DVD Collectors Online

Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith, a review by dfmorgan

Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith

A part of

Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Year: 2005
Director: George Lucas
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen
Overview: The STAR WARS saga is now complete on DVD with Episode III REVENGE OF THE SITH. Torn between loyalty to his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the seductive powers of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker ultimately turns his back on the Jedi, thus completing his journey to the dark side and his transformation into Darth Vader. Experience the breathtaking scope of the final chapter in spectacular clarity and relive all the epic battles including the final climactic lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan.

Watched: 2nd. Oct 2011
My Thoughts: The final part of the prequel trilogy. I enjoyed this a lot more than the earlier 2. In this they really set up the original trilogy with the 4 births - The Empire, Darth Vader, Luke and Leia.

My Rating: I found this to be enjoyable and so a 4



(From Dave's DVD/Blu-ray Reviews on October 2nd, 2011)

Knives of the Avenger, a review by Jon

Knives of the Avenger (1966)
3 out of 5



Bava proves himself to be a master of all genres by taking on the Western and for the most part, does so very well. As Akira Kurosawa did with Seven Samurai, this is Western at heart even though it's about Vikings. Unfortunately, whereas Kurosawa could claim to have possibly rescued the genre, this is far less important, aping the style of Leone's Fistful of Dollars (1964) a little too close in the newly coined "Spaghetti" Western, and using Shane (1953) as a too obvious template.

It's an interesting mix and the fact it works at all should be applauded and it is very enjoyable, if sadly predictable if you know Shane. The rugged acting and straightforward bare dialogue matches the colourful cinematography, and it really is pure Leone (even the music has a Morricone edge), so if you like those films, you'll know what to expect. To be honest, I always found Shane a bit weak so I didn't mind seeing it filtered through the more passionate Spaghetti style and thank goodness we didn't have the kid whining at the end! No matter how unoriginal his sources, Bava knows how to handle a set-piece or two with good solid knockabout action and a bar brawls to rival John Wayne's. Achim picked up on the colour style as well and it's a very good point as the colours match the mood, as does the style over all. He really is very good at changing the pace and some moments are sinister while others are bright and almost comedic.

It may sound like I'm being too critical of his copycat approach to this film, but it's worth bearing in mind the way the industry worked at the time. Directors didn't always have complete freedom to forge new paths and sometimes were just for hire. Indeed, Bava was apparently drafted into this at the last moment and had to deal with what looked like a complete rip-off of The Vikings (1958), complete with a blonde haired hero (Cameron Mitchell instead of Kirk Douglas). He rewrote it in just a few days, so perhaps was rather shrewd in picking genres and stories that were financially proven. And making the leap from wishy-washy melodramatic Shane to hard-boiled death-ridden Leone was certainly unpredictable!

(From Mario Bava marathon on July 1st, 2009)

Angel Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

22. To Shanshu in L.A.
Original Air Date: 5/23/2000
Angel turns to Gunn for help when Cordelia and Wesley are attacked by a demon - although this is just the first creature Wolfram & Hart plans to send against Angel.

Guest Stars:
Elisabeth Rohm
Christian Kane
Stephanie Romanov
J. August Richards

My Thoughts:
And this brings us to the end of season one. This is a very good story... I enjoyed every minute of it. Had action and excitement from what happen to both Cordelia and Wesley... to a nice surprise ending to give us something to look forward to for season 2. A very good conclusion to the season!

My Rating:

(From Angel Marathon on February 28th, 2010)