Fox offers up a more polished version a catalog favorite with this disc of Romancing the Stone. The new video transfer is an improvement over the original DVD of this title, offering a letterboxed transfer that has anamorphic enhancement (the previous disc did not) and a more vivid color scheme. The audio sticks to the original Dolby 2.0 stereo mix used on the prior disc; it lacks the dimensional effects a modern mix would offer but does an acceptable job. Also included is a selection of bonuses. First up is a series of eight deleted and extended scenes; most of them were removed from the first half of the film and are interesting if not essential. There is also a series of four featurettes on the film itself. "Rekindling The Romance" is the most substantial, chronicling the film's history from the standpoint of Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito (oddly, Robert Zemeckis is not involved in any of the bonus material). The other featurettes are all under four minutes in length, and these brief bits tell the viewer a little bit about the film's screenwriter, the actors' favorite scenes in the film, and Douglas sharing some memories of his work on the film as both actor and producer. The package is rounded out by an eight-page text booklet included in the text case. Unfortunately, there are no theatrical trailers included on the disc. In the end, some fans might be disappointed by the lack of a stereo remix or more substantial extras, but it's a solid package for a catalog title price. Those who love the film will most likely find it worth the upgrade (the improved transfer alone makes it worthwhile).
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Fans of this movie will delight in this special edition package featuring several bonus features that weren't on the original dvd release. Recommended.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Fans of this two-movie series will delight in this special edition package featuring several bonus features that weren't on the original dvd releases. Recommended.
Fox offers yet another excellent DTS audio transfer for Predator. During the scenes witnessed from the eyes of the alien, the rear speakers are wonderfully utilized to hear the soldiers' barely comprehensible voices. The depth of the sound field in these scenes helps to heighten the suspense of the film. The crisp DTS sounds shine during several shootout scenes, especially when all the soldiers fire at the unseen jungle for several minutes. This disc also includes a well-done 5.1-channel Dolby Digital transfer, as well as a decent 2.0-channel Dolby Surround track. The 1.85:1 widescreen anamorphic transfer on this disc is surprisingly uneven and varied. During certain scenes, the events on the screen shine with brilliance and clarity, while other portions contain large amounts of grain that hinder the overall presentation of the film. Overall, the visuals are stunning and work well, but the intermittent poor moments keep it from being an excellent transfer. This disc contains no extra features except for a brief theatrical trailer, which is presented in a full-screen format that is around VHS quality. It's nice to see a preview that gives away very little about the plot of the film. Of course, at that time, Arnold Schwarzenegger's name was enough to draw hordes of fans to a picture. The menus on this disc are amateurish and poor; in fact, they rank with some of the worst on any recent DVD.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Interesting sci-fi action film that Schwarzenegger fans will enjoy, as will fans of the sci-fi action genre. Good dvd presentation and great sound make for a fun experience.
20th Century Fox finally does right and delivers to Region 1 customers what Europeans have been enjoying for quite some time before this -- the two-disc Predator: Collector's Edition DVD! Save for packaging and some clips about the Alien vs. Predator knock-down-drag-out flick (which the disc was undoubtedly released to promote), the content is an exact transfer from the Region 2 disc that some region-free savvy customers have already indulged in. For many though, this stuff is all new -- finally, a disc that lives up to the blockbuster film that spawned a series. Also released in a full-screen edition, this disc comes with a superb anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen image and both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. The audio tracks have taken a bit of heat in the past for minor annoyances (directional gunfire is a bit off), while the dialogue can be a tad on the soft side, though for the most part, the mix works and delivers where the goods count. Disc one comes with the film and two commentary tracks -- one with director John McTiernan and the other, a text commentary from a film historian and most of the main crew. McTiernan isn't known to be the most engaging fellow on earth, though if you can get past his sullen mood, then there will be plenty to learn from this aging director as he looks back on his second feature. Disc two is packed with extras that every Predator fan will love, starting with the 30-minute "If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It" documentary. With interviews spanning almost the entire cast and crew, the grueling behind-the-scenes tales of the production are fleshed out in extreme detail -- from the catastrophe of the original monster costume (worn by none other by the "Muscles From Brussels" himself, Jean-Claude Van Damme!) to the sweltering heat and jungle infections, it's one heck of a tale and a nice documentary to boot. Seven featurettes are listed in the "Inside the Predator" menu, each ranging from tributes to Kevin Peter Hall (the big man inside the suit) to good old "Painless" -- Jesse Ventura's Gatling gun. With even more sections dedicated to the FX of the film (including some brief glimpses of the first suit -- Ouch!), one deleted and basically unneeded scene for you to chew on, some outtakes, and a flurry of galleries for you to enjoy, there's more than enough extra stuff on this disc to make it worthwhile. Add in the trailer, and you have one massive two-disc with enough on-set interviews and hidden Easter eggs to keep any film buff occupied for an entire afternoon.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
'Predator' is a good sci-fi action movie that fans of the genre, and Schwarzenegger fans especially, will most likely enjoy. This collector set offers some really good bonus features not available on the previous dvd release.
Director Rawson Marshall Thurber was not only lucky enough to get first-rate comic talents Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn to star in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, he also managed to get them to take part in the commentary track recorded for the film's initial DVD release. The three are very entertaining mixing explanations of how they honed the film to be as funny as possible with humorous asides about Fox's rules on what can be said during a DVD commentary. The film itself is presented in a widescreen anamorphic transfer that fails to preserve the original theatrical aspect ratio. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1. Deleted scenes with optional director commentary, a blooper reel, and a featurette on how to play dodgeball are all available for viewing. The best extra, however, might be the ability to read the screenplay, which offers a valuable lesson to up and coming comic filmmakers that if it is funny on the page it is far more likely to be funny on screen.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
'Dodgeball' is a movie that is worth seeing once, but repeated viewings won't interest most viewers. Good performances all around make for pretty fun entertainment as does the audio commentary by the director.
Loaded with original supplements (if not that elusive director's commentary track), the DVD of L.A. Confidential makes its mark as one of the better DVDs in the early development of the format, but leaves something to be desired in the age of the two-disc special edition. Warner DVD made a valiant attempt at a feature-loaded DVD and presented the film in anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen and Dolby Digital. Present are three documentaries (all which fall under the half-hour mark), trailers, TV spots, and a music-only track for Jerry Goldsmith's score. The first documentary, Off the Record, focuses primarily on the task of translating James Ellroy's novel to the screen, but also includes some rare screen tests. Second is a video version of the original photo pitch that Curtis Hanson gave the producers, conveying through pictures of L.A. in the '50s the movie he wanted to make. Lastly, there is a feature that allows the viewer to take a virtual tour -- narrated by the director -- of the Los Angeles of the film by selecting a location from a map menu. While not an authoritative edition of the film, the L.A. Confidential DVD remains one of the best early special edition discs.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
I heard such wonderful things about this movie from just about everyone I talked to. Unfortunately, everyone I talked to was just plain wrong. 'L.A. Confidential' is decent entertainment at best, a movie I wouldn't recommend at all. Dvd presentation is good, with some fair extras, but nothing that will knock your socks off. Skip this one.
Part of the New Line Platinum Series, the 2003 family film Secondhand Lions comes to DVD from Warner Home Video. The disc contains both widescreen and full-frame transfers. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound. Optional subtitles are available in English and Spanish. Director Tim McCanlies provides an audio commentary track. Also included are deleted and alternate scenes with optional director commentary and the featurettes "Secondhand Lions: One Screenplay's Wild Ride in Hollywood, " "On the Set With Secondhand Lions," and "Haley Joel Osment: An Actor Comes of Age." Other special features include theatrical trailers, TV spots, visual-effects comparisons, and DVD-ROM material. Recommended for family viewing.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
I had high expectations for this film and was completely let down upon viewing it. Haley Joel Osment's acting is extremely poor, and while Robert Duvall and Michael Caine perform well (as usual), the film's storyline is just plain dumb. The dvd itself has good image and sound presentation as well as several bonus features that will please fans, unfortunately the film isn't worth watching.
Martial arts movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme made his debut behind the camera as the director of this sweeping action drama. Van Damme stars as Chris Dubois, a clown pickpocket and Fagin-like leader of orphan thieves in 1925 New York City. Kidnapped by gun smugglers and then sold to pirate captain Lord Dobbs (Roger Moore), Chris eventually ends up the property of Khao (Aki Aleong), a master Asian kickboxer. His fighting skills win Chris a chance at a legendary contest, a gladiatorial showdown between champions of the world's many diverse combat styles in a Tibetan lost city. Along for the trip are the avaricious Dobbs, heavyweight boxing champ and fellow competitor Maxie (James Remar), and Carrie (Janet Gunn), a beautiful female reporter.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
'The Quest' really marked the end of the line for Jean Claude Van Damme. Poorly directed and not nearly interesting enough to keep the attention of most viewers, this film is disappointing in just about every aspect. What is most surprising though, is that Roger Moore (of James Bond fame) took a part in this movie.
James Belushi gets his life turned upside down in the magical comedy Mr. Destiny. The film is presented in a very nice looking 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Fans will be happy to discover that this print appears to be in great condition -- all of the colors, black levels and flesh tones are represented accurately with sharp detail throughout. Without any grain, dirt or other imperfections marring the image, this widescreen transfer is a nice surprise. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround in English and is, alas, not quite as exciting as the video portions of the disc. Though the sound mix is free of any excessive hiss or distortion, overall it lacks any fidelity or dynamic range. No alternate soundtracks or subtitles are included on this disc. Apparently a fine special edition was not in the cards for Mr. Destiny -- this edition of the film doesn't include a single extra feature.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
'Mr. Destiny' is in a lot of ways a modern day 'It's A Wonderful Life.' Just about anyone is sure to enjoy this film, which is really quite good, presented in anamorphic widescreen. Unfortunately, bonus content is nowhere to be found.
This director's cut edition of Lethal Weapon 2 boasts four minutes of footage not utilized in the theatrical release. The image is a fine 2.35:1 widescreen anamorphic transfer. English soundtracks are available in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1, while a French soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. English, Spanish, and French subtitles are accessible. Aside from the bonus footage (which is edited into the film, not presented in a deleted scenes section), the disc includes a "making of" documentary concerning the creation of action scenes and a theatrical trailer. A non-director's cut version of the film is available on a different disc.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
'Lethal Weapon 2' is a poor sequel to a first film that was mediocre at best. Dvd transfer is acceptable, but the film just isn't worth owning in my opinion.