Spider-Man 2 (UMD mini for PSP) Widescreen Movie (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Just when I was about ready to throw in the towel on Hollywood and its univentive sequel/remake/book adaption craze of unoriginal recycling, I sat down to see the second chapter in Sam Raimi's "Spider Man" series. While I enjoyed the first film, it never really drew me in emotionally. It had some real cool action sequences and some interesting special effects but the story was very paint-by-numbers comic book fare. I enjoyed the film's cinematic style, which seemed to me like an homage to the 50's-style of films, but while I wasn't turned off by the the hero's backstory, I was never fully compelled by it either. When I had heard all of the cast members spit the usual studio speech about how the sequel would be even better, I took it very much with a grain of salt. By the time I came out of this movie, however, I was a believer.
"Spider Man 2" takes place two years after the original where Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is struggling with the realization that his superhero alter-ego is alienating him from everyone that he loves. His best friend, Harry (James Franco) is stelling stewing over his father's death at the hands of Spidey and the object of his affections, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) is fed up by Pete's inability to committ to her. If that wasn't bad enough, his commitment to crime fighting has cost him more than a few jobs and he's struggling to pay his rent. On the Spider-Man side of things, he has to deal with a new enemy, Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), a transformed version of Otto Octavius, a brilliant fusion engineer whose expirement ends up killing his wife and subsquently driving him insane. As far as super-villians go, this one's a doosy.
"Spider Man 2" improves on so many aspects of the first film. Where the first film had Maguire as the akward teen coping with his newfound powers and subsquent responsibilites, this one paints him as the reluctant hero that is banished to a life of personal abandoment. The hero seems like a far greater underdog this go around as Spider-Man must deal with a much tougher villian while Peter Parker tries to put his life back together. I liked the fact that Raimi balanced out the film's jaw-dropping effects with some emotional character depth. There is a good mixture of storytelling and cinematic style here. Raimi also improved on the dialouge here. There are some comedic moments but the rivalry between Spidey and Doc Ock doesn't elevate itself to the level of cheesy line-trading that went on between Maguire and Dafoe in the first.
The performances are really what seperates this one from its predecassor. Tobey Maguire is given a lot more to do, this time around. While Molina doesn't have the same charisma as Dafoe, his villian is far more menacing. Kirsten Dunst is given a somewhat smaller role here but it serves its purpose. My one complaint is that Mary Jane doesn't really look the same in this one. In the first movie, she had a much different look to her than most of the characters that Dunst has portrayed. Here, she doesn't carry herself the same way. It doesn't really take anything away from the film but it is somewhat noticeable whether intended or not. There are a good deal of amusing cameo appearances here as well but I'm not gonna spoil them for you.
"Spider Man 2" is not just one of the better sequels I've seen in awhile but also one of the best films of its kind that I've seen at the movies in some time. I can't remember the last time that I went into a movie theatre and was entertained on so many levels the way that I was with this film. Maybe low expectations might have played a part in it but in all honesty, I doubt it. No matter what your preconceived notion of this movie is, you will probably be drawn in just the same. You don't have to be a comic book fan or even a fan of the first movie to enjoy but it certainly doesn't hurt things. (Review: ****1/2)

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PETER PARKERS HAVING A ROUGH TIME. THINGS ARE SO BAD HE DECLARES THAT HE'S QUITTING & NEVER PUTTING ON THE SUIT AGAIN.HOWEVER, HIS SENSE OF DUTY FORCES HIM TO BECOME A HERO AGAINWHEN DR OCTAVIUS IS DEFORMED IN AN ACCIDENT & BECOMES DROCTOPUS.

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Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ok before I start, let me clarify something: Unlike the reviewers before me, I have actually SEEN this movie, so my review is not based on the graphic novel of which the movie is based, nor what the movie might be like based on who's behind the making of it. I HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE. Now that thats out the way, onto the good stuff.
I know a lot of Batman, Superman, and Batman/Superman fans were holding their breath on this one. With all classic the DC Comic character movies coming out lately (some of them not as good as others) it was reasonable to assume that "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies" the movie could have gone either way. Well good thing for the loyal fan base, this was definitely a hit. I can say I am more then pleased with how this came out, and I have every intention of buying this DVD and watching it again the day it comes home with me.
One thing is abundantly clear when watching this movie: WB Entertainment, and more importantly, DC Comics actually LISTENS to their fans. One of my (and others) biggest fears in this was that we were going to be hearing some sub-par voice acting for the main characters involved, i.e. Superman, Batman, and Lex Luthor. As with past offerings from WB Entertainment ("Superman: Doomsday" for example) we got some weak casting for the voices of Lex and Sups. That alone detracts greatly from the overall enjoyment of the movie. With Public Enemies however, we have the best voices ever cast for the starring 3 roles: Tim Daily as Superman, Kevin Conroy as Batman, and Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor. For those who could give two flips about these guys, they are the same voices from the popular shows Justice League Unlimited, Batman The Animated Series, and Superman the Animated Series.
On top of superb voice acting, the animation is crisp, sharp and just plain beautiful. Again, faithful to fan feedback, the artists from Justice League Unlimited seem to have had their hands in this project, because the art is pretty much the same (which is by no means a bad thing), and it looks great. Almost straight from the comic.
Speaking of which, as far as the story goes, keep in mind while watching this that its an adaptation to the comic. That being said however, the movie stays remarkably faithful to the story told in the comic. Minus a few altered frames, scenes and situations, its like reading the comic all over again, except with no imagination needed to enjoy it. The story in general is a very good one, highlighting Batman and Superman's friendship and giving you a glimpse into how deep it really goes. Granted, you get more of that in the comic then you do in the movie, but the movie compensates for the lack of inner dialogue with good script writing, full of the humorous exchanges between Sups and Bats and emotional moments and outburst we know and love from our favorite caped heroes.
This is a great movie, and you don't have to have read the comic first in order to enjoy it. Even the review value is moderately high, I can and WILL be watching this again as soon as I can, and some more times after that. This is worth price, grab it and enjoy a motion picture work of art.
Peace


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A desperate solution for a troubled country: Lex Luthor for President with the Justice League in the service of the government. Only Batman and Superman stand against the new regime – and their disloyalty proves to be exactly what Luthor intended. Using their outcast status to instigate a scandal against Superman, Luthor finally tastes a victory in his vendetta against The Man of Steel. From Executive Producer Bruce Timm and voiced by the cast from both hit Batman and Superman animated TV series including Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly and Clancy Brown, this DC Universe Original Animated Movie of Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness's popular graphic novel seethes with political intrigue and action-packed battles between heroes all believing they're on the right side of the law.

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Superman: Doomsday (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)The first in a line of straight to DVD animated features adapted from classic DC stories, Superman: Doomsday re-tells the much maligned Death of Superman saga from the early 90's in animated form, and despite what many of the negative reviews here say otherwise, it works. The Man of Steel (voiced by Serenity's Adam Baldwin) is in love with Lois Lane (voiced quite stiffly by Anne Heche) and both are enjoying their relationship, until his world is rocked by the arrival of the murderous creature Doomsday, who is inadvertantly let loose by Lex Luthor (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's James "Spike" Marsters). If you've read the comics, you know what happens next, but the animated feature wisely ignores the Reign of the Supermen part of the arc, in place of an imposter created by Luthor, which results in an apocalyptic showdown. Being the first in a line of newly animated features, don't go into this expecting something among the lines of the DC animated series' that had come before it. The animation itself looks similar to what we've seen before (veteran animator Bruce Timm is heavily involved here), but the tone is noticibly different. The voice acting is solid (Marsters is magnificent as Luthor, while Baldwin is servicable as Superman) and the action is nicely orchestrated as well, all of which makes Superman: Doomsday an animated treat. This new two-disc edition has a few new features, including episodes from the underrated 90's Superman animated series, but there isn't anything else here that really warrants getting double-dipped for.

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Item Name: Superman: Doomsday; Studio:Warner Home Video

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Marvel Knights: Iron Man - Extremis Review

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(More customer reviews)This Iron Man DVD is a "motion comic" from Marvel Knights. They have taken the Extremis comic and turned it into a quasi-animated movie in six episodes. Before you discount this style of animation, note that the artwork is far superior to any of the other Marvel/DC "animated movies" (which all seem to look like slightly better versions of Cartoon Network cartoons) because it utilizes Adi Granov's original artwork with CGI enhancements of most of the tech and action scenes. The animation is fluid, and after only a few minutes you won't even realize you're not watching a fully-animated Marvel movie.
The strength of this DVD is Warren Ellis' storyline, which is more compelling than any recent comic book movie, except for perhaps The Dark Knight and the first Iron Man movie. This motion comic is unpredictable, hard-core, and exciting.
My only complaint about this DVD was N. Ronald Levine, who voiced the character of hippie Sal Kennedy - what a horrible casting choice! The scenes with Levine take you right out of the movie as you roll your eyes at the bad acting. Luckily, he's not in the movie much except for one scene in the middle.
If you're like me, every time you buy one of these Marvel or DC animated movies, you look at the cover art and eagerly hope that the product itself utilizes that same level of artistic expertise, only to discover that it's another Cartoon Network-looking piece of crap. But with Iron Man: Extremis, you finally get to see a full story with top-notch painted animation - and it's worth it!
I'm glad I gave this product a chance...and you will be too.

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Spider-Man (Full Screen Special Edition) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)What can I possibly say but WOW! This movie is truly a dream come true for a long time Spider-man fan like me. Not only was the movie made but the movie was made RIGHT!
Many directors and artists in Hollywood claim to be fans of comic book heroes, but when it comes time for them to actually put it together they fail miserably. But not here. Sam Rami is a TRUE Spider-man fan-- and he did what a true fan would do. He stayed true to the source and to the material. He captured the essence of Spider-man and his history. He didn't decide to pretentiously add his own mark like Tim Burton did with the laughable Batman movie. Rami stayed true to the comic. This is the Spider-man I read about month for the last 13 years.
I really did not think that anyone could top the X-Men, but Rami has and I don't just mean because of the special effets. I also mean in terms of the plot and character development. This is not a long drawn out movie filled with pointless violence. It is a well plotted story that moves effortlessly from point to point. Who would have thought that so much could be fit into two hours? And the end, I won't give it away , but who on earth would have thought that it would have ended that way. Instead of going for the same old boring cliche Hollywood ending--Rami tacks on an original one which hints towards the future.
Tobey Maguire was not my first choice to play Peter Parker. But boy does he deliver! I understand that he worked hard to get this part and boy does it show! He plays Peter just the way he was portrayed in the book! Kristen Dunst also was excellent,I did not think that she could pull off the part of Mary Jane. She's a lovely girl but not the super-model that MJ is in the comic book. But I was pleasantly surprised with what was done with the character.
After being disapointed with the unseeminly endless rubish that Hollywood has produced lately I am now, in the words of Mr. Stan Lee, a true believer. Thanks Sam Rami for not butchering a character I consider to be like a brother and restoring my faith that there are film makers out there who actually care about film making!

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Based on Marvel Comics superhero character, this is a story of Peter Parker who is a nerdy high school kid. He was orphaned as a child, bullied by jocks, and cannot confess his crush for his stunning neighborhood girl Mary Jane Watson. To say his life is miserable is an understatement. But one day while on an excursion to a laboratory a runaway radioactive spider bites him... and his life changes in a way no one could have imagined. Peter acquires a muscle-bound physique, clear vision, ability to cling to surfaces and crawl over walls, shooting webs from his wrist ... but the fun is not going to last. An eccentric millionaire Norman Osborn administers a performance enhancing drug on himself and his alter ego Green Goblin emerges. Now Peter Parker has to become Spider-Man and take Green Goblin to the task... or else Goblin will kill him. They come face to face and the war begins in which only one of them will survive at the end.

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The Trailer Park Boys - The Complete First Season Review

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(More customer reviews)The three star rating is only for this release of the show because of what it's lacking. The Trailer Park Boys is a great show. A fake documentary comedy similar to Reno 911. Unfortunately this release is done by a different company than all the other dvd seasons, specials, and movies out there. This dvd has absolutely no extras. You will be much better off buying the Season 1 & 2 TPBs which has lots of extras- commentary tracks, deleted scenes, alternate takes, interviews, outtakes and a music video.

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