‘The Last Samurai’ Download and Reviews
“The Last Samurai” Movie Details
The Last Samurai tagline: In the face of an enemy, in the Heart of One Man, Lies the Soul of a Warrior.
 The Last Samurai DVD Cover |
Actors:
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Young Recruit |
“The Last Samurai” Movie Review
“The Last Samurai” Plot Summary
An American military advisor embraces the Samurai culture he was hired to destroy after he is captured in battle.
Laughable
Well, during all the movie Samurais are depicted as a warriors’ elite that studied and practised the art of war for centuries. Nevertheless we see that it’s very easy for an American alcoholic to equal them in the art of katana handling in just some months of training (this samurais must be dumb, as they practise katana since they are children !!). What about tactics ? After centuries of continuous warfare, they need a foreigner to teach them to feign a retreat and then to counterattack. And what about the final scene in which the captain arrives just when the pact is being signed and the Emperor changes idea ? I laughed to tears. I thought The Gladiator was unrivalled, but Hollywood never cease to amaze me. I’ll seek comfort in Kagemusha or Gohatto.
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‘Collateral’ Download and Reviews
“Collateral” Movie Details
Collateral tagline: It started like any other night
 Collateral DVD Cover |
Actors:
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Traffic Cop #2 |
“Collateral” Movie Review
“Collateral” Plot Summary
A cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in LA. He must find a way to save both himself and one last victim.
The Best thriller of 2004.
Collateral combines star power, great performances, top notch direction, a fantastic soundtrack and what is a bona fide contender to be called the best action scene in years. Quite simply, I can not think of a movie released in 2004 that thrilled me quite as much as Collateral. Collateral has Tom Cruise (Who rivals Sean Penn to be called my favorite actor of the generation of 40-something year olds) as Vincent, a smart, precise hit-man in Los Angeles to kill five targets in one night. He hires cabdriver Max (Jamie Foxx, in a now Oscar nominated performance) for the night and they’re off. Max realizes that something is up around the time that Vincent leaves at the first stop and a dead body hits the roof of his cab. Upon his return, he replies that he didn’t kill him, ‘Bullets and the fall killed him.’ Over the course of the night they make more stops, most of which turn into great scenes, whether they’re going to a jazz club to off a guy or to a hospital to pay a visit to Max’s mom. The scene I was referring to the best action scene in years takes place in a night club where Max and Vincent, some cops who think Max is the killer, a thug belonging to Vincent’s employer who also thinks Max is the Killer, a cop who knows Max isn’t the Killer, club security, Vincent’s target and his bodyguards and a dance floor full of bystanders meet up. There is about five minutes of characters driving to the club that builds up tension beyond belief. When it goes down, it may be a flurry of gunfire, but with the setting of the club, the quality of Mann’s direction and the coolest piece of music I’ve heard in a movie this year(Paul Oakenfold- Ready Steady Go,) it adds up to the best action scene of at least this year, topping even the car chases of movies like The Bourne Supremacy, Which I loved, The Matrix Reloaded, Which I liked, and I, Robot, Which I didn’t care for. Collateral can be seen as an adrenaline pumping thriller, which it is, or as something more. For those of us who loved Mann’s 1995 epic Heat, Collateral is definitely the latter. Mann makes references to heat in several ways. For those who thought that the subway finale was a disappointment, check out Heat. The nod there is that Heat begins on a subway platform and ends at the airport, while Collateral begins in the LAX terminal and ends on the subway. That is just one of several nods. When people have been saying stuff about the best thriller of 2004, they are frequently mentioning Collateral, The Bourne Supremacy and The Manchurian Candidate. While I consider Collateral a clear victor, I certainly understand why someone would mention The Bourne Supremacy, but The Manchurian Candidate was murky all the way through, had a weak ending and was a major step down from the 1962 version, which is one of the best movies ever made. I’ll use the phrase that James Berardinelli uses on his favorite summer movies to wrap this up. When the dust settles, Collateral will be the best of this (Last) years summer movies. Sadly, Collateral only got two Oscar nods, Supporting Actor, Foxx, and Editing. However, that’s more than any other mentioned summer thriller got. ***1/2 (Out of ****)
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‘War of the Worlds’ Download and Reviews
“War of the Worlds” Movie Details
War of the Worlds tagline: They’re already here.
 War of the Worlds DVD Cover |
Actors:
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News Producer |
“War of the Worlds” Movie Review
“War of the Worlds” Plot Summary
As Earth is invaded by alien tripod fighting machines, one family fights for survival.
A good take on the Wells story. Better than the 1953 classic in some ways
First – a quick rebuttal: The peanut butter sandwich which seemed to stick to the window impossibly. This was a very visually interesting scene. In fact, the scene was shot from inside the house, and Cruise was shot in reflection against the window – so there is no problem here other than the reviewer not thinking what they were seeing through
Now on to the review…This film follows Tom Cruise – playing a not-very-adult divorced father – and his two kids through the Wellsian version of The War of the Worlds. Despite the fact that the film focuses exclusively on the harrowing experiences of this somewhat dysfunctional family, in a very basic way it preserves the elements of the original novel. As with Wells’ book, a science savvy viewer will pick up on the biological plausibility of the main plot and realize the brilliance of Wells original points. Scientifically educated viewers will also recognize the geological impossibility of it. Neither of these facts should detract from the entertainment value of this interesting and exciting film. After all, it is a testament to Wells’ genius that a novel written nearly 100 years ago still holds our attention today, and is still regarded as an intelligent take on improbable events
An alien species, about which nothing is really known, has been planning to take over and terraform earth for millenia, or perhaps much longer. Using unknown technology, they manage to emplace operatives in enormous tripod machines equipped with horrendous weapons that basically carbonize any life forms they take aim at. The tripods had been implanted deep in the earth long before the advent of our species. There simply is no stopping the invasion. Cruise, whose character is not really built for heroism, digs deep into his soul to protect his children as they attempt to make it to Boston to reunite with his estranged wife and her new family
Before I discuss the technical merits of the film, and the lavish production values, I feel that I need to make a comment on Dakota Fanning. Ms. Fanning gives one of the best performances I have ever seen a sub-12 year old give in The War of the Worlds. She is a match for Cruise, and actually manages to steal several scenes from him. The acting in this film is uniformly good, but Fanning really stood out
Spielberg and his team make seemingly impossible film visions come alive in a uniquely well realized manner. War of the Worlds is one of the most visually stunning films I have seen in a long time. Though I would not call the special effects innovative, they are, more importantly, convincing and never over-done. The nearly first person story telling technique is both original and effective, and the non-heroism of Cruise’s character makes for a much more compelling plot than I expected to see. There are indeed some problems with believability, but let me ask – why would anybody go to this film expecting something more realistic than a fairy tale?Recommended for Wells fans, fans of the original 1953 adaptation, and action sci-fi fans. Mildly recommended to the average cinema-goer.
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‘Eyes Wide Shut’ Download and Reviews
“Eyes Wide Shut” Movie Details
Eyes Wide Shut tagline: Cruise. Kidman. Kubrick.
 Eyes Wide Shut DVD Cover |
Actors:
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Lisa |
“Eyes Wide Shut” Movie Review
“EWS” Plot Summary
A New York City doctor, who is married to an art curator, pushes himself on a harrowing and dangerous night-long odyssey of sexual and moral discovery after his wife admits that she once almost cheated on him.
Kubrick’s finest achievement
One of the most under-rated films of the decade, Eyes Wide Shut is a brilliant masterpiece, from the very opening of the film to its very end. Kubrick succeeds in what many good filmmakers failed before him- and conveys a beautiful imagery of our state of dreams, full of sexual symbolism and other dream-like symbols (notice the stop signs in the streets in front of Tom Cruise), and creates a feeling of total wandering; although consistent, due to the fact that every scene and dialogue is vital and neccecary for the film’s development
Moreover, Kubrick’s use of music is even more genius than always, and Ligeti’s motif from Musica Ricercarta shows us the repetitive nature of dreams, together with a feeling that we don’t know where to go next
And of course there is a note of marriage life, men’s sexuality (and the attempt to deny women’s sexuality) and the very fine acting of Cruise and Kidman, which was a postlude of there own relationship
For me, this is the finest, most perfect film of Kubrick, and therefore one of the best films of all. A must see! 10/10
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‘The Firm’ Download and Reviews
“The Firm” Movie Details
The Firm tagline: Power can be murder to resist.
 The Firm DVD Cover |
Actors:
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Sully |
“The Firm” Movie Review
“The Firm” Plot Summary
A young lawyer joins a prestigous law firm only to discover that it has a sinister dark side. add synopsis
Had issues, still good
May contain spoilers, be warned!It seems like the more Tom Cruise movies I watch, the more I really really like him. The Firm surprised me because it was LONG, which means it has a lot of potential for viewers to lose interest, but that didn’t happen to me. It was tight & suspenseful all the way through. My one compliant: there were too many characters & too many different settings. I didn’t know all the lawyers names, plus the Mafia guys, the FBI workers, etc., not to mention where they all where, as the action was spread across several US cities plus in the Cayman Islands. All in all, a good movie. The changes in the story from the book that it was based on didn’t create a weaker/worse film. ***1/2 out of 5
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‘Mission: Impossible’ Download and Reviews
“Mission: Impossible” Movie Details
Mission: Impossible tagline: Expect the Impossible
 Mission: Impossible DVD Cover |
Actors:
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Kittridge Technician |
“Mission: Impossible” Movie Review
“Mission Impossible” Plot Summary
An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.
The best of the three
An engaging piece of Cold War histrionics set in fine motion by DePalma and his stellar entourage of fine actors. To me, it stands far ahead of the two sequels, primarily because it is more subtle and cerebral and less visceral than the others. The cast itself is not laden with merely young hot-shot actors inserted into screenplays for box office appeal. Rather, it is almost too politically correct in its casting as all the demographics seem to be represented here: young, old, Black, White, male, female, American, European etc. Yet each of the principals and the supporting cast fits into his/her respective role quite well, with little wasted motion. It’s as if they each have their own ‘raison d’etre’ as it pertains to the overall story line
The sophisticated spy-vs.-spy plot line is not only enhanced by the thespian talent, but also the inventive camera work that allows us to revisit ‘flashbacks’ of prior scenes that are taken from perspectives other than the original. To wit, the Jon Voight bridge scene gets a few once-overs, if you will. Also, the European locales are well shot with no gratuitous indulgence, which helps to embellish the story line. Lest I forget, a sweet job by Danny Elfman adapting Lalo Schiffrin’s ‘MI’ theme to the soundtrack, especially during the ending credits where he shifts the theme’s normal 5/4 tempo to a funkier, bluesier 4/4 time signature!Tom Cruise takes a nice turnabout from some of his earlier more ‘cutesy’ roles. His role here demands of him technical expertise as well as strength of character in order for him to merely stay alive. J. Voight and V. Redgrave are in fine form in their complex and beguiling portrayals
In summary, this episode of the ‘MI’ series characterizes what I consider to be a triumph of substance over form, of subtlety over the obvious. Maybe this attitude is a ‘no-no’ for modern audiences, but it remains one philosophy that I will always endorse.
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‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ Download and Reviews
“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” Movie Details
Star Trek: The Motion Picture tagline: The human adventure is just beginning
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| Directors: Robert Wise | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB Rating: 6.2/10 out of 24,111 votes |
“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” Movie Review
“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” Plot Summary
When a destructive space entity is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral Kirk resumes command of the Starship Enterprise in order to intercept, examine, and hopefully stop it.
Exciting and spectacular movie that originates the continued series cinema
Film deals about the veteran crew which abandon the contemplated retirement to aboard in the Enterprise Starship NC 1701 for the confrontation at bizarre foe in shape of giant space entity that’s devouring planets and destroying everything in its relentless rout toward Earth
Star Trek series remain as a landmark in the story of science fiction and continuing the cinematographic adaptation ,director Robert Wise makes an interesting film
It’s essentially a following up of the television episodes
In the Star Trek movie the protagonists are incarnated by the usual saga TV,thus are Captain Kirk(Shatner),Spock(Nimoy),Bones(Deforest Kelley),Scotty(James Doohan recently deceased),Uhura(Michelle Nichols),Chejov(Walter Koenig),Zulu(George Takei), plus appear Captain Decker(Stephen Collins) and lieutenant Ilia(Persis Khabatta), both ‘ll have an important final role. The storyline is developed upon characters personages as well as the action and magnificent production design and special effects realized by John Dykstra and Douglas Trumbull. Friendship,idealism,humor,fellowship,humanity are issues which abound and will please the fans such us the initiated
For comic relief at charge of the varied jokes in the relationships the James T.Kirk with Bones or Spock and even Scotty
The yarn has a climatic and stimulating ending. Jerry Goldsmith music (habitual series musician)is exceptional and impressively. The motion picture is rightly directed by Robert Wise . The flick will like to the science fiction lovers and the trekkers.
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‘Seven Pounds’ Download and Reviews
“Seven Pounds” Movie Details
Seven Pounds tagline: Seven Names. Seven Strangers. One Secret.
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| Directors: Gabriele Muccino | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB Rating: 7.6/10 out of 54,887 votes |
“Seven Pounds” Movie Review
“Seven Pounds” Plot Summary
An IRS agent with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.
This Mysterious Movie Will Stay With You
You spend most of this two-hour film wondering ‘what’s the story regarding the lead character?’ Will Smith, as a low-key ‘Ben Thomas’ will keep you guessing. The last 20-25 minutes is when you find out, and it’s a shocker….but you knew something dramatic was going to be revealed. Until then, Smith, plays it mysterious, almost stalking people. You know he has a good reason for doing it, but it’s never really explained, once again, to keep us guessing until the end
All of it, including a on again/off again but touching romance with Rosario Dawkins (‘Emily Posa’) might make some viewers frustrated or wanting to quit this film…..but don’t because the final long segment puts all the pieces of this puzzle together
This is a two-hour film and not the typical action-packed macho Will Smith film. In fact, the most shocking aspect might be seeing the drawn, sad face of Smith throughout this story. It almost doesn’t even look like him in a number of shots. He looks like he’s lost weight and is sick. Smith does a great job portraying a man carrying around a lot of sadness
Like a good movie will often do, this film will leave you thinking long after the ending credits.
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‘Top Gun’ Download and Reviews
“Top Gun” Movie Details
Top Gun tagline: From the Producers of Beverly Hills Cop and Flashdance [UK Theatrical]
 Top Gun DVD Cover |
Actors:
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Chipper |
“Top Gun” Movie Review
“Top Gun” Plot Summary
The macho students of an elite US Flying school for advanced fighter pilots compete to be best in the class, and one romances the teacher.
Fun, entertaining and unbelievable!
Most of the comments about this movie are more unbelievable than the picture itself. Some are saying it’s the greatest movie which is far from true. On the other side are the cinema snobs who won’t let themselves enjoy this motion picture. This movie may require much more ’suspension of disbelief ‘ than most but the fact that many are still enjoying it says plenty about its entertainment value.
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‘A Few Good Men’ Download and Reviews
“A Few Good Men” Movie Details
A Few Good Men tagline: In the heart of the nation’s capital, in a courthouse of the U.S. government, one man will stop at nothing to keep his honor, and one will stop at nothing to find the truth.
 A Few Good Men DVD Cover |
Actors:
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Cpl. Jeffrey Barnes |
“A Few Good Men” Movie Review
“A Few Good Men” Plot Summary
Neo military lawyer Kaffee defends Marines accused of murder; they contend they were acting under orders. add synopsis
Really deep, insightful movie
I started watching this movie with no great expectations. I was bored, to say the least, and it just happened to be showing on the channel I was watching. When I saw the opening credits and names like Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson and Kiefer Sutherland showed up, my interest was piqued and I started watching this film in the hopes that these great actors would deliver. And they definitely did. This was a courtroom drama, but it was also about the marine corps. It was an enthralling movie, and really got you engrossed and wondering, ‘Are they telling the truth?, Are they going to go to jail?’ etc etc. The high points of the movie for me were the private accused of murder (I can’t remember his name now) and the way he was devoted to his superior, Hal. I also enjoyed the sexual tension between Tom Cruise and Demi Moore, and would have enjoyed to see it developed a bit more in this movie. However, the ULTIMATE thought-provoker/tear-jerking scene was one of the last, when the accused are pronounced NOT GUILTY on counts of murder but GUILTY on counts of behaviour unfit for a Marine (or something like that). Then the private says, ‘Hal, (Jack Nicholson) said he ordered a code red, we didn’t do anything wrong!’ and Harold says ‘We were supposed to be fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves. We should’ve fought for Willy.’ ANd he walks out of the courtroom with his head high. This simply goes to show that principle, rules can only take you so far, but conscience, right and wrong, are what we ultimately have to deal with. Wonderful movie, I will not soon forget it.
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