Great movies possess an enduring quality of being easy to enjoy, no matter when they are made. "Spider-Man 1" fits into that category. I enjoyed watching it more now, than the first time over ten years ago. Tobey Maguire's characterization of Spider-Man has a soft edge, which I favor. The Blu-Ray extras are fantastic!
A World War II story epic told from a different perspective. Personal stories, action, and quiet moments intricately woven into one big story. Even though the movie runs approximately 131 minutes (short by traditional epic movie running times), it was an adequate amount of time for me to get to know the main characters. Watching "Stalingrad" I felt like I was there in the midst of all that was going on. The superb production and direction resulted in a film that is visually stunning with sound to match. I was drawn into this movie from the first scene and watched intensely until the last scene. The narrative is well done and effective in making the story more personal. "Stalingrad" is much more than a war movie. It is a movie that balances the ugliness of war and selfishness with the beauty of comradeship and self-sacrifice.
"West Side Story" is timeless. As the years go by it just gets better and its value increases. Watching it on Blu-ray is dazzling! The colors, movement, and sounds are gorgeous. Even though I've watched it many times before, I felt like I was seeing a newly released movie for the first time. The story does not get old or stale. "West Side Story" is ageless and the 50th Anniversary Edition does not show its age packed with extras worthy of such a great film. There is so much that I am still enjoying the extras. For me it is the best musical of all time and nothing before, during, or after comes close. Movie makers seem to be on a trend to do remakes of hit movies updating them to the present. I am glad Hollywood has the wisdom not to try that with "West Side Story". "West Side Story" is in an elite category of films made at the right time, by the right people with extreme care and dedication to make one of the best motion pictures to stand for all time. All the pieces fit perfectly together to make a masterpiece!
The X-Men franchise started out with a big bang and hasn't let up yet. The first three are spectacular, with gorgeous special effects and sound providing a feast for the eyes and ears. If you like special features such as behind the scenes, deleted/extended scenes, making of documentaries, and other featurettes such as I do, you will spend hours enjoying them as much as the feature films. Added to all the above is the availability of digital copies for all three films, which makes this a great box set for any movie collector.
Watching Star Trek The Original Series is like reading a book before going to bed. Relaxing and calming, making it easy to fall asleep and sleep well. Watching the episodes gives me a sense of peace and comfort. Simple, non-complicated, understated drama, with easy to follow storylines and character development. In the case of the original series, less is more to enjoy. Fans know that there is something special about the Star Trek franchise. For me it is the messages embedded in Star Trek by its creator Gene Rodenberry.
Each time I watch Gravity, I am on the edge of my seat! Even on the small home screen, the intensity is high! The special effects are awesome! This movie puts you in the center of the dangers floating around in outer space! Sandra Bullock's acting is so effective, I could feel the fear, hopelessness, coldness, lack of air, slipping in and out of consciousness, and being totally alone! I purposely over used exclamation points to make a point! After watching Gravity, the only way I could express myself is with an exclamation point!
This is my favorite of the six . I laughed, sat on the edge of my seat, and felt the love of family. A dysfunctional family of people from different backgrounds, skill sets, walks of life, ethnicity, and with different goals in life. Yet, they were committed to each other and willing to sacrifice for each other. When the call was received, they dropped what they were doing and came together for a common purpose. The entry of Dwayne Johnson into the series and the location of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil made it even better! I have watched Fast Five several times on cable and blu-ray. Each time it is just as exciting and enjoyable as the first time!
Bittersweet story of a real tragedy. It makes me uncomfortably aware of how imperfect our world is and how imperfect we are. There are high and low moments of everyday people trying to enjoy life, each other, a little bit of happiness, and just trying to make it. All this leading up to a heartbreaking ending. I left the theater with a lot of what if(s) and a strong feeling "that it just didn't have to happen that way"!
Great story telling of an African-American man who because of his duties as a butler, was privy to some of the White House conversations, emotions and key players involved in civil rights decisions. Wonderfully woven together from pre Civil Rights Movement, Civil Rights Movement, to post Civil Rights Movement. I appreciate the inclusion of the Black Panther Party, even though it was not necessarily a part of the Civil Rights Movement. The Black Power Movement, of which the Black Panther Party was a part , benefited from the Civil Rights Movement and vice-versus.