Victoria-Smurfit Movie Reviews

Enter Robin Grange (Jon Bon Jovi), a charismatic young Hollywood actor making his London theatre debut. Robin is attractive, charming and dangerous, and soon inveigles his way into everyone's life. He ingratiates himself with the cast and, quickly grasping Felix's dilemma, set about weaving his web of mischief. He suggests that if he were to seduce Elena, she would be distracted from Felix's affair, regain her self-respect, and perhaps even willingly part from the unfaithful husband to whom she clings. Initially Felix is outraged but as the tension mounts with Hilary, reluctant to continue as the second woman in his life, he succumbs. Watching in horror as Elena responds to Robin's perfectly plotted seduction, and tormented with suspicions that Hilary has also fallen under Robin's spell, Felix spirals towards a kind of madness. Desperate to regain control of his life, he indulges in a grand theatrical gesture, but fate intervenes, and both Felix and Robin learn that real life doesn't always allow the script.

Enter Robin Grange (Jon Bon Jovi), a charismatic young Hollywood actor making his London theatre debut. Robin is attractive, charming and dangerous, and soon inveigles his way into everyone's life. He ingratiates himself with the cast and, quickly grasping Felix's dilemma, set about weaving his web of mischief. He suggests that if he were to seduce Elena, she would be distracted from Felix's affair, regain her self-respect, and perhaps even willingly part from the unfaithful husband to whom she clings. Initially Felix is outraged but as the tension mounts with Hilary, reluctant to continue as the second woman in his life, he succumbs. Watching in horror as Elena responds to Robin's perfectly plotted seduction, and tormented with suspicions that Hilary has also fallen under Robin's spell, Felix spirals towards a kind of madness. Desperate to regain control of his life, he indulges in a grand theatrical gesture, but fate intervenes, and both Felix and Robin learn that real life doesn't always allow the script.

Outside of that, the director makes the most of a limited budget. The fight scenes sure won't make you forget Braveheart, but they're plenty graphic--surprisingly so at the end of the film--and about as exciting as you can expect from a TV movie with limited extras. It's not really the battles and jousts and duels, though, that keep Ivanhoe exciting outside of the fascinating personal relationships. Rather, it's all the political intrigues that hold your attention. Here there are factions within factions, and almost everyone is jockeying for power and paying the price of that power: loneliness, betrayal, assassinations, and the like. One of the more interesting political aspects of the movie is its big theme of anti-Semitism. The film reminds historically unaware viewers that hatred of Jews didn't just magically spring up in Nazi Germany in the 30's, but had been deeply seated in Europe for centuries.

Overall, despite more than a few rough patches, this is a fun, exciting movie. It has the romance and chivalry you'd expect, plus some depth and complexity that you probably wouldn't expect.

Steven Waddington plays a very strong role as Ivanhoe; champion of the absent Richard The Lion Hearted and fiancee of Rowena (Victoria Smurfit.) Ciarán Hinds gives probably the best performance as Monsieur De Bois-Guilbert, the evil Templar knight who's hatred for Ivanhoe is as great as his passion for Rebecca (Susan Lynch.) Lynch herself delivers one of the best performances as Rebecca, the Jewish healer who's passion for Ivanhoe saves the kingdom from the Templars and Prince John. There's even a brief appearance by Sian Philips (I, Claudius) as Elenore D'Aquitaine, the queen mother who comes to arbitrate between her feuding sons John and Richard.

The costumes and armor properly depict the armaments and fashion of the 12th century. The series is filmed on location in Wales showing a few of the many medieval churches, abbeys, manors, and castles that dot its landscape. The film is perhaps graphic in violence but this captures the brutality of medieval warfare quite well.

Alltogether a great mini-series that has more positive qualities than shortcomings. The story is fluid and the acting is excellent. Definitely worth owning.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Richard, a vacationer in Asia who enjoys the laid-back culture of his host country. One night, he is greeted by Daffy, a pot-smoking lunatic who begins spouting random gibberish about an island that conceals a closed in beach and fields of marijuana. Richard later finds Daffy dead in his room, and a map leading to the island is taped to his door. He shows the map to two of his new acquaintances, Etienne (Guillaume Canet) and Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen), and they all agree to venture out to the island together.

They depart two days later, but not before Richard gets high and reveals the secrets of the map to two other tourists, despite Daffy's warnings to conceal it. The three adventurers soon reach the island, and are greeted rather nastily by pot farmers who carry big guns. Escaping narrowly, they reach a small community of people who live on the island, and are welcomed by the people who live there.

To sum up the rest without giving away the ending, they all get along, the right people fall in love, the wrong people have sex, all accompanied by multiple and very gruesome shark bites and maniacal delusions that are very confusing and make practically no sense to the story. The point at which Richard is exiled from the community is where the movie takes a sharp nose dive, because from here on out, there is no sense in what happens to any of the characters after the final showdown.

The material of the script does boast some good qualities which require one to think in terms of putting things together. For instance, throughout the film, one begins to question when Richard will be found out for lying about the map, or what is going to become of the islanders when the tourists whom he gave it to make their journey to the beach. However, most of the story is laid out for the audience, and most of the real thinking comes in the finale, which is useless to even try to comprehend.

The actors do what they can with the script, handling it in a serious manner. DiCaprio plays Richard's actions somewhat dry, his dialogue sounding dry in minimal places. Ledoyen shines in her role of Francoise, and is as beautiful as the lush scenery that surrounds her. Tilda Swinton must be commended for her role as Sal, the leader of the small island community who stops at nothing to keep it all a secret from the outside world.

Music and cinematography also give the film a glossy finish. Songs by All Saints and Moby sound as though they were written directly for the movie, and are perfect for the atmosphere that the characters dwell in. The cinematography and physical settings are brilliant and quite striking, and it seems as though the filmmakers hoped to rescue the movie through this element.

Overall, the movie looks like it is a good attempt to bring a novel to the screen, but sometimes it does not always work the way it should. I would give the movie a try, but only if you are willing to put on your thinking caps, or if you're as screwed up as some of the characters.

Danny Boyle has done a lot to make the film his own despite it being based on Garlands book. He has given substance to the characters, Sal's movie character being more believable and more domineering than in the book.Her partner bugs only has a small part to play in the video but he too is better rounded and seems to have potential for real evil than his book counterpart.

Leonardo DiCaprio makes the video from beginning to end, his character is neither angel nor saint a very true to life and expertly portraid. This talented actor makes us aware of his fluctuating emotions and feelings throughout the story with not only his commentary but also body language and subtle facial expressions. It is the kind of movie that makes us wonder what we would do in similar circumstances. It shows us that no matter how ideallic the surroundings, human nature will out. It has a feel of "Lord of The Flies", a group of people randomly brought together looking for paradise, but can paradise exist when it is to be inhabited by human beings, that is the question!

A very thought provoking movie, entertaining with never a dull moment. You will find yourself discussing different aspects of it for weeks to come.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Richard, a vacationer in Asia who enjoys the laid-back culture of his host country. One night, he is greeted by Daffy, a pot-smoking lunatic who begins spouting random gibberish about an island that conceals a closed in beach and fields of marijuana. Richard later finds Daffy dead in his room, and a map leading to the island is taped to his door. He shows the map to two of his new acquaintances, Etienne (Guillaume Canet) and Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen), and they all agree to venture out to the island together.

They depart two days later, but not before Richard gets high and reveals the secrets of the map to two other tourists, despite Daffy's warnings to conceal it. The three adventurers soon reach the island, and are greeted rather nastily by pot farmers who carry big guns. Escaping narrowly, they reach a small community of people who live on the island, and are welcomed by the people who live there.

To sum up the rest without giving away the ending, they all get along, the right people fall in love, the wrong people have sex, all accompanied by multiple and very gruesome shark bites and maniacal delusions that are very confusing and make practically no sense to the story. The point at which Richard is exiled from the community is where the movie takes a sharp nose dive, because from here on out, there is no sense in what happens to any of the characters after the final showdown.

The material of the script does boast some good qualities which require one to think in terms of putting things together. For instance, throughout the film, one begins to question when Richard will be found out for lying about the map, or what is going to become of the islanders when the tourists whom he gave it to make their journey to the beach. However, most of the story is laid out for the audience, and most of the real thinking comes in the finale, which is useless to even try to comprehend.

The actors do what they can with the script, handling it in a serious manner. DiCaprio plays Richard's actions somewhat dry, his dialogue sounding dry in minimal places. Ledoyen shines in her role of Francoise, and is as beautiful as the lush scenery that surrounds her. Tilda Swinton must be commended for her role as Sal, the leader of the small island community who stops at nothing to keep it all a secret from the outside world.

Music and cinematography also give the film a glossy finish. Songs by All Saints and Moby sound as though they were written directly for the movie, and are perfect for the atmosphere that the characters dwell in. The cinematography and physical settings are brilliant and quite striking, and it seems as though the filmmakers hoped to rescue the movie through this element.

Overall, the movie looks like it is a good attempt to bring a novel to the screen, but sometimes it does not always work the way it should. I would give the movie a try, but only if you are willing to put on your thinking caps, or if you're as screwed up as some of the characters.

Danny Boyle has done a lot to make the film his own despite it being based on Garlands book. He has given substance to the characters, Sal's movie character being more believable and more domineering than in the book.Her partner bugs only has a small part to play in the video but he too is better rounded and seems to have potential for real evil than his book counterpart.

Leonardo DiCaprio makes the video from beginning to end, his character is neither angel nor saint a very true to life and expertly portraid. This talented actor makes us aware of his fluctuating emotions and feelings throughout the story with not only his commentary but also body language and subtle facial expressions. It is the kind of movie that makes us wonder what we would do in similar circumstances. It shows us that no matter how ideallic the surroundings, human nature will out. It has a feel of "Lord of The Flies", a group of people randomly brought together looking for paradise, but can paradise exist when it is to be inhabited by human beings, that is the question!

A very thought provoking movie, entertaining with never a dull moment. You will find yourself discussing different aspects of it for weeks to come.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Richard, a vacationer in Asia who enjoys the laid-back culture of his host country. One night, he is greeted by Daffy, a pot-smoking lunatic who begins spouting random gibberish about an island that conceals a closed in beach and fields of marijuana. Richard later finds Daffy dead in his room, and a map leading to the island is taped to his door. He shows the map to two of his new acquaintances, Etienne (Guillaume Canet) and Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen), and they all agree to venture out to the island together.

They depart two days later, but not before Richard gets high and reveals the secrets of the map to two other tourists, despite Daffy's warnings to conceal it. The three adventurers soon reach the island, and are greeted rather nastily by pot farmers who carry big guns. Escaping narrowly, they reach a small community of people who live on the island, and are welcomed by the people who live there.

To sum up the rest without giving away the ending, they all get along, the right people fall in love, the wrong people have sex, all accompanied by multiple and very gruesome shark bites and maniacal delusions that are very confusing and make practically no sense to the story. The point at which Richard is exiled from the community is where the movie takes a sharp nose dive, because from here on out, there is no sense in what happens to any of the characters after the final showdown.

The material of the script does boast some good qualities which require one to think in terms of putting things together. For instance, throughout the film, one begins to question when Richard will be found out for lying about the map, or what is going to become of the islanders when the tourists whom he gave it to make their journey to the beach. However, most of the story is laid out for the audience, and most of the real thinking comes in the finale, which is useless to even try to comprehend.

The actors do what they can with the script, handling it in a serious manner. DiCaprio plays Richard's actions somewhat dry, his dialogue sounding dry in minimal places. Ledoyen shines in her role of Francoise, and is as beautiful as the lush scenery that surrounds her. Tilda Swinton must be commended for her role as Sal, the leader of the small island community who stops at nothing to keep it all a secret from the outside world.

Music and cinematography also give the film a glossy finish. Songs by All Saints and Moby sound as though they were written directly for the movie, and are perfect for the atmosphere that the characters dwell in. The cinematography and physical settings are brilliant and quite striking, and it seems as though the filmmakers hoped to rescue the movie through this element.

Overall, the movie looks like it is a good attempt to bring a novel to the screen, but sometimes it does not always work the way it should. I would give the movie a try, but only if you are willing to put on your thinking caps, or if you're as screwed up as some of the characters.

Danny Boyle has done a lot to make the film his own despite it being based on Garlands book. He has given substance to the characters, Sal's movie character being more believable and more domineering than in the book.Her partner bugs only has a small part to play in the video but he too is better rounded and seems to have potential for real evil than his book counterpart.

Leonardo DiCaprio makes the video from beginning to end, his character is neither angel nor saint a very true to life and expertly portraid. This talented actor makes us aware of his fluctuating emotions and feelings throughout the story with not only his commentary but also body language and subtle facial expressions. It is the kind of movie that makes us wonder what we would do in similar circumstances. It shows us that no matter how ideallic the surroundings, human nature will out. It has a feel of "Lord of The Flies", a group of people randomly brought together looking for paradise, but can paradise exist when it is to be inhabited by human beings, that is the question!

A very thought provoking movie, entertaining with never a dull moment. You will find yourself discussing different aspects of it for weeks to come.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Richard, a vacationer in Asia who enjoys the laid-back culture of his host country. One night, he is greeted by Daffy, a pot-smoking lunatic who begins spouting random gibberish about an island that conceals a closed in beach and fields of marijuana. Richard later finds Daffy dead in his room, and a map leading to the island is taped to his door. He shows the map to two of his new acquaintances, Etienne (Guillaume Canet) and Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen), and they all agree to venture out to the island together.

They depart two days later, but not before Richard gets high and reveals the secrets of the map to two other tourists, despite Daffy's warnings to conceal it. The three adventurers soon reach the island, and are greeted rather nastily by pot farmers who carry big guns. Escaping narrowly, they reach a small community of people who live on the island, and are welcomed by the people who live there.

To sum up the rest without giving away the ending, they all get along, the right people fall in love, the wrong people have sex, all accompanied by multiple and very gruesome shark bites and maniacal delusions that are very confusing and make practically no sense to the story. The point at which Richard is exiled from the community is where the movie takes a sharp nose dive, because from here on out, there is no sense in what happens to any of the characters after the final showdown.

The material of the script does boast some good qualities which require one to think in terms of putting things together. For instance, throughout the film, one begins to question when Richard will be found out for lying about the map, or what is going to become of the islanders when the tourists whom he gave it to make their journey to the beach. However, most of the story is laid out for the audience, and most of the real thinking comes in the finale, which is useless to even try to comprehend.

The actors do what they can with the script, handling it in a serious manner. DiCaprio plays Richard's actions somewhat dry, his dialogue sounding dry in minimal places. Ledoyen shines in her role of Francoise, and is as beautiful as the lush scenery that surrounds her. Tilda Swinton must be commended for her role as Sal, the leader of the small island community who stops at nothing to keep it all a secret from the outside world.

Music and cinematography also give the film a glossy finish. Songs by All Saints and Moby sound as though they were written directly for the movie, and are perfect for the atmosphere that the characters dwell in. The cinematography and physical settings are brilliant and quite striking, and it seems as though the filmmakers hoped to rescue the movie through this element.

Overall, the movie looks like it is a good attempt to bring a novel to the screen, but sometimes it does not always work the way it should. I would give the movie a try, but only if you are willing to put on your thinking caps, or if you're as screwed up as some of the characters.

Danny Boyle has done a lot to make the film his own despite it being based on Garlands book. He has given substance to the characters, Sal's movie character being more believable and more domineering than in the book.Her partner bugs only has a small part to play in the video but he too is better rounded and seems to have potential for real evil than his book counterpart.

Leonardo DiCaprio makes the video from beginning to end, his character is neither angel nor saint a very true to life and expertly portraid. This talented actor makes us aware of his fluctuating emotions and feelings throughout the story with not only his commentary but also body language and subtle facial expressions. It is the kind of movie that makes us wonder what we would do in similar circumstances. It shows us that no matter how ideallic the surroundings, human nature will out. It has a feel of "Lord of The Flies", a group of people randomly brought together looking for paradise, but can paradise exist when it is to be inhabited by human beings, that is the question!

A very thought provoking movie, entertaining with never a dull moment. You will find yourself discussing different aspects of it for weeks to come.

Another part of the problem is that since the film stars Yun-Fat Chow as the Monk With No Name, you are really expecting something at least within range of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." However, the film you end up thinking about more when watching this one is "The Matrix," and not in a good way either. At least this particular monk is with it, open to the idea that "cranes" might mean something different in New York City than they might in Tibet. However, the material is just not up to the capabilities of this actor.

The plot? Well, suffice it to saw that sixty years ago one of those persistent Nazis that used to be prominent in films made in the last century showed up in Tibet seeking a magic sacred scroll. The Monk With No Name manages to escape with the scroll but the ancient Nazi and his uber-granddaughter are closing in. Meanwhile, the Monk encounters a pickpocket who may fulfill the ancient prophecies regarding he who will become the next nameless Monk and can solve the eternal riddle regarding hot dogs and hot dog buns. Along the way the pickpocket picks up a girl, the Nazi digs up some Dr. Frankenstein like equipment, and it appears there is a major loophole in the law of gravity.

The more than pleasant surprise in this film is Seann William Scott as Kar, the aforementioned pickpocket. He has the second best fight sequence in the film, which consists mainly of him whipping a long metal pipe around. If you were wondering if Scott could get beyond the character of Stifler from the "American Pie" films, then that questioned is settled once and for all because he is much more than comic relief in this film. But then you probably got a clue about that catching the trailer for "The Rundown," the upcoming action comedy where Scott co-stars with the Rock. He is the one that makes "Bulletproof Monk" most worth watching, but just do not have high expectations for the film overall.

For 60 years, tibetan monks have protected an ancient scroll that holds the key to unlimited power. The current protector, The Monk With No Name (Yun-Fat Chow) is content with his duties. But, while in New York City, a streetwise punk named Kar (Seann William Scott) saves him from capture by his enemies, and the monk thinks he's found a replacement protector for the scroll. Reluctantly Kar, under the watchfull eye of the monk, must learn what his true potential as a warrior is. Of course the pair must also save the world from the scroll's most ardent hunter.

Director Paul Hunter allows Chow to do his thing. His martial artistry is as always a joy to watch. Scott appears as comic relief of course but suprisingly holds his own with Chow. Any problems with the film though, lie solely with the script, and the predictable nature of the story. Scripters Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris play it very safe for this buddy pic.

The DVD has a rather extensive amount of bonus material. What's even more shocking is just how much I enjoyed it--given my take on the film itself. There are 2 audio commentary tracks. The first commentary, features Hunter and producers Charles Roven and Douglas Segal--and offers a pretty good take on the whole process. The second commentary by writers Reiff and Voris was obviously less enjoyable for me. Next up, are a few ho-hums worth of deleted scenes, and an alternate ending, that for me works better than the theatrical ending. There's also a series of behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a stills gallery to top it all off.

Bulletproof Monk does have its share of problems, but it's still solid enough to enjoy as a mindless rental, with some cool martial arts action

THE MOVIE

The Story

Throughout the ages the Tibetan priests have safe-guarded a sacred scroll that holds ultimate power. The Monk with No Name (Chow Yun Fat) is the latest monk to defend the scrolls. Pursued for 50 years by a Nazi officer Fat must defend the scrolls and seek out the next person to take over as the defender of the scrolls. He takes on an unlikely partner in the streetwise thief Kar.

The Cool Things

Being a Chow Yun Fat film, the action is just as solid as you'd expect. The contrast between Fat's "Monk" character and wisdom and Scott's "Urban Thug" is a pleasure to see. Overall, this is a decent action film to kill a few hours with for some guilty pleasure entertainment.

Best Scenes

1.Monk trains Kar

2.Most of the fight scenes...

THE DVD EXTRAS

If you liked stacked DVDs you'll love the package they've put together for the Bulletproof Monk release. Here's what you get:

1.Two Commentary Tracks, one with director Paul Hunter and producers Charles Roven and Douglas Segal and one with writers Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris.

2."The Tao of Monk" featurettes
a."Fists of Fury" - 6 minute featurette detailing Sean William Scott and Jaime King's martial arts training and wirework.

b."Enter the Monk" - 19 minute production featurette detailing how the actors were cast, how the costumes were selected and how the shooting locations were picked as well as the movie's comic book origins.

c."Zen Palette" - 9 minute featurette detailing how various sets used in the movie (Wooden Bridge, Tibetan Temple, Gang Hangout, Nazi base) were built, both manually and computer generated.

d."Smoke and Mirrors" - 7 minute featurette detailing how the special FX and CGI FX were done for the big actions scenes in the movie such as the helicopter and the wooden bridge fight scenes.

e."The Art of Score" - Cool 10 minute featurette detailing how the music was written for the movie. The feature literally shows how the movie was edited from picture and how the music and sound effects were edited into the scenes.

3."Monk Unrobed" - 6 minute featurette that talks about the movie's comic book origins.

4.5 deleted scenes with optional commentary track

5.Alternate Ending with optional commentary track

6.Trailers for the movie, its soundtrack, video game and other movies

7."Behind the Scenes Gallery" of stills from the set

THE VERDICT:

Overall, the movie itself, while not knock-out fantastic, is a decent action flick that makes a great rental to fix one's action cravings. The loaded DVD extras are a great insight into the movie-making process, well worth the price of the DVD if you are so inclined to purchase.

THE GRADES

The Movie: 3.5 stars
The Extras: 5 stars
Overall: 4.25 stars

Recommended