Saving Face [HD]

Funny and poignant
I recently had the immense pleasure of seeing "Saving Face" a few days ago. I must say it is refreshing to see a Chinese film where the writing is consistent and good as is the acting. What makes "Saving Face" even more special is that two of the main characters Wil (Michelle Krusiec) and Vivian (Lynn Chen)are lovers. To see two Asian women as lovers on the big screen is quite the momentous occasion for Asian and homsexual people alike.

The film takes place in Flushings, New York. Wil is a surgical resident who is forced to take in her mother Ma (Joan Chen), a 48 year old widow, when it is revealed that she is pregnant and refuses to tell her father who the father of her unborn child is. Ma is disowned therefore ends up moving in with Wil. This happens just right around the time when Wil meets Vivian (Lynn Chen) and begins to fall for her.

I found the writing of the film very consistent and does a good job of covering all the bases from Wil's relationships with...

Ma
My 48 year old mother is pregnant, has shown up at my doorstep with a suitcase and to top it off I have just discovered the joys of love...now what am I going to do?

Ma is like an alien in NYC though she has lived in Flushing Queens for years in that she speaks no English and has lived in the insular confines of her parent's home. That is until her father throws her out for not naming the father of her unborn child.

Wilhelmina (Michelle Krusiec) is a surgeon, has a very nice apartment in the Lower East Side of NYC and likes Women. She has almost no free time to date, is always at the hospital working and to put it bluntly: Ma showing up on her doorstep asking for shelter is an imposition...to say the least.

But, in Alice Wu's "Saving Grace" this "imposition" naturally evolves into a re-connection between Wil and her mother that also blossoms into a deeply loving and respectful relationship. Wu, who also wrote as well as directs here has fashioned a...

I've looked at life from both sides now
This is a rather cute romantic comedy set in the Chinese community in one section of New York about a widowed mother who discovers that she is pregnant and who prefers not to disclose who the father of the unborn child is.

To complicate matters, her daughter is a successful doctor who has great potential in her chosen profession who does not have the time or apparent inclination to seek out a mate for herself.

The choice of New York as the backdrop for this tale is symbolic in the city's role as a gateway to the new world. The tale itself is replete with contrasts of new versus old culture, old family forms and authority structures versus the new, old versus new cultures etc. In one scene mother and daughter are having two conversations with|not with each other: the mother addresses her daughter in Chinese, the daughter addresses her mother in English.

As the movie proceeds the viewer is drawn into the tale almost imperceptibly so much so that one...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Planes (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

It's a movie for KIDS!
Maybe there should be a law that only children should review movies for
children. Asking some adult critic to get off his/her lofty perch and
roll around in the mud of childhood might be a bit of a stretch.

Is "Planes" bland, derivative pablum with a "feel-good" message? Sure,
if you are over 30. I was lucky to see it with my 8-year-old grandson
and his two similarly aged friends. They loved it and talked about the
characters all evening.

Being Disney, it had excellent graphics, funny sight gags and naughty
references that flew (literally at times) over the heads of the kiddies
(vasectomies figure big here). If you are an adult who loves airplanes,
there are cartoon versions of some real beauties especially the Gee Bee
Super Sportster, a barrel-shaped monster from the 1930's, and the
stolid F4U Corsair, modeled after WWII ace Ira Kepford's bird.

As far as the plot; that's unimportant. It is indeed...

Planes not just for Kids
I took my 2 year old to see this twice. He is a huge cars fan so I thought what the heck he will love this.....was I ever so right!! Not only did he sit still the entire movie, I too enjoyed it as well. Would definitely recommend this to any Disney/Pixar collector!!!

A MUST have for our collection
The most important part...my two sons LOVE IT!! I can't wait to give this to them for Christmas. I showed my 3 1/2 yr old and my 18month old the trailer the night before and they were glued to the TV. I took my 3 1/2 year old to see it the next day. It was only his second movie theater experience--the first was the most recent Ice Age movie and we left because he could care less about Ice Age. But he knows the Cars movies by heart, and he can relate to them. He sat through the entire movie, quietly, enthralled in it! I didn't take the little one because I was afraid he wouldn't be able to sit through it-- I wish I would have. Now they both love anything related to Planes. Lil one asks EVERY DAY to watch the trailer on my phone--over, and over, and over! I love to hear him try to say "Chupacabra"! Oldest got to actually build Chupacabra at Lowe's Build and Grow clinic. "Chupe" has flown many miles since! AWESOME kids movie! I just wish I could get it today!

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Matrix Revolutions [HD]

Creative and Engaging...More to come?
Very good movie. Very intense action, but like the first two installments the plot is paramount. You can't take this movie at face value. It requires thought and analysis - and if you are able to give it some thought, I think you will enjoy it. I would also recommend checking out Reloaded within a day or so of going to see Revolutions.

Revolutions is Neo's continuing quest to figure out his purpose. The basic plot starts out in two directions - first, the machines moving towards Zion attempting to destroy the remaining humans who are freed. In addition, Agent Smith has made his way out of the Matrix into the "real world" in the form of Bane. Neo has found that his powers exists outside of the Matrix and now Smith has done the same. I equate Smith to a computer virus that continues to adapt. Smith is Neo's dramatic foil and the Oracle tells Neo that he and Smith are "negative twins".

Break for the very long intense fight between the humans and machines...

More action than reality-bending sci-fi
Let's get one thing straight: "The Matrix Revolutions" has none of the reality-bending plot twists nor the eye-opening originality of the first. The final chapter in the trilogy is an altogether different type of movie. Although it cannot compete against the original, it competes strongly against other entries in the action/adventure genre. With the requisite battle scenes that pit the underdog against a superpower, "The Matrix Revolutions" is a fast-paced, adrenalin-packed movie that owes its entertainment to action and special effects. Despite this, the viewer must listen and watch carefully, as in the other two, to understand why events unfold as they do.

The plot is difficult to detail without spoilers since many of the most shocking revelations come at the beginning, before the high-stakes battle scenes begin. Let it suffice to say that Neo has become something more than we thought, and as a result, he is much more of a threat to the nefarious virus...

A vast number of bad calls trashes the series.
I am dumbfounded at how many people actually gave this film five stars. Imagine if Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Lea where all given bit part roles to play in the final movie of the trilogy and Jabba the Hut, a Jawa, a Storm Trooper and an Ewok where made the central focus characters? Would you like that? Well this is EXACTLY what Revolutions does!

Okay so Terminator 3 was no Terminator 1 or 2, but it was satisfactory! Return of the Jedi was the weakest of the series but that too was satisfactory. Star Wars Ep.1 was nothing like the originals but again at least it was satisfactory.

Revolutions is nothing like the above. It is more akin to the kind of sabotage that we see in movie remakes!

The filmmakers obviously have absolutely no idea what made the first film so good. Reloaded and Revolutions have gone down the road of Disney cartoons instead of staying on the patch of action comic book type appeal. It was a tremendously bad call by the filmmakers to focus...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Elysium

Damonysium Baby
Not quite 5-stars but it's ambitious, fast, thrilling and at times fantastic.

The visuals deliver the goods, just amazing, with a tip of the hat to the gritty look and feel of District 9. Also, and this is key, the fight and action scenes are intense and immersive. You feel like you are in them as you watch.

The plot is the classic Hollywood story split, and suspension of disbelief is a must to get the full ride from this movie. Part of the story takes place on Elysium , a highly secure, space habitat for the rich and wealthy. The other part of the story takes place on a wild and hairy 2154 Earth A.D. These stories evolve on their own and then merge to get the sparks flying.

The acting is solid as you would expect. Everyone gives pretty tight performances that help make the movie that much more entertaining.

In all, good sci-fi entertainment, that does what good sci-fi does: use the future to make you think about the present. It's a solid...

A Movie That Asks You To Think ... Just Not Too Hard
I don't mind brainless sci-fi. Sometimes it's nice just to have something cool to look at for awhile. Also, I have no problem with movies that moralize. It's great to question things, propose new ideas, or just point at injustices in the hopes of raising awareness. I DO, however, have a problem when a movie ends up being both, especially since a lot of the time it ends up accidentally trivializing something I usually already care about. Case in point: Elysium.

The story concerns Max, a reformed criminal who lives in a futuristic, devastated Los Angeles. The world, ravaged by pollution and overpopulation, is now filled with nothing but the poor and lower classes. If you're lucky, like Max, you have a job. In his case, he works for Armadyne, the company that produces the robots that police and monitor the world. All of the wealthiest people in the world, meanwhile, have created Elysium, a utopian space colony in orbit high above Earth, where they live in unbelievably...

Above average sci-fi movie
I have never been a hardcore sci-fi fan but this movie definitely has a nice light scifi feel to it.

This movie has a similar feel to District 9 but with a bigger budget and more star power. Money and actors are definitely not the way to an instant classic but it definitely helps in this case, especially when the star power is Matt Damon.

This is the kind if movie that gives me hope that I can enjoy the sci fi genre. It feels to me that scifi rarely gets the Hollywood treatment, and when it does it is full of cliches and melodrama. I am happy to say that this movie is an exception.

What I really appreciated with this movie was that many scenes could have easily gone a certain way but instead the movie makes a slight tweak to liven things up. Even the gun battle sequences seemed to have something fresh to them.

If I had to choose I would still watch district 9 first but this movie was still fantastic. I think that if you are looking at this...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Scrooged [HD]

Great looking blu ray !
Other reviewers have commented on their likes or dislikes for this 1988 Christmas movie starring Bill Murray. I'm a Bill Murray fan and I love this movie. What I want to comment on in this brief review is the quality of the blu ray transfer. I'm happy to report that the transfer is excellent! Finally fans of Scrooged can enjoy watching Frank Cross discover the true meaning of Christmas in beautiful hi-def. I'm so tired of buying a blu ray of a favorite movie and getting something that looks worst than standard-def. This is NOT the case with Scrooged. It looks and sounds great. Buy and enjoy.

A very Scroogey Holiday Classic
Bill Murray is the new Scrooge in the classic tale done yet again. I remember a reviewer giving it a low rating because he said it seemed as though Murray's character really didn't like people. Helllooo, isn't that what actors are supposed to do? This version of the old Chrsitmas tale is a good retelling of the story. Murray is mean to everyone including his only brother (played by his real younger brother). The 3 spirits that visit Frank Cross (Murray's role) are wacky to say the least. Carol Kane plays the ghost of Christmas present and is probably the funniest of the spirits. Murray has this act down pat. He's a big t.v. exec and fires Elliot Laudermilk (Bobcat Goldthwait) just for disagreeing with him. By the way, his fires Laudermilk on Christmas eve.

Alfre Woodard plays his longsuffering assistant and tries to be Cross' conscience since he doesn't have one of his own. In the visit to Christmas past we learn that television played the biggest role in raising...

Do you really NEED to read a review?
Since the first time I ever saw this movie, I have watched it a few times a year, never tiring of the modern take on the Dickens classic. Bill Murray is excellently cast as cold hearted TV exec Frank Cross and with each scene, the movie draws you ever-closer to the Christmas feeling.

I watch this EVERY Christmas Eve and no matter how bad a year you've had, by the time this movie finishes and it's time to go to bed before Father Christmas comes, you'll be in the true Spirit of the Season.

I've yet to meet someone who doesn't lean towards this as their movie of choice for the festive period. And now... I finally get to see it on DVD!

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Lone Ranger (2013)

From the Eyes of a part Native
I wondered why so many gave this movie a negative review when I really like this movie so I read those reviews and I'd like to address some of the more confusing aspects to the story.

First the disclaimers: 1). If one goes to the super market and shops for steak and only brings home cheese, then one is diss-appointed, but if one goes for cheese and brings home some of the best cheese out there then they should feel elated. When you see this movie expect over the top action, funny sequences and a modern retake of the original interplay between the Lone Ranger and Tonto. Don't expect this to be a somber tribute or the old TV series and you'll be able to enjoy it for what it is.

2). I'm only part native but I have been asked "What tribe are you from?" by perfect strangers before I've had the chance to speak more than three words to them.

There are plenty of reviews praising this movie and some reviews which don't understand certain things. I can't shed...

"The Lone Ranger" with a twist!
We were fortunate enough to have seen a sneak preview of "The Lone Ranger" at the theatre on the military base where we live, and my family really enjoyed it. We had a great time. In fact, judging from the reactions of the packed house, everyone there was having a great time.

Johnny Depp was, in my opinion, wonderful as a slightly edgy Tonto. His comedic and dramatic timing were right on target, and his interpretation of Tonto -- as he was written for this movie -- was well done. The same can be said for Armie Hammer in the lead role. We watched his character evolve into The Lone Ranger in a remarkably believable manner. The character was definitely different when compared at the beginning and ending of the movie. We thought that the concept of Silver, and from where he came, was creative and added well to the story. There was a LOT of laughter, cheering and even some booing (at the villains). The line between the good guys and the bad guys was boldly drawn in the...

Saw it with low expectations, but it's really good
This movie has been getting really bad reviews. My son wanted to see it so I went in with really low expectations. It should have been a complete disaster and a waste of 2 1/2 hours based on the reviews I read. It's not! I'm not even certain some of the critics had even seen the movie based on what I read. I'm not sure what the original story of the Lone Ranger was, but this movie creates a very good back story. Despite it's length, it moves a long quickly and has a lot of humor. Even though Johnny Depp gets top billing, this IS about the Lone Ranger. Yes, Tonto is more important than he was in the old TV series, but how could he not be? The story is told as Tonto tells it to a young boy. He may or may not be the most reliable story teller, but that's part of what makes it fun.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Planes

It's a movie for KIDS!
Maybe there should be a law that only children should review movies for
children. Asking some adult critic to get off his/her lofty perch and
roll around in the mud of childhood might be a bit of a stretch.

Is "Planes" bland, derivative pablum with a "feel-good" message? Sure,
if you are over 30. I was lucky to see it with my 8-year-old grandson
and his two similarly aged friends. They loved it and talked about the
characters all evening.

Being Disney, it had excellent graphics, funny sight gags and naughty
references that flew (literally at times) over the heads of the kiddies
(vasectomies figure big here). If you are an adult who loves airplanes,
there are cartoon versions of some real beauties especially the Gee Bee
Super Sportster, a barrel-shaped monster from the 1930's, and the
stolid F4U Corsair, modeled after WWII ace Ira Kepford's bird.

As far as the plot; that's unimportant. It is indeed...

Planes not just for Kids
I took my 2 year old to see this twice. He is a huge cars fan so I thought what the heck he will love this.....was I ever so right!! Not only did he sit still the entire movie, I too enjoyed it as well. Would definitely recommend this to any Disney/Pixar collector!!!

A MUST have for our collection
The most important part...my two sons LOVE IT!! I can't wait to give this to them for Christmas. I showed my 3 1/2 yr old and my 18month old the trailer the night before and they were glued to the TV. I took my 3 1/2 year old to see it the next day. It was only his second movie theater experience--the first was the most recent Ice Age movie and we left because he could care less about Ice Age. But he knows the Cars movies by heart, and he can relate to them. He sat through the entire movie, quietly, enthralled in it! I didn't take the little one because I was afraid he wouldn't be able to sit through it-- I wish I would have. Now they both love anything related to Planes. Lil one asks EVERY DAY to watch the trailer on my phone--over, and over, and over! I love to hear him try to say "Chupacabra"! Oldest got to actually build Chupacabra at Lowe's Build and Grow clinic. "Chupe" has flown many miles since! AWESOME kids movie! I just wish I could get it today!

Click to Editorial Reviews