Author Topic: Tom's Random Reviews  (Read 858240 times)

Offline Tom

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #975 on: August 13, 2011, 09:29:30 PM »
     Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009/United States)
IMDb | Wikipedia

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United Kingdom)
Director:Betty Thomas
Writing:Jon Vitti (Writer), Jonathon Aibel (Writer), Glenn Berger (Writer), Ross Bagdasarian (Original Characters By), Janice Karman (Original Characters By)
Length:84 min.
Video:Widescreen 1.85
Audio:English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:English

Stars:
Zachary Levi as Toby
David Cross as Ian
Jason Lee as Dave
Justin Long as Voice of Alvin (voice)
Matthew Gray Gubler as Voice of Simon (voice)

Awards:
Won:
BMI Film & TV Music Awards (2008)  BMI Film Music Award (Christopher Lennertz)
Nominated:
Young Artist Awards (2008)  Best Family Feature Film (Fantasy or Musical)

Extras:
  • BD-Live
  • Digital Copy
  • Featurettes
  • Music Videos


My Thoughts:
I am surprised, but I enjoyed this movie more than expected. I even enjoyed it more than the first movie. I never really liked Jason Lee as David (I like him, but I think he is miscast in the role), so I had no problem with it, that he had a smaller part here. Instead we get Zachary Levi ("Chuck") opposite of the Chipmunks and I think it worked out great.

Rating:



Offline Tom

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #976 on: August 14, 2011, 09:24:45 PM »
     Superman II (1980/United States)
IMDb | Wikipedia

Warner Home Video (United Kingdom)
Director:Richard Lester
Writing:Jerry Siegel (Original Characters By), Joe Shuster (Original Characters By), Mario Puzo (Story By), Mario Puzo (Screenwriter), David Newman (Screenwriter), Leslie Newman (Screenwriter)
Length:127 min.
Video:Widescreen 2.35
Audio:English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 1, German: Dolby Digital 1, Italian: Dolby Digital 1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 1, Portuguese: Dolby Digital 1, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles:Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish

Stars:
Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor
Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent
Ned Beatty as Otis
Jackie Cooper as Perry White
Sarah Douglas as Ursa

Plot:
Unwittingly released from Phantom Zone imprisonment, three super-powered Planet Krypton criminals (Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas and Jack O'Halloran) plan to enslave Earth - just when Superman (Christopher Reeve) decides to show a more romantic side to Lois Lane (Margot Kidder). Gene Hackman (as Lex Luthor) also returns from the first film and with a top supporting cast, witty Richard Lester direction and visuals that astound and delight, Superman II saves the day any day you watch it.

Awards:
Won:
Saturn (1981)  Best Science Fiction Film
Nominated:
AFI (1980)  100 Years... 100 Passions (2002)
AFI (1980)  100 Years... 100 Thrills (2001)
Saturn (1981)  Best Actor (Christopher Reeve)
Saturn (1981)  Best Actress (Margot Kidder)
Saturn (1981)  Best Music (Ken Thorne)

Extras:
  • Commentary
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Featurettes
  • Scene Access
  • Trailers


My Thoughts:
Chances that I would revisit the theatrical cut of Superman II were slim since I saw the superior Donner Cut, but since I just double-dipped on the Blu-ray set, I planned to watch all movies therein.
The theatrical cut isn't as bad as I remembered, and I could enjoy it again as I did in the past before knowing anything about the Donner/Lester controversy. Still some stuff are obviously unfitting. Especially since they chose not to use any Marlon Brando scenes, which results Jor-El missing in the flashbacks to the first movie (launch of Superman's ship and the imprisonment of General Zod). And also the need to use Superman's mother in the Fortress of Solitude scenes.
But I have to say, that there is only one moment, which I miss from the theatrical cut in the Donner Cut. And that is Clark's resignation of keeping up the charade and admitting to Lois that he is Superman. There is something similar in the Donner cut, but because it is a scene never originally shot and taken from screen test footage, it is not as effective (Christopher Reeve not yet the perfect Superman. Acting-wise and body-wise).

Rating:



Offline Tom

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #977 on: August 14, 2011, 09:31:50 PM »
I am enjoying the vintage Superman movie making-ofs found on these discs. Fun to see the actors' and producers' point of views shortly after release.
I especially found it interesting in the making of in the first movie, that they have shown that Marlon Brando is reading his lines from cue cards, and he is even explaining his reasoning behind this practice.



Offline Achim

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #978 on: August 15, 2011, 06:49:50 AM »
I am enjoying the vintage Superman movie making-ofs found on these discs. Fun to see the actors' and producers' point of views shortly after release.
I especially found it interesting in the making of in the first movie, that they have shown that Marlon Brando is reading his lines from cue cards, and he is even explaining his reasoning behind this practice.
I recently watched a documentary about Apocalypse Now, where Brando showed similar disrespect. I guess having (once) been "the greatest actor of all time" really got to his head. In Apocalypse Now it resulted still in a great performance, probably thanks to Coppolas way of dealing with the situation, but in Superman he seems largely detached.

Interestingly, beyond his professional side, everybody in that documentary said just how much of a nice guy Brando was, especially with the kids (most actors had their families there) and with the natives during filming.

Offline Dragonfire

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #979 on: August 15, 2011, 08:49:12 AM »
I heard that with one of the last movies Brando made..I think it was The Score ..he hated the director and refused to take direction from him.  DeNiro had to step in and do it in Brando's scenes.

Offline Tom

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #980 on: August 15, 2011, 03:45:40 PM »
    Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006/United States)
IMDb | Wikipedia

Warner Home Video (United Kingdom)
Director:Richard Donner
Writing:Jerry Siegel (Original Characters By), Joe Shuster (Original Characters By), Mario Puzo (Story By), Mario Puzo (Screenwriter), David Newman (Screenwriter), Leslie Newman (Screenwriter)
Length:116 min.
Video:Widescreen 2.35
Audio:English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles:Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor
Christopher Reeve as Superman Clark Kent
Marlon Brando as Jor-El
Ned Beatty as Otis
Jackie Cooper as Perry White

Plot:
You haven't seen all the Superman films until you've seen this! Superman II starring Christopher Reeve returns with a never-before-seen beginning and resolution. Director Richard Donner began shooting his vision of Superman II while concurrently filming Superman The Movie. For the first time, his unique vision is here. Jor-El (Marlon Brando in recently found footage) appears in key new scenes that amplify Superman lore and deepen the relationship between father and son. Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) plots more schemes to unmask Clark Kent as Superman. With so many changes, large and small, this version is an eye-opening alternate experience.

Awards:
Won:
Saturn (1981)  Best Science Fiction Film
Nominated:
AFI (1980)  100 Years... 100 Passions (2002)
AFI (1980)  100 Years... 100 Thrills (2001)
Saturn (1981)  Best Actor (Christopher Reeve)
Saturn (1981)  Best Actress (Margot Kidder)
Saturn (1981)  Best Music (Ken Thorne)

Extras:
  • Commentary
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Featurettes
  • Introduction by Richard Donner
  • Scene Access
  • Superman Cartoons


My Thoughts:
This cut improves on an already great movie. Especially the scenes with Marlon Brando, which were excised from the theatrical cut, bring much more sense to the movie. They explain better why Superman had to give up his powers to be with Lois, and how he got his powers back. Also all the slapstick is gone now.
The first time I saw it, I was surprised how many scenes Marlon Brando had shot for this movie. I also am surprised how many Lex Luthor moments had been cut from the Lester version (all scenes with Gene Hackman were shot under Donner, therefore no new scenes were available for Lester).

Rating:



Offline Tom

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #981 on: August 15, 2011, 07:00:00 PM »
     Superman III (1983/United States)
IMDb | Wikipedia

Warner Home Video (United Kingdom)
Director:Richard Lester
Writing:David Newman (Screenwriter), Leslie Newman (Screenwriter), Jerry Siegel (Original Characters By), Joe Shuster (Original Characters By)
Length:125 min.
Video:Widescreen 2.35
Audio:English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Italian: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital 1, Portuguese: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Hungarian: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Polish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Thai: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles:Chinese, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent
Richard Pryor as Gus Gorman
Jackie Cooper as Perry White
Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen
Annette O'Toole as Lana Lang

Plot:
Meet Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor), a naive computer programming natural. For him a keyboard is a weapon - and Superman faces the microelectronic menace of his life. Christopher Reeve reprises his signature role, deepening his character's human side as 'Clark Kent' sees 'Lana Lang' (Annette O'Toole) at a Smallville High class reunion. And when the Man of Steel becomes his own worst enemy after Kryptonite exposure, Reeve pulls off both roles with dazzling skill. Relive Superman III in all it's heart, heroism and high-flying humor.

Awards:
Nominated:
Golden Raspberry Awards (1983)  Worst Musical Score (Giorgio Moroder)
Golden Raspberry Awards (1983)  Worst Supporting Actor (Richard Pryor)
Saturn (1983)  Best Actor (Christopher Reeve)
Saturn (1983)  Best Supporting Actress (Annette O'Toole)

Extras:
  • Commentary
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Featurettes
  • Scene Access
  • Trailers


My Thoughts:
Sadly, Richard Lester had now control over the franchise, and he put slapstick anywhere he could. Most offensive of these is the prolonged opening slapstick scene. Another point against this movie is, that it's a vehicle for the comedian Richard Pryor. Though I don't mind him very much, but the storyline with him.
This movie is a perfect example that Hollywood writers do not know computers. They think a guy is born with the gift to talk to computers and can make them do anything he wants with a few commands. Even control the weather with a simple weather satelite. Also a sentient super computer can be build by some drawings made by him, even though it is made clear, that he doesn't really know why he can control the computers like he does.
What the movie saved it for me is Christopher Reeve, the scenes in Smallville with him as Clark, his Superman gone bad and the fight between Superman and Clark.

Rating:
« Last Edit: August 15, 2011, 07:19:38 PM by Tom »



Offline Tom

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #982 on: August 17, 2011, 10:53:36 PM »
     Supergirl (1984/United Kingdom)
IMDb | Wikipedia

Anchor Bay Entertainment (United States)
Director:Jeannot Szwarc
Writing:David Odell (Screenwriter)
Length:138 min.
Video:Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio:English: Dolby Digital 1
Subtitles:

Stars:
Faye Dunaway as Selena
Helen Slater as Supergirl/Linda Lee
Peter O'Toole as Zaltar
Mia Farrow as Alura
Brenda Vaccaro as Bianca

Plot:
When the planet Krypton was destroyed in a cosmic holocaust that claimed its great civilization, Kal-El (known to Earth as Superman) was believed to be the only survivor until now...

Safely hidden in the void of inner-space is the Kryptonian city of Argo -- saved by the scientist Zaltar (Peter O'Toole) and powered by the magical Omegahedron. But now the city's vital power source has been lost, and only one courageous person can retrieve it! Her name is Kara... on Earth she is known as Supergirl (Helen Slater). Standing in her way is the evil sorceress Selena (Faye Dunaway) who has taken control of the fantastic power source. With her now super-powered black magic, the villainess is bent upon nothing less than world-domination! Can Supergirl retrieve the Omegahedron before it is too late?

Supergirl features an all-star cast: Faye Dunaway, Peter O'Toole, Hart Bochner, Peter Cook, Mia Farrow, Brenda Vaccaro, Simon Ward, and Helen Slater as Supergirl.

This Director's Cut contains 24 minutes of long lost and recently rediscovered footage presented here for the very first time! Adventure soars higher than ever before!

Awards:
Nominated:
Golden Raspberry Awards (1984)  Worst Actor (Peter O'Toole)
Golden Raspberry Awards (1984)  Worst Actress (Faye Dunaway)
Saturn (1984)  Best Actress (Helen Slater)

Extras:
  • Closed Captioned
  • Scene Access


My Thoughts:
I haven't seen this movie for almost ten years. As I am currently doing a Superman marathon, I am watching it now after Superman III, which is when it was originally released.
I like Helen Slater is Supergirl very much. She is the only good thing in this movie. Herself a newcomer, she is the only one in this mess to give a good performance.
The story is bad, the direction even worse. The only scenes which I enjoyed are some of the Linda Lee scenes and Helen Slater as Supergirl.

Rating:



Offline Tom

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #983 on: August 20, 2011, 01:39:32 PM »
    The Island (2005/United States)
IMDb | Wikipedia

Warner Home Video (Germany)
Director:Michael Bay
Writing:Caspian Tredwell-Owen (Story By), Caspian Tredwell-Owen (Screenwriter), Alex Kurtzman (Screenwriter), Roberto Orci (Screenwriter)
Length:130 min.
Video:Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40
Audio:English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:English, German

Stars:
Ewan McGregor as Lincoln Six Echo/Tom Lincoln
Scarlett Johansson as Jordan Two Delta/Sarah Jordan
Djimon Hounsou as Albert Laurent
Sean Bean as Merrick
Steve Buscemi as McCord

Plot:
Lincoln 6 Echo and Jordan 2 Delta are two of few survivors of an environmental disaster. Now they live in an isolated facility with a few thousand other survivors and their only hope is that they win in the lottery and can leave for The Island, the last place on Earth where people can live directly under the sky. But Lincoln starts to ask questions because he has weird dreams he can't explain and when he finds out the terrible truth, everything changes.

Awards:
Nominated:
Saturn (2005)  Best Science Fiction Film
Teen Choice Awards (2005)  Choice Summer Movie

Extras:
  • Bonus Trailers
  • DVD-ROM Content
  • Featurettes
  • Scene Access


My Thoughts:
I always enjoyed the movie. The beginning reminds a little of Logan's Run, but goes into a different direction. It is a good action movie with an interesting plot.

Rating:



Offline Tom

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #984 on: August 20, 2011, 01:45:58 PM »
     Toy Story 3 (2010/United States)
IMDb | Wikipedia

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (Germany)
Director:Lee Unkrich
Writing:John Lasseter (Story By), Andrew Stanton (Story By), Lee Unkrich (Story By), Michael Arndt (Screenwriter)
Length:103 min.
Video:Widescreen 1.78
Audio:English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, German: DTS-HD High Resolution 7.1, German: DTS ES 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1), Polish: Dolby Digital EX 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1), Turkish: Dolby Digital EX 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1), Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles:English, German, Polish, Turkish

Stars:
Englische Stimmen
Tom Hanks as Woody (voice)
Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear (voice)
Joan Cusack as Jessie (voice)
Ned Beatty as Lotso (voice)
Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head (voice)

Plot:
As Andy prepares to depart for college, Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of Andy's faithful toys wonder what will become of them. But, when a mix-up lands them at Sunnyside Daycare, they meet a host of new toys and soon discover a wild new adventure is just beginning!

Awards:
Won:
Academy Award (2010)  Best Animated Feature
Academy Award (2010)  Best Original Song ("We Belong Together": Randy Newman)
Golden Globe (2010)  Best Animated Feature Film
Nominated:
Academy Award (2010)  Best Picture
Academy Award (2010)  Best Sound Editing (Tom Myers, Michael Silvers)
Academy Award (2010)  Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay (Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich)
Scream Awards (2010)  3-D Top Three
Scream Awards (2010)  Best Fantasy Actor (Tom Hanks)
Scream Awards (2010)  Best Fantasy Movie
Scream Awards (2010)  Best Scream-Play (Michael Arndt)

Extras:
  • BD-Live
  • Bonus Trailers
  • Commentary
  • Featurettes
  • Interactive Game
  • Kurzfilm "Day & Night"
  • Photo Gallery
  • Picture-in-picture
  • Scene Access
  • Storyboard Comparisons
  • Trailers


My Thoughts:
Pixar did it: They managed to do yet another sequel to Toy Story which surpasses its predecessor. This is a great movie. And a very fitting conclusion as it deals with Andy having grown out of his toy playing age.

Rating:



Offline Tom

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #985 on: August 20, 2011, 03:18:07 PM »
     Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987/United States)
IMDb | Wikipedia

Warner Home Video (United Kingdom)
Director:Sidney J. Furie
Writing:Jerry Siegel (Original Characters By), Joe Shuster (Original Characters By), Christopher Reeve (Story By), Lawrence Konner (Story By), Mark Rosenthal (Story By), Lawrence Konner (Screenwriter), Mark Rosenthal (Screenwriter)
Length:90 min.
Video:Widescreen 2.35
Audio:English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo, French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Italian: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital 1, Portuguese: Dolby Digital 1, Hungarian: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Polish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Thai: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles:Chinese, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent
Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor
Jackie Cooper as Perry White
Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen
Jon Cryer as Lenny

Plot:
Christopher Reeve not only dons the title hero's cape for the fourth time but also helped develop the movie's provocative theme: nuclear disarmament. To make the world safe for nuclear arms merchants, Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) creates a new being to challenge the Man of Steel: the radiation-charged Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow). The two foes clash in an explosive extravaganza that sees Superman save the Statue of Liberty, plug a volcanic eruption of Mount Etna and rebuild the demolished Great Wall of China. Your quest for excitement is over.

Awards:
Nominated:
Golden Raspberry Awards (1987)  Worst Special Visual Effects (Harrison Ellenshaw and John Evans)
Golden Raspberry Awards (1987)  Worst Supporting Actress (Mariel Hemingway)

Extras:
  • Commentary
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Featurettes
  • Scene Access
  • Trailers


My Thoughts:
Better than I remembered, but still the worst of the original Superman movies. Suffering from bad special effects, low budget and a silly story. But it has some scenes which I enjoyed.
The movie strayed too much from being a more serious movie and gets quite comicy. Going even so far as taking a human into space without problems.

Rating:



Offline Tom

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #986 on: August 20, 2011, 07:46:48 PM »
     Superman Returns (2006/United States)
IMDb | Wikipedia

Warner Home Video (United Kingdom)
Director:Bryan Singer
Writing:Jerry Siegel (Original Characters By), Joe Shuster (Original Characters By), Bryan Singer (Original Material By), Michael Dougherty (Original Material By), Dan Harris (Original Material By), Michael Dougherty (Screenwriter), Dan Harris (Screenwriter)
Length:154 min.
Video:Widescreen 2.35
Audio:English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1, Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1, Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1, Polish: Dolby Digital 5.1, Russian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:Croatian, Czech, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
Brandon Routh as Clark Kent / Superman
Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane
Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor
James Marsden as Richard White
Parker Posey as Kitty Kowalski

Plot:
HE'S BACK. A hero for our millennium. And not a moment too soon, because during the five years (much longer in movie-fan years!) Superman sought his home planet, things changed on his adopted planet. Nations moved on without him. 'Lois Lane' now has a son, a fiancé and a Pulitzer for "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." And Lex Luthor has a plan that will destroy millions - no, billions - of lives.

Filmmaker Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2) gives the world the Superman it needs, honoring the legend everyone loves while taking it in a powerful new direction. Brandon Routh proves a perfect choice to wear the hero's cape, leading a top cast that includes Kate Bosworth as Lois and Kevin Spacey as Lex. And the thrills - from a sky-grapple with a tumbling jumbo jet to a continent-convulsing showdown - redefine 'Wow'. "I'm always around," Superman tells Lois. You'll be glad he is.

Awards:
Won:
Empire Magazine Awards (2007)  Best Male Newcomer (Brandon Routh)
Saturn (2006)  Best Actor (Brandon Routh)
Saturn (2006)  Best Director (Bryan Singer)
Saturn (2006)  Best Fantasy Film
Saturn (2006)  Best Music (John Ottman)
Saturn (2006)  Best Wrinting (Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris)
Scream Awards (2006)  Best Superhero (Brandon Routh)
Taurus Award (2007)  Best Overall Stunt by a Woman (Debbie Evans)
Young Artist Awards (2007)  Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actor (Tristan Lake Leabu)
Nominated:
Academy Award (2006)  Best Visual Effects (Mark Stetson, Neil Corbould, Richard R. Hoover, Jon Thum)
Art Directors Guild Production Design Awards (2007)  Feature Film – Fantasy Film
BAFTA (2006)  Achievement In Special Visual Effects (Mark Stetson, Neil Corbould, Richard Hoover, Jon Thum)
Casting Society of America Awards (2007)  Best Feature Action/Horror Casting (Roger Mussenden)
Golden Raspberry Awards (2006)  Worst Supporting Actress (Kate Bosworth)
Saturn (2006)  Best Actress (Kate Bosworth)
Saturn (2006)  Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Tristan Lake Leabu)
Saturn (2006)  Best Special Effects (Mark Stetson, Neil Corbould, Richard R. Hoover, Jon Thum)
Saturn (2006)  Best Supporting Actor (James Marsden)
Saturn (2006)  Best Supporting Actress (Parker Posey)
Scream Awards (2006)  Best Comic-to-Screen Adaption
Scream Awards (2006)  Best Director (Bryan Singer)
Scream Awards (2006)  Best F/X
Scream Awards (2006)  Best Fantasy Movie
Scream Awards (2006)  Best Sequel
Scream Awards (2006)  Breakout Performance (Brandon Routh)
Scream Awards (2006)  The "Holy Sh%t!" / "Jump-from-your-Seat" Award ("The Space Shuttle /777 Rescue"-Scene)
Scream Awards (2006)  The Ultimate Scream
Teen Choice Awards (2006)  Choice Summer Movie: Drama/Action-Adventure
Teen Choice Awards (2006)  Movie - Choice Rumble (Brandon Routh)
Teen Choice Awards (2006)  Movies - Choice Action Adventure
Teen Choice Awards (2006)  Movies - Choice Breakout (Male) (Brandon Routh)
Teen Choice Awards (2006)  Movies - Choice Chemistry (Kate Bosworth, Brandon Routh)
Teen Choice Awards (2006)  Movies - Choice Sleazebag (Kevin Spacey)
Visual Effects Society Awards (2007)  Outstanding Special Effects in a Motion Picture (Neil Corbould, David Brighton, David Young, Rob Heggie)

Extras:
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Featurettes
  • Scene Access
  • Trailers


My Thoughts:
This is essentially a two and a half hour love letter to Superman 1 and 2. I like it. There are only two things which could have done without: The child and Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. Nothing against her. I think she did a fine job. But she is too young to be believable in that role.
Kevin Spacey is perfect as Lex Luthor. The new Superman did a good job and managed quite well to follow Christopher Reeve's footsteps. I would have liked to see a sequel to this movie. Sadly we did not get to see one. Instead we will get a reboot (which I am excited to see nevertheless).

Rating:
« Last Edit: August 21, 2011, 09:52:00 AM by Tom »



Offline Achim

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #987 on: August 21, 2011, 03:23:00 AM »
I know Superman Returns is usually not liked much, but I am with you here (although my rating is ). I even liked the part of the kid (at least on first viewing things seemed subtle enough) and never thought about Boxworth's age :shrug: Kevin Spacey seemed to have loads of fun playing Luthor and Singer did a fine job directing.

Actually sad, the not many people agree with us, I would have liked a sequel as well.

Offline Dragonfire

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #988 on: August 21, 2011, 09:50:11 AM »
I liked Superman Returns too and I'm very disappointed that we didn't get a sequel.  All sorts of possibilities were opened up for more movies.
I did think Bosworth was too young to be Lois.  She was ok in the part, but I just didn't think she was right for the part.

I'll see the reboot I'm sure...but I really liked this one.  I thought that Routh did a really good job with the part. 

Offline Tom

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Re: Tom's Random Reviews
« Reply #989 on: August 31, 2011, 09:46:39 PM »
     Being Erica: Season One (2009/Canada)
IMDb | Wikipedia

Channel 4 DVD (United Kingdom)
Director:
Writing:
Length:551 min.
Video:Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78
Audio:English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles:English

Stars:


Plot:
Ever feel like you've made the wrong decision? Wished you could turn back time and change the past? Weel you probably know just how Erica feels.

Erica Strange (Erin Karpluk) is 32 years old, perpetually single and overqualified for a job that's going nowhere. While her friends are getting married and buying their first homes, Erica is left wondering where she went wrong.

Just as she's on the verge of despair Erica meets the mysterious therapist Dr. Tom. He offers her a solution – the opportunity of a lifetime – to go back to her past and face her greatest regrets.

Extras:
  • Erica's Weblogs
  • Scene Access


My Thoughts:
A very nice surprise. I really enjoyed this series. In my pilot review I said that the time-travel doesn't effect the present, because this is what I had read and the pilot didn't really suggest otherwise. But that is not the case. The changes that Erica does, can slightly effect the past and present, but usually lead to the same present.
Except in the season finale, where she did a change she wasn't allowed to which brought major consequences.

#EpisodeRating
01Dr. Tom
02What I Am is What I Am
03Plenty of Fish
04The Secret of Now
05Adultescence
06Til Death
07Such a Perfect Day
08This Be the Verse
09Everything She Wants
10Mi Casa, Su Casa Loma
11She's Lost Control
12Erica the Vampire Slayer
13Leo