Escape to Grizzly Mountain (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)A mountain man and modern boy are drawn together through a very special cave linking the present with 1841.
Dan Haggerty, who is best know for the 1970's series The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, stars in this movie. Though the beginning credits clearly state that this is an original production, and is in no way related to the Grizzly Adams series, you will find many similarities. I rather enjoyed that however.
The Mountain Man lives in a secluded cabin in 1841 in peace with nature and the natives on the vast open land of the Pacific Northwest. The boy lives in harried modern times with his older sister after their parents were killed by drunk drivers-(this is only mentioned not shown).
As bullies pick on Jimmy (the boy) they invite him along to the traveling circus where Jimmy finds a very young bear being mistreated and a friendly caregiver amongst the other cruel circus folk.
Through trial and error, bravery and determination this bear cub will have a peaceful and free life. How does he free the bear? What happens at the cave? Who helps him? Well, I'm not going to give it all away! Watch and see....
The time travel through the cave is done in a pleasant fashion and this is a great movie for the whole family. This left a solid vision in the minds of my little ones about caring for God's creatures.
I was very pleased to see Dan Haggerty reprise his mountain man role and I look forward to other productions with him in it.
This would make a great gift and you can feel good about giving it.

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A boy trying to free a bear cub from its cruel circus owners enlists the help of a real mountain man (Dan Haggerty, "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams") in this wonderful adventure for all ages. Heroes can come from any time...but heroism is timeless. A rugged adventure set in the splendor of the Pacific Northwest, "Escape to Grizzly Mountain" follows a brave boy back through time in a race to save one of Earth's cutest and most lovable creatures! Starring Dan Haggerty ("The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams") and Jan Michael Vincent ("Airwolf"), this delightful bear tale is a heartwarming film for all ages!

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Pokemon Heroes: The Movie (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)I just saw this a few hours ago, and I must say that it was spectacular. Pokemon Heroes: Latias and Latios begins with a couple of attractive master thieves stealing a book from some sort of library, and in James Bond fashion, they leap through the window, swing down a grappling hook's rope, jump in their sweet-looking car, and hit the road at high speeds. But the cool part came when they drove off the side of a large cliff and as they plummeted downwards, their car transforms(very detailed, but quickly) into a flying machine as they zoom off into the night sky. The movie has tons of these sort of slick action scenes, which is what moves the movie forward. The story is okay, for a Pokemon movie, and isn't too predictable. Ash and Co. arrive at a beautiful city called AltoMare(which resembles Venice, complete with water canals and gondolas). After participating in a water race, Ash runs into a strange girl, and the thieves who want to kidnap her for some reason, which leads to what is the first of many chase scenes in the movie.
The animation is far more advanced than the previous movies, with LOTS of computer generated imagery, and some SFX shots that are Matrix-esque. This movie is a very nice piece of eye-candy indeed(There's a scene where a flood starts to brew from afar, which sent a chill up my back). The traditional hand-drawn animation is good too, though there are many times where the characters seem to be drawn with black outlines that are a little too big. Thankfully Miramax left in the original orchestrated music, which is beautiful, mixing traditional anime orchestral pieces with Italian music. Heck, they even left in a JAPANESE song during a certain part of the movie! The movie begins with the same 'World of Pokemon' segment seen in many other places, and again they skip the mini-movie which will probably be on the DVD. Anyways, the voice acting is okay, and they didn't really change much of the movie in this English version. The opening and ending sequences has some american songs though, but they're okay. The only gripe I had was with Latias and Latios' voices; they're kinda annoying, and not what I expected.
Either way, if you're a Pokemon fan, you should definitely find a theater that's playing this film and see this movie. The semi-large audience at the screening actually clapped at the film's finale, and they even stayed for the end credits!(Which has a cameo appearance of a certain Pokemon collector from the second Pokemon film) It's one of the best, and possibly the most satisfying Pokemon movie made. Besides, the movie's ending is really cute. ;)

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The fifth installment of the phenomenally successful POKEMON series takes place in a mysterious city on water. Set against a baffling maze of canals and alleyways, Ash, Pikachu, the rest of the gang take on a slick new pair of thieves in this glamorous, high-stakes adventure story. The film introduces two new Pokemon characters -- Latias and Latios, who possess strong psychic abilities and the power to disguise themselves as humans!

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Colorado Territory (1949) Review

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(More customer reviews)At last this magnificient film by Raoul Walsh is out on DVD! This is a literate and breathtaking remake of Walsh's High Sierra and is just about as good. McCrea, an actor of tremendous ability, is superb, and this may be Virginia Mayo's finest role.... Henry Hull, that great character actor, also stands out. This is a superior Western and a fine film, highly recommended. Now, let us hope for additional McCrea titles....why not Universal's fine Cattle Drive and Saddle Tramp, both very good oaters, with McCrea a natural? And Wichita needs an American release in NTSC format. And there others....

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Into the Wild (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I read Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild" approximately ten years ago, I was mesmerized by the tragic real-life tale of Christopher McCandless. But as much as I loved the book, I never even thought about a film adaptation. Maybe that was shortsighted of me. Recounting McCandless's life and reconstructing it with minimal data and much introspection, "Into the Wild" succeeded as a cautionary adventure of idealism gone awry. Much of McCandless's life was lived alone and much of his story was pieced together though brief encounters or recovered writings. So what was a thoughtful portrait on the page never really seemed like it would translate to the screen--certainly not with the same impact. Luckily, though, Sean Penn thought otherwise. Adapting and directing Krakauer's fine book, Penn has fashioned a sad, funny and exciting film with tremendous emotional resonance.
An affluent and likable young man, McCandless graduated with honors from Emory University and then set a course to redefine his life. Abandoning his family, friends, and material possessions--McCandless assumed the pseudonym of Alexander Supertramp and set off to explore the world in its most innocent form. Living off the land and experiencing nature, fellow travelers, and much adventure--McCandless was looking for a modern day utopia and sought to discover his real self as he cast away the corruptions of modern life. Touring the country for two years, McCandless's exploration was to culminate in an Alaskan sojourn--where he would commune with "the wild." His aspirations can be viewed as both admirable and delusional--but that is part of the complexity of McCandless's life. As much as you want him to succeed, you realize there can be no happy ending with the expectations he has in place.
Penn's "Into the Wild," thus, depends on evoking a McCandless that you will care about--either because you commend his pursuit or because you want him to come to his senses. And it really works in combination. In a dynamic performance, Emile Hirsch transcends his previous work and becomes a full-fledged leading man. Hitting all the right notes, Hirsch creates a character who evokes our sympathy, our frustration, and even our laughter. McCandless meets a lot of companions on the road, and Hirsch makes it easy to see why he was so accepted. A great role--Hirsch meets all the emotional challenges and also makes a physical transformation that is a both startling and powerful. His great work is matched by a roster of big names including Vince Vaughn, William Hurt, Jena Malone, and Marcia Gay Hardin (among many others). But Catherine Keener and Hal Holbrook are real stand-outs--their adoptive relationships with Hirsch both challenge him and make him understand (eventually) that life is not meant to be lived alone.
If there is any flaw in the film, it exists in the book as well. We can only know so much about McCandless from the resources available. He had a heightened sense of injustice particularly when it came to the "untruths" or perceived wrongs perpetuated by his family. Nothing presented, however, can explain how his relatively normal dysfunction blossomed into such an extreme world view. This secret is in McCandless's mind alone.
"Into the Wild" works as a character study and a gritty drama, but also as an adventure. The scenery and photography are breathtaking and the action sequences are well executed. There is much genuine warmth and humor in the film as well. It was a fully satisfying film experience, to me, and has many quiet moments that have stayed with me. Highly recommended for serious adult audiences. KGHarris, 11/07

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This is the true story of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch). Freshly graduated from college with a promising future ahead, McCandless instead walked out of his privileged life and into the wild in search of adventure. What happened to him on the way transformed this young wanderer into an enduring symbol for countless people -- a fearless risk-taker who wrestled with the precarious balance between man and nature.

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Blood Legend (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)idea: recast Moira. if we did i think the movie could have been so much better...

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Many centuries ago, a beautiful woman named Moira was burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft. Diana, the direct descendant of Moira, relies upon her eccentric uncle for guidance in performing the spell to bring Moira back for another chance at life and to right the wrongs of the past. It is soon realized that Moira s human form can only be kept if she makes the ultimate sacrifice by feeding on the blood of the innocent. Can the wrongs of the past be re-written? Only the blood of the next victim will tell.

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Free Willy 1-3 (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I was young I loved to watch Free Willy with my grandmother. I thought I had grown out of it, but I fell in love with it all over again. It doesn't matter what age you are, a great movie is a great movie.

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Ellen Foster (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ellen Foster is the story of a young girl desperately seeking to find a real family. Her real family is an abusive, drunken father and a mother in chronic ill-health. Ellen is, by default, the woman of the house and takes care of two parents. She meets disapproval from her grandmother becuase her mother married against her mother's wishes and grandmother has never forgiven her - at one point she offers the mom the chance to return to the family mansion but without her daughter. "Trash begats trash" is a powerful statement for a grandmother to make about her granddaughter.
Mom eventually dies, dad deteriorates and eventually ends up in jail. As her family disappears, Ellen is given protection by one of her school teachers. There the affection from the adults to Ellen is immediate and enduring. But it doesn't last as Ellen goes to live with her grandmother, on court order.
Life with grandmother is brutal, in it's own way. Ellen is clothed but trreated more as hired help than a granddaughter. She eats in the dining room with gradnmother on sunday afternoon. The rest of the time she eats with the servants. She works for her room and board. But it doesn't last forever as grandmother has a stroke and ultimately dies, miserable to the end towards Ellen.
Then it's off to an aunt with a child of her own and it doesn't get any better. The friction between the girls is palpable, although Ellen is not the instigator.
In the meantime, Ellen has seen a woman with several girls in church. These children vary in age from late teens to a baby. They also vary in race. Ellen is interested in this family and learns they are the "Foster" family. Ellen even rides her bike past the house but is a little confused when there is another name on the mail box. Ellen is also exploring other families. Her best friend in school is a black girl and Ellen gets along well with her family. Ellen gets a reality check when she asks about her staying with the family permanently. The father tells her that white people wouldn't like it if a white girl lived with a black family. Ellen says that it's ok now, we have integration - a truthful and innocent statement. She is aadvised that it won't work. Back to the Foster family.
A blow-up in the aunt's home with the daughter sees Ellen on the move again. This time, it is christmas day and she is wearing her best dress and walking to the Foster home. There she offers the mother her savings so that she can stay there until high school is over. The whole scene at the kitchen table is tremendously powerful and moving. Eventually Ellen gets her family but the scars of her earlier "real" family are still there.
This is a story that ultimately has a fairly happy ending but the trials of this girl within her own family group is discouraging not to say tragic. She meets people along the way who see what is happening and want to help, but the legal system gets in the way. It is a film, while set in the South of a few decades ago, is just as valid to the here and now. It should be a must see for everyone. Tears and anger are evenly mixed. It is a memorable film with excellent performances from all the cast. See it soon.

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