DVD Collectors Online

Whale Rider, a review by Rich

dodging sheep in NZ...



A small Maori village faces a crisis when the heir to the leadership of the Ngati Konohi dies at birth and is survived only by his twin sister, Pai. Although disregarded by her grandfather and shunned by the village people, twelve-year-old Pai remains certain of her calling and trains herself in the ways and customs of her people.  With remarkable grace, Pai finds the strength to challenge her family and embraces a thousand years of traditions in order to fulfill her destiny.

Certainly a dvd that would be better understood by a woman, as the underlying theme of the film is the struggle of a girl to be accepted in a mans world. Well crafted, flowed beautifully, and wonderful acting by all involved. Great scenes with the whales, and as a viewer you develop a love/hate relationship with the tyrannical and proud grandfather. A wee bit too slushy for my taste, but I would still recommend a viewing of this with a 5/10.

(From Around the World in 80 DVD's on March 10th, 2008)

A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa, a review by Danae Cassandra

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa
Year of Release: 2009
Directed By: Kirk R. Thatcher
Starring: Kermit the Frog, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Rizzo, Pepe the King Prawn
Genre: Comedy, Television

Overview:
Celebrate the season with all your favorite Muppets in this heartwarming and hilarious holiday movie. Whoopi Goldberg, Uma Thurman, Nathan Lane and other sensational guest stars join our friends on a fun-filled Christmas adventure full of sidesplitting laughs and memorable music.

When Gonzo forgets to mail three letters to Santa, he convinces Kermit and the gang to help him deliver the notes to the North Pole. Along the way, they discover that Christmas is the time to be with those you care about most, as they dash home to make a friend's Christmas wish come true. Bursting with bonus material and never-before-seen footage, A Muppets Christmas: Letters To Santa is hours of holiday fun for the entire family!

My Thoughts:
This is a pretty average Muppets special. It's cute, Paul Williams puts together a couple of good songs, and the Muppet performers give it their all ... but the main story is fairly dull, and the human performers aren't anywhere near the Muppets in their performances. Yes, you watch a Muppet movie for the Muppets, but the humans could have been a lot better.

Not bad for Muppet fans, but not in the same league as The Muppet Christmas Carol. Not sorry I watched it, but it won't make the yearly rotation.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 2.5/5

(From Christmas 2016 on December 21st, 2016)

Tom's TV Finales marathon, a review by Tom

[tom]097360270945f.jpg[/tom]

Taxi: Season Five (1982/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia CBS DVD, Paramount Home Entertainment (United States) Length: 571 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 1 Subtitles:

---

Plot:Taxi completes its marvelous run with this sparkling 3-disc must-have collection: Taxi: The Final Season. Called one of the 50 greatest shows of all time by TV GuideTaxi
Season 5.24 Simka's Monthlies
Writer: James L. Brooks (Created By), Stan Daniels (Created By), David Davis (Created By), Ed. Weinberger (Created By), Holly Holmberg Brooks (Writer)
Director: Harvey Miller
Cast: Judd Hirsch (Alex Reiger), Danny DeVito (Louie De Palma), Marilu Henner (Elaine O'Connor-Nardo), Tony Danza (Tony Banta), Christopher Lloyd (Jim Ignatowski), Carol Kane (Simka Dahblitz-Gravas), Andy Kaufman (Latka Gravas), Howard Witt (The Immigration Officer)

I have finished now watching the last season of Taxi. There were some fun episodes. The last episode is rather average. And it is not any conclusion for the series. But at least there was some nice character centered episodes before it.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Finales marathon on April 27th, 2013)