Partner (Blu-Ray) (2007)

Hey folks, I'm pretty familiar with Bollywood films & let me tell you, once you see one you're instantly HOOKED!! I love them! This film reminds alot of Hitch with Will Smith being portrayed by Salman Khan & Kevin James being portrayed by Govinda. Eva Mendes' character is protaganized by Lara Dutta and Amber Valleta's character is protaganized by Katrina Kaif. I must say pairing off Katrina with Govinda was strange,but he pulls off the silliness and clumsy humor well. Salman and Lara do a really good job and Lara's very convincing. The film follows Hitch almost the same except with a twist. Lara Dutta has a young boy and doesn't want to get involved with anyone, Salman comes along and just like in Hitch she hesitates to go out with him,but then she gives him a chance. I won't say anything more b/c I'll give it away. Go ahead and buy this film it's very cute. By the way if you love Bollywood as much as I do this film has some great dance sequences and music.

I wasn't expecting that much from this movie but it was better than anticipated.

It's close to the plot of Hitch but don't expect a complete match.

It is comedy that ran close to the edge of silly at times but didn't cross the line. The script needed a bit of attention and the movie tried to underline a comic moment over and over when we got it the first time. They could have finished the movie 5 minutes earlier but overplayed a scene to the point of Salman going into unnecessary hamminess.

Salman also had too many gratuitous shirt removals (and I'm not that impressed by that sight anyway!)

Apart from this Govinda and Salman were mostly quite good and Salman was dancing better and with more range of moves than I've seen him in many movies. Katrina and Govinda made an appropriately cute couple (if a little unlikely!) Lara Dutta was fine but didn't have a lot of chemistry with Salman.

The music and dance was contemporary, upbeat, and generally catchy and lifted the movie beyond the mediocre.

Most ratings on the Net hover about the 5 out of 10. If I could give this 3 1/2 I would mostly for the music and dance.

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Look, who cares if this is a rip-off from Hitch. Partner is addictive and I find it more enjoyable with those great song numbers which are fantastic and memorable. Salman Khan and Govinda have great chemistry in this movie and their dialogue were peppered with lots of funny one-liners (especially from Salman). Salman Khan played his character so well you'd think that's the real him a bit naughty but so charming! Govinda did a great job as a clueless bumbling oaf needing help from the love guru to win his dream girl, played by Katrina Kaif. While Katrina Kaif provided great eye-candy to the movie with her pretty smiles,her acting has always been somewhat like a one-track pony kind and in Partner it was no different! Lara Dutta did a believable job as a single mom and the love interest of Salman's character. Also thumbs-up to the little guy that played Lara's child as he was great in certain scenes with Salman Khan. Overall it's an entertaining and funny movie great for lovers of Bollywood music and Salman Khan!

Read Best Reviews of Partner (Blu-Ray) (2007) Here

It's an attempt to replicate HITCH by Will Smith but winds up a confused mixed bag and comedy of errors

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I just love this film and the music ! It's the kind of Hindi film that you can watch over and over and still laugh ! This also was a great film for fashion loved the outfits very contemporary and I admit, anything that Salman Khan wears looks Fab but he was on point in this movie. The music ( I now own the soundtrack) is great and the dancing equally so this movie is pure entertainment and if you are a SK fan...then you will see him at his best: funny, well dressed, dancing his arse off, and entertaining the audience. The salute to Hip Hop is hysterical...the rendition of " You're My Love " makes me laugh everytime I see the music video or watch the film. Govinda is great and as always his comedic timing is impeccable. Sajid-Wajid really went all out on the music !

If you're looking for a light fun Hindi movie this is it !

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The Search for One-Eye Jimmy (1994)

This is one of those great films that you've probably never heard about.

When college film student Les comes back to his old Brooklyn neighborhood he stumbles on an opportunity to make a documentary: One-eye Jimmy has gone missing. With Joe Head (Michael Badalucco) as his guide they wander the streets, encountering all kinds of crazy characters, like Jimmy's brother Ed (Steve Buscemi), Disco Bean (John Turturro), Jimmy's mother (Anne Meara), and a hairdressing sketch artist (Jennifer Beals), but the two most outstanding performances come from Samuel L. Jackson as a burnt out Viet Nam Vet named Colonel Ron and Nick Turturro as Junior, the neighborhood theif.

While the DVD box attempts to capatalize on Jackson's recent popularity, his part in this film is actually rather small albeit hilarious. Nick Turturro has a much bigger and funnier part but the whole cast is excellent. Also present are Ray Mancini,Tony Sirico and Holt McCallany.

Sam Henry Kass, who also wrote the script, proves that a lot can be done with a low budget.

Unfortunately this DVD transfer leaves much to be desired; it looks no better than a VHS version that I bought several years ago. On top of that you need a multi-region DVD player to play this region 2 PAL disc from Australia. You would think that with all of the big stars, great acting and funny script that some American distributor would remaster this film and release it in a region 1 NTSC North America friendly version.

Still, it's fortunate that this movie is available at all. If you don't have a multi-region DVD player, try to find an American VHS tape of this movie it's worth the trouble.

if the cast doesn't warrant giving this one a look, the laughs surely will. my theory is that the simpson's "disco stu" was created thanks to this one. basically some knuckleheads help a worried mother find her alcoholic son with some slick dectective work. the amateur sleuths basically waste time until they all end up at the same place where they continue to diss eachother. topped off by, perhaps, one of the best fight scenes ever caught on tape outside of a deli and a supporting cast now so familiar, this one is a knee slapper. not bad at all.

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I have seen this movie many times and, after several people helping me search for it, I have finally found a copy to own. I must say that I am disappointed in the lack of availability as it is a great movie, extremely funny with a remarkably talented cast of critically acclaimed actors. I would recommend this film to anyone. Everyone I have forced to watch it has agreed that it is hilarious and I hope it is re-released so lots of people will be able to enjoy it without having to "search" for it.

Read Best Reviews of The Search for One-Eye Jimmy (1994) Here

Very funny movie! Laughed the whole way through. So glad it finally came out on DVD!! It's about time! Sequel perhaps?????

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I'm from Australia and I agree with the other reviewer wholeheartedly! The cameo performance of Jennifer Beals is a classic, but he forgot to mention the great Steve Buscemi. His is really the central role, but the whole film is so clever and hilarious!

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Mary and Max (2009)

Mary and Max is an independent claymation flick from Australia, with a darkly comic theme about a lonely and misunderstood 8-year-old girl who strikes up an unlikely and disturbing correspondence and friendship with a 48-year-old overweight depressive male diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. While that sounds unlikely enough as a topic for an animated film, what was truly unexpected was the moving power of its simple message, achieved without resorting to sentimentalism or cliche.

The film, apparently based on a true story, plays like Wallace and Gromit conceived by Oliver Sacks and imagined by David Lynch and Robert Crumb. The animated characters, who tend to be overweight with exaggerated melancholy expressions, are nevertheless enormously expressive and the film seamlessly shifts from the muted colors of the rundown Australian suburb where Mary lives to the expressive black and white of Max's New York City.

Mary (Toni Collette) is a curious and lonely girl, whose father is unavailable and whose mother is an alcoholic kleptomaniac and whose neighbors are each in their own way inscrutable. Confronted by questions the adults around her are unwilling to answer, she selects Max's name at random from an American phonebook and writes an inquisitive letter to a complete stranger. Initially thrown for a loop by this unexpected query, Max detects a kindred spirit and responds to her letter with complete sincerity. So begins a peculiar correspondence, fraught throughout with misunderstanding but culminating in a lifelong friendship that is able to carry them both through a great deal of personal misfortune and tragedy.

The voice of Phillip Seymour Hoffman invests the character of Max with a deeply sincere confusion about the peculiar games that people play. A card carrying communist and atheist, he nevertheless wears the skullcap he wore as a child, when his mother taught him babies came from egg-laying rabbis. He is honest to a fault, incapable of saying the kinds of things people like to hear; his imaginary friend, a psychiatrist by the name of Mr. Ravioli, stopped speaking to him after his real psychiatrist convinced him he was no longer necessary.

Mary and Max was dark and tender and strange and disconcerting and lovely. Its simple theme, conveyed lightly and through dark circumstance, is captured in a concluding quotation by Ethel Mumford: "God gave us relatives. Thank God we can choose our friends."

One thing animation does very well is give us great art. But what it rarely does is actually create realistic human characters with all their inconvenient imperfections. This movie does both...and I consider "Mary and Max" one of the most daring films of 2009.

Those familiar with the animator Adam Elliot may recall he won an Oscar for "Harvie Krumpet" in the category of

short animated films. This film is his major oevre, an expanded version of the shorter film, albeit with different characters.

Ostensibly, the story is about a friendship between two unlikely partners. Max is an overweight, depressed, New York Jew suffering from serious mental illness. Mary is 8 years old, chubby, and confused. Both are lonely and underappreciated...and through the chance occurrence of a letter from Mary to Max, they develop a deep and real

friendship as pen pals.

Now, in many respects, both characters are very flawed human beings. And that is what makes the film remarkable. So many animated films from Finding Nemo to Beauty and the Beast end with a successful quest of the hero and heroine. This storyline is far more subtle. Both Mary and Max battle the everyday troubles of modern life finding a way to fit in a world when they don't fit in at all. Searching for an influence on this movie in the history of cinema, I might select the Oscar best picture "Marty" which filmed a love affair between two ordinary people in the 1950's.

I cannot finish the review without saying something about the extraordinary recreation of New York City in ClayMation. I rather liked the fact the film uses claymation for the characters because it renders them far more "earthy" than the bright, digital CGI formula so popular today.

This is a film with dark moments and tender moments and annoying moments...in sum a film about life as it is really lived.

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From Academy Award-winning Australian director Adam Elliot, maker of the wonderfully weird and demented Harvie Krumpet (Best Animated Short, 2004 -you can see it on YouTube), comes another equally weird and demented new animation called "Mary and Max". His work is not very well known in the US, but it's fantastic and should be more widely seen by fans of animation and dark, morbid humor.

It is the story of an unlikely friendship that develops between a chubby, homely, and socially maladjusted 8 year old girl in Melbourne, Australia named Mary Daisy Dinkle and a severely overweight and neurotic middle-aged Russian-Jewish man in New York with Asperger syndrome, named Max Jerry Horowitz. Mary has no friends and is taken care of by her alcoholic and kleptomaniac mother. On a chance visit to the post office, she finds an American phonebook and decides to write to someone to ask where babies come from while her mother tries to steal boxes of envelopes. The name she randomly chose was Max's, whom she sends a letter and a candy bar. They share a love for chocolate, a Smurfs-like show called The Noblets, and a need for friendship. In each other, they find kindred spirits and what follows is two decades of humorous correspondence and weird gift exchanges.

Voiced by an almost unrecognizable Phillip Seymour Hoffman, he plays the part of Max perfectly. There are no words to convey the frequency and weirdness of the deadpan humor. You'll just have to watch it. Literally every minute or two is filled with some weird joke, dialog, or visual gag. Owing to Max's autism, there's a lot of random humor and non sequiturs. This is probably the only animation where you'll see a "feline rectal thermometer" or learn that "turtles can breathe through their anuses" (which is actually true).

The film is wonderfully stylish and richly detailed. The film takes place between the 1970's and 1990's and is full of nostalgic images from that time, with some very nice modeling of a grimy New York City. Visually, everything in Mary's world is monochromatic brown, and everything in Max's is black and white, punctuated by spots of color like in Sin City. It deals with loneliness, depression, atheism, and above all, friendship.

Lastly, I need to mention that this is DEFINITELY not one for the kids, if you are expecting wholesome family entertainment like Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Collection [Blu-ray]. The film is filled with abundant adult-themed humor, numerous sexual references, as well as instances of cartoony nudity. It is dialog driven and likely to bore them anyway. Well worth seeing if you like dark and quirky humor.

Read Best Reviews of Mary and Max (2009) Here

Bored, nothing on TV, watched all of the Jericho episodes ever made, what to watch now? Thankfully NetFlicks had updated their movie selection, and I saw Mary & Max on the list. I had no preconceptions about the film, just a mild curiosity.

The smooth narration drew me into a story the likes of which I have never heard before. The plot is summarized already, though I'd like to point out that there are inconsistencies in the summary, but nothing too bad. I'd like to tell you how the movie made me feel.

First, it was hilarious. There was a gentle observational humor that was even more poignant because the observers are so different from the average person. The very serious topic of mental differences** was handled with delicacy, never overwhelming the viewer with pity for the subject, Max, while at the same time instilling an appreciation of how others can see life differently without being wrong. I loved how Max was often presented as being the sanest person in a city of "normal" people.

Despite what the summary says about Max's counterpart, Mary, was not a "goth". She was a lonely little girl whose physical differences, rather than mental ones, separated her from the rest of society. In Max she found a compatriot; they enjoyed the same cartoons, they had both endured teasing as children, and both were baffled by human emotions and what to do with them.

Though the story takes a dark turn, the ending brings redemption and bittersweet closure to a tale that I recommend to everyone.

** Mary & Max made me want to strike "mental illness/handicap/disability" from my vocabulary. So I am.

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It is beyond me why this title is so obscure. None of the stores in my town are carrying it, and here on Amazon it has only 8 reviews. But it is the best animated feature I have seen in years. In fact, I cannot think of a better one. It is elaborate and beautiful as a Tim Burton film, but has more subtlety and more heart. I think that the big media companies don't know what to do with a film like this. It isn't really appropriate for children. It is too intelligent for the average American who is more accustomed to the shallow and flashy garbage which tv and Hollywood have innundated us with. It is too bleak and dark for a culture which insists that its darkness be leavened with positive messages and happy endings. (It does, in fact, have such a message but rather overwhelmed by all the mental illness, alienation and death.) This film does, however, have an audience and when they stumble across it they will treasure it, and this film won't be forgotten. I wouldn't be surprised, in 10 years, to see a company like Kino or Criterion releasing it, to great acclaim, as an obscure classic.

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Go (1999)

Doug Liman follows up Swingers with a very funny and well-written movie, with a fresh-faced cast. The story is enjoyably unpredictable, going back and forth in time, yet this is never confusing quite the opposite, as you happily know that when something rather unexpected happens it will be explained later in the film. Katie Holmes is as appealing as ever, and the pairing of Jay Mohr and Scott Wolfe creates a very amusing partnership. The star is William Fichtner, who creates one of the oddest characters that I have seen for some time, as you can never quite work him out but Desmond Askew is very annoying with his horrible 'cockerney' accent. Some of the lines are very sharp, and it's nice to know that not all American teenagers spend their time worying about who's going to take them to the prom. The extras on the DVD are extensive, with a wealth of very interesting deleted scenes (when there are two pages of them, you know that you're onto a good thing) including a very funny improvisation. The commentary is interesting if you can bear the two rather dull voices on it, and there's a nice selection of music videos. The trailer's suitably eclectic, mixing all types of music to the mad goings-on that are on the screen, and only the featurette is disappointing, being a short and useless 'press-kit' promo with nothing of substance. Altogether, a very nice package Go and buy it. Sorry...

Loved Pulp Fiction? Then you will most likely enjoy a fun-ride called GO, directed by Doug Liman who also did Swingers and is currently attached to direct Bourne Identity with Matt Damon. I went into this movie expecting a typical teen comedy but I walked with my jaw dropped. I could not remember the last time I have seen a movie that was this much fun. This flick is pure example of how much fun a story can be. An intelligent, balls-out entertainment for everyone who enjoys fun movies. Most people tend to praise movies with a 'message', Go has no 'real' message but it does show how much fun something can be. Most people will try to live this story out on their own because it's just that good. Everyone, in some weird way, would love to experience what these bunch of people experienced in this movie. Comedy, sex, guns.. I can go and on.. but who can forget this fun cast who made the movie oh-so-memorable.

Here we have three separate stories that take place the same day/night. It's one of those things that shows you that everyone you meet has a story to their name, and what fun stories do these character have! First up we have Ronna Martin (Sarah Polley) who goes a bit too far and tries to screw a local drug dealer over, we all know how those stories end up but you'll never guess what turn this one takes. Ronna is a work related friend to Simon Baines (Demons Askew), a (...) British dude who just so happens to be friends with the drug dealer who is out to find Ronna. Simon decides to take some vacation time to Vegas with his buddies Marscus (Taye Diggs), Singh (James Duval) and Tiny (Breckin Mayer). Next up we have the third story that just barely fits into the loop. A story of Adam (Scott Wolf) and Zack (Jay Mohr), two guys who have been busted by a cop named Burke (William Fichtner) for a drug possession. Adam and Zack just so happen' to be friends with Simon, who use to hook them up with the right stuff thru the drug dealer Todd (Timothy Olaphant) who just so happens to be out to find Ronna who screwed him over. See how much fun this sounds like? Well, it is. I have seen this movie over thirty times and I am yet to get bored with it, every time I watch it, I get more and more entertained. It is just that much fun!

Go reminded me why I love movies so much, the fact that I can sit down and watch this movie over and over and not get bored. We rarely find movies such as this and it would be shame for any movie fan not to see it because it is a real treat. Older folks will not be drawn to this movie one bit because this movie will simply give them fuel for their fire. An excuse to rip the younger generations apart, so to say. However I will go as far as to say that if this movie was ever brought back to the big screen, I would definitely go back and see it again.

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Once you get over the Tarantino thing, Go becomes quite a ride of its own. Darkly funny, twisted and at times really sweet, Go makes for a good couple of hours of entertainment. Polley is terrific her character reminds me more of Griffin Dunne's in After Hours. Holmes is cute, the guy trio on their Vegas jaunt are fine and Fox and Mohr are great together in this. In fact, all the roles are cast quite well. Kind of After Hours meets Pulp Fiction without the pedigree or historical significance.

Read Best Reviews of Go (1999) Here

"Go" is most assuredly an oddity. I remember a review for "Go" back in '99 that states something like, "'Go' is a much better film than it has any right to be." My feelings exactly.

The mark of a good director is being able to construct a good film translated from good script material. However, Doug ("Swingers") Liman's sophomore effort ably demonstrates that with style, intuition, and -above all -energy, he can craft a magnificent film from shoddy script material. In Hollywood lingo, this is damn near impossible to accomplish. So, thanks to Liman for smashing that preconception.

EVERYONE that reviews this mentions "Pulp Fiction" for obvious reasons, so I'll be no different. Yeah, it owes a lot to it. But PF owes big debts to other films, as well. Don't look at this as derivatives of derivatives, although some films definitely are. Try to view "Go" as something more cunning and sneaky than one might first think. First of all, attempting to find depth, soul, and social philosophy inside a movie entitled "Go" seems like a moot point to begin with. So roll with me here. That title itself should suggest that it's less likely to offer humane insight and is more concerned with feeling, sensations, adrenaline -all of which wrap around the present moment: RIGHT NOW. This here is "Go"'s priority. And it's executed to exhilirating effect.

The stories go:

RONNA needs extra shifts at her grocery store in order to make rent money this month. She takes amateur drug-dealer Simon's shift after a 14-hour stint, so he can go to Vegas with his buddies. But Zack and Adam (Jay Mohr and Scott Wolf), two soap opera actors, come calling on Simon but hook up Ecstacy through Ronna (Sara Polley) instead, Ronna dealing in hopes of closing that rent gap. She needs to get pills from Todd Gaines (Timothy Olyphant), but she leaves her friend and coworker Claire (cutie-pie Katie Holmes) with Todd as collateral while she goes off to deal with Adam and Zack. Ronna's "sale" goes dead-wrong, the stash gets flushed, so she opts for selling naive ravers allergy medicine and chewable aspirin to make up the difference, stalling Todd long enough not to find out. But he does. Complications ensue.

SIMON begs Ronna to cover his shift at the "SONS" grocery store, and she accepts. He wakes up in a trunk, on the road to Vegas, and later acquires the location of a rowdy strip club from Todd over the phone (this phone conversation is the chief link between the first two stories). Simon (Desmond Askew) and pal Marcus (Taye Diggs) leave their gutter-butt friends in the room while they scope out this "Crazy Horse". A lap dance and a gunshot later, and the four guys have two pissed-off bouncers on their heels. Complications ensue.

ADAM & ZACK are in trouble. Legal trouble, apparently a charge of possession. They decide to play ball and assist undercover Officer Burke (a disconcertingly funny William Fichtner) in busting Simon to clear their record, but Simon's in Vegas. They arrange a deal at the store later with Ronna, and setup the sting house, Burke being the principle dealmaker. At the deal, Ronna senses she's been had after a remark about orange juice, and Zack clues her to book out of there. The stash gets flushed, Ronna bullies her way out of there with a beer they offered her (she's only 17), and the "sale" ends. But Zack and Adam are NOT out of the woods yet. Though they've done what they were instructed, Burke has ulterior motives for the two and invites them over for an early Christmas dinner. Do they really have a choice? Complications (yes, that's right) ensue.

As long and arbitrary as those descriptions are, that is not even a half of what happens in the movie. All the surprises and shocks I left out, but there are many. The timeline jumping and reworking irks QT fans, but that trick's been employed since at least the '50s, so gripe elsewhere. "Go" illustrates how Generation Y (man, I hate these vague labels) is not about planning for the future, but trying to survive this very second. Liman's immediate and flashy camerawork (accompanied by "Traffic" Oscar-winner Stephen Mirrione's gifted editing) accurately captures those sheer moments of frenzy. Rent, sex, drugs, street justice -all these are the impetuses to shoot the characters through this rollicking 24 hours across Los Angeles and Las Vegas just days before Christmas, and Doug Liman can handle these two Dystopias better than anyone out there, see "Swingers".

But "Go" is no "Swingers". It's darker and edgier, much racier -a thrilling danger zone in which the viewer doesn't expect a stop in the action, and there isn't one. Though I saw "Go" twice in theaters 5 years ago, I could never pinpoint exactly what was the Main Attraction for me. 5 years later and wiser, maybe I figured it out. There is such earnestness and attitude, especially from the near-flawless ensemble of actors, in Liman's guidance that I conceive of him directing the film as if he were sitting three seats down in that dark auditorium watching the story unfold for the first time, right along with us.

This is a movie I should be discrediting for its lack of substance (even though it's mainly about ingesting substances), but I'm not. "Go" is just too damn fun: guilty-pleasure filmmaking of the highest order. Sleek, funny, sexy, shot full of vitality, don't ever hesitate to "Go" for broke.

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I will have to admit that I almost gave up on this film before it was half over.

I found myself saying, there is no plot, none of the characters are interesting or even likeable and it seems to be going nowhere.

The second half of the film picks up and rewards the viewer with some interesting plot turns and resolutions.

I certainly enjoyed this film once I got to the 2nd half. This film isn't high art but it is certainly worth seeing.

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Reuben, Reuben (1983)

Only issue is that DVD audio will not work on my older Sony DVD Blu Ray player (~2008)?

Last firmware update was done in 2010. I have not checked to see if there is a Sony update post 2010 available to fix the issue.

Have not had this issue on any other blu ray DVD. Works fine on my LG Blu Ray Player (2011).

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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.

Buy Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy Now

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.

Read Best Reviews of Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy Here

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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The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)

In a male-dominated industry like Hollywood, it is refreshing once in a while to watch a movie in which the main character is a woman (Robin Wright). It is additionally rewarding a bonus, if you will -if the director is also a woman (Rebecca Miller, who wrote the story). The result, "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," is satisfying and remarkable. This film touches you and stays with you.

The story is about Pippa Sarkissian (Wright) who would later become Pippa Lee --, an attractive woman with a troubled past, reaching middle age, who is trying to get her life together. Her mother Suky (the always dependable Maria Bello) was moody and addicted to antidepressants, and was repulsed by Pippa when she was born, because she was hairy. However, this situation improved throughout the years, and Suky got very attached to Pippa. Unfortunately, her mother's problems persisted, and Pippa eventually had to leave home. After some time living carelessly by herself, she finds Herb Lee (Alan Arkin), a man thirty years her senior, who happens to be a successful publisher. They get married and life appears to be good for everyone. That is, until Pippa's past begins haunting her -a situation that is worsened by her current problems.

This is a real life drama, spiked with humor, especially provided by Wynona Ryder, in a surprising supporting role. It examines a woman's life that "keeps swinging back and forth from generation to generation, getting it wrong." Robin Wright shines as Pippa Lee, and Arkin as her husband. The magnificent cast also includes Blake Lively (as Pippa in her younger years) Monica Bellucci, Julianne Moore, Shirley Knight, and Keanu Reeves. The Blu-ray edition includes commentaries by Wright and Miller, and interviews with Wright, Arkin, and Lively. (USA, 2009, color, 98 min plus additional materials)

Reviewed by Eric Gonzales exclusively for on March 1, 2010.

My husband picked up this DVD on a whim, thinking I might like it, and he was right! "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" is a thoughtful, leisurely-paced drama about a woman who though anchored in a stable relationship in the present, is haunted by her turbulent past. Robin Wright Penn plays Pippa Lee, a sort of prim and proper wife to an aging yet indomitable older man, Herb (Alan Arkin). The couple have recently moved to a retirement community, though Herb, who has already suffered previous heart attacks, refuses to buckle down and lead a quiet life. Pippa who is 30 years younger than Herb, tries her utmost to take care of her husband, despite his protestations and suffers from exhaustion, finding herself spacing out, binge eating in the middle of the night (but having no recollections of it later), and finds herself experiencing flashback moments of her younger days.

The movie flows well between the past and the present. We see baby Pippa being initially shunned by her mother Suky (Maria Bello) for being overly hairy as an infant, and how this relationship changes over time. As Pippa grows (the teenage Pippa is played by Gossip Girl's Blake Lively), a close relationship forms between Suky and her daughter, but Suky's own deteriorating mental health and over-dependence on anti-depressants causes a friction in their relationship. Pippa runs away, meeting interesting characters along the way photographer (Julianne Moore), successful publisher Herb (Arkin),co-dependent friend (Winona Ryder in a great supporting role), and a store clerk (Keanu Reeves). Having settled down to a sedate married life, Pippa ponders her life's purpose, and some startling revelations throw her scheduled life off-balance.

Robin Wright delivers a finely nuanced performance, and the excellent supporting cast make this movie an above average viewing experience. There is a great deal of character development, insights, and self-introspection here a woman who has been so driven to care for others (husband, son, daughter), that she has lost her own identity along the way, choosing to 'settle' instead. Will Pippa Lee set herself free? The movie credibly addresses this question and the compelling performances by the lead actress and supporting cast make it a worthwhile watch.

Buy The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009) Now

Screen Media hardly ever puts any money into their BDs (as is the case here again) but Rebecca Miller put together a good story told in a less than simple way.

The story follows the life (if told lineally) of a woman from birth to her rebirth as an older woman (Robin Wright). Along this journey we jump back and forth in her time line as we see the different lives she has led. Mario Bello competently played her drug addled mother, Alan Arkin her much older husband, with some interesting short roles from Monica Belucci and Winona Ryder. The criticism I have read regarding confusion and casting choices to play the same person I can see having some validity, but I enjoyed the challenge of figuring things out while watching this. Keanu is once again picked to play a non-emotional role and he does it fine. The Blu quality is standard at times, above average in others. The vehicle motion scenes are difficult to figure out though, as they chose to film with the windows rolled up in each scene so the resulting reflections are always blurring the scenes really the only shortcoming of the Blu quality. The DTS gets used infrequently and the special feature of interviews from a screening lasts only a few minutes and is forgettable. The commentary was adequate but as admitted by Wright a little awkward to do at times.

You would be getting this for the performances alone, but I do not think there would be any significant disappointment in the BD either. No region coding listed, English and Spanish subs only.

Read Best Reviews of The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009) Here

It took a little while to warm up to Pippa Lee, but that's one of the things that makes this film so magical. We get to watch Pippa come out of the deep freeze and fully into her own being after a life of dissociation. The script is insightful and wonderful. The acting is superb. This film is a real treat.

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My sister and i watched this film, she is married, i am single...and she enjoyed it immensely, while i found it dull and lacking. The movie navigates the liberation of Pippa (confused and frustrated Robin Wright Penn) and has it's moments, though it was depressing and predictable to me.

So, as most adults can relate in some manner to being trapped in a relationship....then find ourselves wondering how we got to this place? The movie draws on this commonality with a dual presentation of young Pippa and present day Pippa....(what a strange name?) Blake Lively does a fair job of playing the youthful Pippa, but there were moments when i was confused with what contribution, and meaning some of the characters had to the overall story...my sister confessed she was also finding it difficult to attach significance and relationship status to some of the actors.

So...Pippa's self reflection through herky jerky glimpses of her past---are a cinematic thrill of finding the puzzle pieces to Penn's character's present day existence. I do believe (IMHO) it is simply a modern day visualization of the imprisoned life of an unactualized woman. In the big picture, women, whose roles have been dynamically changing for decades...we have this passenger of life, Pippa who is stumbling along seeing the light in still frames of her memories. One bummer in the film is that men are not portrayed as very appealing in this movie. Nope, its not going to be a guy movie fave. Alan Arkin is a cad and after seeing all the eddies and currents that Pippa's lifeboat sailed through, i got the distinct impression of cardboard cutouts dreaming of becoming animated, infused with life. Something akin to "The Stepford Wife" seeking to be a "Desperate Housewife" with their joyous abandon and central life characters.

My sister loved this movie, going on about Keanua Reeves as the fantasy, fairy tale ending for a stale, invalid marriage. Pippa finds redemption through a much younger, hunkier, sensitive guy...ahem, is that all there is to life? Cinematography was good, acting was spot on, but the story has been told too many times. Sorry....just not going to make it as a recommendation.

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Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)

The strong message is what made this sequel work so well for me. I will admit that its energy feels a little weaker than the first, but that still doesn't mean it's not funny, touching, and highly enjoyable. As an animal lover, I couldn't help but be affected by it. The scene where we witness Bruiser's mom in the lab really got to me. It was depressing and heartbreaking to watch. The fact that I strongly believe in and support the cause our heroine, Elle (Witherspoon), is fighting for, made this movie that much more enjoyable for me. Real animal lovers should easily be able to relate and root for Elle. This movie is just so positive and inspiring. There's so many things I feel so strongly about, and Legally Blonde 2 made me want to get up and try to make a difference. If this movie could reach at least one person in each audience the way it reached me, then it did its job and will have been a success. If only more movies had good messages like this one.

I'm not saying everyone is going to feel the same way or be able to relate as well as I could, but hopefully it will be able to inspire quite a few. I'd actually recommend letting some younger kids see it. Maybe, just maybe, it can help make a difference. With such an honest main character who's not afraid to stand up for what she believes in, I certainly see it doing more good than harm. Yes, it's basically a fluff movie, but it also goes a little deeper than that. The more serious tone in some scenes worked well for me, and I found them quite effective for this kind of movie.

I remember a lot of people saying that the highlight of the first movie was Elle's Harvard video. However, while I thought it was funny and pretty amusing, I didn't love it as much as most seemed to. I personally thought the slides showed at the office for Bruiser in this sequel were much funnier, not to mention cuter.

Reese Witherspoon delivered another fun performance as Elle. This actress never fails to amuse me. She carried the first one completely on her shoulders. This time around though, the adorable dog playing Bruiser managed to steal pretty much every scene he was in. I think he should get a Best Supporting Actor nomination ;), but unfortunately, he'll likely be snubbed. The rest of the supporting players were all fine and enjoyable, especially Bob Newhart as Sidney and Jennifer Coolidge as Paulette. But none of them could compete with their four legged co-star.

This nice, friendly movie made me want to stand up and cheer. It had a good message and stood for something I believe in. I found it funny and very entertaining. It left me with a smile on my face and feeling inspired to make a difference. A solid and harmless feel-good movie.

Grade: 8/10 (B+)

I LOVED the first Legally Blonde movie. While it wasn't realistic, it was fun and a real joy to watch. I figured the second one would be decent too, but I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I think Reese Witherspoon is fantastic and she did a great job I just thought the storyline was a little overboard. Personally, I wish the story had focused less on the dog, because while seeing the dog dressed up in pink is funny, it gets old when they try to plot the entire movie around it! Even so, the movie had some really funny parts (though I wish there had been more Luke Wilson!) and was worth seeing at least once. :)

Buy Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003) Now

The only thing i have to say is that if you didn't like this movie, you must be a brunette!! It's absolutely hilarious! It definately is as good as the first! A must see!!

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I honestly could not believe how pitifully bad this film was. The first one was actually pretty funny; but this one was painful. To add injury to insult, the movie ends abruptly! At the end you are left wondering if they ran out of film in the camera, couldn't decide how to finish, or just felt like they had tortured the moviegoers long enough and might as well call it quits. Don't go see this one in the theater. It's not worth the [money].

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Elle Woods is shocked to learn that her dog's mother is being held prisoner at an animal testing facility. Since she wants the dog to attend her upcoming wedding, she immediately sets out to get her freed and heads down to Washington DC to make Congress pass a bill to ban animal testing, thereby freeing the dog.

Having been a fan of the original, I went into this movie with high hopes. Boy, was I disappointed. The first movie presented Elle as a smart person when it was something she was interested in who had to grow and mature to reach a new goal. We could sympathize with her and root for her, especially as we saw her heart of gold come through. Here, she just appears clueless, blindly going from plot point to plot point. The movie also presents a very pessimistic view of our government. Yet Elle is still able to proceed through in an oblivious manner. The movie might have been more fun if the supporting characters from the first movie had come back, but they are basically reduced to expanded cameos. Furthermore, the movie goes overboard in its PC agenda. Basically, it's unbelievable.

The laughs are few and far between in this far inferior sequel. Do yourself a favor and stick with the original.

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