The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Widescreen Edition)

Watch It For The Entertainment Value
Young Lucy Pevenise, along with her older brothers Edmund and Peter, and her older sister, Susan, are in London during the initial bombing raids of WW II. And like many families of the time, the parents decide to send them to the country for safer keeping. Peter, the oldest, is told by their mother to "watch over them" and make sure they stay safe. And although this seems like a fairly simple request, Peter's ability to protect his siblings will be put to the ultimate test. But not by WW II, but by an amazing secret discovered by young Lucy.

Soon after being spirited into the company of a hermit-like professor's care (Jim Broadbent), they decide to play hide-and-seek, and it's during this game which Lucy discovers a mysterious wardrobe. She tucks herself inside and backs to the rear of the cabinet ...only to discover herself in an entirely different world. Here she meets up with Mr. Tumnus, a strange half-stag, half-human creature who explains much about the wintry...

A magical adaptation of an even more magical story
If you're going to bring a beloved classic to life, you had better do it right - and director Andrew Adamson did just that, largely because of his own special memories of reading the book as a child. The timing for this film was also right - not only because it follows in the wake of the masterful Lord of the Rings series (and there will always be comparisons between Narnia and LOTR, despite their vast differences) but, more importantly, because this film really could not have been made any earlier. I wasn't a big fan of CGI when the technology emerged; I thought it took away from the purity of the medium and, of course, it was oftentimes obviously not real in those early days. When you watch The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, though, you see the undeniable magic that CGI has now opened up. This film is heavy with computer animation, and its integration with real actors and sets is virtually seamless. Aslan, by way of example, may well be CGI's...

Excellent but Minor Changes will Irritate Avid Fans of the Novel
I just went to see this movie last night and WOW, it is really breathtaking and superbly done. The most important thing that was achieved is that the producers of this film captured the essence of Narnia. You really feel like you've been to Narnia and to me that makes the film tremendously powerful. The death and resurrection of Aslan were really fantastic, and I also especially liked the Lucy/Tumnus meeting and also when the children grew up in Narnia and were looking for the White Stag. How did they get adult actors who looked SO much like the children, I'd like to know?! Well done! Georgie Henley was terrific in this movie and really stole the show. She was the perfect Lucy. The casting for this film was really well done. The only character I did not care for was The White Witch. In other movie versions, perhaps the role is "over-played" and so because of that the role seemed to be "under-played" in this case. I don't know if a happy medium exists to be truthful. The...

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The Parent Trap (Special Double Trouble Edition)

G R E A T !!!!
Let me start by saying I am a mature adult having lived almost half a century. I have seen many movies and for some unknown reason this one has grabbed me. In the past two months I have watched it at least 20 times and each time found something I had not seen before.

Why?! Because this is a FUN movie. If you let yourself forget you are an ADULT and just watch you will find a wonderful story that is funny, romantic, and touching. You laugh, you cry, and if you have one ounce of romance in your body you feel the emotions of Annie and Hallie, their parents Nick and Elizabeth, and the supporting roles such as Martin and Chessy the respective butlers.

All of the actors do an excellent job with their chacters. Of particular note is Lindsay Lohan. A dual role is always demanding, but her ability to transititon between the unique differences of Hallie and Annie, both in language and personality, is amazing. She is an ACTRESS in the best sense of the word. I look forward to...

Believe it or not, it's even better than the original!
When this film was originally released in theatres, I had no desire to see it because I didn't think it could possibly live up to the Hayley Mills version. Years later, I was flipping channels and saw it featured as the Disney movie of the week, and I fell in love with it! This version is even BETTER than the original! So much of the plot mimics the original story (twin girls separated at birth reunite and scheme to get their parents back together), and the small deviations are wonderful, like having one of the twins speak with a British accent (so cute!).

Lindsay Lohan is absolutely adorable in her dual role: I don't think I've ever seen a little girl as charming as she is! Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson are a wonderful couple, and Elaine Hendrix is perfect as the girls' evil stepmother-to-be. Fans of the original "Partent Trap" will enjoy seeing Joanna Barnes in her cameo role as Meredith's mother, Vicki: a great tribute to the character she played in the 1961 version...

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE...DOUBLE YOUR FUN...
I saw this re-make most reluctantly. After all, I thought, how could it compare to the original blockbuster hit of the same name, which starred the adorable British actress, Hayley Mills? Well, to my complete surprise, this film is a winner in its own right. Reprising the dual roles played by Hayley Mills, a young Lindsay Lohan, in her silver screen debut, is surprisingly effective and adorable, making the dual roles her own.

For those of you unfamiliar with the premise of the film, two girls, Hallie Parker and Annie James (Lindsay Lohan), meet at summer camp. They look exactly alike. One lives with her father, while the other lives with her mother. They soon figure out the previously unknown but inescapable fact that they are twins, separated shortly after birth, each of whom lives with one of their biological parents. They both long to know the parent that is missing from their respective lives. So, they concoct a plan that will allow them to do so, leading to a scheme...

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Scrubs: The Complete Collection

Good set, minor drawbacks
This is not a review of the show itself, but of this particular set.

Complete series sets can be hit or miss. Usually, they include the same discs as each individual season does, packaged together in some manner. I, personally, am a fan of slim cases in a set like this. This set uses slide-in pockets. I will say the presentation of this set makes it one of the more interesting ones I own. The outer box is designed to resemble a doctor's clipboard, and comes with a JD name tag, a photo-booth style photo strip of the characters, and a strange holograph of the cast which when tilted shows an x-ray-like view (with some rather strange objects appearing within).

There's a paper wrap-around that explains what's in the set and must be removed before the box can be opened. The box flips open like one of those clipboards with a storage area below.

Inside is where the folders with the discs is found. The folder is designed to look like patient charts. The...

Good
This is an excellent collection for any fan of the show. I myself love the show and what better way to feed your scrubs appetite than with this ultimate collection. I, however after watching the collection have realized that there are a few glitches with it. I don't know if the movie studio was rushed into releasing this collection before given enough time to properly review it. I have a feeling that is what happened. The episode selection option gives you the option to watch single episodes at a time instead of watching them all. However with this option sometimes the episodes freeze at the end after the credits have rolled and the title screen wont load. I have found that I have to push stop and then play again to get the disc to work. Other than that and a few other glitches it is a good collection.

A must have not worth every penny.
First and foremost I would like to say that I am a huge fan of the show Scrubs. My heart was broken when my ex-roommate skipped town and stole ALL of my DVDs to include seasons 1 through 8 of Scrubs.

I got an e-mail from Amazon.com announcing that they were having a sale on some shows on DVD. The season 1-9 Collectors set was among the shows named and I jumped at the chance to repopulate my DVD collection with this fantastic show. My DVD's got to me in a very timely manner (considering I am stationed in Afghanistan). I as a tad disappointed when I opened the box and found how large the case was that held all of the DVDs (I thought the case would be around the average size so it would fit nicely on my shelf at home). I was too excited to have my DVDs so I overlooked that detail. When I opened the silver case that housed a smaller book of DVDs the disappointment came back. The picture of the case looks very nice but in person it's a bit weak and could tear apart from...

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The Cat Returns

I want a kitten.
Let me start off this review by saying the movie itself is a five star treat. I rented, after being on a Miyazaki and Ghibli streak, wanting to see all this Japanese studio had to offer. This one blew me away. It made me renew my love for cats, and I know this is one that my best friend, a feline fanatic himself, will probably be proudly displaying next to his What's Michael? japanese comics. Something the collective asian conscience gives them an affinity for cats, and it helps this movie shine. Anyone who has kids or cat lovers will enjoy this tale, but some may be a little lost. There was a movie before this one called Whisper of The Heart, not translated into english, but it isn't the same storyline, just the same characters, so you wont be missing any info, just dealing with a huge plot. Its worth investing in though.

WARNING!: Long Plot Ahead! (You should probably just skip to the end and then watch the movie, but it's here for the confused)

School girl...

A surprising choice . . .
I am not doing this review based on the Disney release, but on the original Japanese release. This charming little story is a product of Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli, but it is directed by Miyazaki's associate, Hiroyuki Morita. It is actually a sequel to the excellent and equally charming Whisper of the Heart, another beautiful though very low-key Ghibli product. The strange thing is that Whisper of the Heart has never been released in the U.S.; releasing the sequel before the original is a bit odd.

That being said, a wealth of details about the films (and everything from Studio Ghibli) can be found on the tremendously informative nausicaa.net Web site. Since this film is being released with Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind and Porco Rosso on February 22, it can only be hoped that it will ride somewhat on the coattails of the two better-known Miyazaki works and will have decent sales. It's an excellent family film and is a refreshing change (like all of Ghibli's works)...

Okay but mixed
Fans of Miyazaki-san and Studio Ghibli will appreciate this release, even though, once again, the Guardians of American Culture at Disney have tinkered with the dialog and plot line to suit their agenda. The release seems ham-handed and rushed.

Quite annoying and unforgivable is the use of so-called "dubtitles" to accompany the Japanese dialog. Thus we get the altered meanings, extra conversational clutter and hip dialog revisions of the English dub, instead of a literal translation of the Japanese script. Why no true subtitles? Probably a budgetary/profit margin decision.

Anyway, it's not too bad, even though, as other reviewers have noted, the release to the N. American market suffers from lack of antecedent -- just who is The Cat, and why should we be excited at his return? Return from where, exactly?

2012 update: okay, I see now that The Cat's Repayment is a more accurate translation of the Japanese original title, which reaffirms anyway that the...

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