DVD Collectors Online

King Kong (2005), a review by addicted2dvd

King Kong (2005)


My Thoughts:
Let me start out by saying this is my first taste of any King Kong movie. So I can not compare it to any of the previous movies. The first thing that popped in my mind when I pulled this from the shelf is "Damn!... this movie is Long!"... it clocks in just over 3hrs! But ok... I can accept that as long as it is an interesting movie. I was prepared for it being set back in the past... and that part of it was good... think it works better then having it placed in the present. But what I wasn't expecting was the dinosaurs that were also on the island. Not that it was a bad thing... because it wasn't... just an unexpected thing. I have to admit I did enjoy where he was fighting off the 3 Tyrannosauruses. Though I do think the giant insects were a bit much for my taste. Of course the scenes where he was brought to civilization were good. Seeing Kong let loose in New York City was definitely a lot of fun. I thought King Kong himself was well done. He looked good on the screen... though I do think I was expecting him to be a little bit bigger. But that was just going by what I heard since I never seen a King Kong movie before. Over all a movie I really enjoyed. I bought this one used... and the only downfall of it for me is no real extras and it is the Full Screen version. So it is one I will consider replacing some day.



(From Weekend Movie Marathon: Anything Goes on June 19th, 2009)

La Linea - The Line, a review by Silence_of_Lambs

Summary:
While the old boss (Andy Garcia) is terminally ill, the new kingpin (Esai Morales) of a Tijuana drug cartel is trying to open a new supply chain from the Taliban. The CIA gets to know this and sends an assassin for elimination.

My Thoughts:
The movie is as confusing as the summary promises.
For about the first half of the movie I was wondering where it wanted to take me, the other half I wasn't interested anymore.
It seems to be a crude mix-up of pseudo-intellectual post-traumatic-stress-recovery, thriller, action, whatever ...
The shoot-out sequences at least have a nice choreography but they don't fit in, the characters are thrown into the story without any background (except for the character of Ray Liotta), the script gives them implausible activities. The whole plot has holes as wide as Minnesota.

Avoid this

My Rating: (out of possible 5)

(From Michael's random reviews on November 12th, 2010)

Smallville Marathon #2, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Tyler's mother wants to die but when her son tries to grant her that wish he is caught and falls out of a window, breaking his neck. But during the autopsy he re-awakes from the death - a meteor rock around his wrist saved him. From now on he has the ability to turn people into ashes and he uses that to help people die. But then he kills someone accidentally and Clark has to stop him.

My Opinion: Euthanasia is always a complicated topic but even if one isn't opposed to the idea in general no one has the right to make that decision for another person. I liked it that Tyler saw the error in his way and ended it his way. It would become boring if Clark always had to put down the bad guy himself.

Synopsis: Pete convinces Clark to run for class presidency. But then his competitors are attacked by bees one after the other. Clark has a pretty good idea who is behind this. Additionally he has an argument with Chloe who supports another candidate.

My Opinion: There are some parts of the american culture I will probably never understand. This was just a class presidency election, yet there were banners and buttons and flags and flyers and  ... all over town. Some villages around here wouldn't put that much effort to it when it comes to the election of the next mayor. I also wonder who would fund such an election since Clark didn't seem to have asked Lex.

Synopsis: Justin has just come out of recovery. He was injured in a hit-and-run accident the previous year. He lost the ability to use his fingers properly and thus the ability to draw. But instead he can move objects with his mind. He still tries to find that driver and Chloe helps him with that. Clark - who had a major run-in with Chloe - is sceptical about Justin because freak accidents happen around him.

My Opinion: The writers managed to put Clark in a lose-lose situation. Everytime he socializes with either of the girls he has to run off to save the other. And that won't change for quite some time. On the one hand it's understandable that both are disappointed by this behaviour but on the other hand they both should have learned by now that Clark only runs off when he has a very good reason to do so. Before I started this marathon I thought about making a list of people who know about Clark's secret and have "forgotten" it again. Maybe I should make a list of how often he saves Lana's and/or Chloe's life.

Synopsis: Lana is knocked out by an explosion on a field. When she awakes she is somehow mentally connected to a kidnapper. She sees that he keeps Chloe as prisoner but nobody believes her because Chloe is supposed to be in Metropolis. Clark - who has experienced stranger things - goes onto a search for Chloe.

My Opinion: Two more notches. This time he had to save both, first Chloe and then Lana. I liked the episode because he finally asked Chloe out for the spring ball. If I were him, I would have gone for Chloe a long time ago. Yes, I admit it, I belong to the Chlark (Chloe + Clark) fraction.
It was practically just a side-remark but the discovery of the octagon disc will set many things in motion. It will become one of the most important items of the show.

(From Smallville Marathon #2 on May 23rd, 2008)