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| STAR
WARS |
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Episode
I:
The
Phantom Menace
Widescreen
Edition |
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1999
Director: George Lucas |
DVD, Color, Closed-captioned, THX, Widescreen, Dolby
Rated: PG
Twentieth Century Fox
Number of discs: 2
ASIN: B00003CX5P |
$29.98
|
Amazon.com
"I have a bad feeling about
this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star
Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into
the most anticipated cinematic event... well, ever. He might as well be
speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars
saga who can't help but secretly ask themselves: Sure, this is Star Wars,
but is it my Star Wars? The original elevated moviegoers' expectations
so high that it would have been impossible for any subsequent film to meet
them. And as with all the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace features
inexplicable plot twists, a fistful of loose threads, and some cheek-chewing
dialogue. Han Solo's swagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace
of heavy-breathing Darth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical
mumbo jumbo, and some of what was fresh about Star Wars 22 years earlier
feels formulaic. Yet there's much to admire. The special effects are stupendous;
three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora, and
horizons rendered in absolute detail. The action and battle scenes are
breathtaking in their complexity. And one particular sequence of the film--the
adrenaline-infused pod race through the Tatooine desert--makes the chariot
race in Ben-Hur look like a Sunday stroll through the park.
Among the host of new characters,
there are a few familiar walk-ons. We witness the first meeting between
R2-D2 and C-3PO, Jabba the Hutt looks younger and slimmer (but not young
and slim), and Yoda is as crabby as ever. Natalie Portman's stately Queen
Amidala sports hairdos that make Princess Leia look dowdy and wields a
mean laser. We never bond with Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson),
and Obi-Wan's day is yet to come. Jar Jar Binks, a cross between a Muppet,
a frog, and a hippie, provides many of the movie's lighter moments, while
Sith Lord Darth Maul is a formidable force. Baby-faced Anakin Skywalker
(Jake Lloyd) looks too young and innocent to command the powers of the
Force or wield a lightsaber (much less transmute into the future Darth
Vader), but his boyish exuberance wins over skeptics.
Near the end of the movie,
Palpatine, the new leader of the Republic, may be speaking for fans eagerly
awaiting Episode II when he pats young Anakin on the head and says, "We
will watch your career with great interest." Indeed!
--Tod Nelson
Cast List
Liam Neeson ... Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn
Ewan McGregor ... Obi-Wan Kenobi
Natalie Portman ... Queen Padmé Amidala Naberrie
Jake Lloyd ... Anakin Skywalker
Pernilla August ... Shmi Skywalker
Ian McDiarmid ... Senator Cos Palpatine/Lord Darth Sidious
Oliver Ford Davies ... Governor Sio Bibble
Hugh Quarshie ... Captain Panaka
Ahmed Best ... Jar Jar Binks
Anthony Daniels ... C-3PO
Kenny Baker ... R2-D2
Frank Oz ... Yoda |
Feature-Length Audio
Commentary
The creators of Episode
I give you insight into the film like no one else can. Hear from: writer/director
George Lucas, Producer Rick McCallum, sound designer and film co-editor
Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob Coleman and ILM visual effects supervisors
John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires.
"The Beginning"
Making Episode I Documentary
Film
Culled from over 600 hours
of behind-the-scenes footage, this all-new hour-long documentary film takes
you inside Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic during the making
of The Phantom Menace. Sit in on the film's production process including:
pre-production, casting, principal photography, editing, rough-cut reviews,
visual effects meetings and other events that few people have had access
to before. |
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Exclusive Deleted Scenes
and Documentary
All-new documentary featuring
George Lucas, Rick McCallum and guests discussing the painstaking process
every director must go through in determining what scenes make the final
cut. View seven exclusive deleted sequences that were created specifically
for this DVD and learn why they were eliminated from the final version
of the film.
Multi-Angle Animatics
Discover the amazing techniques
used to create two memorable sequences (Submarine and Podrace Lap 1) from
storyboards to animatics to final composites.
Featurettes
Five mini-documentaries
give you an insider's look at The Phantom Menace's Storyline, Design, Costumes,
Visual Effects and Fight sequences through behind-the-scenes footage and
interviews with the cast and filmmakers. |
Web Documentaries
Originally released on starwars.com
during the production of Episode I, this award-winning twelve-part web
documentary series gives you a fly-on-the-wall perspective into the making
of the film as it was happening.
Exclusive Production Photo
Gallery
Scroll through a never-before-seen
gallery of candid cast and crew shots, each with captions.
"Duel of the Fates" Music
Video
One of the most popular
music videos during its release in May 1999, the "Duel of the Fates" video
intertwines live footage of John Williams conducting the London Symphony
Orchestra with behind-the-scenes clips and dramatic footage featured in
Episode I. |
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Posters and Print Campaign
Examine the Episode I theatrical
posters (Teaser and Launch) and the International Outdoor advertising used
to support the release of Episode I around the world.
Trailers and TV Spots
Watch the theatrical teaser
and launch trailers, plus seven TV spots (including the five original "Tone
Poems" along with "The Saga Begins" and "All Over Again"). |
"Star Wars: Starfighter-The
Making of a Game" from LucasArts
This featurette offers insight
into the making of the popular flight action combat game along with information
on other Star Wars games from LucasArts.
Exclusive DVD-ROM Content
Your Episode I DVD is a
key that unlocks exclusive Star Wars content only available through a special
DVD-ROM website. |
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DVD Features:
Commentary by writer-director
George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, editor Ben Burtt, animation director
Rob Coleman, and visual effects supervisors John Knoll, Dennis Muren, and
Scott Squires Exclusive deleted-scenes documentary features seven new sequences
completed just for this DVD release: Complete Podrace Grid Sequence, Extended
Podrace Lap Two, The Waterfall Sequence, The Air Taxi Sequence, Dawn Before
the Race, Anakin's Scuffle with Greedo, Farewell to Jira.
"The Beginning: Making Episode
I," an all-new hour-long documentary film culled from over 600 hours of
footage, including an insider's look at Lucasfilm and ILM during the production
Multi-angle storyboard to animatic to film segment featuring the Submarine
and Podrace Lap 1 sequences Five featurettes explore the storyline, design,
costumes, visual effects, and fight sequences Award-winning twelve-part
Web documentary series that chronicles the production
"Duel of the Fates" music
video featuring John Williams
Never-before-seen production
photo gallery with special caption feature
Theatrical posters and print
campaign from around the world
Theatrical teaser and launch
trailers, and seven TV spots
"Star Wars: Starfighter
- The Making of a Game" featurette from LucasArts
DVD-ROM weblink to exclusive
Star Wars content
Widescreen anamorphic format
The spectacular DVD release
of Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace--arguably one of the best DVDs
ever--will go a long way toward making it up to Star Wars fans who were
disappointed by the theatrical release. (But, in case you're wondering,
there's no option to delete Jar Jar.) The picture and sound are outstanding,
it's loaded with bonuses, and even the menus are action-packed fun. Disc
One includes the film with a commentary track by George Lucas, producer
Rick McCallum, editor Ben Burtt, animation director Rob Coleman, and visual
effects supervisors John Knoll, Dennis Murren, and Scott Squires. Rather
than a group of people yelling at the screen, this commentary is a compilation
of individual comments, very helpfully supplemented by supratitles that
indicate who is speaking. Numerous technical details are explained, and
Lucas mentions how certain scenes fit into the big picture of all six films
(every time dutifully referring to the original film as "Episode IV").
Of Disc Two's cornucopia
of bonus features, the most notable are the seven deleted scenes and a
long documentary. The deleted scenes, which are all interesting enough
to watch at least once, can be viewed individually or as a group along
with discussions of why they were cut. These rough scenes were completed
for the DVD and parts of them (including an introduction of the individual
Podracers and a longer view of the skies over Coruscant) were reincorporated
into the version of the film that appears on the DVD. The 66-minute behind-the-scenes
documentary was compiled from 600 hours of footage shot during various
stages of the film and includes Anakin screen tests, script-reading sessions,
location shooting in Italy and Tunisia, and giddy fans on opening night.
--David Horiuchi |
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| STAR
WARS |
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Episode
II:
Attack
of the Clones |
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2002
Director: George Lucas |
DVD Widescreen Edition
Twentieth Century Fox Home Video
ASIN: B00006HBUJ |
$29.98
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Rated: PG
Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby |
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If The Phantom
Menace was the setup, then Attack of the Clones is the plot-progressing
payoff, and devoted Star Wars fans are sure to be enthralled. Ten years
after Episode I, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), now a senator,
resists the creation of a Republic Army to combat an evil separatist movement.
The brooding Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is resentful of his
stern Jedi mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), tormented by personal
loss, and showing his emerging "dark side" while protecting his new love,
Amidala, from would-be assassins. Youthful romance and solemn portent foreshadow
the events of the original Star Wars as Count Dooku (a.k.a. Darth Tyranus,
played by Christopher Lee) forges an alliance with the Dark Lord of the
Sith, while lavish set pieces showcase George Lucas's supreme command of
all-digital filmmaking. All of this makes Episode II a technological milestone,
savaged by some critics as a bloated, storyless spectacle, but still qualifying
as a fan-approved precursor to the pivotal events of Episode III.
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Cast List
Ewan McGregor ... Obi-Wan Kenobi
Natalie Portman ... Senator Padmé Amidala
Hayden Christensen ... Anakin Skywalker
Christopher Lee ... Count Dooku/Lord Darth Tyrannus
Samuel L. Jackson ... Mace Windu
Frank Oz ... Yoda |
Widescreen anamorphic format
Other Formats:
VHS, VHS dubbed in Spanish, DVD |
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DVD Features:
Commentary by writer-director George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum,
picture editor and sound designer Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob
Coleman, and ILM visual effects supervisors Pablo Helman, John Knoll, and
Ben Snow
Eight exclusive deleted scenes with introductions: Padme Addresses
the Senate, Jedi Temple Analysis Room, Obi-Wan and Mace on Jedi Landing
Platform, Extended Arrival on Naboo, Padme's Parents' House, Padme's Bedroom,
Dooku Interrogates Padme, Anakin and Padme on Trial
"From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in Episode II": all-new
full-length documentary about the creation of digital characters in Episode
II "State of the Art: The Previsualization of Episode II": witness the
vital role of the animatics team |
"Films Are Not Released: They Escape" sound documentary
Three featurettes examining the story line, action scenes, and love
story through behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and
filmmakers
12-part Web documentary
"Across the Stars" music video: an original composition by John Williams
crafted exclusively for this DVD
Exclusive production photos
One-sheet posters
International outdoor campaign
Trailers and TV spots
"R2-D2: Beneath the Dome" mockumentary trailer
ILM visual effects breakdown montage
Exclusive DVD-ROM content |
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DVD features
Star Wars: Episode II, Attack
of the Clones is a superior DVD, repeating many of the elements that made
its predecessor, Episode I, The Phantom Menace, so good. The picture and
sound are spectacular, helped immensely by the fact that the film was shot
entirely in digital, making this the first live-action direct digital-to-digital
DVD transfer. This version of the film was the one shown in digital theaters;
there are subtle differences from the standard theatrical version, such
as showing Anakin's right hand in the final scene.
Again, there's a commentary
track compiled from various people, including George Lucas (why can't he
pronounce the names he created?), producer Rick McCallum, editor Ben Burtt,
ILM animation director Rob Coleman, and three visual effects supervisors
discussing how the film was made and offering teasers to Episode III.
On the second disc are eight
deleted scenes with optional introductions. Most interesting are a scene
of Padme addressing the Senate to oppose the creation of a Republic army,
and some bits with her family and home on Naboo, but it's probably telling
that, unlike with Phantom Menace, none of the deleted scenes was incorporated
into the film on the DVD. Three substantial documentaries on digital characters,
animatics, and creating sound elements are complemented by three insubstantial
featurettes, a recycled but interesting 12-part Web documentary, and various
other items that should keep fans busy while they wait for Episode III.
--David Horiuchi |
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| SUPERMAN |
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The
Movie
Special
Edition |
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1978
Director: Richard Donner |
DVD, Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby
Rated: PG
Warner Home Video
ASIN: B000059Z8J |
$19.98
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| Richard Donner's
1978 epic about the Man of Steel showed how a film about a superhero could
be a moving and romantic experience even for people who long ago gave up
comic books. |
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Beginning on
the icy planet Krypton, the story follows the baby Kal-El, whose rocket
ship lands in Smallville, Kansas. He is found there by a childless couple
and raised as the shy Clark Kent (the young Kent is played by Jeff East).
The film is perhaps most touching in these sequences, with expanses of
wheat fields blowing in the wind and with a young man who can't figure
out what part in destiny his great powers are meant to play. The second
half, with Reeve taking over as Clark/Superman, is bustling, enchanting
(the scene in which Superman flies girlfriend Lois Lane--played by Margot
Kidder--through the night sky is great date material), and funny, thanks
largely to Gene Hackman's sardonic portrayal of nemesis Lex Luthor.
--Tom Keogh
Cast List
Marlon Brando ... Jor-El
Gene Hackman ... Lex Luthor
Christopher Reeve ... Superman/Clark Kent
Ned Beatty ... Otis
Jackie Cooper ... Perry White
Glenn Ford ... Pa Kent
Trevor Howard ... First Elder
Margot Kidder ... Lois Lane
Jack O'Halloran ... Non
Valerie Perrine ... Eve Teschmacher
Maria Schell ... Vond-Ah
Terence Stamp ... General Zod
Phyllis Thaxter ... Ma Kent
Susannah York ... Lara
Jeff East ... Young Clark Kent
Marc McClure ... Jimmy Olsen
Sarah Douglas ... Ursa |
DVD Features:
Production notes
Theatrical trailer(s)
Incorporates Added Scenes
3 Behind-the-Scenes Documentaries:
The Magic Behind the Cape (Special Effects)
Making Superman: Filming the Legend (Production and Release)
Taking Flight: The Development of Superman (Preproduction)
Feature-Length Audio Commentary by Director Richard Donner and Creative
Consultant Tom Mankiewicz
Superman, Lois Lane, & Ursa Screen Tests
Audio Outtakes: Alternate Scoring for 8 Sequences
2 Deleted Scenes
TV Spots |
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| Widescreen anamorphic format |
Other Formats:
VHS |
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Additional features
Filled out with about eight
minutes of additional footage, this deluxe Superman almost doubles Marlon
Brando's screen time with added scenes on Krypton and in the Fortress of
Solitude and fills out the early life of Clark Kent, contributing to a
more mythic portrait of America's greatest hero. There is also more disaster
footage during the earthquake climax, and Lex Luthor's "Gauntlet of Death"
sequence (seen on network TV broadcasts) is reinstated.
The commentary by director
Richard Donner and "creative consultant" Tom Mankeiwicz lacks the focus
and detail of a filmmaker really grappling with his work (it has been almost
25 years, after all), but it's full of interesting asides, casting trivia
(Goldie Hawn as Miss Teschmacher?), and the good-humored byplay of two
old friends.
The three documentary featurettes
hosted by Marc McClure (Jimmy Olsen) are essentially chapters of a comprehensive
behind-the-scenes study, full of illuminating interviews (Donner and Mankeiwicz
are more revealing here), special-effects tests (including all the failed
attempts to make you believe a man can fly), and the bizarre true story
of the unceremonious firing of Richard Donner after he had turned Superman
into a worldwide smash and shot about 70 percent of the sequel.
A separate supplement features
screen tests for Christopher Reeve and five different Lois Lanes (including
a giggly Leslie Ann Warren and a snappy Stockard Channing), and two legendary,
delightfully demented scenes featuring Lex Luthor's snarling "babies" (also
seen on TV broadcasts) are featured in the gallery of Deleted Scenes.
--Sean Axmaker |
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| SUPERMAN |
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Superman
II |
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1981
Directors: Richard Donner, Richard Lester (credited) |
DVD, Color, Widescreen
Rated: PG
Warner Home Video
ASIN: B000059XUI |
$19.98
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| Director Richard
Lester (A Hard Day's Night) took over the franchise with this first sequel
in the series, though the film doesn't look much like his usual stylish
work (Superman III is far more Lesteresque). Still, there is a lot to like
about this movie, which finds Superman grappling with the conflict between
his responsibilities as Earth's savior and his own needs of the heart.
Choosing the latter, he gives up his powers to be with Lois Lane (Margot
Kidder), but the timing is awful: three renegades from his home planet,
Krypton, are smashing up the White House, aided by the mocking Lex Luthor
(Gene Hackman). The film isn't nearly as ambitious as its predecessor,
but the accent on relationships over special effects (not that there aren't
plenty of them) is very satisfying.
--Tom Keogh
Cast List
Gene Hackman ... Lex Luthor
Christopher Reeve ... Superman/Clark Kent
Ned Beatty ... Otis
Jackie Cooper ... Perry White/Dino
Sarah Douglas ... Ursa
Margot Kidder ... Lois Lane
Jack O'Halloran ... Non
Valerie Perrine ... Eve Teschmacher
Susannah York ... Lara
E.G. Marshall ... The President
Marc McClure ... Jimmy Olsen
Terence Stamp ... General Zod |
DVD Features:
Theatrical trailer(s)
Widescreen anamorphic format
Other Formats:
VHS |
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| X-MEN |
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The
Movie |
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2000
Director: Bryan Singer |
DVD, Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby
Rated: PG-13
Twentieth Century Fox Home Video
ASIN: B00003CX8J |
$19.98
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| In a time when
race and religion don't separate people, but extra powers and mutated characteristics
do, two longtime friends, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and
Magneto (Ian McKellen) part ways, only to become rivals over the issue
of how much patience they should have with "normal" people. |
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| Living lives
that scare most humans lacking the "X-factor" (a special power such as
telekinesis), they fight over changing the general population into mutants.
Xavier decides to help mutants in a special school while waiting for humanity
to be more accepting, while Magneto opts to change all "normal" people
into mutants in order to create a mutant-only world. Leading a group of
four powerful X Men (and women) to rescue one lost girl (the mutant Rogue,
played by Anna Paquin)--and the entire population of New York--Xavier recruits
a new member to their group: Logan (Hugh Jackman), better known as Wolverine,
joins the team with much reluctance, only to prove very valuable to the
rescue effort.
Each member of the X Men
has mastered their special gift--the ability to create a storm (Storm,
played by Halle Berry), telekinesis (Dr. Jean Grey, played by Famke Janssen),
eyesight carrying laserlike destructive power (Cyclops, played by James
Marsden), the ability to heal nearly any wound he sustains (Wolverine).
The chemistry among these four sets the stage for some expert teamwork--and
some hidden romance. The mutants' ensemble work drives the action sequences,
such as in a train station battle with Magneto's crew--including Sabertooth
(Tyler Mane), Toad (Ray Park), and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos)--that
unleashes a lot of destruction, thanks to the striking special effects.
You don't have to be a fan
of the hugely popular X Men comic books to enjoy Bryan Singer's film, which
is loaded with creativity, cool effects, and characters complex enough
to lift it above run-of-the-mill action films. And Singer sets the stage
admirably for the sequels that could turn X-Men into the strongest comic-book
franchise since Batman.
--Sandra
Levin
Cast List
Hugh Jackman ... Wolverine/Logan
Patrick Stewart ...
Professor X/Professor Charles Francis Xavier
Ian McKellen ...
Magneto/Erik Magnus Lehnsherr
Famke Janssen ... Dr. Jean Grey
James Marsden ... Cyclops/Scott Summers
Halle Berry ... Storm/Ororo Munroe
Anna Paquin ... Rogue / Marie D'Ancanto
Tyler Mane ... Sabretooth/Victor Creed
Ray Park ... Toad / Mortimer Toynbee
Rebecca Romijn-Stamos ...
Mystique/Raven Darkholme |
DVD Features:
Theatrical trailer(s)
Deleted scenes
"The Mutant Watch" featurette
Excerpts from Bryan Singer interview
on "The Charlie Rose Show"
Hugh Jackman's screen test
Still photo gallery
TV spots
Widescreen anamorphic format
Other Formats:
VHS, VHS subtitled in Spanish,
DVD with DTS Stereo |
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Ten minutes of X-Men deleted
scenes (most of them superfluous) are viewable separately or integrated
into the complete film, with an onscreen symbol to mark when a deleted
scene has been inserted. "The Mutant Watch" is a 23-minute promotional
featurette originally broadcast on Fox TV at the time of the film's release,
and combines interview clips with a "mockumentary" news profile of Senator
Kelly (Bruce Davison) and his campaign to promote "mutant registration."
Excerpts from Charlie Rose's interview with director Bryan Singer are worthwhile
but too brief: the entire interview should have been included. Hugh Jackman's
screen test (with costar Anna Paquin) provides an interesting glimpse of
the casting process. The DVD's features are rounded out by a standard variety
of production and costume sketches, two computer-generated "animatics"
showing the preparation of action sequences, plus TV spots and theatrical
trailers.
--Jeff Shannon
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