Baraka (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)I will not attempt to extol the virtues film itself (what more can I say than has already been said?), but of the new collector's edition: I too have the original DVD release, and the VHS release. This new transfer is AMAZING, and is exactly what the first DVD release should have been... PRISTINE video (very few artifacts, little or no pixelation), and IMMACULATE audio (crisp, clean, and great presence without sounding "over-processed"). If you have both versions and can't tell the difference, then it's time to watch it on a large screen TV, and clean yer ears out! The improvements are painfully obvious. This is a truly incredible film, and finally justice has been done with the fantastic quality of the consumer version. Like someone else said, give your old copy away, and BUY THIS VERSION now! I'm glad I picked it up, and you will be too.

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The word "Baraka" means "blessing" in several languages; watchingthis film, the viewer is blessed with a dazzling barrage of images thattranscend language. Filmed in 24 countries and set to an ever-changing global soundtrack, the movie draws somesurprising connections between various peoples and the spaces they inhabit,whether that space is a lonely mountaintop or a crowded cigarette factory. Someof these attempts at connection are more successful than others: for instance,an early sequence segues between the daily devotions of Tibetan monks, OrthodoxJews, and whirling dervishes, finding more similarity among these rituals thanone might expect. And there are other amazing moments, as when sped-up footageof a busy Hong Kong intersection reveals a beautiful symmetry to urban life thatcould only be appreciated from the perspective of film. The lack of context isoccasionally frustrating--not knowing where a section was filmed, or the meaningof the ritual taking place--and some of the transitions are puzzling. However,the DVD includes a short behind-the-scenes featurette in which cinematographerRon Fricke ("Koyaanisqatsi") explains that the effect was intentional:"It's not where you are that's important, it's what's there." And what's here,in "Baraka", is a whole world summed up in 104 minutes. "--Larisa LomackyMoore"

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Sophie's Choice (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)Alan Pakula brings the Styron novel to the screen with period-perfection, and he has in his court a trio of superb performances, lead, of course, by Meryl Streep, who finally won me over with her transformation into Sophie. The character is layered and rich with emotional baggage, and Meryl's performances is nothing short of transcendental. When I saw this movie in the theatre upon its release, there was an older woman in the audience, towards the front, who ran screaming from the theatre, her hands on her ears, during the gut-twisting "choice" sequence. Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol, who do battle over Sophie, and within their own hearts, are exceptional foils for Sophie, and each brings a resonance to the evocative Brooklyn locations. The European sequences, swathed in a sepia tone, are mesmerizing and horrific. Sophie's journey is also a mystery, and it unravels with devastating results. Marvin Hamlish designed the lush musical score, which continues to rip my heart open every time I play it. While Schindler's List is a more gigantic vision of the experience of the Holocaust, this movie is intensely personal, but does perhaps more to drive a stake through your heart. You will continue to wonder, long after the haunting images of Sophie's face fade from view, what might you have done in her shoes?

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SOPHIE'S CHOICE - DVD Movie

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Dragon Ball: Raging Blast Review

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(More customer reviews)I run a DBZ News Channel on YouTube and for the last 5 months I've been mostly reporting and anticipating what I thought would be the best game ever.
I was VERY disappointed in this game. Now I played the Wii version of Budokai Tenkaichi 3, and after playing this. Wow. I'm disappointed.
PROS:
- The graphics are great.
- Option to switch to Japanese audio
- Plenty to do (modes)
- Stages are larger
- Online World Tournament can be fun
- Super Attack Customization
CONS (ESPECIALLY LACK OF DEPTH):
- They took out way too many combos from BT3, it's ridiculous. YOU END UP DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, USUALLY SUPER ATTACKS. There's just no depth to this game, (there was a bit more in BT3) and I just got bored spamming Super Attacks.
- The camera in battle is just really awful, you're going to get horrible angles almost every fight that ruins the fun.
- There are way less characters and stages, and some important characters like Ultimate Gohan are gone.
- There is framerate problems and unresponsive control problems, doing Super Rising only works like 1/2 the time.
- Everything is more stiff and much slower-paced than BT3.
- The Story Mode combines the worst elements of BT2 and BT3. BT2's story mode was incredibly long, but well told. BT3's story mode was incredibly short, but poorly told (although it wasn't trying to, which was fine and enjoyable by me). Dragon Battle Collection IS LONG AND POORLY TOLD. To even get the story you have to read a paragraph recap.
- Collecting stars by replaying each Story Mode battle 3 times just isn't worth it.
- The controls are completely revamped, and in my opinion are not as good.
- I have a great internet connection and there was many communication errors while playing Online Mode, although there wasn't lag it was just hard to actually get to a battle.
- Playing Online may not be worth it because your opponent is most likely going to spam Super Attacks, which I can't blame since there's barely anything else you can do.
- Super Battle Trial is incredibly tedious to complete.
- Not enough new things added. Super Rising, Crashing into Walls, 2 new stage destructibility features and a really gimmicky weather change is it.
I'm disappointed in this game. Raging Blast 2 better be awesome, or its back to Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for me.

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The HIT FRANCHISE Comes to Life on Next Gen! Experience the fast and powerful fighting style of the popular Dragon Ball Z series in a brand new game for the next gen systems! Dragon Ball: Raging Blast features over 70 playable characters, including transformations, and allows you to relive epic battles from the series or experience alternate moments not included in the original anime and manga. With stunning 3D graphics, powerful and customizable Super Attacks, online gameplay and large-scale, destructible environments that allow you to fully experience the devastation of your attacks, Dragon Ball: Raging Blast is set to deliver more explosive fighting action than ever seen before!

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Lego Indiana Jones 2. The Adventure Continues Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been a big fan of all the Lego games, so my son & I were excited to pick up this one when it first came out. After playing it to about 85% completion, I have to say that overall this one is a pretty big letdown.
The format of the previous games has been pretty much the same - there's an overall hub that serves as the central area for the game. From there, levels are grouped together by story (about 5-6 levels for each movie/storyline). Each level contains a variety of hidden areas and secrets that can be accessed as the player opens new characters in the game, adding to the level's replay value.
That philosophy seems to have been rethought for this game, and not for the better. Instead of one hub, there are 6 - one for each of the 1st three movies, and three for Crystal Skull. The hub is a giant area where you can locate new characters and vehicles, and access the story and bonus levels. The hubs are fairly involved, and are set up the same way the levels were in the previous games (obtaining a new character lets you use their new ability to access a new part of the hub). The hubs are pretty well designed. My one complaint is that almost every new character remains in the area where you first purchased them, so remembering where to find the one you need can be difficult. Also, some of them are in very far-flung locations, so it can literally take about 5 minutes of just walking/driving the entire way across the hub to find the character with a wrench (for example), and then going all the way back across the hub to the entrance of the level that you need him for. I don't know who came up with that, but it's a TERRIBLE idea and a boring chore.
The levels themselves have been simplified WAY down. There are no secrets, there are no hidden areas, there is no reason to play any of them through more than once. Only the most rudimentary thought seems to have gone into each one. Gameplay is still the same as it ever was, and it's enjoyable, but the level design leaves a LOT to be desired. Generally, an entire bonus level will consist of one puzzle - for example, use the shovel to dig up a spear, throw the spear into the hole and use it to climb up to a ledge. Hit a switch with the whip and you're done!
The story levels too are much shorter than the levels in previous games. As an example, anyone who has played the first Lego Indiana Jones game will probably remember the mountain level from Raiders of the Lost Ark. That level begins in Marion's bar where you have to defeat a boss while the bar burns down, then moves into the mountain passes, then to a mountain temple, and finally to an army outpost. The equivalent level in this newest installment has players beating a boss in Marion's bar and THAT'S IT! That is the whole level. Each story level can be completed in roughly 5 minutes, and has no replay value at all - no secret areas to discover or any reason to come back to it again.
My final issue with this game is that it freezes on a fairly consistent basis - we've had it lock up about 15 times now, in all different areas, though the Raiders hub tends to get it the most. From poking around on forums, this seems to be a fairly common complaint.
If you're a fan of the Lego games, it's worth playing this one - it's still fun, even if it is a bit lacking in comparison to previous ones. However, I am keeping my fingers crossed that they do not retain this format for the Lego Harry Potter game coming out next year.

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LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues is a comedic action/adventure game that combines the fun and creative construction of LEGO bricks with the wits, daring and non-stop action of one of cinema\'s most beloved adventure heroes. With a unique, tongue-in-cheek take on all the Indiana Jones films – including for the first time ever Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – LEGO Indiana Jones 2 follows Dr. Jones\' escapades from the jungles of South America to the Peruvian Ruins and beyond.

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