Reviews

OK so Jackson no longer is around but this film is being hyped as "the final goodbye...for the fans" which in all cases it really is.

Michael Jackson's This is it (to give it the full title) is a film of what if's. What if Jackson had lived to complete the final 50 shows?How amazing would these shows have been? is this film a stunt to crawl back its money spent on the shows that did not happen? Jackson's fans can rejoice (and yes - I count myself one of those) This is it is a love letter to his fans. All the hits sound ever better on the big screen. Lovingly crafted around the on screen stage work - which at times is amazing - more so for the background visuals that would have been part of the live act.

For something of these videos that was a work in progress - you will be craving (sadly) to see the real thing and it is sad to say that will never happen.

The actual live singing seems to be stuck on the first half of the film. Jackson fans should pick out when Michael is singing live or singing to the backing tracks ripped from the singles - because I did. I am unsure if this is a naughty trick on the hands of the producers to trick viewers or just part of the act. However the singers and band are very good at duplicating the hits.

What you can be sure of are some great moments. Jackson being chased into a 50's type film (with special cameos to look out for) smashing into "Smooth Criminal" or indeed the very good "I just can't stop loving you" duet.

Although because of the footage the film stops sometimes between songs to Kenny Ortega directing the stage work - its good but as with the Smooth Criminal section it would have been nice to dive into from the 50's film footage with Jackson into the live act.

Sadly at times Jackson does look thin - but his voice seems as good as it always was. "Human Nature" is sang just as good as it did over 25 years ago. (25 years!! wow) Kenny Ortega did a fantastic job here of putting together a movie which had its backlash from the start. The film is a guilty pleasure of someone who moved so many people and as it says on the tin - "This is it"

A story of passion for us all

The premise of the film is simple - 5 friends - football freestylers - have the same passion - the meet their idol, Argentina legend, Diego Maradona. the trick is they have no money, only the football skills. so they all come up with the idea of getting money to achieve this goal. The film is a basic road movie with stunts. All five lads are all completely different from various backgrounds - one was a drug addict, one into god..you get the idea.

The earn their way across the globe to Argentina basically begging for money while showing off the tricks with the ball Bagging free rooms, food and flights on the way

• Will Diego be there when they get there? Would he meet the gang? Will the even get there?

The film starts off like a heavily edited MTV video as you would expect it to but as the film progresses it shows the different sides of each person and who much they want this passion - the ultimate reward. You can see the friends forming and then suddenly they get split up due to money - or the lack off. and this pulls you in. None of the guys are actors and this is the real deal. Some moments shine such as the cheeky Liverpool guy who is proud of earning 250 dollars in one bar just by doing tricks - classic waving money around scene of joy. or indeed when two lads get took in for the night in Rio de Janeiro by a poor family and get fed what little they had - lovely to see. You also see a change in the gang as the films goes to its final reel. Do they meet him? - Im not telling!

What we have is a pure and safe documentary about passion and how to archive your goals. Its fun, heavy, light and very enjoyable even just to see the gang perform together with the footballing skills. Delightful in every way these films show be,

Lee Bolton Salford UK

I, like many others have been waiting for this cut to come along. I got the DVD yesterday and expected a film with missing holes, missing scene title cards and un-easy editing due to the footage used.

What people forget is that Richard Lester's version was pretty hot in 1980 minus a bloke getting blown around while on the phone in the heat of a battle.

Well ... I was shocked, and I clapped at the end. Superman II now feels like a different film. The new scenes are very good (and just show what Chris Reeve could do - what a wonderful actor he really was), Marlon Brando scenes are superb to watch, new music cues - from Superman one, lots of new funny scenes, and new special effects that don't look out of date in what is supposed to be a 1980 film. Gene Hackman's part seems more fleshed out here than before - witness the Fortress of Solitude crystal scenes. lovely and funny.

This shows the power of DVD and show special it is. This cut simply could not have been made. You will find that some of the new edits jump from scene to scene in a flash - that because we already know the film from Richard Lester's version. Watch this like is was new and you would love it more. You, if you are a Superman fan, will fall in love with the new opening scene with a new look at the Phantom zone capture (new camera angles you see) and get this - new credit sequence up to the standard of the original supe adventure.

So it really like a fantastic new look at a old film. You could point out the faults in lines dubbed or the odd bit of tinkering even the ending but this really is a new Chris Reeve film you though could never have been made. Bonus.

Masterful piece of reimaging - Superman is back

Lee

Although a good cast, Stag (terrible title) is a good example of a bad script. All the way through the movie, the actors fight and scream nearly all the time you cannot hear what is going on. The main death scene is laughable stuff (Sloooow mooooow deaths never work) and the dialoge is a scrawl of "kill her" or "shut up". The acting is also bad , using Mario Van Peebles was a stupid idea-he looks like he wanted to run out of there.

A waste of time.

One of those bad video nasties appears its ugly head, Cannibal Holocaust is a completely dated film. Horror films can be cleverly made on a low budget, just check out Texas Chainsaw, but CH is a poor film in many ways. The Horror is placed rather sickly in front of you, more disgusting rather than fright, and the few scenes that use this are more like a comedy with blood-Quite laughable. The acting is not very good (The main actor is from such films as Debbie does Dallas III, so there's your pedigree) and the script could of worked, if the actor's didnt look so serious about it all.

The editing, although quite good in the footage viewing room scene,is half baked. The Director at time looks like he wanted to make a wildlife film rather than a full on horror flick. Opening shots: Every time we see a Cannibal, then a monkey..then Cannibal..monkey..."ohh a Tiger must film that"....Oh please.

Why is there a one theme uptempo soundtrack that pops up when a death scene is taking place? why is there unjustified nude scenes that make the actors look so unconvincing and unerotic? I laughed out loud.

In closing, Holocaust is a bad piece of filmaking-A film that harks back to the early 80's horror genre, but were they ever this bad?