained about the aspect ratio are partially correct. This film was drawn in 4:3 BUT it was shown in widescreen when it was exhibited to the public upon its initial release. While it is true that some of the material is missing primarily from the top of the cell, the film was drawn so that that area could be missed. I must give credit to Disney for delving into their own history and discovering how each film was exhibited. Take a look at the recent reissue of The Fox and the Hound to prove this point. They could have cropped that film into widescreen but did not because it was shown in 4:3 originally.

As to the transfer, it is quite good and much improved over the Gold Collection release. The colors are crisper and there are less artifacts that can be seen.

I must admit that I enjoy Disney's Robin Hood quite a bit. It's not the best film in the Disney stable but it is enjoyable and has its charms. Roger Miller's music adds a...
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Despicable Me 2 (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet)

A greatly succesful sequel with even more hilarity, despicability, girl power and minions - and agent Lucy Wilde...
I loved this movie and both my daughters loved it even more. It is AS GOOD as the first part, therefore this review follows the main lines of my review of the first "Despicable me". This review contains very limited SPOILERS.

1. Hilarity - Exactly as the first film, this sequel is HILARIOUS! There is hardly any 15 seconds in this movie that would not contain a really good gag, children or/and adult oriented. Whoever wrote the scenario was a genius!

2. Despicability - in this film Gru is a little bit different from what he was in the first part. He is no more so grumpy, mean, petty and permanently aggravated - he certainly smiles more and all his attitude softened. He remains however exactly as insecure as in the first film. That being said, there are moments in this film when the old Gru resurfaces, when his heart is broken or when somebody REALLY upsets him. His geriatric sidekick and only friend (well, kind of) doctor Nefario didn't take all this change easily...
Minions Rule!
My name is Norma and I'm a Minion junkie.

In Despicable Me, they were the bickering followers of supervillain Gru (voiced by the always funny Steve Carell), who adopted three little girls as part of one of his evil plots. In Despicable Me 2, Gru, now a devoted dad, has reformed and is attempting to start a legitimate business. He's turned his lab into a high-tech kitchen for making jellies and jams. Too bad nobody, including the Minions, likes the stuff they're making. His longtime sidekick, Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand), grows restless--as restless as a hard-of-hearing geezer mad scientist can possibly be--and decides to leave Gru's lab and go back to evildoing with another supervillain. Gru reluctantly says goodbye to his soon-to-be-former accomplice and the Minions give Nefario a twenty-one fart gun salute (yep,I said fart gun--it wasn't a typo).

When the Minions start to disappear, Gru doesn't notice--at first. He's busy deflecting the matchmaking attempts of...
Surprised and Delighted
Actually, this review is of the theatrical performance of DESPICABLE ME 2. We hadn't planned on seeing it this weekend but we were running early at the multiplex and the next showing of MONSTERS U was full. Neither of us had seen D.M. 2's predecessor but it didn't matter once we caught onto the fact that the Minions are kind of like Gremlins or Ewoks except they have very little hair, there are tons of them, some have only one eye, and all of them love to go into costume. The plot has superspy overtones, as the formerly despicable main character Gru (voice of Steve Carrell) is shanghai'd by the international Anti-Villain League to find out who is about to enslave the world (the likely culprits have been winnowed down to the proprietors of the stores at the local shopping mall). Lucy, a way over-the-top near-novice girl spy (Kristen Wiig) joins our hero and at the beginning there is no love lost between them . . . but things develop. So what you have is basically a...
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Spartacus: War of the Damned - The Complete Third Season [Blu-ray]

The final season, and possibly the best
(Updated 4/12/13, 9/4/13)

The Spartacus saga on Starz has given us some of the most powerful and dramatic television of the past decade, and this final season may just be the best of the lot. Spartacus: War of the Damned picks up maybe a year after the stunning finale of Spartacus: Vengeance. Having taken his revenge against the Roman patricians that enslaved him and killed his wife and friends, Spartacus leads what is now an army of liberated slaves in all-out war against the Republic. He struggles with both the cunning Imperator leading the Romans against him and the growing tensions within his own army, mowing down legions and cities while gathering strength for what may become an epic battle for Rome itself.

With this conclusion of the Spartacus series, Stephen DeKnight and company have achieved something quite rare in television, or anywhere else for that matter: an epic story simultaneously offering compelling plot, characters, action and drama, while...
Wonderful Tribute to Spartacus and human freedom
Along with the Walking Dead, this was my favorite series. As much as I loved Andy Whitfield (God bless him and his family), I must say Liam McIntyre was equally outstanding and perhaps even more. It is a bit like comparing your favorite James Bond -- Sean Connery or Roger Moore. All are outstanding and render their own interpretations. I am a PhD in European Military History and approve of this series in the way that they rendered history. We all could have small quibbles about this and that, that the Romans always threw pila (special spears) before closing, that Onamaeus was really a Gaul, not a black man...but what a character he was anyway. The cause of liberty should embrace all human kind and the scriptwriters were courageous and inclusive in making this point. Crixus and Gannicus did exist, the former as a Gaul and the latter as a Celt. Since nothing more is known about them, the scriptwriters were open to their interpretations. Of the three primary accounts about Spartacus, two...
I Am SPARTACUS!
First, for those that may not have ever seen Spartacus on Starz and are looking to get into the series via DVD or Instant Video based on its popularity, Spartacus: War of the Damned is season 3 of the show but technically the fourth season. After the excellent 2010 5-star season premier under the title Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Andy Whitfield who played the lead role of Spartacus tragically died of cancer. Whitfield embodied Spartacus; he was a believable, imposing, rough, tough character that made viewers feel like they were watching the real guy from circa 70 BC. His untimely illness left the studio scrambling to decide how to or if the series would continue. Ultimately the studio decided to produce a prequel that ideally would give Whitfield time to recover after treatment, but sadly Whitfield relapsed and passed shortly after production of the prequel.

The prequel was called Gods of the Arena and it was excellent. But there was something missing from Gods that made...
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