Journey to the Center of the Earth (2-D and Limited-Edition 3-D) [Blu-ray]

Product Details

• Released on: 2008-10-28
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Color, 3D, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Icelandic
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

This movie is so cool
This movie is fun and exciting. The graphic effect was great. This movie is impressive. It's action and adventure movie. you have to watch it. This movie contained 2-D and 3-D. that's great. It's good movie. You can realize the movie with 3-D Edition. It's fun.

A good watch...
...I picked this one up on an impulse, for the 3-D, and I'll admitt I was not disappointed. First of all, the 3-D, although is the traditional blue and red glasses and not shutter glasses or anything else works pretty well. I was amazed at how good the 3-D effects looked for your standard 3D glasses. The story is interesting enough to keep you watching. I would recommend the movie for its 3D effect, and it makes a good watch.

Walking On Magnetic & Rotating Rocks, or Only On Blu-Ray
Basically, Brandon Fraser's getting kicked out of his college lab (SNL's Seth Meyers makes a great appearance), Brandon's nephew spends vacation with him before moving to Ottawa (I prefer Toronto), the two go volcano hunting in Iceland (none of my uncles would have ever spent the money to take me to Iceland)... Ahhh who cares, it's all just an excuse to for some 3D action! But let me warn you, DO NOT GET THIS IN STANDARD DEFINITION! Why?

Because this movie looks stunningly beautiful in awesome in Blu-Ray, and it just adds so much to the experience. In SD, it's a sub-par experience, because the movie was made for HD, and of course 3D, but with those paper red/blue 3D glasses, I only noticed a substantial 3D effect during the credits. During the movie, the action just moves too fast, and your color is all distorted. So unless you have a really good pair of glasses, you might want to skip that. But you'll still have the picture and the action. It's a throwback to those Saturday matinee serials where things jump out, scare you, and surprise you. Things blow up, explode, collapse, and the action and adventure is certainly entertaining. Good family fun, although the little ones may find some of it a bit too intense.

Overall, don't even consider the SD version as you'll only come out disappointed. HD on the other hand makes all the difference, and it makes the movie that much better. Sure the plot is nothing to write home about, but the family and I had a very fun time with this popcorn flick. And I'm very open to a sequel, if it's filmed in the same manner. An Atlantis plot is especially intriguing.

Real Score: 4.5

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Sleeping Beauty (Two-Disc Platinum Edition + Standard DVD and BD Live) [Blu-ray]

Product Description

Awaken your senses to the majesty of SLEEPING BEAUTY Walt Disney's ultimate fairy tale. See more than you've ever seen before through the magic of state of the art technology and experience this groundbreaking film restored beyond its original brilliance in the way Walt envisioned it pristine beautiful utterly breathtaking. From the grand celebration of Princess Aurora's birth to the fateful day when she pricks her finger on a spinning wheel and falls under Malificent's evil curse to Prince Philip's courageous battle against a fire-breathing dragon the stunning artistry and spine-tingling sounds will transform your home into a fantastic world. The adventures continue as you are immersed into a wonderful world of bonus features.

BONUS FEATURES
In the original story, Princess Aurora sleeps for 100 years before being awakened by a prince's kiss. In the Disney version, Prince Philip comes to her rescue much sooner.
George Brun's orchestral score, which was nominated for an Academy Award, expertly blended famous themes from Tchaikovsky's ballet.
With a budget that exceeded $6 million in 1959, this was Walt Disney's most lavish and expensive animated feature to date.
Determined to make the characters as realistic as possible, Disney had a live action film shot with actors posing as Sleeping Beauty, the Prince, and Maleficent, for the animators to use.
New York Times critic Bosley Crowther called the fight between Prince Philip and Maleficent the noisiest and scariest go-round he (Disney) has ever put into one of his films.
Live Menus Featuring A Real Time Castle Environment
All-New Making Of SLEEPING BEAUTY Featurette
Deleted Songs
And More!
DISNEY BD LIVE innovative features premiering on Sleeping Beauty include Chat and Create Custom Video Messages With yoru Friends As You Watch The Film, Shop For Add-Ons and Downloads, Maleficent's Challenge Game, Living Menus Real Time Castle Environment Changes Based on Your Location System Requirements:Running Time: 75 minutes Format: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: G UPC: 786936746228 Manufacturer No: 05560800

Product Details

• Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
• Released on: 2008-10-07
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Aspect ratio: 2.55:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Subtitled
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 3
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 75 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Disney's 1959 animated effort was the studio's most ambitious to date, a widescreen spectacle boasting a gorgeous waltz-filled score adapting Tchaikovsky. In the 14th century, the malevolent Maleficent (not dissimilar to the wicked Queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs taunts a king that his infant Aurora will fatally prick her finger on a spinning wheel before sundown on her 16th birthday. This, of course, would deny her a happily-ever-after with her true love. Things almost but not quite turn out that way, thanks to the assistance of some bubbly, bumbling fairies named Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. It's not really all that much about the title character--how interesting can someone in the middle of a long nap be, anyway? Instead, those fairies carry the day, as well as, of course, good Prince Phillip, whose battle with the malevolent Maleficent in the guise of a dragon has been co-opted by any number of animated films since. See it in its original glory here. And Malificent's castle, filled with warthogs and demonic imps in a macabre dance celebrating their evil ways, manages a certain creepy grandeur. --David Kronke

Stills from Sleeping Beauty (Click for larger image)

On the Blu-ray Disc
Sleeping Beauty was the last and most lavish of Walt Disney's animated fairy tales. He told the artists not to hurry and to give him "a moving illustration": The film required almost four and one-half years and one million finished drawings. Instead of the 19th century storybook illustrations that had influenced the look of Snow White and Pinocchio, the artists adapted the flattened perspective and jewel-like colors of 15th century French illuminated manuscripts. The results remain unmatched for sheer visual opulence. However, Sleeping Beauty suffers from a weak story: the vision of an ageless princess slumbering in a vine-shrouded tower was replaced with elements of Snow White and a boy-meets-girl musical. The evil Maleficent and the three Good Fairies (Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather) dominate the film, rather than Princess Aurora and Prince Philip. Sleeping Beauty was originally released in 70mm, and the Blu-ray edition restores the film to its original splendor. (Many earlier releases trimmed the wide-screen images and/or muted the glowing palatte.) The Bonus DVD looks good on a flat screen monitor, but it pales in comparison to the richness of the Blu-ray. In addition to the commentaries and a making-of documentary, the set includes myriad extras that vary widely in quality. Nostalgia buffs will enjoy the recreation of the old Sleeping Beauty's Castle attraction in Disneyland, and the TV program "Four Artists Paint One Tree" provides a welcome showcase for key talents from the film. But the CG animation of the dragon and the voice imitations of the Good Fairies fail to capture the magic of the originals in the "Dragon Encounter"; the "Maleficent's Challenge Game"--a hi-tech Twenty Questions--sounds only vaguely like the redoubtable sorceress. The BD-Live features require an awful lot of bother: after wading through (or ignoring) 130 screens of legalese, participants must enter their Social Security number or other personal information in the drawn-out sign-on process. Once that's finally done, viewers can send special messages to pop up during the film, chat online with others who are watching, and view it in synch with others. The question is whether or not you want to. (Rated G: violence) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Impressive
OK, I always thought Sleeping Beauty was one of Disney's least exciting offerings from their classic animation films. Although I saw in the theaters when I was very young, I mostly know it from the VHS version. But my wife said it was her favorite so when it came out on Blu Ray, I picked it up.

Just a few points on why it is so impressive. First, the BR version displays the full original aspect ratio, you get to see the film in full Cinemascope. Second, the transfer to BR looks flawless, you'll see details in the animation you didn't know where there. I kept staring at it in awe. Finally, the sound quality was full and clean.

So put that all together and it actually makes the semi-flat characters come alive and the kinda lame plot seem exciting. Overall, BR gave me a new appreciation for Sleeping Beauty, and I can't wait for future Disney BR releases. (Beauty and the Beast next, please?)

Oh, and how awesome is it that they threw in the DVD version too?

Very nice restoration
Disney Home Video kindly sent me this DVD, in exchange for an honest review.

Movie: This is a very traditional fairy tale romance, with Princess Aurora being the only child of a king, betrothed at birth to Prince Phillip, the only child of another king. At the grand party to celebrate Aurora's birth, almost everyone attends, including the good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. However, the powerful, evil fairy, Maleficent, is not invited. Maleficent attends anyway, to bestow a "gift" on the child: a curse that, upon her sixteenth birthday, she would prick her finger on a spindle and die. Maleficent then disappears. Flora and Fauna had already bestowed the gifts of beauty and song, and Merryweather adds the gift of amending Maleficent's curse to be that Aurora would falls asleep, instead of die, only to be awakened by the kiss of her true love.

Of course, Princess Aurora does not die, but the road to the inevitable Disney ending includes magic, a dragon, intrigue, an unexpected romance, lots of singing, an enchanted forest with many creatures, kidnappings, and, of course, a spinning wheel with a spindle. The ending will not disappoint the little ones, but there is some suspense along the way.

Much is made of the Super Technirama 70 film method that was used, but I did not see it as noticeably better than similar-era animation. I prefer the look and the animation of Disney's original Bambi, with its incredibly rich colors. This DVD does involve a new digital restoration, and the before-and-after samples show a definite enrichment in color and detail resolution.

The songs and the singing were very nice. It was more music-based than I had expected or remembered. It had been many years since I last saw this film.

Voice Cast:

Mary Costa as Princess Aurora
Bill Shirley as Prince Phillip
Eleanor Audley as Maleficent
Verna Felton as Flora
Barbara Luddy as Merryweather
Barbara Jo Allen as Fauna
Taylor Holmes as Stefan
Bill Thomson as Hubert

Everyone does a very respectable voice performance, at least. The two who stood out were the good but mischievous Merry weather (Barbara Luddy) and, by far the star in this aspect, Eleanor Audley as the drippingly, snidely evil Maleficent. Maleficent made a truly scary villain, and it is my guess that she was the prototype for Cruella De Vil of the 1961 Disney One Hundred and One Dalmatians. It is probably no coincidence that both movies were directed by Clyde Geronimi.

I would have liked to have seen a bit more attitude to the characters, but I had to remind myself that the film goes back to 1959. Aurora pined a bit too much for me, although Phillip, Merryweather, and Maleficent certainly had enough attitude. Maybe, Princess Fiona of Shrek spoiled me!

Extra features: Immediately following the movie, on the same disc, is a music video of an upbeat, fairly contemporary version of a song from the movie, Once Upon A Dream, sung by Hannah Montana's Emily Osment. It is fairly good, and adds to the Prince Charming fantasy from the movie.

After that comes another music video, running almost thirty minutes, featuring The Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofe;, accompanied with video of the Grand Canyon, including the dramatic scenery, amazing sequences of storms and cloud changes, and the native wildlife. Both the music and the video are excellent, and I only have two minor quibbles with it. First, I am not sure why this video is there, as it does not seem connected, in any way, to the movie. I guess that Disney is just using this as an opportunity to introduce children to more classical music. The other quibble involves a few of the wildlife sequences, showing predator-prey situations, involving a cougar and an antelope, and a golden eagle and a large owl, and a hare and a small rodent. The music is fitted around these sequences to suggest that predators are villains and prey are pitiable good-guy victims. In all these sequences, there is no bloody climax (this is a Disney movie, after all), and the music suggests this is victory. Well, it is victory for the prey, but it is also possible starvation for the predator. Maybe I am over-thinking this, but that was my take on it. I still enjoyed this video segment.

The next video is a vintage one, with an introduction by Walt Disney, on where the movie concept came from, and mainly about the life of Peter Tchaikovski. It is very nicely done.

All of the above is on Disc One.

On Disc Two, there are a host of bonus features:

There is a simple word game, with six basic variations. It appears, from the pace of the instructions and the level of the task, to be aimed at pre-schoolers, as it is a basic word-object pairing game.

Another extra feature is a basic waltz instruction program, with two parts. One part shows the basic steps, and the player is guided toward picking the steps in the right order. The other part involves actually dancing in the forest; the player chooses the role of Aurora or Phillip and is taught to do the basic moves in the right order.

A virtual walk-through of original Sleeping beauty castle. This is like taking a tour of a Disneyland exhibit.

A never-before-seen alternate opening sequence. This was interesting and would have been a perfectly acceptable choice of how to start the movie.

A sample of the songs that were deleted from the original movie. Several features on the making of the movie, with a heavy emphasis on the artists who did the animation, finish up the bonus features.

-- Chris McCallister, author of Coming Full Circle

What Size Is Your Set?
What? Disney's released another two-disc edition of "Sleeping Beauty?" Why, pray tell? Because they can? Because poor Disney-addicted saps like myself will fall for the ruse and pony up more of our hard-earned cash, even though we already own the Special Edition that was released a mere five years ago? You can tell I was skeptical. But there are some wonderful new extras on this release that weren't included in the last, and for hardcore fans, they're definitely worth having. And the film itself...? Well, for those of you who have never seen "Sleeping Beauty," by all means snatch it up. This may not be Disney's most entertaining film in terms of story line, but it's certainly its most visually gorgeous. The look of the film is based on ancient tapestries and medieval artwork, and the way that the studio's animators and background artists have translated them to the screen (led by the brilliant, visionary Eyvind Earle), is nothing less than breathtaking.

The biggest drawback to any edition of "Sleeping Beauty," and it's not necessarily a small one, is that the scope of the film, its visual, widescreen beauty and impact will be completely lost on a conventionally sized television. If you don't have a big screen TV, it's almost not worth the investment.

So, if you have the old edition of the film, try selling it on Amazon and put the money towards getting the new one. If you don't have either, just be aware that the size of your set may seriously effect (or enhance) your enjoyment of this most beautiful and unique of Disney's masterpieces.

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The Ultimate Matrix Collection [Blu-ray]

Product Details

• Released on: 2008-10-14
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DualDisc
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 7
• Running time: 505 minutes

Customer Reviews

Blu Matrix!!!
If you are a Matrix fan,then this new Ulltimate Matrix Blu Ray collection is a must!!! All three Matrix films,plus Animatrix in beautiful Blu Ray Hi Def + a !#$%&load of extras!!!! the last 2 discs in this 6 disc set are standard DVD's but this is a minor quibble,other than that,this is an awesome collector's set,don't worry ALL 3 Matrix films + Animatrix ARE Blu Ray Discs,the last 2 discs which like I said before are standard dvd's,which conatins some of the extras(think of the Blade Runner Blu Ray set which also had 2 standard dvs's as well) Still,highly recommended!!! A+

Beautifully Done: Well Worth It
I just finished watching all three back to back, and man: beautiful. I don't know how else to explain it. I didn't see the HD-DVD version, but having been an avid fan of the Matrix and upgrading from the SD-DVD Ultimate Collection, there are many noticeable differences.

The main one, is that 80% of the graphic effects appear to have been cleaned up to 2008 standards. Granted, the motion capture in the Neo/Smith fights in #2 and #3 is still very 2003, so don't expect it to compare to Spider-Man 3 [Blu-ray]. But, with the improved resolution and bit rate of bluray, there are many dramatic improvements to the look of the sentinels, the makeup effects for Neo's mouth coming together, the car chases and explosions, the human-skin textures of the cgi characters is improved, even some of the green screen composites look better. I am very pleased with my pre-order and would gladly recommend upgrading to anyone!

[Though this did not detract from my enjoyment of the film, I will say I found the copyright notice, that appears in thirty-eight different languages at the end of the film to be insulting. I understand piracy is a big problem for studios, but to force us who paid $75.00 to sit through this crap insults my intelligence when people who pirate movies are going to pirate movies no matter how many times you list the notice. Like a Kenyan movie pirate is suddenly not going to copy this movie, simply because he read the notice in Swahili. Get real!! (No offence to anyone who speaks Swahili.)]

I couldn't help myself...
I told myself I wasn't going to get this but when I saw it in the store I couldn't help myself and had to get it. Yes, it was a bit pricey, but I plan to see if I can't recoop a couple bucks by selling my DVD versions of the three films. Also included in this is another disc with the Animatrix on it, which I have seen in the past, but do not own, which should look pretty great on blu-ray and 35 hours of bonus footage which I haven't looked at yet but if it has anything to do with the creation of the special effect it should be pretty good as far as extras go.

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The Dark Knight (+ Digital Copy and BD Live) [Blu-ray]

Product Details

• Released on: 2008-12-09
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 151 minutes

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover
The follow-up to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in his continuing war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective, but soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante. Heath Ledger stars as archvillain The Joker, and Aaron Eckhart plays Dent. Maggie Gyllenhaal joins the cast as Rachel Dawes. Returning from Batman Begins are Gary Oldman as Gordon, Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.

Blu-ray features:

• Movie with Focus Points (picture in picture)
• BD Live
• Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene: Director Christopher Nolan and creative collaborators unmask the incredible detail and planning behind the film, including stunt staging, filming in IMAX®, and the new Bat-suit and Bat-pod.
• Batman Tech: The incredible gadgets and tools (in HD)
• Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight: Delve into the psyche of Bruce Wayne and the world of Batman through real-world psychotherapy (in HD)
• Gotham Tonight: 6 episodes of Gotham Cable's premier news program
• The Galleries: The Joker cards, concept art, poster art, production stills, trailers and TV spots
• Digital Copy of the feature film

Customer Reviews

AUCKING FMAZING
THIS WAS HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES EVER! OYA! AND THE WAY I READ IT ONLINE WITH PEOPLE RATING IT BAD *cough*(robert downy jr), THEY CAN GO SCREW OFF AND LIKE DAT! HEATH DEFINETLEY DESERVES 2 OR MORE OSCARS IN THIS LIKE ONE OF MY COUSIN WHO ALSO HAS WON A NOBBLE PEACE PRIZE IN A PUMPIN EATING CONTEST OYA!!! OYA.....!!! AND LIKE DAT..... BUT IT'S SAD THAT HE DIED I THINK PRINCE MADE A SONG OUT OF IT THAT I KNEW SOMEONE WHO WROTE FOR HIM BUT THEY CHANGED THE LYRICS FROM, "THIS IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE WHEN MICE FARTS" TO WHAT YOU HEAR NOW A DAYS. OYA OYA OYA! AND LIKE DAT LIKE DAT LIKE DAT.

I'd give this 10 stars if I could - THE BEST comic book adaption movie EVER!!!
Anyone who knows me, knows how big of a Batman fan I am. And even though this may sound biased, I can honestly say that "The Dark Knight" is the best comic book adaptation movie ever made! With little nods and sideplots that only us deep Batman fans could recognize (i.e. the sonar spying system that Batman utilizes in the film that is ironically close to the Brother I satellite from the OMAC Project storyline in the comics (The OMAC Project (Countdown to Infinite Crisis)), or the Batman wannabe gang that mirrors Frank Miller's "Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again"), Nolan's "Knight" brings so much to the table that I can only think that the filmmakers achieved what Raimi so desperately tried to achieve with Spider-Man 3 (Two-Disc Special Edition), only they failed miserably; whereas Nolan and crew made a stunning success!

There are so many plotlines in this film, which may make you think that the movie would become convoluted, but it doesn't. If anything, it keeps the audience involved with each and every character all the while keeping them on the edge of their seats, as there are plenty of nailbiting sequences in this film. The main plotline is Bruce Wayne's (Christian Bale) having to deal with the fact that his persona as Batman has inspired many new acts of criminality -- both seemingly good and extremely bad. Yes, Rachel Dawes is back too. Only instead of Katie Holmes, we now get Maggie Gyllenhaal. I was one of those few when the first film came out that didn't think Holmes' performance was all that bad, but, after seeing Gyllenhaal in this, I now realize how -- although not that bad -- truly stiff Holmes' performance was. And, much to Bruce's chagrin, Rachel's love interest is no other than the compassionate, idealistic District Attorney Harvey Dent (with a performance by Aaron Eckhart that may be the best of his career to date). Of course, Bruce has to deal with this relationship as well (continuing their relationship from Batman Begins (Limited Edition Gift Set)), all the while dealing with the newest criminal to grace Gotham's streets -- an anarchistic criminal who simply "wants to watch the world burn" and calls himself The Joker (Heath Ledger). And the complicated relationship between Gordon, Dent and Batman (another comic book staple) is explored with great writing (again, taking a cue from their relationship in Batman: The Long Halloween.

Now, let me just take this time to say that I'm definitely not one of those people who believes much in an actor or actress receiving awards just because they've passed away or because they're so old and the academies believe they'll be passing away soon (Yes, Martin Landau, for his performance in "Ed Wood," I'm directing that statement at him; his performance in that film didn't even come close to Morgan Freeman's in "The Shawshank Redemption"). However, regardless of Ledger's living status, I can truly say that he deserves an Academy Award for Supporting Actor nomination for his turn as The Joker, dead or alive. He is that good! Of course, being The Joker, he does have a few funny one-liners, however, unlike Jack Nicholson's Joker, Ledger's lines are so creepily delivered that you're not sure whether you want to, or should, laugh. And the complex relationship between The Joker and Batman -- one not being able to exist without the other -- that is a constant in the comics even to this day is added into the movie, which I was delighted about. Also, Ledger's Joker is always one step ahead of Gotham's police and Batman that he makes the perfect formidable foe that us fans know from the comics.

Gary Oldman is also back as Lieutenant Gordon, Michael Caine as Alfred, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox; and all have good screentime and give great performances. Also, for those fans wondering, Cillian Murphy is also back for a brief cameo as The Scarecrow. The performances are all excellent but the true accolades should go to the writers, brothers Jonathan and Christopher Nolan, and David S. Goyer. They wrote what a Batman movie should be and perfectly showcase why all of us fans love Batman in the first place: the dark, gritty realism peppered with hope and lots of cool gadgets. The fact that director Christopher Nolan has finally brought the cool respect that was lost by his predecessors back to the Batman franchise is superb! The action is plentiful but doesn't take away from the drama that is also needed for a film of this caliber.

I liked Iron Man (Two-Disc Special Collectors' Edition) a lot, but The Dark Knight blows it and every other comic book-movie adaptation out of the water! I can only hope that there are more Batman movies planned for Nolan and crew, especially after all the money they've raked in (they broke the record for a midnight opening with $18.6 million, and that's not including any other showings; just the midnight ones)! Whether you're a comic book fan or not, I would recommend this movie! It's probably the best summer blockbuster I've seen in years! Immediately after seeing it, I wanted to see it again and felt bummed out that I couldn't. I won't write any more about the storylines or surprises in store as that would rob you of the full effect of the movie's greatness. Don't read any more into it. Just go see it and soak in the experience for yourself.

Why would you "not" buy this movie?
Freakin Christian Bale as Batman vs. an amazing performance by Heath Ledger as the Joker... Batman vs. Joker... throw in Two-Face.. and the excellent writing and directing by Christopher Nolan.. A great story, with great music, great acting... a must own!! Do yourself a favor and buy Batman Begins as well, Batman Begins [Blu-ray] of course if you already havent, Nolan did an amazing job creating the Batman character's start, Dark Knight continue's it.. and hope to look forward to another great epic movie in Nolan's Batman series. An Oscar worthy comic-book film.. Why would you "not" buy this movie??

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Kung Fu Panda [Blu-ray]

Product Details

• Released on: 2008-11-09
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Portuguese, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 88 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
What's a panda to do when his dreams of kung-fu awesomeness awake to the cold reality of noodle-making? Clumsy, overweight Po (Jack Black) dreams of becoming a kung fu master like China's revered "furious five," but instead seems destined to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather in the restaurant business. When great leader Oogway has a vision that the imprisoned kung fu warrior Tai Lung (Ian McShane) will soon escape, he declares it time to choose China's dragon warrior--one kung fu master deemed worthy of possessing the dragon's scroll and its secret to limitless power. Po and all the townspeople rush to the Jade Palace atop the highest mountain to witness the contest between Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogan), Crane (David Cross) and Viper (Lucy Liu), but Po is locked outside the palace. After a miracle of sorts, Po lands inside the palace gates, where he is chosen as the dragon warrior and placed under the tutelage of the decidedly non-plussed master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). An unconventional student to say the least, hilarity reigns as Shifu tries desperately to make Po into some semblance of a kung fu warrior. Can Po possibly fulfill his destiny as dragon warrior, or was Oogway's final decision a critical mistake? A film rich with hilarious moments, superior animation, and an important message about believing in oneself and the power that comes from within, Kung Fu Panda is great entertainment that will have the whole family laughing and begging for more. (Ages 3 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Skadoosh!
I was on a long flight back from California when I had the choice between watching Kung Fu Panda on a tiny television screen four feet away from me, or read the SkyMall catalog. I wisely chose to watch Kung Fu Panda.

I was curious as to how Kung Fu Panda would present itself: as a Lion King-style retelling of ancient Chinese myth, or as a love note to kung fu films from an American perspective. I'm pleased to report that it's the latter.

You know the story: Po (a restrained Jack Black) adores the Furious Five but is too fat and slow to ever hope to become one of them and then fate does precisely that. It's the heroes who have the real problem (each representing a different kung fu style and all voiced by a roster of celebrities, including Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, and Lucy Liu). Struggling most of all is Master Shifu - a bit redundant, if you know the definition of Shifu - played by Dustin Hoffman (wouldja believe?) who is still suffering from the betrayal of his first and best pupil Tai Lung (Ian McShane).

What's surprising about Kung Fu Panda is how adult the story is. The word "kill" is mentioned several times. Tai Lung and Shifu have a physical conflict that is much a battle of philosophies as it is a father and son having an argument. And the plot is beautiful in its symmetry, perfectly tying in every element: from the modified style of kung-food training that Shifu teaches Po to the revelation of Po's (we can only assume adopted) duck-father's secret recipe to the fact that Po is immune to acupuncture (because he's so fat, of course) Kung Fu Panda is tightly scripted and wrapped up in a beautiful package.

The movie itself (what I could see on the tiny airplane screen) is beautifully produced. It ranges from Chinese-style art to realistic but soft-colored tones, to bursts of color amidst pitch darkness. The fight scenes are all in exciting locations: in a prison, on a rope bridge, in an ancient temple. It's like a videogame, only you're watching the fat guy character nobody wants to play. It was beautiful enough that I had a pang of regret that I wasn't watching it on a big screen. Or even a medium screen.

For kids, Po is a great tale about overcoming obstacles by being yourself. For geeks, Po is a hilarious new hero archetype: the fanboy as hero, a fat, slobbering devotee who knows more details about the Furious Five than they know about themselves.

Very nice, but not great
I did like the movie but it is not on a par with something like Cars.

The story is painfully familiar; unlikely hero trains up to defeat bad guy. Think Star Wars Episode VI, Karate Kid (all episodes), and countless others. In this case, the hero is a noodle-making panda voiced by Jack Black. Jack does a great job but almost everyone else seems to be calling in their performances. There are some laughs, but mostly this is a low-key movie.

I think what soured this film for me was Avatar: The Last Airbender. Avatar covers much of the same ground, but has had years to it. Even so, a single 30 minute episode of Avatar is more interesting and exciting than was KFP.

Even so, if your kids want to take you to see KFP for your birthday, then by all means let them. You could do much worse.

Kung Fu Panda: Hugely Entertaining
The story of "Kung Fu Panda" about a lazy panda who dreams of becoming a martial arts fighter may not be as unique as that of last year's Oscar winner "Ratatouille," but Dreamworks' new animated film is great fun nonetheless. Perhaps some viewers (including me) might the miss the biting satire of the same company's "Shrek," but "Kung Fu Panda" offers lots of laughs and some engaging characters including Po (voice by Jack Black) and his reluctant master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman).

The film's story will remind you of either "Star Wars" (the older trilogy) or "Drunken Master," the latter being a still popular Hong Kong martial arts film made in 1978 starring Jackie Chan (who provides voice for "Panda" as Monkey). In short, a wise master reluctantly takes a youngster under his wing. The master thinks it a hopeless case at first, but discovers the talent hidden deep inside the pupil. In Po's case, his talent as martial arts fighter is found when Po is eating, not drinking.

If you look at the kung fu choreography closely, or our hero's "battle" sequence in the opening, you will realize that the directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson have carefully studied many kung-fu films. They know the rules of the genre and bend them to create amusing characters, innovative kung-fu battle scenes and funny sight gags. It is amazing to see the slightly overused format for plot based on master and disciple still works even in animation.

That means, however, that some might think the script of "Kung Fu Panda" needs more originality. Principal characters are well-drawn and delightful to watch, especially Po and Shifu, but supports are a bit weak (despite the inclusion of such voice actors as Angelina Jolie as Tigress) and the film's narrative, slick as it is, is a bit predictable (though it never bores us).

The film pays homage to some of other martial arts films and even Hollywood actions - some scenes of "Panda" are clearly inspired by such works as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and one of "Indiana Jones" films - but actually you don't have to notice that at all. This is a hugely enjoyable family-oriented film.

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Wall-E (Three-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray] + Digital Copy

Product Description

The highly acclaimed director of FINDING NEMO and the creative storytellers behind CARS and RATATOUILLE transport you to a galaxy not so far away for a new cosmic comedy adventure about a determined robot named WALL-E. After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, the curious and lovable WALL-E discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. Join them and a hilarious cast of characters on a fantastic journey across the universe. Transport yourself to a fascinating new world with Disney-Pixar's latest adventure, now even more astonishing on DVD and loaded with bonus features, including the exclusive animated short film BURN-E. WALL-E is a film your family will want to enjoy over and over again.

Product Details

• Released on: 2008-11-18
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 98 minutes

Customer Reviews

Amazon Review is crap
As of 9/28/2008, which is more than a month away from the release date of this 3-disc Blu-ray version, how the heck there are 14 reviews already. I have no idea what values Amazon review board has since it allows anyone to rate ideas without actually purchaing and receiving it. Crap!!! is all I can say

I give 5 to Wall*e, I give 2 for storyline. So average 3.
This is a funny flick. Comedy Central. Who doesn't like the simple sweet robot, the hi-tech sweetheart on a mission, and the pet cockroach who lives in a many year old twinkie. With an added bonus of "Hello Dolly" undertones??

As for the storyline? It was.... well crappy. Humans go fat, a robot ship wheel (with a plan to keep humans fat, dumb, and happy in space), and gosh its hard just to simplify the crazy. Eventually humans go back to desolate, probably not yet inhabitable earth, and are still barely able to walk. End of movie. Only redeeming features is the wall*e romance sub-plot.

Wall E
This movie is the Pixar film by far. The humor and storyline are first rate.

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