Friday, July 23, 2010

Buy Iron Man 2 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

Product Description

Get the ultimate Iron Man 2 experience with this special edition loaded with bonus features that take you inside the suit, plus a digital copy of the film that you can watch anywhere, anytime! Now that Tony Stark’s superhero secret is revealed to the world, he must once again suit up in order to face his most dangerous enemy yet – but not without a few new allies of his own!

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #1 in DVD
  • Released on: 2010-09-28
  • Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
  • Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
  • Number of discs: 3
  • Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
  • Original language: English
  • Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
  • Dubbed in: French, Spanish
  • Running time: 124 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
After the high-flying adventures of the first Iron Man picture, the billionaire arms manufacturer and irrepressible bon vivant Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) finds himself nursing a hangover. But not like any hangover he's had before: this one is toxic, a potentially deadly condition resulting from heavy metals (or something) bleeding out of the hardware he's installed in the middle of his chest. This is the problem Stark needs to solve in Iron Man 2, not to mention the threat from resentful Russian science whiz Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), whose father helped create the Iron Man technology. There's an even bigger problem for the film: the need to set up a future Marvel Comics movie universe in which a variety of veteran characters will join forces, a requirement that slows down whatever through-line the movie can generate (although fanboys will have a good time digging the clues laid out here). Actually, the main plot is no great shakes: another Iron Man suit is deployed (Don Cheadle, replacing Terrence Howard from the first film, gets to climb inside), Stark continues to bicker with assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and a weaselly business rival (Sam Rockwell) tries to out-do the Iron Man suit with an army of Vanko-designed drones. Mickey Rourke is a letdown, burdened by a wobbly Russian accent and looking skeptical about the genre foolishness around him, and Scarlett Johansson has to wait until the final couple of reels to unleash some butt-kickin' skills as the future Black Widow. That climax is sufficiently lively, and the initial half-hour, including Stark's smirky appearance before a Senate committee and a wacky showdown at the Monaco Grand Prix, provides a strong, swift opening. But the lull between these high points is crying for more action and more Downey improv. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

An Awesome Superhero Film!!!4
I thought this movie was awesome and just as good as the original. It's filled to the brim with action, explosions, suspense, and comedy. The film takes place six months after the original, and Tony Stark is loving the fame and publicity he's made with Iron Man. Tony is slowly being poisoned by the palladium in his arc reactor, until he can find a replacement. He soon develops a drinking problem. During a race at Monaco, Tony is attacked by Ivan Vanko/Whiplash. Whiplash teams up with a weapons manufacturer to perfect a line of armored combat units that will upstage Tony. The units begin to attack, which are remote-controlled by Whiplash. Iron Man must team up with War Machine in order to save the day. I highly recommend IRON MAN 2!!!
Worth a watch, but underperforms.4
The first Iron Man film still stands as the best pure superhero movie in my mind. It was like a perfect storm of awesome visuals, great cast, new and old takes on various aspects of the source material, and popcorn fun. Every single aspect of that film just struck me as exactly right. Was I looking forward to the sequel? Don't ask stupid questions. So how does the sequel fare? Read the review title, genius. Alright, I'm sorry. I'm in a bit of a bad mood because I expected much more than I got. But here's the thing: I actually loved Iron Man 2 on some levels. But I have to face the fact that this movie was only saved by probably the most phenomenal cast I've ever seen onscreen. A well put-together film does not rely entirely on the performances of the cast, but is merely enhanced by them. Aside from the witty dialogue, too much of this production simply did not click. World peace? From one dude in a suit? How? Why? Let's see a movie about that! The likes of Celestial Being and Captain Nemo couldn't do it and their stories are pretty involved. How'd this happen? You expect the audience to buy that the world laid down their arms in response to the appearance of one superhero? Garbage. There is shockingly little action for a sequel to the brilliant origin story of the first film. The sequel's primary draw is the comedy. Most of it is excellent, but some of it is flat-out cheesy because they simply put too much of it out there. Did anybody want to see Tony Stark stumbling drunkenly around in full armor at his birthday party? Did we really want to wait until the final act to see a serious action set piece? Is it too much to ask that Rhodey have a better part to play and his relationship with Tony re-established along the way considering there's a new actor in the role? And for the love of God, I do not EVER want to see Bill O'Reilly's mug on the big screen ever again. Favreau, I'm putting you on notice. You made me throw up in my mouth a little with that one.

The whole production of Iron Man 2 felt unpolished and thrown-together. It BARELY squeaks by as a worthy follow-up because it still kicks the snot out of Spider-Man 3. Okay, I've ranted and raged about what's wrong with Iron Man 2. What's right? The cast, the cast, THE CAST! Robert Downey Jr is still brilliant as expected. Gwyneth Paltrow's endearingly flustered Pepper Potts is still strong as expected. So what else is new, right? Well, Mickey Rourke. Wow. I was not expecting that amount of coolness from the villain in this one. Rourke plays Ivan Vanko (aka Whiplash) like a Russian Danny Trejo. Covered in tats and scars, grinning sardonically, toothpick hanging out of his mouth, killer accent, and laid back as hell. This man just great to watch. He seems to have popped right out of a Tarantino flick. His benefactor is the compulsively-punchable Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), a professional rival of Tony Stark and one cheesy bastard. The guy's mannerisms are so naturally geeky I almost want to cheer for him. But he's such a corny d-bag, I'd rather see him get kicked in the nuts. Either way, a fun little punching bag for the proceedings. I wanted a bigger role for the unnaturally beautiful Scarlett Johansson, but her Black Widow is primarily relegated to eye candy until the final act. Thankfully, I've never seen a more gorgeous character onscreen so the role works on that level. But would it have killed her to put on a hot accent? Natasha Romanov should have a Russian accent as a general rule. Does Samuel L Jackson need an introduction as Nick Fury (psst...he's really just playing himself as usual). All of this goodness kind of leaves Don Cheadle the odd man out, but it's alright. With all the impressive performances onboard there was no way for James Rhodes to stand out from this cast. That is, until he finally gets to rock The War Machine to the utmost. This takes too long to happen. Stupid, crappy pacing.

Is that the longest I've ever raved about a cast? I think it is. Well, when we finally get the big action throwdown we've been waiting for it's awesome, but it's over fast. I guess they didn't want to pay ILM any overtime. Boo. But the dialogue and the actors are so strong that these things are surprisingly easy to overlook. I seriously wonder how much of that stuff was improvised because it just seems so completely natural it's hard to believe it was written and performed. That is the highest praise, really. The soundtrack drops plenty of Clash on you along with some James Brown, Queen, Tupac, and of course AC/DC. One could do worse. Not in love with the end credits though. Oh, and if thee hath plans on leaving before the credits are through, I say thee nay! Marvel's got something for you. Seeds are sewn for the upcoming Avengers film along the way including a special part for a certain star-spangled deflection device that the frame-by-framers spotted in the background of the first film. Well played, Mr. Faveau. Well played. The thin story may have been better if it had focused more on Stark working with SHIELD as an anti-terrorism agent and utilized Black Widow as more of a double agent whose allegiance is in doubt. Would have been much more Marvel, much less Hollywood, more action-packed, and even potentially socially relevant. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Iron Man 2 clearly fails to live up to the credentials of it's flawless predecessor. In fact, it's almost like a really lengthy and really cool commercial for Marvel's next projects. I expected much, much better from the man who made my favorite superhero movie ever but what I got was better than acceptable all things considered. I didn't leave the theater angry and aside from being assaulted by a raving FOX News lunatic bad-mouthing Miss Potts, nothing about this sequel really made me want to rip the director a new one. If you weren't thrilled by the first film, I wouldn't rush out to by this blind; and to the rest, keep your expectations in check and you should emerge relatively unscathed if not impressed.

3 1/2 stars, rounded up for visions of Scarlett dancing in my head. [Read More Review....]


















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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Product Description

In the second chapter of Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling Twilight series, the romance between mortal Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) grows more intense as ancient secrets threaten to destroy them. When Edward leaves in an effort to keep Bella safe, she tests fate in increasingly reckless ways in order to glimpse her love once more. But when she’s saved from the brink by her friend, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), Bella will uncover mysteries of the supernatural world that will put her in more peril than ever before.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #18 in DVD
  • Brand: UNI DIST CORP. (SUMMIT)
  • Released on: 2010-03-20
  • Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
  • Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
  • Number of discs: 2
  • Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
  • Original language: English
  • Subtitled in: English, Spanish
  • Running time: 130 minutes

Editorial Reviews


Amazon.com 
New Moon, the second in Stephenie Meyer's blockbuster teen-fiction saga adapted for film, is stronger than its predecessor, Twilight. Director Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass), taking the helm from Catherine Hardwicke, brings a lighter, more assured touch to the sequel, which continues the star-crossed love story of mortal Bella (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson). Incidentally, Edward is absent for most of the film; after an accident on Bella's birthday reminds Edward that her life is always at risk when he's around, he chooses to abandon her, sending her into a deep depression. The only person who helps her heal her broken heart is her friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner), a member of the Quileute tribe who, as he grows taller, beefier, and more aggressive (with less clothing), comes to realize he's not entirely human either. But even his love for Bella doesn't prevent her from throwing herself in the path of danger, because that's the only time she can see visions of Edward. One such fateful misunderstanding sends Edward into the coven of the Volturi (a sort of vampire Mafia, if you will), where the most dangerous vampires hold both Edward and Bella's fate in their cold, dark hands. Much of New Moon rests on the shoulders of Lautner, so scrawny in Twilight, who famously packed on the muscle to avoid getting recast. He's very nearly successful in carrying the load, but the cheese-tastic beefcake scenes disservice him, and Jacob and Bella's complicated friendship stumbles on its way to any kind of love triangle. Some of that blame lies with Stewart, who understandably holds her emotions close to her chest but reveals much too little (c'mon, even an angsty girl has to be a little joyful in the arms of two different hunks). As is with the book, the film is just a bridge between sagas, so the plot drags and not a lot happens. Fortunately, while Twilight was trapped in its own self-consciousness, the wobbly-legged cast seems to have found stronger footing in New Moon; the jokes come faster, the writing (by Melissa Rosenberg, who also scribed Twilight) is a hair wittier. (Even Pattinson seems more comfortable in Edward's skin.) The Volturi, highlighted by Michael Sheen's Aro and Dakota Fanning's Jane, also make an all-too-brief impression, but at least there's more to look forward to when Eclipse, the third installment, is released. --Ellen A. Kim



































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Monday, July 19, 2010

Avatar The Last Airbender - The Complete Book 2 Collection


Product Description

Avatar: The Complete Book 2 DVD Collection includes 20 action packed episodes from Book 2: Earth, plus an exclusive never-before-seen bonus disc! This 5 disc set centers around Avatar Aang and his continious quest to master the four elements. Together with Katara, Sokka, Momo and Appa, he journeys across the Earth Kingdom in search of an Earthbending mentor while staying one step ahead of Prince Zuko and fighting off the treachorous, Princess Azula, of the Fire Nation, who will stop at nothing to defeat the Avatar!

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #10 in DVD
  • Brand: PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO
  • Released on: 2007-09-11
  • Rating: Unrated
  • Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 5
  • Formats: Animated, Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
  • Original language: English, French, Spanish
  • Dimensions: .85 pounds
  • Running time: 492 minutes

Features

  • All 20 chapters from Book 2: Earth on 5 discs
  • Interview with Creators and M. Night Shyamalan
  • "The Essence of Bending" with Bryan Konietzko and Sifu Kisu
  • Avatar Super Deformed Shorts
  • "Escape From the Spirit World" Animated Graphic Novel

Editorial Reviews


Amazon.com 

Book 2: Earth, Vol. 1 Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 2 Earth, Volume 1 finds Aang, the Avatar and potential reconciler of a world divided into air, earth, water, and fire kingdoms, now a master Waterbender. That means he and companions Katara and Sokka can now leave the Northern Water Tribe and concentrate on mastering earth. New adventures and dangers await the heroic trio in the five episodes included on this DVD, which finds Aang experiencing nightmares about the power of the Avatar State. He also meets an earth kingdom general with plans for attacking the warrior tribes of the fire nation, gets trapped with possible love interest Katara in the Cave of Two Lovers, and gets pulled into a supernatural swamp by a tornado. As always, Avatar is above average as an engaging anime tale, with a wonderfully original storyline and striking artistry. --Tom Keogh

Book 2: Earth, Vol. 2 The five chapters in Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 2 Earth, Volume 2 continue the story of young avatar Aang's adventures deep within the Earth Kingdom. As usual, each episode is a seamless blend of grave drama and comic relief, but the stakes seem higher than ever with the addition of a new member to Aang's team. Joining Katara and Sokka is Toph, a blind but powerful earthbending girl trying to obscure her aristocratic origins by defeating large, scary men in the ring. Aang recognizes Toph from his vision of an earthbending teacher, whom he needs to help him master control over the earth element. Toph also adds a kind of sardonic, tart tone to Aang's journey, ultimately leaving her world to join the series’ trio of young heroes. "The Blind Bandit" finds Aang, Katara, and Sokka working hard at convincing Toph to help their mission. "Zuko Alone" carries on the tale of the firebending prince who now travels alone and anonymously, but comes close to befriending a boy in an Earth Kingdom town. (The episode is full of interesting flashbacks from Zuko’s youth.) "The Chase" also concerns Zuko’s past, but is primarily about Aang, Katara, and Sokka adjusting to Toph’s somewhat self-centered presence on the team at the same time Princess Azula is relentlessly hunting them all down in a kind of speeding tank. "Bitter Work" finds Toph having difficulties training Aang, while "The Library" is an exotic episode about a professor who leads the crew to a library containing information useful against the Fire Nation. When they get there, they find the place guarded by the owl-like Wan Shi Tong, who begins sinking the library in defense against the perceived invaders. --Tom Keogh
Book 2: Earth, Vol. 3 Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 2 Earth, Volume 3 covers chapters 11 through 15 in the ongoing saga of Aang, the 12-year-old reincarnation of an avatar destined to reunite the warring nations of fire, earth, water, and air. Still traveling with his friends Katara, Sokka, and newcomer Toph, Aang gets into some of the strangest and most compelling situations yet seen on his journey to master control over all four elements. The first story, "The Desert," finds Aang so upset over the abduction and criminal sale of his flying bison, Appa, that the powerful boy shows a streak of rage, demonstrating to himself that he could easily use his emerging skills to harm enemies if he wished. Still, Appa remains missing through this volume, leading the gang on a mission to survive a desert sojourn and survive during a perilous flight (with a young family in tow) over a pass through mountains and ocean in "The Serpent’s Pass." They also get involved in a bizarre fight (in "The Drill") against the Fire Nation army and its gigantic drill, which is aimed at the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, a city occupied by earth people. Once inside Ba Sing Se, however, things get really weird: smiling officials (in "City of Walls and Secrets") outlaw any discussion of the war outside in order to keep the population placid and the economy rolling. Finally, "Tales of Ba Sing Se" is an original piece made up of individual vignettes focusing on each of the major characters. If there is anything surprising about Book 2 Earth, Volume 3, it’s the amount of romance (kissing, even!) in the air. These Avatar boys and girls are growing up. --Tom Keogh
Book 2: Earth, Vol. 4 The long journey of young Avatar Aang and his friends Katara, Sokka, and Toph continues in this dramatic installment in the Avatar the Last Airbenderseries. Picking up from Volume 3, the first chapter on this disc, "Appa’s Lost Days," traces the hard times of Aang’s winged bison, Appa, after the latter is stolen in order to blackmail Aang into not going to the Earth King with information about a pending coup. The clever Aang manages to find Appa anyway and complete his crucial mission, though he learns, in "The Earth King," that the sheltered monarch doesn’t buy the notion that his own counsel, the power-grasping Long Feng, could be behind such a conspiracy. Complicating matters is the arrival of Princess Azula to take control over forces loyal to Long Feng, while Zuko, the reformed Fire Nation prince now acting as a humble but happier servant to his wise, tea-drinking uncle, is powerless to stop her. (On the other hand, Zuko forms an unexpected bond with one of Aang’s allies.) Everything comes to a head in "The Crossroads of Destiny," in which Aang, suddenly confused by the sage advice of a guru who tells him he must free himself of a crucial emotional attachment, joins the others in an uphill effort to stop Azula from overtaking the Earth King. As engaging and frequently funny as every other volume in the Avatar series, Volume Four is a great ride through a climactic time in the long-running story. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews


Amazing show5 
I am in my late 20s, and I have to say this is one of the best cartoons I have ever seen. I happened to watch it one day while flipping channels and was hooked. I have gotten a TON of my friends hooked on it as well, and the dvds for season one have been changing hands all the time. 
Regarding the show itself: The animation is well done, often with beautiful scenes and accompanied by simple and beautiful music. The characters have depth and complexity rarely seen in cartoons. 
Regarding Season Two: This season is excellent. A great new character is introduced (though actually many great characters are introduced in Season two). The finale, like that of seasons one's, was exciting, fast paced, and EXTREMELY well done. The creators put a lot into the finales and it shows. The season finales have an epic feel to them, and often feature some sort of homage to Hiyao Miyazake, the creator of some of the best animated movies. On a sad note, the talented Mako, who voiced Uncle Iroh in season 1 and 2, passed away. His character is my favorite on this show, and I hope they find someone for season three that can fill his big shoes. 
I love this show and I know myself and many others are eagerly waiting for the premiere of season three. You come to care for these chracters and waiting to find out what happens is difficult. Basically, this show can be enjoyed on a lot of different levels, by a variety of people and ages.


















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Saturday, July 17, 2010

The Bounty Hunter

Product Description

A BOUNTY HUNTER LEARNS THAT HIS NEXT TARGET IS HIS EX-WIFE, A REPORTER WORKING ON A MURDER COVER-UP. SOON AFTER THEIR REUNION, THE ALWAYS-AT-ODDS DUO FIND THEMSELVES ON A RUN-FOR-THEIR-LIVES ADVENTURE.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #6 in DVD
  • Brand: SONY PICTURES HOME ENT
  • Released on: 2010-07-13
  • Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
  • Running time: 110 minutes

Editorial Reviews


Amazon.com 
In the bouncy romantic comedy The Bounty Hunter, Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler aim to be a contemporary Nick and Nora for an audience that's never even heard of The Thin Man. Ex-cop-turned-bounty hunter Milo Boyd (Butler, 300) is ecstatic when he gets his new assignment: his ex-wife, reporter Nicole Hurley (Aniston), has skipped bail to pursue a breaking story. Naturally, when he catches her, he also gets caught up in the mystery--though the mystery is really just an excuse for quirky comic bickering between the estranged lovebirds. Refreshingly, the script has the kind of off-beat rhythms and flavors of comedy-action flicks like Midnight RunOut of Sight, andSomething Wild, and the supporting cast (featuring Christine Baranski, Mamma Mia!; Peter Greene, Pulp Fiction; Jeff Garlin, Curb Your Enthusiasm; Siobhan Fallon,Saturday Night Live; Cathy Moriarty, Raging Bull; and beloved character actress Carol Kane) is a colorful collection of great faces and pungent personalities. It's unfortunate that the leads are a tad bland; Aniston and Butler aren't bad, but they don't have the snap, crackle, and pop that the movie craves. Nonetheless, The Bounty Hunter rises above the average Hollywood rom-com. --Bret Fetzer 



Customer Reviews


Comedy & Criminals3 
Very entertaining, very enjoyable, I would say this was a strong 3 star. Gerard Butler (Milo) is a former NYPD cop, who left the job to become a Bounty Hunter. Jennifer Anniston (Nicole) is a newspaper reporter who is currently on $50,000 bail for assaulting a mounted police officer, or his horse. And BTW, they were married about 3 years ago, and divorced after about 9 months. While the movie begins in NYC and is tied to NY, much of the movie takes place on the Atlantic City Boardwalk and around the casinos. 

Nicole is investigating a story about a suicide that sounds fishy. She arrives at court with 4 minutes to spare. When she gets a call from a snitch, she stupidly runs off instead of going to court. The judge orders a bench warrant for her and she becomes a fugitive. The bail bondsman offers Milo $5,000 to go get her. Because there is plenty of leftover passionate anger between the couple, Milo is only too happy to go after her--besides, he needs the money. His $11,000 gambling debt is overdue and, well, they break your legs for stuff like that. 

Meanwhile, the bad guys don't like Nicole investigating the so-called suicide, so they come after her. Through Milo chasing Nicole and the bad guys chasing both of them, there is also a wanna-be love interest following Nicole because she made out with him one night while she was blitzed at a party. 

I like both these actors and it was good to see them do a movie together. It's a wild and crazy story. It's cute and funny, and yes, I would watch it again. 



Three for the movie, four for Jennifer Anston but BAD GIRL!4 
I only got this movie because it featured Jennifer Aniston, and I am so annoyed at how crummy the movie is that I almost made it a three. News flash for Jennifer Anston: you're a brand now, do NOT sign up for low-rent plots. 

This was so annoying I ended up flipping NEXT on the controller several times, it is just not the high quality film one would expect with Jennifer Aniston who is all grown up and no longer should be playing the fool. 

Movies featuring her that I have really liked very much: 
Rumor Has It... (Widescreen Edition) 
Along Came Polly (Widescreen Edition) 

Shees. Going through 36 sheets of links I am reminded of how many second-rate movies she has been in since starring in friends. Perhaps its time she changed agents and went totally up-scale. Please, no more stupid movies.


The Bounty Hunter5 
The movie moved along quickly with humor and held my attenton. I thought the chemistry between Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston added to the fun of the movie. I don't remember seeing Jennifer doing action scenes as she did in this movie. Gerry always delivers his roles and did a great job as Milo. I'd go see it again in a heartbeat.



















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Thursday, July 15, 2010

Samurai Champloo: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]

Product Description

For the first time ever, the buck wild samurais of the Champloo crew are carving up the competition on Blu-ray…catch the action now before the game passes you by.

Let’s break it down. Mugen’s a reckless sword-slinger with a style that’s more b-boy than Shaolin. He’s got a nasty streak that makes people want to stick a knife in his throat. Then there’s Jin, a deadbeat ronin who speaks softly but carries a big blade. He runs game old-school style, but he can make your blood spray with the quickness. When these roughnecks bring the ruckus, it ain’t good for anybody, especially them. Enter Fuu, the dizzy waitress who springs her new friends from a deadly jam. All she wants in return is help solving a riddle from her past. She and the boys are tracking the scent, but there’s ninety-nine ways to die between them and the sunflower samurai.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #263 in DVD
  • Brand: Funimation
  • Released on: 2009-12-15
  • Rating: Unrated
  • Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
  • Number of discs: 3
  • Formats: Animated, Color, NTSC, Widescreen, Subtitled
  • Original language: Japanese, English
  • Subtitled in: English
  • Running time: 650 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Shinichiro Watanabe's film noir-ish sci-fi adventure Cowboy Bebop set a new standard for cool in anime in 1998, and Samurai Champloo, an edgy mix of Edo-era martial arts and hip-hop irreverence, is a worthy follow-up. A string of coincidences brings together three misfits in a two-bit tea house: Mugen, a rebellious vagabond; Jin, a taciturn ronin; and Fuu, a nutty waitress. The sardonic Mugen lacks the polish that distinguishes a classic martial artist--he uses break dance spins and flips against his foes. Jin moves with a polish that approaches iciness: When he unsheathes his sword, he becomes a lethal work of art in motion. Fuu forces Jin and Mugen to help her find a mysterious samurai "who smells of sun flowers." As the ill-assorted trio wanders towards Nagasaki, Watanabe treats the audiences to a string of outrageous, anachronistic adventures. In Episode 18, Mugen belatedly learns to read at a smackdown elementary school, while Jin tries to settle the rivalry between the heirs to the dojo of his former sensei. The seemingly unrelated storylines collide in a no-holds-barred graffiti contest featuring Tokugawa rap lyrics, ink-brush tagging, Hiroshima homeboys, and a caricature of Andy Warhol. But Watanabe reveals the hidden significance of these nutty interludes when he brings his picaresque adventure-comedy to a close. Like Cowboy Bebop,Samurai Champloo leaves the viewer wanting more. (Rated 16 and older: violence, violence against women, profanity, brief nudity, sexual situations, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

DVD or Blu-ray?5
This show has been reviewed in detailed lots of times so if you want a review of the content then you should look at the various reviews for the dvd version as the content of the 26 episodes is in fact the same. I'll concentrate on the blu-ray vs. dvd debate that is brewing up.

Now, I've been told that this show will never actually be in true hd because of the various CG(computer graphic) elements that were done in SD. In order for us to see this show in true hd they would have to go back and redo all of the CG elements that were originally done in SD. A lot of earlier shows have this problem, such as Cowboy Bebop which when this comes out in blu-ray will probably be an upscale as well. Thus, this is probably the best we will ever get. Older animation that was hand drawn was done completely on film which in fact has an infinite resolution. Computer graphics are limited to the actual resolution at which they were created at, but they can be upscaled such as in this tv show. Since this was a tv show that aired on SD originally, the computer graphics were done in SD, hence the need to redo the CG for a true HD resolution.

I've seen pictures from an upscaled DVD and from this Blu-ray and overall the Blu-ray looks better in my opinion. If you look carefully at still shots you will notice that the dnr filter used removes some of the detail in the picture. So looking closely, the DVD has just a tad more detail in certain parts. You have to remember though, that the animation style does not have a ton of detail to begin with so you will have to look really hard to see the difference in detail. The ONLY time I could really tell that the DVD had more detail was on scenes were there were large pieces of wood paneling. On the DVD you see that there is more detail on the wood where the blu-ray version slightly blurs this out because of the dnr filter used. Again, in the still shots I saw, I could only tell on the wood paneling of certain scenes. On the characters, backgrounds, etc. I could tell no difference in detail.

A lot of people REALLY miss the benefit of blu-ray in these instances though. DVD's are much more compressed than Blu-ray's in both picture and sound. That is one of the reasons why the DVD version has colors that are not as vibrant and a picture that has a lot more noise and macroblocking. So while the DVD has just a smidge more detail in certain parts, this is negated by the fact that the DVD version is highly compressed, introducing artifacts into the picture and in the process giving you a picture that is not as good as it could be.

Overall, in my opinion, this makes the much higher bitrate sound and picture in blu-ray the winner. We can complain that the show isn't in true HD, but we have to remember that unless they redo the CG parts, it probably never will be in true HD. People can cling to their DVD's and say they are the best, but they will miss the fact that the higher bitrate of blu-ray in both picture and sound give a better overall experience.

The difference between the DVD and Blu-ray isn't night and day but it is definitely noticeable. If you have neither, then the blu-ray version is the one to pick up, but if you have the DVD set already then this isn't worth picking up unless Samurai Champloo is one of your all-time great favorites, or you just have money to burn.


















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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Avatar - The Last Airbender: The Complete Book 3 Collection

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #8 in DVD
  • Brand: PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO
  • Released on: 2008-09-16
  • Rating: Unrated
  • Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 5
  • Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
  • Original language: English
  • Running time: 519 minutes

Features

  • Inside Sozin's Comet: Exclusive Four-Part Audio Commentary by Creators
  • The Women of Avatar: The Last Airbender
  • Book 3 Finale Pencil Test Animation
  • Into the Fire Nation at San Diego Comic-Con

Editorial Reviews


Amazon.com 

Book 3: Fire, Vol. 1 Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 3, Volume 1 is a slightly unusual suite of episodes in the Avatar canon, as the majority of programs are even more comical than usual. Not that the five shows included on this disc lack seriousness: the long-running series now finds young Aang (the once and future avatar destined to reunite the world’s four estranged nations) and his traveling companions behind enemy lines in the Fire Nation, disguised as colonists. In "Awakening," Aang arises--with a surprising headful of dark hair--from several weeks of unconsciousness (due to the injuries he sustained during a battle for Ba Sing Se) aboard a captured Fire Nation warship. Though he finds old friends Sokka, Toph, and Katara nearby, all urging him not to take matters in his own hands, Aang ultimately feels compelled to go head-to-head with the Fire Lord before he is ready. The result forces Aang and the others to remain incognito, setting up subsequent episodes in which the heroes are forced to lay low and find something else to do with their time besides fight adversaries. In "The Headband," Aang enrolls in a Fire Nation school, where his eyes are opened to such ordinary experiences as dealing with a campus bully and getting a hard time from strict teachers. In "The Painted Lady," Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph visit an impoverished fishing village and have to repress their typical instinct to help lest they be recognized as outsiders. (An alternative is found.) "Sokka’s Master," in some ways the most enjoyable episode here, finds Sokka feeling useless because he doesn’t possess powers similar to his mates. His solution: talk a master swordsman into taking him on as an apprentice. Finally, the most unexpected story in this collection is "The Beach," in which Prince Zuko, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee--all of whom are back in the Fire Nation, too--take an awkward holiday but end up learning a lot about one another.

Meanwhile, Zuko--following his extended banishment from the Fire Nation--discovers that his father welcoming again, but only because his manipulative sister, Princess Azula, has falsely told everyone that Zuko killed Aang. Fearing that his father will disown him again, Zuko chooses not to tell the truth and works on having Aang quietly assassinated. Where Zuko had been more of a complete human being during his exile, he’s back to being a monster again, going so far as to keep his dutiful uncle, Iroh, in a dark, dank prison. --Tom Keogh
Book 3: Fire, Vol. 2 Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 3--Fire, Volume 2 finds the series closing in on a long-awaited day of reckoning with the fire nation. The five episodes on this disc continue those chapters on Volume 1 in which Aang--the young avatar--and his companions Katara, Toph, and Sokka live undercover in the fire nation, awaiting the moment when an alliance of warriors from the air, water, and earth nations converge to overtake the conquering firebenders once and for all. On Volume 2, the path to the day of battle, in typical Avatar fashion, is full of misadventures and intrigue, but also sundry revelations that make the pending series climax that much more interesting. "The Avatar and the Firelord" is the backstory of how the fire nation leader came to be a brutal tyrant in the world. Turns out he was the best friend of none other than the previous avatar; the souring of their relationship led to the troubles young Aang is trying to resolve. (While Aang is finding all this out, the fire nation’s Prince Zuko discovers his ancestry is more complicated than he’d imagined, and that he has more of a role to play in ending the war waged by his people.) "The Runaway" is a comedy about mischievous Toph getting into trouble for using her earthbending powers to win bets and make a lot of money. "The Puppetmaster" is a scary story featuring a waterbending old woman who initially enchants Katara, but then later is revealed to be a vengeful monster with terrifying abilities to control people’s bodies. "Nightmares and Daydreams" concerns an anxious Aang unable to sleep and stop hallucinating prior to the coming battle, while part one of "The Day of Black Sun" sees the beginning of the allies’ invasion of the fire nation. Lots of surprises in this last episode, with a cliffhanger ending that makes the next volume of Avatar most desirable. --Tom Keogh
Book 3: Fire, Vol. 3 At the beginning of Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 3 Fire, Vol. 3, things don't go quite the way one would have hoped at the end of Vol. 2. Aang--the young avatar--and his companions Katara, Toph, and Sokka were part of a major assault on the tyrannical fire nation, and hopes of victory were high. In "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse," however, circumstances reverse the heroes' fortunes, forcing Aang, his friends and the very youngest warriors to flee the battle. As they regroup at the Western Air Temple, mourning the expected imprisonment of the adults left behind, Aang comes face to face with an unexpected, would-be ally: Zuko, prince of the fire nation. Sokka and Katara refuse to accept Zuko's guarantee that he is truly on their side (they've been through this before), but Toph and Aang are a little more receptive to the idea. Good thing. In "The Firebending Masters," Aang accepts that Zuko could be the firebending mentor he needs to show him how to conquer the most elusive of the four elements. But it isn't easy: Zuko loses his power and must retreat to a fire nation temple, where he can learn the origins of his native gift. The set of five stories on this disc concludes with the two-part "The Boiling Rock," in which Sokka and Zuko infiltrate a fire nation maximum security prison in hopes of freeing Sokka's father. Trying hard to stay clandestine, Zuko's identity is revealed anyway, jeopardizing not only the mission but Zuko and Sokka's very freedom. The excitement is endless in the long-running Avatar series, and developments (especially Zuko's acceptance by Aang and the others) are as heartening as they are surprising. --Tom Keogh
Book 3: Fire, Vol. 4 The long-running series Avatar the Last Airbender comes to a dazzling conclusion in Book 3 Fire, Volume 4. Poised for quite a number of episodes (seen in previous volumes) to go to war against the tyrannical Fire Nation, Aang the young Avatar and his cohorts must now bring down the Fire Lord and his army, or watch them ramp up their destructive powers during an imminent solar eclipse. But there's a lingering question only Aang can answer: can the Avatar, who has never killed anyone, bring himself to take the Fire Lord's life? That is what he must do, according to Zuko, the Fire Prince who has thrown in his lot with Aang and the latter's friends.
While Aang is sorting that out--receiving various wisdoms from past Avatars and advice from a giant turtle-lion creature--Zuko and Katara take another leg of the battle by confronting Zuko's crazed sister. Meanwhile, Sokka re-asserts his latent talent for commanding dangerous missions as he and earth-bender Toph attempt to sabotage Fire Nation airships. The final episodes on this disc are thrilling, in no small part because they have been so long in arriving. Before those, however, there are a couple of interesting chapters to get through, including "The Southern Raiders," in which Katara attempts to exact revenge for the disappearance of her mother. As always, there's some comic relief, in this case "The Ember Island Players," in which our heroes experience the ignominy of watching some of their previous adventures become a ridiculous, staged play. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews


End of the Trilogy, but not the end of Avatar5 
I have to write something about this wonderful series, but I'm not going to write any spoilers, or tell you what happens. I know many of you have never watched any of the episodes, and don't want to know what happens, and those who have watched it do not care if I leave it out. 

What I can say, though, is that this is one amazing show; as an overview for those who have no idea what the storyline is, just picture a messiah-type that has to rescue the world from being enslaved by an evil empire. The messiah (avatar) is what you would view as an underdog against unspeakable odds, but with incredible potential that flashes through occasionally. You may see similarities to such works as The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter, or the Inheritance Cycle. They all have that common theme of an underdog destined or prophesied to set the captives free and defeat the evil empire. Avatar may be a little more like Star Wars than the others, as it has a definite Eastern mysticism element to it, and martial arts moves are a major portion of the action sequences. 

One of my favorite parts of every episode is the comic relief: Sokka. Sure, all of the characters have comical incidents, but Sokka is without a doubt the character intended to bear the burden of comic relief, and he carries it off well. Yet, he is also the main one with the ideas. 

With Book 3 and the entire series complete this year, I can say it progressively got better and more intense with each season. The character development is detailed and satisfying. This is one set to buy (after the other two sets, that is). It is sad that this is the last season, but there are intentions for a new Avatar series in the future, possibly with a different incarnation of the Avatar. The creators are said to have intended The Last Airbender as a three season arc, a sort of trilogy. 

You may think it is really for kids, being animated and on Nickelodeon, but my wife and I, with two small children, are into it just as much as the kids are. If you have never tried watching it, I suggest you rent it from Netflix or Blockbuster to get a sampling of the quality of the show. It is best to start at the beginning, though, because it is a story extended over three seasons, and makes more sense if you watch in order. The only show on television that gets my attention more than this is Battlestar Galactica, which is also ending soon. 

I was most pleased when I found out there will be a live action movie directed by M. Night Shyamalan based on Book 1, simply called The Last Airbender (to avoid confusion with a movie called Avatar by James Cameron coming out in 2009 - not related to the series), which should be out in July 2010. He intends to direct a trilogy based on the three seasons, separated by two years each, spending six years of his life on this storyline. That should say something about the series, as it is the first thing he has worked on that was not something he came up with himself.



















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Monday, July 12, 2010

The Shawshank Redemption (Single Disc Edition)


Product Description

A prominent banker unjustly convicted of murder spends many years in the Shawshank prison. He is befriended by a convict who knows the ropes and helps him to cope with the frightning realities of prison life.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #301 in DVD
  • Brand: CASTLE ROCK HM VIDEO
  • Released on: 2007-05-15
  • Rating: R (Restricted)
  • Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
  • Original language: English
  • Subtitled in: English, French
  • Dubbed in: French
  • Dimensions: .25 pounds
  • Running time: 142 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video
When this popular prison drama was released in 1994, some critics complained that the movie was too long (142 minutes) to sustain its story. Those complaints miss the point, because the passage of time is crucial to this story about patience, the squeaky wheels of justice, and the growth of a life-long friendship. Only when the film reaches its final, emotionally satisfying scene do you fully understand why writer-director Frank Darabont (adapting a novella by Stephen King) allows the story to unfold at its necessary pace, and the effect is dramatically rewarding. Tim Robbins plays a banker named Andy who's sent to Shawshank Prison on a murder charge, but as he gets to know a life-term prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman), we realize there's reason to believe the banker's crime was justifiable. We also realize that Andy's calm, quiet exterior hides a great reserve of patience and fortitude, and Red comes to admire this mild-mannered man who first struck him as weak and unfit for prison life. So it is that The Shawshank Redemption builds considerable impact as a prison drama that defies the conventions of the genre (violence, brutality, riots) to illustrate its theme of faith, friendship, and survival. Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor, and Screenplay, it's a remarkable film that signaled the arrival of a promising new filmmaker--a film that many movie lovers count among their all-time favorites. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.com
When this popular prison drama was released in 1994, somecritics complained that the movie was too long (142 minutes) to sustain its story. Those complaints miss the point, because the passage of time is crucial to this story about patience, the squeaky wheels of justice, and the growth of a life-long friendship. Only when the film reaches its final, emotionally satisfying scene do you fully understand why writer-director Frank Darabont (adapting a novella by Stephen King) allows the story to unfold at its necessary pace, and the effect is dramatically rewarding. Tim Robbins plays a banker named Andy who's sent to Shawshank Prison on a murder charge, where he gets to know a life-term prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman). Andy's calm, quiet exterior hides a great reserve of patience and fortitude, and Red comes to admire this mild-mannered man who first struck him as weak and unfit for prison life. So it is that The Shawshank Redemption builds considerable impact as a prison drama that defies the conventions of the genre (violence, brutality, riots) to illustrate its theme of faith, friendship, and survival. Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor, and Screenplay, it's a remarkable film that signaled the arrival of a promising new filmmaker--a film that many movie lovers count among their all-time favorites. --Jeff Shannon
Tim Robbins returns to his best form with his haunted, cunning portrayal of Andy Dufresne, a young banker sentenced to life imprisonment. It's the nineteen-forties, and he is sent to Shawshank, a dark and doomy jail where the inmates protest their innocence and the satanic warden (Bob Gunton) brandishes a Bible. Frank Darabont's movie never grabs at you, preferring to work patiently on your sympathies and nerves while finding time for casual jokes. What at first seems like a plotless tale of companionship-principally between Andy and a fixer named Red (Morgan Freeman)-tightens into excitement. There are moments of hokey togetherness, and way too much voice-over, but the picture stays on track and leaves you, appropriately enough, with a surging sense of release. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker



Customer Reviews


The Greatest Movie Not to Win an Oscar5
It has long been my contention that it is the moviemaker's task to hold the viewer's attention, not to burden him with his self-indulgent, difficult-to-follow symbolisms.
That having been said, I find it difficult to find another movie I would recommend more highly than The Shawshank Redemption. Without any high-adrenaline action sequences or steamy sex scenes (two sure-fire ways to get the vewer's attention), this film somehow has the power to make you sit through all 142 minutes without for a moment getting bored. And I challenge anyone who has seen it to delete any scene, even any minute, from the final edit. The fact is, you can't. Because every single scene is an essential element that contributes to the final result: a masterpiece that captures the drama of enduring friendship and resiliency of the human spirit more powerfully than any other film ever made. Even those who normally do not watch movies with a critical eye will find themselves so drawn into this experience. I really can't say enough about this film. Suffice it to say that this is certainly the Greatest Movie Not to Win an Oscar. (Since Citizen Kane, at least. )
Actually, I can forgive the Film Academy for not honoring this film with the Oscars I firmly believe it deserved. But when the American Film Institute in 1998 put together their list of The 100 Greatest Movies of all time (covering the period from 1896-1996), and so myopically overlooked Shawshank in favor of such titles as Rocky, Dr. Strangelove, Network, and Jaws, well, I thought that was absolutely ridiculous.
I wouldn't hesitate to put it in the top five of all time.
















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