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The Fantastic Four , a review by Tom

The Fantastic Four (2005/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Constantin Film, Highlight Communications (Germany) Director: Tim Story Writing: Mark Frost (Writer), Michael France (Writer), Stan Lee (Original Material By), Jack Kirby (Original Material By) Length: 101 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: DTS 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: German

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Stars:
Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards
Jessica Alba as Sue Storm
Chris Evans as Johnny Storm
Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm
Julian McMahon as Victor Von Doom

Plot:Extras:

• 6-seitiges Booklet
• Bonus Trailers
• Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Music Videos
• Production Notes
• Scene Access
• Trailers

When I first saw it, I didn't expect to really like it, because of what I knew about Fantastic Four I thought it was a too ridiculous premise for a live-action superhero movie. But I was pleasantly surprised. I think it's better than most reviews make it out to be. I like all the performance of the characters, except for Mr. Fantastic himself. I never really liked him. I think he is the weak link in this movie.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on August 8th, 2011)

Far from Heaven, a review by Antares

Far from Heaven (2002) 70/100 - This was a serviceable film, but after it was done, I didn't feel anything for the characters. The cinematography was very vibrant, as if the director was trying to capture the feel of one of those 50's technicolor melodramas like Peyton Place or Giant. But the screenplay kind of felt forced, especially when two hot button topics are highlighted. To me, this film kind of felt like The Donna Reed Show meets East Side, West Side. It has all the look of a squeaky clean 50's environment, but is peppered with enough angst and guilt to make it appear smarmy. And for me, it doesn't quite work. If it had chosen to go down one of the paths, instead of the two divisive elements, it probably would have rung truer for me. My wife really liked it and I trust her thoughts and opinions on films, so I'll have to revisit this one again.

What the color coding means...

Teal = Masterpiece
Dark Green = Classic or someday will be
Lime Green = A good, entertaining film
Orange = Average
Red = Cinemuck
Brown = The color of crap, which this film is

(From Antares' Short Summations on August 28th, 2013)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: A Trill host candidate comes to the station. Jadzia has to evaluate whether he is suited to be blended with a symbiont. The candidate isn't very thrilled since it is widely known that Dax has declared 57 candidates as "unsuited" over the last 200 years and the worst of them all was Curzon Dax. But Jadzia is not Curzon.

My Opinion: The candidate had no real plans for the future and I have already forgotten most things about the character. The only interesting thing were some insights into Jadzia's training who ironically also was evaluated by Curzon - and failed.

Synopsis: A cardassian professor and two of her 'students' come to the station. They are well aware that they aren't overly welcome on a bajoran space station but it gets worse when they learn that there's still a Cardassian aboard: Garak. They are fugitives, the cardassian Central Command has declared them as 'terrorists'. But the Cardassian Union hasn't anticipated the involvement of a certain bartender.

My Opinion: This episode on the other hand was very interesting. Quark has broken out of his usual deceiving scheme plotting and has shown real affection towards a person/a woman. Strangely though, Quark always seems to be most interested in non-Ferengi and clothed(!) women, most of them being stronger than him, too. I wonder what he would think about Buffy - ah, yes, I remember, he expelled her from Sunnydale High.

Synopsis: Kang, Koloth and Kor have come to the station. They are all klingon Dahar Masters and they look for Curzon Dax. Eight decades ago the four of them have sworn a Blood Oath to kill the murderer of the first borns of the Klingons. Kang wants to release Jadzia from that oath but she has no intentions of bailing out.

My Opinion: This is one episode I've been waiting for. I always thought that it was a great idea to bring the three klingon commanders Kirk faced in the original series once again on screen. While I didn't care much for the Klingons - or any other alien race except the Vulcans - in the original series, the Klingons have grown on me during TNG and especially DS9. Ironically Jadzia now had the very same problem Worf always had when he took off to do something very klingon-y and very un-Starfleet-y. But at least Kor survived and we will see him again.

Synopsis: Soon after a cardassian freighter has left DS9, it explodes. Shortly after that cardassian fighters try attack a merchant ship, but get shot down by another ship. And all that in the demilitarized zone between the Federation and the Cardassian Union. The peace treaty had moved the border an now some formerly Federation colonies are within cardassian space and vice versa. And especially the former Federation colonies feel abandoned and try to arm themselves.

My Opinion: As always when borders are moved some people are waking up on the wrong side of the fence. But to start a shooting war against a vastly superior enemy is stupid at best. And they aren't risking just their lives and those of their families. If they manage to start another full blown war, then billions of other lives get endangered, too. Do I sound like someone who hasn't much sympathy for the Maquis? Then you heard right.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on October 11th, 2008)