DVD Collectors Online

The Living Daylights, a review by Rich

The Living Daylights



In this installment of the James Bond series, Agent 007 (Timothy Dalton) is assigned to protect a Russian defector (Maryam d'Abo) from the KGB. When the defection proves to be an elaborate ploy, Bond woos her anyway, and together they follow a trail to a crooked American arms dealer supplying weapons to Afghanistan. Dalton finally assumes the role of Bond after refusing it 16 years earlier with DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. The film is loosely based on Ian Fleming's short story.

Dalton brought a certain charm and seriousness to Bond, but never seemed to have an edge either in action or delivering the one-liners. The opening scenes racing across Gibraltor were excellent, and the cast work well together in what must be perhaps the last 007 film shot during the cold war.
This decent spy thriller would have deserved a better mark, but was really let down by what I thought was a disappointing ending.
 


(From Riches Random Reviews on May 14th, 2009)

Star Trek: Nemesis, a review by DJ Doena

Star Trek: Nemesis



Patrick Stewart ... Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes ... Commander / Captain William T. Riker
Brent Spiner ... Lt. Commander Data / B-4
LeVar Burton ... Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn ... Lt. Commander Worf
Marina Sirtis ... Counselor Deanna Troi-Riker
Gates McFadden ... Dr. Beverly Crusher
Tom Hardy ... Praetor Shinzon
Ron Perlman ... The Reman Viceroy
Shannon Cochran ... Senator Tal'aura
Dina Meyer ... Commander Donatra

The Enterprise is on its way to Betazed, to the wedding of Commander Riker and Counselor Troi. Suddenly they receive a rare positronic signature, a signature that is only emitted by androids like Data. On a lonely planet near the Neutral Zone they find B-4 a prototype of Data's architecture. After that they get invited to Romulus by the new leader of the Romulan Empire. But this new Praetor is a surprise.

My opinion:
This entire movie is bullshit. If you count back, Picard wasn't even Captain of the Enterprise when this clone was produced. And even if, according to the movie it would have taken at least 20 years before Shinzon could have become ready for use. In this time anything could have happend to Picard. But even if: The Romulans are one of the if not even the most paranoid races in this galaxy. And they get  duped by a bunch of Remans (a race we hear of for the first time), they are able to build the greatest battle cruiser of all times and they manage to wipe out the entire romulan senate (that BTW had the size of the editorial staff of a student magazine)? And then this Shinzon accidentally finds another prototype of Dr. Soong's.
I won't even start with the ramming maneuvre or Admiral(!) Janeway.

(From Weekend Star Trek Marathon on February 10th, 2008)

Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon, a review by Tom

19. Choices (1999-05-04)
Writer: Joss Whedon (Created By), David Fury (Writer)
Director: James A. Contner
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Seth Green (Oz), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), Harry Groener (Mayor Richard Wilkins), Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce), Eliza Dushku (Faith), Armin Shimerman (Principal Snyder), Keith Brunsman (Vamp - Lackey), Jimmie F. Skaggs (Courier), Michael Schoenfeld (Security Guard #1), Seth Coltan (Security Guard #2), Jason Reed (Vamp - Guard), Bonita Friedericy (Manager/Mrs. Finkle), Brett Moses (Student)

A good episode. Willow facing of with Faith. Willow making her choice to stay in Sunnydale. I also like how Oz decides for the group to do the trade-off.

Rating:

(From Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon on March 6th, 2009)