The American

Starring:Matthew Modine, Diana Rigg, Aisling O'Sullivan, Paul Hickey, Andrew Scott, Brenda Fricker, Eva Birthistle, T.P. McKenna, Phillip O'Sullivan, Ian Fitzgibbon, Joe Pilkington, Ed Bishop, Alison McKenna, Anita Reeves, David Heap, Alan Stanford, Alec McCowen
Director: Paul Unwin
Studio: Pbs Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Wildly romantic, daringly exciting, Michael Mann's film of James Fenimore Cooper's novel created a new babe magnet out of Daniel Day-Lewis, he of the heaving pecs and flowing mane. As Hawkeye, he plays an American settler raised by the Mohicans who is forced to serve as a guide for British adventurism in upstate New York. But the British have been outflanked by the French (and their Indian allies); then British honor is betrayed when a band of renegades assaults them during their retreat. Mann captures the viciousness of this era's hand-to-hand combat in startling battle scenes. But he also invests the film with heartfelt romance, as the feelings swell between Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe. The ending is a stunner, a long, nearly wordless sequence of battle and loss. Strong performances all around, particularly by Russell Means as Chingachgook and Wes Studi as the evil Magua. --Marshall Fine

Description

An epic adventure and passionate romance unfold against the panorama of a frontier wilderness ravaged by war. Academy Award® winner Daniel Day-Lewis (Best Actor in 1989 for My Left Foot) stars as Hawkeye, rugged frontiersman and adopted son of the Mohicans, and Madeleine Stowe is Cora Munro, aristocratic daughter of a proud British Colonel. Their love, tested by fate, blazes amidst a brutal conflict between the British, the French and Native American allies that engulfs the majestic mountains and cathedral-like forests of Colonial America.

Customer Reviews:

Get the VHS.......2007-06-27

I watched this movie in the theater when it first came
out. I bought the VHS when it came out.
I loved the movie, the music, and the action. The scenery
is breathtaking and the movie flowed very well with superb
performances by almost everyone.
When the DVD came out I wanted to get the better picture
and audio effect. The Cinematography is breathtaking.
The clearness of the scenes is great.

I was disappointed by the cuttings in the Director's
"Expanded Edition". To much was cut and not enough
was added. The VHS cinematography is close to the DVD.
You have more continuity in the movie, and don't have to
listen to Russell Means (usually brillant) ramble at the
end and make the final moments of great emotion into a
a rambling.

Save your money and stick with the VHS.

Moving.......2007-05-30

I never tire of watching this spectacular movie and enjoyed seeing the expanded version. I was surprised at how well I know the movie and was aware of all the changes.

Thank you for the visual beauty, haunting music and passionate story.

1757: The new world..........2007-05-26

HAVING SEEN AND TALKED TO RUSSELL MEANS AND DENNIS BANKS AND BEING MARRIED TO AN INDIAN THIS MOVIE MAKES CHILLS RUN DOWN YOUR SPINE. IT'S 1757 ON THE AMERICAN FRONTIER AND SUDDENLY YOU ARE THERE. SO WHAT IF IT DOES NOT TRACK THE BOOK EXACTLY? MOVIES SELDOM DO. THEY CAN'T. 90 MIN. IS NOT ENOUGH TIME. WOULD YOU WANT TO SIT THROUGH AN EXHAUSTIVE EXPOSITION OF EVERY DETAIL? ALSO I WORKED WITH THE MAN WHO WAS TATTOO CONSULTANT FOR THE MOVIE. MUCH INSIGHT FROM HIM...
ANOTHER GOOD "HISTORY" MOVIE IS THE NEW WORLD WHICH IS MORE OR LESS HISTORICALLY ACCURATE. I LOVE GOOD HISTORY MOVIES!

Have to agree with some.......2007-05-08

I love the original movie. It is one of my most feel good movies of all time. I was really disappointed with the way they edited this dvd. The vocal part that is missing was a huge hole in what was a wonderful movie. Why do they have to mess things up that have a good thing going for them.

Doesn't follow book,but still good movie.......2007-04-05

After reading the book,it became my favorite.So I was disappointed that the movie did not follow the book very much.About half the book was missing from the movie and the relationship between Hawkeye and Cora is all Hollywood.In the book,Cora and Uncas die.Not Alice,Uncas,and Heyward.And I was so heartbroken by the portrayal of Heyward as a cold,heartless military man who meets his demise at the stake.That is not how he was in the book at all!I do give the movie makers credit,however for the stellar score and realistic storytelling.It was not a bad movie,it was just disappointing if you're expecting the same story as the book.

Average customer rating:

Lonesome Dove
The real deal.
Great Drama & Storytelling leaves you begging for more
Duval is an American treasure!
one of the greatest westerns adapted from a great novel

Lonesome Dove
Starring: Robert Duvall , Tommy Lee Jones , Danny Glover , Diane Lane , and Robert Urich
Director: Simon Wincer
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005Y6YB
Release Date: 2002-04-30

Amazon.com essential video

Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones star as Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, aging cowboys and former Texas rangers and who organize a 2,500 mile cattle drive for one last great adventure in this excellent 1989 miniseries adaptation of Larry McMurtry's novel. The best friends, who steal the herd from a gang of Mexican cattle rustlers, drive their herd from Texas to Montana, battling horse thieves, angry Indian tribes, and a renegade half-breed killer named Blue Duck (Frederic Forrest) on a mission of revenge. The excellent cast also includes Robert Urich as cardsharp and former Ranger Jake Spoon, Anjelica Huston as McCrae's old flame Clara Allen, Danny Glover, Ricky Schroder, Diane Lane, Chris Cooper, D.B. Sweeney, Steve Buscemi, and even a small role for author Larry McMurtry. Australian director Simon Wincer shows a tremendous capacity for balancing sweeping drama and intimacy against the gorgeous landscape of the American Southwest, giving a grandly epic feel to the film despite its small-screen target and limited budget, and for forging memorable characters of even the smallest supporting parts. The heart of the drama belongs to McCrae and Call, memorably etched by Duvall and Jones as the last of the range romantics. In the age of revisionist Westerns, this excellent cattle-drive drama nicely maintains an old-fashioned feeling while still showing the dark side of the American West. Winner of seven Emmy Awards and responsible for two miniseries sequels (Return to Lonesome Dove and Dead Man's Walk) and a TV series. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Lonesome Dove.......2007-06-08

This dvd starts off slow, but you get so attached to the characters. It is very authentic historically. You will laugh, cry, and think about the characters and story for a long time after viewing!!

The real deal........2007-05-15

This is the second time I had purchased this Title. The first one had anything but the original actors. This one is the real deal and the movie is excellent.

Great Drama & Storytelling leaves you begging for more.......2007-04-29

this is without a doubt the best Western ever, and for Western Lovers, there's more, the whole Lonesome Dove series is worth owning. I recommend reading the books also,.... more than once

Duval is an American treasure!.......2007-04-19

If I could have given this film 10 stars, I would have. This is an important film. Important in that every American should see it. The chemistry between Duval and Jones is superb. I watch the DVD about every six months or so. What can one say about Duval? His performance is the best he's ever done and puts him on my list of top five actors of all time. He's even said that this role was his finest. My only regret was that this was a TV mini series and not eligible for Oscar consideration. If it had been Duval would have walked off the stage with his second Best Actor statue. Please do not miss this.

one of the greatest westerns adapted from a great novel.......2007-04-10

luckily this screenplay was not scripted by the author himself like 'dead man's walk', so all the unnecessary non-stop yammering of gus from page one until he died was so smartly omitted that making this 'lonesome dove' movie one of the greatest westerns ever made into movie. wonderful cast, terrific performance by all the actors in it. great screenplay, wonderful and appropriate sound track lingering behind, floating up in time to deepen the feeling of every specific moment. duvall did a better-than-oscar-nomination performance, amazingly made that unforgettable character alive and became a larger-than-life image. tommy lee jones was also the best choice playing call's role. wonderful cinematography footage and settings, not one inch wasted or misplaced.

Blazing Saddles (30th Anniversary Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Blazing Saddles
Funny, Funnier, Funniest
Classic scenes are cut out
Enjoyable once in awhile
A Mel Must-Own

Blazing Saddles (30th Anniversary Special Edition)
Starring: Richard Collier , Carol DeLuise , Dom DeLuise , Liam Dunn , and George Furth
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0001Z4OXS
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Amazon.com essential video

Mel Brooks scored his first commercial hit with this raucous Western spoof starring the late Cleavon Little as the newly hired (and conspicuously black) sheriff of Rock Ridge. Sheriff Bart teams up with deputy Jim (Gene Wilder) to foil the railroad-building scheme of the nefarious Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman). The simple plot is just an excuse for a steady stream of gags, many of them unabashedly tasteless, that Brooks and his wacky cast pull off with side-splitting success. The humor is so juvenile and crude that you just have to surrender to it; highlights abound, from the lunkheaded Alex Karras as the ox-riding Mongo to Madeline Kahn's uproarious send-up of Marlene Dietrich as saloon songstress Lili Von Shtupp. Adding to the comedic excess is the infamous campfire scene involving a bunch of hungry cowboys, heaping servings of baked beans and, well, you get the idea. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The railroad's got to run through the town of Rock Ridge. How do you drive out the townfolk in order to steal their land? Send in the toughest gang you've got...and name a new sheriff who'll last about 24 hours. But that's not really the plot of Blazing Saddles, just the pretext. Once Mel Brooks' lunatic film many call his best gets started, logic is lost in a blizzard of gags, jokes, quips, puns, howlers, growlers and outrageous assaults upon good taste or any taste at all. Cleavon Little as the new lawman, Gene Wilder as the wacko Waco Kid, Brooks himself as a dim-witted politico and Madeline Kahn in her Marlene Dietrich send-up that earned an Academy Award nomination all give this sagebrush saga their lunatic best. And when Blazing Saddles can't contain itself at the finale, it just proves the Old West will never be the same!

Customer Reviews:

Blazing Saddles.......2007-07-03

Tastelessly ribald spoof of Hollywood Westerns packs a lot of silly madcap comedy into its 90-minute running time. Just about everyone imaginable becomes the target of Mel Brooks's shamelessly funny lampooning, and Harvey Korman, Slim Pickens, and the great Gene Wilder turn in some of the loopiest performances of their careers. Madeline Kahn is especially memorable as Lilli Von Shtupp, a Marlene Dietrich-like chanteuse. If you're in the mood for humor that's lewd, crude and unabashedly infantile, hitch your wagon to "Blazing Saddles".

Funny, Funnier, Funniest.......2007-06-18

The first movie that my wife watched in one sitting and wanted to see again the next evening. Side splitting and healthy slapstick as only Mel could make.

Classic scenes are cut out.......2007-06-10

If you like this movie, DO NOT buy this edition, as some classic scenes have been cut out of this early-DVD era release. Buy the 30th anniversary edition instead.

Enjoyable once in awhile.......2007-06-01

Frankly, I don't find Blazing Saddles to be THAT funny. It's a movie that you can enjoy watching about once every ten years or so, but not any more often. Mongo is funny, and Gene Wilder gives a fantastic dramatic performance as always. Otherwise, there's not much about Blazing Saddles that's really that amazing. It's amusing, but not once did I laugh out loud. And even though it is obviously used to make a political statement, the repeated use of the "N" word still turned me off. I know it was being used tongue-in-cheek, but like most of the bits in this movie, I just didn't find it funny. Another mark against this movie is that due to its age, many of the cameos and cultural references go over the head of people today, not even realizing who they are seeing or that certain things are being parodied. Overall, more boring than funny, even when you know what the references are.

A Mel Must-Own.......2007-05-31

Probably the best, if not, the most influential of all of Brooks' films. Probably couldn't be released today with all the PC watchdogs howling, but that's another matter all together! Madeline Kahn at her finest with her tongue-in-cheek Dietrich send-up! No comedy collection should be without this masterpiece!

Average customer rating:

The Godfather
The Godfather
One Of The Best!
IMHO, closer to the reality
The movie that started the modern American mafia genera

The Godfather (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Marlon Brando , Al Pacino , James Caan , Richard S. Castellano , and Robert Duvall
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001NBNB6
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Amazon.com essential video

Generally acknowledged as a bona fide classic, this Francis Ford Coppola film is one of those rare experiences that feels perfectly right from beginning to end--almost as if everyone involved had been born to participate in it. Based on Mario Puzo's bestselling novel about a Mafia dynasty, Coppola's Godfather extracted and enhanced the most universal themes of immigrant experience in America: the plotting-out of hopes and dreams for one's successors, the raising of children to carry on the good work, etc. In the midst of generational strife during the Vietnam years, the film somehow struck a chord with a nation fascinated by the metamorphosis of a rebellious son (Al Pacino) into the keeper of his father's dream. Marlon Brando played against Puzo's own conception of patriarch Vito Corleone, and time has certainly proven the actor correct. The rest of the cast, particularly James Caan, John Cazale, and Robert Duvall as the rest of Vito's male brood--all coping with how to take the mantle of responsibility from their father--is seamless and wonderful. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

The Godfather.......2007-07-05

Long before "The Sopranos," a young Coppola transformed our understanding of the relationship between organized crime and corporate American profiteering with this operatic ode based on Mario Puzo's acclaimed novel. Moody and violent, with Gordon Willis's Technicolor photography adding a sepia-toned period look, "Godfather" combines a bullets-blazing mobster film with a gripping family saga. And what a cast: Pacino, Robert Duvall, James Caan, and Diane Keaton are all superlative. Brando, of course, achieved yet another level of cinematic fame with his iconic portrayal of the title character. Coppola fought with Paramount to achieve his personal vision, but ultimately triumphed, winning the 1972 Oscar for Best Picture.

The Godfather.......2007-06-21

The greatest movie ever. It can teach you all you need to know about life in 180 minutes. There you go, life in 3 hours

One Of The Best!.......2007-05-15

What can I say, this is a fantastic epic! In my opinion, it is one of the best movies of all time. A+++

IMHO, closer to the reality.......2007-04-15

It's sad to see the mafia or cosa nostra portrayed as a couple hundred thugs in New York hustling up money. The mafia is a worldwide organization and in the overall evaluation performs many good deeds and must benefit others more than it harms (Aquinas - "The greatest good for the greatest number"). The governmental systems in all countries always leave people behind and there must be some underground that picks up these people and helps them survive. Also, it seems to prove useful to have an underground which is at least somewhat prepared to fuel revolutions. Frequently, the mafia within a given country can prove a great asset to its government since they are usually privy to intelligence that escapes the ears of the government's agencies.

Everyone knows this movie, I would point out that I really liked the development of the expansion of the Cosa Nostra and in the sequels the international expansion.

The movie that started the modern American mafia genera.......2007-04-14

The Godfather set the American Mafia movie genera. A good plot line with a tight scrip, superb direction and well acted. There are many murders, after all this is about gangsters but why it's rated "R" is beyond me. It's way less gruesome with less disturbing violence than Casino and many modern MA films are much more violent.

The power plays, honour and business scheming between the Mafia families give the framework of the film with personal trial and tribulations providing more depth for the character development that echo throughout the genera ever since and make The Godfather repeatedly watchable.

I wanted a copy for a present and after spending months looking for a copy in the retail shops without success, I found this widescreen version at a great price on Amazon within seconds and, I ended up keeping it.

Average customer rating:

One damn awful film!
Love and Sex
Huh?
so-so
could a movie be any duller?

9 songs - Unrated Full Uncut Version
Starring: Kieran O'Brien , Margo Stilley , Huw Bunford , Cian Ciaran , and The Dandy Warhols
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Lie With Me
Intimacy (Unrated, Widescreen Edition)
The Dreamers (Original Uncut NC-17 Version)
Romance
Devil in the Flesh

ASIN: B000BGH29K
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Amazon.com

Maverick director Michael Winterbottom wondered about the double standard of why novels can have explicit sex scenes and be legit and films could not. So his short film of a relationship based solely on sex and a love for music is the result of that thought. If the definition of a porn film is to shoot actors performing graphic sex scenes for real, then 9 Songs qualifies. It certainly doesn't feel or look like your standard whoopdee-do XXX feature. It's as glossy and low-budget arty as Winterbottom's 24 Hour Party People or I Want You. But yeah, Matt and Lisa do everything to each other, and the actors are not "just acting" in some of the sex scenes. No matter how landmark the movie might be, there is not much story here (at least a book with hot sex often has a good story to it). Lisa is an American drifter in London who hooks up with Matt, a scientist who studies glaciers in Antarctica. They have sex and visit nine rock concerts including Franz Ferdinand and The Dandy Warhols. As advertised, you can't find these musical performances anywhere else, but we just see them from way back in the crowd. The film has an essence of how someone can find bliss in another person's body, and the emotional, magical weight that can hold over you. But that spell doesn't last. Since the sex is real, Winterbottom had to cast unknown actors, and they really don't make an impression, especially with the lack of story. --Doug Thomas

Description

Matt, a young glaciologist, soars across the vast, silent, icebound immensities of the South Pole as he recalls his love affair with Lisa. They meet at a mobbed rock concert in a vast music hall - London's Brixton Academy. They are in bed at night's end. Together, over a period of several months, they pursue a mutual sexual passion whose stages unfold in counterpoint to nine live-concert songs. Featuring nine live concert performances not available anywhere else by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Von Bondies, Elbow, Primal Scream, The Dandy Warhols, Super Furry Animals, Franz Ferdinand and Michael Nyman. Special features include a Concert Performance-only option.

Customer Reviews:

One damn awful film!.......2007-07-03

Please, dont anyone tell me this is some erotic Romeo and Juliet, dont anyone complain about this film being 'too explicit' this film is bad because.....well it is just plain awful.

Two ugly students, one an American with an accent so anoying that it makes you want to punch her the second an Englishman so boring you wish he would fall down one of those glaciers he is exploring meet up, go to so called 'indie' shows down the Brixton academy, have sex a few times, make a pathetic attempt to take drugs, argue a bit, then brake up. Just about sums up the film.

If this is what anyone realy considers a good plot consider putting a gun to your head and putting yourself out of your misery. So what there are '9 songs' in the film and that is some kind of clever link to the title, so what? If anyone thinks two half starved students engaging in sex is erotic well.....er each to their own I guess.

In this world the director used amature actors, I hear in Road to Guantanimo he did the same. I can only asume that in 9 songs he used the same format because these two planks cant possibly be professional actors. I even watched the extra footage which included an interview with the main actress who is even more anoying in real life than she is when she is making her poor attempt at acting.

Awful film, avoid at all costs. I shudder at the thought of this film as I write this review.

Love and Sex.......2007-06-05

I thought that this film did a great job in depicting modern life, especially that of a young urbanite.

Much has been said in the reviews about the reliance on sex to underline the story and to be honest doesn't sex underpin much of our lives?

I like the fact that the sex is less overt at the start of the film; though it is happening we get only glimpses and teasing rather than a full on show (a likeness to those first exploratory forays with a new lover?), however as the couple relax further into their relationship the sex becomes more selfish and frank. By the final act of the film, as the relationship begins to fail, the sex is at it's most explicit (shown in sun drenched hues, lazy and slow - often the indicator of romance in films), but in this case the realty of boredom and routine.

I enjoyed the film though, like most, I found some of the sex shocking. But it made me think and, it certainly felt like a real place and not some cinematic creation.

Huh?.......2007-05-14

This movie was very hard to follow. The only thing I got was the fact that
she left him at the end. I didn't care for it too much.

so-so.......2007-05-12

Film started off ok but after a bit it wasb very repetative and boring.

could a movie be any duller?.......2007-04-16

A not too good looking guy meets a really skinny girl at a rock concert. He takes her home and they do it. They see another band, and they do it some more. And so it goes on. And then the girl leaves and the guy resumes his job studying antarctic ice. End of story.
What we see: Medium-core porn that never becomes interesting, let alone exciting. A couple of rock bands that sound pretty much the same and look pretty much the same. Oh, and Michael Nyman playing the piano for an enjoyable minute or three.
What we learn: Rock may not be dead, but it's seriously ill. Porn may not be an artform, but it IS a craft and it DOES require skill and the power to convince - and boy, are these 'actors' and director powerless.

Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope (1977 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

george come on!
Original version is important.
Thanks for nothing, George.
A Long, Long time ago . . . The World was soon to be completely amazed and I just turned 13 in May 1977
George, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Rated: *(****)

Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope (1977 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Peter Cushing , and Alec Guinness
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

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

ASIN: B000FQJAIW
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Amazon.com

The 2006 limited-edition two-disc release of George Lucas's epic space fantasy Star Wars is not only the first time the movie has been officially available by itself on DVD. It marks the first-ever DVD release of Star Wars as it originally played in theaters in 1977. What does that mean exactly? Well, for starters, the initial title crawl proclaims that this is just Star Wars, not Episode IV, A New Hope. Second, the film is without the various "improvements" and enhancements Lucas added for the theatrical rerelease in 1997 as well as the DVD premiere in 2004. So no more critters and droids scurrying around the port of Mos Eisley when Luke and Obi-Wan Kenobi first arrive, no meetings between Han Solo and Jabba the Hut and between Luke and Biggs (extraneous scenes that were cut in 1977), no enhanced explosions during the final reel, and--most importantly to some fans--no more of Greedo shooting first in the bar. Instead Han is free to be the scoundrel and not even let Greedo squeeze off a shot.

What do you lose by watching the 1977 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here). Digital cleanup for another--Tatooine looks like it's been coated with an additional layer of sand cloud. But for home-theater owners, the biggest frustration will be from the non-anamorphic picture. On a widescreen TV, an anamorphically enhanced (16x9) picture at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the screen with the exception of small black bars on the top and bottom. The original edition of Star Wars, however, is not anamorphically enhanced (sometimes referred to as "4:3 letterbox"), so on a widescreen TV it will have large black bars on the top, the bottom, and the sides unless you stretch the picture (and distort it in the process, especially considering the substandard picture quality). If you're watching on a standard square-shaped (4:3) TV, though, you won't notice a difference.

Yes, it's true that serious home-theater lovers who want spectacular sound and anamorphically enhanced picture can always watch the 2004 version of the movie also included in this set. But chances are good that they already picked up the trilogy edition of all three films, so their decision to buy the 2006 two-disc edition depends on how much they want the original film. The official LucasFilm stance is that this is an individual release of the 2004 version of Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope, and the 1977 version of the film is merely a "bonus feature." Common speculation is that the only reason the original versions are seeing the official light of day at all is to undercut the booming black market for the laserdisc version. Star Wars fans will have to decide for themselves if that's worth the purchase. --David Horiuchi

Description

For the first time ever and for a limited time only, the enhanced versions of the Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi will be available individually on DVD. Plus, these 2-Disc DVD's will feature a bonus disc that includes, for the first time ever on DVD, the original films as seen in theaters in 1977, 1980 and 1983.

Customer Reviews:

george come on!.......2007-06-25

com on George why don't you stop giving everybody this cheesy stuff? If you are going to remaster them, make everything better! picture sound, lightsaber and blast improvmets. and if u r going to sell the unre,astered then sell it Untouched! the only button u should press is the ''copy button''

Original version is important........2007-06-19

Personaly, I just wish to have both versions in good remastering in Anamorphic and DTS sound. Special verion is important but the Original is more important beause it has all the footages from 1977 release.

Special edition is important because it has Mr. Lucas real vision, which is being unabled to creat at that time. It is understandable but i was hoping to see the original in good picture and sound because i do agree with all reviewers that it was good enough and no needing for improvment. Changing the original for better might fix some part while destort another. The 1977 opening title was very simple and wonderul which was truly unforgttable watching it at theater as it apeared very new look, by adding new titles like IV New hope it felt destort that simplicity and add complexity, sometimes it felt like watching a TV series rather than a motion picture.

About new added footages of Jabba, the more i realized that im watching an animated picture the more i loose apatites to watch it more. Same thing to spaceships in last battle scene, i dont know if they are worthy and not staying with old ones. The more reshaping picture for better the more it become unrealistic and loose its powerfull effect.

But perhapse adding new footages without deleting old ones in order to expand the scene in general, it would be a good idea and interesting, especially in the last battle scene in my opinion.

Finaly, about the information displayed in beginning when louding DVD discs. Please can anyone inform the manufactures to disable these and just let the movie begain like old VHS and Laser Discs? Theses menues add more headache and complexity. A desire to watch one small part in the movie and leave, will require long time just pressing bottums and skipping.

Thanks for nothing, George........2007-06-14

I am just guessing here, but I think I know what's going to happen. In about 12-24 months we're going to get word that the Star Wars movies are scheduled to be released in High Definition. But they will only be available in a gorgeously-designed glossy 9-DVD Box Set, with all of the films (special editions), extras. Maybe it will have the original Star Wars illustration of Darth Vader across the box -- and it will be something around $200 list, $140 on Amazon.

Then once again people will voice their fury at Lucasfilm's arrogance. We will be stuck with Hayden Christansen digitally inserted into the finale of Return of the Jedi, a ridiculous CGI Jabba, the slobbering Max Reebo band, and everything else we detest.

Then in about 2010 an ageing Lucas will relent, say he has listened to all the hearfelt pleas, and to much ballyhoo announce that yes he will indeed be releasing the original versions, and yes, because he cares so much, he will even clean them up and release them properly. He will be a compassionate hero while at the same time make umpteen millions more.

Don't give this guy any more money. What he has done here is shameless and rude to the original fanbase. Non-anamorphic tranfers in this day and age is ridiculous.

A Long, Long time ago . . . The World was soon to be completely amazed and I just turned 13 in May 1977.......2007-06-11

The magical accending words that opened this phenomenon back on May 25th, 1977 @ SpringField Mall (VA) theatres; sent this 13 yr old 70's child into an endless STAR WARS fandom. I became instantly obsessed with bubble gum trading cards, comic books, action firgures, Jedi Knights and Light Sabers.

Originally, my family and I viewed our 1st screening of STAR WARS IV @ the 1 & 2 cinemas that use to reside in Bailey's Crossroads - Falls Church, VA (sad to say the theatre is no longer there). Massive long, long lines as all can remember, but much fun and laughter . . . all worth the wait. Not long after the 1st viewing, my mum would drop me off @ Springfield Mall w/my pals and we would make a day of seeing STAR WARS a few times; and then off to the arcade playing STAR WARS pinball, space invaders and air hockey. As the saying goes . . . those were the days.

Here we are at the 30th Anniversary of EPISODE IV and my where the time has gone. Sometimes it seems just yesterday, when I was basking in the bright sun standing within a long line at the neigborhood ice cream truck, looking at what STAR WARS trading cards I had in my hand and what I was going to soon own. And the glorious feeling I had once I purchased a few pacs of those magical fantastic cards. Thou sometimes it seems (as the opening words go) - A long time ago in a galaxy far far away . . .

After I received a stero system from my dad on that B-Day, I purchased an 8 track tape of IV and would listen to it every night faithfully. As I would drift off to sleep, the STAR WARS world came alive in my mind and a smile always laid upon my face. The tape was a condensed version of the movie and it too was extraordinary.
I can remember fading to black with the sounds of RD-D2, C-3PO, Chewie, Han, Luke, Ben, Leia, Tie-Fighters & X-Wings, the infamous M-Falcon, Sand People, Gran Moff Tarkin, the Death Star and the wonderful music. The best for last was the sounds of Vader's breathing and James Earl Jone's voice commanding the Dark Sith Lord.

The daily hustle & bustle of the modern world as a child seems incoherent. For a childs mind is always filled with play and or mischief and adventure. As an adult I am reminded of those times and long hours of role playing games. So, when I put EPISODE IV in the vcr, instantly I venture back to those days and of my wonderful memories that Mr. Lucas so kindly injested immortal memroies into my creative vortex.

Still after all these years and with the enhancement of special effects, I have and will evermore enjoy STAR WARS- A NEW HOPE. Always will I remember the monumental movie making experience it gave leading us into the 21st century.

Some of my favorite quotes:
"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope" - Princess Leia
"Into the garbage chute, flyboy." - Leia

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid" - Han Solo
"Let him have it. It's not wise to upset a Wookiee.' - Han Solo

"This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster, but an elegant weapon for a more civilized age. For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire." - Obi-Wan
"A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights. He betrayed and murdered your father." - Obi-Wan
"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine." - Obi-wan
"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened." - Obi-Wan

"Don't call me a mindless philosopher, you overweight glob of grease." - C-3PO

"The Force is strong with this one" - Darth Vader
"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed; the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force." - Vader

"I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home. They're not much bigger than two meters." - Luke
"I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you!" - Luke

"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station. In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that is to be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base, I have chosen to test this station's destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan." - Moff Tarkin

I still posses a few original trading cards from IV, mostly thou from V & VI. I have the original wrappers the cards came in. My SW collection consists of: Action figures, VHS, DVD, CD, old fan club newsletters, stickers, light sabers and books.

Hats off and an endearing bow to you Mr. Lucas! How could you have ever known that you had created a phenomenon. The writing deserved the Pulitzer in my opinion. And as a writer, I know it can be most difficult to lay the whole story out on parchment when it roams in your mind for what seems an eternity. . . but when it is finally adapted to parchment, a masterpiece is thus born. The added element of glory, as I can only imagine, is to finally see the tale adapted to film and to live thru it's grand success.

STAR WARS - A NEW HOPE . . . escape to another time & place, explore worlds both small & grand, experience FORCES of good & evil, ancient religions, sci-fi & fantasy, jedi, farmboys, wookies & wizards, droids, saber duals, blasters, tie fighters & the Falcon, A Dark Lord who made the top of villian lists everywhere and so much more you simply must see.

The power of the FORCE will lure you in, enticing you to follow the chapters here after (and the prequels) in to this extrordinary Lucas realm.
Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

May The FORCE be with you . . . as it has been with me for 30 years.

LadyGray
Author of the Yuletide Tale - White Holly

George, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Rated: *(****).......2007-06-07

I agree with any of a number of previous reviewers: Would somebody PLEASE take STAR WARS away from George Lucas before he ruins it completely?

Like Francis Ford Coppola, who messed with THE GODFATHER trilogy over and over again trying to "perfect" it, Lucas keeps coming back to the original STAR WARS trilogy and adding enhanced effects and formerly deleted scenes.

In what is now known as STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE, (let me catch my breath a minute, please), Lucas decided to add creatures to the Mos Eiseley spaceport scene, alter the classic cantina scene, throw in a scene between Jabba the Hutt and Han Solo in the hangar of the "Millennium Falcon," add a sappy reunion scene between Biggs and Luke just before the Battle of Yavin, make the battle scene explosions more "dramatic," do a score of other little tweaks, and clean up the print.

Lucas has done this so many times over the past three decades that it's now impossible to figure out which film is the "real" STAR WARS. Of all the questionable "improvements" he's made, cleaning up the print is the only worthwhile effort. Most of the added scenes add nothing to the film, the "extra" creatures are interesting but unnecessary, and some of the changes actually degrade the movie, because the dialogue is repetitious. For example:

IN THE CANTINA:

Greedo---Jabba has no use for smugglers who dump their cargoes at the first sign of an Imperial ship.

Han---Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?

and

IN THE HANGAR:

Jabba--- I have no use for smugglers who dump their cargoes at the first sign of an Imperial ship.

Han---Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?

Not only was it repetitious, but the hangar scene immediately followed the cantina scene, making the repetition even more obvious. DEAR LORD, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, MR. LUCAS??????

Fortunately, this two-disc set contains the original theatrical release with all the nicks and imperfections it was born with. The print's a bit dim, and the special effects are showing their limitations after thirty years, but this is the STAR WARS that will remain STAR WARS. It is what it is, and it never needed changes. Given the immense amount of material that has grown up around STAR WARS since it was first released, Lucas would have been smarter to release one or the other or both versions as he did, but added an Extras disc with all kinds of "The Making Of.." and "The Legacy Of..." goodies. I was disappointed that this isn't that set.

I was one of the first people to see STAR WARS when it debuted in the summer of 1977. At age 17, this now-classic movie became and remains a benchmark of an era in my life. While I never became a "Jedihead" (the original tag for the STAR WARS version of a Trekkie), I liked the film a great deal.

STAR WARS is not CITIZEN KANE IN OUTER SPACE. It's not a "great" film, but it is a true "classic." At the end of the first film you might even wonder what all the hype was about. Yet the movie has a engaging and endearing quality that makes you want to keep coming back for more, the true basis of success and the core of meaningfulness for any story. STAR WARS is clearly derivative. THE LORD OF THE RINGS has a "Dark Lord." STAR WARS has a "Dark Lord of the Sith." Lightsabers are yet another nod to the film's Sword & Sorcery roots, as is the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (a little Gandalf, anyone?). STAR WARS' "Corellians" appear in Isaac Asimov's FOUNDATION as "Korellians", and "Han Solo" is also there as "Hari Seldon." The space war elements are a mishmash of STAR TREK, FORBIDDEN PLANET, AMAZING STORIES, pulp fiction, and a hundred other sources. George Lucas was able to take these well-used pieces and combine them into something that is both very original and yet archetypal.

STAR WARS is a sci-fi retelling of the Mythos of the young Hero. Aided by a mentor (Obi-Wan), an older, more seasoned companion (Han), and his own court jesters (See Threepio and Artoo Detoo), the young Hero (Luke) is introduced to his special (Jedi) birthright, saves the beautiful Princess (Leia) from the clutches of Evil (Darth Vader), and then must confront that Evil himself (the Battle of Yavin).

Since STAR WARS is so mythic and archetypal, it survives some really bad acting by the background characters, a few missed beats here and there, and even Lucas's post-theatrical obsessive-compulsive changes to remain a modern classic.

FIVE STARS FOR "STAR WARS", ONE STAR FOR LUCAS' DECISION (OBSESSION?) TO "IMPROVE" IT.

Average customer rating:

American Graffiti
American Graffiti DVD
American Graffiti
i dig rock & roll music, i can really get it on that scene ...
Too Bad the sound track was "Improved"

American Graffiti (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss , Ron Howard , Paul Le Mat , Charles Martin Smith , and Cindy Williams
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 078322737X
Release Date: 1998-09-16

Amazon.com essential video

Here's how critic Roger Ebert described the unique and lasting value of George Lucas's 1973 box-office hit, American Graffiti: "[It's] not only a great movie but a brilliant work of historical fiction; no sociological treatise could duplicate the movie's success in remembering exactly how it was to be alive at that cultural instant." The time to which Ebert and the film refers is the summer of 1962, and American Graffiti captures the look, feel, and sound of that era by chronicling one memorable night in the lives of several young Californians on the cusp of adulthood. (In essence, Lucas was making a semiautobiographical tribute to his own days as a hot-rod cruiser, and the film's phenomenal success paved the way for Star Wars.) The action is propelled by the music of Wolfman Jack's rock & roll radio show--a soundtrack of pop hits that would become as popular as the film itself. As Lucas develops several character subplots, American Graffiti becomes a flawless time capsule of meticulously re-created memory, as authentic as a documentary and vividly realized through innovative use of cinematography and sound. The once-in-a-lifetime ensemble cast members inhabit their roles so fully that they don't seem like actors at all, comprising a who's who of performers--some of whom went on to stellar careers--including Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips, Charles Martin Smith, Candy Clark, and Paul Le Mat. A true American classic, the film ranks No. 77 on the American Film Institute's list of all-time greatest American movies. --Jeff Shannon

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

American Graffiti .......2007-06-27

I didn't care for this movie too much. It might be ok for teenagers but I doubt today's teenager would relate, it may seem kind of nerdy to them.

American Graffiti DVD.......2007-05-13

This is a great movie and have always wanted to own it. I've had no problems with it. It's in perfect condition and I've already watched it three times!

American Graffiti.......2007-05-07

My husband was born in 1947 so this is his musical era. He just wanted it for the car stereo and his lengthy drive to work every day.

i dig rock & roll music, i can really get it on that scene ..........2007-03-30

ok, i was 19 when i first saw this in the movies so it had a special impact. seeing it now in middle age it is not as powerful, but can still be appreciated on its own terms: well written, well acted, well directed, andof course that score makes one think (incorrectly) that the early days of rock-n-roll were some sort of era of musical magic.

Too Bad the sound track was "Improved".......2007-02-18

This was and is a great,great, movie the way it was "originally" conceived! Then, DVDs came along with better visuals and the "required 5.1 soundtrack." Because of it's popularity, Lucas had to "improve" the already wonderful soundtrack inorder to "repackage" his wonderful creation. Well, you guessed it, he, or his audio engineers, ruined the sound by "updating" it. Yes, the visuals are improved but the "new and improved audio track" is barely acceptable which is a shame as there is so much wonderful music in this film. ("He must have changed the editing monitor speakers he used originally to a "better and improved version." The "new" sound track is simply too "accurate" and "uninvolving" on a modern sound system and does not capture the emotions of the original event as well as what you can hear on the "old" VHS and LaserDisc versions. Sad, as the "new" soundtrack, while sounding ok , can distract on a quality home audio/video system these days. Stay with the VHS or LaserDisc versions if your lucky enough to have them.

Average customer rating:

Painfully searing and thought provoking
Wow... Just Wow
Makes you think!
garbage
XXXX...

American History X
Starring: Edward Norton , Edward Furlong , Beverly D'Angelo , Avery Brooks , and Jennifer Lien
Director: Tony Kaye
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305313687
Release Date: 1999-04-06

Amazon.com

Perhaps the highest compliment you can pay to Edward Norton is that his Oscar-nominated performance in American History X nearly convinces you that there is a shred of logic in the tenets of white supremacy. If that statement doesn't horrify you, it should; Norton is so fully immersed in his role as a neo-Nazi skinhead that his character's eloquent defense of racism is disturbingly persuasive--at least on the surface. Looking lean and mean with a swastika tattoo and a mind full of hate, Derek Vinyard (Norton) has inherited racism from his father, and that learning has been intensified through his service to Cameron (Stacy Keach), a grown-up thug playing tyrant and teacher to a growing band of disenfranchised teens from Venice Beach, California, all hungry for an ideology that fuels their brooding alienation.

The film's basic message--that hate is learned and can be unlearned--is expressed through Derek's kid brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), whose sibling hero-worship increases after Derek is imprisoned (or, in Danny's mind, martyred) for the killing of two black men. Lacking Derek's gift of rebel rhetoric, Danny is easily swayed into the violent, hateful lifestyle that Derek disowns during his thoughtful time in prison. Once released, Derek struggles to save his brother from a violent fate, and American History X partially suffers from a mix of intense emotions, awkward sentiment, and predictably inevitable plotting. And yet British director Tony Kaye (who would later protest against Norton's creative intervention during post-production) manages to juggle these qualities--and a compelling clash of visual styles--to considerable effect. No matter how strained their collaboration may have been, both Kaye and Norton can be proud to have created a film that addresses the issue of racism with dramatically forceful impact. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

Edward Norton's Academy Award nominated role as a White Supremist who sees the error of his ways while jailed for murder. Unfortunately, he leaves prison to find his brother (Edward Furlong) heading down the same path.

Customer Reviews:

Painfully searing and thought provoking.......2007-06-27

I really can't remember a more emotionally charged movie. American X will make you feel angry, frightened, uncomfortable, shocked, sad, and hopefully introspective. It plunges deep into the heart of racism and ultimately exposes the ignorance that fuels it.

Edward Norton is scary. He received an oscar nomination as he became fully immersed in this role as Derek, an angry white supremist.

One of the scenes I found most profound was a glimpse of his upbringing. He is having a conversation with his father, explaining his admiration and respect for his school teacher, who happens to be a black man with two Phds. His dad drops subtle little hints and discriminatory remarks to discredit the man, and his son takes it to heart.

That's really the point of this whole movie, that nobody is born with hatred. Sadly, sometimes it is learned.

This movie is filled with intense moments where the rage and racism are much more blatant. Derek's hatred for all minorities keeps growing, even though he doesn't bother to get to know any of them. Until he goes to prison, and his work partner shows him the error of his ways.

Although this plot development is predictable and Derek's complete change of heart unfortunately seemed a little forced, this still is an exceptional movie. There are so many human frailties exposed and subjective topics examined. It is an obvious message film with high aspirations.

What king of response it triggers depends on you.

Wow... Just Wow.......2007-06-22

A good friend of mine suggested this film, and I really didnt know what to expect going in, but after this film was over, I sat in stunned silence. I knew that racism was horrible, but I found through this film that it does not come without a terrible price..the loss of love, friends, family...and the realization that everything that you believed to be true isnt always the way things are. Edward Norton's performance takes the viewer through this journey, and its not a pretty one. He goes from an bright young man, to a vengeful bigot, to a remorseful excon with a brothers life in jeopardy, and you feel as though you are looking in on someones life in the course of 2 hrs. All of the acting in this film is first rate, and the ending wasnt quite as predictable as others might have you believe...it is quite shocking, as is much of the film. It causes quite a debate on the way people view others whos skin color is not the same. As Dr. King said, judge me not on the color of my skin, but on the content of my character. I live with racism, because I am a black man living in America...it exists, but if we educate ourselves like the main character in AHX, it wont stay around for much longer.

Makes you think!.......2007-06-10

I was skeptical when I first heard about this movie, as I was originally mis-informed as to what it was really about! I am definetly glad I finally sat down and watched this film.

After seeing this film, it has quickly become one of my favorite films that I have ever seen. As others have said, Edward Norton plays his role so well, you may actually find yourself partly agreeing with what he says. The message of the film is very well done, and the ending is one of the most shocking I have seen.

Excellent acting, directing, and story-telling. This is a film to own, and a film that has become a classic within the world of movie-making!

garbage.......2007-05-23

A waste of a fine performance by Norton. The film is an idealistic mess. Trite and melodramatic. I like the ending, because it completely skewers audience expectations, but beyond that, the film feels as if it has been patched together at the last minute. Segments don't entirely match, and most of the acting is uneven. The story is straight out of a tv movie.
If you are one of those typical film students who wears a trenchcoat, has a goatee and won't shut up about Clerks and Fight Club, this will probably be your favorite movie.

XXXX..........2007-04-03

The fear of foreign races or people, and it evolving into an actual phobia, an intense and irrational dread, in other terms, racism, has been around since primitive man began forming tribes, millions of years ago. American History X examines racism in the context of present day neo-Nazism, and similar to the German Nazis of the 30's and 40's all foreigners are blamed for everything wrong with the State. The solution to unemployment, a high cost of living, rocketing welfare and rising crime is to jettison all immigrants, foreigners, from the country so that the original people, the white's in America or the Aryan race in 30's Germany can flourish as they are truly destined to do. This notion is one of the foundational tenets of fascism, and added to this, violence and war is the only method to achieve a `pure' flourishing State.

American History X is a strong film presenting the arguments for the Right and the Left where, for the most part, the propositions on both sides have valid points, however, it is impossible to argue a subject as complex as immigration, rising crime and the cost of living by blaming these situations on a particular race of people. In fact, the argument is absurd because there are always exceptions, and as this important film points out with force and powerful emotion, racism is about hate, fear and personal anger, projected on a generality because it is convenient, a scapegoat for a lack of control and responsibility.

Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) is an intelligent young man but somewhere along the line began to hate Black American's, Asian American's et al, and under the tutelage of an older and influential White Supremist, (Stacy Keach), becomes the leader of a `skinhead' gang in Venice Beach, trashing foreign owned grocery stores to finally be jailed for the brutal murder of two teenaged Black Americans because they attempted to steal his car. Derek is strong, passionate, and terribly angry and now, a cold blooded killer and his younger brother, Danny, (Edward Furlong) idolises him.

Edward Furlong as Danny was perfect casting as he has a sensitive and forlorn, lost gaze, almost innocent because he loves his brother so much, and when his brother is released from prison with a different point of view, at first goes a little crazy, but will go along because he worships and loves him. Of course this makes the ending that much more forbidding and terribly moving. Furlong is a talented actor and is restrained in this picture, resulting in his performance being totally believable.

A film about such a controversial subject matter cannot avoid presenting a message for the viewer. In the case of American History X, racism is not an innate condition but a learned one, passed on from generation to generation.

American History X is not a good film but a truly great one and should be viewed by all concerned about our society and the hate and fear it contains...

The Godfather, Part II (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

The Hardening of the Idealist
Wonderful sequel to the Godfather
Great sequel
A Good Follow up
Quality

The Godfather, Part II (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Al Pacino , Robert Duvall , Diane Keaton , Robert De Niro , and John Cazale
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007Y08MY
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Amazon.com essential video

Francis Ford Coppola took some of the deep background from the life of Mafia chief Vito Corleone--the patriarch of Mario Puzo's bestselling novel The Godfather--and built around it a stunning sequel to his Oscar-winning, 1972 hit film. Robert De Niro plays Vito as a young Sicilian immigrant in turn-of-the-century New York City's Little Italy. Coppola weaves in and out of the story of Vito's transformation into a powerful crime figure, contrasting that evolution against efforts by son Michael Corleone to spread the family's business into pre-Castro Cuba. As memorable as the first film is, The Godfather II is an amazingly intricate, symmetrical tragedy that touches upon several chapters of 20th-century history and makes a strong case that our destinies are written long before we're born. This was De Niro's first introduction to a lot of filmgoers, and he makes an enormous impression. But even with him and a number of truly brilliant actors (including maestro Lee Strasberg), this is ultimately Pacino's film and a masterful performance. --Tom Keogh

Description

This brilliant companion piece to the original film continues the saga of two generations of successive power within the Corleone family. Coppola tells two stories in Part II: the roots and rise of a young Don Vito, played with uncanny ability by Robert De Niro, and the ascension of Michael (Pacino) as the new Don.

Customer Reviews:

The Hardening of the Idealist.......2007-04-01

Most critics and the Motion Picture Academy agree. Godfather 2 is a worthy sequel to the blockbuster movie, The Godfather.

If you think that the Godfather saga is only about Organized Crime, you are wrong. It is about Family dynamics in a Sicillian family who's business just happens to be Organized Crime.

Michael is the quintessential Idealist. Whereas his father was a pragmatist bound in honor, and his brothers were respectivly a loose cannon and a milquetoast, Michaels idealism turned out to be his downfall. Whereas a pragmatist can be flexible, an idealist always insists that he is right all the time, and he runs his life in such a manner. When your life involves the Underworld, all your ideals will morph you into a pillar of granite. This is what Godfather 2 is all about.

In it we see two stories running paralell tracks. The first story is of Don Vito choosing to be a strongarm to protect his Family, his friends and his honor. Then we see Michael trying to do the same thing, but his ideals get in the way and he chooses to abandon them. He drive his friends and family away from himself by his sheer heartlessness and ruthlessness. In the end of Godfather 2, he has no honor, for he kills everyone in his way. Even his own brother, Fredo! We see in the end him sitting alone on a bench with an icy stare. But after all, he believes that all his actions were not only neccesary, but RIGHT!!! Michael tells Tom Hagen: "I dont feel that I have to kill everybody! Only my enemies." Yet to Michael, in the end, all those who do not agree with him are enemies!

To see Michael deal with his sins and attempt to buy his redemption, you must purchase Godfather 3 from Amazon.com!

Wonderful sequel to the Godfather.......2007-03-30

This is as fantastic a movie as the first part. The Metamorphosis of Michael Corleone which started in the first part reaches its completion in this sequel. He is so besotted with power that he does not want any one opposing him be it his wife, brother, or anyone. This movie shows us how life can change a "War-hero" to a power-drunk godfather.

Great sequel.......2007-03-12

Even better than the original - because it probes deeper into the personalities, especially of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and his obsession with family and loyalty and snubbing out his enemies. He is quiet, educated, and coldly calculating. The movie traces his dealings in the 1950s-60s, set mainly in Nevada. Interspersed with these developments is the story of the rise of his father Don Vito Corleone in Little Italy in NYC in the 1920s, with Robert De Niro doing a brilliant job in that role. Both stories are excellently told. Despite my never quite understanding America's obsession with the mafia and its ilk, it's not hard to conclude that this is a major movie achievement.

A Good Follow up.......2007-03-10

a good movie that explains the first one a little more

Quality .......2007-02-26

I'd read that Godfather II was a worthy sequel, so I was desperately hoping that this would be true - and, oh, how it was! Although the movie was only filmed two years after the Godfather, about 7 years have gone by in the timeline of the story. The Corleone family, under the guidance of their new leader Michael, have moved to Las Vegas to make money from gambling. At the same time, the film also steps back into the past to show how Vito Corleone, Michael's deceased father