Gore-Verbinski Movie Reviews

I've never been to Disneyland, so I knew nothing about this previously. Never even knew it was a Disney movie, so with that in mind it may not be what you expect. Surprisingly good acting, great action, sets, effects, but the end gets cheesy, Disneylike. If it wasn't for that, it could have been a box-office smash. "No, he's a pirate"...line really made me cringe. Cheesy, but very entertaining. Debateable if it's something for the kids though. Some disturbing scenes for the young tots.

I was amazed at this movie when it first came out. And i asked my self, how could disney make a truely amazing movie? I was stunned. What else amazed me was that they actually stayed on task and made it like the ride was at Disneyland. I only have three dvd's and they are the best of the best. I have decided to quikly go out and by this and i advise you the same.

I have never ridden the Disney ride and I don't think I need to. All I need is this DVD and someplace to watch it. I saw this in theaters 6 times because it was so good and I have been anxiously awaiting the DVD. People say women like this movie because of Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, and I say true, but I love their performance, not their looks (Although they are both attractive gentlemen). Johnny is at his comedic finest and you will not stop laughing and Orlando makes you root for the good guy even harder then normal and laugh at his comments that compliment Johnny's "uniqueness". Geoffery Rush is phenomenal and so is the actor (I am blanking on his name, sorry sir, you were still awesome) who plays Commodore Norrington (he needs way more publicity, he was phenomenal as well)...

This is by far the best movie of the year and without a doubt deserves awards for both content and actor performance. Knowing the Oscars, it will get overlooked, not enough "big names" in some over the top boring movie, so my vote goes to them by buying the DVD and encouraging others to buy it as well. Nothing says "In your face" to those who keep getting reconized for less then deserving work then getting surpassed in sales by "box office poison" Johnny Depp and his 'mates.

I've never been to Disneyland, so I knew nothing about this previously. Never even knew it was a Disney movie, so with that in mind it may not be what you expect. Surprisingly good acting, great action, sets, effects, but the end gets cheesy, Disneylike. If it wasn't for that, it could have been a box-office smash. "No, he's a pirate"...line really made me cringe. Cheesy, but very entertaining. Debateable if it's something for the kids though. Some disturbing scenes for the young tots.

I was amazed at this movie when it first came out. And i asked my self, how could disney make a truely amazing movie? I was stunned. What else amazed me was that they actually stayed on task and made it like the ride was at Disneyland. I only have three dvd's and they are the best of the best. I have decided to quikly go out and by this and i advise you the same.

I have never ridden the Disney ride and I don't think I need to. All I need is this DVD and someplace to watch it. I saw this in theaters 6 times because it was so good and I have been anxiously awaiting the DVD. People say women like this movie because of Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, and I say true, but I love their performance, not their looks (Although they are both attractive gentlemen). Johnny is at his comedic finest and you will not stop laughing and Orlando makes you root for the good guy even harder then normal and laugh at his comments that compliment Johnny's "uniqueness". Geoffery Rush is phenomenal and so is the actor (I am blanking on his name, sorry sir, you were still awesome) who plays Commodore Norrington (he needs way more publicity, he was phenomenal as well)...

This is by far the best movie of the year and without a doubt deserves awards for both content and actor performance. Knowing the Oscars, it will get overlooked, not enough "big names" in some over the top boring movie, so my vote goes to them by buying the DVD and encouraging others to buy it as well. Nothing says "In your face" to those who keep getting reconized for less then deserving work then getting surpassed in sales by "box office poison" Johnny Depp and his 'mates.

Really the movie was not olny bad it was the wost and most over rated horror movie I have ever seen.It not scary it's dry and weak,very dispointing but dont let this review slow you down,go see it if you must but I suggest you dont.

It's heartening that effective suspense and horror can still come out of Hollywood in this era of Scream, Scary Movie, and the remnants of moronic teen fair [Freddy vs Jason]. Not since Blair Witch and to a lesser extend, Jacob's Ladder has a movie like this creeped me out. Taking itself completely seriously, there are no moments of humour and that contributes to the crawling terror. In a gritty, almost monochrome colored setting, four teens die a week after watching a mysterious video tape. The tape falls into the hands of a reporter, one of the kids' Aunt, who is trying to find out why her niece died. She watches the tape as does her sensitive son and the boys estranged father. She is told by the mysterious phone call that she now has 7 days to live. The race is then on to solve the mystery of this tape, its origins and its demonic hold on the viewers. Slowly, like an onion, the movies' layers are stripped away with hallucinogenic imagery and strange revelations. The protagonists start their research on the NET, move to moldy public library sources, and ultimately to insane asylum records. Eventually, the drama reaches its conclusion with additional jumps and starts all the way through. Amazingly, this film got away with a PG-13 rating despite it's nightmarish imagery. Very effective, brilliantly creepy film. Recommended.

A truly scary movie confuses you and chills you with the unexpected, the unknown, and occasionally, the incomprehensible. "The Ring" gives you all this and more.

This film continues a recent trend in horror movies of taking place in a setting we all know that likely exists in our own home. We have a comfortable familiarity with electronics, safe and snug with the doors locked. The horror that finds us sounds much like an urban legend. Watch a mysterious, bizarre videotape that causes fear in some, and others to scoff at its amateurish style and technique. Moments after watching the videotape, the phone rings and a voice says, "seven days." Seven days later the watcher of the video dies with a most horrible expression of fear on their face.

Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) learns of this urban legend when her niece dies in a most disconcerting way, and a friend who was with her becomes insane. Rachel tries to back track recent events that happened to her niece and friend and discovers an unlabeled videotape in a remote mountain lodge. Not yet believing the urban legend, Rachel watches the videotape. The phone rings, and the fear begins.

Soon joining Rachel is her ex-husband Aidan (David Dorfman), and even more frighteningly, her son. Hoping that the story isn't true, yet knowing she cannot wait for the end, Rachel begins following the clues in the video to determine whether there is a way of keeping from dying. We discover with Rachel and Aidan in a journey that fits all the pieces together that every image in the movie has meaning.

The ending of the movie was a bit of a let-down, and yet almost as creepy as the movie itself. As with many movies, especially horror movies, the ending can make or break a movie and the ending of this movie almost undoes all the excellence of the movie's body.

This movie is one of the best horror movies I've ever seen, and the best I've seen recently. Elements of the movie are similar to "Fear Dot Com," which was also chilling and bloodier, but not as creepy and ominous as "The Ring." I enjoyed how all the elements of the movie were tied together for those with the diligence to keep track of imagery throughout. Horror movies always play better when ambiance and a growing sense of fear win out over the splatter of unnecessary and excessive blood.

Mousehunt Dreamworks SKG 1.85:1/PS/16x9/Dolby Digital

"Mousehunt" is a story about the brothers Smuntz, Ernie and Lars; two brothers who always seem to be down on their luck. Ernie has just lost his job as a restauraunt owner; Lars, well, Lars didn't even have a job. Then, one day, their father, who owned the biggest string factory around, dies. He leaves the brothers the factory and an old house. Not terribly impressed with what they get, the brothers suddenly find out that the old house is worth millions; the only problem is one little mouse that won't give up his house so easily.

I didn't catch "Mousehunt" till it was released on video, and, to my suprise, I really enjoyed it. It has somewhat of a warped sensibility and tone for a "kids" film, but I found it has a certain enjoyable edge. Imagine if the Coen Brothers("The Big Lebowski") directed a kids film and you'll understand into what territory you're headed. Performances are generally very good as well from British comic Lee Evans("There's Something About Mary") and Nathan Lane, who is amazingly much more funny here than in his failing sitcom, "Encore, Encore". It may not be for the youngest of kids, but there are many out there who I think might find this "different" kids film funny. The work done bringing the mouse to screen(a mix of real, anamatronic and FX mice) is also very well done. As much as I liked the movie, I also marvel at its technical work.

The Disc:

Picture: So good. So very good. "Mousehunt" is absolutely, positively goregous looking on this disc. "Mousehunt" is one of those titles that will definitely, or should definitely, set a standard for excellence in picture quality. There are absolutely no artifacts that I could see and the pictures contrast and clarity are outstanding; the shadows and light in the indoor scenes are also breathtakingly transfered to disc. Color saturation is perfect; images are stunning and vibrant throughout. Dreamworks has done an outstanding job.

Audio: Superb as well, bringing Alan Silvestri's wonderful score to digital life. Sounds are picked up wonderfully, from the mouse scattering across the floors or through the walls as well as scenes like the string factory explosion in the beginning. Even when the two brothers are smashing the house as well as themselves to get to the mouse, it's all brought to life wonderfully and richly.

Menus: Really impressively done. Dreamworks has put together a very cute main menu with Lane's eyes following the mouse as it scoots across the screen and back. Scene selection is animated and when you go to the next scene, a piece of cheese comes flying at you not only from the screen but through your speakers.

Extras:Again, a very good job. Both the teaser and full theatrical trailers are included here as well as a selection of deleted scenes(6 in all). What I really liked about the deleted scene menu is it tells you who the star is that is featured in the deleted scene as well as a sentence that gives you a general idea what it's about. There are also the usual texts about each actor as well as notes about the production. But, as with the other menus, I really liked the design.

Box Note: The box also has the little notes bar like the Universal discs have to tell you what kind of sound, disc, etc. Also on the box are notes about the special features. Well done.

Languages: English(Dolby Digital)/ Spanish(Dolby Surround)/ French(Dolby Surround) Subtitles: English Captions/ Spanish Subtitles.

Overall: Dreamworks was the last major studio to jump into DVD, but I don't mind. You know why? Because, maybe they weren't like this, but here is what I imagine after watching this disc: workers at Dreamworks scanning the internet late into the night seeing what people do and don't like; going through mountains of discs, educating themselves as to what is acceptable and what isn't acceptable, doing research upon research as to what makes a good disc. Then when actual production started, I imagine the staff going over and over and over the final product, making sure it's absolutely perfect.

A disc represents who you are. Dreamworks has made it clear that they are proud and that they stand behind their films. One of the best things I can say is that I was so impressed by this disc, it almost made me consider buying the other Dreamworks discs(I *REALLY* disliked both "Peacemaker" and "Small Soldiers") just to see if they were as good as this disc. A job well done.

Running Time:1 hr, 38 min. Region:1 Chapters:20 Disc: Double sided(Pan/Scan on one, LTBX on the other) Rating:PG

Grades: Picture:**** Audio:**** Extras:*** Menus:**** Film:***

Overall:****

This definitely has me excited for future Dreamworks product, like a possible "Antz" special edition as well as "Amistad" and "Paulie."

Review Originally Appeared On The Website, "A Guide TO Current Film."

A. Webmaster, A Guide To Current Film

I think one of the most annoying things about movie critics is that they're supposed to know their stuff, but in the end they come across as just being college guys looking for something dirty to watch! Isn't it funny how they can't help but get down on a hilarious, old fashioned comedy like this and yet show them something like American Pie and it's great intellectual humor! A modern classic! Sickening! This movie was totally hilarious with hardly any sexual humor at all! Allright, just a hint here and there that wasn't necessary. Beyond that this movie was such a perfect comedy for everyone! I absolutely loved this movie! They used every cartoon trick in the book to try and stop that mouse! And wasn't Christopher Walken just incredible?!!! The casting in this was soooo great! It makes me so sad when movies like this come out and hardly get noticed by the public for whatever reason! Probably the lack of sex humor is evident and the previews and it keeps the movie goers away. Anyway I loved it! Do yourself a favor and pick it up! I've got it on VHS but hope to get the DVD eventually!

Some of you people below need to lighten up, it's a movie, and a very well acted one at that.

I am so sick of political correctness I could throw up!

Do you think this will want to make people hurt the animals in they're lives?

Come on, it's funny, rent/buy it.

Of course unless you are offended by humour that involves animals.

cp

(...) The script is horribly written; the pace languishes. The performances of the usually stellar Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts are way below par. The direction is awful (and I'm a fan of Gore Verbinski's other work). I never walk out of movies, but I did on this one with about 15 minutes to go because I just couldn't take it anymore. It's trying to be funny, but never quite makes it there. Seeing Tony Soprano play a gay hit-man is the one part that was worth watching, but only for a while, because even that became one-note. (...)

This was a fun movie. Not my favorite from either Roberts or Pitt, but not a bad film at all. Gandolphini as the gay hit man was too much, he walked off the screen and stole the show. Roberts and Pitt are up to their par as usual and the plot is solid. Again, it's not a bad movie, just something I didn't connect with. A worthy film.

'The Mexican' has a good mix of comedy, romance, action, adventure, drama and suspense. Very enjoyable movie. Julia plays a wonderful quirky, smartypants, sensitive, woman in love. Brad does very well as a slightly lost, good hearted semi-boyfriend just trying to keep himself alive while hoping that his semi-girlfriend will somehow understand. James puts in a stellar performance as the guy who is "very sensitive for a cold-blooded killer".

I recommend giving this movie a shot. Leave your expectations at the door and just enjoy the show for what it is ... a quirky kinda dark romantic comedy. It is well done, combining romance, action and emotional impact with comedy.

There are some very funny scenes, a few somewhat deep scenes that deal with relationship issues and some dramatic scenes that are sad and some that are happy, all of them touching. There are also some subtle jokes, so keep your eyes and ears open!

Admittedly, there was a point where I felt that the movie was going on a bit long, but it quickly became interesting again and I forgot about that.

When you watch this movie, I recommend taking special note of the three main character's eyes. The actors very effectively express their character's emotions and thoughts with their eyes.

Enjoy!

(...) The script is horribly written; the pace languishes. The performances of the usually stellar Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts are way below par. The direction is awful (and I'm a fan of Gore Verbinski's other work). I never walk out of movies, but I did on this one with about 15 minutes to go because I just couldn't take it anymore. It's trying to be funny, but never quite makes it there. Seeing Tony Soprano play a gay hit-man is the one part that was worth watching, but only for a while, because even that became one-note. (...)

This was a fun movie. Not my favorite from either Roberts or Pitt, but not a bad film at all. Gandolphini as the gay hit man was too much, he walked off the screen and stole the show. Roberts and Pitt are up to their par as usual and the plot is solid. Again, it's not a bad movie, just something I didn't connect with. A worthy film.

'The Mexican' has a good mix of comedy, romance, action, adventure, drama and suspense. Very enjoyable movie. Julia plays a wonderful quirky, smartypants, sensitive, woman in love. Brad does very well as a slightly lost, good hearted semi-boyfriend just trying to keep himself alive while hoping that his semi-girlfriend will somehow understand. James puts in a stellar performance as the guy who is "very sensitive for a cold-blooded killer".

I recommend giving this movie a shot. Leave your expectations at the door and just enjoy the show for what it is ... a quirky kinda dark romantic comedy. It is well done, combining romance, action and emotional impact with comedy.

There are some very funny scenes, a few somewhat deep scenes that deal with relationship issues and some dramatic scenes that are sad and some that are happy, all of them touching. There are also some subtle jokes, so keep your eyes and ears open!

Admittedly, there was a point where I felt that the movie was going on a bit long, but it quickly became interesting again and I forgot about that.

When you watch this movie, I recommend taking special note of the three main character's eyes. The actors very effectively express their character's emotions and thoughts with their eyes.

Enjoy!

(...) The script is horribly written; the pace languishes. The performances of the usually stellar Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts are way below par. The direction is awful (and I'm a fan of Gore Verbinski's other work). I never walk out of movies, but I did on this one with about 15 minutes to go because I just couldn't take it anymore. It's trying to be funny, but never quite makes it there. Seeing Tony Soprano play a gay hit-man is the one part that was worth watching, but only for a while, because even that became one-note. (...)

This was a fun movie. Not my favorite from either Roberts or Pitt, but not a bad film at all. Gandolphini as the gay hit man was too much, he walked off the screen and stole the show. Roberts and Pitt are up to their par as usual and the plot is solid. Again, it's not a bad movie, just something I didn't connect with. A worthy film.

'The Mexican' has a good mix of comedy, romance, action, adventure, drama and suspense. Very enjoyable movie. Julia plays a wonderful quirky, smartypants, sensitive, woman in love. Brad does very well as a slightly lost, good hearted semi-boyfriend just trying to keep himself alive while hoping that his semi-girlfriend will somehow understand. James puts in a stellar performance as the guy who is "very sensitive for a cold-blooded killer".

I recommend giving this movie a shot. Leave your expectations at the door and just enjoy the show for what it is ... a quirky kinda dark romantic comedy. It is well done, combining romance, action and emotional impact with comedy.

There are some very funny scenes, a few somewhat deep scenes that deal with relationship issues and some dramatic scenes that are sad and some that are happy, all of them touching. There are also some subtle jokes, so keep your eyes and ears open!

Admittedly, there was a point where I felt that the movie was going on a bit long, but it quickly became interesting again and I forgot about that.

When you watch this movie, I recommend taking special note of the three main character's eyes. The actors very effectively express their character's emotions and thoughts with their eyes.

Enjoy!