Movies & TV DVD Reviews

The Phantom of the Opera (Two-Disc Special Edition)

The Phantom of the Opera (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Release Date: 2005-05-03
Writer: Joel Schumacher
Producer: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Writer: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Producer: Austin Shaw
Producer: Christopher James Mitchell
Producer: Eli Richbourg
Writer: Gaston Leroux
Actor&Actress: Gerard Butler / Emmy Rossum / Patrick Wilson / Miranda Richardson / Minnie Driver
Director: Joel Schumacher
Brand: Warner Brothers
Sales Rank: 3041

Customer Review Summary (Average Rating : 4.5 / 5.0)
・Excellent film version of a great Broadway Play
・The Phantom rocks!
・Phantom DVD
・Visually stunning adaptation of the old literary warhorse
・very enjoyable production

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$26.98
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Editorial Review
Musical Drama based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's celebrated musical phenomenon. The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a disfigured musical genius (Gerard Butler) who haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera, waging a reign of terror over its occupants. When he falls fatally in love with the lovely Christine (Emmy Rossum), the Phantom devotes himself to creating a new star for the Opera, exerting a strange sense of control over the young soprano as he nurtures her extraordinary talents.

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes:"No-one Would Listen" Approx. 4 Mins.
DVD ROM Features
Documentary:Behind the Mask - The Story of the Phantom of the Opera
Easter Eggs
Featurette:The Making of The Phantom of the Opera in 3 Spellbinding Acts: Preproduction, The Director, Production

Editorial Review
Although it's not as bold as Oscar darling Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera continues the resuscitation of the movie musical with a faithful adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster stage musical. Emmy Rossum glows in a breakout role as opera ing?nue Christine Daae, and if phantom Gerard Butler isn't Rossum's match vocally, he does convey menace and sensuality in such numbers as "The Music of the Night." The most experienced musical theater veteran in the cast, romantic lead Patrick Wilson, sings sweetly but seems wooden. The biggest name in the cast, Minnie Driver, hams it up as diva Carlotta, and she's the only principal whose voice was dubbed (though she does sing the closing-credit number, "Learn to Be Lonely," which is also the only new song).

Director Joel Schumacher, no stranger to visual spectacle, seems to have found a good match in Lloyd Webber's larger-than-life vision of Gaston LeRoux's Gothic horror-romance. His weakness is cuing too many audience-reaction shots and showing too much of the lurking Phantom, but when he calms down and lets Rossum sings "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" alone in a silent graveyard, it's exquisite.

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Those who consider the stage musical shallow and overblown probably won't have their minds changed by the movie, and devotees will forever rue that the movie took the better part of two decades to develop, which prevented the casting of original principals Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Still, The Phantom of the Opera is a welcome exception to the long line of ill-conceived Broadway-to-movie travesties.

DVD Features
The special edition of The Phantom of the Opera has two major extras. "Behind the Mask: The Story of The Phantom of the Opera" is an hourlong documentary tracing the genesis of the stage show, with interviews of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Harold Prince, producer Cameron Macintosh, lyricists Richard Stilgoe and Charles Hart, choreographer Gillian Lynne, and others. Conspicuously absent are stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. Both do appear in video clips, including Brightman performing with Colm Wilkinson at an early workshop, and Crawford is the subject of a casting segment. Other brief scenes from the show are represented by a 2001 production. The other major feature is the 45-minute making-of focusing on the movie, including casting and the selection of director Joel Schumacher Both are well-done productions by Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group.

The deleted scene is a new song written by Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, "No One Would Listen," sung by the Phantom toward the end of the movie. It's a beautiful song that, along with Madame Giry's story, makes him a more sympathetic character. But because that bit of backstory already slowed down the ending, it was probably a good move to cut the song. --David Horiuchi

Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins

Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Release Date: 2009-09-22
Cinematographer: Jan Kiesser
Producer: Brian Levant
Producer: Brian J. Gilbert
Producer: Chris Foss
Producer: Ramsey Ann Naito
Writer: Daniel Altiere
Writer: Steven Altiere
Actor&Actress: Kate Melton / Hayley Kiyoko / Robbie Amell / Nick Palatas / Frank Welker
Director: Brian Levant
Brand: Warner Brothers
Feature:
　・What brings best friends together? For Daphne, Velma, Fred, Shaggy and Shaggy s spunky pup Scooby-Doo, it s a mystery! The feature-length live-action Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins original movie takes you back to when four teenage sleuths (plus one dog detective) first met. Unjustly accused of staging a spooky practical joke complete with ghosts, the kids are suspended from Coolsville High. To cl
Sales Rank: 782

Customer Review Summary (Average Rating : 4.0 / 5.0)
・Really well done!
・New is NOT better! DON'T bother w/this one!!!!!!
・AWESOME SCOOBY MOVIE!
・A scooby fan( AWSOME MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!)
・An entertaining evening flick

List Price:
$27.95
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Editorial Review
What brings best friends together? For Daphne, Velma, Fred, Shaggy and Shaggy's spunky pup Scooby-Doo, it's a mystery! The feature-length live-action Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins original movie takes you back to when four teenage sleuths (plus one dog detective) first met. Unjustly accused of staging a spooky practical joke complete with ghosts, the kids are suspended from Coolsville High. To clear their names, they team to solve the supernatural mystery... and head straight into nonstop laughs and adventure. Special fun, special friends and extra-special effects make this "how-it-all-began" story--from boy-meets-dog to the first trip in the Mystery Machine and more--a doggone great time!

-The Scooby-Doo Coolsville High Video Yearbook
-The Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. Personality Quiz
-Visit the set
-Anarbor "You and I" music video
-Gag reel

Customer Reviews
Really well done!
5 / 5.0
Having two boys, ages seven and four, who are deeply into all things Scooby, this was a mandatory movie in our household. As often as I can I avoid watching the kiddie movies as well, you know, they often are quite difficult to sit through for an adult. Nonetheless I was essentially dragged kicking and screaming into watching this one over the weekend. This was a very well done movie in my opinion. It was well cast and acted, well written, good effects, and on and on........ I actually enjoyed watching it and found myself not just sitting through it but really being glad to see it. Of course the kids loved it too and that is the rare magical mix of both parents and kids enjoying the same movie that more often than not is not present, at least not in our household it isn't. I would wholeheartedly recommend this movie for any Scooby fans of any age.

New is NOT better! DON'T bother w/this one!!!!!!
1 / 5.0
NOT a scooby doo mystery at all!!! There was a faint mystery in the story line. NO plot! The story jumped around too much for a kids movie. Characters were very annoying and not fun to watch in the slightest!!! F & D crush on each other....kids don't want to see that! V really isn't that smart...FLAW. Shag...couldn't get more annoying and finally Scooby doo is not even the main character in this flick. The title is "Scooby-Doo" and not "The Kids with the Occasional Dog". My children are Scooby doo EVERYTHING!!!!! They love ALL the Scooby doo chartoons (old and new) and the 2 Hollywood movies too. My boys loved even the old globe trotter, Addams family Scooby doo cartoons. But this one......DO NOT BOTHER!!! My boys were bored and got up to leave a dozen times through this one. Did NOT keep their attention the least bit!!! They were so excited to see the NEW Scooby doo movie and was a HUGE let down!!!!

The fact that I am taking my time to write a review (my first review ever) should let you know just how bad this one is!!!

If there was an option for NO stars...............Guess what??

AWESOME SCOOBY MOVIE!
5 / 5.0
I have to say this movie exceeded by far the expectations I had for a made-for-TV movie debuting on Cartoon Network. They managed to pull it off nicely by delivering a nicely produced Scooby Doo movie! I really can't say anything but good things about the movie, because it was really GOOD. I'd say it was probably at par with the other two live actions films, which were released to theaters worldwide and had a way bigger budget. This story is a bit more reminiscent to the original formula of the show, although it does include real ghosts also, which I think made an interesting combination. All in all, they exceeded 100% in making this film, which tells about the beginning about everyone's favorite detective team in a very enjoyable way. To me, with a bigger budget and slight modifications this movie could've been released to theaters. If you're a Scooby fan, this film will prove to be very exciting and well worth the purchase.

A scooby fan( AWSOME MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!)
5 / 5.0
This movie rocks!!!!!!. It was made with good director, actors and story line. I love scooby doo!

An entertaining evening flick
4 / 5.0
We had heard that this movie had gotten pretty bad reviews so were pretty skeptical. DH and daughter are Scooby Doo addicts though so it was a must have for the collection. There were quite a few laughs. Our biggest overall complaint throughout the movie was "why does young Fred have dark brown hair?". I know that the actors/actresses do not always look like the cartoon character but come on now Fred has bright yellow hair! All-in-all a worthwhile movie for our collection.

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The Office - Season Two

The Office - Season Two
Manufacturer: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)
Release Date: 2006-09-12
Actor&Actress: Steve Carell / John Krasinski / Jenna Fischer / Rainn Wilson / B.J. Novak
Brand: Universal Studios
Sales Rank: 325

Customer Review Summary (Average Rating : 5.0 / 5.0)
・New Obsession
・The legendary second season
・Season Two gets into stride
・The best season by far
・I love this show!

List Price:
$49.98
Lowest New Price:
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Editorial Review
It's time to clock in for Season Two of The Office, the hilarious and witty TV-mockumentary starring Steve Carell (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) in his Golden Globe Award-winning role. From sexual politics to performance reviews to email espionage, the employees at Dunder-Mifflin are there to get the job done…or not. Join earnest but clueless boss Michael Scott (Carell), Assistant to the Regional Manager Dwight (Rainn Wilson), receptionist Pam (Jenna Fischer), sales rep Jim (John Krasinski), and the office temp, Ryan (B.J. Novak), as they make the daily grind a lot more laughable. Fully staffed with 22 outrageous episodes and hours of side-splitting bonus features, it’s the must-own collection that caused Time magazine to declare "Never has a lousy job been so much fun."

Editorial Review
Thank goodness for second seasons. While the first season of The Office started dubiously with a pilot that was just a poor copy of the original British version, it did manage to provide enough good material to stay on the air and hint that better was yet to come. And here it is. The second season of The Office finds its own footing and manages to do the near-impossible by not only breaking free of the gravity of that excellent BBC version to stand solidly on its own, but establishing it as one of the best comedies on TV. Season 2 starts out strong with "The Dundies," where Regional Manager, Michael Scott (Steve Carell, The 40 Year Old Virgin) hosts the company’s annual office-awards event with his signature less-than-perfect grace. Things seem to only get worse for him this season as he bumbles a potential affair with his boss, Jan (Melora Harding), angers his employees by reading their emails ("Email Surveillance"), cooks his foot ("The Injury"), and accidentally destroys the warehouse with a forklift in "Boys and Girls," one of the season’s highlight episodes. Always at his side is the clueless paranoid Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), the Assistant Regional Manager ("Assistant to the Regional Manager," Michael always reminds him in one of the show’s running jokes).

One of the reasons for the show’s improvement in the second season is increased focus on Dwight’s character, who’s becoming something of a pop-culture icon right down to having his own bobblehead. He in turn provides so much good material for Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinsky) to play off of, to their own amusement. But of course, Pam and Jim’s simmering relationship is the real meat of the show, as their compatibility becomes more obvious, Jim’s feelings for her continue to grow, and Pam struggles with the impending marriage to her less-than-caring boyfriend, Roy (David Denman). Things have to come to a head, and they do nicely in the final episode, "Casino Night." As strong as the leading characters are in The Office, it’s the excellent peripheral characters that really make the show hilarious, especially dimwitted office-slug Kevin (Brian Baumgartner), long-suffering intern Ryan (B.J. Novak), office-ditz Kelly (Mindy Kaling), and ultra-conservative Angela (Angela Kinsey). As with season 1, this season contains excellent bonus features to give you an excuse to spend more time at The Office, including the fake PSAs, commentaries, Michael’s The Faces of Scranton movie, the ten stand-alone webisodes, and deleted scenes. --Daniel Vancini

Customer Reviews
New Obsession
5 / 5.0
I just got into the office barely this year, seriously about 2 weeks ago. Since I saw some of the episodes on tv I knew I had to order all the seasons. By far season 2 is the best. The dvd is great, bloopers, commentaries(I'm a nerd for that) and loads of deleted scenes. I'm glad I own it :)

The legendary second season
5 / 5.0
22 episodes

SPECIAL FEATURES

1. Deleted scenes

2. Faces of Scranton

3. Webisodes from [...]: The Accountants

4. Blooper Reel

5. Fake PSA's

6. Olympics Promo

7. Steve on Steve

8. 10 episode commentaries

Total Viewing Time: 1247 minutes

When I first got into The Office, I started with season two. I knew season one only had six episodes and I wanted something to really dig into. Since season two had 22 episodes and has been regarded as the best season of the show I started with this season.

The way The Office works is simple - it's hilarious because of awkward moments, long pauses, great facial expressions, terrific writing and of course, Michael Scott. I could go on and on about why The Office has become one of my favorite TV shows over the last few months (I started extremely late catching on with all the hype) but enough people have already done that. But all I will say is that the show never gets old and all the characters are extremely strong in their roles. Dwight is an obvious fan favorite, and the love wraparound between Jim and Pam is impressively well done through the season. But a personal favorite character for me is the always bizarre - and in a world of his own - Creed Bratton. He's hilarious with the simplest of dialogue, and that's how all characters work here: the writers play to their strength and what a individual says actually comes across as what they would say.

There are no lackluster episodes, and many great ones. I personally rated six episodes over "9.0" and a whopping 11 episodes between "8.0 - 8.9" which obviously goes to show how much I personally enjoyed the season.

The four disc DVD set comes with a slip over case that unveils a fold out package. The disc are placed on top of each other (2 per page), which is a set up that I strongly disagree with. To get to disc 2 you have to take out disc 1 first. This could cause problems with disc falling out and getting scratched more easily. If you're careful with your sets, this shouldn't be a huge problem, but it's still a minor annoyance. The fold out also gives you episode descriptions and what episodes are on which disc.

The Office season two excels with the special features. 10 full length commentaries with cast and crew - and each commentary has about seven people involved which makes it a fun listen. They do offer some interesting tidbits and the episodes fly by as they blabber on and on. The commentaries never drag, and people do good jobs of not talking while others are talking. However, Steve Carell is absent - but John Krasinski and Rainn Wilson do a lot of commentaries to make up for the loss.

There are a staggering amount of deleted scenes - over two hours of footage! And where most deleted scenes on films and TV shows are pointless and boring, The Office has great deleted scenes. Some I was stunned to see didn't make the cut (mainly for running time) and many felt like a shorter additional episode. Fantastic and must be watched.

The webisodes are decent as they focus on the accountants of Dunder Mifflin dealing with three thousand dollars missing from an account. And the blooper reel is hysterical. Again, as the commentaries do - they really show how great everyone gets along and how much fun they have. There was rarely a time that I myself wasn't laughing out loud with the bloopers as characters couldn't keep it together. I personally would've been cut after a few days because I never would be able to make it through a scene.

The rest of the special features (listed above) are pretty short and nothing special. The most questionable is the "Steve on Steve" which features a preview for The 40-Year Old Virgin... it just seemed a tad odd and out of place for The Office, and especially years later after that film came out, but it's nothing that ruins anything.

If you know someone who wants to get into The Office, I would say to start with season two and later on go back to season one later. Season two is still (after five seasons) my favorite season and the best DVD box-set for the show. And with over 1200 minutes of running time, you certainly get your money's worth. And the episodes I've found to watch repeated viewings without it losing any of its hilariousness.

A classic season and a phenomenal box set. If you're a fan of The Office, you'll love this set. And if you're a fan of comedy and are debating on starting getting into this show, season two will suck you in and make you a fan almost instantly.

9.4 THE SHOW ITSELF

8.9 VISUALS

8.5 SOUND

8.1 PACKAGING

9.6 EXTRAS

9.8/10 FINAL VERDICT

Season Two gets into stride
4 / 5.0
The show works out some of the first season jitters. Characters and actors are meshed a bit better and we have an idea of who they are. The writing maintains the high standards and each show contains several good laughs.

The best season by far
5 / 5.0
There is no point in comparing the NBC version of the Office to the BBC version. At this point in the show they are very dissimilar. However, this season contained some of the funniest episodes and moments of the show, and perhaps some of the funniest moments in "mockumentary" type humor. The show excels at awkward situations and "did he really just say that?!" lines. In addition, one of the sweetest and most popular television relationships of our time- the tale of Jim and Pam- is particularly interesting this season, as Pam and Roy finally start pinning down some wedding details and Jim makes a big choice in the season finale. Held back by trying too hard to emulate his BBC counterpart in the previous season, Steve Carrell is really given the opportunity to shine in this season as his character, Michael Scott, blossoms- or should I say, explodes. All in all this is a fantastic DVD set. The special features, including deleted scenes, outtakes, and commentaries, are a wonderful bonus.

I love this show!
5 / 5.0
I bought this for a friend. I have seen every episode of every season. I normally wouldn't recommend buying a TV show on DVD if you have already seen it but the DVD includes the full 40 minute episodes that include scenes not included on the TV show. It always manages to make me laugh and forget the every hectic things in life.

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In the Valley of Elah [Blu-ray]

In the Valley of Elah [Blu-ray]
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Release Date: 2008-02-19
Actor&Actress: Tommy Lee Jones / Charlize Theron / Susan Sarandon / James Franco
Director: Paul Haggis
Brand: Warner Brothers
Feature:
　・Mike Deerfield returns to the U.S. after his tour of duty in Iraq and abruptly goes missing. His father Hank, a spit-and-polish ex-MP from the Vietnam era, goes looking for him. What he finds goes to the heart of American combat experiences in the Iraqi conflict.Academy Award?-winning* Crash filmmaker Paul Haggis teams with Oscar?- winning* actors Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarando
Sales Rank: 3861

Customer Review Summary (Average Rating : 4.0 / 5.0)
・Disordered World
・Feels cookie cutter and predictable.
・In the Valley of Ewwww
・war doesn't always make heroes
・ONE OF THE BEST WAR FILMS EVER MADE

List Price:
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Editorial Review
Mike Deerfield returns to the U.S. after his tour of duty in Iraq and abruptly goes missing. His father Hank, a spit-and-polish ex-MP from the Vietnam era, goes looking for him. What he finds goes to the heart of American combat experiences in the Iraqi conflict. Academy Award?-winning* Crash filmmaker Paul Haggis teams with Oscar?- winning* actors Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon in a probing, powerful, fact-based look at fathers and sons…and at a nation and the young soldiers it sends into battle. Jones plays Hank, whose quest lays bare a tangled web of cover-up, murder, mystery and profound revelation about the personal costs of war.

Editorial Review
In career Army officer Hank Deerfield's worldview, the American military exists to bring order to the world, and honor and dignity to every one of its soldiers. As played by Tommy Lee Jones, in a layered performance that will haunt the viewer long after the film is over, Deerfield wears the Army life like he does his standard-issue white T-shirts--unconsciously making a cheap motel bed with crisp inspection-ready corners. Yet if war is hell, the purgatory for the relatives of damaged soldiers can cause far more anguish, and Paul Haggis' quietly devastating In the Valley of Elah tells this story through Deerfield, who is desperately trying to piece together the fate of his adored son Mike, a soldier in Iraq.

Mike's company has returned from duty, but he is missing; Hank flies from Tennessee to Fort Rudd in the Southwest, to conduct his own investigation into the disappearance. There he meets a smart but put-upon police officer (Charlize Theron, glammed-down but still showing a bit too much sexy collarbone for a cop) who also smells something off in the Army's official story of the disappearance. The two form an unlikely team, but as a friend tells Deerfield early on, "You gotta trust somebody sometime, Hank," and Mike's vanishing is Hank's tipping point.

As Hank pieces together the horrifying story of Mike's fate, the incremental pain becomes etched in Jones' ragged features, and the camera captures all of it--far more powerfully than could a million words of reportage from the front lines. Theron's performance is also strong, and Susan Sarandon is moving if underutilized as Hank's grief-stricken wife, robbed of the simple nuclear family life she so wanted. "They shouldn't send heroes to places like Iraq," says one of Mike's buddies late in the film, and it's the viewers' collective sorrow--and the film's great achievement--to feel that at the deepest human level. --A.T. Hurley

Customer Reviews
Disordered World
5 / 5.0
With the fresh spate of suicidal bombings violating the impending election in Iraq, my viewing of Haggis's terrifying, Valley' has added resonance. Yes, so many war films have urged us to outrage, to sense the futility, the heroics, the cruelty, the power plays and their perversions. But not since, 'The Deerhunter', has the chilling consequences of violence been so devastatingly enunciated. It is no surprise that the tale has connexions to an actual event (albeit tenuously, as a lead reviewer notes. And I don't mind that Haggis even uses the actual dad as a surrogate authority for his own film's moral integrity).We need feel the sympathy and ramifications of of all characters caught in the malestrom(though I do think the young woman found murdered in the bath is stacking the cards too high even for these dramtic ends. And the inverted flag is a flawed in its overstatement).T L jones, whose grity and sullen fdemanour has made him the perfect messenger for late mid-life crises, the causes in which he eventually will tally his own contribution, is magnificent. The old-boy's network is unravelling. The new kid's deal with their stresses in unprecedented ways, and the lines once drawn in the sand have been erased.

Feels cookie cutter and predictable.
2 / 5.0
I feel I've seen this movie before, somtime in the 1980s...yes..it starred Tom Cruise as a young JAG defense attorney and Jack Nicholson....only then it was fresh. This is basically the same movie, but replace court room drama and suspense with detective drama and suspense and replace the "code red" stuff with current Iraq themed war time moral debates. The whole thing feels very canned but good acting and some decent suspense make it watchable, but that is all, just watchable not recommendable.

In the Valley of Ewwww
1 / 5.0
The description of the true story upon which this disaster was based, I found, was much better than sitting through this over-praised stinkbomb of a movie. "In the Valley of Elah" is essentially Tommy Lee Jones ruining what is a perfectly good role for DeNiro or even Eastwood. He is as flat and sour as he was in "Men In Black". Never did I watch a more robotic performance in my life.

As to the 'brutally honest' part of the critiques I've read, forget it. This film is incredibly insulting to all parties and it isn't even decent poetic license. It's just plain sloppy writing and bad filmmaking.

Two hours of Tommy Lee Jones playing Sgt. Joe Friday on a bad prostate day is revolting enough--but without emotion? Without a single tear? Good Lord, even MPs have tear ducts! And so do VietNam vets. But not Sgt. Jones. He just keeps hittin' the bricks for just the facts. What a load of baloney.

The character Deerfield's son is worse than a nightmare as 'phantom' characters go. He is at once pathetic and ridiculous. While the military might be accepting such boneheads thanks to President Bush's fascist dreams, I still found the film version disgusting. The batallion mates of the murder victim are cut-out clowns. I say again, sloppy, bad filmmaking. Instead of an Oscar I'd had given hard slaps to everyone involved in this piece of crap.

For heaven's sake, don't waste a moment on this film. There is more emotional depth in Eastwood's "Gran Torino"...and more realism.

war doesn't always make heroes
5 / 5.0
In the Valley of Elah tells a story that will stick in your mind long after you watch it even if you don't agree with the message of the movie. The acting is extremely well done although I do think Susan Sarandon's role could have been beefed up more; I'm one of the people who feel that she was underutilized in this film although her acting was brilliant. The plot moves along at a good pace although things speed up during the last forty-five minutes or so of the film; and that does make things more interesting. As the plot deepened, I really couldn't keep my eyes off the screen. In addition, the cinematography is excellent.

When the action starts, we meet Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) who lives in Tennessee with his wife Joan (Susan Sarandon). Hank gets a phone call from his son's military base at Fort Rudd, New Mexico, stating that his son Mike is AWOL from the base. Hank didn't know that Mike had returned from Iraq just a few days earlier. Hank, having been in the military as an investigator for quite some while, wants to find his son Mike without bringing in the military police so that Mike can be found without getting him into too much more trouble.

When Hank travels to Fort Rudd in the Southwest, he meets police detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) who doesn't display any interest in helping Hank find his son. After some prodding, Emily takes Hank to the place where Mike's body was found--chopped up after being burned and dragged along a field. Although there is some fighting between the army and other police officers over which agency bears the responsibility of working on the case, eventually an extensive military investigation into the crime starts with Emily trying hard to lead the crew who are working on the case. Once all this starts, there are plot twists and turns that you simply won't see coming. Many people are interviewed about the crime including Cpl. Steve Penning (Wes Chatham), Spc. Gordon Bonner (Jake McLaughlin) and Spc. Ennis Long (Mehcad Brooks). Emily and a few others think they have the killer when they corner Pvt. Robert Ortiez (Victor Wolf); but that lead turns up cold after quite a chase scene. At the same time, Hank Deerfield forms an unlikely friendship with Emily as they continue to work together to determine who killed Mike when and why.

The plot, of course, can easily go in many different directions from here. What happens when Mike's mother Joan goes to Fort Rudd to see the remains of Mike's body? How can Hank push the authorities when he himself has limited power? After all, he really can't do much more than prod Emily Sanders and the others to do what's right. Will Mike's friends Steve, Gordon and Ennis be able to provide clues to what happened to Mike? No spoilers--watch and find out! In addition, the DVD comes with some interesting outtakes.

In the Valley of Elah tells a powerful story about the degree to which people can become corrupted by war even after they have finished serving in the battlefields. It's an interesting and poignant story that could happen anywhere even though this particular film is merely based on actual events. In addition, the film brilliantly portrays an unusual type of coming-of-age story--not of a younger person but, in this case, of the young man's father, Hank Deerfield, who learns that war doesn't always produce heroes.

ONE OF THE BEST WAR FILMS EVER MADE
5 / 5.0
This is an excellent film which rewards repeated viewings, whatever your politics. It's not a film that's opposed to the Iraq War itself, and it never properly addresses the rights and wrongs of the conflict. Rather, it's a depiction of what can happen to the individuals involved.

It's also a film with shifting perspectives. Tommy Lee Jones' character makes a lot of good calls-- and a few bad ones, just like the people he's working with. And the soldiers are not damned by any means-- they each achieve varying degress of redemption.

The fact that a film like this can come out while the conflict is ongoing and still find an audience is a tribute to the film industry, and The United States generally. Consider the Vietnam War and look at how long it took for Hollywood to start getting into those issues.

It's a tremendous, affecting film with spot-on performances, and strong messages, and it will stand the test of time.

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Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Release Date: 2002-06-11
Producer: Branko Lustig
Producer: Chad Oman
Producer: Harry Humphries
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Producer: Mike Stenson
Writer: Ken Nolan
Writer: Mark Bowden
Actor&Actress: Josh Hartnett / Ewan McGregor / Tom Sizemore / Eric Bana / William Fichtner
Director: Ridley Scott
Brand: Sony
Sales Rank: 2121

Customer Review Summary (Average Rating : 4.0 / 5.0)
・Awesome Movie
・OH YA
・A little to much blood and guts
・Good Movie, great looking & sounding blu-ray.
・Among the Best Infantry Combat Films Ever Made

List Price:
$14.94
Lowest New Price:
$3.89
Lowest Used Price:
$0.26

Editorial Review
THE HARROWING TRUE STORY OF A GROUP OF ELITE AMERICAN SOLDIERS SENT INTO SOMALIA IN 1993 AS PART OF A UN PEACEKEEPING OPERATION. THEIR MISSION IS TO ABDUCT SEVERAL TOP LIEUTENANTS OF A SOMALIAN WARLORD AS PART OF A STRATEGY TO QUELL THE CIVIL WAR THAT IS TEARING THE COUNTRY TO PIECES.

Editorial Review
Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down conveys the raw, chaotic urgency of ground-force battle in a worst-case scenario. With exacting detail, the film re-creates the American siege of the Somalian city of Mogadishu in October 1993, when a 45-minute mission turned into a 16-hour ordeal of bloody urban warfare. Helicopter-borne U.S. Rangers were assigned to capture key lieutenants of Somali warlord Muhammad Farrah Aidid, but when two Black Hawk choppers were felled by rocket-propelled grenades, the U.S. soldiers were forced to fend for themselves in the battle-torn streets of Mogadishu, attacked from all sides by armed Aidid supporters. Based on author Mark Bowden's bestselling account of the battle, Scott's riveting, action-packed film follows a sharp ensemble cast in some of the most authentic battle sequences ever filmed. The loss of 18 soldiers turned American opinion against further involvement in Somalia, but Black Hawk Down makes it clear that the men involved were undeniably heroic. --Jeff Shannon

Editorial Review
Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down conveys the raw, chaotic urgency of ground-force battle in a worst-case scenario. With exacting detail, the film re-creates the American siege of the Somalian city of Mogadishu in October 1993, when a 45-minute mission turned into a 16-hour ordeal of bloody urban warfare. Helicopter-borne U.S. Rangers were assigned to capture key lieutenants of Somali warlord Muhammad Farrah Aidid, but when two Black Hawk choppers were felled by rocket-propelled grenades, the U.S. soldiers were forced to fend for themselves in the battle-torn streets of Mogadishu, attacked from all sides by armed Aidid supporters. Based on author Mark Bowden's bestselling account of the battle, Scott's riveting, action-packed film follows a sharp ensemble cast in some of the most authentic battle sequences ever filmed. The loss of 18 soldiers turned American opinion against further involvement in Somalia, but Black Hawk Down makes it clear that the men involved were undeniably heroic. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews
Awesome Movie
5 / 5.0
This will be a gift for my 16 year old son so he hastn' received it yet. He loves Black Hawk Down and has watched a zillion times. I think it will be a hit.

OH YA
5 / 5.0
I just recently saw this DVD for the first time and I am hooked! Move over Band of Brothers.

A little to much blood and guts
4 / 5.0
The movie it's self wasn't much and the quality of the Blu-ray was okay but, not impressive.

Good Movie, great looking & sounding blu-ray.
4 / 5.0
If you like war movies, you will most likely have seen or own this movie already. If you like it on DVD you will really like it on blu-ray. Excellent picture and sound. If you think the price is right this is definitely worth picking up.

Among the Best Infantry Combat Films Ever Made
5 / 5.0
No actor stands out here; any variation in character or performance is masked by the uniforms, the nature of the action and its consequences on the men. Pretty much what infantry combat is all about, differences merged in a uniform terror, heroism, instinct for self preservation, incredible feats of bravery, and all submerged in the din and smoke of combat. One of the reasons for inequality of rewards for effort is that it is almost impossible to know who is doing what with whose help.

The flavor comes through in the film. Impressive is the fact that it conveys, knowingly, I assume, the confusion, the lack of accurate information, the unpredictability, the disjuncture between the orders of the highest level and the needs for behavior at the lowest levels where death, maiming and psychic distress are the natural outcomes of infantry combat.

If one steps back to look at the larger perspective within which this mission took place, you may form your own opinion about the event, the film, to a remarkable extent does not. Whatever ones broader view of the place this sort of action plays in the life of nations, one should remember that no period of human history has been free of such social behavior while the century just past may have set the record for sheer brutality and certainly did set the record for the number who fell as combatants in war, magnified partly because in modern warfare there is no longer a distinction between military and civilian when it comes to being killed and injured, only a distinction, increasingly blurred, between those who are killed and also kill, and those who are killed but do not kill others directly.

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