Reviews

The opening quote at the beginning of the film by Christopher L. Hayes is excellent framing: "Depending on who you are, the sight of an officer can produce either a warm sense of safety and contentment or a plummeting feeling of terror." This film is about learning about Kenneth Chamberlain as much as it is about learning about the failed systems that were designed to protect him. To find solutions, it is important to understand where the problems are, and this film's narrative shows us a mapping.

The opening includes beautiful glowing night-shots of Manhattan with the overture of Camelot, as if Manhattan was the legendary kingdom itself, and the Wintergarten is the palace. Behind the curtain is a lavish production with gorgeous costumes and sets. Better singing and acting with real emotion. In this version Guinevere and Lancelot are not portrayed as lust-driven traitor-friends... but quiet lovers who suffer greatly because they both love the King, and each other. It is passionate, sad, and shows the vulnerability with much grace. Not to mention, the comical lines are laughable in this version... unlike the movie musical. The joyful spots are truly memorable and funny. All-in-all the best version I have ever seen and the performances are wonderful. SO grateful this is finally out on DVD!!!!!

If you watched this as a kid... you'll never watch it the same way as an adult. But that's okay. Yes, this is that 80s version of the Pirates of Penzance... the one that all the critics panned as being an abomination of the Gilbert and Sullivan musical. Wasn't the traditional play a spoof on piracy? So this is a spoof of a spoof! But... I rate the success of a movie on its ability to be memorable. And this one is tough to forget... A great tribute to not only pirate movies/swashbucklers, but also cheesy 80s movies. It's got swishy swordplay, rum guzzlin', treasure huntin', pizza-fightin', smutty dialog, and singing and dancing pirates!!!!! The Pirate Movie has an advantage over the traditional Pirates of Penzance due to its filming on actual locations and animated under the sea musical numbers! Not to mention... it's got the cult status thing going... Pirates are cool again!

I had the benefit of seeing a critics-screening of this film. I wasn't a huge fan of the stage musical but it had its moments. The Gothic fantasy romance story is what always appealed to me. Schumacher has had a share of successful Gothic tales like Lost Boys, Flatliners, even the Batman movie. The film version has really beautiful sets, costumes, photography, effects. I felt as though, however, that there were far too many moments taken from other films... the mainly Moulin Rouge... but some of the others were reminiscent of Batman, Titanic, and Pirates of the Caribbean. In my opinion I didn't want to be thinking of other movies when I was watching Phantom of the Opera. It didn't make the movie bad but it didn't make it original either. I also thought that the acting was rather mediocre... nothing very captivating... but occasionally there was an emotional gesture or moment that hit the right chord. As a whole it is a nice package... the parts have some flaws or tend toward the unoriginal... but in its entirety it is entertaining, fun, and it does transport you into a fantasy world.

Christopher Lee is mesmerizing as Uncle Drosselmeyer- and Watchmaker, the puppeteer, the minstrel... and he sings too! He's an incredible voice actor and he's complimented very well by a still very young Melissa Gilbert as Clara. The film is crafted most artistically... more so than other traditional stop-animation puppets. Nutcracker Fantasy has beautiful photography... use of lighting, color, sets... very complicated and intricate dolls telling the story... The best scenes are the beginning showing the Ragman turning awake little children into mice and stuffing them in his bag... and the first dialogues between Clara and Drosselmeyer. Although all this is great, I am very disappointed with the 70s techno-pop music mixed in with the original Tchaikovsky. The soundtrack is hideous and almost wrecks many of the scenes... that and the cuts of live ballet dancers which are unnecessary. I would like to see a re-cut of this film and have it available on DVD. If it is cleaned up a bit editting-wise and with the original Tchaikovsky restored... wow this would be totally awesome!!!!!

I am one of those people who went looking for Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, London. He IS REALLY there (by the way)! This new film not only mentions why there is a beautiful statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens it also follows the original story very closely. This version is probably the most visually sumptuous as well as the most sensual and emotionally complex. The character of Peter Pan is psychologically studied as the decision to remain a boy becomes more difficult. You see, this is the only Peter Pan who knows what real love is. It is more magical perhaps for this reason. The visual expression of this love is one of the most beautiful moments I have ever seen on screen. All I can say is good job to the actors and the creators.

I remember the scene of Anne of Avonlea on the bridge as a child and being completely rapped up in the warmth of Anne and Gilbert and... the kiss! I was aching to find out what happened next. Now... I wish it was left up to the imagination. Alone, The Continuing Story isn't so bad. If you put different names to the characters you would have never guessed that it was related to the first two Anne films. I say this only becausethe characters are completely different... Anne has lost her sweet childlikeness, her playful cocky spirit... Gilbert doesn't seem very charming or flirtatious... in fact another suitor by the name of Jack Garrison seems more interesting than Gilbert in this one. This film stoops so low on the Anne scale that they actually filmed a wedding night scene (thank god they didn't put it in the final version but they FILMED it as a MAYBE!) We don't want to see that! Please forget this film and let your imagination go- after the beautiful bridge scene in the second installment.

This film has a habit of affecting people deeply in usually very positive ways. I can say that it saved me in my darkest hour and distributed the very beautiful message to me that creativity is the most powerful force we have against becoming empty "masses of men who lead lives of quiet desperation." The idea of the film and book portrays that of what a true genius is: a creator who if indulges too much in his creation loses himself in his work. An unlikely genius... a young boy... who reads about another little boy who takes on a quest with no weapons, no help from anyone, with the anticipation of horrible danger... possible death, and with no chance for success. No sensible adult would take on that quest. I child would when there is no other choice. Tenaciousness and creativity in the realm of impossibilities... Strange creatures and impressive beauty... this film portrays visually the never-ending framing device that is used in the book... When seen in widescreen, the artful German style can be savored. Here is a fantasy like no other because... The NeverEnding Story is your story.

Amy wakes up to her birthday and discovers that her Aunt Lucy has a surprise for her in her apartment. Amy spends the day searching for her Aunt Lucy like Alice following the White Rabbit through a very magical apartment building. The cast of characters include a doorman who's into catching butterflies, a group of picnickers who bring ants to their gathering, a giant, and a cast of fairy tale personalities that put on a very catchy musical number for Amy. There's a very hip Sleeping Beauty, a sad frog who's waiting to be kissed, Jack Horner, Goldilocks played by a very young Trini Alvarado, Cinderella... they're all there! The songs include: "What a Bore!" "Look What Happend to Me" and "Feel." A very fun tv special that aired originally on Nickelodeon.