Aeon Flux - Paramount
The sci-fi thriller is set 400 years in
the future, when disease has wiped out the majority of the
earth’s population except for one walled, protected
city-state, Bregna, ruled by a congress of scientists. The
story centers on Aeon Flux (Theron), the top operative in
the underground ‘Monican’ rebellion, led by The Handler
(Frances McDormand). When Aeon is sent on a mission to kill
a government leader, she uncovers a world of secrets...
This film was much better than I thought.
Whenever you have a sci-fi that combines a hot female lead
and lots of outrageous special effects, you tend to be
cautious. This film delivered more than what it led on in
the trailers. Charlize Theron is excellent and really played
the part of Aeon well. Based on a comic character, there
were tons of jumping, fighting and shooting scenes similar
to “Spiderman” and “Fantastic Four”. Many of the jumping
scenes reminded me of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. It
was nice to see Pete Postlethwaite as “The Keeper”. He has
come along way since “Alien 3”. The overall story was very
entertaining and stayed true to the characters. If you want
to just sit back and be entertained, this is a good film for
that. The DVD presents the movie in Widescreen format with
Dolby 5.1 Digital Sound. Extras include commentary with
Charlize Theron and Producer Gale Anne Hurd. There is also
commentary with Co-Screenwriters Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi.
Five featurettes and the Theatrical Trailer round out this
great Sci-fi Action film.
Casualties Of War - Sony
During the Vietnam War, a girl is taken
from her village by five American soldiers. Four of the
soldiers rape her, but the fifth refuses. The young girl is
killed. The fifth soldier is determined that justice will be
done. The film is more about the realities of war, rather
than this single event.
As War films go, this is among the top.
Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn are dynamic on-screen with
their performances, putting this film on a higher level than
the standard War film. This is not your usual “shoot and
kill” movie. Based on true events, this film centers on the
characters ability to deal with what is morally wrong and
making the right decisions in the worst conditions. This is
a thinker film, not a mindless action movie. I would have to
say that this movie takes you to the next step where
“Platoon” let you off. Ennio Morricone’s score for the film
is awesome and really enhances the movie’s message. Special
Effects, Sets and locations are all top-notch. “Hats-off “go
to Director Brian De Palma for another amazing film. This
extended DVD puts several deleted scenes back into the film
making for a more complete story. If you already own the
first DVD, it is not necessary to own this one too. The
extra footage is good, but not for another purchase.
Extras here include a feature “Eriksson’s
War” entailing a conversation with Michael J. Fox and a
making-of feature. The film is presented in Widescreen
Format with Dolby 5.1 Digital Surround. The print is
Remastered in High Definition.
Natural City - Tartan
Cyborgs emerge from the ashes of a
devastating war. These Cyborgs are created with superior
intelligence and strength to serve their masters for a
lifecycle. One man falls in love with one and will stop at
nothing to find a way of extending the life of the one he
loves.
I liked the ideas and story for this
film, but when watching it, tended to get bored. There is
lots of character development and plot, but it seems like
there is something missing in the overall story. The action
scenes are great and the sets and effects are top-notch.
Even the performances from the lead roles are quite good. It
just missed the mark at being a great sci-fi. The overtones
of the film were very dismal, leaving you feeling empty and
sad. If they had followed the format of “Bladerunner” and
kept the pace running faster, this might have been a great
sequel. I hope that an American version emerges from this
film. Maybe if we cut out some of the drawn out scenes and
dubbed this dialogue in English, this would increase the
popularity of the film. Again, the film wasn’t bad; it just
missed the mark in some crucial spots for me. The DVD is
presented in Widescreen Format with DTS Digital Sound.
Extras include the Story of Natural City, Deleted Scenes,
Cast Interviews and the Theatrical Trailer.
Mrs Henderson Presents - Genius
Set in London starting in 1937, Laura Henderson (Judi
Dench) becomes a widow when her prominent and wealthy
husband dies. This leaves her with lots of money and little
to do, so she decides to buy and refurbish a rundown old
theater. She hires Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins) to manage
the place and stages musical theater performances. Van
Damm’s production becomes a smash hit and inspires many
imitators – so many, in fact, that the Windmill Theater
quickly loses its audience. To stir things up, Laura
proposes that they feature nude women in their shows. The
authorities reject her idea unless she agrees to take an
unusual circumstance: the naked performers must remain
stationary. The DVD is presented in Widescreen Format with
5.1 Digital Sound. This is an extremely entertaining film
and should not be missed.
