DVD Collectors Online

Saving Mr. Banks, a review by GSyren

Title	Saving Mr. Banks (8-717418-419080)
Director	John Lee Hancock
Actors	Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson
Produced	2013 in United States
Runtime	125 minutes
Audio	English
Subtitles	Danish, English, Norwegian, Swedish
Overview	Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson bring to life the untold true story about the origins of one of the most treasured Disney classics of all time. John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) directs this acclaimed film, which reveals the surprising backstory behind the making of Mary Poppins. Determined to fulfill a promise to his daughters, Walt Disney (Hanks) tries for twenty years to obtain the rights to author P.L. Travers' (Thompson) beloved book. Armed with his iconic creative vision, Walt pulls out all the stops, but the incompromising Travers won't budge. Only when he reaches into his own complicated childhood does Walt discover the truth about the ghosts that haunt Travers, and together, they set Mary Poppins free!
My thoughts	When I first heard of Saving Mr. Banks I thought it sounded mildly interesting. And since I loved Mary Poppins (the movie, that is) I felt I should see Saving Mr. Banks. Well, I have to admit that it turned out to be a lot better than I expected. From what I have heard, it seems that the filmmakers have used artistic license quite a lot. So maybe Walt Disney wasn't  quite as lovable as this film makes him out to be. And perhaps Mrs. Travers wasn't as pleased with the finished product as is implied here. But the fact that the film is fictional to some degree doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The film is full of great performances. Emma Thompson is great in what must have been a very difficult role. Tom Hanks is good as usual. Annie Rose Buckley is wonderful as young Helen Goff (P. L. Travers' real name), nicknamed Ginty, and Colin Farrell is a truly positive surprise as her father. In order to hold my attention for over two hours, a film has to be really good. This one clocks in at 2:05, and it never felt long at all for me. Very highly recommended!
My rating

(From Reviews and ramblings by Gunnar on April 14th, 2014)

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, a review by Dragonfire

I really liked the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, though the plot did get overly complicated by the third one.  I still enjoy the movies.  I recently had myself a little Pirates marathon.  I love the character of Captain Jack.  He is just so entertaining and interesting.  I've been wanting to see the fourth movie ever since I first heard it was being made, even before I knew what it was about.  I went to see it on opening day.  I've been meaning to post about it for like a week..I kept forgetting.

I have no idea how much time is supposed to have passed since the end of the third movie.  I think Jack's hair is slightly longer and he's added a few new trinkets to his outfit.  He's still got his hat though. 

While not exactly a direct sequel, this one does pick up the thread that was left at the end of the third movie about Jack going off to look for the fountain of youth.  Several things are happening during the movie, but the plot doesn't get overly complicated and confusing.  I think it makes sense that Jack, along with a few other characters, would be trying to find the fountain of youth.  It makes for a fun, entertaining movie.  This one does stand alone fairly well, so people don't need to have seen all three of the other movies to follow this one.  I think certain things about Jack and Barbossa will make more sense if the previous movies are seen first. 

There are only a few characters back from the first movies - Jack, Barbossa, and Gibbs are the main ones back, though Jack's father is also back in a short scene.  This movie is more focused on Jack, something that I really liked since I like the character so much. Barbossa is a bit different and it is kind strange.  I did miss Pintel and Ragetti.  They always made me laugh in the first movies with the things they were doing.  I also sort of missed the two military guys who turned pirate by the end of the third movie.  With how things are explained, I think it is possible that a few of the other characters could return in another movie.  I've heard that a fifth movie will be made.

Angelica is a very interesting character given that she and Jack have a past.  Jack is a bit different where she is concerned.  Her father turns out to be Blackbeard, the most feared pirate.  Other pirates are afraid of him, and once it is shown what he and his ship can do, it is easy to see why.  There is something a bit supernatural about his ship.  I liked that element of the movie and think it was cool.  Blackbeard is a wonderful villain and a good opponent for Jack.  I liked Blackbeard better than Davy Jones.  Phillip is a religious man who is a captive on Blackbeard's ship.  Mermaids turn up, and they are not nice and friendly.  Syrena is the only mermaid that really receives any attention. 

I really enjoyed the movie.  It is fun and entertaining.  I do think it is worth watching, especially for people who liked the previous movies or who like Johnny Depp.

I did get a review posted on Epinions.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

(From Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on May 30th, 2011)

The Good Old Days TV Thread, a review by addicted2dvd

My Thoughts:
Another show I always liked. I used to watch reruns of this show through-out my teen years. This episode was particularly fun. I got a kick out of it. First Banner gets knocked out and stuffed in an oil drum. So we have the Hulk busting out of the drum in back of a truck. He tears open the top of the truck and pulls the driver out. Only to get distracted by the radio... he drops the guy and starts to mess with the radio. So the guy takes off. That just don't seem right... The Hulk getting distracted by a radio like that!   

My Rating:

(From The Good Old Days TV Thread on February 21st, 2010)