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Here's some of the DvDs we've got, with a review.

 

The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Stephen Norrington's THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN begins in 1899 London where, due to some cataclysmic events in England and Germany, the world is on the brink of war. Mycroft Holmes (Richard Roxburgh) is sent by the British government to round up various figures from Victorian-era literature in an attempt to find some solution. First on the list is explorer Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery), quickly installed as leader of the ramshackle outfit. Among the plethora of mythical figures joining Quatermain are The Invisible Man, Captain Nemo, Jekyll and Hyde, Dorian Gray, and many others. Initially the League are sent to Prague to prevent a series of bombs from exploding, causing some spectacular set pieces as the merry band of rogues use all their special skills to fend off the evil forces. This is only the start of their journey however, and there are plenty of surprises for these courageous battlers, not least when they discover who is really behind all the chaos they have tried so hard to control.

Hollywood Homocide

Joe Gavilan (Harrison Ford) is an LAPD officer moonlighting as a real-estate agent to make ends meet. K.C. Calden (Josh Hartnett) is a fellow officer, sometimes masquerading as a yoga instructor to meet women, and harboring some serious acting aspirations. As the two struggle to pursue their sideline businesses, they get called up to investigate the mysterious murder of a rap group called H20 Klick. As the duo track down the killers, plenty of laughs ensue as they both desperately attempt to sell their alternative careers to anyone that crosses their paths. Joe attempts to sell property to the nightclub owner where the shootings took place, and K.C. endlessly quotes movie dialogue in an attempt to brush up on his acting skills at the most inopportune moments. The action builds to a frantic finale involving some spectacular--and hilarious--car chases around the crime-strewn streets of Los Angeles.

Bad Boys 2

Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) return as partners on the Miami Tactical Narcotics Team in director Michael Bay's (PEARL HARBOR, ARMAGEDDON) sequel to the 1995 blockbuster BAD BOYS. Car chases and shoot outs are daily occurrences as the two try to track down a big time Ecstasy dealer. The trail leads to Johnny Tapia  a Cuban immigrant who runs the biggest drug cartel on the East Coast. The stakes are raised when Marcus discovers that his sister, Syd (Gabrielle Union), an agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency, is working undercover trying to bust Tapia as well. And to further complicate matters, Syd and Mike have become involved romantically and are keeping it a secret from Marcus. Jam-packed with massive explosions, wild chase scenes, and flying bullets, this wild ride is filled with action and violence. Smith is charming as the quick-tempered, fast-talking Mike, and Lawrence is his ideal counterpart as the stressed-out Marcus, who resorts to therapy tricks to keep calm. Joe Pantoliano reprises his role as Captain Howard, who is continually traumatized by the trail of wrecked cars and damage his boys leave behind after a chase.

The Italian Job

F. Gary Gray's thoroughly entertaining caper film--a remake of the 1969 crime classic starring Michael Caine and Noel Coward--doesn't merely imitate the original, and that is what makes it such a pleasant, wholly refreshing surprise. Mark Wahlberg stars as Charlie Croker, a smooth thief who orchestrates a flawless heist in Venice with the help of his mentor, safecracker John Bridger (Donald Sutherland). Together with his cronies--explosives expert Left-Ear (Mos Def), tech whiz-kid Lyle (Seth Green), adrenaline junky Handsome Rob (Jason Statham), and the shady Steve (Edward Norton)--Charlie walks away with million worth of precious gold bars. But just when the gang appears to be headed to freedom, Steve performs a heist of his own, killing John and running off with the gold, thinking that Charlie and his mates are all deceased. A year later, Charlie has located Steve, who is gradually selling off the gold bars in Los Angeles. With the help of John's beautiful daughter Stella (Charlize Theron), a brilliant safecracker in her own right--as well as those adorable Mini Cooper sports cars--Charlie orchestrates a revenge heist that will teach Steve a valuable lesson about loyalty once and for all.

The Hulk

THE HULK, adapted by Ang Lee (CROUCHING TIGER/HIDDEN DRAGON, THE ICE STORM) from the Marvel comic book series, stars Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, the tormented scientist whose temper periodically transforms him into a raging green monster. Fellow scientist and Hulk-love-interest Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly), shares a strange connection with Banner--both have abstract childhood nightmares that hint at a shared dark past. The missing pieces of the puzzle are revealed when Banner's unstable, mad-scientist father David (Nick Nolte) appears out of the blue, followed by Betty's father Ross (Sam Elliot), a military cowboy. Banner is ultimately trying to understand what it is that makes his strange and unpredictable metamorphosis occur, while his outbursts distract him, leading him out into the streets of San Francisco, to the Golden Gate Bridge, and on a tour of the American west's national parks where he unleashes his anger in violent tantrums. Posing a threat to the country that is treated like a natural disaster, the hulk attracts the attention of the military. They respond by chasing the hulk with helicopters, machine guys, and even heavy artillery, as he bounds away in mighty leaps, trying to escape. The CGI work used in creating the hulk is funny and convincing, and the gorgeous landscape photography makes his presence all the more amazing. A vibrant color scheme adds to the film's visual thrills, split-screen editing breaks up the slower scenes, and the music by composer Danny Elfman perfectly punctuates the contrast between the soft love story and wild action sequences. While parts of the film recall the introspection of FRANKENSTEIN, the outrageous crowd-pleasing monster-military chases hearken back to KING KONG and the GODZILLA movies.

Terminator 3 Rise Of The Machines

Returning for a third bout of cyborg time travelling, Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises his good-robot role from TERMINATOR 2, once again travelling back from the future to protect future human resistance leader John Connor (played this time around by Nick Stahl). We soon discover that Connor has become something of a drifter, his mother Sarah Connor has passed away, and he has taken to the road in order to preserve himself for his supposed destiny. When Connor breaks into a lab to score some painkillers, he unwittingly runs into his future belle Kate Brewster (Claire Danes), and a whole load of titanium-plated-trouble in the form of a hot female Terminator played by newcomer Kristanna Loken. Hell-bent on destroying Connor, Brewster, and anyone else that gets in her way, Loken's Terminator comes face to face with Schwarzenegger's Terminator leading to some epic battles between the two cyborgs, and a neat string of one-liners from Schwarzenegger.

2 Fast 2 Furious

The sequel to the racing smash THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS may not have Vin Diesel as its star, but it burns with even higher octane than its predecessor, and a whole lot less extraneous drama. Back in action is undercover cop Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) whose career has hit the skids since he let Diesel's character escape at the last film's end. He has sunk in status and is now a fringe dweller on the Miami street racing scene. A chance at redemption arrives when the fuzz recruits him to investigate Carter Vellone (Cole Hauser), a top-dog street racer with dangerous drug connections. O'Connor recruits his bickering childhood pal (model/singer Tyrese), now a nitro-burning ex-con from the Diesel school of toughness, to help him pull the bad guys to the curb with a tire-spinning vengeance.

Haunted Mansion

Eddie Murphy stars in this spooky, CGI effect-packed Disney film, based on the famous Disney World attraction. He plays Jerry, a workaholic real estate agent who interrupts his family's vacation to check out a remote mansion that's for sale. But soon he and his family are trapped in the haunted house and are screaming for their lives. Terence Stamp is the ghost butler, and Nathaniel Parker is the ghost owner who falls for Jerry's wife, Sara (Marsha Thomason), believing she is the reincarnation of his lost love and providing for both a refreshingly interracial, and frighteningly inter-dimensional romance. Jennifer Tilly has a great bit as a loudmouthed head in the crystal ball; Wallace Shawn and Dina Walters are the ghost servants. Zombies rise up from their graves to attack the living, but generally the film is harmless kid stuff that is bursting with cheerful color, noise, bloodless shocks and refreshingly bathroom-free humor. Fans of the ride should be pleased, as it hits nearly every bump, from the barbershop quartet busts, to the ghostly passenger in the coach. Murphy hams it up royally and the rest of the cast is up for the challenge, especially Stamp, whose droll line readings provide a perfect balance of menace and mirth. Makeup maestro Rick Baker provided the non-CGI special effects.

Along Came Polly

Writer-director John Hamburg, (writer of ZOOLANDER and MEET THE PARENTS), teams once again with Ben Stiller to make an offbeat character study that is guaranteed to induce helpless laughter. Reuben, an overanxious insurance risk analyst (Stiller), weighs his every action by assessing pros and cons. He finds himself dumped on his honeymoon by fickle wife Lisa (Debra Messing) who runs off with Jacques, a nudist scuba instructor (Hank Azaria). A few days later, Reuben is back in New York at a pretentious gallery opening, wondering why he's bothering to test the waters so soon, when along comes Polly Price (Jennifer Aniston), a quirky, worldly, adventurous soul, whose only flaw appears to be a generalized lack of commitment. The formerly germ-obsessed, controlling Reuben is transformed by Polly's free spirit, her predilection for spicy food, and her pet ferret. Her love of salsa dancing makes him jealous and painfully uncomfortable. But his heart is aflame.Hamburg, who began his directorial career with SAFE MEN, has proven himself a reliable producer of charming realism and a brand of comedy comparable to that of the Farrelly brothers. Editor William Kerr has an extraordinary sense of comic timing, which gives ALONG CAME POLLY's funny factor a boost. Stiller's salsa solo is striking--the actor is actually an amazing dancer. Last but not least, Philip Seymour Hoffman (PUNCH DRUNK LOVE, FLAWLESS) nearly steals the show as Reuben's best friend Sandy Lyle who plays both Jesus and Judas in a community production of esus Christ Superstar.

Cold Mountain

Directed by Anthony Minghella (THE ENGLISH PATIENT), this Civil War saga addresses romance, friendship, and the ravages of war--both in the field and on the home front. Far more than a simple love story, Minghella's film captures the horrors of war for both those fighting it, and for those left behind. Based on the Charles Frazier novel, this is a tale of hope, longing, redemption, second chances, and faith.Ada Monroe (Nicole Kidman) is a proper lady who accompanies her preacher father (Donald Sutherland) to Cold Mountain, North Carolina. She waits for her love, W.P. Inman (Jude Law)--a sensitive man with little use for many words--to return from war. In the process she learns basic survival skills and finds strength from no-nonsense Ruby (Renée Zellweger), a spitfire who can work the land as well as any man. Meanwhile, wounded Inman has had enough of war and killing, and is slowly working his way back to Ada despite the perils of being a Confederate deserter. Law and Kidman are genuinely touching as two virtual strangers who invest all of their faith in each other, and Zellweger is astounding as the uncultured but compassionate Ruby. Rounding out the cast is an impressive array of actors, including Brendan Gleeson, Ray Winstone, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Jack White (of the White Stripes), Kathy Baker, Giovanni Ribisi, and many others.

The Butterfly Effect

Playing God has its consequences, which is the theme of the tricky time-travel shockfest THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT. J. Mackye Gruber and Eric Bress, who share writing and directing credits, make a splash with a gripping script that never fails to throw twists and loops into the plot. Both thematically and visually, the film is similar to the perfect commercial filmmaking in the team's script for FINAL DESTINATION II. Here, Evan Trehorn (Ashton Kutcher) is a college student who has suffered from blackouts and memory loss since he was a child. Tormented by deeply repressed childhood memories, he has visions of his best friend and first love Kayleigh (Amy Smart) as a child (Irene Gorovaia) whose Dad (Eric Stoltz) is a child molester, and whose brother Tommy has a serious sadistic streak. In search of greater clarity, Evan pores over his journals and is physically transported back in time where he is still a young boy (John P. Amedori) and has the ability to change what happened. But soon he realizes that changing history has caused calamitous results elsewhere. A mesmerizing thriller with a dark underlying mystery, THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT is delightfully chilling.

SWAT

Television director/actor Clark Johnson makes an impressive feature-film debut with S.W.A.T. Inspired by the 1970s show of the same name, S.W.A.T. is set in modern day Los Angeles. Recently demoted officer Jim Street (Colin Farrell) gets a chance to redeem himself when aging veteran Hondo (Samuel L. Jackson) is put in control of a new team. Joining Jim are Deke Kay (LL Cool J), Michael Boxer (Brian Van Holt), T.J. McCabe (Josh Charles), and Chris Sanchez (Michelle Rodriguez), all outcasts in their own right. But after an intense training period, the team is ready to hit the streets. Their first big assignment involves one of the world's most dangerous criminals, Alex Montel (Olivier Martinez), who makes an on-camera declaration that he'll give million to whoever breaks him out of jail. Pretty soon, everyone's trying to get a piece of the action, including Jim's former partner, Brian Gamble (Jeremy Renner), who uses his own S.W.A.T. team experience to plot the escape of a lifetime. It's up to Hondo and Jim to outsmart the bad guys and make sure that Alex is safely transported to a federal penitentiary. S.W.A.T. is an entertaining adventure made all the more engaging because of the way Johnson concerns himself equally with the quality of the film's drama and its action.

The Passion Of Christ

The Passion of The Christ focusses on the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life. The film begins in the Garden of Olives where Jesus has gone to pray after sitting the Last Supper. Jesus must resist the temptations of Satan. Betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus is then arrested and taken within the city walls of Jerusalem where leaders of the Pharisees confront him with accusations of blasphemy and his trial results in a condemnation to death.


 



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