Robin Hood Blu Ray Review

The combination of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe has produced some great movies in the past. They seem to like to work with each other as shown by the sheer number of movies they have done together. And, for most part, they have made good solid movies. So, I was fairly excited when Scott and Crowe teamed up once again to make Robin Hood. There have been countless Robin Hood movies and it seemed like there was little Scott could do to add to the already abundant Robin Hood story. After watching the film, I was fairly impressed with the direction of the story.

Instead of the standard Robin Hood story where he is an outlaw from the start, we start off at an earlier point where Robin Longstride is a part of the English army returning from the crusade. During the return, the king is killed in a siege. Few of the knights are instructed to return the news of the death. However, during the return, they are ambushed and killed. Robin Longstride and few of his friends fled the battle once the king was killed. On the way back to England, they happen to come across the dead knights. There, he promises Robert Loxley that he will return the Loxley family sword to his family. Once they return to England, he decides to stay with Loxley family and assume the family name Loxley in order to help out the family.

This movie really has nothing in common with previous Robin Hood movies. This could have been any generic medieval sword and adventure type of movie. This isn’t said to disparage the movie. On the contrary, Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe deliver a great movie. But, for people expecting the typical story line of Robin Hood might be disappointed. What we do get is a prelude or part 1 or the overall movie. The movie screams for a sequel that details the typical outlaw life Robin Hood leads. The end feels like a set up for the next movie. The disappointing box office result may prevent a true sequel to this great movie.

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Prince of Persia Blu Ray Review

It is not easy to make a great transition from video games to the big screen. Only handful has made a successful jump from game to movie. The movie industry is littered with awful video game adaptations. We only need to look at Mario Brothers or Street Fighter franchise to see the massive failure attempts. It’s not surprising the movie studios were bit hesitant to make a video game movie. However, with the video game sales surpassing the box office sales, it is inevitable that there will be more video game movies. It’s no surprise Disney jumped into video game movie with producer Jerry Bruckheimer behind the Prince of Persia. While there are bigger franchise in the video game sphere, Prince of Persia might be the most suitable franchise for the Disney Company.

Dastan is a street rat who gets adapted by the King of Persia after some altercation. He grows up as a Prince surrounded by royalty. Dastan distinguishes himself as a warrior prince in various battles. Persian Army learns of Alamut’s involvement in supplying weapons to Persian enemy. Persian army invades the city on this information. Dastan distinguishes himself again as a great warrior. After the battle, the King of Persia dies under suspicious circumstance. The blame is placed on Dastan as the killer. In order to prove his innocence, he runs away with the help of Alamut’s princess. While investigating the matter, he learns of the special dagger that could change the history of Persia.

With Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, you get everything you expect from Bruckheimer production. While it is rated PG-13, adults should be able to enjoy this film unlike some other Disney films. At first, I was skeptical of Jake Gyllenhaal carrying a big budget action film. But, he does great job as the lead. Gemma Arterton as the princess Tamina is what you would expect from the role. The other surrounding cast such as Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina are top notch actors who compliment the main characters very well. This is a very enjoyable summer pop corn flick you should not miss.

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Avatar Blu Ray Review

James Cameron’s last film, Titanic, was the highest grossing film in the history. Cameron’s latest film eclipsed Titanic at the box office. Taking in over 2 billion dollars, Avatar has become the highest grossing movie of all time. Like Titanic, the big budget and overly hyped, Avatar had some worried that it might bomb at the box office. However, like Titanic, Avatar raked in massive amounts of money across the globe. James Cameron waited over 10 years since his last film to work on Avatar. As soon as you watch Avatar, you understand why he waited so long. 10 years ago, technology didn’t exist to create all the effects shown in Avatar. More than half of the movie is done purely on computer generated form. In the past, you could tell CG from reality in distinct form. Watching Avatar, you forget that you are watching CG.

In terms of plot, there isn’t too much to distinguish itself in originality. A lot of people have compared to Dances with Wolves and rightly so. The plot is not much different from Kevin Costner’s epic western movie. The story opens up with Jake Sully taking on a mission previously assigned to his twin brother. His twin brother was to go to Pandora on a project to get to know the natives through the usage of avatar. The natives, Navi, are resisting the mining company that intends to mine for a highly valuable ore. The avatars are made to look like the native Navi. The controllers are connected to their avatars and are able to control them. While getting to know the Navi, Jake Sully come to respect and love them. Thus, he sides with Navi to fight the evil corporation.

While not completely derivative, Avatar does borrow heavily from other movies. But, in terms of technical achievement, there is no equal. Even with known plot line, Cameron does excellent job of telling the story. The movie’s appeal is not just aesthetic, the story as well as the actors all make for a great entertainment. James Cameron’s patience has paid off. While we have seen some great CG effects in the past movies, none have come close to what Avatar has achieved. Avatar has blurred the line between real actors and computer generated actors. While real actors provide the basis, Avatar is one step closer to a completely generated actors on big screen.

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Sherlock Holmes Blu ray movie review

I was fairly skeptical when I heard about Guy Ritchie’s remake of the one of the greatest character ever. Sherlock Holmes is without a doubt one of the most memorable and famous fictional character ever created. This isn’t mean to slight Guy Ritchie or his movie making skills. Guy Ritchie has made his name making a gritty British gangster films. I didn’t know what to expect from his version of Sherlock Holmes. Upon watching the film, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t think Ritchie’s style would translate well into a Sherlock Holmes movie. I was wrong. It is a fantastic update.

While the movie does not follow any of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels, it does retain the overall spirit of the character. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fascination with occultists is the main focus of the film. The story begins with the capture of Lord Blackwood by Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Watson. But, Blackwood somehow escapes and goes on a killing spree. This baffles the police force and forces them to ask Holmes for his help. However, Watson’s impending wedding and the ineptitude of Scotland Yard forces Holmes to figure out the mystery on his own until Watson joins him again.

You can see Guy Ritchie’s influences all over this film. The movie has grittier overall feel to the movie. Also, most of Ritchie’s gangster films included a lot of humors even in the face of criminal subjects. This is no exception in Sherlock Holmes. The banter between Holmes and other characters are very amusing. The banter between Holmes and Watson is especially humorous. Even so, the overall tone does not take away from a classic Sherlock Holmes story. The way Holmes solves the mystery is classic in the mold of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes solves the mystery with power of deduction and science. There is already a talk of sequel and you can see why. This is one of the most entertaining film of the year.

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Blu ray movie review of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

There have been countless movies and television series about Robin Hood, the legendary figure in British lore. While I have not watched every single Robin Hood movie, I can safely say that Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is easily the best version in my opinion. This isn’t to say that the movie is Oscar worthy masterpiece. However, as an adventure/action film, this is a very satisfying movie regardless of its subject. This is the kind of movie you will almost always re watch when it is on a cable station on a lazy Saturday afternoon. You will just flip through channels and settle on watching this film again because it is still satisfying watch after all these years.

Almost everyone should be familiar with the Robin Hood story. While the exact facts and details are not known, it is generally understood that there was in fact a person who is associated with Robin Hood. The general premise is that he stole from the rich and gave it to poor peasants. This was accomplished with the help of his gang known as the “Merry Men.” As with other Robin Hood movie or television series, Prince of Thieves adds its own little twists and story to the overall lore. The story starts with Robin Hood captured by the Turks during the Crusades. He manages to escape with a Moor anmed Azeem and return to England. Upon his return, he learns of his father’s murder by Sheriff of Nottingham. He vows to avenge his father with the help of Azeem and his new friends.

Even if you know the story of Robin Hood, you will enjoy this version’s story. Kevin Costner as Robin Hood is pretty convincing even without the British accent. And, Morgan Freeman as Azeem can’t possibly be bad in any role he plays. Mary Elizabeht Mastrantonio as Maid Marian is the best movie she has done along with Abyss. With the impending release of the new version by Ridley Scott, this version will seem outdated and somewhat tame. Even so, you should be able to enjoy and appreciate this version that’s now available in high definition. Overall, this is an excellent and enjoyable film.

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