Walking Tall (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (2004)

Walking Tall DVD

Walking Tall is a remake of [[ASIN:B000VDDDWI Walking Tall]. This time the Rock stars as an Army Officer who has come home to find his hometown full of vice and corruption. In this movie he finds a 4X4 versus an axe handle to use as a "helper". I think I'd prefer the axe handle. Highly recommended for fans of the Rock and for people who think Wrestling is real, but the moon landing was fake.

Gunner April, 2008

This movie is great, and full of action. I was never a fan of wrestling and knew very little about the Rock. I rented this movie last night for my boyfriend and I to watch. Since I was strictly informed not to get any chick-flicks, I figured this was the best choice. It is based on a true story about a guy named Beauford Pusser (gross name) who after comming home from the millitary notices a great deal of change in his home town. The mill he and his father once worked at is now closed and the main source of income for this small town is the casino/strip club owned by his former friend. Things turn ugly whe Chris Vaughn (The Rock) notice the casino is cheating their customers. He tries to go to the police and they are just as crooked as the casino, so the Rock takes matters into his own hands. Great movie choice for ladies wanting to please their boyfriend with a non-chickflick. But don't worry ladies even if you don't like the story line, you will still enjoy it, because the Rock is very nice to look at!! Enjoy.

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i went to see this movie and was very pleased with it. i thought the rock did an excellent job. i do not watch wrestling so i do not have my judgement clouded by whatever his character was like on tv. but in this movie i thought he gave a believeable preformance. i loved the rundown so i had to check this one out too.

Read Best Reviews of Walking Tall (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) (2004) Here

If you don't really expect anything from this movie, it's totally fine. It's entertaining, not too long, doesn't really make you think or dig for any emotional response. It's just telling a "guy stands up for what's right" story in very 80's fashion but with less craziness. Saw it in the theater, don't know why, but was totally fine with it.

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As society in general became progressively more liberal in the 1970's, an entire genre of films rose up in reaction to the trend movies in which an individual, frustrated with a legal system that seemed to be coddling criminals, took it upon himself to mete out his own brand of "frontier justice," usually involving personal vengeance and vigilante-style violence. The seminal films of this genre "Billy Jack," "Dirty Harry," "Death Wish" and "Walking Tall" all found favor with mass audiences, although critics tended to dismiss them as, at best, reactionary, and, at worst, neo-fascist in nature. Now, one of them, "Walking Tall," has been retrofitted to cater to audiences in the already far more conservative 21st Century.

The original 1973 "Walking Tall" was based on the true story of Buford Pusser, the sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee, who won fame by single-handedly wiping out the criminal elements who had overrun his town. It was a one-man "crusade for justice" that came at great personal cost to himself and his family (his wife was murdered and Pusser died a few years later in a "mysterious" car accident). In this new version which eliminates most of the grittier elements of the story and turns it into a rock'em-sock'em, live-action cartoon Pusser`s name has been changed to Chris Vaughn and the locale has been moved from the Appalachians to the Pacific Northwest. Chris is a recently discharged soldier who, upon returning to his small hometown, discovers that the place has become a hotbed of vice and corruption, its citizenry forced to live in fear under the tyrannical control of the local casino owner and all-around meanie, Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough). When Chris has finally had a bellyful of malfeasance and sleaze, he decides to run for sheriff, vowing to bring the criminals to their knees, and thus allowing the good folks of the town to reclaim their community.

This is a silly and shallow film whose only real purpose seems to be to give the perpetually self-righteous and outraged Vaughn an excuse to hurl endless bric-a-brac and breakaway furniture around the set while the local townsfolk look on in slack-jawed amazement. Never one to be deterred by such quaint and fusty notions as civil liberties or Miranda rights, Sheriff Vaughn chases down the bad guys one by one, smashing heads and busting bones as he goes. The plot is so underdeveloped that the final confrontation scene between Chris and his arch nemesis, Hamilton, feels like a mere afterthought. The film runs barely 75 minutes, yet boasts a 10-minute long closing credit sequence to pad it out to 85! It's as if even the filmmakers themselves had run out of interest in the project and figured they might as well just wrap things up as quickly as possible so they would be free to move on to bigger and better things.

Usually, in a film based on true life events, when the names are changed, it's to protect the innocent. In the case of "Walking Tall," it's more likely that the people who made the film were trying to protect themselves from being sued by the Pusser estate.

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Shoot 'Em Up (2008)

Whoah! If you're looking for mindless action, THIS is the movie for you.

It's over the top, totally unbelievable, physically impossible, but absolutely brilliant all at the same time.

2 minute version:

Clive Owen eats a lot of carrots, and values his privacy. There are many things that he absolutely hates, and he comes into contact with most of these things when he unwillingly gets involved in a plot to kill a very pregnant young woman. Suddenly faced with a nanny job, he shoots his way out of the frying pan and into the fire, each scenario more draw-dropping-ly impossible than the last. Paul Giamatti plays an unlikely criminal mastermind and Monica Bellucci is under-utilized as the proverbial professional with a heart of gold except she's also got a chest of milk to go with it. Things get political, and hopelessly complicated, and of course there's lots and lots (and lots) of shooting, during any (and I do mean ANY) situation.

Good stuff:

1. Clive Owen

2. Clive Owen's one-liners

3. Clive Owen's stunts

4. The hilariously bad but breathtaking, yet impossible scenarios

5. Paul Giamatti's cell phone calls

6. The body count

7. Clive Owen's nude scene

8. Clive Owen

Bad stuff:

1. Carrots are DEFINITELY not good for some people

2. Not enough Bellucci

3. Plot (nuff said) but then again, we don't need no steenkin' plot

If you can forget that this movie professes to have a plot, you're in for a rollicking good (but extremely violent) time. Definitely a must-see if you're looking for mindless adult entertainment, and don't mind looking at Clive Owen.

Rated: 4.5 stars

Amanda Richards, December 9, 2007

SHOOT 'EM UP is well named: this is a whompingly good action movie that is as much parody of its genre as it is a good story. It never for a moment takes itself seriously and it is played by a strong cast of top-drawer actors having a terrific time. Writer/director Michael Davis has found his niche and let's hope there will be more dark comedies that are as much fun to watch as this one.

The story is negligible: lone man Smith (Clive Owen at his best) observes a pregnant woman in chased distress, delivers her baby, then finishes off the huge gang of bad guys who are in pursuit, taking the newborn boy to transient safety. Smith finds a lactating prostitute Donna (beautiful Monica Bellucci), takes her from her business of kinky sex and makes her the baby's surrogate mother. A smarmy gangster Hertz (Paul Giamatti in another career forming role), connected to an illicit arms manufacturer Hammerson (Stephen McHattie), is in pursuit of both Smith and the baby for reasons that are finally disclosed: the baby is part of a ring of potential bone marrow donors for an important Senator. The ending is, well, an ending. But it is the getting there that is all the fun.

The dialog is peppered with hilarious one-liners that have a real edge and the methods of the endless killings include several using the carrot that Smith keeps at hand as a weapon. The shootings are fast and impossible but actually hilarious in the choreography. Clive Owen plays the role straight, with a real gift for humor as well as action. Paul Giamatti is a sinister delight and able to match Owens one-liner for one-liner. Monica Bellucci makes her impossible role credible and as always is gorgeous to look at! This is a fast paced, finely written and acted parody definitely deserving of the comic book title! Grady Harp, January 08

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Yes, this movie is completely over the top. That's the point !!!!!!!!!! The film is a caricature of action films. The action hero is named "Mr. Smith." The hooker has a heart of gold. The body count is enormous! They have a baby in a bulletproof vest!!! I have no idea how anyone could take this movie seriously. You aren't supposed to!!! If you love action movies, and have a good sense of humor, you will enjoy this movie. This movie is great fun. I laughed my *ss off! And Clive Owen is seriously hot!!! (and for the guys.... Monica Bellucci is beautiful.)

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Almost every low review written about "Shoot 'Em UP" is from a person who COMPLETELY missed the point. Anyone who watches this movie needs to understand that this movie is a "S P O O F" !!!!!!

This is one of the funniest spoofs I have ever seen. Hands down.

"Shoot 'Em Up" does not have in depth characters, it IS SUPPOSED TO BE misogynistic, and if you try to take it seriously for one second..... you're going to hate it. Watch this film when you need a good laugh. The dialog is hysterical. Every scene from start to finish is completely "Over the Top", but still executed with big budget precision. The acting is absolutely dead on perfect. I think it was marketed very badly, and THAT'S why it did poorly at the box office.

Watch this movie when you need a good laugh, you won't regret it.

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What should you expect when you have a movie whose stunt crew is about 3 times the size of the cast? One thing's for sure...you should get a lot of action packed sequences. and Shoot 'Em Up delivers.

In fact, it was no surprise to hear that the script was written around a lot of preconceived action . That fact certainly didn't make Shoot 'Em Up a bad movie; it was actually pretty good. But it did come across as a plethora of spectacular stunts that just needed a halfway decent story to get produced as a movie.

The stunts are spectacular. They go nicely with the 100% deliberate hokeyness of the film. A black comedy to some...a kind-of comic book/animation come to life to others. The death defying feats are way over the top, but again, it's all intentional on the part of Writer/Director Michael Davis.

Clive Owen, who's really made a name for himself lately (Sin City, Children of Men, Inside Man), does a fabulous job as leading man in Shoot "Em Up. And Paul Giamatti, in his one billionth role I think, is as fun to watch as ever.

Owen is the carrot-eating good guy and Giamatti is the bad guy. Owen by chance inserts himself a political conspiracy that is run by Giamatti, and the result is a fast-past, surreal, action-packed...well...Shoot 'Em Up.

I was thoroughly entertained, but found myself saying out loud, "oh, yeah, right" over and over throughout the movie. So if you don't mind a little over the top silliness with your action, Shoot 'Em Up is right up your alley.

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Galaxy Quest (1999)

Those are the best two words to describe Galaxy Quest. Another good phrase would be "one of the best movies Dreamworks has produced so far".

It's been a long time since I've seen a parody film hit its intended targets with such accuracy and finesse. The movie deals with the crew of the Protector, a spaceship that exists only in reruns of the strangely familiar early 80's ensemble SF TV show Galaxy Quest. Exiled to mall shows and science-fiction fan conventions, they live out their days signing autographs for fanatical, show-quoting groupies until they're propositioned by some rather distinctive "fans" for a very special mission...

What ensues is an incredibly fun skewering of the whole Star Trek experience, effortlessly bouncing from knowing parody to rollicking action to heartfelt emotion. And it's all headed by a top-flight cast led by Tim Allen as Jason Nesmith/Commander Peter Quincy Taggart. Aiding and abeting him is his flouncy blonde side-kick, played by...Sigourney Weaver! This brilliant casting coup alone should tip you off to the film-makers' attitude towards the subject matter. Also present is Alan Rickman in an incredible turn as the token alien cast member who longs to return to Shakespeare, Tony Shalhoub as the boggled engineer, and Daryl Mitchell as the cute kid who is now all grown up. But as good as the human cast is, they fade into the background whenever they interact with the true aliens of the picture, the Thermanians. Masking their true squidlike form in a human disquise, they lurch across the screen speaking in stretched and strangled accents with ever-present goofy grins on their faces.

It matters not if you're a bred-in-the-bone Trekkie or wouldn't know a Mark I phaser if it jumped up and stunned you...there is just so much to enjoy here. It probably does help if you're at least familiar with the source of the various in-jokes contained within, but Galaxy Quest is careful to surround its Trekian pokes with a surprisingly touching story of personal redemption.

Sure there are plot holes the size of black holes, and the motivations for the aliens' actions are as vaporous as a plasma cloud. But this is one of those movies that revels in its own wonderous creations so much that you really just don't give a damn about blasted logic. Hurry to the video store today, a video gem like this comes around about as often as Halley's Comet.

In December of 1999, director Dean Parisot unleashed what is arguably the funniest sci-fi/comedy film of all time, "Galaxy Quest", which focuses upon the dissatisfied lives of five actors who had starred in a long-cancelled sci-fi television series of the same name. Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) played ship's captain Commander Peter Quincey Taggart. Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver, who is no stranger to sci-fi with her roles in the "Alien" films) played Lt. Madison. Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman, also known for his roles as Hans Gruber in the 1988 film "Die Hard" and Professor Snape in the two "Harry Potter" films) played Dr. Lazarus. Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub) played ship's engineer Tech Sgt. Chen and Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell) played ship's pilot Laredo. Following the cancellation of the TV series, none of the actors had found descent acting jobs. Instead, they were relegated to appearing occasionally as their former "Galaxy Quest" characters at fan conventions and infrequent commercials. Especially frustrated is Alexander Dane, a trained Shakespearean actor who cannot escape the stigma of having said those immortal words, "By Grabthar's hammer, by the suns of Warvan, you shall be avenged!"

The film begins at a "Galaxy Quest" convention where the quintet is preparing to appear. Unbeknownst to them, not all of the conventioneers dressed as aliens are pretending. A group of uniformed "aliens" approach Jason (dressed as Commander Taggart) saying that they are in dire need of his assistance. Jason quickly agrees and assumes that the group is planning to pay him to appear as Commander Taggart at a fan-function. Following a night of drinking at his home, the "aliens" arrive in a limousine (per Jason's request) to escort him to their function. The "aliens", calling themselves Thermians, are Mathesar (Enrico Colantoni), Teb (Jed Rees) and Laliari (Missi Pyle). While en route to their function, Teb recites the lengthy history of Thermia to Jason, but Jason (who has a hangover) falls asleep. (Jason doesn't take the Thermians seriously; instead believing that they are simply "Galaxy Quest" fans.) Jason awakens to what he believes is a very elaborate set mimicking the NSEA Protector from the "Galaxy Quest" show. Mathesar (who always refers to Jason as Commander Taggart) tells him that the Thermians want him to negotiate a peace treaty with General Sarris (Robin Sachs). Instead, "Commander Taggart" orders the Thermians to fire upon Sarris' ship. Assuming that he has completed his performance, Jason tells Mathesar that he is ready to return home. Mathesar escorts him to an empty room and leaves. Jason, not understanding what is happening, is suddenly enveloped within a strange substance and raised to the ship's exterior where he sees millions of stars in deep space. He is suddenly shot from the ship, then finds himself standing next to his swimming pool at home. Jason finally realizes that the Thermians are real extraterrestrials, and that they mistakenly regard the "Galaxy Quest" show (which they received in deep space) as being historical fact.

The other four "Galaxy Quest" actors are busy filming a commercial for the opening of an electronics store and are disgusted because Jason isn't there. Jason arrives late and tells them about his experience with the Thermians, but they think he has lost his mind. Jason tells them that the Thermians want him to return and that he wants them to come also. They initially reject it, but change their minds when they mistakenly believe that it's a paying job. Gwen, Alexander, Fred and Tommy are whisked away to the Thermian's NSEA Protector, along with another actor named Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell), who had played a bit part on the original "Galaxy Quest" show. With that, the most important role for each of the washed up "Galaxy Quest" actors begins!

Dean Parisot, along with writers David Howard and Robert Gordon, created a brilliant and engaging spoof of the show "Star Trek", its conventions and trekkies with "Galaxy Quest". Tim Allen equated with William Shatner (Kirk), Alan Rickman with Leonard Nimoy (Spock), Sigourney Weaver with Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), Tony Shalhoub with James Doohan (Scotty) and Daryl Mitchell with George Takei (Sulu). Other sci-fi comedy spoof that predate "Galaxy Quest" (such as "Ice Pirates", "Pluto Nash" and "Spaceballs") are no where near as good, engaging or funny.

All of the actors in "Galaxy Quest" performed their roles exceptionally well. Two actor who played significant minor roles were Patrick Breen, who played the Thermian named Quelleck, and Jeremy Howard, who played the young and very helpful "Galaxy Quest" fan named Kyle.

I highly recommend purchasing "Galaxy Quest" on DVD, which has superior picture and sound quality, and includes several deleted scenes, trailers, biographies, the feature "On Location in Space" and production notes. "Galaxy Quest" is a film that can be watched many times while never becoming tiresome. Sit back and remember those immortal words, "Never give up! Never surrender!" as you are whisked away into the fantastic world of "Galaxy Quest"!

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I have been a Star Trek fan for the longest time & for that simple reason, my girl friend never bothered watching the series with me. But then again, unknowingly, Star Trek's culture has imbedded into our day to day living. If you say phrases like "Beam Me Up, Scottie"; "Live Long & Prosper" whilst displaying the V sign, your friends just understand immediately what you're implying. Anyway, my girl friend came with me to the cinema reluctantly & she couldn't help shaking her head noticing that the cinema was filled with males especially the geeky type, something like me! Anyway, when the movie started, she couldn't help laughing her heads off with the goofy storyline. On top of the mockery of the Star Trek series, what I'm finding this movie endearing is seeing all those familiar actors from TV series such as Elliott in Just Shoot Me, Mitchell from Veronica's Closet, Tim Allen in Home Improvement, the taxi guy from Wings strutting their stuff. What's even amusing is seeing Sigourney Weaver playing a busty bimbo (a far cry from her Ripley role in Alien & sequels), & Alan Rickman virtually playing himself as an actor with English theatre background forcing himself re-enacting the role of this Spock character again & again & still, the spotlight is always taken by Tim Allen who's potraying the role of William Shatner. What's even more delightful about the movie is that in the end, good prevails over evil. The underlying themes of the movies would be the significance of teamwork, & self belief. A wonderful film to be shared with family members & friends. What's even more unbelievable is that my girl friend can't wait for the sequel, if there's any! On the sideline, Stan Winston, the special effect guy who had brought us the Alien creature is in his usual best. By the way, the space ship is as corny as ever.

Read Best Reviews of Galaxy Quest (1999) Here

In 1999, "Galaxy Quest" was a film that surprised many sci fi fans when it was released to theaters. At first, many people were not sure if it would be a parody to "STAR TREK" but in the end, the film was actually paying homage to the popular television series.

The film is directed by television director David Parisot (who directed shows such as "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Monk", "ER" and many other series) and is based on a story by David Howard and a screenplay co-written with Ric McElvin ("Men in Black II" , "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "Addicted to Love", etc.).

The film has received praise from Star Trek alumni such as George Takei, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart and Will Wheaton and has received nearly all positive reviews from film critics upon its release in theaters back in 1999.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Galaxy Quest Deluxe Edition" has been digitally remastered for this DELUXE EDITION/10th Year release. I haven't done any comparisons to my original 2000 DVD version of the film but I could tell by watching it, scenes like the mission obtain Beryllium, this would shine on Blu-ray. But for now, on DVD the colors look vibrant with the Earth tone colors and blue skies make things absolutely beautiful. Video is presented in widescreen. So, overall, for a DVD release, the picture quality and the new remastering looked great.

As for the audio, audio is presented ala English 5.1 Surround (as well as Spanish 5.1 Surround) and comes with a Thermian 2.0 Surround track. I will say that watching this film again, I heard a good number special effects from the various channels. Audio sounds very good, I was noticing small details such as the damaged spaceship, the Protector trying to use its remaining engines to move the ship and hearing it trying to move in space on your front channel and rear channels speakers. I don't recall hearing those small details back in 2000. I felt the audio seemed cleaner and clearer in this deluxe edition.

With a new digital remaster for the DVD coinciding with the 10th Anniversary of the film's release, I can only hope that we get a 1080p High Definition transfer with lossless audio. Knock on wood, I hope there will be a Blu-ray release coming soon!

But for now, compared to the original DVD release, this is the better DVD version to own for now in terms of picture and audio quality.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Galaxy Quest Deluxe Edition" comes with newer special features to celebrate the film's 10th Anniversary. The original DVD released in 2000 had special DVD Easter Eggs (related to the Omega 13) and a "On Location in Space" featurette that are not included on this deluxe edition, so you may not want to throw out your original 2000 DVD. But this Deluxe Edition comes with newer features recently created in 2009 and are very enjoyable.

* Historical Documents: The Story of Galaxy Quest (18:14) A new featurette with recent interviews with Dean Parisot (Director), Bob Gordon (Screenwriter) and David Howard (screenwriter). Also, new interviews with the cast of "Galaxy Quest". A fun and informative featurette of how the film came about, how the talent felt about being at a science fiction convention and being a bit weirded out by the experience and also certain segments that play homage to "Star Trek".

* Never Give Up. Never Surrender: The Intrepid Crew of the NSEA Protector (23:25) This featurette goes into the casting of "Galaxy Quest". The cast is interviewed and give their thoughts of their character and what they remember during the filming. Interesting tidbits of Sigourney Weaver being in character once she had the blonde wig and attracting a lot of eyes. How Alan Rickman was very cool and calm. Tim Allen and Daryl Mitchell always having fun on the set and really interesting situations that happened during the filming of "Galaxy Quest".

* By Grabthar's Hammer, What Amazing Effects (7:03) How popular Stan Winston worked on special effects for the alien monsters and Industrial Light and Magic working on the CG effects. How the camera work for "Galaxy Quest" was trying to recapture that Star Trek original series cinematography feel and much more!

* Alien School Creating the Thermian Race (5:23) How Enrico Colantoni (Mathesar) came up with the Thermian speech from vocal training they did at Yale. How during "alien school", they would have to learn how to walk and move.

* Actors in Space (6:11) In this segment, we learn how being in a popular series, an actor can get pigeonholed. Tim Allen talks about people even today thinking he's Tim Taylor of "Home Improvement", Justin Long talking about despite his film work, he's still looked as "The Mac Guy", Daryl Mitchell known for his work on "House Party" and more.

* Sigourney Weaver Raps (1:59) Sigourney Weaver's agent's birthday was coming up, so Sigourney asked Daryl Mitchell to help her create a rap for Sam Cohn and together with Sam Rockwell, Missi Pyle, Jed Rees, the five created a music video as a birthday present.

* Additional Scenes: Deleted Scenes (Used on 2000 release) A total of eight deleted scenes. Some of these features include commentary by the talent or Director Dean Parisot and David Howard.

* Thermian Audio Track An audio track featured completely in Thermian. Personally, even when this was on the original 2000 DVD, has anyone ever watched the film completely in Thermian?

* Theatrical Trailer (Used on 2000 release) (1:54) Original theatrical trailer.

The slip cover has a front cover that features Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Tim Allen in character, standing cool and collected (the image shown above on this review) and when you shift the front of the cover slightly, it shows the three firing their weapons.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Galaxy Quest Deluxe Edition" is definitely a wonderful 10th Anniversary release.

I have never grown tired of this film and for any Star Trek fan or science fiction fan, you can't help but enjoy and laugh and be thoroughly entertained by the various talent and the overall wackiness of the storyline.

The new special features is what makes this film worth buying again on DVD. To have everyone return for an interview and talk about their love for the film and how well it was received and how it has become a sci-fi classic was just fun to watch. And the behind-the-scenes tidbits you learn about the shenanigans that went behind-the-scenes to the actual creation of the film, was also informative and entertaining.

If there is one thing that I can hope for, that would be a high definition Blu-ray release of this film. With its 10th Anniversary, I was a bit surprised that only a new DVD was announced at this time. But with the film now receiving a new digital remastering, I can only hope for a HD 1080p transfer and lossless audio, to me, that would be the icing on the cake.

But overall, this new deluxe edition was just fantastic and if you are a big fan of "Galaxy Quest", on DVD, this is the definitive version to own. Highly recommended!

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When the entertainment industry pokes fun at itself sincerely, the results can be hilarious. Such is the case with the cornball science fantasy movie "Galaxy Quest."

"Galaxy Quest" was a science fiction television show with more than a passing similarity to "Star Trek." As with the latter show, "Galaxy Quest" was cancelled. Now the dispirited actors seem doomed to an endless cycle of overzealous fans at "Galaxy Quest" conventions. Adding to the actor's torment is the attitude of Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), who played Commander Peter Quincy Taggart in the show. Nesmith's cheery attitude and self-importance have worn thin on his fellow cast mates, Gwen Demarco as sexy Lt. Tawny Madison (Sigourney Weaver), Alexander Dane as brainy Dr. Lazarus (Alan Rickman), and Fred Kwan as Tech Sgt. Chen (Tony Shalhoub).

Interrupting their doldrums is a group of individuals who would appear weird to anyone outside a science fiction convention. As members of the convention they appear to be about as strange, or normal, depending on your point of view, as anyone else. However, Jason Nesmith soon learns that this strange foursome is more than they seem as they spirit him off to their genuine spaceship, NSEA Protector.

At first Jason is somewhat excited at the opportunity to be on a genuine spaceship, and eventually brings the rest of the crew, including bit part player Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell), back to the ship with him. However, the aliens crewing the ship, the Thermians, have a very real, very ruthless nemesis to contend with, and the former crew of "Galaxy Quest" discover they are out of their depth.

The Thermians brought the crew of "Galaxy Quest" on board because they discovered certain "historical documents" that were transmitted into space many years earlier. The somewhat innocent, though highly intelligent and creative, Thermians were unable to recognize the television show "Galaxy Quest" as being make-believe.

The movie moves forward with a number of creative and often humorous moments, alternating between hilarity and seriousness, with even a few moments of compassion. Every cliché and stereotype from the original "Star Trek" is exploited for a laugh. In the climax the actors rely on hardcore fans for their in-depth knowledge of the show to save them. It is difficult to avoid enjoying the ending, even if you are not a fan of science fiction.

"Galaxy Quest" is an excellent companion movie to the original "Star Trek" television series. Even non-Trek fans will pick up on most of the gags. There is a lot of action and you can expect the usual implausibilities that tend to accompany television science fiction. However, the results are humorous and enjoyable. You will find this movie worth more than one watch.

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Crank / Crank 2 (Two-Pack) (2010)

I myself have not experienced any issues watching either film as numerously complained about all over the web and on most of the other reviews here. Crank 1 takes itself a touch more seriously while 2 just completely blurs the lines between reality and goofiness. I love both films for what they are, adrenaline packed action with an unrealistic story and concept.

The issue most people are referring to is that with older players the crank 2 disc works fine, but with newer ones that do not have a built in hard drive to receive updates the disc will sometimes not work. Or will work in weird ways. It seems this update forces itself to download and then if it isn't able to be received it wonks out the film. Two things to clear this up, first off get your blu-ray player online with the most up to date firmware installed, and secondly if the blu ray player doesn't have a hard drive built in. Such as my own (Samsung BD-c5500). Then just plug a USB stick of 1gb or higher on any of the player's ports and it will download the updates and work fine for any BD-Live enabled film including this one.

I hadn't received any updates at all when putting in this disc, and cannot even find any of the LG-Live/BD-Live content. Where on a disc like the expendables the content is in plain site, either they removed it for future prints, or perhaps I'm just not looking where I am supposed to?

The picture quality and sound is excellent, the movies are lots of fun but very mature in nature and not meant for kids or people who can't handle, nudity, lot's of cursing, and violence.

I give this set an A grade wise. Statham kicks A** in these ;)

I bought this set. Crank 1 (Disc 1) was good, but Crank 2 (Disc 2). It had the same issue like other reviews (showing 2 inches square box)

Thanks for Amazon's Customer Service Return policy.

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Crank 2 won't play. The picture shows a small square in the center of the screen and the rest of the screen is black. Upgrading the firmware in the blu-ray player did not help any.

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The problem is the BD Live needs somewhere to store updates, if there isn't any internal or external memory on your blu-ray player you will get that small annoying square in the center of your TV screen. The good news is that it is easy to resolve simply by adding memory with a SD Card or USB flash drive.

Old blu-ray players may not have a problem, as that hardware lacks any BD Live functionality. And naturally, if you own a PS3, the title plays without problems because of the built in hard drive.

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I was extremely unhappy with my purchase. the crank 2 does not work in my sony blu ray player. tryin to get it fixed has also been a nightmare. i have owed it for a few weeks and havnt been able to watch it yet. :(

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Funny Girl (1968)

First off the DVD: It's a letterbox transfer of pristine new print that has been digitally restored (sometimes frame by frame) back to its original condition. Funny Girl hasn't looked this good in thirty years so if you've only seen it on VHS or TV, you're in for a visual treat. I saw the restored print on a huge screen this past fall, and believe me, this transfer does it justice. In addition they have included the pre-show and intermission music as well. The additional documentary material is nothing to write home about. But I think whoever did the DVD menu deserves kudos for styling it like the New Amsterdam theater marquee from the first shot of the movie, with highlights from the film playing in the background. Very appropriate and very clever.

Funny Girl is A.) the musical biography of comedienne-singer Fanny Brice, and B.) the Oscar-winning film debut of 26 year old Barbra Streisand. As theatrical history lesson it's pretty flawed (Arnstein was Brice's *second* husband, for example). The Streisand Brice connection is strong, however. Fanny, like Barbra, wore her Jewishness as a badge of honor in contrast to most Jewish performers of the day, who tried to blend in as much as possible. As a matter of fact, the "You Are Woman, I Am Man" seduction scene plays like a Brice "Follies" sketch.

And as a star vehicle for Striesand, it's a winner. "I'm the Greatest Star" at the beginning of the picture is an electrifying jolt of raw, pure talent. At the end of them film when she falters on the opening words of "My Man", you'll remember what it feels like to watch your beloved walk out of your life.

William Wyer seems to be aware that he's launching a new star. The way he introduces Barbra that long walk with her back to the camera in the leopard coat ending with the first teasing glimpse of her face in the mirror "Hello, gorgeous." It was a closeup that many film folk were sure would have audiences recoiling in horror. Certainly plain looking Barbra couldn't make it as a movie star. Well, it's not news anymore but it turns out that Barbra photographs beautifully. Even Barbra-hater Rex Reed had to admit at the time, "It took the combined efforts of God knows how many people to do it, but I'll be damned if they haven't made her beautiful!"

Omar Sharif plays opposite Barbra, and he holds up his end of the film nicely, no small feat when you consider that the script gives him little to do and the entire property has been tailored to Streisand's strengths. No one else registers, with the possible exception of Kay Medford as Fanny's mother. (Poor Anne Francis sued Columbia after the film was released, claiming Streisand had her cut out of the finished film. Most of you are sitting there thinking, "Anne, who?")

All in all, one of the better Sixties Broadway musical adaptations. (Note: Funny Girl was nominated for Best Picture in 1968. It lost to another Columbia Pictures musical Oliver! If you liked Funny Girl, check out Oliver! it's a better movie, even though it has no star names over the title. More 1968 Oscar trivia Barbra won for Best Actress in a tie with Kathrine Hepburn of "Lion in Winter". In Oscar balloting there can only be a tie when there are the exact same number of votes. Why do I mention this? Well, it just so happens that because of her "special stature" in the industry, Barbra Streisand was admitted as a voting member of the Academy that year with the release of just her first film. I wonder who she voted for???? If she hadn't been given special treatment, maybe Kate Hepburn's name would had been the only one announced that night!)

The ultimate showcase for an actress, Barbra Streisand's highly publicized film debut in FUNNY GIRL met every single expectation and then some. The film was the highest-grossing film of 1968, and it's very easy to see why. The film has many great qualities: It's expertly directed by three-time Academy Award winner William Wyler (the finale of the "Don't Rain On My Parade" number is just as astonishing as the chariot race in Wyler's BEN HUR), the storyline is extremely compelling, Omar Sharif is an incredibly suave and charismatic leading man, the supporting players are perfectly cast (particularly Kay Medford, Lee Allen, and Walter Pidgeon), and the song score (primarily by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill) is first-rate.

However, virtually everything that FUNNY GIRL has working for it would be worthless without Barbra Streisand's absolutely phenomenal performance. I honestly cannot think of enough good descriptive adjectives to do justice to her amazing performance in this film. She handles drama, comedy, music numbers, and tearjerking sentiment with equal aplomb, and she does it all better than any actress before or since. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had no choice but to honor her with the Oscar for Best Actress (in an extremely rare tie with academy favorite Katherine Hepburn; only the second tie in Oscar history to date), it is a performance that is nothing less than perfect.

About the DVD: Columbia-Tristar has done an excellent job in bringing FUNNY GIRL to DVD. The restoration of the original source elements may have taken nearly three years to complete, but it was time well spent the picture quality is gorgeous! Sure, there are a few nicks on the print, but the color, sharpness, and virtually everything else is nearly flawless. Quite possibly one of the best vintage transfers yet. The sound is also excellent, and while there are no new features included (only vintage featurettes I expect we'll see a special edition re-issue in the future) the menu design is fantastic.

Buy Funny Girl (1968) Now

Wow. One usually becomes a Streisand fan after seeing this movie. I certainly did. Streisand's movie debut begs the question: "Is a nose with deviation such a crime against the nation?" (sung by Fanny Brice's mother in the film). Barbra is Fanny is Barbra. When Streisand as Fanny tells Omar Shariff as Nick that he made her feel "beautiful", who can not love this woman?

The new DVD includes a restored version of the film and an incredibly clear soundtrack. Unless you saw the limited theatrical release this summer, then you have probably never seen FUNNY GIRL in its widescreen presentation. For years I had watched a faded pan-and-scan VHS version. Barbra's hilarious business of straightening her dress in the "You Are Woman" scene is completely cut out in pan-and-scan! Director William Wyler shot the film with a lot of widescreen compositions that the pan-and-scan versions always butchered. Thank you, Columbia, for this restored, widescreen DVD!

I remember watching THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT and seeing highlight clips from famous musicals. They showed "Don't Rain On My Parade" from FUNNY GIRL ...Barbra on the tug boat holding that note ("Paa-aa-raaaaaad-de") as the camera revealed the Statue of Liberty. I was thrilled. The DVD contains a theatrical short that shows behind the scenes footage of how they shot the entire "Parade" number -really incredible footage!

The movie's second act, a bit slow, gives Streisand the chance to show her acting chops!

"My Man" at the movie's end features a "live" Streisand vocal as she cries on stage then triumphantly finishes. That scene won Barbra the Oscar. It is truly incredible.

I am disappointed that the DVD did not include more of the scenes I've always heard about but never seen. The AFI tribute (on ABC earlier this year) remains the only place you can see scenes from the Swan Ballet number that were cut. Also, I wish there was a Streisand commentary. Can you imagine the reflections about making this film that she could share?

People who see FUNNY GIRL are the luckiest people in the world.

Read Best Reviews of Funny Girl (1968) Here

We has the good fortune to see the newly restored version of FUNNY GIRL on the big screen last month. There were 6 of us in our group (3 men & 3 women) and we all loved every minute of it. The colors in the new print are fabulous, the soundtrack is enhanced, & Barbra is even better than you expect her to be. So here's my question: why was there so little hype for the theatrical re-release of this wonderful film?!?!?

I sent this question to the Internet Movie Database & I was told that FUNNY GIRL was "not a groundbreaking movie or even an important one."

Well, now, let's just look @ this a little closer. Watching it again for the first time in 30 years, one thing that amazed me was how deliberately Wyler had framed Streisand's famous nose. In many scenes, her face is shown in profile against a dark background, so that "the bump" is very pronounced. This actually occurs when she's singing PEOPLE, her big "romantic number."

We are used to hearing that De Niro & Pacino changed the standard of on-screen beauty & made "ethnic" stars acceptable, but it should now be clear that the bulldozer that broke this barrier was Streisand. There she is, surrounded by gorgeous chorus girls, but no one can have any question about who "the star" is.

One final comment: FUNNY GIRL was originally released in 1968, in other words about 5 years before the first publication of MS Magazine & the dawn of the Women's Movement. But here's this woman asserting herself & taking control. Framing her on that tugboat, & sending her plowing right in front of the Statue of Liberty is the most aggressive declaration of reaching out for the American Dream that I know of -in what other country could a woman even dream of such a thing?

With all due respect, I suggest folks take another look @ this film before thinking they can consign it to the dustbin of history. I can't wait to add the DVD to my permanent collection!!!

Want Funny Girl (1968) Discount?

Hello, gorgeous. Funny Girl is the ultimate Streisand film. Barbra's Oscar winning film debut as the Ziegfeld star Fannie Brice has never been in better form. After a frame-by-frame image restoration and digitally remastered audio, this popular musical packs all the glitter of its 1968 premiere.

Ray Stark, son-in-law to the legendary Brice, first began working on a screen biography of his famous mother-in-law in 1948, but Brice herself rejected several scripts. Nearly a decade later, he commissioned a new screenplay from Isobel Lennart. When studios didn't bite, Lennart adapted her script for Broadway, with Jule Styne and Bob Merrill getting the nod to write the songs. Stark tapped a young Barbra Streisand, already a Broadway sensation in "I can get it for you wholesale" to play the Brice. The rest is entertainment history.

This DVD presentation is spectacular in quality, but its "Special Features" pale in comparison to those of "The Way We Were." The documentaries "Barbra in Movieland" and "This is Streisand" are almost camp in their approach and scope, and I long for a present-day interview (better yet, audio commentary) with la Streisand that would have put the making of this film in better context. I'm hoping her future films, especially her directorial efforts, include a director commentary and background footage. (Barbra, can you hear me?)

That said, Funny Girl is still the centerpiece any Streisand fan's collection. A must have.

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