Tom's Random Reviews

[Jon]

It's a while since I saw it, but I'd watched it at the cinema then on DVD. When I watched it for the second time, I couldn't put my finger on why it was bad, it just wasn't coming together. The Host is much better!

[Tom]

It's a while since I saw it, but I'd watched it at the cinema then on DVD. When I watched it for the second time, I couldn't put my finger on why it was bad, it just wasn't coming together.

Storywise I can understand that. There wasn't much to it. But I liked the Godzilla action scenes and that is what matters in this kind of movies, I think.

[Tom]

Title: The Incredible Hulk
Year: 2008
Media Type: Blu-ray
Director: Louis Leterrier
Rating: FSK-16
Length: 112 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.35
Audio: German: DTS HD Master Audio , English: DTS HD Master Audio , Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: German

Stars:
Edward Norton
Liv Tyler
Tim Roth
William Hurt
Tim Blake Nelson

Extras:
BD-Live
Booklet
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Picture-in-Picture
Scene Access
Scene Explorer
Trailers

My Thoughts:

Now this is what the first Hulk movie should have been!
It stays more closely to the Hulk the general movie audience associate the Hulk with: The TV's Incredible Hulk with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno.
It pays a lot of homages to it. Beginning with the opening credit which serves to tell the origin story everybody is already familiar with, by using the opening of the TV show as a template. Then we have such references like the "Lone Man" music playing and the fall from a helicopter (reminicense to "The Death of the incredible Hulk").
Also this hulk has finally a more suitable size. It may be that in the comics he is much bigger, but here they go a good middle ground between a really big Hulk and the Lou Ferrigno's Hulk. Okay, this is also a Lou Ferrigno Hulk because he provides the voice for him. I think it's a nice touch.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

I so can't wait to get that movie! even more so now! I had it on one of my Christmas wishlists I handed out this year... but I already got my gift from that person and didn't get it... so looks like I will have to buy it once January gets here.

I grew up on the TV Series you mentioned... never did read any of the comics... so I am thrilled this one is more like the TV series! 

[Tom]

Title: The Mummy
Year: 1999
Media Type: DVD
Director: Stephen Sommers
Rating: 15
Length: 120 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 , German: Dolby Digital 5.1 , Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Greek, Hebrew, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish

Stars:
Brendan Fraser
Rachel Weisz
John Hannah
Arnold Vosloo
Kevin J. O'Connor

Plot:
Deep in the Egyptian desert, a handful of people searching for a long-lost treasure have just unearthed a 3,000 year old legacy of terror. Combining the thrills of a rousing adventure with the suspense of Universal's legendary 1932 horror classic, THE MUMMY, starring Brendan Fraser, is a true nonstop action epic, filled with dazzling visual effects, top-notch talent and superb storytelling.

Extras:
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
DVD-ROM Content
Egyptology 101 (Facts about Ancient Egypt)
Featurettes
Interactive Game
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

A fun adventure movie. Although 10 years old now, the special effects still hold up. This is not for granted with CGI heavy movies nowadays.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

I have been having an urge to watch the Mummy movies again... but think I will hold off till I can get the new one.

[Tom]

I have been having an urge to watch the Mummy movies again... but think I will hold off till I can get the new one.

This is the reason I am watching them now. I have the third on the way on Blu-ray

[addicted2dvd]

Lucky! I still not sure when I will be able to get the movie (hoping next month)... let alone a Blu-ray player.... I imagine that will be YEARS yet! Besides is there any reason at all to have one if you don't have a Hi-Def TV? 

[Tom]

Besides is there any reason at all to have one if you don't have a Hi-Def TV? 

No. I am only switching now to Blu-ray, because I have a new hi-def TV. Before that switching to Blu-ray was far off in my mind.

[Tom]

Title: The Mummy Returns
Year: 2001
Media Type: DVD
Director: Stephen Sommers
Rating: FSK-16
Length: 124 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1 , German: DTS 5.1 , English: Dolby Digital 5.1 , Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: Commentary, English, German, Turkish

Stars:
Brendan Fraser
Rachel Weisz
John Hannah
Arnold Vosloo
Oded Fehr

Extras:
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
DVD-ROM Content
Featurettes
Music Videos
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

A decent sequel. Almost non-stop action. Very heavy on special effects which in part feels a little outdated but watchable overall.

Rating:

[Jon]

I thought The Mummy Returns had awful effects. Perhaps the worst I can think of in a mainstream film. The Scorpion King proved that The Rock could be a charismatic villain and they replaced him with a cartoon. Plus I struggled with the plot, where the first was so much fun. The twists in Fraser's character...

[Achim]

I always really enjoyed the first one for what it was: great popcorn fun. Highly rewatchable. That's why I upgraded to Blu-ray.

I never really liked the second one though. Granted, it moves at a great pace, but that balloon thing and the part where they come to that forrest in the desert (it seems to big to merely call it oasis) really annoyed me.

I missed the third one in the cinema and shortly after a friend told me I didn't miss anything. I have no intention to get either the second not the third for my collection.

[Tom]

Title: Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Year: 2008
Director: Rob Cohen
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 111 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.40
Audio: German: DTS 5.1, English: DTS HD HR, French: DTS 5.1, Italian: DTS 5.1, Spanish: DTS 5.1, Japanese: DTS 5.1
Subtitles: Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish

Stars:
Brendan Fraser
Jet Li
Maria Bello
John Hannah
Luke Ford
Isabella Leong
Michelle Yeoh

Extras:
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

The good thing: The special effects are good, or at least decent.
But the whole movie just does not really work. Rick and Evy feel like they are just supporting joke characters this time around. And it does not help that Rachel Weisz didn't want to reprise her character. Nothing against Maria Bello (who I know as Mrs. Smith to Scott Bakula's Mr. Smith in the short-lived 90s TV series Mr. & Mrs. Smith), but she doesn't have the class that Rachel Weisz brought to the role.
This movie centers more around their son Alex and his love-interest Lin. Although she is quite a cutie, the love story itself just seems to be contrived. Especially because he seems like such an asshole. I don't see how she could have fallen for him this fast.

And how often did they have to say, that they are fighting again a mummy? Probably had to make clear, that this resurrected Chinese emperor is also a mummy (to justify the movie title) even though he is not Egyptian.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: Suzuka: The Complete Series
Year: 2005
Director:
Rating: NR
Length: 610 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo, Japanese: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English

Plot:
Love is not a spectator sport.

High school is a hectic time of change for most... But for happy-go-lucky Yamato, it's gonna be a complete revolution! He's the new kid in class, having transferred to the big city to attend Aoba High, where he finds himself smitten with the local rising star of track and field. Yet two people could not be more different! And as Suzuka remains completely uninspired by Yamato's cheerfully irresponsible nature, things progress from bad to worse with record-breaking speed! So when the young man decides to step up his efforts and join the track team, his best might not measure up...

It's mixed signals and high school hormones with everyone running in circles! Throw in the antics of a handful of high school stereotypes, and Yamato's completely out of his league! When love is not a spectator sport, the only question is who will go the distance?

Extras:
Commentary
Scene Access
Textless songs.
Trailers

My Thoughts:

An enjoyable high school romance without wacky characters for a change.
The male lead falls in love with Suzuka, a girl in his class and also his neighbour. Problem is, that she has some emotional baggage, which causes her to be rather cool towards him in the beginning, but also doesn't let her acknowledge her feelings towards him later on.
Animation is rather average, but I like the character design of the characters, especially Suzuka. The only thing I do not like about is, is the hair of the male lead.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: South Park: Season Eleven
Year: 2007
Rating: NR
Length: 311 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo

Plot:
All fourteen uncensored episodes from South Park's eleventh season are now available in this exclusive three-disc collector's set. Join the boys as they attempt to rescue Imaginationland from nuclear annihilation, discover the secret behind the Easter Bunny, and get head lice. For them, it's all part of growing up in South Park!

EPISODES:
1. With Apologies to Jesse Jackson
2. Cartman Sucks
3. Lice Capades
4. The Snuke
5. Fantastic Easter Special
6. D-Yikes
7. Night of the Living Homeless
8. Le Petit Tourette
9. More Crap
10. Imaginationland
11. Imaginationland Episode II
12. Imaginationland Episode III
13. Guitar Queer-O
14. The List

Extras:
Closed Captioned
Commentary
Trailers

My Thoughts:

Now in its eleventh season and South Park is still going strong.
The highlights for me in this season:
- Lice Capades: The story of lice Bruckheimer style when catastrophe strikes when an anti-lice shampoo is used against them
- Imaginationland: Great three-parter. A lot of fun appearances by other known cartoon characters
- Guitar Queer-O: A parody of the game Guitar Hero.
- The List: The girls made a list of what boy in their class is the cutest and who's the ugliest. The boys of course are trying to get their hand on it. How will they react, when they read it?

Rating: