Ford

Starring:Cliff Robertson
Studio: Sterling Ent
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Exciting and entertaining
Intelligent Dialog
Very Well Made
I appreacited the way the movie doesn't provide a pat answer about Hanssen's motivations
To Catch a Spy

Breach (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Chris Cooper , Ryan Phillippe , Laura Linney , Dennis Haysbert , and Gary Cole
Director: Billy Ray
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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Espionage | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000OYAT3U
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Customer Reviews:

Exciting and entertaining.......2007-07-04

We rented this movie just to have something to watch over the weekend. It was fantastic. We loved it so much that we watched it again the next day and then went out and bought a copy. Chris Cooper is phenomenal. I highly recommend it.

Intelligent Dialog.......2007-07-03

This movie is an excellent charecter study of two men: the spy and the clerk who help bring him down. The dialogs are intelligent. The whole sting operation to catch Hanssen is good. All the performances are top notch. Cooper potrayed Hanssen very well. Not much real action happens during the movie. The suspense is whether spy Hanssen will figure out the sting before they can catch him in the act.

The movie does not give easy answers to the motivation of Hanssen, which is very good. The man has complexes on top of his complexes. O'Neill's motivations are complex as well. He wants to protect his wife, serve his country, but he has some respect for Hanssen as well. Hanssen has many dark sides, but his wife and his grand kids love him. Hanssen is honestly concerned about O'Neill career and marriage.

I have one small problem. They keep talking about all the technology they are using to catch Hanssen and really, they did not use it to catch him. However, they don't show any whiz bang stuff in the movie. I mean one episode of CSI has more technology exhibited. This is a very small point. Somebody mentions Hanssen mumbles a lot, which thwarts their use of all their monitoring equipment set up in the office.

The movie is thoughtful look into the world of spies. It is very reminscent of the "The Falcon and the Snowman." and is on that level.

Very Well Made.......2007-07-03

While this may not have the glamour of a Bond-esque spy adventure, this will certainly be regarded as an important and possibly classic spy movie. While I wont go into detail about the story line, which is easily found on the back of the cover, I will say it was paced perfectly and didnt drag on with filler and useless B.S. It is true that you kind of know what happens even before you put in the DVD, however the fun with this movie is watching to see how we get there. I gave this only 4 stars simply because I dont regard it as a "perfect" movie, and for the $20 price tag. I rented this for a buck at redbox and although I liked it, it wasnt enough to compell me to "have" to own it.

I appreacited the way the movie doesn't provide a pat answer about Hanssen's motivations.......2007-07-02

While all movies based on historical subjects must fictionalize events and compress timelines, it is how they do so that matters. Do they still tell the underlying truth of the story? Do they distort the substance of the story? Do they dumb it down so much that it transforms the story into something else? If it does any of these things, I tend to dislike it to the extent it does so. While this movie does make up scenes that never happened and puts actions into the hands of people that didn't do them, it still tells the truth of the story quite well for a Hollywood movie. You can read about the reality and the movie at chasingthefrog under their reelfaces link for this movie. It is quite interesting.

The movie is told through the eyes of the FBI operative who was put close to Hanssen and who was very important during the last two months of the investigation that finally caught him. This person is quite real and his name is Eric O'Neill and is played very well by Ryan Phillippe. The focus of the movie is the spy and traitor Robert Hanssen. The performance given here by Chris Cooper is superb and I hope it is recognized when awards are handed out. Chris Cooper is a fantastic actor whose range of characterizations in his many performances is breathtaking. Not only in the type of character, but their ages, in how they look, their intelligence, their moral make-up. He has it all and I enjoy everything I have seen him do.

Hannsen's wife, Bonnie is played very well by Kathleen Quinlan, and it is her devout faith that adds such a contradiction to Hannsen's character and motivation. It would be easy to paint Hannsen as using his religion cynically. However, while he certainly violated the tenets of his faith, it is clear that he holds his faith close, even while engaging in many seriously bad and compromised behaviors (beyond the spying). O'Neill's immediate superior and FBI handler Kate Burroughs and played very well by Laura Linney. She is tough enough to use O'Neill unsympathetically and yet has enough sense to know when she is pushing too hard and when to take a different tact with her inside guy.

I enjoyed this movie very much. It is smart and doesn't cheat by giving us a simple answer to the puzzle. Just as in real life, we do not know Hanssen's true motivations. Even Hanssen may not understand them. We do know he cost real people their lives and compromised the United States in profound ways. He is justly spending 23 hours per day in solitary confinement.

To Catch a Spy.......2007-07-01

Powerful performances by Cooper and Phillippe bring this rather intense film to life. Based on a true story, it offers a glimpse at the behind-the-scenes operation to catch one of the most dangerous spies in recent history.

When Eric O'Neill (Phillippe) is assigned the job of spying on his new boss Robert Hanssen (Cooper), he at first believes that he is digging up the dirt on the man's deviant tendencies, but eventually learns that Hanssen is in fact a spy for the Soviet Union, and later Russia for the last fifteen years.

Cooper is extremely believable as the devout Catholic FBI double agent who is transferred to headquarters on the pretext that he is heading a department to ensure the confidentiality of classified information. O'Neill and Hanssen eventually develop a mutual respect, but when the latter gets up close and personal with O'Neill's personal life, O'Neill finds himself taking the heat both at home and at the office.

Recommended for fans of espionage movies and thrillers, but may be a little slow for action/adventure buffs.

Here's a summary to the tune of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by The Beatles

Picture O'Neill as a mole on a mission
With off the rack suits and nondescript ties
FBI calls him, he answers quite slowly
His role's to go ferret out spies

Surveillance cameras always on the scene
Panning right over his head
Look to the boss for the secrets he hides
But there's none

Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia

Follow him down to a church with a steeple
Where Hanssen communes with deities high
Everyone smiles as he meets with the family
There's no way this guy is a spy

Agent Kate Burroughs appears at the door
Takes him and shows him the way
Goes in the room with his head full of clouds
Now they're gone

Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia

Picture O'Neill with his role in the mission
With downloaded folders from palm pilot files
Suddenly Hanssen suspects that it's over
Gets ready to say his goodbyes

Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia

Amanda Richards, July 1, 2007

The Adventures of Indiana Jones - The Complete DVD Movie Collection (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Scenes were deleted :(
Truly Deserving of its AFI Top Movie List Ranking
Indiana Jones DVDs
The ride of your life
First class, all the way.

The Adventures of Indiana Jones - The Complete DVD Movie Collection (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Harrison Ford
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Accessories:

Indiana Jones - Giftset (Widescreen Edition)
Raiders of Lost Ark: Mighty Ch (Mighty Chronicles)
King Solomon's Mines (1950)
Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981 Film)

ASIN: B00003CXC5
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Product Description

Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, and Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade.

All three films in their original format, restored and digitally remastered, plus a fourth disc featuring 200 minutes of extras including never-before-seen footage from all three films.

System Requirements:
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Denhom Elliott, John Rhys-Davies, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Amrish Puri, Sean Connery, River Phoenix, Alison Doody, Julian Glover.
Directed By: Steven Spielberg.
Running Time: 540 minutes., Color.
These films are presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2003 Paramount Pictures.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

As with Star Wars, the George Lucas-produced Indiana Jones trilogy was not just a plaything for kids but an act of nostalgic affection toward a lost phenomenon: the cliffhanging movie serials of the past. Episodic in structure and with fate hanging in the balance about every 10 minutes, the Jones features tapped into Lucas's extremely profitable Star Wars formula of modernizing the look and feel of an old, but popular, story model. Steven Spielberg directed all three films, which are set in the late 1930s and early '40s: the comic book-like Raiders of the Lost Ark, the spooky, Gunga Din-inspired Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and the cautious but entertaining Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Fans and critics disagree over the order of preference, some even finding the middle movie nearly repugnant in its violence. (Pro-Temple of Doom people, on the other hand, believe that film to be the most disarmingly creative and emotionally effective of the trio.) One thing's for sure: Harrison Ford's swaggering, two-fisted, self-effacing performance worked like a charm, and the art of cracking bullwhips was probably never quite the iconic activity it soon became after Raiders. Supporting players and costars were very much a part of the series, too--Karen Allen, Sean Connery (as Indie's dad), Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri, Denholm Elliot, River Phoenix, and John Rhys-Davies among them. Years have passed since the last film (another is supposedly in the works), but emerging film buffs can have the same fun their predecessors did picking out numerous references to Hollywood classics and B-movies of the past. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Scenes were deleted :(.......2007-07-02

I watched the entire DVD version and unfortunately, the entire movies are not there. A couple scenes were deleted from all 3 movies.

Probably my favorite scene that was deleted was in Temple of Doom, during the dinner scene. The part where the monkey's scalp is pulled off and it shows the monkey's brain, was deleted from the DVD version.

This was an absolute waste of money. I want the ENTIRE movie!!!

Truly Deserving of its AFI Top Movie List Ranking.......2007-06-30

I love the Indiana Jones series. They were fantastic when they first came out, when I was a young teen, enjoying the fast paced action and sharp witty comments. They're equally great now that I'm older and can see the much deeper meaning in many of the interactions. The movie series does a fantastic job of both providing light, entertaining for the young ones as well as some quality character interactions for those who seek them.

Harrison Ford shines in a role which, in the hands of another actor, might have turned into a cliche. Well, it IS a cliche in the sense that the adventure guy acts as if he's in a video game - running, jumping and shooting his way out of trouble. But he's so much more. He has his doubts, his weaknesses. He knows what he's doing is very risky, and he judges his chances with an experienced eye before leaping into the fray.

I've seen these movies so many times that I'm very glad they're on DVD, where a tape is not wearing holes in it. There's always something new to spot in a situation. The little details tucked into the corners are just astounding.

Highly, highly recommended. This is a set that every home should own. You can pop it into the player at any time, with pretty much any crowd, and enjoy.

Indiana Jones DVDs.......2007-06-27

This series (the first 3 Indiana Jones movies) is a classic, and a great deal of fun.

The ride of your life.......2007-06-21

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas wanted to make a movie that was like the old action adventure movies and they succeeded. The movies grab you by the throat from the beginning and add suspense, quirky joke lines and fast-paced action.

Settle back with your favourite drink, grab a container of popcorn, dim the lights and get ready for the best entertainment night you have had for a long time.

First class, all the way........2007-06-14

I recently picked up this boxed set, and couldn't be happier. I loved these movies as a kid, and still enjoy them immensely as an adult. The digital remastering is gorgeous -- the colors are vivid and the picture crisp. The 4th disc of bonus material is also well done. I won't even comment on the films themselves -- quality material that stands the test of time. Classic, action-packed Spielberg. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

Average customer rating:

Oh my gosh...people...5 stars...5stars...5stars...
Great Father's Day Gift
Wonderful Collection
epic entertainment
godfather dvd collection

The Godfather DVD Collection
Starring: Brando , Pacino , De Niro , and Francis Ford Coppola
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

GoodFellas (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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Accessories:

The Godfather (1972 Film)
The Godfather (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B00003CXAA
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Product Description

Some of the greatest masterpieces in cinema history, "The Godfather Collection" is the saga of the generations of successive power within the Corleone crime family, told in three films of staggering magnitude and vision, masterfully exploring themes of power, tradition, revenge and love. "The Godfather" (1972, 175 min.) - Adapted from Mario Puzo's best-selling novel, Francis Ford Coppola's epic masterpiece features Marlon Brando in his Oscar-winning role as the patriarch of the Corleones. Director Coppola paints a chilling portrait of the Sicilian clan's rise and near fall from power in America, masterfully balancing the story between the Corleone's family life and the ugly crime business in which they are engaged. Winner of three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. "The Godfather, Part II" (1974, 200 min.) - This brilliant sequel continues the saga of two generation of successive power within the Corleone family. Coppola tells two stories: the roots and rise of a young Don Vito (Robert De Niro), and the ascension of Michael (Al Pacino) as the new Don. Winner of six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. "The Godfather, Part III" (1990, 170 min.) - Now in his 60's, Michael Corleone is dominated by two passions: freeing his family from crime, and finding a suitable successor. That successor could be fiery Vincent (Andy Garcia), but he may also be the spark that turns Michael's hope of business legitimacy into an inferno of mob violence. This special collection also includes an additional disc containing over 3 hours of bonus material.

System Requirements:
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Robert DeNiro, Lee Strasberg, Andy Garcia, and Sofia Coppola.
Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola.
Running Time: 545 Min., Color.
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2001 Paramount Pictures.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

Throughout his long, wandering, often distinguished career Francis Ford Coppola has made many films that are good and fine, many more that are flawed but undeniably interesting, and a handful of duds that are worth viewing if only because his personality is so flagrantly absent. Yet he is and always shall be known as the man who directed the Godfather films, a series that has dominated and defined their creator in a way perhaps no other director can understand. Coppola has never been able to leave them alone, whether returning after 15 years to make a trilogy of the diptych, or re-editing the first two films into chronological order for a separate video release as The Godfather Saga. The films are our very own Shakespearean cycle: they tell a tale of a vicious mobster and his extended personal and professional families (once the stuff of righteous moral comeuppance), and they dared to present themselves with an epic sweep and an unapologetically tragic tone. Murder, it turned out, was a serious business. The first film remains a towering achievement, brilliantly cast and conceived. The entry of Michael Corleone into the family business, the transition of power from his father, the ruthless dispatch of his enemies--all this is told with an assurance that is breathtaking to behold. And it turned out to be merely prologue; two years later The Godfather, Part II balanced Michael's ever-greater acquisition of power and influence during the fall of Cuba with the story of his father's own youthful rise from immigrant slums. The stakes were higher, the story's construction more elaborate, and the isolated despair at the end wholly earned. (Has there ever been a cinematic performance greater than Al Pacino's Michael, so smart and ambitious, marching through the years into what he knows is his own doom with eyes open and hungry?) The Godfather, Part III was mostly written off as an attempted cash-in, but it is a wholly worthy conclusion, less slow than autumnally patient and almost merciless in the way it brings Michael's past sins crashing down around him even as he tries to redeem himself. --Bruce Reid

Customer Reviews:

Oh my gosh...people...5 stars...5stars...5stars..........2007-07-04

What clown complains about picture quality on a film that was shot in the 70's??? Come on...guys and gals...these movies are amazing and all you have to say is the picture had nicks and hairs and imperfections...This is not 300 or finding Nemo, this is not a film that was shot on a digital camera...in 2007! Get with the times and enjoy this classic film.

As Michael leaves the restroom, he pulls the trigger...pumping rounds into the people responsible for his fathers failed assassination...and all you can do is gripe about picture quality and ish.

Perfectly written, amazingly shot, these films will go down in history as one of the greatest cinematic achievement of all time.

So I beg of you, and deplore you to shut up and enjoy these films in their original, grainy and imperfect formats...you might just enjoy them that way.

Great Father's Day Gift.......2007-07-03

I bought this for my husband as a Father's Day gift, and he loved it. We previously owned the VHS collection, but now we have added the DVDs to our plethera of movies.

Wonderful Collection.......2007-06-27

It's a great set for the price. I haven't seen the movies in years, the quality is great and the special features are also very good!

epic entertainment.......2007-06-22

My wife and I will sometimes watch all the movies in this set right in a row! I love the bonus materials dvd that comes with. It has additional scenes, a locations featurette, a Corleone family tree, a making of documentary, and all kinds of interviews with most of the actors. Don't hesitate to buy! It's worth it at allmost any price!

godfather dvd collection.......2007-06-14

I replaced videos. I am enjoying the set!

Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

"So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause."
STAR WARS It's Best.
An EPIC end to the Star Wars EPIC
Star wars Fanatic
what a load of garbage

Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Ahmed Best , David Bowers (II) , Silas Carson , Keisha Castle-Hughes , and Hayden Christensen
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00005JLXH
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Product Description

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.

System Requirements:
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee
Directed By: George Lucas
Running Time: 140 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Ending the most popular film epic in history, Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith is an exciting, uneven, but ultimately satisfying journey. Picking up the action from Episode II, Attack of the Clones as well as the animated Clone Wars series, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), pursue General Grievous into space after the droid kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).

The Star Wars Family Tree (click for larger image)

It's just the latest maneuver in the ongoing Clone Wars between the Republic and the Separatist forces led by former Jedi turned Sith Lord Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). On another front, Master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) leads the Republic's clone troops against a droid attack on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. All this is in the first half of Episode III, which feels a lot like Episodes I and II. That means spectacular scenery, dazzling dogfights in space, a new fearsome villain (the CGI-created Grievous can't match up to either Darth Maul or the original Darth Vader, though), lightsaber duels, groan-worthy romantic dialogue, goofy humor (but at least it's left to the droids instead of Jar-Jar Binks), and hordes of faceless clone troopers fighting hordes of faceless battle droids.

But then it all changes.

Star Wars Time Line (click for larger image)

After setting up characters and situations for the first two and a half movies, Episode III finally comes to life. The Sith Lord in hiding unleashes his long-simmering plot to take over the Republic, and an integral part of that plan is to turn Anakin away from the Jedi and toward the Dark Side of the Force. Unless you've been living under a rock the last 10 years, you know that Anakin will transform into the dreaded Darth Vader and face an ultimate showdown with his mentor, but that doesn't matter. In fact, a great part of the fun is knowing where things will wind up but finding out how they'll get there. The end of this prequel trilogy also should inspire fans to want to see the original movies again, but this time not out of frustration at the new ones. Rather, because Episode III is a beginning as well as an end, it will trigger fond memories as it ties up threads to the originals in tidy little ways. But best of all, it seems like for the first time we actually care about what happens and who it happens to.

Episode III is easily the best of the new trilogy--OK, so that's not saying much, but it might even jockey for third place among the six Star Wars films. It's also the first one to be rated PG-13 for the intense battles and darker plot. It was probably impossible to live up to the decades' worth of pent-up hype George Lucas faced for the Star Wars prequel trilogy (and he tried to lower it with the first two movies), but Episode III makes us once again glad to be "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." --David Horiuchi

DVD features
Say what you will about the new Star Wars films--and plenty has been said already--but the DVDs continue to set the standard for technical excellence. From the opening of the first scene, the Dolby 5.1 EX sound is thrilling, and the picture, transferred directly from the digital source, is fantastic. A commentary track is again provided by a combination of people, including George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, animation director Rob Coleman, and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll and Roger Guyett. Lucas admits that the film is political and that he was influenced by Vietnam, but makes no mention of the Bush administration, as is widely speculated.

The main documentary on the second disc is probably the most granular DVD feature ever. "Within a Minute: The Making of Episode III" takes 67 minutes to deconstruct one minute of the film, an excerpt of the duel on Mustafar. The idea is to cover all the aspects that go into creating that minute, from writing to set construction to accounting. Fortunately, many of the concepts such as costumes apply to the movie as a whole, but having producer Rick McCallum tell us the importance of food seems a bit overkill. Two other featurettes are "It's All for Real: The Stunts of Episode III," an 11-minute discussion focusing mainly on the lightsaber duels, and "The Chosen One," a 14-minute examination of Darth Vader's evolution over the six films.

The six deleted scenes were no great loss from the film but are all worth watching. Natalie Portman in particular gets some much-needed screen time as one of the co-plotters of an anti-Palpatine movement, and an early action scene ties in to the Clone Wars animated series. There's also a 15-part series of 5 to 7 minute Web documentaries on topics such as the creation of General Grievous and Ewan McGregor, and an Xbox sampler of Battlefront II (if you're lucky, you can play as Obi-Wan Kenobi cutting through an army of droids) among other supplements. --David Horiuchi

The Complete Star Wars Saga

Episodes 4-6 Trilogy (widescreen)
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episde II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 1
Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 2
The Star Wars Store

Stills from Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (click for larger images)

Anakin turning to the dark side
When Wookiees attack

Yoda, Jedi master
Mr. and Mrs. Vader

Saber training with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen
The cast

Customer Reviews:

"So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause.".......2007-07-05

Taking place some five years after STAR WARS EPISODE II: THE ATTACK OF THE CLONES, STAR WARS EPISODE III: THE REVENGE OF THE SITH is the final act in the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader.

As SITH opens, the Battle of Coruscant is raging. The Separatists, led by Count Dooku, along with a droid army led by the mechanical General Grevious, have finally penetrated to the heart of the Galactic Republic and taken Chancellor Palpatine hostage. The dwindling Jedi Order has assigned Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christiansen), now a full-fledged Jedi Knight and secretly married to Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), to rescue Palpatine.

What the combatants on neither side know is that Palpatine is secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious and that Count Dooku is his Sith apprentice, Darth Tyranus. Sidious and Tyranus are working together to undermine the Republic. And in fact, the Republic is dry-rotting away from within: The Galactic Senate has become a rubber stamp body almost completely controlled by Palpatine, who, unopposed, continually and unilaterally extends his term of office as Chancellor "for the duration of this crisis"; more remote solar systems are acting independently; there are even the first faint stirrings of the Rebellion---"Maybe we're on the wrong side. Maybe the democracy we think we're supporting is already gone," Padme tells her young husband. Anakin, who has developed a close relationship with the Chancellor, is appalled to hear his wife's words.

His rescue gives Palpatine the opportunity to order the death of Dooku, now a potential rival and the only other man in the galaxy who knows the truth behind the Clone Wars; Dooku is neatly dispatched by Anakin, who decapitates him with crossed lightsabers. This killing of a literally unarmed man (Anakin had just cut Dooku's hands off at the wrists in their lightsaber battle) troubles Anakin profoundly: "It's not the Jedi way."

Perhaps not; but Anakin is universally lauded for his heroic rescue of the Chancellor, who is not the only man to tell him that Dooku was too dangerous to be left alive. Skywalker's star is rising, but as it rises it is drawn further and further into a sky dominated by Palpatine, who is already grooming him as the next Sith Lord.

George Lucas has returned once again to his underlying structure of archetype and myth to show us Anakin's downfall. Steeped in Judeo-Christian (primarily Christian) metaphor, REVENGE OF THE SITH is the story of the Prodigal Son, the Fall of Man, and Milton's PARADISE LOST. Anakin has become Lucifer, brightest of all the angels, doomed to be expelled from heaven. No longer an apprentice, and recognized to be the most gifted of the Jedi, Anakin has become arrogant, and indeed "pride goeth before the Fall," never more so than in the cinematic life of Anakin Skywalker. Ironically, it is the Jedi themselves who initiate the slow cascade that destroys Anakin. Placed on the Jedi Council by Palpatine's request (a previously unheard-of act), the Jedi consider Anakin to be a spy for the Chancellor and unwisely attempt to marginalize him by refusing him the rank of Master. At the same time however, the Council asks Anakin to spy on the Chancellor. These two acts in quick succession convince Anakin that Palpatine's blandishments are correct, that the Jedi mean to overthrow the government.

Palpatine, the serpent in the garden, also plays on Anakin's fears. Having seen in a vision that Padme dies in childbirth (she is carrying the twins Luke and Leia), Anakin is frantic to do anything to keep this vision from becoming reality, including studying the Dark Side arts which Palpatine falsely assures him, include the arcane power to defeat death. Anakin's soul stands upon a knife's edge, and most bitterly, it is his love for Padme which drives him finally into the darkness. At the same time, Anakin wants more than anything to live up to his brilliant potential as a Jedi. He reconciles with Obi-Wan and reports to the Council that Palpatine is the hidden Sith Lord they have been seeking. When the Jedi come to kill Palpatine, it is Anakin who demands that Master Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) spare his life for trial. Momentarily distracted, Windu is caught unawares as the Chancellor blasts him with Force lightning, killing him. Although the young Jedi screams, "What have I done?" he also falls to his knees and does obeisance to the revealed Darth Sidious, who gives him a new name: Darth Vader.

This handsome, young Darth Vader is far different and far more frightening than he later becomes as the black-clad armored giant of the second trilogy. Without questioning his Sith Master, he goes to the Jedi temple and slaughters all the occupants, including the youngling students. The unwary Separatist leaders, having outlived their usefulness to the newly-declared Emperor, are slain. The Jedi are decimated. Only Obi-Wan, Yoda and a very few others escape with their lives. The Sith have their revenge. They are triumphant.

Drunk with the power of the Dark Side, Anakin offers Padme the chance to rule the galaxy side by side with him, the selfsame offer he makes to Luke much later in RETURN OF THE JEDI. Like her not-yet-born son, she refuses, and her refusal enrages him. Convinced that she and Obi-Wan have conspired against him, he uses the power of the Force to choke the now very pregnant Padme into unconsciousness. Occurring at the very beginning of his existence, this venial act is, in it's own way, the worst evil that Darth Vader ever perpetrates: The infliction of pain on his own beloved Padme marks his deepest descent into the abyss of the Dark Side.

Darth Vader is in hell, both figuratively and literally. The climactic lightsaber battle of the first trilogy takes place between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader on the planet of Mustafar. Very much like Earth at its birth, Mustafar is a barely-formed planet of steaming lava oceans, boiling magma geysers, and flame. In his defeat, Darth Vader is burned beyond recognition.

Padme gives birth but dies of a broken heart. In her last words to Obi-Wan she presages Luke's words to Obi-Wan almost twenty years later: "I know there is still good in him." And there may well be. Rescued by the Emperor, Darth Vader is cloaked in the blackness which thereafter defines him. It is telling that the first words he utters behind the breath mask which will be his identity until the last moments of his life concern Padme. And the seeming kindness of the Emperor in saving him is exposed as an evil act when the Emperor lies. Palpatine's sardonic smile at this instant may be the most wicked thing to ever appear onscreen. Darth Vader must live with the guilt that he has killed the love of his life. In his guilt he becomes more pliable to the Emperor, more a prisoner to his own sense of hopelessness. With nothing to live for, he gives full rein to his worst impulses. Yet, even with his embrace of evil, Darth Vader is no longer just the faceless Sith Lord of the second trilogy, he is a profoundly impassioned, profoundly sensitive, and profoundly flawed human being.

Although we last see them together gloating over the spherical keel of the barely-begun first Death Star, it is the heart cry that Vader utters at the moment the breath mask is locked down and his bleak, "But I couldn't have!" which remain with the viewer. In the end, Darth Vader is a man consumed by his own loneliness.

As myth, REVENGE OF THE SITH is brilliantly conceived. The myth of Anakin is linked, thematically and in plotline with the myth of Luke. Many of the same lines of dialogue create echoes with the viewer. The loss of the hand---Anakin's to Dooku, Dooku's to Anakin, Luke's to Vader and Vader's to Luke---is a consistent unifying thread, the hand being the seat and instrument of action. And as each fallen Jedi becomes a Sith, there is a depersonalization process that occurs: Darth Maul is marked with Sith tattoos, obscuring his face; Darth Sidious's face is scarred in his battle with Mace Windu; Darth Vader's face is hidden; Darth Tyranus in fact loses his face entirely.

As a cinematic experience, it is less than brilliantly executed. Hayden Christiansen perfectly captures the superciliousness of the maturing Anakin. No longer trepidatious in the face of authority, Christiansen's Anakin Skywalker is rift with the fault lines that will produce Darth Vader in the end. Natalie Portman's Padme Amidala has grown from a beautiful teenage Queen into a lush woman who radiates intelligence, self-assurance, and compassion. The remaining performances are workmanlike but unextraordinary. Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi remains stentorian and immaculate, never exhibiting the humanity---flawed or otherwise---that motivates his fellow Jedi Knight and friend.

George Lucas takes yet another step toward convincing the world that he is a second-tier moviemaker who happens to employ first tier film technicians. His obsessive overuse of CGI and digital effects throughout the second trilogy, even to the point of altering the actors' expressions, prompted Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn) to make this complaint about his STAR WARS experience: "We are basically puppets. I don't think I can live with the inauthenticity of movies anymore." Lucas seems to have forgotten (if he ever knew) that plot, story and characterization are the underpinnings of any good movie. REVENGE OF THE SITH succeeds because the tale of the downfallen, unredeemed Darth Vader is a seminal story in our collective subconscious. Lucas's layers of computer-generated hoo-hah don't look as convincing as the relatively simple effects of the original STAR WARS, and in fact, they become distracting. The final battle on Mustafar is so heavily enhanced that McEwen and Christiansen (or possibly their digital equivalents) get lost against the background. Special effects can be wonderful. They allow moviemakers to do what would otherwise be impossible. But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Lucas's unwillingness to recognize this degrades this second trilogy badly. These films, as good as they are, lack the cultural impact of the first three STAR WARS films.

STAR WARS It's Best........2007-07-05

as aniken progresses through the jedi order, his ever growing taste for power increases. at the end of the clone wars he abandons the jedi and joins the sith under the mis-guided idea that his new power can save the ones he loves from death. after almost 30 years of fandom, movies, books and video games, the legendary sci-fi fantasy adventure has its secrets revealed and brings the saga to a close.

An EPIC end to the Star Wars EPIC.......2007-06-29

I did have a bit of a problem believing Anakin's change to the darkside. I realize that the Emperor was supposed to be very charismatic, but it seems Anakin's own lack of intelligence is what allowed him to turn as much as anything.

That having been said, I felt like the turn was still believable. Just not one I enjoyed.

Other aspects of this movie were simply incredible! The special effects were off the chart. The plot at its base was enjoyable and the characters were just wonderful.

Though it was a satisfying "conclusion" to the epic, this movie left me wanting more Star Wars!

Star wars Fanatic.......2007-06-26

I have the entire collection. Saw the first movie in 1977 in Toronto at the largest theatre on the first day. In the early nineties my friends and I used to have star wars marathon movie days where we would watch episodes 4,5 &6 back to back for 10 hours plus of Star Wars. A Genre that defined an entire generation of movie goers. Long live the empire. Long live Lucasfilm

what a load of garbage.......2007-05-30

Old George must have been high on cleaning fluid when he made this mess, how this is supposed to tie into the original 3 movies begs belief.
For a start the prequel technology is far more sophisticated than the sequels, the look of the films makes it look as though they should actually have been the other way around.
When you look at the lightsabre dules in the prequels, you have all the these guys flying around, yet in the sequels its more like sword fights from El Cid.
Whats with all the sytuff flying around in the background, its distracting from the movie and makes you dizzy as hell, total over-use of
special effects, and as for the acting of Hayden and Natalie Portman, amateurish would be an understatement.
The same can be said for the other 2 prequels, this just goes to show Star War fans like Trekkies will buy into anything.

Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

"I'm a person. And my name is Anakin."
hmmm...give my baby nephew this i will (smiles)
I've discovered something revolutionary!
Star Wars I
The best of the new

Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Pernilla August , Kenny Baker , Brian Blessed , Ralph Brown , and Anthony Daniels
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Widescreen Edition)
Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition)
Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition with Bonus Disc)
Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition Without Bonus Disc)
Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Accessories:

Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast Collectors Edition

ASIN: B00003CX5P
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Amazon.com

"I have a bad feeling about this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event... well, ever. He might as well be speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars saga who can't help but secretly ask themselves: Sure, this is Star Wars, but is it my Star Wars? The original elevated moviegoers' expectations so high that it would have been impossible for any subsequent film to meet them. And as with all the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace features inexplicable plot twists, a fistful of loose threads, and some cheek-chewing dialogue. Han Solo's swagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace of heavy-breather Darth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical mumbo jumbo, and some of what was fresh about Star Wars 22 years earlier feels formulaic. Yet there's much to admire. The special effects are stupendous; three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora, and horizons rendered in absolute detail. The action and battle scenes are breathtaking in their complexity. And one particular sequence of the film--the adrenaline-infused pod race through the Tatooine desert--makes the chariot race in Ben-Hur look like a Sunday stroll through the park.

Among the host of new characters, there are a few familiar walk-ons. We witness the first meeting between R2-D2 and C-3PO, Jabba the Hutt looks younger and slimmer (but not young and slim), and Yoda is as crabby as ever. Natalie Portman's stately Queen Amidala sports hairdos that make Princess Leia look dowdy and wields a mean laser. We never bond with Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), and Obi-Wan's day is yet to come. Jar Jar Binks, a cross between a Muppet, a frog, and a hippie, provides many of the movie's lighter moments, while Sith Lord Darth Maul is a formidable force. Baby-faced Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) looks too young and innocent to command the powers of the Force or wield a lightsaber (much less transmute into the future Darth Vader), but his boyish exuberance wins over skeptics.

Near the end of the movie, Palpatine, the new leader of the Republic, may be speaking for fans eagerly awaiting Episode II when he pats young Anakin on the head and says, "We will watch your career with great interest." Indeed! --Tod Nelson

Description

Feature-Length Audio Commentary
The creators of Episode I give you insight into the film like no one else can. Hear from: writer/director George Lucas, Producer Rick McCallum, sound designer and film co-editor Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob Coleman and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires.

"The Beginning"
Making Episode I Documentary Film
Culled from over 600 hours of behind-the-scenes footage, this all-new hour-long documentary film takes you inside Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic during the making of The Phantom Menace. Sit in on the film's production process including: pre-production, casting, principal photography, editing, rough-cut reviews, visual effects meetings and other events that few people have had access to before.

Exclusive Deleted Scenes and Documentary
All-new documentary featuring George Lucas, Rick McCallum and guests discussing the painstaking process every director must go through in determining what scenes make the final cut. View seven exclusive deleted sequences that were created specifically for this DVD and learn why they were eliminated from the final version of the film.

Multi-Angle Animatics
Discover the amazing techniques used to create two memorable sequences (Submarine and Podrace Lap 1) from storyboards to animatics to final composites.

Featurettes
Five mini-documentaries give you an insider's look at The Phantom Menace's Storyline, Design, Costumes, Visual Effects and Fight sequences through behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and filmmakers.

Web Documentaries
Originally released on starwars.com during the production of Episode I, this award-winning twelve-part web documentary series gives you a fly-on-the-wall perspective into the making of the film as it was happening.

Exclusive Production Photo Gallery
Scroll through a never-before-seen gallery of candid cast and crew shots, each with captions.

"Duel of the Fates" Music Video
One of the most popular music videos during its release in May 1999, the "Duel of the Fates" video intertwines live footage of John Williams conducting the London Symphony Orchestra with behind-the-scenes clips and dramatic footage featured in Episode I.

Posters and Print Campaign
Examine the Episode I theatrical posters (Teaser and Launch) and the International Outdoor advertising used to support the release of Episode I around the world.

Trailers and TV Spots
Watch the theatrical teaser and launch trailers, plus seven TV spots (including the five original "Tone Poems" along with "The Saga Begins" and "All Over Again").

"Star Wars: Starfighter-The Making of a Game" from LucasArts
This featurette offers insight into the making of the popular flight action combat game along with information on other Star Wars games from LucasArts.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Content
Your Episode I DVD is a key that unlocks exclusive Star Wars content only available through a special DVD-ROM website.

Customer Reviews:

"I'm a person. And my name is Anakin.".......2007-06-22

STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE would have had to have been beyond perfect to survive the almost twenty years of fan anticipation and the avalanche of hype it was met with. When released in 1999, reactions to THE PHANTOM MENACE were very mixed. Disappointed (even embittered) fans claimed that George Lucas had created THE PHANTOM MENACE merely to cash in on the STAR WARS franchise---as if he needed to "cash in" on what had already become a multibillion dollar enterprise. As a result, the whole "prequel" trilogy got a bad reputation, none worse than this film.

Revisiting it years later, after all the shouting has died down, THE PHANTOM MENACE seems far better than it did upon its release. It doesn't measure up to any of the films of the original trilogy. It may in fact be the weakest film of the sextet. THE PHANTOM MENACE suffers from the same mistaken approach that George Lucas has adopted toward his "improved" versions of the original films. THE PHANTOM MENACE has most of the same shortcomings, particularly the (very common) sci-fi bugaboo of using a film to showcase special effects. Lucas gave us a truly Shakespearean tale in the first trilogy, and incidentally set it "a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." The spaceships, the ray guns, and the alien life forms propelled the story, but they were NOT the story.

Lucas wants to show us all kinds of new, colorful, and beautiful visions in THE PHANTOM MENACE, and he does, but at great expense to the storyline, which meanders all the way from Point A to Point A Prime in this installment.

There's even greater expense to the characterizations. We could relate to Luke, Leia, Han, See Threepio and Artoo Detoo in the first trilogy because they were like us in so many ways. Han Solo especially served to ground the STAR WARS universe in familiarity. Han's "scoundrel" energy was very central to the success of the original movies.

There isn't a lovable scoundrel in THE PHANTOM MENACE. Lucas does give us some truly interesting new characters, but they're alien (both literally and figuratively) and we hardly get to know them.

The young Queen of Naboo, Padme Amidala (played by Natalie Portman, one of the beautiful new visions in this film) is oft-times regally remote, and somewhat mysterious. Her lookalike decoy is played by Keira Knightley (another beautiful new vision), and it is truly difficult to tell them apart at times.

Although Portman's Amidala shows herself to be clearly a warm, open, and sympathetic character, by the end of THE PHANTOM MENACE we know much less about her than we do about her cinematic daughter, Princess Leia, in A NEW HOPE.

Young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) is a slave-child on Tatooine. An inventor and a gifted pilot even at the age of eight, he is so bright-eyed and kindhearted ("Someday, I'll come back here and free all the slaves") that it is difficult to reconcile this gentle little boy who cries for his mother with the horrific Darth Vader he eventually becomes.

The Jedi Council initially refuses to allow Anakin to be trained as a Jedi ("There is much fear in you, young one," says Yoda). We never really see his fear or feel it. Nor do we get much more than a glimmer of the rage and anger he must feel as a slave. Watto, his owner, is a straw boater wearing, comical-looking flying bumblebee/vulture who speaks with a vaudeville Italian accent. Simon Legree should not be doing stand-up. By making Watto a figure of fun, Lucas fails to either underscore the weaknesses of the Galactic Republic, or presage its descent into darkness.

Essentially, we have only the criticisms of the Jedi Masters to go on in consigning young Anakin to the Minus Column. It just isn't enough, especially when he wins the high stakes podrace that is the main act of the story (the stakes being his own freedom), and is eventually responsible for firing the well-placed shot that defeats the enemy in battle (like his cinematic son, Luke).

The oddly mismatched love between the prepubescent Anakin and the much older teenaged Padme comes out of nowhere, with hardly a forethought (Anakin's shy question to the girl at their first meeting---"Are you an angel?"---is the only indicator of what later blossoms).

Likewise, Lucas utterly wastes two of his most intriguing characters, the iconoclastic Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn, and the truly satanic Darth Maul. Qui-Gon is wise. Qui-Gon is skilled. Qui-Gon should have been Obi-Wan's Obi-Wan and Anakin's ally. But although Qui-Gon is instrumental in freeing Anakin from bondage, he never develops a truly affectionate (Obi-Wan and Luke-type) relationship with the boy, seeming more interested in him as raw material for Jedi training.

The silent Darth Maul, (the evil lord of shopping centers) with his horned black-and-red face, twin-ended lightsaber, glowing sulfur-yellow eyes, kendo-style fighting technique, and flowing black robes is potentially a figure as memorable and frightening as Darth Vader, but both he and Qui-Gon die in battling one another; and so a fascinating second trilogy dynamic between good and evil dies with them.

Added to these missed opportunities are odd inconsistencies between THE PHANTOM MENACE and the original trilogy. See Threepio turns out to have been built by Anakin on Tatooine, but then why didn't the droid recognize Tatooine or the name "Skywalker" in A NEW HOPE? Although Ben Kenobi claims to have been trained by Yoda in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, he is clearly Qui-Gon's student in THE PHANTOM MENACE. Tatooine is ruled by the Hutts in this film, but not in the original trilogy. Although Anakin's mother references Tatooine's twin suns, they're never seen together in the sky.

Clearly, Lucas couldn't have reworked the original films after 20 years to fit all these elements in THE PHANTOM MENACE. Their inclusion here is a sign of his hubris. Why not just be true to the original? Clearly, his desire to make these changes overrode any considerations of film continuity and audience expectations. George Lucas isn't really trying to give us a better cinematic experience here, he's just totally into playing with his favorite toys. It's a form of selfishness.

Possibly the worst of Lucas's new ideas is the Social Darwinist/Nazi race theory concept of a high "midichlorian" count giving rise to greater Force sensitivity. Anakin has a mythic virgin birth due to the midichlorians, a bad twist to the tale when one considers that Lucas could have underscored the horrors of slavery by having Anakin fathered by a freeborn man who exploited Shmi Skywalker's position as a slave. Here, once again, the film fails to foreshadow the lawlessness and unethical evils of the rising Galactic Empire.

STAR WARS isn't sociology, but it's insistence on touching universal themes is what made it so wildly successful. The first trilogy was constructed entirely upon the foundation of our shared collective subconscious. Lucas loses that thread in this film.

The inclusion of the midichlorian factor means that the Jedi are no longer a highly-trained spiritual fraternity. They've become racially superior to the rest of us. If ever he re-edits THE PHANTOM MENACE, the midichlorians must end up on the cutting room floor. Sorry, but as ideas go, this one just stinks.

And speaking of stinks, Lucas also brought us the ridiculous Jar-Jar Binks and his race of Rastafari amphibians, the Gungans (Ganja, anyone?). Jar-Jar Binks is a technically interesting additional character, being primarily a CGI character; but he adds nothing (and detracts much) from the film with his distracting brainless chatter, clumsiness, and utter stupidity. If Lucas thought that this duckbilled dunce would provide comic relief, he was wrong. See Threepio and Artoo Detoo serve that purpose in the first trilogy and should have continued to do so in THE PHANTOM MENACE. Jar-Jar merely irritates the viewer, particularly given that he appears throughout the film, not just in a few scenes. He's merely filler. As filler, he's a sign that Lucas wasn't imaginative enough to use THE PHANTOM MENACE's screen time to its best advantage by progressing the storyline.

Binks may be the only character ever that inspired a website advocating his destruction, the aptly-named www.Jarjarbinksmustdie.com. What was George Lucas thinking when he gave us the jarring Jar-Jar?

THE PHANTOM MENANCE is uneven and inconsistent and suffers from some poor scriptwriting and too many missed opportunities. These reduce the film, but do not ruin it. Despite its weaknesses and flaws, THE PHANTOM MENACE is a solid THREE STAR effort. It is essential to the telling of the tale, and leaves us considering what's next?

In that regard, THE PHANTOM MENACE is as successful as any film can be. It finally gives us the entertaining and engaging introduction to that long time ago and far away galaxy we've come to know and love.

hmmm...give my baby nephew this i will (smiles).......2007-06-21

yeah its was ok but definetly for the younger kids. i guess it goes along with the theme of Aniken Skywalker is also a kid. the next 2 are much better. there's just too much comic relief in this one for an adult.

I've discovered something revolutionary!.......2007-06-13

Hey, folks! I don't know about you, but I've realized something extraordinary! Yoda is a HERETIC! How is this possible, you may ask? Well, here's how. You see, in this highly-anticipated prequel, Quack-Gonn Jinn explains the force to Anakin Snobbwalker. He explains how the force is really just a bunch of microorganisms (similar to sweat) that live in your cells and boss you around. However, in Episode V, Yoda (who in Episode I looks like a monkey) claims that the force is something that surrounds every living thing (something like that). If Yoda is a heretic, that means he's bad. If he's bad, then why do you see him with the good jedi at the end of Episode VI? Meeesa have bad feelzing about this. Can you guess who meeesa is? Youssa right! Issa meeesa, I'mgonnahityouovertheheadwithajellyjar-jar-Bonks.

I am Qui-Gonn Jinn. I am a stone-faced, mature Jedi Master, yet I enjoy the presence of my friend Jar-Jar-Binks more than my audience.

Jar-Jar - Exqueese me! You saved my life! Meeesa your servant for life!

Qui-Gonn - Yes, Jar-Jar. If I were in my right mind, I would slash you with my lightsaber until I could see the individual atoms that you're made of. However, I'm never in my right mind, so I will bear with your company. What's more, I'll even take you with me, so that everyone aboard my ship will lose their minds when you crack fart jokes every five seconds.

Obi-Wan finally meets Jar-Jar. He would also slash him to pieces; however, that would mean he'd lose Jedi points, because destroying an unarmed creature is against the jedi rule. It's bad enough that Padme likes snobby, most-horrible-actor-in-the-world Anakin, but she likes Bonks. How is that possible? I think Jar-Jar is a Sith! How else could anyone like him, than by using Jedi mind tricks? How else could he not die, when thousands of battle droids are around him and none hear his ridiculous screams?

Finally, we see the villain of the movie! Darth Maul, who is not in it at all! What does he do in the movie? Except for some incredibly awesome lightsaber moves, he rolls his eyes! Probably an addiction he developed when going through the movie's storyline with Lucas.

Who is the hero of the movie?

JOHN WILLIAMS!!!!!!!

Star Wars I.......2007-06-12

I think George Lucas has a wonderful imagination and not afraid to apply that imagination on screen. However, I find it hard to believe a boy that young (Anakin) could manuver a craft like that or for that matter, build one. None the less, I loved it and will watch it over again.

Rita

The best of the new.......2007-06-11

Of the 3 new episodes, this is by far the best one. It has a captivating storyline and never ceases to amaze with the fantastic CGI special effects at every angle. Many die-hard SW fans do not approve of all the CGI, but I believe that feeling goes hand in hand with the fact that they were around when the first SW came out, and that film was "theirs" so to speak and can never be duplicated. Something so magnificent as SW in 1977 must've captivated the mind and created such a frenzy that many opinions will be biased some 30 years later. I was not born yet when the first ones came out, but I'm a fan of all 6 and didn't really understand the SW buzz until I was able to watch the first 3 (newer ones) in succession followed by Episodes IV, V, and VI. Many fans have seen it the other way around, but I find the SW saga to still be enjoyable if you watch them in numerical order.

Of course, as a young buck myself, I will gladly say that Episodes I-III are great. A true treat to eye and a gem in fantasy/sci-fi land if you're in to that type of genre. Lucas could've not created anything better in my eyes. As I stated earlier, many old-school fans don't appreciate the new ones and that's completely understandable. For me and my generation, my Star Wars films were The Lord of the Rings trilogies. For me, I will go to my grave saying that LOTR was and is the best film of the genre. Hopefully they will make more as Tolkien wrote a lot, but I will not appreciate them as much as LOTR. That's just the way it is I guess.

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

Average customer rating:

A step up from Phantom Menace
"My soul is in torment."
I've seen a LOT worse
Another piece of the puzzle...
Star Wars II

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

Sci-Fi Action | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition)
Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition)
Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition with Bonus Disc)
Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition Without Bonus Disc)
Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

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:

A step up from Phantom Menace.......2007-07-05

I'm not a HUGE fan of episodes 1 through 3. However, I AM a huge star wars fan so I took that into account when viewing this movie. The fact is it's a better movie than part 1, plain and simple. You get to see Anakin becoming a jedi and taking his first steps toward losing himself. You learn about an impatient side to him that will ultimately be his undoing.

The movie itself focuses on Anakin's many relationships. That with his mother, with Padme, the Jedi Council, Obi-Wan and, of course, the man that would be Emperor Palpatine. For the importance of forwarding the plot, this movie was vitally important to the series. As a movie in general, I was not entirely impressed. I felt like Anakin was portrayed as way too immature for the man that would ultimately become Darth Vader. In episodes 4, 5 and 6, Darth Vader is ultimate Evil. Are we supposed to buy that ultimate evil was borne out of a whiney teenager?

On second thought, maybe that IS the source of the ultimate evil in the universe.

"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.

Average customer rating:

Still Great!
Great Movie to share with your preteen children near July 4th
History brought to life
movie review
The 1776 DVD - Historical and Entertaining

1776 (Restored Director's Cut)
Starring: William Daniels , Howard Da Silva , Ken Howard , Donald Madden , and John Cullum
Director: Peter H. Hunt
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Episodes 4-6 Trilogy (widescreen)	Episode I: The Phantom Menace	Episde II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 1	Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 2	The Star Wars Store

Anakin turning to the dark side	When Wookiees attack
Yoda, Jedi master	Mr. and Mrs. Vader
Saber training with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen	The cast