Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 25th, 2003
It takes a lot to become a true Christmas classic. Mr. St. Nick just doesn’t have any of it. The story of a reluctant Santa Claus was done with much funnier results in the Tim Allen The Santa Clause films. Kelsey Grammer can be a very fine comedic actor as his stints in Cheers and Frasier have more than proven. The problem here is the material is old and tired and Grammer never seems to be able to decide on a tone for the film. I’m a fan of just simple fun, but this film never really takes me on a good ride. Hallmark has a reputation for good clean family value filmmaking. Mr. St. Nick certainly fits that profile. There just simply isn’t any life here.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 25th, 2003
The Tomb Raider film franchise was based on the popular adventure video game. This second Tomb Raider film, however, owes more to Indiana Jones and James Bond than anything else. Cradle of Life does an excellent job of moving along an adventure story. With exotic locations in Africa and China, Lara Croft has plenty of opportunities to show case her Bond-like bag of gadgets. Critics didn’t like this film much, but then again most film critics don’t seem to appreciate a film as a thrill ride. Angelina Jolie keeps the pace and adrenalin pumped up for the entire 2 hours. Sure, some of it is rather silly (The CGI shark scene was downright corny) but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a lot of fun. Jolie isn’t that hard to watch, either.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 23rd, 2003
So, it’s like a… Space Western?
Having never seen this show, this was the question posed to me by my wife halfway through the pilot episode. Honestly, I wasn’t sure myself. It certainly appeared to be a space western, but the characters were randomly speaking in Chinese. It was drama, yet it was dark humor. This was a truly odd program indeed.
Posted in: Game Reviews by Archive Authors on November 23rd, 2003
Crimson Skies had a previous incarnation as a cult favorite PC game of the same name and was in development for a port to the X-Box that was being rushed for release 1 year ago. Thank goodness that they waited because you know what they say…”Good things come to those who wait.” And man, was this game worth the wait! The original version was a toned down, arcade style shooter that would have no lasting appeal. This final version is anything but toned down.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 23rd, 2003
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 23rd, 2003
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 22nd, 2003
Who wants to see the middle of a movie, anyway? The beginning of the movie introduces the characters and presents the conflict. The ending holds the resolution and the conclusion. But the middle? Who wants to just see the middle? Nobody comes late and leaves early at the Cineplex. Nobody sane, anyway. This is not just any film, though. This is an Epic. Literally everything about this production is huge. The original text of the story was actually so long that it had to be divided into three volumes. The companion fil... is equally as massive. It also covers three volumes, with each volume clocking in at a length much longer than most rational people are willing to tolerate.
Yes, this is a film of Epic proportions, and the Extended Edition DVD is no different. Over 43 minutes of extra footage has been added to The Lord of the Rings – The Two Towers, bringing the total run time to 3 hours, 43 minutes. It's not just filler footage, either. Over 200 new digital effects were created for the DVD release; more than most films have in their original theatrical versions. The added material helps the film instead of hurting it, providing more room to develop characters and plot lines. In this case, more is more.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 22nd, 2003
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 21st, 2003
Roy Orbison’s career spanned 5 decades of music. Predominantly a 50’s artist, his catchy ballads became standards in the 60’s and 70’s. By the 90’s ELO master Jeff Lynne used his skills to give Orbison a tremendous comeback and a new modern sound. Orbison sadly passed away during the peak of this newfound fame and never saw the release of his last hit album.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 21st, 2003
Synopsis
