Legend (Ultimate Edition)

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This strange, 1985 experiment by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) starred the up-and-coming Tom Cruise in a fairy-tale world of dwarfs and unicorns and demons. After the horn of a unicorn is broken, darkness and winter descend upon the world. Cruise's character, helped along by a magic sprite played by David Bennent (The Tin Drum), descends into hell to save paradise. This movie is almost a classic case of art direction gone amok. The somewhat amorphous Cruise doesn't lend much dramatic focus or artistic definition, but the drama between Tim Curry's satanic majesty and Mia Sara's character, who becomes a sort of princess of the netherworld, is pretty captivating. A mixed experience all around that makes one wish it had been more successful. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

awesome!.......2007-09-12

i don't care how old this movie is it rocks!! If u havent seen it you need to!!

Not as good as you remember . . . .......2007-09-08

Some films are better left in the recesses of your nostalgic memories. Legend is one of them. Great art direction, costumes, cinematography and direction can't save a story with no action and unappealing characters. Re-watching this after not having seen it for about a decade, all I kept thinking was, "What a waste!" The sets, the special effects, everything is very nice for the time but totally squandered on a very loose story with little thought put into creating an authentic or detailed fantasy world. I think Ridley Scott wanted to make a Lord of the Rings-type epic but didn't bother to investigate why or how successful fantasy stories work.

best cruise movie.......2007-09-01

wow , i did'nt even know this movie was on dvd , my vhs went bad so i started looking and here it was on amazon , i LOVE this movie and the dvd is great , it even has two versions one with the origanel sound track (witch sucks) and one with the tangerine dream and the guy from yes sound track (kicks butt), if you like fantasy movies this is one that you MUST have in your collection !!

One of the best fantasy movies ever made.......2007-08-24

Wow, I love this movie. The setting is enchanting and there is an innocence about the movie. I love how serene and beautiful the forest looks, with details like floating particles (makes me want to quit my deskjob and go hiking). There isn't a huge amount of story or dialogue, but I think that is why I like it. Tom Cruise does a great job and Mia Sara is extremely beautiful (even when singing)

I bought this version because I really like the director's cut. I haven't actually seen the US theater release since I was a kid so I honestly don't know how much better it is.

Legend is timeless. This is a movie I will show my kids (once I find a girl that will bear my children).

I love this movie.......2007-08-21

I remember seeing this movie when I was much younger and I still love it. Even now, its not as cheezy as a lot of other older fantasy movies. The acting was great and you gotta love Tim Curry in this.

Average customer rating:

Entertaining and Imaginative
Plagiarism?
A Miserable Attempt to be like LOTR
how could you cristopher paolini?
Not nearly so bad as most of these reviews suggest

Eragon (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Edward Speleers , Jeremy Irons , Sienna Guillory , Robert Carlyle , and John Malkovich
Director: Stefen Fangmeier
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NA28I4
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Amazon.com

While it owes much of its appeal and appearance to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Eragon can stand on its own as an enjoyable fantasy for younger viewers. Faithfully adapted from the bestselling novel by teenage author Christopher Paolini, this boy-and-his-dragon tale offers clean, fast-paced family entertainment without compromising the darker qualities of Paolini's novel (the first in what is known as the "Inheritance" trilogy). The plot centers on 17-year-old peasant farmboy Eragon (played by appealing newcomer Ed Speleers) who discovers a mysterious blue object that turns out to be an egg that eventually hatches to reveal Saphira, a blue-scaled dragon that quickly grows to full-size. According to prophecy, Eragon is destined to be a dragon-rider like those who once protected a benevolent kingdom, thus reviving an ancient conflict against the army of King Galbatorix (John Malkovich), a former dragon rider who turned to evil, now in alliance with a! dark-magic "Shade" sorcerer named Durza (Robert Carlyle). While the movie serves up familiar fantasy elements and offers little if anything new to fans of the genre (or anyone who's read the books of Anne McCaffrey and Ursula K. Le Guin), it's visually impressive (especially the dragon scenes, with Rachel Weisz providing the telepathic "voice" of Saphira) and full of timeless wisdom, much of it delivered by Eragon's heroic mentor Brom (Jeremy Irons), himself a former dragon rider with memories of past battles and hope for Eragon's future. Add a fair warrior-maiden named Arya (Sienna Guillory) and you've got all the ingredients for a worthwhile (if not particularly original) fantasy that points directly to a sequel. Whether that's a good or a bad thing is up to individual viewers to decide. --Jeff Shannon

Eragon Extras

Christopher Paolini talks to us about his book and film inspirations and makes recommendations for fans of Eragon, click here to view the complete list. Build and customize your very own dragon with "Volksdragon".

Beyond Eragon

Eragon (Inheritance Trilogy, Book 1)
The Eragon Community on Amazon
Eragon Collectibles

Stills from Eragon

Description

In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon's egg -- a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he realized he's the one person who can defend his home against an evil king.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining and Imaginative.......2007-09-17

I watched this movie prior to reading all of the reviews, and I have to say I'm glad I waited to form my own opinion. This movie was a great escape from the every day. The scenery was breathtaking, and I loved the way they handled the dragon. I was also pleased with how "clean" the movie was - a few scary parts, but nothing offensive. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone looking for a 1.5 hour vacation from the everyday.

Plagiarism?.......2007-09-12

I did read the original book, but it was so long ago that I only remember a few scant details, but I can tell that the film more or less faithfully follows the novel. In case you were curious, this isn't a good thing. In fact, it is a terrible thing for the cinematic version of "Eragon" because the vague, unfilled parts of the story, the things we aren't told about in the narrative when we read the book, can now be seen on the screen. Take, for example, John Malkovich as the wicked King Galbatorix. Unlike the rest of author Christopher Paolini's derivative plot, this evil ruler apparently did not take lessons from the classics of old. Toiling away in his dark cavern of a fortress, Galbatorix is, we are told, ruling the land of Alagaesia with an iron fist of fury. But every second we do see of him, he is lounging around in his desolate lair with little to do but fume and complain to his mischievous minions. Really? Are there no peasants to fry? No dictatorial decrees to issue, perhaps for amassing all those lone villages under the kingdom's control and away from the farm folk? That would certainly keep a dumb farm kid from getting a magical dragon. No, say, gulags or concentration camps for the pesky dissenters of the crown? Come on, you're in a fantasy world, surrounded by the possibility of ANYTHING! Magical powers are under the command of your finger tips! With one stroke of a splinter of his actual power, the King could command massive forces of involuntary persons (whether they be elf, dwarf, man, or Shade, whatever that last thing is) to track down the young farm kid and his band of rebels. If his forces refused, they would be killed, and more could be selected for the job. Eventually, the little freedom fighters would have to surrender or die, for the King could potentially control the entire population of this vast world to hunt the little suckers down. Even the disembodied Sauron of "Lord of the Rings" fame attempted to recruit those brave souls far and away outside his Evil Empire who would die for such a delectably evil cause.

That's just one problem with "Eragon", but there are many more that humiliate the rules of logic in other ways. Still, let's first do away with the obvious criticism: The story, both in movie and print form, is horribly derivative, maybe even bordering on plagiarism in respect to Tolkien and George Lucas. There was not one instance in the plot where I was surprised, taken aback, or exclaimed "Wow" under my breath. If an undergraduate English major drummed up something like this without perhaps citing "Fellowship of the Ring" in a bibliography, he would receive a big, fat D+. But author Paolini has the help of his parents' publishing company, while this movie has an enormous budget and the same backing from the studio that produced "Star Wars". Heck, even if you didn't bother to mention LOTR and Star Wars in, say, a courtroom, you could still muster a pretty solid case if you only had "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "Harry Potter" at your disposal as Exhibit A. Some of the dialogue is eerily similar to what I remember from the 1977 Star Wars flick. It begs the question, How did everyone get away with all of this?

There are two positive aspects to this fantasy garbage which warrants one star (if I could, I would've given it 0): Rachel Weisz and the CGI wizards who created the dragon. Did Ms. Weisz personally request that she receive the best lines, and indeed the ONLY good ones, in the film? Poor Jeremy Irons, too. All I thought about was his voiceover role as Scar in "The Lion King" as I watched him parade around the woods. And the kid...what is with these silly little children with garish accents and lame haircuts? I thought Rupert Grint pulled that one through the mud in "Potter", but Mr. Ed Speleers is now supreme trophy winner. Bother this sleeping dragon at the video store and you'll be in what they call a "World of Hurt".

A Miserable Attempt to be like LOTR.......2007-09-09

The experience of seeing this movie was like watching a car crash into a building, blow up, and then take the building down with it, until all that was left was a pile of rubble and some smouldering bits of cement. First of all, the movie was only an hour and a half long. AN HOUR AND A HALF! Peter Jackson's LOTR films were fantastic, and the best films ever made (I'm not asking you to agree with me) but even THEY didn't get to covering all the material in the book over the roaring run time of three hours, and in the case of ROTK, four hours. And the book, Eragon, if I am correct, is longer than the Lord of the Rings books (individually, of course, not together.) It was like they had copied and pasted some pages of a book into a script, mutilated the dialogue, put them in a page-jumble and threw everything out of sequence! And then, as if they knew it was going to be a disaster in the end, they cut out or changed even more so that there could not be a second (e.g. no Katrina, death of Ra'zac, Murtagh has 5 min of screen time, Roran joins the army?)
This miserable piece of garbage was all due to the extraordinarily crappy script, which should have been left to the mind-blowing screenwriting talents of Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens. Stephen Fangmier, the man responsible for this dreck, should have been replaced by Peter Jackson. Richard Taylor at Weta Workshop and Ngila Dickson should have taken over for costumes and art design. Honestly, Arya didn't even have pointed ears, the dwarves were not even that much shorter than humans, Tronjheim is deplorable, the costumes make Arya look like a princess (yes, I know she IS a princess, but what a giveaway!) and the Urgals look like some idiots who got some face paint put on at a four year old's birthday party!
The whole thing is extremely rushed, and relationships are not developed properly at all so that the moviegoers care when somebody dies. It looks like some random scenes from the book played out of order and in fast forward. As I said before, Murtagh only has five minutes of screen time, so nobody cares what happens to him, (Eldest spoilers) especially in Eldest when he turns evil (end spoilers.)
The acting is deplorable, and the saddest thing about it is that it's not even the actors' fault. Ed Speleers could have been great, and almost everybody else in the movie already IS great, but good acting requires a good script, and there is simply too much lack of that. I just cannot believe that Sienna Guillory, Rachel Weisz, John Malkovich, and Jeremy Irons stooped so low. I was so disappointed that Ian McKellen turned down the role of Brom, but after seeing the movie I can tell why. The battle outside Tronjheim looks just like a little skirmish like the scene in Braveheart when William Wallace kills the man who murdered his wife. However, Braveheart made it look like a skirmish on purpose, and you can tell that the Battle of Farthen-Dur was supposed to be a dazzling spectacle of fiery warfare and amazing scale like the Battle of Pelennor Fields in The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King. Durza was the only character who sort of had the ability to extract even the slightest bit of menace, and Galbatorix, who was better left as he was in the book - unseen - did not have a lot of potency if all he did was lie around in some reddish Emo room with black blankets everywhere.
Farthen-Dur should have looked like a buzzing city, maybe like a medieval version of New York City, but it ended up looking like a little village from the inside, and like an oddly shaped rock from the outside. Uru'baen is supposed to look like a castle or stronghold, but it ends up looking strangely like a prison I remember seeing in some small town on the way to Las Vegas. I know it is suppose to be the intent for it to look grim and fast, but seriously, I don't think that resorting to something that looks like what a Middle Ages Alcatraz would have been is the answer. The only good side was the fantastic amount of digital effects utilized to bring Saphira to life, and those were completely wasted on this pile of rubbish. What a waste of money. For those who love the book, and even for those like me (who thought it was okay but was just the story of the Star Wars Trilogy mixed with the background, races, and world of the Lord of the Rings), DO NOT see this movie. For those who already have and have never read the book, give the book a shot. It's not half bad.
Oh, and by the way, why did Saphira grow from being a little fledgling to a full-grown dragon in about ten odd seconds?

"It's talking, Merry. The tree is talking."

how could you cristopher paolini?.......2007-09-06

i haven't written a review about anything yet, but i have to for this. i completely agree with whoever said they were going to cry. yes, in some ways the book was using previously written material, but it's hard not to do that in fantasy when you're trying to follow Tolkien and others. the book also had what i thought were very original parts, like the magic concept. any way, the movie was terrible. i saw it with two friends who are also fans of the inheritance trilogy, and we were disgusted and surprised. basically we asked how could you cristopher paolini? did he read the script for that movie? did he care? maybe he isn't old enough and doesn't have the experience to deal with things like movie rights. the movie is a borderline criminal waste, failing to promote a good book and also killing the possibility of a good movie series. it had so few essential plot elements that i can't believe a sequel is possible. the special effects were sometimes good, but in the wrong places. spend your money on accuracy, not bogus eye candy. one of the most dissapointing movies i can think of.

Not nearly so bad as most of these reviews suggest.......2007-09-05

While obviously no Lord of the Rings, this is still a decent fantasy flick for the kiddos, made with care and craft. I don't know the source books so I can say from an objective viewpoint (whatever that is) that the script is about what you'd expect, as is the story, and so on. Coming in with no preconceptions, we were entertained, if not wildly, and have no regrets about watching this movie. A little visual enhancement went a long way. Open your mind and deal with this film on its own level, like the 10 year-old you once were. There's some fun to be had here.

Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

original Star Wars (episode V) on DVD
No thanks
George, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Rated ***(**)
Good Movie
Wonderful!!!!!!!

Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Billy Dee Williams , and Anthony Daniels
Director: Irvin Kershner
Manufacturer: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FQJAJG
Release Date: 2006-09-12

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The 2006 limited-edition two-disc release of The Empire Strikes Back is not only the first time the movie has been officially available by itself on DVD. It marks the first-ever DVD release of Empire as it originally played in theaters in 1980. What does that mean exactly? The film is without the various "improvements" and enhancements George Lucas added for the theatrical rerelease in 1997 as well as the DVD premiere in 2004. So no more of Ian McDiarmid (the Emperor) replacing Clive Revill with slightly revised lines, or Temuera Morrison rerecording of Boba Fett's minimal dialogue.

What do you lose by watching the 1980 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here), and digital cleanup. But for home-theater owners, the biggest frustration will be from the non-anamorphic picture. On a widescreen TV, an anamorphically enhanced (16x9) picture at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the screen with the exception of small black bars on the top and bottom. The original edition of Empire, however, on a widescreen TV will have large black bars on the top, the bottom, and the sides unless you stretch the picture (and distort it in the process, especially considering the substandard picture quality). If you're watching on a standard square-shaped (4:3) TV, though, you won't notice a difference.

Yes, it's true that serious home-theater lovers who want spectacular sound and anamorphically enhanced picture can always watch the 2004 version of the movie also included in this set. But chances are good that they already picked up the trilogy edition of all three films, so their decision to buy the 2006 two-disc edition depends on how much they want the original film. The official LucasFilm stance is that this is an individual release of the 2004 version of The Empire Strikes Back, and the 1980 version of the film is merely a "bonus feature." Common speculation is that the only reason the original versions are seeing the official light of day at all is to undercut the booming black market for the laserdisc version. Star Wars fans will have to decide for themselves if that's worth the purchase. --David Horiuchi

Description

For the first time ever and for a limited time only, the enhanced versions of the Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi will be available individually on DVD. Plus, these 2-Disc DVD's will feature a bonus disc that includes, for the first time ever on DVD, the original films as seen in theaters in 1977, 1980 and 1983.

Customer Reviews:

original Star Wars (episode V) on DVD.......2007-09-06

I'm very excited to own the original Star Wars series on DVD. I'm a huge fan of the series, but I'm also a purist who prefers the un-tweaked versions of episodes IV, V, and VI. So I am tickled that Lucas finally released them on DVD, and I'm excited to own them at last.

No thanks.......2007-07-18

If you want the original Cinema release, without subsequent digital 'enhancements' do not buy this DVD.

The original version is in 2.35:1 letter box (which is fine as that was the original cinema aspect ratio) within a 4:3 picture frame (why???). This means that you not only get letter boxing top and bottom but also right and left. So if you've still got an old 4:3 ratio TV this will be OK (and thats all), but for those of us with widescreen TV's this means you either have to watch a tiny 4:3 image or use your TV's zoom facility to get the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. However if you do this you are reducing quality, and as many other reviewers have pointed out this isn't the greatest transfer anyway.

If you're happy with the digitally enhanced anamorphic version then go ahead and buy. However, if like me you want the original untouched movie as released at the cinema forget it. Happily I haven't spent a penny to find this out!

George, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Rated ***(**).......2007-06-08

I agree with any of a number of previous reviewers: Would somebody PLEASE take STAR WARS away from George Lucas before he ruins it completely?

Like Francis Ford Coppola, who messed with THE GODFATHER trilogy over and over again trying to "perfect" it, Lucas keeps coming back to the original STAR WARS trilogy and adding enhanced effects and formerly deleted scenes.

In what is now known as STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, (let me catch my breath a minute, please), Lucas decided to "enhance" the film by inserting extra dialogue in several scenes, apparently in order to strengthen the film's connection to the prequels. He should have done it the other way around when Episodes I, II, and III were first released. This attempt at backward compatibility just proves that time travelers should never try to change the past. Fortunately, the changes aren't jarring.

Lucas also decided to expand the scenes with the Wampa Ice Creature on Hoth. These changes ARE jarring. The updated Ice Creature doesn't look anything like the original, and the quick intercuts don't hide the disparity. The fact that Lucas chose to "improve" the creature despite having to retain the original footage doesn't demonstrate his creativity, it demonstrates his hubris. Why not just replicate the original? Clearly, his desire to make the change overrode any considerations of film continuity and audience expectations.

This is the kind of thinking that brought us the ridiculous Jar-Jar Binks and his race of Rastafari amphibians in THE PHANTOM MENACE. George Lucas isn't really trying to give us a better cinematic experience, he's just totally into playing with his favorite toys. It's a form of selfishness.

The same goes for the rest of his changes. Lucas decided to make the battle scene explosions more "dramatic," do a score of other little tweaks, and clean up the print. Lucas has done this so many times over the past three decades that it's now impossible to figure out which film is the "real" THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

Of all the questionable "improvements" he's made, cleaning up the print is the only worthwhile effort. Most of the added scenes add nothing to the film, the "extra" dialogue is interesting but unnecessary, and some of the changes (like the Wampa Ice Creature) actually degrade the movie.

Fortunately, this two-disc set contains the original theatrical release with all the nicks and imperfections it was born with. The print's a bit dim, and the special effects are showing their limitations after twenty-seven years, but this is THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK that will remain THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. It is what it is, and it never needed changes. Given the immense amount of material that has grown up around STAR WARS since it was first released, Lucas would have been smarter to release one or the other or both versions as he did, but added an Extras disc with all kinds of "The Making Of.." and "The Legacy Of..." goodies. I was disappointed that this isn't that set.

I was twenty when THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK debuted in 1980. At age 20, this now-classic movie became and remains a favorite of mine. It is arguably the best of the six STAR WARS films, because it takes the STAR WARS universe completely out of the realm of pulp science fiction. The appearance of Yoda and his Zen-like philosophy of The Force changes the entire tenor of the sextology. The Force ceases to be a kind of parlor magic useful for tricking Imperial Stormtroopers and becomes a form of bushido. The Jedi become Samurai, imbued with all of that caste's Warrior Ethos.

I never became a "Jedihead" (the original tag for the STAR WARS version of a Trekkie), but I did become a student of Zen and the martial arts. My personal decision was not at all made because of STAR WARS, but the films certainly brought such concepts into the mainstream consciousness.

The STAR WARS films are not CITIZEN KANE IN OUTER SPACE. Overall, they are not "great" films, but they are true "classics." THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK in particular engages the viewer. Entertaining, exciting, and yet contemplative, the film makes you want to keep coming back for more, the true basis of success and the core of meaningfulness for any story.

The STAR WARS universe is clearly derivative. THE LORD OF THE RINGS has a "Dark Lord." STAR WARS has a "Dark Lord of the Sith." Lightsabers are yet another nod to the film's Sword & Sorcery roots. Yoda is a short green Sensei, straight out of the 1970s TV show KUNG FU. STAR WARS' "Corellians" appear in Isaac Asimov's FOUNDATION as "Korellians", and "Han Solo" is also there as "Hari Seldon." The space war elements are a mishmash of STAR TREK, FORBIDDEN PLANET, AMAZING STORIES, pulp fiction, and a hundred other sources. George Lucas was able to take these well-used pieces and combine them into something that is both very original and yet archetypal.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK carries the sci-fi retelling of the Mythos of the young Hero a step farther. Having been initiated into the Mysteries by Obi-Wan, Luke is now called upon to take up the discipline his craft requires. Immature and impatient, he ignores his Master Yoda's advice, and makes his own determination that his training is complete. However, he is unready, unready to face his external enemy (Darth Vader), and unready to face his even more potent internal enemy (his own impulses toward the Dark Side).

Classic mythic elements abound: Luke has a mysterious birth, a hidden twin, and a direct blood link to the Evil he is trying to overcome (as the son of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader). He suffers a horrific wound (the loss of his hand), is forced to face the Darkness within himself, and must decide how to confront his Enemy who is also his Dark Father.

A far more sophisticated story than the straight-ahead STAR WARS, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is so mythic and archetypal that it suffers none of the "beginner's jitters" of A NEW HOPE. Although the first film had some really bad acting by the background characters and a few missed beats here and there, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK brings forth the best from all the cast (including even Yoda who, despite his very real humanity, is, after all, a puppet). The story sustains itself through it all.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK even survives Lucas's post-theatrical obsessive-compulsive changes to remain a modern classic.

FIVE STARS FOR "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK", THREE STARS FOR LUCAS' "IMPROVED" VERSION.

Good Movie.......2007-05-12

I have the whole series of the Star Wars movies and I enjoy them very much.

Wonderful!!!!!!!.......2007-05-11

This is an master piece and one should watch it. The star war series is a must have. Love the story and the way the film draws your attention...Love the cast.

Average customer rating:

Wizards/Lord of the Rings
For the Love of Wizards
SIgn of the times
wierd but fun
Blast from the Past

Wizards
Starring: Ralph Bakshi , Victoria Bakshi , Jim Connell , Steve Gravers , and Angelo Grisanti
Director: Ralph Bakshi
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001NBMIK
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Amazon.com

Far from the masterful treatment that groundbreaking animator Ralph Bakshi gave the similarly themed The Lord of the Rings just a year later, Wizards feels amateurish. A simplistic distillation of fantasy tropes, the scenario is millions of years after nuclear war wipes out civilization. Middle Earth fairies, elves, and magic emerge from the "good lands," while dimwitted mutants with poor comic timing emerge from the nuclear wastes. In the ultimate confrontation between good and evil, a hippie-ish wizard named Avatar defends his utopia against the technological and neo-Nazi revival of his bad-seed twin, Blackwolf. With volleys of jokes that couldn't hit a barn door, elves with Brooklyn accents, and the dubious climax that sees the kindly old wizard using one of the hated machines of war to triumph over evil, Wizards is one of fantasy animation's least successful examples. --Alan E. Rapp

Description

Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, this fantasy adventure follows the story of Avatar, the kindly, eccentric sorcerer-ruler of Montagar, a rainbow paradise inhabited by elves and fairies. Avatar?s evil brother, Blackwolf, dominates Scortch, a bleak land of goblins and wraiths. When the power-hungry Blackwolf attacks Montagar, Avatar, accompanied only by a spirited young woman and a courageous elf, must enter the darkness of Scortch to save his world. WIZARDS is a thought-provoking, kaleidoscopic feast for the eyes that will enthrall animation fans and film lovers of all ages.

Customer Reviews:

Wizards/Lord of the Rings.......2007-09-15

REALLY enjoyed the special features. Lots of stuff shared directly from Bakshi directly. You may know that the Bakshi Lord of the Rings DVD just has the movie. But because so much of Wizards was basically preperation for the making of Rings, you kind of get some of what should have been given with that DVD.

For the Love of Wizards.......2007-08-14

I remember at the age of 12 my old man taking me to the drive in to see this movie. It was the sexiest cartoon I had ever seen to that point of my young life. I especially loved the ending. I really loved sharing it with my son who is now 16. It is a fantasy classic.

SIgn of the times.......2007-07-24

Seeing this one-time favorite animated movie was good. The cutting edge animation (for the time) was still worthy of respect. As much as I've always enjoyed the combination of free drawing and other media (like many of the evil soldiers), the final battle between the brothers is what makes the movie for me, as it did many years ago.

I passed this movie on to a young law student so he could see how things used to be. I bet he'll like it.

wierd but fun.......2007-06-14

this is a strange story of 2 wizards and thier struggle for power... it was fun to watch and thats why i bought it foo....:)

Blast from the Past.......2007-06-01

I was trying to describe Wizards to my 17-year-old, then thought "I wonder if it's available for sale?" Sure enough! It was every bit as whimsical, inventive and bizarre as I remembered!

Average customer rating:

Entertaining and Imaginative
Plagiarism?
A Miserable Attempt to be like LOTR
how could you cristopher paolini?
Not nearly so bad as most of these reviews suggest

Eragon (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Edward Speleers , Jeremy Irons , Sienna Guillory , Robert Carlyle , and John Malkovich
Director: Stefen Fangmeier
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NA28HU
Release Date: 2007-03-20

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Beyond Eragon

Eragon (Inheritance Trilogy, Book 1)
The Eragon Community on Amazon
Eragon Collectibles

Stills from Eragon

Description

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining and Imaginative.......2007-09-17

Plagiarism?.......2007-09-12

A Miserable Attempt to be like LOTR.......2007-09-09

how could you cristopher paolini?.......2007-09-06

Not nearly so bad as most of these reviews suggest.......2007-09-05

Average customer rating:

This is awesome!
Good choice
Awsome, Lego's best movie yet!!!!!!!!
AWESOME!
Not what I had In Mind...........

Bionicle - Mask Of Light
Starring: Jason Michas , Andrew Francis , Scott McNeil , Lee Tockar , and Christopher Gaze
Director: David Molina , and Terry Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008WFHG
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Amazon.com

Lego's Bionicle line has sprouted this complicated but impressive family movie, Bionicle: Mask of Light, to bolster the toys' mythic appeal. The story focuses on the robotic Matoran tribe from the island of Mata Nui, which is protected by six powerful guardians known as the Toa. Two small Matorans--one a potentially heroic "herald" and the other a historian-witness called "chronicler"--find a sacred mask of light, suggesting the imminent of arrival of a seventh Toa. Identifying that mystery figure proves difficult, however, especially with the evil spirit of shadows, Makuta, attacking Matorans with mechanized-crayfish warriors in a bid to possess the precious mask. This is the kind of out-of-nowhere, dense fantasy that requires one to get up to speed quickly on a lot of exotic detail, terms, history, etc. But Mask of Light is also enjoyable as expressive, CGI animation with thoughtful art design, striking color, and excellent vocal performances. --Tom Keogh

Description

For the first time ever, the world of BIONICLE(R) comes to life in an epic motion picture event -- BIONICLE(R): MASK OF LIGHT! Experience the action-packed adventure that has enthralled millions of fans. Discover the latest chapter in this legendary story in an all-new CGI animated movie. It's nonstop action as Jaller and his best friend Takua set off on their journey to find the 7th Toa, a mysterious guardian who will help protect their island home. With the guidance of the Mask of Light and the united strengths of the other six Toa, the brave companions must overcome the powerful Makuta and his menacing Rahkshi. They must prevail or the island of Mata Nui will be doomed to an eternity of darkness!

Customer Reviews:

This is awesome!.......2007-03-18

Out of all 3 movies, I think this one is the best. It is about this Matoran named Takua who finds a mask embedded in stone and he and his friend, Jaller, have been told by the Turaga that they must find the seventh toa. When Takua realizes he is the herald, he refuses the responsibility and tells the Turaga that Jaller is the herald. When Jaller persuades Takua to join him, the Turaga assume that Jaller wants Takua to put the story on the Wall of History. They were wrong. When Makuta tells Takua that if he doesn't give the mask to him, Jaller's life would be spared. After that, Takua quit the mission altogether. When the Rahkshi cornered them, the Toa Nuva came to help. When Turahk killed Jaller, Takua put on the mask, becoming Takanuva. Then with the help of the other Toa Nuva, they built the Ussanui. Takanuva used this to break into Mangaia, Makuta's lair. This severely damaged it. Then Makuta challenged Takanuva to a game of Kolhii. When Takanuva won, Makuta was furious. Then Takanuva pulled Makuta's mask off, sending both of them into a pool of energized protodermis. This made them Takutanuva, a form of Takanuva and Makuta. Takutanuva lifted a wall, letting the Toa and Hahli out of Mangaia. He brought Jaller back to life, but this weakened him. Only Takanuva was known to survive. This movie is the best!

Good choice.......2007-01-05

My son is 8 years old and he loves this game. He is a bionicle fanatic!!

Awsome, Lego's best movie yet!!!!!!!!.......2006-11-25

1,2,3,4,5,6,7? A 7th Toa? i wonder how Makuta is doing right now?

AWESOME!.......2006-03-09

Being a die-hard bionicle fan, when I found this, I watched it several times. I thought it was excellent. Sure, a few details were off and such, but, overall, it's very good.

The beginning was very light-hearted, poking fun at Vakama, the Toa, and the dangers of kohli. As the movie went on, it became much darker.

I'm not gonna spoil it for those who haven't seen it. But, anyone can enjoy it. I know I did.

Not what I had In Mind..................2005-12-06

Let's get one thing straight. I loved bionicle legos and when i first heard of this movie, i was hyped up to buy it. but when i saw it, i was really disappointed. let's see how this movie is:

VOICES
the voices are really cheesy. They don't fit the bionicles at all. I'd rather have no voices than any!

PLOT
Okay, they totally missed out on the original bionicles. They only focussed on the second bionicle design which is Ugly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE MUSIC
I have not much to say, but this music was.....................
.......... freaky.

OVERALL
this movie would of gotten a one star if the plot was bad nothing relating to the stories in the magazines or website. However, the plot was okay following a bit at the comics and websites. so this somewhat a "ok" movie. just be warned.

Average customer rating:

not as bad as everyone wrote
Are you kidding me?
Not that bad for a Sci-Fi Channel movie
Extremely dissapointing
Abomination

Earthsea
Starring: Shawn Ashmore , Kristin Kreuk , Isabella Rossellini , Danny Glover , and Sebastian Roché
Director: Robert Lieberman
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00077BPA0
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Amazon.com

Originally broadcast as Legend of Earthsea in December 2004, the Sci-Fi Channel's four-hour miniseries of Earthsea rides the coattails of the Lord of the Rings trilogy with its quest-driven story of humble blacksmith Ged (Shawn Ashmore), a wizard-to-be who is mentored by the magical Ogion (Danny Glover) as he seeks to preserve the realm of Earthsea from the evil King Tygath (Sebastian Roché). Ged's adventures lead him to the priestess Tenar (Kristen Kreuk, from Smallville) and with secrets shared by High Priestess Thar (Isabella Rossellini), they gain the power to prevail over Tygath. As presented by Robert Halmi Sr. (producer of Merlin, Gulliver's Travels and several other fantasy miniseries), this skeletal rendering of Earthsea boasts a wealth of digital effects and semi-lavish set design, but Ashmore's lack of charisma hampers a production already fraught with problems. It provoked the wrath of fantasy fans and a firm rejection by author Ursula K. Le Guin, who had watched helplessly (she wasn't involved or consulted) as her classic novels A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan were racially "whitewashed" (in Le Guin's words) nearly beyond recognition. As TV fantasy goes, Earthsea is admirably ambitious, but best enjoyed by those with no awareness of the classic books it is very loosely based on. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Based on Ursula K. Le Guin's multiple award-winning classic tale comes this richly imagined epic mini-series. In the magical world of EarthSea, the Amulet of Peace has ensured harmony between humans and dragons for centuries. But when the Amulet is broken and a piece of it disappears, it's up to a neophyte wizard to restore balance and stop a nefarious king from conquering EarthSea's islands.

Customer Reviews:

not as bad as everyone wrote.......2007-08-14

ok its no lord of the rings... but no one expected it to be. to be honest i liked it. it has ok acting and ok special effects.. so it was ok overall.... it drifted from the book alot.. and thats where they kinda did wrong... but over all it was a decent try. lol.. i cant belive that DANNY GLOVER plays Ogion! haha ... they story is about a young weizard that releases a terrible evil... in the magical land of earthsea... but it for something to do yes... get any oscars... NO

Are you kidding me?.......2007-07-27

Did the film makers even read the Earthsea books? I really had my hopes up because of the SciFi Channel Dune movies. This movie was pure torture. Even Ursella LeGuin disowned it after she saw what her story had become.

Not that bad for a Sci-Fi Channel movie.......2007-05-30

Maybe I've just learned to keep very low expectations for anything the Sci-Fi Channel produces and I did expect to loathe this movie. Instead it had moments of charm, a few small laughs (not always intentional) and some good acting. It has been a very long time since I read the books but I did recognize that several key things were omitted, glossed over or barely touched on. But that was also true of Lord of the Rings when they omitted one of my favorite characters, Tom Bombadil.

Comparing this film to the Lord of the Rings is very unfair since almost nothing does compare to those epics. I'd rather compare it to the David Lynch version of Dune - so different as to hardly resemble the book other than place and character names and events. If you can manage to overcome those differences you can enjoy either movie, though I'd have to say Lynch's Dune is immensely better than the Earthsea movie.

If they did take liberties with the souce material, that's hardly new, no matter how regrettable it is. Every author has experienced this when their material goes to celluloid. I can't imagine how Heinlein would have reacted to the way they mangled Starship Troopers, yet that movie was entertaining enough despite that.

Overall, for a rainy day movie when there was nothing else on tv I found this to be adequate. Just don't expect anything like the books and remember, it's a Sci-Fi Channel production and they're responsible for some monumentally bad films. This isn't one of them fortunately, at least in my opinion and it has forced me to dig out my dog-eared copies of the original Earthsea books again.

Extremely dissapointing.......2007-05-08

If you are a fan of the books and expecting anything even remotely resembling the source material, step away from the keyboard now. Do not buy this DVD. It will anger you beyond words.

If you are looking for a rainy day, made for TV time killer, it's probably worth the $10...barely. In a nutshell the acting is serviceable (at least by the leads), the effects passable, the plot predictable and familiar, but the dialog is painful and the casting is absolutely horrible.

I am a huge fan of the books and bought this without reading the reviews first. Suffice to say that I wanted to throw my TV out the window within a half hour. But I was determined to watch it end to end, and once I was able to emotionally separate the original story from what I was watching, it became ... bearable.

All things considered, I can't recommend that anyone shell out their hard earned money for this product when so many vastly superior alternatives exist. If I didn't love the Earthsea books, it might have warranted two stars. As is, I can barely give it one.

Abomination.......2007-04-26

Imagine if Uwe Boll had made the Lord of the Rings trilogy instead of Peter Jackson. That's about the quality of film you get here. This pathetic effort to bring Ursula Le Guin's first two Earthsea books (A Wizard of Earthsea / The Tombs of Atuan) to the small screen is an abomination, a disgrace, and in insult to the author in every way. Any thinking person who has respect for the original works will have nothing to do with this production. Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea books rank among the greatest works of fantasy ever written. They are also among the most unique and intellectual. The Sci-Fi production turned those books into generic fantasy that any hack could have written. There may be one compelling reason to see this production: It will show you exactly how not to adapt a book to film. It also might tell you something about how dumbed down American culture has become, that the people behind this production thought an eviscerated version of Le Guin's books were all the public could handle.

Why do I react so negatively to this production? Here are the major reasons in outline form:

1. Race is a central theme of LeGuin's Earthsea books. That theme was totally removed from the movie for no apparent reason. It would be like removing languages from Tolkien's work. In the books, the only white people in Earthsea are the Kargs. Everyone else is non-white, which is how Le Guin constructed her world for very specific reasons. She has called this production a "whitewashing" of Earthsea, and I personally think it was a gutless decision on the producers' part to do so.

2. The stories have been altered arbitrarily to create a generic adventure / fantasy movie at the expense of the book's main themes. Gender is also an issue in Le Guin's writing, and it not to be found here. Ged's entire maturation experience (a huge theme of the first book) is made meaningless by the plot changes in this movie. He never has to pay the price for what he does. The lesson that there is a price or a reaction for everything you do is largely forgotten. The producers show now respect for the book by rearranging seemingly small details at will. They even get Ged's name wrong! His true name is Ged, not Sparrowhawk.

3. Even in technical terms this is a bad film. The acting, with maybe the exception of Danny Glover, is wooden. The dialog is unnatural. The settings are generic. The effects are substandard (the dragon is nearly laughable). The characters (not Le Guin's...the film's) are not believable and give the audience little reason to care about them.

I could go on, but you probably get the idea by now. Look up Ursula Le Guin's personal website, and read what she has to say on the subject. She says it far better than I can.

The Magic of Flight (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)

Average customer rating:

Awesome HD video
Great Flying Scenes
Great viewing for the whiole Family especially on a Home Theater PC
it is okay...
An awesome look into the history of flight, carrier flight and the Blue Angels!

The Magic of Flight (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)
Starring: Tom Selleck
Director: Greg MacGillivray
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00022PZ0G
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Amazon.com

Fly with the U.S. Navy's elite Blue Angels demonstration squadron in the breathtaking video The Magic of Flight, which explains the basic principles of what enables airplanes (and birds) to fly, what creates lift, how planes maneuver, how planes land again. Going back to the Wright Brothers' experiments at Kitty Hawk, the documentary explores how the intrepid bicycle makers ruminated on the elements of flight for many an hour before even attempting to assemble their first aircraft. The Blue Angels put into action the discoveries made by the Wright Brothers, as they make their selections, train, and perform.

Pilots push their high-performance fighter planes through difficult but graceful maneuvers for amazed air-show audiences, demonstrating where the state of the art really lies for 21st-century flying. For all the skills of the pilots, however, the most astonishing part of the video would have to be the camera work, with cameras mounted on the planes' bellies, noses, and cockpits to give an up-close view of what the machines are really capable of. Planes fly arm's length apart during maneuvers where the slightest misstep would mean certain catastrophe. The Magic of Flight does indeed go a long way toward capturing the wonder of flying, with spectacular camera work, editing, and production. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

The Magic of Flight (39 min.) takes you on a technological thrill ride faster, higher, and wilder than modern science or even your imagination! Relive the historical first flight of the Wright Brothers in 1903, then soar with the world-famous Blue Angels as they defy the laws of gravity with their most breathtaking maneuvers. Narrated by Tom Selleck, The Magic of Flight highlights and salutes a variety of modern aircraft, the people who fly them, and the human potential of training and performance. Ever wonder "how did they do that?" "The Making of 'The Magic of Flight'" (42 min.) puts you behind the camera and provides further insights into the world of aviation and the techniques used to get some of the most amazing airborne footage ever captured on film. Shot using high-definition cameras, "The Making of 'The Magic of Flight'" captures the enthusiasm and excitement of the crew who made this groundbreaking film. Disc 2 includes the complete feature in Microsoft Windows Media High Definition, playable on your PC.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome HD video.......2007-08-05

Im a pilot myself. This video is awesome. I loved showing it on my Aquos.

Great Flying Scenes.......2007-07-12

A bit too much sidetracking into history for a knowledgeable aviation buff, which cut up the marvelous flying scenes. The history was better for a novice - but the photography of the Blues demos were well worthwhile.

Great viewing for the whiole Family especially on a Home Theater PC.......2007-03-17

Great viewing for the whiole Family especially on a Home Theater PC and HDTV. This is HD at its best!!! educational and fun. A Classic.

it is okay..........2007-02-23

This should have been named "The Magic of Flight with the Blue Angels". Unfortuately it is mostly about the Blue Angels, and not as much about flight in general and the magic of flying. I do think the Blue Angels are fun to watch, so this movie is still pretty good, but it did not do much for my love of flying. The reason I say this is because I was hoping for something that was more in touch with my love for flying, which is smaller aircraft, not fighter jets. Another good title for this movie would be "the Blue Angels and the Air Show". Unless this is what you want to see, look for another movie.

An awesome look into the history of flight, carrier flight and the Blue Angels!.......2007-02-17

This film is both a visual and an historical masterpiece!

MoF takes you through the history of flight; from the Wright Brothers' first flight, to harrier jump jets, F-18 aircraft carrier landings/takeoffs, and the Blue Angels' rigorous training program!

Along the way, you are introduced to the basic theory of flight with impressive computer animations that illustrate how we were able to manipulate the wings of a plane in comparison to that of birds to create lift and control it.

The flight footage is absolutely stunning with no visual-effects. This film takes full advantage of IMAX, bringing you up-close and personal to the action.

I cannot find one thing negative to say about this film. It is an absolute MUST for your collection!

Average customer rating:

Entertaining and Imaginative
Plagiarism?
A Miserable Attempt to be like LOTR
how could you cristopher paolini?
Not nearly so bad as most of these reviews suggest

Eragon (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Edward Speleers , Jeremy Irons , Sienna Guillory , Robert Carlyle , and John Malkovich
Director: Stefen Fangmeier
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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