MrSprocket

I really wanted to like this movie. The medieval battle scenes are well done, well, until Milla shows up. She apparently spent many hours practicing looking bug-eyed in a mirror, tilting her head back, and looking at the tip of her nose. She's as unconvincing as Joan as conceivable. The movie wallows in some ridiculous exploitative scenes, like the big too-doo over checking to see if she's still a virgin. Puh-lease. And I didn't know that punk hairdos were invented in the 14th century. Give this movie a pass unless you really like medieval battle scenes - and just fast-forward over the rest anyway.

This film version of Romeo and Juliet stands head and shoulders above all the others. It's sweet and sincere, and the young actors are completely convincing. I doubt it could be done this well again, and certainly the 1996 Dicaprio/Danes version and the execrable "Shakespeare in Love" aren't even in the ballpark.

This DVD appears to be targetted at someone who will just put it on and play it in an endless loop in the background. It's organized as a series of music videos of the Grand Canyon set to various pieces of Tangerine Dream music.

Unfortunately, the TD music is dull, and the transfer to DVD looks rather blurry and dim. Too expensive a DVD for what it is.

Super Speedway makes a great demo of your new DVD / bigscreen / 5.1 channel sound system. The IMAX camera puts you right in the race car, where you cruise around various tracks at high speed, reminiscent of the driving sequences in Grand Prix (if only that would appear on DVD!). I enjoy watching it again and again.

The only minus, and why I didn't give it a 10, is some of the driving sequences look suspiciously like the film was speeded up. The soundtrack also requires a little suspension of disbelief - all you can hear in a real car is the engine. You won't hear swooshes as you go under bridges.

I could only bear to watch about a half hour of this. The dialog sounds like it was written by a 3rd grader. If any of the actors in it become famous in the future, they'd most likely try to bury this movie. It makes me wonder why awful movies like this come out on DVD, whereas fine movies like Dr. Zhivago and Ben Hur are not available on DVD.