|
Reviewed
this month: Atlantis: The Lost Empire
(standard & Collector's
Edition),
Don't Say A Word, Captain
Corelli's Mandolin, The Sixth Sense,
Legend of the Red Dragon, Town
& Country
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just to see if the movie is worth
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review format as featured on this page.
 Atlantis: The Lost Empire
(standard edition "Disney DVD")
Movie A- |
Video A+ | Audio A+
| Extras B
voice talents of Michael J.
Fox, James Garner, Leonard Nimoy
director Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise | Walt Disney
Feature Animation (Buena Vista)
2001 | Disney - Animation - Adventure - Family | PG | 96 minutes
Region 1 | 1
disc | DVD-9 | THX
certified
fullscreen &
anamorphic
widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio
Dolby Digital 5.1
Summary: Michael J. Fox provides the voice
talent for Milo, a linguist and historian who yearns to find the mythical
lost continent of Atlantis. When an old friend of his grandfather
summons him and gives him the Shepard's journal, a notebook that contains
critical clues for finding this lost civilization, Milo is given the
opportunity lead an expedition to make the discovery of a lifetime.
Milo and his team of hand-picked mission specialists embark on an amazing
journey to find the ancient but advanced civilization of Atlantis.
The personalities of the cast of characters are as unique as they are
specialized in specific aspects of the mission. There's much to like
with these characters. Veteran and newbie actors breathe life into
these wonderfully rich characters. (You'll have a hard time picking
just one favorite.) The plot is rather straightforward, but the rich
characters studies more than make up for the plot's anemic dose of
twists. "Atlantis" is a good film for the entire
family. The language is quite clean (definitely cleaner than "Shrek"!).
As with many state-of-the art animated feature films, the animation for
"Atlantis" is performed by both traditional hand drawings and
computer generated special effects. Complementing the on-screen
animated action is a superb sound design by world-renowned sound engineer
Gary Rydstrom. As with many top-notch animated feature films, you're
in a visual and sonic treat (the latter if you have a 5.1-channel home
theater system). This standard edition is dubbed "Disney
DVD" and comes with both full frame (to accommodate most American
consumers) and widescreen (to accommodate movie and home theater buffs)
versions of the film. Devoted home theater enthusiasts and hardcore
Disney animated feature animation fans will want to consider the 2-disc
Collector's Edition. Read our review immediately
below.
Special Features: audio commentary with
filmmakers, "Atlantis Prologue" deleted scene, Disneypedia (fun
and exciting facts about the film), "How To Speak Atlantean"
featurette, and virtual tours of computer generated models of Ulysses and
Leviathan
DVD released on 1/29/2002 | Reviewed 2/3/2002 |
Also available: 2-disc Collector's Edition
List $29.99 | online $19.99 | order from Amazon.com,
Buy.com
for $19.99 (33% off)
Rent this DVD from NetFlix
- Try the " Unlimited" DVD
rental program absolutely free!
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 Atlantis: The Lost Empire
(2-Disc Collector's Edition)
Movie A- |
Video A+ | Audio A+
| Extras A+ | Recommended!
voice talents of Michael J.
Fox, James Garner, Leonard Nimoy
director Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise | Walt Disney
Feature Animation (Buena Vista)
2001 | Disney - Animation - Adventure - Family | PG | 96 minutes
Region 1 |
2-disc set | DVD-9
& DVD-9
| THX
certified
anamorphic
widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio
DTS 5.1 | Dolby Digital 5.1
Summary: "Altantis: The Lost
Empire" is Disney's full-length feature animated film released
theatrically in May 2001. Buena Vista is releasing the DVD in two
separate versions: a standard edition dubbed
"Disney DVD" and this 2-disc collector's
edition. For a synopsis of the movie, read our review of the Disney
DVD version above. This collector's edition lists for $10 more
than standard edition, and for that price it adds a DTS
soundtrack in exchange for the full frame version. The DTS
soundtrack further enhances the sound quality of the awesome sound design
by Gary Rydstrom. Unfortunately, however, most American consumers
will not find a full frame version of film in this collector's
edition. Only the original theatrical 2.35:1 aspect ratio
widescreen presentation is available. Further reinforcing support
for widescreen presentation is the number of bonus materials on the second
disc that are actually presented in the widescreen format. I guess
Buena Vista believes that most collectors are also widescreen home theater
buffs. That's fine with us, but I'm not sure most of our readers
would agree. But if you think about the HDTV transition, this makes
more sense and actually makes Disney seem like forward thinkers.
Hmmmm... Maybe this is a new trend for shooting bonus
materials? Regardless of aspect ratio, the real value of this
collector's edition lies in the bonus features jammed-pack on a dedicated
second disc. The bonus features on this second disc run for about 3
hours and 10 minutes. That's a lot of bonus materials. Anyways, if you enjoyed the movie "Atlantis: The Lost
Empire" and are into all this animation stuff, this 2-disc
collector's edition is highly
recommended. DVD content doesn't get a whole lot richer than
this.
Special Features: all bonus features from
the standard edition Disney DVD plus a visual commentary with filmmakers
(with seamless branching feature to background footage and visuals),
"Whitmore Industries Industrial Film" featurette serves as an
introduction to the three ways to navigate through the bonus features
(Explore Mode, Tour Mode, File Mode), history, story & editorial, art
direction, animation production, digital production, music & sound,
publicity, total of four deleted scenes, and a booklet for DVD navigation
assistance
DVD released on 1/29/2002 | Reviewed 2/3/2002 |
Also available: Disney DVD standard edition
List $39.99 | online $26.99 | order from Amazon.com,
Buy.com
for $26.99 (33% off)
Rent this DVD from NetFlix
- Try the " Unlimited" DVD
rental program absolutely free!
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 Don't Say A Word
Movie A |
Video A | Audio A+
| Extras A | Recommended!
Michael Douglas, Brittany Murphy, Sean Bean,
Guy Torry, Jennifer Esposito
director Gary Fleder | Fox Home Entertainment
2001 | Psychological Thriller | R | 113 minutes
Region 1 | DVD-9
|
anamorphic
widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio
DTS 5.1 | Dolby Digital 5.1
Summary: "Don't Say A Word" is
a terrific psychological thriller that keeps its audience guessing what each
event has to do with the others
and how a young psychiatric patient's deep dark secret can help save a
young girl's life. Michael Douglas plays a successful,
prominent New York psychologist who spends part his Thanksgiving evening
helping an old associate with an extraordinary patient (superbly played by
actress Brittany Murphy). He
evaluates her condition which stems from a childhood trauma that has caused her to
become dangerously violent. Little does he know that he will be
forced to help this vulnerable patient in order to save his young
daughter's life. It's a thrill ride against time as we go along and
find out what's behind the secret that lies deep in a troubled teenager's
mind. If you like thrillers, then this comes highly
recommended. The acting performances are riveting!
Special Features: audio commentary by director
Gary Fleder, 5 scene-specific
commentaries by Michael Douglas and other cast members, 3 deleted scenes, "Making of" featurette,
"Producing Workshop with the Kopelsons" featurette, " Set Tour
with Production Designer Nelson Coates"
featurette, "You Are There" featurette, "Screening Room
Dailies: Aggie Escapes", Brittany
Murphy screen test, storyboard-to-screen comparisons, "Conversation
with Director Gary Fleder", "Thriller Themes" featurette
film scoring, "Inside A Scene: Trench Sequence" featurette, cast/crew bios
("Vital Statistics"), and "Wall Street" theatrical
trailer
DVD released on 2/19/2002 | Reviewed 2/14/2002
List $27.98 | online $18.99 | order from Amazon.com,
Buy.com
for $18.99
Rent this DVD from NetFlix
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rental program absolutely free!
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 Captain
Corelli's Mandolin
Movie A |
Video A | Audio A+
| Extras B | Recommended!
Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, John Hurt,
Christian Bale, David Morrissey, Irene Papas
director John Madden | Universal Studios (and Miramax Films)
2001 | Romance - Drama | R | 129 minutes
Region 1 | DVD-9
|
anamorphic
widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio
DTS 5.1 | Dolby Digital 5.1
Summary: Nicolas Cage stars as the Italian
Captain Corelli who comes to the beautiful Greek island of Cephallonia to patrol
the village for its German ally during World War II. His regiment consists of men
who are passionate about their music and who want to share their
simple lives with the Greek locals. In a war situation, it is hard for the
friendly Italian troops to mingle amongst the villagers. However, Captain
Corelli is attracted to the beautiful Pelagia (Penelope Cruz), a doctor's daughter who
is recently betrothed to a local fisherman. As time passes, Pelagia
realizes that her heart aches for Captain Corelli. She struggles as
her heart is split
between honoring her engagement and following her heart's desire.
Meanwhile, the chaos of war surrounds them and Captain Corelli is forced
to make some hard choices. Director John Madden successfully takes
us on an emotional roller coaster ride, from the comedic opening, to the
sizzling passion, to the gut wrenching war scenes, then to a climatic
ending. The cinematography is lush and beautiful as it is actually
filmed on-location in Cephallonia. This is matched by a sound design
that is equally rich and awesome, with an aggressive surround sound mix
during the battle scenes.
Special Features: feature commentary with
director John Madden, Russell Watson's rendition of "Ricordo Ancor" (Pelagia's
song) music video, production notes, cast and filmmakers, theatrical
trailer, and DVD-ROM web access
DVD released as a Vista Series on 2/5/2002 | Reviewed
2/14/2002
List $26.98 | online $17.99 | order from Amazon.com,
Buy.com
for $17.99 (33% off)
Rent this DVD from NetFlix
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rental program absolutely free!
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 The
Sixth Sense
(Vista Series)
Movie A+ |
Video A+ | Audio A+
| Extras A- | Recommended!
Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette,
Olivia Williams
director M. Night Shyamalan | Hollywood Pictures (Buena Vista)
1999 | Supernatural - Thriller | PG-13 | 107 minutes
Region 1 |
2-disc set | DVD-9
& DVD-5 | THX
certified
anamorphic
widescreen 1.85:1
aspect ratio
DTS 5.1 | Dolby Digital 5.1
Summary: "The Sixth Sense" is
one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is a terrific
supernatural thriller written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
Bruce Willis is Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a brilliant and dedicated child
psychologist who lost a patient in an unfortunate incident. Trying
to redeem himself, he devotes his time to helping Cole Sear (Haley
Joel Osment), a
terrified eight-year old boy who is experiencing similar symptoms to
the patient he recently lost. Haley Joel Osment's performance is
stunning. "The Sixth Sense" was
originally released as a collector's edition DVD in March 2000.
Buena Vista is re-issueing it here as a Vista Series DVD, with
additional bonus features intended to give
viewers an insightful look into the director's vision, imagination,
style, theme and artistry (defining VISTA as in
Vista Series). The additional bonus features unique to this
Vista Series are highlighted below in italics. Also new
to this version is a THX
certified DVD transfer, DTS 5.1 surround
sound (which sounds really good!), a new Dolby Digital 5.1
soundtrack (probably encoded at the higher bit rate of 448 kbits/sec,
vs. 384 kbits/sec), new animated menus, a beautiful fold-out
cardboard case, The Sixth Sense: A Storyboard Sequence fold-out card,
and a booklet introducing some of the bonus features . If you
haven't seen this movie yet, you're in for a really big treat.
If you are looking to buy a DVD of "The Sixth Sense", then this is
clearly the version
to get. Both the movie and this Vista Series DVD are highly
recommended. (One caveat though: I think you should treat this
movie as though it received an R-rating as various thematic material and
violent images are quite strong.)
Special Features: "Reflections From
the Set" featurette, "Between Two Worlds" documentary
on the paranormal hosted by M. Night Shyamalan (a very compelling
segment), present day cast interviews with Bruce Willis, Toni Collette,
Haley Joel Osment, and Donny Wahlberg, "Moving Pictures: The
Storyboard Process", "Reaching the Audience" featurette,
"Rules & Clues" segment (on-camera discussion with the
filmmakers revealing secrets of the film's storyline, deleted scenes,
music and sound design, cast and crew biographies, and publicity materials
DVD re- released as a Vista Series on 1/15/2002 | Reviewed
2/6/2002
List $29.99 | online $19.99 | order from Amazon.com,
Buy.com
for $19.99 (33% off)
Rent this DVD from NetFlix
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rental program absolutely free!
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 Legend of the Red Dragon
Movie B+ |
Video C | Audio B
| Extras D
Jet Li, Yau Shuk Ching, Deanie Ip, Tse Miu
director Wong Jing | Upland Films Corporation & Eastern Production Limited
(Columbia TriStar)
2000(?) | Foreign - Martial Arts | R | 83 minutes
Region 1 | DVD-9
|
anamorphic
widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio
Dolby Digital 5.1
Summary: Jet Li plays master warrior Kwun
who tries to save his countrymen from the evil Manchu soldiers who had murdered his
wife and butchered his entire village. After seven years in hiding, Kwun and
his son Ting, the only survivor of the massacre, become the bodyguards for the
wealthy benefactor and stumbles onto the task of protecting five young Shaolin
Temple students with the Shaolin treasure map tattooed on their backs.
Kwun now finds himself facing the man who has betrayed him and his
village. Together Ting and Kwun seek revenge for their loved
ones and save the Shaolin Temple from extinction. Like some Chinese
martial art movies, this one has the familiar Chinese sense of humor and
incredible martial arts battles. Unfortunately, the picture quality is
poor for by DVD standards. The video transfer is marred by a ton of dust specks on the film.
Additionally, the color is not very natural
and shadow details are only fair. On the audio side, the surround sound mix is relatively
conservative since the sound design was for Dolby Surround. Bonus
materials are scant.
Special Features: director and cast
filmographies, photo gallery, theatrical trailer, and bonus trailers (for
"Jackie Chan is The Prisoner", "Jet Li's
"Meltdown", "Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon", and Jackie Chan's "Gorgeous")
DVD released on 2/12/2002 | Reviewed 2/3/2002
List $24.95 | online $18.71 | order from Amazon.com
for $18.71, Buy.com
Rent this DVD from NetFlix
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rental program absolutely free!
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 Town
& Country
Movie B+ |
Video A- | Audio B+
| Extras D
Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Andie MacDowell, Garry
Shandling, Jenna Elfman, Nastassja Kinski, Goldie Hawn
director Peter Chelsom | New Line Home Entertainment
2001 | Comedy | R | 105 minutes
Region 1 | DVD-9
| fullscreen & anamorphic
widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio
|
Dolby Digital 5.1
Summary: "Town & Country" is a
comedy about revelations of love, marriages and extra-marital affairs among
a group of wealthy friends and their journeys through discoveries of what is the
meaning of having it all, losing it, and then learning to get back the love
of your life again. Acting performances are solid from this
all-star cast. If you're into soaps or comedies, this may be your
ticket. If you're a fan of the film and are looking for bonus materials, this DVD is quite
anemic in that department.
Special Features: cast and crew
filmographies, original theatrical trailer, link to web site
DVD released 10/23/2001 | Reviewed 2/3/2002
List $24.98 | online $17.49 | order from Amazon.com,
Buy.com
for $17.49
Rent this DVD from NetFlix
- Try the " Unlimited" DVD
rental program absolutely free!
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<< last
month | next month >>
More Quick Spins reviews: January
2002
Additional Notes: Unless we specify otherwise, the
video and audio quality are very good when their grades are "A-"
or better. Only the highest number of channels of surround sound
format is listed (e.g., Dolby Digital 5.1). If there are both Dolby
Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 soundtracks, then both are listed. All
DVD-Video discs are backwards compatible with stereo-only playback
systems.
Let us know what you think about our Quick Spins DVD
reviews, write to us at Editor@TimeForDVD.com.
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Associated equipment used in evaluation: Sony
DVP-S7700 reference DVD player, Sony
KP-61V45 61" rear projection TV (4:3 screen aspect ratio), Sony ES STR-V444ES A/V receiver, four
B&W CDM 9NTs as left/right main speakers
and left/right surrounds, B&W CDM CNT center channel speaker, Monster Cable M-series S-Video cable MSV-500, Monster
Cable Interlink LightSpeed 100 (Toslink) optical cable, Monster Cable
Interlink 400 MKII interconnects, Monster Cable
Original speaker cables in bi-wire configuration with Monster Cable twist-on gold-plated banana plug
connectors, Lovan Sovereign T HiFi audio
rack, and Sony MDR-V600 studio monitor headphones. Our home theater equipment was calibrated
with the Video
Essentials DVD.
Be sure to check out our Top 10 DVDs of the year
2001 and our list of this year's Oscar winners on DVD.
| 
United We Stand
