Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling (2013)

this is a ok movie bought this for my Daughter she loves it. there is really not much I can say about this movie its Ether you like it or you don't I would watch it again.

Yow!

They obviously used the same script as the first, but threw out all the good bits (what there were). This is just a blow by blow repeat: same number of guys, 3, (instead of a doctor they made one of them a nurse), it also involved a road trip, also on a river, also in the woods, also trying to get a fire started, also needed fish for dinner, also about getting/finding money, also involved 2 tree huggers who also happened to be women and yes, there was also a hermit. And hooray, excrement was also involved! That, and 2 guys with guns trying to kill them. Deja vu, what are the odds? (I don't want to suggest plagiarism but if I wrote the script for the first movie and not the second, I'd sue.) This wasn't a sequel, this was a remake, and not a good one at that.

And why the animated squirrels with knives!? Not to mention an animated humming bird with an attitude.

So not funny.

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I loved the original and was happy they made another, until I watched it. This could have been so good but it is just so bad.

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Absolutely horrible, if you enjoyed the first one DO NOT waste your time on this sequel. Once again, ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE

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Without a Paddle is still to this day, one of the best comedies that I have ever seen. This movie however, felt like it went down the American Pie cashcow trail in order to make a bad movie for some quick cash.

Everything about this movie was exactly the same as the first movie but with a few minor differences. The general plot was that of two best friends from highschool go into the middle of the woods in order to find the heiress to a multimillion dollar fortune. It was able to hold your interest, that is until after the 30 minute mark where everything basically fizzles while the plot doesnt know what to do withitself. It even manages to get Jerry Rice to tell us about global warming, a highly controversial topic that had absolutely nothing to do with this movie.

The characters were exactly the same as the previous movie. The busy friend whos social akward around women, the laid back drunk that has women and money falling into his lap, the annoying guy no one likes, the hippies in a tree house, the crazy man in the woods, the list really is endless. With the exception of maybe one character, you could not care at all about these people or what happens to them minutes after they are introduced. They have no depth to them at all aside from what the viewer sees in order to interpret what kind of person they are.

There was nothing funny at all about the jokes or comedy that we see. If you think that seeing men looking dumbfounded while looking at breasts or a guy getting hit below the belt around 10 times is funny, than you might actually like these lame and recycled jokes. Even the insane drunken squirrels were not funny or interesting at all and further made the bad jokes even worse.

On a side note, this movie was also highly unrealistic as well. A womans brother was partially involved in her murder attempt and she acts as if he played a prank on her. And last time I checked, a grenade launcher doesnt fire missles in a perfect straight line that explode 5 or 6 times.

This movie was just bad. It was a shameless ripoff of the first movie which was actually good. In fact, the only reason that this movie has the "Without a Paddle" nametag is because the creators of the movie would probably be sued for making a near exact copy of the first only made bad. The plot sucked, the characters sucked, the humor sucked, everything about this movie just sucked.

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Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy

PLEASE NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE BLU-RAY EDITION OF THE TRILOGY. AMAZON HAS A BAD HABIT OF COMBINING THESE REVIEWS UNDER THE DVD ONES AS WELL.

The "Star Trek" films with the original cast get a Blu-ray release with mixed results. I sprung for the trilogy because, frankly, outside of "Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country" these are the best films from the series of films produced with the original cast.

"The Wrath of Khan", "The Search for Spock" and "The Voyage Home" are ALL in high definition contrary to a misinformed review here. They also all use too much Digital Noise Reduction to eliminate film grain which "softens" the image and eliminates much of the detail that Blu-ray is famous for. The result is that skin textures look waxy lacking detail. Edge enchancement has been used to "refocus" the image a bit (DNR is a technique used to manage film grain and video "noise" but when over used it robs the image of the very qualities that make Blu-ray outstanding. This is often done by digitally throwing the image out of foucs if I recall correctly and then using edge enhancement to refocus the image). "Wrath" looks better simply because it was restored while the other two aren't).

You probably won't notice the difference unless you're watching this on a monitor above 40 inches (and if you watch it with a projection system it will be REALLY noticeable). That said, all three films could look better but they still look better than the DVDs. Audio sounds terrific.

We get a lot of new extras as well as all the original stuff from the 2 disc DVDs except the text commentaries. "The Wrath of Khan" features a new commentary track with director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto ("Odyssey 5", "Star Trek: Enterprise", "24"). We also get "James Horner: Composing Genesis", "Collecting Star Trek's Movie Relics", A Tribute to Richardo Montalban", "Star Fleet Academy: The Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI" all in HD. We also get on all three films "Libary Computer" which is an interactive dictionary replacing in many respects the text commentary. Be aware that the pop up menu cannot be accessed when watching the film in "Libary Computer" mode.

"The Search for Spock" includes a new commentary track by long time "Next Generation" writer and "Battlestar Galatica" producer/writer Ronald D. Moore joined by "Trek" writer Michael Taylor. While they had nothing to do wih the film Moore an entertaining speaker discusses the differences between the films, the original series and "The Next Generation" with insight. "Spock: The Early Years", "Star Trek and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame", "Starfleet Academy: The Vulcan Katrar Transfer" are all presented in high def. Something I never noticed before while watching "Khan" or "Spock" is that one of the shots of the Genesis Planet is less than a perfect matte--you can see the stars behind the planet if you look carefully.

"The Voyage Home" features "Star Trek" writers Roberto orci and Alex Kurtzman in a brand new commentary track. "Pavel Scheko's Screen Moments", The Three Picture Saga", "Star Trek for a Cause", "Starfleet Academy: The Whale Probe" are all in HD. Also included is the "Libary Computer" again while all three films have "Star Trek I.Q." available only via the Blu-ray Live option.

The packaging leaves something to be desired--I would have preferred each in its own slimline Blu-ray container. This is presented in a fold out style holder. The artwork is attractive enough but the slip case and fold out holder may not stand up well to wear and tear.

As far as the quality of the films themselves even with the small budgets for the films all three are well written with strong performances and direction. Unfortuntely we don't get the "Director's Special Edition" of "The Wrath of Khan" which has been digitally restored (the film was in fairly bad shape) and remastered. Grain is quite noticable throughout and it appears that DNR wasn't used quite as heavily here as on the other two films (which were remastered first).

The script by Nicholas Meyer and Harve Bennett (although Jack Sowards is credited his script was one of five that was the basis of the final script along with writer/producer Harve Bennett) for "Khan", by Bennett for "Spock" and with Nicholas Meyer for "Voyage Home" are all strong and feature the humor/action that was characteristic of some of the best episodes of the original series. Bennett never really got the credit (or the thank you from Roddenberry)for reviving the show and giving it a production that captured the best of Trek.

I'm looking forward to "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" receiving a deluxe Blu-ray transfer with the "Director's Cut" included since it features the many visual effects that Wise wanted added as well as added him the luxury fine tuning the edit of the film (something he never had a chance to do because of the time constraints due to visual effects snafus and a drop dead premiere date).

So a mixed review--all three films look better than they did in their DVD incarnation but the transfers could be better. Audio sounds terrific and the extras are all good and welcome. The packaging though could be better but the price for this three disc set is pretty good. Hopefully "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and "Star Trek: The Undiscovered" country will be available separately with the former including BOTH versions of the film and the latter including the "Director's Extended Cut".

Theres a lot of hating going on in this customer review section and I totally understand. Yes, this set is a blatant cash-in from Paramount, and yes they only 'fully restored' one of the films in the set. I read these same reviews and was a little leary of getting this set, but at $40, i figured thats not too bad for three great Trek films, one of which was guaranteed to look good.

So I took a risk and bought the set after reading elsewhere that the other transfers were actually pretty decent. So after watching all three films I can say that it was a pretty good purchase considering all thats included in the set.

As far as PQ is concerned, Wrath of Kahn is definitely the best. Great colors, great depth and great detail. Nothing like The Dark Night, but very respectable for a film of its age. I would give it a 9/10.

PQ on The Search For Spock fairs a little worse, but not by much, colors and detail are right up there with Kahn, though not quite reaching its quality. Its not OBVIOUS that II was restored and III was merely remastered, they are very close with the only real knock against III being its depth. The image is just slightly flatter than II, but again, not by much. 8.5/10

The only downside for me was The Voyage Home, which while decent on its own, is noticably lacking when compared to the first two. The colors are often muted and a bit hazy, and the depth is just not there. However some space shots look great, so its not terrible. 7/10

I watched this set on a 50" 1080p plasma and really only noticed the DNR when I got right up to the screen otherwise it rarely bothered me.

So there you have it. Yes I would have liked Paramount to go all out on restoring these movies and Im sure they will someday, but IMO unless youre a videophile you'll probably only notice it on STIV because III looks about as good as II. So if youre like me and are on the fence about whether or not to buy this set now or wait for Paramount to give a proper release a few years from now, I would say that while you might not be blown away by these transfers, theyre definitely respectable and far from as bad as the other reviews would have you believe. Plus, at $40 its a pretty good deal for what you get. Highly Recommended.

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I don't know who Paramount is trying to lure into buying this set. But for what it's worth, this is a pretty sweet package.

In case you're unfamiliar with the "Star Trek" franchise, this set includes the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th movies. The reason it's tagged as a "trilogy" is because each film starts almost immediately where the previous one left off. Also, these are three of the most popular of the series.

I could talk forever about these movies, but I think the important thing to remember is that all of them will hold up if you're not a fan of the franchise.

"Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" is a fan-favorite for many reasons, one of them that the villain is a character from the original 1960s TV show. But, if you've never seen Khan's appearance from the TV show, I think you'll still get a huge thrill seeing him ooze of cold vengeance. Admiral Kirk's struggle to face life & death --both literally and spiritually --is sure to please anyone who enjoys a good character drama. The drama and relationships between the characters are what drive the story from start to finish, and you don't need to be a fan to appreciate the connections. The space battles are still a treat even after over 25 years, and the ending scenes are incredibly powerful.

"Star Trek II" is one of my favorite movies of the 80s, and I'm sure I'd say that even if I wasn't a fan of this franchise. It's an expertly-crafted sci-fi action/drama, and earns its acclaimed status.

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"Star Trek III: The Search For Spock" is probably the least favorite from this trilogy, but it's still a good one, in my opinion. Even though non-Trekkers may be confused by a few of the story developments (notably Spock's Vulcan culture), I believe this one holds its own simply because of its production merits. James Horner's music reuses tracks from "Star Trek II", but has a few haunting melodies specifically for this installment. The action is good, and kinda brutal when the Klingons take decisive action. And I find the premise intriguing...try to recover a resurrected companion who's stranded on a planet about to explode, while you're being hunted by ruthless, greedy warriors!

"Star Trek III" will speak well enough to newcomers, but it's definitely tailored more for the familiar audience.

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"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" is sure to be a pleasant ride for anybody. Our heroes must travel back in time to recover an extinct species to save the planet. Why and how humpback whales are supposed to tell an alien to stop ruining our O-zone layer is beyond me. But somehow it all makes sense, and it's not the reason to invest in this film.

In addition to the usual merits we look for in "Star Trek" movies (great music, engaging special effects, and fun characters), this one is faltout hilarious! Try to imagine how seven 23rd Century explorers (one of them an alien) attempt to steal two enormous mammals when their spaceship has lost most of its energy after their time travel. You got misused profanity, Cold War tension, primitive technology, and contemporary music. But rather than being a farce, the movie is great fun.

"Star Trek IV" may not be my favorite of the series, but I'm sure it's the one that everyone will enjoy. It stimulates your brain, uplifts your spirit, and forces some strong laughs.

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To my knowledge, some of the bonus extras that were released on the 2-disc sets back in 2001-2003 won't be on this "Motion Picture Trilogy". Instead, there will be a new goodies.

The main reason I want to check this set out is that Ronald D. Moore provides a track on "Star Trek III". Moore wrote some of the best episodes for "The Next Generation" TV show, was the driving force behind the new "Battlestar Galactica" series, and has proven to be an engaging speaker through his podcast commentaries.

But that's just the fanboy in me. I don't see much of a reason to buy this set if you already own the 2-disc releases of these movies. But if you've never owned "Star Trek II, III, or IV" --or never SEEN them --then this is a good way to go.

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What's good about it: contains the 3 best "Trek" films that feature the original cast. The picture is slightly better than the 2-disc DVDs of these films, which looked great. The Dolby Digital EX sound is a nice improvement over the previous releases.

What's bad about it: Wrath of Khan is the theatrical cut, whereas the 2-disc DVD was the Director's Cut. NONE of the incredible bonus features from the 2-disc releases are included with this set, and the all-new features are mostly a bust. The visual effects featurette in this set is a real letdown, as it covers the first 6 movies in 13 minutes, so there is no time for any great detail on the FX work.

Bottom line: The transfers, both video and audio, are as good as DVD gets. If that's what you are after, or if you don't have the out of print 2-disc releases, this should do fine.

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I got an advance copy of this and the first thing I noticed is that ONLY "The Wrath Of Khan" has been re-mastered in Hi Definition!

BEWARE: The other two movies are NOT Hi Definition transfers! So why buy Blu-Ray copies of Standard Definition transfers? You are only going to buy "The Search For Spock" and "The Voyage Home" again when Paramount re-masters them in Hi-Definition!

Some customers may not notice this cheap-out when buying this set. The BIG lettering on the back says "DIGITALLY REMASTERED WITH BRILLIANT PICTURE AND SOUND QUALITY", but if you look closer you will see the small print says "The films have been digitally remastered and The Wrath of Kahn has been fully restored in high definition picture quality and 7.1 Dolby TrueHD."

So it seems that Paramount only had one of these movies ready for Blu-Ray but wanted to have a Box-Set on the store shelves when the new movie came out.

****CLARIFICATION****

Some fans are confused by my review. Let me first say that I am a television engineer, not a novice Blu-Ray owner. So I want to list some clear facts to help all understand what this set is.

1) Are all of these movies 1080p High Definition video presentations? YES

2) Do all of these movies have 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Audio? YES

3) Will all of these movies look better than the older releases? YES

What is the difference?

Paramount returned to "Khan"'s original film negatives to make new high definition transfers and restore the movie. All of the other movies are the 2001 transfers, digitally enhances using DNR technology and upconverted to 1080i for a high definition look. This is a form of DIGITAL REMASTERING IN HIGH DEFINITION. And this is the term that confuses the average Blu-Ray collector. 90 percent of the time when a studio claims "digitally remastered" on a DVD or Blu-Ray Disc they do NOT mean they went back to the original film negatives to make a new transfer, they just used digital technology to clean up the old transfer.

So why the complaint?

Because we all believe that Paramount will re-release these again, newly "Restored" from the original negatives. If you do not believe that, look back at Paramount's track history of Star Trek releases.

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Love Wedding Marriage (2011)

I've been a fan of actor Dermot Mulroney for over twenty years. His laconic and naturalistic charm has oftentimes been the most interesting thing in his films--even if the movies themselves sometimes missed the mark. The comedic romp "Love, Wedding, Marriage" is his feature film directorial debut (he is NOT in the movie) and, strangely, it lacks the ease and laid-back appeal that I've come to expect from him as an actor. You'd think, at a minimum, he'd be able to coax terrific and funny performances out of his cast to make up for the script's shortcomings. And you're not likely to encounter a larger compendium of TV sitcom cliches than those that comprise the movie's central plot. Here everyone appears to be in a separate movie with key roles being bland, others overwrought, and others constantly bordering on a manic hysteria. Maybe all this would be forgivable if the film aspired to real laughs as opposed to outrageous silliness. You may disagree, but effective romantic comedies distinguish themselves when they are grounded in a truth and a reality. They may be silly, but there's a real heart beating within. "Love, Wedding, Marriage," unfortunately, is so artificial--not a moment or an emotion ever rings true.

Of course, in the movie, everyone is wildly attractive and wildly successful even though they act like they are junior high students. The appealing Mandy Moore and Kellan Lutz play the central characters. Their newlywed bliss is interrupted when her parents (Jane Seymour and James Brolin) separate due to a long-ago indiscretion. Moore (who in movie-land is, of course, the world's least believable marriage counselor) channels so much energy into her parent's dilemma that it might derail her own happiness. Slapstick antics ensue as both couples attend a relationship boot camp (poor Colleen Camp) and the elders hop around with another eccentric therapist (a wasted Christopher Lloyd). The shenanigans of Moore become increasingly desperate, unpleasant, and unlawful as the movie continues to journey down avenues best left unexplored. As this is what it is--you are never in doubt as to how things will turn out--there are just far too few laughs along the way.

Here's the deal. It's hard not to like the cast of "Love, Wedding, Marriage" despite the film's inconsistencies and flaws. Brolin, in particular, seems to be getting a kick as the newly religious father. But the film has the dramatic intensity of a second rate "Three's Company" episode minus the canned studio laughter. A lot of talented people came together to make a perfectly ordinary and expected film. If you are a fan of any of the leads, you might want to check this out. Secondary performances by Jessica Szohr (Moore's sister) and Michael Weston (Lutz's best friend) have their moments. But overall, everyone is performing to the rafters with over-the-top zeal to divert attention from the fact that the script offers little in the way of originality or noteworthy humor. A disappointing misfire--and I was genuinely rooting for Mulroney! KGHarris, 9/11.

I bought this movie and watched it hoping for a funny cute romantic story from Mandy Moore. I love the actors in this and thought they would make a good movie, the actors did their best with what was given to them. The script was kind of blah. I enjoyed parts of the movie but will probably never watch it again. So I say rent it before you buy it so you know if you really want to own it!!

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Good story line and relaxing entertainment. Premise is believable. Too many words required for these reviews--wish they would make them shorter.

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My daughter's and I enjoyed watching this movie. I liked all of the actors and enjoyed watching the different relationships unfold.

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This isn't the funniest romantic comedy, but it works pretty well as a movie. The movie features the rocky marriages of a divorce councilor and her parents'. The ups and downs in the marriages seem realistic and not overly Hollywoodized something I appreciate as a married person myself. The plot even had a few original twists and turns. I for one was actually surprised by the ending, something I can't say about another romantic comedy I've ever seen. Overall, not bad.

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Fanboys (Blu-Ray) (2009)

Admitting my bias, I am a big Star Wars fan and had been anxiously waiting the movie release since seeing a preview at ComicCon. The movie did not disappoint and had the family (boys at least) laughing harder than anything else I can remember. Some of the jokes are mature and maybe too vulgar for some. The number of inside references and "for fans only" jokes makes it fun. The guest appearances by Star Wars legends also adds to the experience. The best part is the humor is in support of a story beyond a throw away comedy with a compelling conclusion.

First and foremost, this film features and outstanding young cast: Sam Huntingon (Not Another Teen Movie), Chris Marquette (hilarious in The Girl Next Door), Jay Baruchel (funny and awkward as ever), Kristen Bell (gorgeous and talented as always), and Seth Rogan (whose mannerisms always seem to be funny). Who stole the show, however, was relatively obscure Dan Fogler. Part Booger from Revenge of the Nerds, part Jack Black without the tendency to irritate, Fogler absolutely stole every scene into which his hairy, obese body waddled (Do a Google picture search for "awesome none left" and you get a good idea of what he looks like).

Beyond the superbly blended cast is a heart-warming yet laugh out loud story of a group of twenty-something friends who have wanted one thing for years: to break into George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch and steal a copy of Phantom Menace before its release. Anyone in the sci-fi community can tell you that this release was HIGHLY anticipated, and executing this plan would have been akin to an Arthurian knight finding the Holy Grail. Watching the crew band together and embark on this perilous mission reminds me of, oh, I don't know, the crew from Star Wars minus the midget they should have had for Yoda perhaps? Although, it's a bit of a stretch to paint Kristen Bell as an obsessive Star Wars, sci-fi fan who dresses up as Leia and waits in line for the premiere of Phantom Menace; there can only be a handful of girls like that in the world.

For Star Wars and Star Trek fans (i.e. Trekkies or Trekkers, choose one), this movie is saturated with references, superb cameos, trivia, and enough "insider" moments to impress the true fanboys. If you waited in line to see the Phantom Menace and you haven't seen this, you're doing yourself a big disservice (they debate the inherently incestuous relationship between Luke and Leia). If you're just a random sci-fi fan and you haven't seen this, I highly recommend it. Even average movie fans should laugh enough to make this enjoyable.

Jason Elin

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Synopsis: Who in their right minds would concoct an insane plan like to drive across country to the estate of the great George Lucas, sneak in and spirit away with a copy of his soon to be released film Star Wars: Episode 1? It sounds like an idea that maybe a group of eight year olds would come doesn't it. That is if they could drive. Unfortunately this hair-brained plan is devised by 5 lifelong sci-fi, comic book fans who happened to be old enough to drive and stupid enough to attempt to do it. As the road unfolds before them, along with an endless series of insane encounters and unpredictable mishaps they experience along the way, their road trip begins to evolve into an epic quest for redemption and an unforgettable rite of passage that none will ever forget.

Critique: I didn't expect much from this film. I wasn't looking forward to wasting my time watching another dime a dozen crazy teenage road trip, low brow humor film. Well..., I was wrong. `Fanboy' is a well thought out, clever, immensely funny film is not only enjoyable on the initial viewing but will stand up well to the repeatability factor. I loved the cast, specially Kristen Bell (yes that's right, Kristen Bell) and Dan Fogler. Plenty of great cameos too! It certainly isn't Shakespeare but it sure is good for a lot of laughs.

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Four twenty-something childhood friends with a shared obsession for the greatest movie trilogy of all-time (Star Wars, for the clueless), reunite for the ultimate mission: To travel cross-country to George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch and steal a rough cut of "Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace" to view months before its official release. There's an honorable cause driving their madness though, as the group's most heartfelt member, Linus, is terminal with cancer and may not live to see the film otherwise. Together with rambunctious scoundrel Hutch (who drives a Star Wars fan's dream-van) and uber-nerd Windows, Linus and his "straying from the Force" best-friend, Eric, set out on the trip of a lifetime in search of their own, personal Death Star.

As the motley crew of rebels makes its way on the open road, naturally, they have a series of mishaps and misadventures. (*Mild Spoilers*) Their distaste for Trekkies leads them to a confrontation at a Captain Kirk statue dedication in Iowa. Soon after, they accidentally stumble into the wrong biker bar, have a strange experience with some marijuana-laced guacamole, Windows finally meets his internet dreamgirl, and an encounter with Harry Knowles of "Ain't It Cool News" sends them to Vegas for a secret meeting with a Skywalker Ranch insider, but not before they land themselves in jail and have to get bailed out by the comic shop hottie with a crush on one of the guys. Of course, it all leads up to one crazy infiltration attempt on Skywalker Ranch and a very touching finale.

So, that's the story of "Fanboys", quite simply, a film made for lovers of all-things Star Wars. Trekkies, beware; while this film may have some moments you'd enjoy, it definitely mocks the Trek. If you don't have a good sense of humor or acknowledge the fact that Star Wars is superior, you may just want to pick up a copy of "Free Enterprise" instead. Great film, but it's the Trek version of "Fanboys". "Free Enterprise" is more original and intellectual, and I love it because it goes beyond just Trek, but I gotta say, as a diehard, lifelong Star Wars fanatic, it made me anxious for something like "Fanboys" to come along.

Of course, "Fanboys" isn't perfect. The road-trip mission plot is anything but new, and the weak spots are some of those aforementioned misadventures. Two in particular come to mind. The gay biker bar bit seemed uninspired, though I liked the parallel with the Mos Eisley Cantina, and all the stuff right after that involving "The Chief" seemed rushed and awkward (don't get me wrong, who doesn't love Danny Trejo?). In general, there were times of missed opportunities to make things just a bit funnier. On the upside though, the film is still wholly enjoyable thanks to all the clever things that are included, mostly being Star Wars references, terrific cameos, and the humor of having a pop-culture obsession, thankfully treated here with total respect; something else that makes this a great film. "Fanboys" also has a great cast of rising stars, with Chris Marquette of "Just Friends" and "Race to Witch Mountain" as Linus, Sam Huntington of "Not Another Teen Movie" and "Superman Returns" as Eric, Dan Fogler from "Balls of Fury" as Hutch, Jay Baruchel of "Tropic Thunder" as Windows, Seth Rogan in multiple and hilarious roles, and the gorgeously stunning as always Kristen Bell as Zoe, the feisty comic shop princess. And, yes, girls like that do exist. There isn't one at my local comic shop, but I've seen them working the shop booths at Wizard World Texas(R.I.P.). I'll always remember a particularly cute one I saw the past two years from a comic shop in Plano. Though, I don't buy the filmmakers' implication that girls like that go unnoticed by the geeks around them because their interests make them "one of the guys". Nah, those girls are usually dating one of the comic shop employees, that's the problem, but I digress...

Yes, as I mentioned, one of the things that makes "Fanboys" great is that it treats the fans with respect (of course, that's what some critics seem to have had a problem with). It even cleverly handles the whole controversy of Episode 1 being... not good. Which is not my own opinion, just a seemingly popular one. In addition, the plot point of Linus's terminal condition adds a great depth to the whole thing that was nearly lost. Apparently, executive producer Harvey Weinstein wanted that left on the cutting room floor. Thank the Force that didn't happen. Fascinating that Director Kyle Newman seems to have gotten a taste of the very Dark Side George Lucas himself grew disgusted of having to deal with in Hollywood. And, before I forget to mention it, another very clever aspect of the film are the parallels with the Star Wars saga and its characters. It's not simple or overly in your face, thank goodness, as the characters even trade roles sometimes in terms of the parallels. Though, there's no question who Princess Leia is, and it's a shame she wears the gold bikini so briefly...

The DVD of "Fanboys" (currently, unfortunately, frustratingly, inexplicably not available on Blu in the U.S. at the time of this review) presents the film in widescreen with a PG-13 rating. It's nice to see a modern, 20-something roadtrip movie with a PG-13 rating, and I'm especially glad since Star Wars appeals to a wide age-range. Though, in all honesty, the PG-13 rating is misused these days. The crude humor (at least some of which I hear was producer-demanded in this case, though it's thankfully not excessive) is not something I'd call appropriate for 13 year-olds, ha. If memory serves, the PG-13 rating was created to deal more with violence than sexual and drug references, but now it seems to allow a very inappropriate amount of said material under its mantle. For such content, PG-15 or 16 would make more sense. But, hey, I don't really care that much, as I'm not a teen nor a parent. I just find it an interestingly disturbing thing what is officially considered acceptable for 13 year-olds these days. I prefer to avoid the whole issue and get "unrated" versions myself when available, ha. That way, it doesn't matter what your age is. Anyway, the DVD serves up a nice little collection of extras. We get deleted scenes (including the cut William Katt cameo; I wonder why they reshot that), a very entertaining and enlightening cast and crew commentary, a handful of behind the scenes featurettes and some behind-the-scenes webisodes as well. It's a shame they didn't try to get Lucas to let them put the Star Wars Holiday Special on there too.

So, I guess that's about it. "Fanboys" is not perfect, but it's still definitely great overall and thoroughly appreciated by myself and I suspect legions of others. However, if you're not a Star Wars fan, it might not do anything for you at all. It's probably not totally crucial to enjoyment of the film, but it certainly must help greatly. If you ARE a Star Wars fan though, definitely get this film. It's a MUST OWN!

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This movie sums up what it is to be a Star Wars fan. Get off my land, Trekkies!

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Gone Fishin' (1997)

The film starts out in New Jersey when Joe and Gus are around ages 10 12 years fishing on the shore. They are talking about life, their plans for the future. Joe is smoking a cigar. Gus warns him it is not healthy. Joe flicks the cigar back, it lands in a long pipe, which starts a fire that leads to some factory. In the background, the lights of a nearby city go out one after the other. In the next scene, Joe's photo makes front page news, he is credited with having caused a "blackout" in at least 1/3 of the city.

Next scene, Joe and Gus are adults, still best friends ... they live next door to each other, in almost identical houses. They have a family and are planning a "fishing trip of a lifetime" in the Florida Everglades. They drive down to Florida with their fishing boat behind them. They make a stop at a Florida cracker style restaurant and discuss their plans. A sophisticated British man, who it turns out is a con artist, overhears them. He plays them for suckers, while asking questions about fishing lures and flatters them for their knowledge and skills. After saying good-bye, he lifts the keys to their car and drives off. Joe and Gus look out the window and comment ... about someone having the same kind of car and fishing boat ... when it dawns on them what happened.

The hilarity continues ... somehow they manage to save their fishing boat and rationalize they are lucky, things could always be worse, at least they have their boat. The guys meet a wealthy fisherman who mentions a yacht club in Florida where he plans to go fishing, he invites them to visit. They are picked up by two young women, whom they believe are impressed with their looks and male attributes ... but who quiz them about the con artist. The conman had duped the mother of one young lady, married her and took off with her savings they are out for revenge. Joe and Gus manage to make it to a run-down fishing camp, which had been damaged by one of the hurricanes. They show the manager a "discount" coupon, which entitles them to live in a trailer. While watching "America's Most Wanted" they discover that the con artist, is notoriously famous, and there is a huge reward out for his capture ... their goal is to catch him. The guys manage to lose their boat ... they meet up with a yacht and boating salesman who talks them into a trial run on a sophisticated yacht for easy monthly payments that will last ... nearly a lifetime. The guys go out in the water and ruin a yacht race and run the yacht literally into the ground. They drop off the keys to the salesman declining to buy it.

Everywhere they go whatever they touch ends up literally smoking and burning. Things get very testy after they discover a map of where the con man left his stash. He knows they have the map and is hunting them. They do not realize the booty is guarded by Mad Maggie. This film is a hoot and worth watching if you love crazy antics. It is the unpredicatability of the twists in the plot which captivate the viewer. There is a song about fishing in the Everglades by Willie Nelson played as background music which adds extra spice to the wild and funny episodes. The ending is surprisingly good when Willie Nelson rescues the guys. In the final scene after catching the con artist, Joe and Gus are inteviewed on TV. They are heros and collect the reward money. Initially, the film seems absurd but once the viewer gets into the spirit of it, it is quite funny and truly worth viewing.

Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Gone fishing is a delightful movie that the whole family can enjoy.Joe Pescie and Danny Glover are deliver a good clean [no foul language] film that reminds me of the fun times when I went fishing...

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Mill Creek Entertainment has done it again, this time they have put out a stellar blu-ray edition of the buddy comedy "Gone Fishin'".

It's great to see the Lethal Weapon actors Joe Pesci and Danny Glover having such a great time together.

Country music legend Willie Nelson also appears in the film.

The PQ is great, and it's finally anamorphic, as the old Buena Vista dvd was not.

The AQ is nice too, to top it off the film's theatrical trailer is included.

Keep up the great job Mill Creek Entertainment!

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I really enjoy this DVD. It is one of the funniest, pure slapstick, movies I've ever seen. Joe Pesci and Danny Glover are at their best in this remarkable tale of travesty and luck.

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I almost hate to admit it, but I paid full price to see this in a cinema.

When the movie started we thought for SURE that it was a gag... We kept waiting for the REAL movie to start. When the credits started rolling at the end, we knew that that WAS the movie!

If I had to guess, Joe and Danny owed someone a HUGE favor as I just can't imagine either of them being excited about this FLOP!!!

If this thing only had a price of $0.01 it would be over-priced!

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Artie Lange's Beer League (2008)

This is a film that isn't for everyone,if you don't like blue collar type sports comedies..you may want to skip this.Surprisingly well acted this comedy really gives you a glimpse into softball beer leagues all around the Tristate(NJ,NY,Conn.) area..some people here seem to rate this movie negatively because they dont like Howard Stern(or Artie Lange on the Stern show) or they follow other lame morning radio shows but you can always rent this film and judge it for yourself.

I'm a huge Stern fan and saw this opening weekend. I laughed so much that I was in tears and my face and stomach hurt. This movie's not for everyone, but if you love raunchy, politically incorrect, nothing is sacred comedy, then you'll love this movie.

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I went to see this film, and laughed all the way through it. I took a friend who had never heard of Artie, and he laughed harder than I did. The writing is sharp, the jokes are cruel but effective, and portions of the film are so true-to-life that they look almost like a documentary.

This movie took a lot of flak from certain critics... who wouldn't know a good time if it bounced a ping pong ball off their head.

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This movie didn't get the wide release it deserved. Horrible comedies are released nationally every month and very few have more laughs than Beer League. It just may end up gaining some post-DVD release notoriety, such as "Office Space" did a few years ago. This movie needs to be judged *as a comedy*. That is to say, it really isn't fair to criticize the intricacies of the plot. Take it for what it is: A good, raunchy, R-Rated comedy with enough great one liners and sight gags to entertain you for 90 minutes.

When Ralph Macchio's character orders an overly healthy lunch in front of his regular-guy Jersey buddies, who wouldn't laugh when Artie says, "In Massachusetts that order could marry a dude."?

By the way, it's easy to spot the Opie And Anthony losers that have come here to crap on this. They're the ones speaking broken English and have "Hoo Hoo" somewhere in their name or message.

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Grab your bottle of Jack and box of Devil Dogs. This soon to be "cult-classic" will make you crack up and roll on the floor laughing. This movie is not going to win any awards. Yet it will be a movie that you will cherrish when you are drunk or just need a good lighthearted movie. Special bonus for the "pitching machine". This is a MUST SEE for Howard Stern fans.

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