Eragon (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Honestly, I wanted to cry as I sat there in the theater watching this movie. What a waste of ten bucks. If you have read the books, and excitedly waited out the release of the movie, you are undoubtably as disappointed as I am. The books had such scope, like a Lord of the Rings junior. There was no way to get everything important shoved into an hour and a half movie. Why not go ahead and make a 2 and a half hour epic? I'd have watched it!!
Here is what you'll miss in the movie:
-The relationship between Brom and Eragon is very underdeveloped, so much so that when Brom dies, you're like, whoopdeedoo.
-Saphira ages from a tiny dragon into just about full grown in one ridiculous moment.
-Eragon's journey with Murtagh is like, 5 seconds long. No Hadrac desert, no bonding. Again, you could care less about Murtagh in the movie.
-The Dwarven kingdom was UNBELIEVABLY disappointing. If you read the book, you probably had quite a vision workded up in your head, with the Star Rose and all. The movie pretty much annihilates all that. And the dwarves themselves are stupid-looking. You can't slap some armor on a guy with a beard and call them a dwarf.
-Arya is an ELF. Did they really go over on the budget that they couldn't even give her POINTED EARS???
-The battle between Eragon and the Shade is like nothing. I was so bored.
Over all, this movie takes a perfectly paced book and puts it into hyperdrive, taking all the wonder and fun right out of it. You'll sit down to watch this movie and all you'll be able to do is watch in horror as they slaughter it. It is a terrible shame. Had they had a larger CGI budget, blatantly copied some LOTR stuff, and had Mr. Paolini perhaps overseen the novel-to-script process, well, maybe he did, but they just shoved some more money at him and he said, "Whatever, I'm alright with you destroying my cool book. Go for it."
Now, if I were to choose one or two things from the movie that didn't totally and completely suck, I will say this:
Saphira, for the amount of CGI that was spent on her, is perfect. She was totally real. The voice of Rachel Weisz is perfect as well. Eragon, Edward Speelers, he was great too. Too bad he had to over-act in order to compensate for the crappy, crappy dialogue and lack of character development.
If they happen to make a sequel, Lord help us. The second book is even more complex and wide-scoped than the first. It will not translate well based on it's predecessor. I say they scrap the first movie, and make it all over, with a bigger budget, and the fans of the book get all editing priveledges. Then we'd have our Eragon come to life, rather than this horrible, mess of a mutilated movie!!


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In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon's egg -- a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he realized he's the one person who can defend his home against an evil king.

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Highlander - Endgame (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)Fans of Highlander will not be disappointed in this DVD. Here we have the two MacLeods, Duncan and Connor together, sharing so many aspects of their long lives with us. We watch, in superbly done flashbacks, their early years together, the humor, intense and passionate love, loyalty, passion, ethical conundrums, betrayal and tragedy. There is something for everyone - even humour, amidst the heart-breaking angst. And the music is to die for. It is particularly pleasing to see another incredible MacLeod woman - Connor's Mother.
I found myself laughing and crying at various times throughout the movie. There is no doubt that fans who have a deep knowledge of the Series will particularly enjoy this DVD. But even new viewers will not be disappointed.
This DVD will incorporate a number of scenes from the Workprint and this will flesh out the too short movie release. It is a must for those who have not been able to find another TV show or movie with the high production values, fascinating story concept, rounded characters, history, outstanding musical accompaniment, set design. clothes quality, sword and martial arts skill, tragedy, humor, farce, ethics, full-blooded eroticism, strong female and male characters - in short, Highlander: EndGamecontinues to deliver.
As an actor, Adrian Paul has always had a way of bringing out the best in those around him. This certainly seems to be the case here, with Christophe Lambert turning in an outstanding performance as Connor - a man wracked with guilt and pain. Some of the most intense moments in the film are scenes where Connor says little, but his expression says it all and we feel our hearts breaking. His love for his bonny Heather is one of the great love stories and spans centuries. His recounting of how he once saw his Heather, cutting her hair in order to preserve a part of her for Connor that would never age was heart-wrenching. It is the film's ability to keep posing these types of questions that delights. What *would* it be like to have a gorgeous lover who never ages - who cannot die...and who loves you so intensely that he promises to watching you age and wither, to care for you and to love you until his own dying day?
Lisa Babuscia is another real find for me. Her story was so tragic - so wasteful. Indeed, there is so much that speaks of wasted opportunities, immature judgments that come back to haunt and to ultimately kill.
Adrian himself turns in an outstanding performance as the ravaged and distraught Duncan. His continuing ability to work through the pain and the constant tragedy that surrounds him continues to inspire. Duncan's message is one of eternal hope for something better, that evil must be fought no matter the cost, and it is one that he never deviates from. There are a number of scenes in particular where his performance is excellent - in particular, the rooftop scene with Connor, and a harrowing scene with Kate.
Whilst there was a little too much in the way of gore for my taste, I always enjoy a good sword fight and outstanding martial arts - and yes, the martial arts sequence with Donnie Yen, I am reliably informed,is shown at actual speed! It is no technical trick - it really was that fast. Again, full credit to Adrian and Donnie - and F. Braun Ashe who admits that he knew enough to simply get out of the way of these two and let them choreograph and do what they do so well.
'There can be only one!" New viewers and long time fans will not be disappointed with this welcome addition to the Highlander universe. We have followed the journey of Duncan MacLeod for over six years - this film offers further insights into how painful that continuing journey is, for Duncan himself and those who love him and those who aspire to capture his spirit and his soul.

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HIGHLANDER:ENDGAME - DVD Movie

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Ewoks - The Battle for Endor (1985) Review

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(More customer reviews)Back in the late 90's when the Special Editions of the Star Wars movies came out both of Ewok movies and the two videos from the cartoon series Droid and Ewoks were re-released. Both were out of print for over ten years and quickly after their re-release went out of print again (you can find the Droids and Ewoks cartoons here at amazon though dvd's would be great). I've grown up with the Star Wars saga and one of the first movies I ever saw in the theater was Return Of The Jedi (I actually saw it twice and I was around 5 years old at the time). I actually still have the taped versions of the two Ewok movies from their original arings on t.v. back in the mid 80's, which are two of the most cherrish items in my huge collection of Star Wars memorobillia but sadly like my old Star Wars figures the two videos have seen better days but it's nice to look back at the old commercials from those days, which takes me back to my childhood even more. I'd love for both Ewok films to be re-released onto video (in the clamshell packaging like it came in back in the late 90's) and especially dvd. I know both were made for t.v. movies and most of the time those aren't in high demand but this is Star Wars releated and of course anything related to Star Wars sells. Basically everthing else has been updated or re-released from the Star Wars universe (except for the first 3 movies on dvd, which of course will come out in 2006 but those films have been re-released many times on video). It's sad that the two Ewok movies haven't gotten their fair shake. I know there are alot of Ewok haters out there but there are also alot of fans and even if you're not a fan of the Ewoks you'll pick this up if ever re-released because you're a fan of Star Wars.
RE-RELEASE THE TWO EWOK MOVIES!!!!

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Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same Review

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(More customer reviews)This 1976 concert film is one Led Zeppelin item that really did deserve to be improved and expanded. In the November 2007 glut of new Zep products related to the film, this 2-DVD set is clearly the optimal purchase. (Note that this review was written after actually purchasing and consuming the item in question, which appears to be a real rarity so far.) The "Collector's Edition" DVD set adds merchandise that will only be of value to super-diehards, and the new edition of the soundtrack album is apparently built around the new remaster of the movie itself and displays some odd editing choices. I have always felt that the purely audio soundtrack of the movie suffers from the lack of visuals - for example, all 27 minutes of "Dazed and Confused" makes more sense visually because you can watch the theatricality of Jimmy Page's stage performance, while merely listening to the accompanying soundtrack can be tedious. To a lesser extent, the same goes for the extra lengthy "Moby Dick" because while soloing, John Bonham could be even more enjoyable to watch than to listen to. So the film itself is the apotheosis of the entire "The Song Remains the Same" project, and this 2-DVD set presents much needed improvements in audio and video quality, with some bonus items that add value for the enthusiastic fan without becoming obsessive.
Though I'm a lifelong Zep fan, I actually hadn't seen this movie in around 20 years. And I had forgotten how cheesy the non-concert footage truly is, with the fantasy sequences serving as little more than period vanity pieces that rarely rise above the amateurish. But who cares, because the concert sequences are stupendous, and in this DVD set they have been presented for maximum aural and visual impact (yes these two shows weren't the band's best, but they were still light years beyond most other rock acts). As for the DVD extras, the interviews and news segments have some curiosity value, but the true goodies are the extra concert sequences. We finally have official video for the blistering performance of "Celebration Day," which was always my favorite from the old original soundtrack album. Other bonuses include "Misty Mountain Hop," though the uncoordinated performance of this song deserved to be left out of the original film; plus a surprisingly heavy take on "Over the Hills and Far Away."
For many years the original movie and soundtrack were the only (official) live Zep documents available. For the real live goods, we now have the 2003 CD package "How the West Was Won" and the 2003 self-titled DVD set, which are considerably more hard-hitting and far-reaching than "The Song Remains the Same." But even though it's no longer the definitive live document, fans have long deserved an improved version of the film. For all but the most obsessive collectors, the 2-DVD set is the way to go. [~doomsdayer520~]

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The line forms here for the world’s greatest and possibly most influential band – Led Zeppelin! With Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love and more signature performances, this mesmerizing movie built around Zep’s famed ’73 NYC concerts is convincing proof why. Band members supervised the Re-mastering and Dolby 5.1 Re-mixing of the film’s image and sound. In addition to their performances, fantasy sequences and at-home glimpses of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and the late John Bonham, this 2-disc Special Edition has over 40 minutes of newly-added extra features including: Two (2) never-before-released songs in rare performance footage: Celebration and Over the Hills and Far Away; Vintage TV Footage: Drake Hotel Robbery during the New York Concert Stand; Robert Plant BBC Interview and Tampa Concert Band Arrival. Also available in Hi-Def and Blu Ray!

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Manticore (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)While the SciFi channel shovels out stinkers by the dozen, from Species 3 (and Species 2 clearly earned a grade of Z-, so why they'd make another one....) to that movie with the cloned dragon with Dean Cain, Megasnake with the winner of the superhero competition, Basilisk and let's not forget those amazingly awful and absurd Sabretooth slasher type movies (I liked how the fetus had sabreteeth - cats of course don't grow teeth until after they're born, just like humans) which somehow managed to cast John Rhys Davies and Venessa Angel (hmmm, lots of mythological creatures from the commodore 64 game Archon when you think about it - perhaps we can expect a banshee, golem or shapeshifter movie to come - hopefully not a unicorn movie) to every manner of hokey disaster flick, this one stands out as an exception, despite the fact that its plot SOUNDS like a clone of all the others, which themselves contain nothing new or creative and are therefore pointless. I assure you, this is much, much better, and much more poignant. It's not mindless violence, it's mindFUL violence!
I was so impressed that I was actually waiting all through 2005 and 2006, checking video stores every week, to try to buy it on DVD and finally gave up and recorded it and edited out the commercials for my own collection when I saw it was on one last time, and I guess I should have just waited a little bit longer since now on inspiration I looked it up and sure enough it was released on DVD in 2007. It has several familiar faces, most notably the man who played Chekotay from Star Trek Voyager (and longer back, a main character from the movie Night of the Comet). It amazingly performs a striking political commentary on the whole 'weapons of mass destruction' fiasco in Iraq, as a small group of religious eccentrics in Iraq resurrect a creature of legend to rekindle THEIR national spirit behind a real, living, breathing weapon of mass destruction, in the face of a military invasion of dubious justification. Of course, the Manticore is just SO powerful and nearly uncontrollable (a standard creation turning on its master sort of story you might say), and practically immortal, so it of course gets a bit out of hand (I thought the manticore was kind of cute though, especially that long spiky tail - and they got the legend just right on the physical characteristics of the Manticore, by the way). So how do you stop the invincible manticore? In the final confrontation, they do their best to scrap together legend and modern technology, so watch the movie and see what they come up with. You won't be disappointed with the resolution. Well, unless you were rooting for the manticore to destroy western civilization or become someone's pet, you won't be disappointed.
As another reviewer pointed out, if they couldn't make the manticore a little less flagrantly computer animated, they should have shown him a bit less. His first appearance was such a brief glimpse, you don't get a good look at him, and that was pretty good - too bad they didn't continue like that all the way through, that would have even better than 'a claw here, a talon there'. Oh well, so it's not perfect. But as a low budget movie goes, I'm sure it was a million dollars well spent. Hollywood can shovel out garbage at 5 times the rate of the Sci-Fi channel and 500 times the price, so this is a testament to how good even a small investment can be if it's only done right. And that manticore was totally badazzzz.

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In war-torn Iraq, rugged Army soldiers learn that the battles they face every day have only been a warm-up to the unspeakable terror awaiting them. Dispatched to find a missing news crew, the squad finds itself facing an ancient, evil, a mythical clawed-and-winged beast known as the Manticore, now unleashed by villainous opponents to keep the land under their control. Starring Robert Beltran (Star Trek: Voyager), Jeff Fahey (Grindhouse), Chase Masterson (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), and Heather Donahue (The Blair Witch Project), this gritty, powerhouse collision of brutal combat and monster-packed action will thrill you with every explosive minute!

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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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