DVD Collectors Online

Taken, a review by Dragonfire

I went to see Taken not long after it came out in February.

Bryan had been a spy for years, putting his work ahead of his wife Lenore and daughter Kim.  The marriage ended and his relationship with Kim suffered.  Bryan finally decided to retire so he could try to rebuild his relationship with her.  He is a bit over protective, which paints him as the bad guy at times while Lenore and her wealthy new husband basically give Kim everything she wants.  Kim wants to go to Paris with her friend Amanda, but she has to have Bryan's permission before she can go.  He really doesn't think it is a good idea, but he ultimately gives in because he wants to make Kim happy.  Right after she and Amanda get to Paris, they are kidnapped while Bryan listens on the phone - he had just happened to call Kim right before the bad guys showed up.  Bryan then uses his former contacts to find Kim and rescue her himself.

Certain things about this movie were a bit convenient, like how Bryan was on the phone with Kim when everything happened and how he was a former spy who had the types of contacts that would allow him to hunting for his daughter.  The movie is rather predictable because of those things, but it is still very entertaining.  There are a few surprises here and there throughout the movie the help to keep things interesting. 

There is a decent amount of action in Taken, most of which involves Bryan beating the crap out of anyone he thinks was somehow involved in Kim being taken.  He ends up leaving a path of destruction through Paris, including many bodies.  He is willing to do anything to get Kim back, including killing people involved.  There was one or two car chases as well that were done well for the most part.  Jerky camera work does pop up in a few scenes, which is highly annoying since I hate that.  There is violence in the movie, though it wasn't as graphic since the movie was rated PG-13.

Liam Neeson did a really good job with the part.  Who knew he could believably play a character going on spree of beating people up and even killing some.  Kim isn't shown in a lot of the movie since it wasn't that far into the movie when she was taken.  She did come across as a bit of a brat before the trip with her basically having a temper tantrum until Bryan gave her what she wanted.  I do think she loved her father, but she didn't have a problem manipulating him to get what she wanted either. 

There isn't anything that complex about Taken and the movie is mostly predictable.  It still manages to be entertaining and is a decent mindless action movie.

 

I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Taken

(From Taken on April 30th, 2009)

An American Christmas Carol, a review by addicted2dvd

An American Christmas Carol (1979/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia | (United States) Director: Eric Till Writing: Jerome Coopersmith (Writer) Length: 96 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: Subtitles:

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Stars:
Henry Winkler as Benedict Slade
David Wayne
Chris Wiggins
R. H. Thomson [R.H. Thomson]
Kenneth Pogue

Plot:
This loose adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens tale moves the story to New England, where stingy elderly businessman Benedict Slade (Henry Winkler) ruthlessly collects debts and makes life miserable for everyone around him. His unscrupulous behavior warrants a Christmas Eve visit from his ghostly former partner and other spirits that show him the error of his ways. Can Slade turn his life around and become a better person before it's too late?

Extras:

• Featurettes
• New Interview With Henry Winkler

I caught this one on Amazon Prime. And I must say I really enjoyed. Actually more then I thought I would. I liked the changes they made in the story to make it somewhat more modern...and I enjoyed Henry Winkler in the role more then I thought I would. This is one I could see myself watch again so hope to get the chance to add it to my collection.



(From Christmas 2016 on December 21st, 2016)

Pete's Pilots, a review by addicted2dvd

Barney Miller
Book 'em for hilarity in the first degree, as BARNEY MILLER: THE FIRST SEASON returns to protect and serve up laughs. Digitally remastered on DVD for the first time, this collector's two-disc set compiles all thirteen hysterical episodes from the first season of the long-running hit series (1975-1982), so you can revisit those laugh-out-loud moments down at the station all over again!

Ramon
Capt. Barney Miller's wife, Elizabeth, tries to talk him into quitting his job and moving to a quieter, more rural area to start a chicken Ranch. Meanwhile, at the police station, a teenage drug addict, Ramon, get's Fish's gun and is holding the squad at bay.

My Thoughts:
This was a series I never really watched that much back in the day. Not the original airing or the reruns. But when I saw the first season on sale cheap I figured what the heck... I will give it a try. Now maybe I just appreciate it more now then when I was a kid... but I found myself enjoying it much more then when I was younger. I still wouldn't say it is a great sitcom... but definitely worth watching. This episode show's Barney's home life more then I remember most the episodes did. I also noticed this episode was only 22min long... which seems highly unlikely for the time it was made... so I am guessing these are the syndicated cuts of the episodes.

My Rating:

(From Pete's Pilots on November 2nd, 2009)