Jon-Voight Movie Reviews
Teaming up once again with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Top Gun director Tony Scott demonstrates his glossy style with clever cinematography and breakneck pacing. Will Smith proves that there's more to his success than a brash sense of humor, giving a versatile performance that plausibly illustrates a man cracking under the strain of paranoid turmoil. Hackman steals the show by essentially reprising his role from The Conversation--just imagine his memorable character Harry Caul some 20 years later. Most of all, the film's depiction of high-tech surveillance is highly convincing and dramatically compelling, making this a cautionary tale with more substance than you'd normally expect from a Scott-Bruckheimer action extravaganza. --Jeremy Storey
Goverment run amuck!
When fiction meets realitySo here's the plot: Will Smith plays a lawyer who is suddenly thrown into a government conspiracy when he is left with a secret to a death. However, he does not know this. Within minutes, the goverment realizes he has the material, and they try to sabotage his life by falsely accusing him of crimes he did not commit. Eventually he seeks the help of Gene Hackman, a former agent, for assitance to get out of trouble.
The film is loaded with tremendous gadgets and special effects. For instance, they talk about how the government can tell the year of a dime sitting atop a car from a space satellite.
The movie mainly shows Will Smith trying to escape the agents while they hunt him down. This calls for a lot of chasing, and a lot of action, which is filmed very well by director Tony Scott. If you have seen the more recent 'The Skulls', it is a lot like that, but 10 times better.
Also, the acting is very good in this movie. But to act well, you need a script, and this film delivers it. The lines are more than just our classic 'Barney and Friends' television series. They really have depth, and it adds to the film.
Another great thing about this movie are the actors in it. I watched this movie when it was first released, and at the time, I was 12 years old. I knew very few actors. But I saw it again--now that I'm 15--with a few friends, and we noticed all kinds of people, many having small roles. Some include Barry Pepper, who has a rather large role. (He played in Saving Private Ryan and The Green Mile). Also, another SPR co-star to appear was Tom Sizemore. In the film, he played a member of the mafia. This might not amaze you, but it certainly added to the film. So watch this movie. No, forget the watching part. Buy it first!
Good Action-Suspence movieWith the addition of the legendery Gene Hackman,the cobination produces great specticale for the audience.With the ever evolving plot in this movie,it will be always interesing to watch time and time again.
However one minor disadvantage is that the munes of the DVD could have been improved.
Overall,a great movie to enjoy for evey end of the audience spectrum.
Teaming up once again with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Top Gun director Tony Scott demonstrates his glossy style with clever cinematography and breakneck pacing. Will Smith proves that there's more to his success than a brash sense of humor, giving a versatile performance that plausibly illustrates a man cracking under the strain of paranoid turmoil. Hackman steals the show by essentially reprising his role from The Conversation--just imagine his memorable character Harry Caul some 20 years later. Most of all, the film's depiction of high-tech surveillance is highly convincing and dramatically compelling, making this a cautionary tale with more substance than you'd normally expect from a Scott-Bruckheimer action extravaganza. --Jeremy Storey
Good Action-Suspence movieWith the addition of the legendery Gene Hackman,the cobination produces great specticale for the audience.With the ever evolving plot in this movie,it will be always interesing to watch time and time again.
However one minor disadvantage is that the munes of the DVD could have been improved.
Overall,a great movie to enjoy for evey end of the audience spectrum.
Fantastic Thriller!
A NOVICE WHO' S A LAWYER AND AN ANCIENT SPY
Soft-spoken offstage, Spears becomes someone else entirely in front of an audience: numerous costume changes, a plethora of filmed footage, awesome acrobatics, and a gigantic stage set create the ultimate triumph of visuals over music. During the encore, "Baby One More Time," rain drenches Spears, giving a born entertainer one final opportunity to leave her fans awestruck. The concert was broadcast live to four military bases, and Spears acknowledges the soldiers' service in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. --Kevin Filipski
Not ashamed to admit it! Britney is HOT!Anyway, bought the tickets, went to the show and although compared to the majority of those around me, I felt like a grandpa(I am 30). Even so, as much as I tried to act my age, before I knew it, I was up on my feet and feeling the energy.
I was not expecting much and have to say was embarrased to admit to anyone at home that I was even going. After her incredible show, I have admited to everyone that I am a fan of Britney Spears and you will be too, I guarantee it! I am sure the DVD will be less powerful than seeing it live, but just feel her amazing energy and see her for what she is, A young woman living out her dreams and allowing us to tag along! AMAZING!
VIVA LAS BRITNEYShe opens with former No.1 single "OOPS I DID IT AGAIN", tied to a spinning wheel she rotates for the first verse, before coming on to the large stage to finish. She follows it up with (YOU DRIVE ME) CRAZY,.... OVERPROTECTED follows. Dressed in a very ... catsuit-type attire she puts plenty of oomph into one of the freshest and funkiest tunes of the show. Next is the enjoyable medley of BORN TO MAKE YOU HAPPY / LUCKY / SOMETIMES. She is dressed quite scantily, and that's always appreciated. BOYS, one of her more different sounding tunes, allows Spears to put her ... to good use, as she writhes around on stage and interacts, quite intimately, with her dancers. STRONGER and NOT A GIRL, NOT YET A WOMAN come after this. I LOVE ROCK 'N' ROLL is one of the more energetic performances as she pips away on a raised platform, before she hangs from the ceiling mid-air, in a stunt you could see the Backstreet Boys or NSync pulling off. Her urban influenced track WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ME has plenty of synchronized dancing and energy. LONELY would have to be one of the better performances as she interacts with a computer generated version of herself, seen on a big screen. The song is almost like a duet. Very cool. Ballad DON'T LET ME BE THE LAST TO KNOW gives Britney time to breathe in a rather uninspired performance which is very lifeless and in this she sounds like a drag queen. Sorry Ms Spears, this was the shows' downfall. She picks up the pace with the cheery pop tune ANTICIPATING. Plenty of colour, this peformance is vibrant and very much for the young. She incorporates the audience into this one, by asking them to sing along and clap their hands to the chorus. This all changes when she strips off to a tiny, shimmery skirt and green bra top, basically what she wore at the 2001 MTV's, minus the snake, for the pumped up performance of I'M A SLAVE 4 U. This is an awesome performance with plenty of heat and no doubt her male fans will have a field day, thanks to Spears' bust and her attire. You'll see what I mean. After thanking everyone for coming out, she appears back on for an alternative take on her biggest hit to date, BABY ONE MORE TIME. This is where she is drenched in a shower of rain for the performance which is not the ...BABY, we remember hearing. But seeing a wet Spears is satisfactory enough.
I strongly recommend this to any Britney fan. You'll have fun.
Get the DVD for a great Britney concert!WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT
The "Britney Spears - Live from Las Vegas" concert was shown on HBO and held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
THE PERFORMANCE
Like everything she does, Britney put on a high-performance, high-energy show. She amazed the audience by changing costumes several times throughout the show at lighting speed and did some extremely entertaining acts such as:
- Using fire
- Using a real waterfall
- laser imaging
- Some 'in the air' acts
MILITARY SUPPORT
She also did a live broadcast for Military servicepeople and their families around the globe (and communicated with four military bases...all during the concert). As a Navy verteran it's nice to see a performer of her level taking time to do such a thing during a concert!
FINALE
The final performance, "...Baby one more time", was worth the wait. Without giving too much away...yes...that was water they used...it's amazing how they pulled that off! A spectacular finish to the show!
CONS
The only minor complaint I had with the concert was that she never came back out after the final act.
WHAT THE DVD IS LIKELY TO HAVE
If past Britney DVD's are any indication of what we'll find in this one (should they be different when it's released, this review will be updated):
- On-screen lyrics (sing along)
- Possibly the HBO commercial (which is already included in the recent Britney DVD)
It's unlikely we'll see any new music videos inlcluded, however...but anything's possible
BOTTOM LINE:
Britney is a talented singer and performer who always leaves her audiences fully entertained. No Britney concert has ever been a disapointment and it's going to be great to get a DVD of one of her first live one!
Great Movie, Fair DiscThe first adaptation of a John Grisham tale that I've really enjoyed, "The Rainmaker", directed by Francis Ford Coppola, looks at the life of a poor young Southern lawer, Rudy Baylor(Matt Damon, in a great performance) as he battles against an insurance company and it's staff of lawers(led by Jon Voight).
Baylor is battling for Donny Ray Black, a young man who's insurance claims have been turned down time and time again; Kelly Riker(Claire Danes), who lives in continuing fear of her abusive husband and Miss Birdie, an older woman who simply wants to keep her money from her greedy offspring.
This is really the best of the Grisham adaptations and I'm fairly positive it's the hand of director Coppola that has it rising above the rest; the film is crowd-pleasing sure, but it's also very smart and very well acted, with a lot of rich dialogue and some very interesting and entertaining characters. Danny Devito, as Damon's aid, has a lot of fun in a great performance; like in "LA Confidential", we're seeing Devito as his absolute peak lately. He's been picking bigger and especially, much better roles lately. Matt Damon's first major performance in this film is also very well done, yet another in his line of subtle, wonderful performances along with "Courage Under Fire" and "Good Will Hunting." Much like Damon's last film "Rounders", I also thought his narration in this film was well done and well written(by Michael Herr)
Overall, it's an excellent film, well directed, acted and written. It's a well-told tale by Ford Coppola and it's highly entertaining. "The Rainmaker" was one of my picks for the top 10 films of 1997.
The DVD: Picture: Well, where there's good, there's also bad. It's unfortunate that Paramount did an unsatisfactory job with this disc. Colors are not terribly well defined or vibrant; contrast is only fair; the whole disc looks, to my eyes, like an "okay" laserdisc would. There is definitely a noticeable amount of pixelization and some shimmering. It makes a point I was talking about with another person a couple of weeks ago all the more apparent to me. I said, "the best DVD material will absolutely blow your mind; at worst, it'll make you shrug your shoulders and say, 'well, that's sort of okay' ". "The Rainmaker" simply made me shrug my shoulders in dissapointment. It's probably the least impressive picture transfer in my collection of discs, and that's too bad since this is really a great film that deserves a great disc. In a time where Tristar is making discs that look as good as "Godzilla", there's no excuse for a film that's not terribly old like "The Rainmaker" to look like this. It looked this way on my Panasonic A110. Hopefully, although I highly doubt it, people will have better luck on other players.
Audio:Pretty good. It's definitely a dialogue film, backed by a nice, subtle score. Both are well recorded and pleasant to listen to. Nothing terribly mind-blowing. Again, the annoying problem is still there; you can not switch the audio during the film, only from the menu. Try during the film and you're out of luck.
Menus: Very weak. The picture on the front of the box with some simplistic bordering and big, dull buttons.
Extras:Nothing. No 16x9, No Trailer, Not A Thing. Absolutely zero.
Overall: It's a great film and if you liked the film as much as I did, it's worth a purchase at some of the very low prices found on the internet, but after watching this disc, I would *definitely* not pay full price for it. If you're considering it, I'd highly suggest a rental first, unless you like the movie itself as much as I did.
Film:**** Picture:* 1/2 Audio:** 1/2 Extras:Zero Menus:Zero
Overall Disc Quality:**
This is Damon's show.The plot is a classic David-vs-Goliath story- fresh out of law school Matt Damon sues an insurance company for denying treatment to a family with cancer. Ultimately Damon triumphs- the righteous cause succees and the system works. Damon is a major talent, as evidenced by his performance in this film. He's shy, unsure of himself, but basically a good person committed to doing what's right.
I wasn't too impressed by the rest of the cast- Claire Danes is a talented actress but fails to shine here. Danny DeVito is okay as Damon's law partner, and Jon Voight comes across as a none-too-interesting arrogant villain. The rest of the cast? Nobody stands out- this is Damon's show.
What impressed me about "The Rainmaker" was its hard, unflinching portrayal of the legal profession. A lawyer's life is not glamorous and does not necessarily guarantee a huge paycheck. Those quick to criticize lawyers ought to take some law courses before they open their mouths- the road to becoming a lawyer is rough and a considerable commitment of both your time and financial resources. Despite his law degree, Damon's financial picture at the beginning of the film is decidedly precarious.
Watch "The Rainmaker" along with "A Civil Action" and "Erin Brockovich" to get a pretty good idea about the way the law works & how courts give the little people an avenue to even up with big shots like corporations and insurance companies. Watch this movie in particular to see a terrific performance from Matt Damon.
one of Damon's best roles
Great Movie, Fair DiscThe first adaptation of a John Grisham tale that I've really enjoyed, "The Rainmaker", directed by Francis Ford Coppola, looks at the life of a poor young Southern lawer, Rudy Baylor(Matt Damon, in a great performance) as he battles against an insurance company and it's staff of lawers(led by Jon Voight).
Baylor is battling for Donny Ray Black, a young man who's insurance claims have been turned down time and time again; Kelly Riker(Claire Danes), who lives in continuing fear of her abusive husband and Miss Birdie, an older woman who simply wants to keep her money from her greedy offspring.
This is really the best of the Grisham adaptations and I'm fairly positive it's the hand of director Coppola that has it rising above the rest; the film is crowd-pleasing sure, but it's also very smart and very well acted, with a lot of rich dialogue and some very interesting and entertaining characters. Danny Devito, as Damon's aid, has a lot of fun in a great performance; like in "LA Confidential", we're seeing Devito as his absolute peak lately. He's been picking bigger and especially, much better roles lately. Matt Damon's first major performance in this film is also very well done, yet another in his line of subtle, wonderful performances along with "Courage Under Fire" and "Good Will Hunting." Much like Damon's last film "Rounders", I also thought his narration in this film was well done and well written(by Michael Herr)
Overall, it's an excellent film, well directed, acted and written. It's a well-told tale by Ford Coppola and it's highly entertaining. "The Rainmaker" was one of my picks for the top 10 films of 1997.
The DVD: Picture: Well, where there's good, there's also bad. It's unfortunate that Paramount did an unsatisfactory job with this disc. Colors are not terribly well defined or vibrant; contrast is only fair; the whole disc looks, to my eyes, like an "okay" laserdisc would. There is definitely a noticeable amount of pixelization and some shimmering. It makes a point I was talking about with another person a couple of weeks ago all the more apparent to me. I said, "the best DVD material will absolutely blow your mind; at worst, it'll make you shrug your shoulders and say, 'well, that's sort of okay' ". "The Rainmaker" simply made me shrug my shoulders in dissapointment. It's probably the least impressive picture transfer in my collection of discs, and that's too bad since this is really a great film that deserves a great disc. In a time where Tristar is making discs that look as good as "Godzilla", there's no excuse for a film that's not terribly old like "The Rainmaker" to look like this. It looked this way on my Panasonic A110. Hopefully, although I highly doubt it, people will have better luck on other players.
Audio:Pretty good. It's definitely a dialogue film, backed by a nice, subtle score. Both are well recorded and pleasant to listen to. Nothing terribly mind-blowing. Again, the annoying problem is still there; you can not switch the audio during the film, only from the menu. Try during the film and you're out of luck.
Menus: Very weak. The picture on the front of the box with some simplistic bordering and big, dull buttons.
Extras:Nothing. No 16x9, No Trailer, Not A Thing. Absolutely zero.
Overall: It's a great film and if you liked the film as much as I did, it's worth a purchase at some of the very low prices found on the internet, but after watching this disc, I would *definitely* not pay full price for it. If you're considering it, I'd highly suggest a rental first, unless you like the movie itself as much as I did.
Film:**** Picture:* 1/2 Audio:** 1/2 Extras:Zero Menus:Zero
Overall Disc Quality:**
This is Damon's show.The plot is a classic David-vs-Goliath story- fresh out of law school Matt Damon sues an insurance company for denying treatment to a family with cancer. Ultimately Damon triumphs- the righteous cause succees and the system works. Damon is a major talent, as evidenced by his performance in this film. He's shy, unsure of himself, but basically a good person committed to doing what's right.
I wasn't too impressed by the rest of the cast- Claire Danes is a talented actress but fails to shine here. Danny DeVito is okay as Damon's law partner, and Jon Voight comes across as a none-too-interesting arrogant villain. The rest of the cast? Nobody stands out- this is Damon's show.
What impressed me about "The Rainmaker" was its hard, unflinching portrayal of the legal profession. A lawyer's life is not glamorous and does not necessarily guarantee a huge paycheck. Those quick to criticize lawyers ought to take some law courses before they open their mouths- the road to becoming a lawyer is rough and a considerable commitment of both your time and financial resources. Despite his law degree, Damon's financial picture at the beginning of the film is decidedly precarious.
Watch "The Rainmaker" along with "A Civil Action" and "Erin Brockovich" to get a pretty good idea about the way the law works & how courts give the little people an avenue to even up with big shots like corporations and insurance companies. Watch this movie in particular to see a terrific performance from Matt Damon.
one of Damon's best roles
The Henson Magic at it's BestThe visual effects are outstanding..some of the best I have seen ... and incredible for a shoot that was only 11 1/2 weeks long (source: special features-behind the scenes- on DVD) .
The actors did an outstanding job, with John Voigt pulling in a comedic performance that is a total surprise and very refreshing indeed!! Matthew Modine is, as always the best at his craft. He speaks with his eyes and face when he acts.... He is terrific. Darryl Hannah, Richard Attenborough, Mia Sara and Vanessa Redgrave round out the cast with equally well done characters. The role of Thunderdell is completely believeable in "both" roles..You will have to watch that to know what I mean... and is just outstanding.
Buy this movie with confidence!! It is a wonderful rainy night, sit down with a bowl of popcorn and escape movie!! Enjoy!!
Excellent Family Movie Promoting High Moral ValuesThe story has been changed from the traditional Jack and the Beanstalk. The giant has been transformed into a good giant, and Jack has been transformed into a scoundrel. The story shows a modern-day good and ethical Jack, and what effects the life of his ancestor (the traditional Jack) have on his modern life. Modern Jack didn't know that the traditional story was real, and that the traditinal Jack was really his ancestor, until some events happen in his life, and he finds out. He also goes up to the giants' city in the clouds and ends up taking care of unresolved business.
It has been several weeks since I watched this 3½-hour DVD with my husband and my daughter, and I am still thinking about it. My husband, who normally enjoys action movies, reallly enjoyed it. My daughter has watched it numerous times. This is a great story which promotes good moral values for kids, and for society.
Believe in the possibility of the impossible!
Flanders RevisitedThis version showed less dog than the rest, but was more acurate in depicting the breed, as the filmmakers use three wonderfully shaggy Bouviers des Flanders for the role of Pastrache.
Jeremy James Kissner's portrayal of Nello is lifeless and exhibits little emotion making it was hard to connect with his plight. Although I prefer the 1959 version (David Ladd's Nello was more believable, and he used the correct Belgium terms for grandfather and mother), a wonderful performance by John Voight makes this movie worth watching.
not as good as the 1959 version
Really sweet and winsome
not as good as the book but pretty decent
A great suspensful tale and excellent actingWhat makes this movie a cut above the average suspense style of movie is the superior acting by the lead characters. They are believeable and draw the viewer in for more. An excellent plot adapted from a novel by Frederick Forsythe has twists and turns at every corner, and finally the reason why Voigt is on the mission to either kill or kidnap Schell for the Israeli's is answered at the end.
This is highly recommended to all movie fans who enjoy an excellent suspensful plot and great acting from all the lead characters in this movie.
I Loved this...
A serious attempt to update an old classic
Don't Like It!
Dumb Cowboy Flick
Boys vs. Men
While innocently purchasing a Christmas gift for his wife, he unknowingly recieves a film capturing the images of the assination of a senior U.S. senator by high-ranking officers of the National Security Agency... and they want it back!
Government goons, under the direction of a top Agency official (Jon Voight) destroy his life using tracking devices, video cameras, the press, and even satelites to get what they want. Former NSA operative Brill (Gene Hackman) reluctantly attempts to help, without getting killed himself. Throw in quite a few action scenes, great graphic effects, and a suprise ending to boot, and you have an instant hit!
Will Smith usually brings his own brand of silly humor to his characters, but this is not the case in Enemy of the State. His role as a quick thinking attorney is well-played and believable... as the movie progresses, his character begins to take on some of the traits of James Bond (with some assistance from Gene Hackman).
The scary thing about this movie.... What could happen if a high- ranking NSA official had run amuck in real life?