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Starring:War Action
Studio: Platinum Disc
Product Type: DVD

Letters from Iwo Jima (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Good movie, not historicly correct
Worst I've seen by Clint Eastwood
generational
boring unwatchable nonsense
It was okay but not as good as I thought it would be

Letters from Iwo Jima (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Ken Watanabe , Kazunari Ninomiya , Tsuyoshi Ihara , Ryo Kase , and Shido Nakamura
Director: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JPKE
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Critically hailed as an instant classic, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima is a masterwork of uncommon humanity and a harrowing, unforgettable indictment of the horrors of war. In an unprecedented demonstration of worldly citizenship, Eastwood (from a spare, tightly focused screenplay by first-time screenwriter Iris Yamashita) has crafted a truly Japanese film, with Japanese dialogue (with subtitles) and filmed in a contemplative Japanese style, serving as both complement and counterpoint to Eastwood's previously released companion film Flags of Our Fathers. Where the earlier film employed a complex non-linear structure and epic-scale production values to dramatize one of the bloodiest battles of World War II and its traumatic impact on American soldiers, Letters reveals the battle of Iwo Jima from the tunnel- and cave-dwelling perspective of the Japanese, hopelessly outnumbered, deprived of reinforcements, and doomed to die in inevitable defeat. While maintaining many of the traditions of the conventional war drama, Eastwood extends his sympathetic touch to humanize "the enemy," revealing the internal and external conflicts of soldiers and officers alike, forced by circumstance to sacrifice themselves or defend their honor against insurmountable odds. From the weary reluctance of a young recruit named Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) to the dignified yet desperately anguished strategy of Japanese commander Tadamichi Kuribayashi (played by Oscar-nominated The Last Samurai costar Ken Watanabe), whose letters home inspired the film's title and present-day framing device, Letters from Iwo Jima (which conveys the bleakness of battle through a near-total absence of color) steadfastly avoids the glorification of war while paying honorable tribute to ill-fated men who can only dream of the comforts of home. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
Like the film itself, the two-disc special edition of Letters from Iwo Jima is predominantly Japanese in content, and that's as it should be. Disc 1 presents the film in a flawless widescreen transfer, with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundtrack that perfectly captures the film's wide dynamic range. The optional subtitles can be turned off for those wishing to immerse themselves in a completely Japanese viewing experience. Disc 2 opens with "Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of Letters from Iwo Jima," a 20-minute behind-the-scenes documentary that concisely covers all aspects of production, from director Clint Eastwood's initial decision to create a companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers, to interview comments from principal cast and crew, the latter including Flags screenwriters Paul Haggis and Letters screenwriter Iris Yamashita, costume designer Deborah Hopper, editor Joel Cox, cinematographer Tom Stern, production designer James Murakami (taking over for the ailing Henry Bumstead), and coproducer Rob Lorenz. "The Faces of Combat" is an 18-minute featurette about selecting the Japanese (and Japanese-American) cast of Letters, and how they were chosen through the international collaboration of Eastwood's long-time casting director Phyllis Huffman (who turned over some of her duties to her son while struggling with terminal illness) and Japanese casting associate Yumi Takada, who filled important roles with Japanese celebrities (like pop star Kazunari Ninomiya, who plays "Saigo") and unknown actors alike.

"Images from the Frontlines" is a 3.5-minute montage of images from the film and behind-the-scenes, set to the sparse piano theme of Eastwood's original score. The remaining bonus features chronicle the world premiere of Letters in Tokyo on November 15, 2006. The premiere itself is covered in a 16-minute featurette taped at the famous Budokan arena, where we see the red-carpet procession, a full-capacity audience despite cold November weather, and introductory comments from the film's primary cast and crew, many of them quite moving with regard to the satisfaction of working on a film that helps Japanese viewers come to terms with a painful chapter of their history. The following day's press conference (at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo hotel) is a 24-minute Q&A session covering much of the same territory, with additional testimony from principal cast & crew. Throughout this two-day event, it's clear that Eastwood (referring to himself as "a Japanese director who doesn't speak the Japanese language") was warmly embraced by the Japanese, and that Letters from Iwo Jima had served its intended purpose, reminding us of the horrors of war while uniting both Japanese and Americans in somber reflection, 61 years after the battle of Iwo Jima. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima tells the untold story of the Japanese soldiers who defended their homeland against invading American forces during World War II. With little defense other than sheer will and the volcanic rock of Iwo Jima itself, the unprecedented tactics of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai) and his men transform what was predicted to be a swift defeat into nearly 40 days of heroic and resourceful combat. Their sacrifices, struggles, courage and compassion live on in the taut, gripping film Rolling Stone calls "unique and unforgettable." It is the powerful companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers.

Customer Reviews:

Good movie, not historicly correct.......2007-07-04

Not as good as Flags of Our Fathers, it doesn't show the true brutality of the Japanese. Its view is very sympithetic to the Japanese, but still a good movie.

Worst I've seen by Clint Eastwood.......2007-07-04

Watched for 1hour 14 minutes in disappointment. The script is terrible. Don't make the mistake of watching this movie. Why all the hype? How can this be a Clint Eastwood directed movie? Firstly, this movie makes fun of sacrifice. It makes fun of the Japanese commitment to Japan. For sure I do not know precisely what happened at Iwo Jima, all I know is that 22000 fought till only 216 remained. That is a victory. As big as the firefighters of 9/11. It is something, it seems that Clint Eastwood, that willingly directed this movie, will never understand. Having no choice in life but to die honorably.

Iwo Jima was a last-stand before the enemy reached Japan, much like the Alamo. Soldiers don't harbor anti-war sentiment when your home and family is threatened - you pull together. Fight and die together. I didn't get the idea that there were 22000 soldiers on the island. The enemy forces were realistically depicted. This is a clear anti-war movie - only problem is that it makes fun of the commitment of a die-hard enemy facing destruction.

generational.......2007-07-03

I watched this beautiful movie with my 86 year old Father who had served in WW11. We both felt it was a beautiful movie and were not aware of the subtitles.Ken Watanbe is an exceptional actor!!! mpn

boring unwatchable nonsense.......2007-07-01

, June 29, 2007
By Robert I. Bloom (brooklyn, ny USA) - See all my reviews

more boring bad filmmaking from this over rated stoic and sadly incompetent director-- i grant you- million dollar baby was great-- i guess because hillary swank was in it and even clint eastwood couldnt ruin her incredible devotion to perfection---but yet another movie by this untalented excuse of a director dispLays eastwoOds usuaL MISSTEPS -CAMERA ALWAYS IN THE WRONG PLACE-- NO BUILDING OF TENSION--hence NO RELEASE OF TENSION-- WHICH I THInK HE STRIVES FOR BUT ALWAYS MISSES --- HE CANT TELL A STORY AND APPARENTLY HAS NO CLUE HOW TO DIRECT ACTORS ---IF HE CASTS A GENIUS LIKE SWANK HE MIGHT GET LUCKY W THEM AND NOT RUIN THEIR WORK--OTHERWISE HIS INCOMPETENCE IS OVERWHELMING--NO PACE NOT A CHARACTER THAT ISNT WOODEN--LIKE HIMSELF--the whole movie every pathetic scene is claustrophobic feeling-- I FOUND this movie and its partner movie flags --LITERALLY UNWATCHABLY BORING AND ILL CONCEIVED----so many american movies are so bad its doubly pATHETIC that this untalented guy is raised to such a high level by so many but understandable i guess when u consider the competition---are there any consistently great american directors anymore----w clint eastwoods paultry talents on top its a sad commentary indeed ---I LOVE WAR FILMS--- ARMY MOVIES I USED TO CALL THEM-- GUNS OF NAVARRONE-- DIRTY DOZEN-- BACK TO BATAAN---PEARL HARBOR !!!!LAWRENCE OF ARABIA ! BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI--- THE STORY OF GI JOE COMING HOME APOCOLYPSE NOW BORN ON THE 4TH OF JULY IN COUNTRY JACKKNIFE--- BLACK HAWK DOWN AND THE MASTERPIECE OF THEM ALL-- THREE KINGS !!!! AMONG MANY MANY OTHERS-- MADE BY TALENTED FILMmAKERS WHO KNeW WHAT THEY were DOING-- I HAD GREAT EXPECTATIONS W THESE TWO MOVIES--- BUT THE LACK OF PACE, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT STORY LINE art direction editing !!--ALL THE THINGS THAT MAKE MOVIE MAKING COMPELLING-- ALL ABSENT HERE---- MORE DRIVEL FROM THIS PATHETIC DIRECTOR !!!! I SAY TAKE HIS LICENSE AWAY !!!!!! who can sit thru such interminably dull efforts from this guy !!!??? dont believe the hype-- monkeys could direct his movies better-- in fact he once hired a monkey to do just that-- and the monkey was in the movie too--- and he wasnt bad--- but clint?? retire dude !! please !!

It was okay but not as good as I thought it would be.......2007-07-01

No one can deny that Clint Eastwood is a good filmaker. But all of his films are so dark (literally and figuratevly) that it kind of bores me. LfIG was no different. It was an "inspirational" film that did make you think and makes a good discussion to have with your father, but I found it way too slow. It was relatively long and they were in a cave most of the time. It was okay but in the end, I say it was too long and boring. But good acting and writing and directing

Average customer rating:

The Eagles Nest people, the Eagles Nest...
Band o' Blood.
BoB is true greatness
The Best Docu-drama
This unbelieable viewing.

Band of Brothers
Starring: David Frankel , Tom Hanks , Damien Lewis , and Ron Livingstone
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006CXSS
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Amazon.com

An impressively rigorous, unsentimental, and harrowing look at combat during World War II, Band of Brothers follows a company of airborne infantry--Easy Company--from boot camp through the end of the war. The brutality of training takes the audience by increments to the even greater brutality of the war; Easy Company took part in some of the most difficult battles, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the failed invasion of Holland, and the Battle of the Bulge, as well as the liberation of a concentration camp and the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest. But what makes these episodes work is not their historical sweep but their emphasis on riveting details (such as the rattle of a plane as the paratroopers wait to leap, or a flower in the buttonhole of a German soldier) and procedures (from military tactics to the workings of bureaucratic hierarchies). The scope of this miniseries (10 episodes, plus an actual documentary filled with interviews with surviving veterans) allows not only a thoroughness impossible in a two-hour movie, but also captures the wide range of responses to the stress and trauma of war--fear, cynicism, cruelty, compassion, and all-encompassing confusion. The result is a realism that makes both simplistic judgments and jingoistic enthusiasm impossible; the things these soldiers had to do are both terrible and understandable, and the psychological price they paid is made clear. The writing, directing, and acting are superb throughout. The cast is largely unknown, emphasizing the team of actors as a whole unit, much like the regiment; Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston play the central roles of two officers with grit and intelligence. Band of Brothers turns a vast historical event into a series of potent personal experiences; it's a deeply engrossing and affecting accomplishment. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Based on the bestseller by Stephen E. Ambrose, the epic 10-part miniseries Band of Brothers tells the story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as soldiers' journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men who knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear. They were an elete rifle company parachuting into France early on D-Day morning, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and capturing Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. They were also a unit that suffered 150 percent casualties, and whose lives became legend.

DVD Features:
DVD ROM Features:Weblinks to the orignal Band of Brothers website and more!
Documentary:"We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company" - 80 minute documentary featuring interviews with the real men of Easy Company
Featurette:30-minute "The Making of Band of Brothers" The Premiere On The Beaches of Normandy - includes interviews with Easy Company vetrans and heads of state for the United States, Great Britian, France and Canada.
Interviews:Ron Livingston's Video Diaries - The experience of making "Band of Brothers" through the eyes of one actor.
Other:Interactive "Field Guide": An extensive reference feature that details the people, places and events associated with Easy Company's campaigns through Europe, and World War II as a whole, including sections such as: soldiers, timelines, maps, chain-of-command and glossary of terms.
Scene Access

Customer Reviews:

The Eagles Nest people, the Eagles Nest... .......2007-07-03

This is the Holy Grail of WWII movies. If you are a fan of Saving Private Ryan, Letters to Iwo Jima, Flags of our Fathers, Schindler's List, Tora Tora Tora, Enemy at the gates, or any other classic WWII movie (Kelly's Heroes, ahem!), and have not seen Band Of Brothers...than you need to stop what you are doing and order it right now and watch it...If you can't get it fast enough, still order it and rent it while you wait for your very own copy to come in the mail. I like Saving Private Ryan, but this smokes it out of the water. Smokes it people, smokes it....puff puff glub glub...

Band o' Blood........2007-07-03

I bought this for my boyfriend for Christmas and he was so thrilled to get it . Him, being in the military, loves it for being realistic, and also being a true story that's well played out.

I watched the first disk and was impressed by it, but having a weak stomach, I was squirming every so often, trying to avoid someone get blown up.
Four stars for the gore.

But this collection is a must own for every guy in the military, military buff, or just a guy who loves war stuff.

BoB is true greatness.......2007-07-03

This is one of the best WWII depictions I have ever seen. So many stars in many great roles.

The Best Docu-drama.......2007-07-03

With Shogun a distant 2nd (and that was phenomenal), this is by far the best docu-drama/miniseries filmed to date! In context alone, watching this not only informs the viewer of the hardships of WWII, but of the sacrifice of Easy Company and the soldiers just like them! Thanks for your service gentlemen!!

This unbelieable viewing........2007-06-27

The Greatest Generation, I now know just why they are called that. I could only hope I would have the kind of courage these boys had back in 45. I would just like to say a sincere THANK YOU to all who have served our country so bravely. This is great TV!

Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

"My soul is in torment."
I've seen a LOT worse
Another piece of the puzzle...
Star Wars II
me and my stepdad hated this too!

Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Hayden Christensen , Christopher Lee , and Samuel L. Jackson
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006HBUJ
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Amazon.com

If The Phantom Menace was the setup, then Attack of the Clones is the plot-progressing payoff, and devoted Star Wars fans are sure to be enthralled. Ten years after Episode I, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), now a senator, resists the creation of a Republic Army to combat an evil separatist movement. The brooding Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is resentful of his stern Jedi mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), tormented by personal loss, and showing his emerging "dark side" while protecting his new love, Amidala, from would-be assassins. Youthful romance and solemn portent foreshadow the events of the original Star Wars as Count Dooku (a.k.a. Darth Tyranus, played by Christopher Lee) forges an alliance with the Dark Lord of the Sith, while lavish set pieces showcase George Lucas's supreme command of all-digital filmmaking. All of this makes Episode II a technological milestone, savaged by some critics as a bloated, storyless spectacle, but still qualifying as a fan-approved precursor to the pivotal events of Episode III. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The STAR WARS saga continues on DVD with Episode II Attack of the Clones. Anakin Skywalker has grown into an accomplished Jedi apprentice, and he faces his most difficult challenge yet as he must choose between his Jedi duty and forbidden love. Relive the adventure the way it was meant to be seen in spectacular digital clarity, including the climactic Clone War battle and Jedi Master Yoda in the ultimate lightsaber duel. Experience this 2-disc set that features over six hours of bonus materials, and see how Episode II unlocks the secrets of the entire STAR WARS saga.

Customer Reviews:

"My soul is in torment.".......2007-07-02

It is rarely remembered that the original title to the original STAR WARS novel was STAR WARS: BEING THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF LUKE SKYWALKER. Why George Lucas failed to subtitle his prequel trilogy STAR WARS: THE ADVENTURES OF ANAKIN SKYWALKER is a mystery, since that is exactly what he's given us. In point of fact, the six films together are the biography of the rise and fall and rise of Anakin Skywalker. After stretching twenty five minutes of storyline over 125 minutes of celluloid in STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, in STAR WARS EPISODE II: THE ATTACK OF THE CLONES Lucas has successfully returned to his original source material, Joseph Campbell's work on myths and archetypes.

Taking place ten Earth years after THE PHANTOM MENACE, CLONES gives us the late adolescent Anakin Skywalker, now a Padawan Apprentice Jedi, and his older (but still young) mentor and teacher Obi-Wan Kenobi. Mythologically, the two are not only The Mentor and Student (Merlin and Arthur), they are also The Twin Companions (Castor and Pollux, Romulus and Remus, Damon and Pythias), as well as being The Rival Brothers (Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Esau and Jacob). Lucas's decision to present these multiply-layered characterizations reflects the complexity of the plot in CLONES, by far the most ambitious of any STAR WARS film.

Anakin (Hayden Christiansen) is the most brilliant and talented Jedi ever, but he is immature, impatient, mercurial, and given to very typical adolescent bouts of angst and anger, all of which foreshadow his looming fate. Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) is fast becoming one of the most accomplished Jedi masters. He is stolid, foursquare, reasoned and ultimately unimaginative, being, in the last analysis, unable to restrain his young apprentice.

The conflict between them is reflected on a galactic level. Separatists, led by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) are taking star systems out of the Republic by the thousand, and the Jedi are at the forefront of trying to reunite the Republic. An increasingly marginalized Senate has voted Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) vast emergency powers for the duration of the crisis. More Hitler-like than Lincoln-like, the ambitious Palpatine has no intention of relinquishing those powers.

The Separatists have massed a huge army of (less than impressive, silly-looking, easily-destroyed, duck-faced) battle-droids (where are the Stormtroopers in white?) and an even more tremendous army of clones. The outnumbered Republic forces are forced to adopt the Separatist strategy of using droids and clones as well, until the two sides are virtually indistinguishable. What no one but the leadership realizes is that the two sides ARE indistinguishable; in fact, there are no sides. Palpatine is secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, and Count Dooku is his apprentice Sith Lord, Darth Tyranus. Together, they have machinated the entire war to overthrow the Republic and establish Sith control of the galaxy.

At the center of this maelstrom (both personal and galactic) is Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). Her crucial Senatorial vote is courted by the power-hungry Palpatine. Her life is threatened by Count Dooku. Her heart is in the keeping of Anakin, now assigned to protect her. At first resistant to his romantic attentions, the older Padme soon succumbs to the younger Anakin's overwhelming love for her. It is a tragic, jealous love which leaves Anakin's soul in torment and his thoughts consumed with the fear of losing her.

Despite his rigorous Jedi training, Anakin continues to be emotional and impulsive. Seeing his mother, Shmi, tortured in a vision, he returns to Tatooine to rescue her. When she dies in his arms, his rage explodes, and he kills the responsible community of Tusken Raiders down to the babies, his first true step toward the Dark Side of The Force.

Portman is the jewel of the piece as she was in THE PHANTOM MENACE, but Christiansen gives us a surprisingly powerful performance as the profoundly conflicted Anakin. Even his occasional stiffness fits the late-teenage character of Anakin, who like most adolescents does not know who he is or where he is going. Overly pressured by Jedi expectations to be "the Chosen One who will restore balance to The Force," Anakin lacks the maturity and insight to cope with this role thrust upon him too soon, and uses his powers too casually, too carelessly, and even destructively. He clings to the maternal Padme obsessively, and rages that "Obi-Wan is holding me back!" out of jealousy, but left to his own devices, accomplishes little but to confuse himself more. "Young Skywalker is in terrible pain," Yoda tells Master Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) but none of these wise and reverend Jedi seem to have the skill to help him. They can barely help themselves, needing to be rescued from Count Dooku in the end by the clones. Truly, their "ability to use The Force is diminished."

This, the middle, is the best installment of the second trilogy. In terms of story and action, it is on a par with THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, also the middle film of the first trilogy. ATTACK OF THE CLONES is also a crucial incremental step in the PARADISE LOST-like story of Anakin, who, like Lucifer, was the brightest of the angels but doomed to fall from heaven and become Satan.

Despite the fineness of this film it was not the critical success it should have been. This reviewer felt an inexplicable, vague sense of unease while watching it. Many others have said the same thing. It was not until a fourth or fifth viewing that the reason for this uneasiness struck home. ATTACK OF THE CLONES was created almost totally with digital filmmaking techniques. Although Digital and CGI have advanced technologically far enough along to give us an appearance of reality, they cannot substitute for reality. Thus, while most of the "inorganic" items in the film have a very real look, and the planetary city of Coruscant is absolutely intriguing to view, many of the "organic" backgrounds, the alien creatures, and sometimes even the droids and the sets, have an artificial feel to them, less seen than sensed, which disturbs we human beings on some visceral level. No matter how "natural" a computer can make a desert rock formation look, a computer is still a binary code machine, and it can only provide a "non-random randomness" to the scene. The stones are just an erg-fraction too sharp-edged, the mist is just a molecule too misty, the fall of the shadows is just a bit too angular, and it all lacks the subtle aliveness of an actual location.

At the end of THE RETURN OF THE JEDI, Lucas celebrated the victory of life over technology; by relying so heavily on special effects in ATTACK OF THE CLONES he undoes that victory.

I've seen a LOT worse.......2007-05-31

Between some of Lucas's questionable dialogue, not to mention the Geonosis C-3PO parts, and Portman's wooden performance, AOTC came way too close to being a disaster. I'm not sure what possessed George to hold back on showing Anakin as the powerful Jedi he was supposed to be but it was a bad decision. Anakin's duel with Dooku should've been better in content & directing. But again, there's few movies I'd rather watch than SW because of the good stuff.

Even though I still question the wisdom of killing off Maul in TPM, I love Dooku. He's the ultimate precise, smug second fiddle. And can you get a better henchman than Jango Fett? I loved the mystery surrounding him & Kamino as well as Geonosis. I get chills everytime I watch the first appearance of the future Stormtroopers. Anakin's first encounter with the Dark Side seemed very natural. It was nice to hear the `Imperial March' theme twice too. It was also a welcome scene to see Yoda go Jedi Master on somebody.

Another piece of the puzzle..........2007-05-25

Okay, I'm tired of all these people coming on here and complaining about how they hated this movie. The people who don't like the Prequel Trilogy are really missing out on the deeper and complete meaning of the Star Wars saga. They have to remember that this trilogy is set in a different era than Episodes 4, 5, and 6. This is the era of the Republic and the Jedi Order, which aren't present in 4, 5, and 6 because they were destroyed by the rise of Palpatine's Empire at the end of Episode 3. Episode 2 is very important because here we see Anakin's character development. Crucial events occur that will lead up to him turning to the dark side. The death of Anakin's mother, his marriage to Padme, and his friendship with Obi-Wan, as well as Anakin's strained relationship with the Jedi Council are all extremely important elements in the saga. Also present is Palpatine's manipulation and deception of politics in the galaxy and the guise of his grandfatherly-like relationship with Anakin. We need to see all these things in order to understand the story better. Star Wars is the story of Anakin Skywalker told in six episodes, and each one is important, because the story would be incomplete and not make sense if one episode was missing. This is a great movie, just like the other five. Any true fan of Star Wars would know that.

Star Wars II.......2007-05-17

This film fits in beautifully to the entire Star Wars saga. The acting is excellent -- the characters feel real as well as larger than life. As in all of the Star Wars movies, the special effects are breathtaking and fit seamlessly into the action.

me and my stepdad hated this too!.......2007-05-16

it was boring. I don't like anakin because he was mean and was stupid all the time. My stepdad and me saw part 1 and hated it, but my stepdad said we should see part 2 just in case it was better, and it wasn't! It was even worst than part 1! My stepdad swore at the movie because it was so bad! The story was this: anakin and his girlfriend get involved in bad people then there is a war and some people get hurt. ObiWan does stuff and it reveals things about robots. I wasn't really paying attention cuz it was so boring. There is JarJar too and he was funny. There was also Yoda and an old man who fought and that was funny because the old man was old and could barely keep up with Yoda! I think Yoda beat him up. I wouldn't recommend this movie though because it was lame and didn't have enough cool stuff to make my stepdad and me interested. The whole movie was very stupid and confusing and you should see SpiderMan 3 instead!

Flags of Our Fathers (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

2nd Film is better but this has its merits
BORING AND DEPRESSING
Too much bouncing around
Flags of Our Fathers (HD DVD) Review by Justin Sluss
Simle Review

Flags of Our Fathers (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Ryan Phillippe , Jesse Bradford , Adam Beach , John Benjamin Hickey , and John Slattery
Director: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000M4RG42
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Amazon.com

Thematically ambitious and emotionally complex, Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers is an intimate epic with much to say about war and the nature of heroism in America. Based on the non-fiction bestseller by James Bradley (with Ron Powers), and adapted by Million Dollar Baby screenwriter Paul Haggis (Jarhead screenwriter William Broyles Jr. wrote an earlier draft that was abandoned when Eastwood signed on to direct), this isn't so much a conventional war movie as it is a thought-provoking meditation on our collective need for heroes, even at the expense of those we deem heroic. In telling the story of the six men (five Marines, one Navy medic) who raised the American flag of victory on the battle-ravaged Japanese island of Iwo Jima on February 23rd, 1945, Eastwood takes us deep into the horror of war (in painstakingly authentic Iwo Jima battle scenes) while emphasizing how three of the surviving flag-raisers (played by Adam Beach, Ryan Phillippe, and Jesse Bradford) became reluctant celebrities - and resentful pawns in a wartime publicity campaign - after their flag-raising was immortalized by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal in the most famous photograph in military history.

As the surviving flag-raisers reluctantly play their public roles as "the heroes of Iwo Jima" during an exhausting (but clearly necessary) wartime bond rally tour, Flags of Our Fathers evolves into a pointed study of battlefield valor and misplaced idolatry, incorporating subtle comment on the bogus nature of celebrity, the trauma of battle, and the true meaning of heroism in wartime. Wisely avoiding any direct parallels to contemporary history, Eastwood allows us to draw our own conclusions about the Iwo Jima flag-raisers and how their postwar histories (both noble and tragic) simultaneously illustrate the hazards of exploited celebrity and society's genuine need for admirable role models during times of national crisis. Flags of Our Fathers defies the expectations of those seeking a more straightforward war-action drama, but it's richly satisfying, impeccably crafted film that manages to be genuinely patriotic (in celebrating the camaraderie of soldiers in battle) while dramatizing the ultimate futility of war. Eastwood's follow-up film, Letters from Iwo Jima, examines the Iwo Jima conflict from the Japanese perspective. --Jeff Shannon

Beyond Flags of Our Fathers

Other World War II DVDs
Essential DVDs by Director Clint Eastwood
Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley

Stills from Flags of Our Fathers (click for larger image)

Product Description

From Academy Award-winning director Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven) comes the World Was II epic Flags of Our Fathers, produced by Eastwood, Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List), and Rob Lorenz (Mystic River), and from a screenplay adapted by William Broyles, Jr. (Cast Away) and Oscar winner Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby, Crash).
February 1945. Even as victory in Europe was finally within reach, the war in the Pacific raged on. One of the most crucial and bloodiest battles of the war was the struggle for the island of Iwo Jima, which culminated with what would become one of the most iconic images in history: five Marines and a Navy corpsman raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi. The inspiring photo capturing that moment became a symbol of victory to a nation that had grown weary of war and made instant heroes of the six American soldiers at the base of the flag, some of whom would die soon after, never knowing that they had been immortalized. But the surviving flag raisers had no interest in being held up as symbols and did not consider themselves heroes; they wanted only to stay on the front with their brothers in arms who were fighting and dying without fanfare or glory.
Flags of Our Fathers is based on the bestselling book by James Bradley with Ron Powers, which chronicled the battle of Iwo Jima and the fates of the flag raisers and some of their brothers in Easy Company. Bradley's father, John "Doc" Bradley, was one of the soldiers pictured raising the flag, although James never knew the full extent of his father's experiences until after the elder Bradley's death in 1994.

Customer Reviews:

2nd Film is better but this has its merits.......2007-07-02

Though not as good as it's companion piece, Flags takes a unique perspective of WWII. War is depressing, tragic, and horrible. It may be something that we have to participate in because of circumstances, but I think the message is that it isn't a simple solution and the price is high. The film does suffer from lack of good characters which is surprising for an Eastwood film. I liked the battle scenes and thought they were well done. Overall Saving Ryan was better in some respects, but then it suffered from the contrivance of the German soldier killing the American soldier after he was let go. So yes the film is flawed but still worthwhile.

BORING AND DEPRESSING.......2007-07-01

I like war films like Saving Private Ryan and Pearl Harbor, but I found this film depressing, hopeless ("everything is a lie!") and downright boring. It seems interesting but after a while you just feel aweful about your own country and feel fooled. I love you Clint but you should have just changed directions of the film from the beginning

Too much bouncing around.......2007-06-30

I'm a little bit of a history buff and like to watch movies about different periods of history to learn a little bit. I was disappointed with this movie. Seemed like we were bouncing around a little too much and it was hard to track events and people. In the end, I felt the movie was more about Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome than about Iwo Jima or the war.

I would probably pass on this one and watch something else, unless you are really curious about it.

Flags of Our Fathers (HD DVD) Review by Justin Sluss.......2007-06-21

The Movie Itself is one part of a pair of films done by legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood about the battle at Iwo Jima in World War II. "Flags of Our Fathers" is one of two films that Clint did about the battle from both side's perspectives. "Letters from Iwo Jima" (this movie's counter-part) tells the Japanese perspective. While this film tells the American perspective I guess you could say, it's primarily about a real life photo that can be found on the cover of this release. The picture is a very patriotic photograph that shows six soldiers raising the American flag after the battle at Iwo Jima. This picture starts a lot of media coverage and hype labeling the three surviving soldiers "war heroes." This film follows the lives during and after that battle of those three remaining soldiers, John "Doc" Bradley (played by Ryan Phillippe), Rene Gagnon (played by Jesse Bradford) and Ira Hayes (played by Adam Beach). I'd like to point out that this film is based on true events and the names of the soldiers are real. In fact the original book "Flags of Our Fathers" was written by James Bradley (son of John "Doc" Bradley). This film was also produced by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg.

These three soldiers are brought home labeled as "war heroes" as stated above and soon being used by the U.S. government to help sell war bonds to help the war effort. Which they do accomplish but at the same time there's a lot of demons inside these men that came from seeing such a horrific battle at Iwo Jima. This is especially true for both John Bradley and Ira Hayes who throughout the film have post-war stress induced flashbacks that really got to them on a really emotional level that they can't talk about with anyone or even come to terms with themselves. This movie is not one that glorifies war but instead one that shows the hell that comes with it. So if you're expecting to see a bunch of Japanese get slaughtered you might wanna look elsewhere and seek therapy. That's not what this movie is about. This movie and what it stands for can really be stated best by a quote by the real John "Doc" Bradley, "The real heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who didn't come back". I think after watching this film that Clint Eastwood made you'll have a better understanding for that quote.

Video Quality on this release is presented in 1080p VC-1 encoded on a 30gb HD DVD for the feature film. This film visually is up there with "Saving Private Ryan" in terms of amazing visual CG special effects and such. Even though war as it is portrayed in this film is a very ugly and disturbing thing to watch at times, this release in terms of video quality itself really does offer just an amazing transfer with great picture. The blacks are perfect, no artifacts or pixilation to be found in this video presentation. The cinematography style that this film as well as it's counter-part, "Letters from Iwo Jima" uses might lead some to think the contrast is off but it's just the visual style that Clint Eastwood was going for to show the time period in both films. This release is one of the best in terms of video quality yet from Paramount and I hope it's a sign of things to come.

Audio Quality on this release is the standard Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 @ 1.5Mbps. One thing most important to this sound mix is the fact it's a film about war, World War II at that. So it's kind of expected a movie like this have a great surround mix and I can honestly say it lives up to those expectations very much so. Dialog comes out in obviously the center and front channels as you'd expect in the less intense scenes of the film. When you're in the flashbacks of battle scenes of the film you really notice an awesome surround presence that will make you hear gunfire up close, distant or passing gunfire as well as mortar shells. The surround experience on this release is one that is sure to please any action film fan.

Bonus Materials are included on their very own extra HD DVD and are in High Definition. First off there's "An Introduction by Clint Eastwood" (5 minutes), then "Words on the Page" (17 minutes) which tells us a bit about the original book written by James Bradley. James is the son of John Bradley (played by Ryan Phillipe in the film). This feature offers interviews with James Bradley (again the book's original author) as well as the screenplay writers William Broyles, Jr. and Paul Haggis. Next is "Six Brave Men" (20 minutes) which tells the personal stories of each of the six real life soldiers in the photograph and offers interviews with the actors who portray them in this film. "The Making of an Epic" (30 minutes) is your typical making of documentary of a film. It includes interviews with everyone from the producer (Robert Lorenz), director of photography (Tom Stern), special effects coordinator, editor (Joel Cox), art director, costume designer and even the military technical adviser. "The Making of an Epic" is really by far the real highlight of the bonus materials for this film and looks amazing in High Def. "Raising the Flag" (3 minutes) is a short feature about reenacting the photograph that the film is primarily about in the film just as it was in real life. "Visual Effects" (15 minutes) is exactly what the name says, a feature on the visual ("CG") special effects used on this film. "Looking into the Past" (10 minutes) offers up a lot of old historical military video footage of the actual battle at Iwo Jima. History Channel fans will definitely love this while some of the more action film oriented crowd may want to skip this. The last feature included is the original Theatrical Trailer in High Def. This release definitely packs some great bonus materials on it's very own disc and is really impressive.

-- Review written by Justin Sluss of HighDefDiscNews.com

Simle Review.......2007-06-20

If you are thinking that this movie is "Saving Private Ryan" in the Pacific -- it is not.

If you are curious how World War II soldiers dealt with the experience of war, and the efforts of the U.S. government to fund World War II then you may find this movie interesting.

If you are interested in the battle of Iwo Jima take a look at Letters from Iwo Jima or the History channel.

Average customer rating:

HD DVD blows away the BD version with all the Extra features
good movie
Blood Diamond (Blu-ray Disc) Review by Justin Sluss
Liked the movie, but save the format war stuff for nerdy message board virgins
Buy This and Blu-Ray makes it even better

Blood Diamond [Blu-ray]
Starring: Leonard DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , and Jennifer Connelly
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

Action & Adventure | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

General | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video
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Casino Royale [Blu-ray]

ASIN: B000N0WCLC
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Description

An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.

Customer Reviews:

HD DVD blows away the BD version with all the Extra features.......2007-07-03

Again HD DVD has all the extra features that BD does not have...Why would anyone support BD for less features is beyond me. Sad!

good movie .......2007-06-27

besides the superb quality of Blu Ray the film itself is worth the buy alone.

good actors, beatiful pictures and of course a meaningful story about the conflicts
that sorounding Diamonds and other resources that cost human lifes, sad thing.

as for the extras Nas Musicvideo included but not 1080p
and actor and director sugesstions mostly in 1080p

TIA :)

Blood Diamond (Blu-ray Disc) Review by Justin Sluss.......2007-06-21

The Movie Itself received 5 Academy Award nominations, including best actor and best supporting actor. "Blood Diamond" was directed by Edward Zwick. The film itself is set in Sierra Leone Africa in 1999 during a civil war over "blood diamonds." These diamonds in the mines are found by the kidnapped boys that are forced to be made part of the rebel forces. Once found the diamonds then are smuggled out of the country and used basically to buy more weapons and just make the war even worse.

The film primarily stars Leonardo DiCaprio as "Danny Archer" (an ex-mercenary turned smuggler), Dijimon Honsou as "Solomon Vandy" (an African fisherman who's struggling against rebel forces to reunite with his family) and Jennifer Connelly as "Maddy Bowen" (an American journalist trying to expose the "Blood Diamond" ordeal going on in Africa).

The basic plot here to the film is that "Solomon Vandy" has been kidnapped by rebels who took his family and put his son "Dia Vandy" in the rebel army. "Soloman" is forced to work in the diamond mines and finds a huge pink diamond. After seeing that others who try to hide diamonds they find get executed by the commander of the rebel forces, "Soloman" still tries to hide this one in between his toes. He tells the foreman he needs to use the bathroom to try to make a smooth get away and hide the diamond but things don't go as planned. Long story short "Soloman" ends up in jail with "Danny Archer" who knows that he has hid the diamond. So "Archer" arranges for him to be released after he gets out himself and offers to help him get back his family in exchange for the diamond. Sounds simple enough, right?

I can now see why this film got the Academy Award nominations it that it did for best actor and best supporting actor. This is honestly a really good film.

Video Quality on this release is in VC-1 on a 50 gigabyte Dual-Layer Blu-ray Disc. The real problem here is consistency in the video quality. A majority of the time (especially the outdoors scenes) the picture is great but there are some rare occasions that (even other reviewers have noted) have some artifacts and pixilation problems. The real thing that tends to make this show is smoke in dark scenes. The black level is overall solid. Chances are by the time this film makes it's way to HD DVD I would say Warner Brothers will redo the video transfer. Considering like I said, this problem has been stated by others than just myself.

Overall though the video quality is good on this release and the rare problems in the consistency should not discourage the Blu-ray consumer from purchasing this release. If it does discourage you from purchasing this Blu-ray and you don't own a HD DVD player, you're totally going to be missing out on a really good film. If you do own a HD DVD player and are still a bit skeptic, my best advice for you is to wait until July when the film will be released on HD DVD.

Audio Quality on this release is in Uncompressed Linear PCM 5.1 @4.6Mbps as well as standard Dolby Digital 5.1. Like "The Departed" on Blu-ray Disc Warner Brothers decided to give this release a PCM 5.1 track. This is one of the few Warner releases on Blu-ray Disc to feature this and it's a shame because this really pays off to make for an amazing sound experience. The sounds of everything from crickets to gunfire to explosions to even the score sound absolutely awesome.

Bonus Materials on this release are in 16:9 (Widescreen) standard definition. First off is obviously an audio commentary by Director Edward Zwick. All of the bonus materials have subtitles to them here and pretty much describe what they are so I won't be going into a lot of detail unless it's noteworthy. There's "Focus Points: Featurettes and Production Diaries (46 minutes) which is pretty much the "making of" to this film. "Blood on the Stone: Follow a Diamond's Path from the Ground to the Store" (50 minutes) is a really in-depth look at the real "Blood Diamonds" out there. "Becoming Archer: Profiling Leonardo DiCaprio" (8 minutes) is just as it says, just a profile on Leo in this film. "Journalism on the Front Line: Jennifer Connelly on Women Journalists at War" (5 minutes) on the other hand is less about her and more about the actual women journalists that do cover these type of events. "Inside the Siege of Freetown: Edward Zwick on One of the Movie's Pivotal Sequences" (10 minutes) is really interesting and worth watching. Lastly there is the music video for "Shine on Em" by Nas. Overall this release has some pretty decent bonus materials but I have a feeling that an "In-Movie Experience" on HD DVD will be a tad better.

-- Review written by Justin Sluss of HighDefDiscNews.com

Liked the movie, but save the format war stuff for nerdy message board virgins.......2007-06-18

The movie was good. Buy it, rent it, rip it, whatever you want to do - just watch the movie.

From what I understand, ALL the Warner Bros high def transfers are mastered for HD-DVD first and then ported to Blu-Ray, making the technology argument completely moot. It's mastered in HD-DVD format first because it's easier and more economical for the studio to do so. What have we learned today? To date (as far as I know), all WB high def titles are mastered for HD-DVD, even if it's on Blu-Ray.

I still think Leo DiCaprio should have been Oscar nominated and won for his role in The Departed. But he did well in Blood Diamond, too. If you are fortunate enough to have both HD-DVD and BR, spread the love and pick up The Departed in HD-DVD, since it'll look identical to the BR version ;-O

It really is a shame that one has to go to the standard def DVD page to find out if people liked the movie, rather than have a typing war on why one format is superior than the other. If the studios really were as smart as they think they are, they'd release the same titles on both formats, allowing the people to decide who wins. Plus, they'd make potloads of money by having their cake and eating it, too.

Just my two cents.

Buy This and Blu-Ray makes it even better.......2007-06-08

Great moivie and love it, thought it was Dicapro's best performance. I enjoyed this movie at the theatre and thought the Blu-ray made this movie more enjoyable. It is not the best transfer not it is any reference material but the movie is great. I don't understand why those HD-DVD fanboi making comment on a Blu-ray disc, I will not buy a HD-DVD disk or player ever, that format is dying and thanks to my intelligent I pick the right format. All I can say is enjoy this great movie.

Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

eye opening movie
Blood Diamond
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie
HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!

Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , Jennifer Connelly , Kagiso Kuypers , and Arnold Vosloo
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

Two-Disc Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00005JPGO
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Amazon.com

Leonardo DiCaprio puts a handsome face on an ugly industry: In parts of Africa, diamond mining fuels civil warfare, killing thousands of innocents and drafting preteen children as vicious soldiers. DiCaprio (The Departed) plays Danny Archer, a white African soldier-turned-diamond-smuggler who gets wind of a large raw jewel found by Solomon Vandy, a native fisherman (Djimon Hounsou, In America) recently escaped from enslavement by a brutal rebel leader. Archer offers a deal: He'll help Vandy find his war-scattered family if Vandy will share the diamond with him. Drawn into this web of exploitation is journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly, Little Children), who agrees to help if Archer will tell her the details of how conflict diamonds make their way into the hands of the corporations who sell them to the Western world. DiCaprio is compelling because he never flinches from Archer's utter ruthlessness; Archer ends up doing the morally justifiable thing, but only because his desperate greed has led him to it. Hounsou and Connelly, though saddled with all the moral and political speeches, rise above the cant and keep the movie's treacherously formulaic plot rooted in human characters. But in the end, the story won't stick with you as much as the dead stillness in the child soldiers' eyes; the horror of African civil strife refuses to be contained by Blood Diamond's uplifting message--and the movie is all the more potent as a result. --Bret Fetzer

Description

An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonard DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary with Director, Edward Zwick (A revealing look at a filmmaker?s personal journey.)
Documentary:Blood on the Stone (RT: 50:00) Follow the path of a diamond from the ground to the store.
Featurette:1) Becoming Archer (RT: 8:29) - A profile of Leonardo DiCaprio and how he trained for the war; 2) Journalism on the Front Line (RT: approx 6:07) - Jennifer Connelly on Women Journalists at war; 3) Inside the Siege of Freetown (RT: 10:28) - See how Ed Zwick tackled the pivotal scene.
Music Video:"Shine On Em" by rap artist Nas

Customer Reviews:

eye opening movie.......2007-06-27

This movie truly is an eye opener. Even though it is very hard to watch because of all of the killing, it is still a must see movie. Well written and well acted. I'm not a huge fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, but this movie made me think twice. Djimon Hansu is phenomenal. This movie shows the brutality of greed and power. Highly recommended.

Blood Diamond.......2007-06-27

Excellent movie, something orginial and thoughtfull, I would highly recommend this movie to anyone that loves good well thought out movies- a must see.

Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade.......2007-06-23

Greed is the dark heart of "Blood Diamond," director Edward Zwick's ("Traffic," "The Last Samurai") uncompromising look into the underground trafficking of illegally-traded gems in sub-Saharan Africa. Greed of corrupt men for power, greed of an amoral mercenary willing to sacrifice anything for a chance to escape Africa, greed of Western businessmen who seek to artificially control the diamond market, and the greed of a simple man for his family's return. This movie powerfully demonstrates the valuelessness of a human life to those persons obsessed with blood diamond collection in war-ravaged Sierra Leone.

Djimon Hounsou plays Solomon Vandy, a simple fisherman and father of two who witnesses his idyllic existence crumble before his eyes. Rebels seeking new recruits, slaves, and random carnage swarm into his village. They select his adolescent son and other young men as future cadets in their guerilla army--following suitable brainwashing and manipulation techniques--before then getting down to the real business of slave collection. Seemingly devoid of any mental workings besides casual sadism, these bandits top-off their kidnapping and slave-taking exercise with the mutilation and execution of men deemed too troublesome for them to bother with. Vandy is rescued from dismemberment at the last minute when the rebels recognize his strength, seeing it as an asset they can utilize in their constant search for capital: the blood diamond pits. Condemned to toiling underneath the blazing sun with nary a chance of reaping any benefit (besides possible continued survival) for his efforts, Vandy happens to discover an egg-sized blood diamond hidden in the streambed. Hiding it underneath his foot, he buries it when the rebel encampment is attacked by government troops. The only witness to his "theft" is the wounded slave captain--now captured, along with Vandy, by government forces--who swears that the former fisherman will soon be begging to reveal the diamond's whereabouts.

Parallel to Djimon's character's storyline is the tale of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), an opportunistic solider of fortune caught within a dichotomy of conflicting motivation. He desires escape from Africa at any cost, yet secretly knows that his blood will someday mix with the earth of his homeland. Perhaps it is this realization that he is doomed which propels Archer forward: in every action and every word, he seems to be daring destiny to obliterate him. Taken in and trained from a young age by Colonel Coetzee (Arnold Vosloo), Archer is easily the most dangerous entity alive on the continent: ruthless, misanthropic, callous, manipulative, and incredibly lethal with bullet and blade. After a close-call haggling with rebel leaders over fair prices for blood diamonds, Archer is arrested for smuggling while crossing the Sierra Leone border. It is here that he intercepts the distraught Vandy and begins weaving a plan to save himself from the war-torn country: by dangling the freedom of the fisherman's family as bait to cajole Vandy into revealing the gigantic diamond's location. Solomon, though a simple man, is not so easily fooled. He eventually agrees to help Archer--but only if the mercenary agrees to help locate his family and also permit Solomon to be his travel companion.

There is barely time for indrawn breath during the watching of this movie. Action sequences are furious, brutal, and frequent. The pace of the movie is frenetic. The score is perfect throughout. The "education" of Vandy's son by the rebels is heart-wrenching. Solomon's overarching belief that fatherhood trumps all initially feels naïve, but is eventually revealed to be the singularly most powerful force in the entire movie. Danny's character--the realist mercenary who seems most capable of surviving, when compared to Vandy--shows the most evolution, shedding layers of the personality onion until an actual human appears. He is moved to reveal an element of his past to the beautiful American reporter (Jennifer Connelly), whose persistence and mutual survivorship cements a bond they both were too proud to admit from their first meeting. Archer and Vandy relationship morphs into something beautiful when a sacrifice is needed, prompting Solomon to reverse that remarkably chauvinistic statement made by Rudyard Kipling over one hundred years ago: the "white man's burden."

This is hands-down Djimon's most impressive performance: I have never seen him better represent a character. In fact, he blurs the line between character and actor, totally suspending my disbelief to the point where I "knew" him only as Vandy. I have been told by an acquaintance--currently living in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia)--that DiCaprio's accent is spot-on. In addition, he was utterly believable as heartless mercenary, and his later transformation was also quite convincing. The action sequences were, as mentioned, jaw-dropping in their intensity, but never felt gratuitous or over-the-top.

Easily one of my five favorite movies of 2006--miss it, and you risk missing some of the finest cinematographic wizardry and directorial finesse of cinema from the last year, period.

Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie.......2007-06-22

The Blood Diamond has double meaning. An extremely bloody war is being funded by diamonds, and the stars of the movie are after a huge stone that has a red tint to it. Leonardo Dicaprio is after the diamond and Djimon Hounsou (named Solomon in the movie) agrees to show him where it is, but only goes along with Dicaprio so that he can find his son. Solomon's son has been been taken and made into a 10 year old rebel soldier. Jennifer Connelly plays a journalist and does a great job of using her charm to help forget about the war that is going on, even if it is just for a moment. The best parts are the action scenes. Solomon will do whatever he has to to get his son back, and likewise for Dicaprio with the diamond. It all leads to a very exciting ending.

There is great drama, a great story, and marvelous acting from everybody, but the action sequences stood out the most to me. The rebels seem to enjoy killing everyone and anyone. When they show up, expect to see some intense shoutouts. The 2 fight scenes are also good, mainly because Djimon Hounsou is such a superb actor. I wouldn't have minded seeing more of his rage. Dicaprio also gives an extraordinary performance. He may be better in this than he was in 'The Aviator'.

This is the best movie I have seen in at least a couple months, and I am a hardcore movie junkie. I don't like giving away too much in my reviews, in fact I always try to give away as little as possible. My rating sums up how I feel the best. This movie gets a perfect 5/5 from me. It is relentless, and I couldn't look away for a second. I can't believe I waited so long to finally watch this.

HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!.......2007-06-19

Im not saying that this movie is comedy, but Djimon Hounsou's acting JUST MADE ME LAUGHT UNTIL MY STOMACH HURTS. I mean... I know that his character is suffering because of his family but there are like three scenes that he COMPLETELY OVER-ACTED the whole situation about his family!(specially in the final fight scene). AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

Another funny stuffs are the gore that is kind of fake, DiCaprios's dialoge sometime is cheesy, Connelly wasn't acting! she was modeling and the captions that even describes the music that will play on the movie!!

The movie has a lot of action scenes but this is more like drama, and the action is choreographied as war! so don't think that the action is this movie is the same as Last Samurai by the same director.
I gave it 3 stars because all of that, but the movie is still entertaining and easy to understand.

adios and have fun with this movie.

Average customer rating:

eye opening movie
Blood Diamond
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie
HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!

Blood Diamond [HD DVD]
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , and Jennifer Connelly
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

Action & Adventure | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000MZHW1S
Release Date: 2007-07-03

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

eye opening movie.......2007-06-27

Blood Diamond.......2007-06-27

Excellent movie, something orginial and thoughtfull, I would highly recommend this movie to anyone that loves good well thought out movies- a must see.

Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade.......2007-06-23

Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie.......2007-06-22

HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!.......2007-06-19

Average customer rating:

eye opening movie
Blood Diamond
Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade
Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie
HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!

Blood Diamond (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio , Djimon Hounsou , Jennifer Connelly , Kagiso Kuypers , and Arnold Vosloo
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Babel

ASIN: B000MZHW40
Release Date: 2007-03-20

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Description

Customer Reviews:

eye opening movie.......2007-06-27

Blood Diamond.......2007-06-27

Excellent movie, something orginial and thoughtfull, I would highly recommend this movie to anyone that loves good well thought out movies- a must see.

Human life is the currency of those powerful enough to control the blood diamond trade.......2007-06-23

Excellent action sequences and an all around magnificent movie.......2007-06-22

HAHAHA!!! THIS MOVIE IS SOO FUNNY!!!!!.......2007-06-19

Average customer rating:

Gettysburg
Historical Referance
For Civil War Enthusiasts...
LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!
Fine depiction of three days of horror and honor...

Gettysburg (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Richard Anderson , Royce D. Applegate , Tom Berenger , Bo Brinkman , and Dwier Brown
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Adventure | Kids &