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Megamind, a review by dfmorgan

Megamind

Year: 2010
Director: Tom McGrath
Cast: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey
Overview: Packed with high-flying action and non-stop laughs, MEGAMIND puts a hilarious new twist on the superhero movie. Super villain Megamind's (Will Ferrell) dreams have come true when he conquers the city's protector, Metro Man (Brad Pitt), gaining control of Metro City. But when a new villain (Jonah Hill) is created and chaos runs rampant, the world's biggest "mind" and his comic sidekick Minion (David Cross) might actually save the day. With an all-star cast, including Tina Fey, and amazing animation, Megamind is "brilliant... the perfect film for anyone of any age" - **** The Sun

Watched: 11th Jun 2011
My Thoughts: Fairly standard animated romp with superheroes and supervillains.

My Rating: A mildly enjoyable 3



(From Dave's DVD/Blu-ray Reviews on June 18th, 2011)

The War Game, a review by Antares

The War Game (1965) 4/5 - I can understand why the British government did not want this aired on the BBC back in 1965. The documentary style made this seem a little too real and probably would have had the same effect on the general public, that Orson Welles' broadcast of War of the Worlds, had on American audiences back in 1938. The use of hand held cameras added an authentic 'as its happening' feeling to this story, that neither Fail-Safe nor Dr. Strangelove could achieve the previous year. Seeing as this was only three removed from the Cuban Missile Crisis, I'm surprised that it didn't generate as much buzz in Britain as ABC's The Day After did 18 years later in the United States. I remember that nuclear arms talks were taken off the back burner after it aired and within a few weeks, discussions shifted into 4th gear on getting reductions in the stockpiles of thermonuclear devices of the two super powers. What impressed me most with this film was how Watkins, who was probably on a ridiculously small budget, made every aspect appear true to life. You could say that the instances of radiation sickness weren't as grotesque as it could be, but the black and white imagery made up for this shortcoming. The other thing I liked was how Watkins begins the film by showing how many places in England were being targeted by Russian ICBM's. Had there been a full strike against England, I doubt anyone would have survived after the destruction of the bombs and the subsequent radiation poisoning. One interesting aspect was when he interviewed people on the street and asked them about Strontium 90 and its effect on human beings. No one knew what it was and one woman said she thought it was some kind of gunpowder. It just goes to show how much the government, not only in Britain, but in the US, went to keep fear from spreading in their countries. I couldn't help but laugh when they showed a bobby going around to homes with pamphlets for instructing families on how be prepared for a nuclear blast. The interviewer asks him about why the pamphlets are now only being distributed and his response is that they weren't too popular when they were first put together and no one wanted to purchase them. The interviewed retorts in a shocked manner, You were charging people for these?, and the bobby responds glibly, Yes and keeps moving on, continuing his fruitless endeavor.

(From Antares' Short Summations on February 11th, 2012)

Life on Mars Marathon (US Version), a review by addicted2dvd

1. Out Here in the Fields
After an accident, NYPD detective Sam Tyler inexplicably finds himself back in 1973, where he must help solve a murder that is eerily similar to a case he was investigating in 2008.

Guest Stars:
Lisa Bonet as Maya Daniels
Clarke Peters as Captain Fletcher Bellow
Phyllis Somerville as Mrs. Raimes
Mike Starr as Nelson

My Thoughts:
I know this series is an American version of a series from the UK... but I never seen the original UK version so I can not compare this one to that. What I can do is tell you about this show as it stands on it's own. This pilot epiosde is a very good introduction to the characters. It has a very good, entertaining story that keeps your intrest throughout the entire episode. I like that his 2008 partner is played by Lisa Bonet (Denise on The Cosby Show)... and they made it clear how important she is to him. I also like how they do not make it clear if he is crazy, in the hospital in a coma dreaming it all or if he really somehow traveled through time. Even though the evidence points in a certain way you don't know for sure. This is the first time I seen this show since it originally aired in 2008... so it is fun watching this again now... as there is so much I forgotten about this show since then!

My Rating:

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2. The Real Adventures of the Unreal Sam Tyler
Sam is in 1973. 2008 only exists as flashes of Sam's memory, assisted by a mysterious robot. A suspect in a series of deadly armed robberies of check cashing stores, Trent, is picked up but let loose for lack of evidence. Trent then attempts another robbery, gets killed by Hunt, but not before Trent shoots June the precinct secretary, at the scene. When a witness states that Trent was escorted by uniformed police going into the store being robbed, it becomes a corruption issue.

Guest Stars:
Lisa Bonet as Maya Daniels
Tanya Fischer as Windy
Heather Matarazzo as June
Sylvia Miles as Mrs. Salvaggio

My Thoughts:
This is another good episode. I really enjoyed the story. Sam is no closer to figuring out how or why he is there. In this episode the actress that played June (Heather Matarazzo) looked very familiar to me but I just couldn't place where I seen her. After the episode I looked her up and it turns out that she played the best friend Lilly on the movie The Princess Diaries. Which I watched not that long ago.

My Rating:

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3. My Maharishi is Bigger Than Your Maharishi
When a decorated Vietnam War vet is beaten to death, Sam's precinct is pushed to the brink to find his killers, but not everyone may be happy with the results they find.

Guest Stars:
Tanya Fischer as Windy
Susan Misner as Carol Ann Reeves
Timothy Adams as John Philip Fisher
Brian Avers as Sticker

My Thoughts:
Another good episode! Watching this show makes me think we came a long way in the past 30 some odd years. This show makes you think the cops back then didn't think twice about roughing up a suspect with no more reason then they felt like it. And how if they thought less of some people (gays in the case of this episode) they wouldn't try as hard to solve the crimes. But this was turning around by the end of the episode. Of course Sam is still trying to figure out how to get back to his own time.

My Rating:

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4. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows?
Sam busts a guy for accosting his mother, only to find out he's a loan shark and she's into him for a thousand dollars. When his mother doesn't want to prosecute, she, unknowingly, leads Sam down a road that puts him on the outs with Annie.

Guest Stars:
Jennifer Ferrin as Rose Tyler
Tanya Fischer as Windy
Robert Klein as Elliot Casso
Lenny Venito as Nick Profaci

My Thoughts:
So far this one has to be my least favorited of the series. I just found the episode to be a little too much on the slow side for my taste. Though it did have some good scenes... and the story itself was interesting. It just didn't feel like it kept up with what it could/should have been.

My Rating:

(From Life on Mars Marathon (US Version) on December 31st, 2009)