Crusade: A March Through Time (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)From http://celsiusentertainment.wordpress.com/current-projects/crusade-march-through-time/
"About the new U.S. Release Version:
The film is currently 30 minutes shorter than the previous Dutch version and the story has been streamlined and sharpened bringing the characters and the conflict into greater relief. This new version has a new ending, some new scoring and a couple of new original songs written for the film."
Let me tell you, they really chopped up that ending.
Imagine taking 30 minutes worth of awesome storyline wrap up and squeezing it into 2 minutes. All that information and character wrap up and explanations for why these new characters are in the story and why they are doing what they are doing....gone. Replaced by some haphazard BS. Almost like it had been written by someone completely new who'd never written more than a junior high story for mediated english class.
Aside from the ending, the rest of the story line is totally awesome. Great character development, actions of the characters made sense and fit with the story line and character motivations. Had me, my bf, and my daughter laughing, in tears, tense, and relief. Led up to the climax smoothly, had us wondering if the main character was going to succeed, etc....and then fell flat, worse than flat, with the chopped up ending that made no sense and didn't fit in.
The dutch version seems to have gotten awards, but I don't see how the USA version can even be considered for one with that ending.
I would have given the movie 5 stars, except for that ending (can you tell I hated it??). I give it 2 stars because the movie was actually awesome, but in the end..the USA ending ruined it all.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Crusade: A March Through Time (2008)

Young soccer player Dolf fails to score in the European junior championships, causing his team to be eliminated. Returning home, he visits his mother's lab as she tests a revolutionary time-travel machine. Dolf decides to travel back 12 hours to replay the match, but accidently ends up in the year 1212. Saved from bandits by the beautiful Jenne, his first attempt to transport home fails. Dolf joins Jenne and thousands of children on a pilgrimage known as the childrens crusade, led by a young religous visionary, Nicolas. Finding his modern perspectives both a help and a hidrance to his thirteenth century counterparts, Dolf is alternaely viewed as a miracle worker and the Devils disciple. Back in the present his mother frantically studies historical documents to arrange a rendezvous to bring Dolf home. While the journey is fraught with hardships, battles, treachary, and sacrifice, it is also a place where friendships are forged and a romance is born. His last chance to return home, Dolf rushes to make the rendezvous with Jenne in hand. Will Dolf return home safely with Jenne by his side?

Get 4% OFF

Click here for more information about Crusade: A March Through Time (2008)

Read More...

2012 (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2009) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)So, when the world ends, it's the politicians and bureaucrats that we're gonna save, and the writers and the artists and the spiritual leaders are left behind to deal with the apocalypse. That was the most depressing element of the movie. What will the world look like if we only save the "important people" in Washington? Heaven help us. Seriously. If the future world is to be populated with the slimy-dog politicians and their ilk, I think I'll take my chances with eternal life, thank you very much.
Sitting in the darkened theater watching 2012, I was reminded of "The Bunker" at White Sulphur Springs (in West Virginia). Construction on the 110,000-square-foot bunker was started under Eisenhower's watch, when we were worried that the USSR might blow us up into lots of radioactive pieces. Turns out, our beloved elected officials were prepared to push The Red Button that'd end the world as we know it, and then turn-tail and run into their bunker, slam the blast-proof door behind them and emerge 90 days later when the danger had passed. And the most amazing part: The Bunker is outfitted with gee-whiz features that'd lead the unsuspecting public to believe the lawmakers were still comfortably ensconced in Washington, DC. In other words, The Bunker was *designed* to perpetrate a fraud on the American people.
Watching "2012" I thought about The Bunker and realized, this movie is probably right. If and when the world ends, it'll be the politically important that are given seats on the lifeboats. And it's probably right that if there is a cataclysmic event, the Powers That Be will not tell the unwashed masses what's going on, lest they try and steal one of those seats on the lifeboat.
That's just depressing on so many levels.
But I digress.
This movie is definitely impressive on the big screen, and the soundtrack has plenty of bass (which I like). But the script and the writing was a little sappy for my tastes. And as to believability - well - this movie fell short on that score, too. I don't want to spoil the plot, but NO ONE can drive a limousine *that* well. On the plus side, the graphics are truly amazing and scarier than anything I've ever seen before. I had to turn away from the screen to avoid some of the scary-as-hell images. It's a pretty intense flick, and it does a good job of drawing you in.
A nice side effect: After watching this movie, I'm a lot less worried about getting those pesky credit cards paid off. Does make you think a little more about enjoying every day, and appreciating the simple beauty in our world.
In conclusion, it's an interesting flick with awe-inspiring graphics, and it'll hold your attention - if you can suspend disbelief for a couple hours.

Click Here to see more reviews about: 2012 (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2009)

From Roland Emmerich, director of THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW and INDEPENDENCE DAY, comes the ultimate action-adventure film, exploding with groundbreaking special effects. As the world faces a catastrophe of apocalyptic proportions, cities collapse and continents crumble. 2012 brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson and Danny Glover.

Get 42% OFF

Click here for more information about 2012 (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2009)

Read More...

Pandorum (2009) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The year is 2174. The population of Earth has reached over 24 billion. Famine and wars are commonplace. In a last ditch effort to save humankind, we send out a probe to find a planet that can sustain us. The mission is a success, though it will take over a hundred years to reach the new home...
Fast forward:
Two men wake up from deep sleep; alone, disoriented and suffering from memory loss. As their recollections slowly return, they realize they are part of the space ship crew navigating 60,000 settlers from Earth to the new planet. They have questions, but few answers. Where is everyone? How long have they been asleep? Why are they awake? Who's on bridge, flying the machine? And finally, once they discover they are NOT alone: what are those things, and where did they come from?!
Butterflies in my stomach? Check. Nails (my own ;o)) digging into my arm? Check. Conversing with friends about the movie long after the end? Check. All are side effects of a well made scary thriller (the sci-fi was just a bonus) and all were present in this case. The story has a great twist, but, best of all, it is largely plot-hole-free, as well as plausible.
So, why four, rather then five stars? Two reasons. Firstly, once answers start coming, they come fast and furious, to the point of being a tad confusing. Secondly, the two main characters are a bit lacking. Until the climactic end, Dennis Quaid spends most of the film saying "Bower, are you there...are you there, Bower?" He is a good actor but the script does not give him much to work with, leaving his talent underused. Ben Foster (the Angel from X-Men the Last Stand), disserves the top billing, as the action revolves mainly around him. Still, a more charismatic actor may have drawn us further into the character. There is a nice appearance from Cung Le, a Vietnamese-American real life martial arts champion (you may remember him from Fighting). He is a talkative passanger with all the answers, but, to Bower's frustration, no English. The man can move, but his awesome skills are not fully utilized here either. Shame...
This is not another Alien or Predator. It will not change the direction of film evolution. Still, Pandorum satisfactorily delivers scary, creepy sci-fi with a well put together story and a hopeful ending (I miss those!). It entertains!
Enjoy!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Pandorum (2009)

In Pandorum, Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point, The Express) and Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma, Alpha Dog) join Cam Gigandet (Never Back Down, Twilight), Cung Le (Tekken, Fighting), newcomer Antje Traue, and director Christian Alvart (Antibodies) to tell the terrifying story of two crew members stranded on a spacecraft who quickly – and horrifically – realize they are not alone. Two astronauts awaken in a hyper-sleep chamber aboard a seemingly abandoned spacecraft.It's pitch black, they are disoriented, and the only sound is a low rumble and creak from the belly of the ship.They can't remember anything:Who are they?What is their mission? With Lt. Payton (Quaid) staying behind to guide him via radio transmitter, Cpl. Bower (Foster) ventures deep into the ship and begins to uncover a terrifying reality.Slowly the spacecraft's shocking, deadly secrets are revealed…and the astronauts find their own survival is more important than they could ever have imagined.

Get 58% OFF

Click here for more information about Pandorum (2009)

Read More...

Planet of the Apes 40th Anniversary Collection (Planet of the Apes / Beneath the Planet of the Apes / Escape From / Conquest of / Battle for) (1968) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have loved this series ever since I was a young boy who saw the original movie on TV. When the TV series came out, I was glued to the set for every episode, and then the cartoon series became a part of my regular Saturday morning viewing. This is one of the few movie franchises that I loved growing up that has not lost any of its charm with me now as an adult. I first bought the Limited Edition Evolution collection on DVD a few years ago, and followed up with my purchase of the Ultimate Collection that came enclosed in a bust of Caesar. When I first heard of the arrival of this series on Blu-ray, I thought they would simply transport the DVD versions I already owned onto a Blu-ray platter. BOY was I wrong!!!!!
I will not go into the details of the story line for this series, since so many have already done a great job at that. What I will focus on is the Blu-ray 40th Anniversary Collection.
I had seen pictures of the collection, and was very excited to get my own copy, but I had never actually seen a copy of it in the stores. Because of that, I wasn't quite sure what to expect with regarding the quality of the set. I had just recently been MAJORLY disappointed with Fox's horrible Blu-ray box set of the Omen series (another favorite of mine). The packaging for that set was one of the worst I have ever seen on any format. But I digress....this is not a review of the Omen set. Let's start with the outer box. It is of very sturdy construction with the spaceship on the cover in textured relief. The box serves what appears to be a hard bound book. You slide that out of the cover, and it opens to reveal a detailed timeline of the entire Ape film series. Each gatefold of the timeline then opens to reveal the discs which are attached to the backboard with these clear rubber hubs. I will admit that the hubs proved to be frustrating at first, because I could not get the discs back onto the hubs to secure them before closing the package. While this is my only complaint about the entire set, I found that instead of trying to force the discs straight down onto the hubs, it works MUCH better to place the disc on the hub and then give it a gentle twist which easily secures it. While I have some reservations about the choice to use these rubber hubs to hold the discs, I have to admit that it really does look great when the package is all together. The only other thing included in the package is a book that chronicles the entire film series. But wait....this is no typical listing of special features with a brief synopsis of each film. This book is a substantial 200 page overview of this timeless series. The production value of this book is top notch!!! It is the best I have ever seen in a movie set. What makes this book truly special, is that it was produced exclusively for this Blu-ray collection. You may browse the book with it still attached to the package, or you can easily slide it out to look at it on its own. All of the packaging for this set is constructed from very sturdy cardboard and it all works together to serve as an excellent means of presenting the true star of the set, the 5 Blu-ray discs that comprise the film series.
If you have ever had doubts about jumping into the Blu-ray high def pool, this set serves as an example for what this format is capable of. The wealth of information on the first disc alone is truly staggering!!! Not only does it include all of the special features that were included on the 2-disc DVD, it also adds some fantastic special features that are unique to the Blu-ray format. One of those features is the ability to watch the feature long documentary as it was originally presented or you may choose to watch it in Interactive Mode where you are presented with extra text and video features. You also get the Science of the Apes Bonusview which is a picture-in-picture feature that can be viewed while watching the first film. One of the other cool features was the ability to actually read newspapers which served as props in the original movie. You first get to see the paper as seen in the movie, then you use your remote to choose which article you would like to read. Finally the entire text of the article is presented in an easy to read text format. This may not be for everyone, but as a longtime fan, I enjoyed it. I could go on and on with all the special features of the 1st disc, but you can get that information elsewhere. While the first film does deservedly get the royal treatment with special features, Fox did not simply slap the previous DVD version of the other 4 films on a new format, and throw them together. It is amazing that Fox took the time to present these other 4 Ape films in what I consider the best video and audio I've ever experienced them in. Each film also gets its own documentary, while not as extensive as the original, each one is more than just a puff piece of each film. As a longtime fan, I have been dying to see some nice extra features for the other films in the franchise. In addition to some nice extra features, you also get the opportunity to watch "Conquest" and "Battle" in either the original theatrical version, or an expanded version. While there was an extended version of "Conquest" in the Ultimate Collection DVD set, this is the first time we have been given the opportunity to see the extended version of "Battle". It has been mentioned in previous releases, but it was thrilling for me to finally get to see it.
BOTTOM LINE: I will concede that the sound on these discs cannot compare to those of such blockbusters as Transformers or Iron Man, but if you are an Ape fan and have been looking for a definitive collection of the franchise, then I wholeheartedly recommend that you get this collection on Blu-ray. These films have never looked and sounded better, and I am thrilled with all of the extra features that are available for each film. This is hands down the greatest Blu-ray collection yet created, and I think it will stand the test of time as other studios follow suit. Even with the little complaint about the rubber hubs holding the discs, I have no reservations in recommending this to any Ape fan who has recently jumped into the Blu-ray pool of high definition movie viewing.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Planet of the Apes 40th Anniversary Collection (Planet of the Apes / Beneath the Planet of the Apes / Escape From / Conquest of / Battle for) (1968)

Get 19% OFF

Click here for more information about Planet of the Apes 40th Anniversary Collection (Planet of the Apes / Beneath the Planet of the Apes / Escape From / Conquest of / Battle for) (1968)

Read More...