DVDpedia : Library : Title : J

Theatrical:

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre:

Summary: Leonardo DiCaprio ("Inception", "Blood Diamond") stars as J. Edgar Hoover, head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for nearly 50 years. Hoover was feared, admired, reviled and revered, a man who could distort the truth as easily as he upheld it. His methods were at once ruthless and heroic, with the admiration of the world his most coveted prize. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life. Oscar Winner Clint Eastwood ("Gran Torino", "Million Dollar Baby", "Unforgiven") directs an all-star cast including Naomi Watts ("21 Grams"), Armie Hammer ("The Social Network") and Oscar Winner Judi Dench ("Shakespeare in Love") as Hoover’s overprotective mother.

Theatrical:

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Genre:

Duration: 91

Summary: Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler), a successful advertising executive in Los Angeles with a beautiful wife (Katie Holmes) and kids, who dreads one event each year: the holiday visit of his identical twin sister Jill (also Adam Sandler). Jill’s neediness and passive-aggressiveness are maddening to Jack, turning his normally tranquil life upside down. Things spin even more out of control for Jack when Jill decides to extend her visit and he doesn’t think that she’ll ever leave!

Theatrical:

Studio: Paramount

Genre:

Duration: 130

Summary: From The New York Times bestselling author Lee Child comes one of the most compelling heroes to step from novel to screen - ex-military investigator Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise). When a gunman takes five lives with six shots, all evidence points to the suspect in custody. On interrogation, the suspect offers up a single note: “Get Jack Reacher!” So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep and a target on Reacher’s back.

Theatrical:

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action, Thriller

Duration: 118

Summary: Jack Reacher returns with his particular brand of justice in the highly anticipated sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. When Army Major Susan Turner, who heads Reacher's old investigative unit, is arrested for Treason, Reacher will stop at nothing to prove her innocence and to uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy involving soldiers who are being killed. Based upon Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, author Lee Child's 18th novel in the best-selling Jack Reacher series, that has seen 100 million books sold worldwide.

Theatrical:

Studio: Paramount

Genre:

Duration: 105

Summary: pre order Like new in shrink wrap slit onside to remove digital code that's why it's sold as like new. Will ship fast and buy with confidence check all other listings.
Does not release till 06/10/2014
Will ship once released so please be sure if purchased is pre order wont ship till release.

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 124

Summary: The best way to enjoy this 1997 thriller is to forget the much better film that inspired it (1973's "The Day of the Jackal") and get whatever kicks you can from this heavy-metal remake. It's not bad as hokey thrillers go, but all of the original film's suspenseful finesse has been traded in (not traded up) for bigger, bolder action and nonsensical plotting. It's as if Hollywood had forgotten to create excitement without resorting to overblown action and heavy hardware, but there's ample compensation in the casting of Bruce Willis and Richard Gere. Willis is the elusive assassin known only as the Jackal, whose latest target (he uses a cannon-sized gun that's anything but inconspicuous) may be the first lady of the United States. Gere plays a former IRA terrorist who is recruited by the deputy head of the FBI (Sidney Poitier) to trace the Jackal's maneuvers, and Diane Venora offers some gutsy support as a Russian-born agent who assists Gere on his mission. The movie has fun turning Willis into a master of disguise, and Gere adds much-needed gravity to counter the plot's escalating absurdity, but this is the kind of film that falls apart if you think about it too much. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 108

Summary: Shot in English and budgeted higher than any of his previous Asian features, Jackie Chan's last film under his Hong Kong contract is an action-packed globe-trotting adventure shot with the American audience in mind. The spies and secret agent-laden plot is packed with car chases, explosions, gunfire aplenty, and of course Jackie's own brand of gymnastic martial arts. But the flood of his older films between his hits "Rumble in the Bronx" and "Rush Hour" had sated American viewers and "Who Am I?" wound up being sold directly to cable. It's our loss, for this mix of goofy slapstick and jaw-dropping action is his most impressive film since "Drunken Master II". Playing a special forces agent (named, naturally, Jackie) struck with amnesia and adopted by an African bush tribe following a failed assassination attempt, he embarks on a quest to discover his true identity while armies of killers pour after him. After an explosive opening, the story gets momentarily bogged down in the kind of mugging humor that leaves most American audiences scratching their heads, but once Jackie kicks into gear the film is a high-speed action flurry that culminates in a furious battle atop a Rotterdam skyscraper. Jackie is at his most charmingly naive (he berates the villains, pleading "Why do you want to destroy when you can make things better?") and athletically impressive: the marvelous stunts--including a flight down the side of the skyscraper--and fight choreography make "Rush Hour" look like a Sunday drive. "--Sean Axmaker"

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Drama

Duration: 113

Summary: Vietnam veteran Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) thinks he is going insane. Or worse. When his nightmares begin spilling into his waking hours, Jacob believes he is experiencing the aftereffects of a powerful drug tested on him during Vietnam. Or perhaps his posttraumatic stress disorder is worse than most. Whatever is happening to him, it is not good. Director Adrian Lyne sparks our interest and maintains high production values, but this confusing film chokes on its "surprise" ending. It owes much to Ambrose Bierce's haunting and more straightforward story, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek." Written by Bruce Joel Rubin, who also explored the "other side" in "Ghost" and "My Life", it ultimately feels like an exercise in self-indulgence. A spirited performance by Elizabeth Peña outshines Robbins, who is surprisingly lethargic. "--Rochelle O'Gorman"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: MGM

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 359

Summary: Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 10/21/2008 Run time: 362 minutes Rating: Nr

Theatrical:

Studio: MGM

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 359

Summary: Disc 1: Goldfinger Ultimate Edition Blu-ray Widescreen Feature Film Disc 2: Moonraker Ultimate Edition Blu-ray Widescreen Feature Film Disc 3: The World Is Not Enough Ultimate Edition Blu-ray Widescreen Feature Film

Theatrical: 1965

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 869

Summary: Seven films. Four Bonds. One set. This sprawling collection surveys over 30 years of James Bond skullduggery, from the cold war tensions of the 1960s to the international free-for-all of the present. Sean Connery remains the coolest of the Bonds, a ruthless agent with dry martini wit and a way with the women, and in "Goldfinger" his steely presence helped forge the Bond formula of tongue-in-cheek wit, wondrous secret agent toys created by Q, and megalomaniac supervillains bent on world destruction. "Thunderball" upped the Bond ante with the most ambitious adventure--and budget--to date. Roger Moore brought an altogether lighter tone to 007 with "Live and Let Die", softening Connery's rough edges with a more romantic persona as the films became even more exotic. After a brief digression into outer space, "For Your Eyes Only" returned Bond to globetrotting high adventure and teamed him with his most endearing ally (Topol as a gregarious smuggler). Timothy Dalton made his second and final appearance as Bond in "Licence to Kill", the toughest of the Bond films since Connery's early efforts. Though not a fan favorite, it's a sleek, solid adventure with an edge missing from the Moore pictures. Pierce Brosnan is the latest to take on 007's licence to kill, combining the best of Connery's cool and Moore's humor. "GoldenEye" is the best Bond film in years, a grand globetrotting adventure with lovely Bond girls and a tough new M (Judy Dench). "Tomorrow Never Dies" doesn't recapture that magic mix of action, gadgetry, and romance, but does feature the first Bond girl to match 007 blow for blow: Hong Kong action superstar Michelle Yeoh. Taken together, this set is a veritable cross-section of the many faces of James Bond. All that's missing is George Lazenby. Do I hear a nomination for set 2? "--Sean Axmaker"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 125

Summary: Based on Anthony Swofford’s excellent memoir about his experiences as a Marine Sniper in Gulf War I, "Jarhead" is a war movie in which the waiting is a far greater factor upon the characters than the war itself, and the build up to combat is more drama than what combat is depicted. To some viewers hoping for typical movie action, this will seem like a cruel joke. But it’s not. It’s just the story as it was written, and if you liked the book, you will probably like the movie. If you didn’t, then the movie won’t change your mind.
The movie follows the trajectory of Swofford (played with thoughtful intensity by Jake Gyllenhaal) from wayward Marine recruit (he joined because he "got lost on the way to college") to skilled Marine sniper, and on into the desert in preparation for the attack on Iraq. No-nonsense, Marine-for-life Staff Sgt. Sykes (Jamie Foxx), the man who recruited Swofford and his spotter Troy (Peter Sarsgaard) into the sniper team, leads them in training, and in waiting where their lives are dominated by endless tension, pointless exercises in absurdity (like playing football in the scorching heat of the desert in their gas masks so it will look better for the media’s TV cameras), more training, and constant anticipation of the moment to come when they’ll finally get to kill. When the war does come, it moves too fast for Swofford’s sniper team, and the one chance they get at a kill--to do the one thing they’ve trained so hard and waited so long for--eludes them, leaving them to wonder what was the point of all they had endured.
As directed by Sam Mendes ("American Beauty"), the movie remains very loyal to the language and vision of the book, but it doesn’t entirely work as the film needs something more than a literal translation to bring out its full potential. Mendes’s stark and, at times, apocalyptic visuals add a lot and strike the right tone: wide shots of inky-black oil raining down on the vast, empty desert from flaming oil wells contrasted with close-ups of crude-soaked faces struggling through the mire vividly bring to life the meaning of the tagline "welcome to the suck." But much of the second half of the movie will probably leave some viewers feeling disappointed in the cinematic experience, while others might appreciate its microcosmic depiction of modern chaos and aimlessness. "Jarhead" is one of those examples where the book is better than the movie, but not for lack of trying. "--Dan Vancini"

Theatrical:

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Genre: Action, Thriller, Suspense, Drama, Adventure

Duration: 246

Summary: Matt Damon returns to his most iconic role in Jason Bourne. Paul Greengrass, the director of The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, once again joins Damon for the next chapter of Universal Pictures' Bourne franchise, which finds the CIA's most lethal operative drawn out of the shadows. Damon is joined by Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel and Tommy Lee Jones, while Julia Stiles reprises her role in the series.

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre:

Summary:

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Art House & International

Duration: 93

Summary: Nine years after his so-called "Final Friday", hockey-masked slasher Jason Voorhees returns in "Jason X", and fans of the long-running "Friday the 13th" series won't be disappointed. Veteran stuntman Kane Hodder returns to the titular role that made him infamous, and rookie director James Isaac gets off to a fine start by killing off his mentor, director David Cronenberg, in a deliciously ill-fated cameo. Soon Jason is cryogenically suspended along with the comely scientist (Lexa Doig, from TV's "Andromeda") who warned of his invincibility; by the time a sexy spaceship crew revives them in the year 2455, "Earth 2" has replaced the now-uninhabitable Earth, and Jason proceeds to do hack victims with his trusty machete. Eventually he battles a sexy android, gets a cybernetic facelift, and meets his fate back at Crystal Lake, where the whole thing started. With knowing nods to the original, "Jason X" is just fun enough to keep the franchise alive. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical:

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre:

Duration: 124

Summary: Directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, Jaws set the standard for edge-of-your-seat suspense quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon and forever changing the movie industry. When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town’s chief of police (Roy Scheider), a young marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a grizzled shark hunter (Robert Shaw) embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it strikes again. Featuring an unforgettable score that evokes pure terror, Jaws remains one of the most influential and gripping adventures in motion picture history.

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 104

Summary: With sidesplitting dialogue and rampant profanity, "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" reunites Kevin Smith's dynamic duo in supreme lowbrow style. It's the fifth comedy in Smith's celebrated New Jersey "trilogy." Here Quick-Stop potheads Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) wreak vengeance on Hollywood, where Miramax is making a "Bluntman & Chronic" feature inspired by J. and S.B., but without their permission. En route from Jersey to La La Land, Jay and his "hetero life mate" encounter sexy jewel thieves (including the delightful Shannon Elizabeth), a precocious orangutan, a dimwit wildlife marshal (Will Ferrell), and a nonstop parade of in-jokes, harmless (yet controversial) gay jokes, and splendid celebrity cameos. While gently biting the Miramax hand that feeds him, and paying affectionate homage to the "Star Wars" saga, Smith sheds all inhibitions to give "Jay and Silent Bob" a stellar sendoff that's nasty, sassy, and undeniably hilarious. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Drama

Duration: 887

Summary: "Jeremiah" fans have been clamoring for the release of the show on DVD (it originally aired on Showtime), and with 19 episodes and a passel of special features spread out over six discs and totaling nearly 15 hours, they are unlikely to be disappointed.
Based on a series of graphic novels by Hermann Huppen, the show takes place on an Earth where, some 15 years earlier, a hormonal virus killed everyone who was past puberty. It's an intriguing premise, but one that creator J. Michael Straczynski (best known for his work on "Babylon 5") and his team haven't exploited to its fullest. The slow-moving, 90-minute pilot episode explains little of the internal logic of this post-apocalyptic world; how, for instance, did these young folks, the oldest of whom were only 12 or 13 when "the Big Death" wiped out six billion people, manage to survive, educate themselves, and learn skills and trades without any adult influence in a society that's in shambles? It would be fun to know more.
Still, the show's ideas are provocative, and the work of co-stars and TV stalwarts Luke Perry as the title character, a hero with a conscience, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner as his more cynical sidekick, is good. "Jeremiah", to its credit, doesn't rely on special effects, production design, costumes, or sets to carry it. That means the burden is on the ongoing themes (Jeremiah's guilt over his younger brother's death and his search for the maybe-mythic "Valhalla Sector"; the threat of the plague returning in an even more virulent form; the attempts to rebuild civilization) and individual stories, which are frequently compelling and smart (especially "Things Left Unsaid," the two-part season finale, a cliffhanger that offers many possibilities for future seasons), even while favoring talk over action.
The special features occupy disc 1, along with the pilot, and include deleted scenes, production sketches, and commentary on the pilot by Perry (who also executive produced) and Warner. If you're looking for superior sci-fi escapism, however, try "Farscape" or "Stargate SG-1", to name just two. "--Sam Graham"

Theatrical: 1979

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 94

Summary: Carl Reiner ("Where's Poppa?") brought comic Steve Martin to the screen in this mostly funny 1979 movie about a relentlessly stupid but innocent man, whom we get to know from childhood (where it never occurred to him that he was white as he was raised by a family of black sharecroppers) to romance (where he doesn't quite know what to do with Bernadette Peters). Martin is game as the moron, and this is the kind of film with funny moments people still talk about. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Miramax

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 102

Summary: "Jersey Girl" stars Ben Affleck as a workaholic music executive who loses his wife (Jennifer Lopez) in childbirth and has to raise his newborn daughter with the help of his crotchety New Jersey dad (George Carlin). The movie unspools as if writer-director Kevin Smith, normally a highly self-aware filmmaker ("Clerks", "Chasing Amy", "Dogma"), set out to put a fresh spin on every cliché he could imagine (parent forced to choose between child and career; parent rushing to attend school performance; etc.)--then forgot to put in the spin. The scenes that aren't lifeless are implausible (Liv Tyler plays the fantasy girl of every awkward boy's dreams). The only real feeling comes from the strong soundtrack. However, Raquel Castro, as the daughter, is an uncanny double for Lopez; when the light plays across Castro's cheekbones just so, you'd swear the casting director simply shrunk Lopez for convenience. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 106

Summary: This sequel to 1984's rip-snorting romantic-adventure, "Romancing the Stone", is a moderately entertaining tale that pales by comparison to its predecessor. Romance novelist Kathleen Turner and retired soldier-of-fortune Michael Douglas return as a now-complacent couple. Bored with life on a yacht, they find excitement thrust upon them when she accepts a speaking engagement in the Middle East. Once there, she is abducted and finds herself involved with the "jewel" everyone is chasing. Douglas teams up once more with Danny DeVito to rescue his love. Less charming and more predictable than the original, this suffers for one simple reason: the characters have nowhere to go. In the original story we watched Turner blossom from timid storyteller to lusty adventuress. In this flick she is too much like all the other action adventure babes we've seen before. "--Rochelle O'Gorman"

Theatrical: 1991

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 189

Summary: Director Oliver Stone added 17 minutes of previously unseen footage for the "director's cut" edition of his hypnotic courtroom epic about the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963. That fateful day in Dallas set in motion a sequence of events that would only intensify the mystery behind Kennedy's death, causing New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) to begin an investigation that would gradually become a personal obsession. Bravura filmmaking combined with controversial treatment of historical facts and audacious speculation, this breathtaking revision of history presents a mesmerizing parade of shady figures and conspiracy theories, unfolding like a classic mystery based on history's greatest unsolved crime. A technical triumph boasting Oscar-winning cinematography and editing, Stone's film is guaranteed to grab the viewer's attention with its daring take on the JFK controversy. The stellar supporting cast includes Tommy Lee Jones, Joe Pesci, Jack Lemmon, Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, Kevin Bacon, and Gary Oldman as Lee Harvey Oswald. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical:

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre:

Duration: 258

Summary: Ashton Kutcher is Steve Jobs, the iconic Apple innovator and groundbreaking entrepreneur.  This inspiring and entertaining film chronicles Jobs’ early days as a college dropout to his rise as the co-founder of Apple Computer Inc. and forced departure from the company. More than a decade later, Jobs returns and single-handedly sets a course that will turn the once-tiny startup into one of the world’s most valuable companies.  His epic journey blazes a trail that changes technology – and the world – forever. JOBS is a riveting story of a true American visionary, a man who let nothing stand in the way of greatness.  Co-starring Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad, J. K. Simmons and Matthew Modine.

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 102

Summary: "Joe Versus the Volcano" is a true early-1990s cult film. This fantasy-comedy was the first pairing of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, yet it polarizes viewers like a "Blue Velvet" or "Happiness". As the only directorial effort from John Patrick Shanley (the Oscar-winning writer of "Moonstruck"), it is something special, and it's hard to resist the film's feather-light heart tugging. Joe Banks is having the life sucked out of him at a dead-end job. Miserable in his gray surroundings with stark fluorescent lighting, Joe dreams of being brave again. A visit to the doctor reveals that he has a "brain cloud." It's fatal, but he'll be fine for a few more months. An eccentric millionaire, Samuel Harvey Graynamore (Lloyd Bridges), hears of Joe's predicament and comes to him with a proposal: The people of the Pacific island of Waponi Woo need a human sacrifice to appease their gods. Why not live like a king for a few weeks, then throw yourself into a volcano? (Graynamore needs a sacrificial victim to offer in exchange for permission to mine the island for a rare mineral.) Joe accepts Graynamore's lavish proposal and on his journey meets three romantic possibilities (all played by Ryan). Joe embraces life; so does the movie. It's packed with smile-inducing supporting performances by Bridges, Ossie Davis, Robert Stack, and Dan Hedaya; playful songs ("Sixteen Tons," "Ol' Man River," Presley's version of "Blue Moon"); and amusing scenes (such as Joe buying luggage). Add the daring, imaginative production design of Bo Welch ("Edward Scissorhands"), Hanks and Ryan's chemistry, and Georges Delerue's romantic music and you have a film to fall for. "--Doug Thomas"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: HBO

Genre: Drama

Duration: 501

Summary: Based on David McCullough's bestselling biography, the HBO miniseries "John Adams" is the furthest thing from a starry-eyed look at America's founding fathers and the brutal path to independence. Adams (Paul Giamatti), second president of the United States, is portrayed as a skilled orator and principled attorney whose preference for justice over anti-English passions earns enemies. But he also gains the esteem of the first national government of the United States, i.e., the Continental Congress, which seeks non-firebrands capable of making a reasoned if powerful case for America's break from England's monarchy. The first thing one notices about "John Adams"' dramatizations of congress' proceedings, and the fervent pro-independence violence in the streets of Boston and elsewhere, is that America's roots don't look pretty or idealized here. Some horrendous things happen in the name of protest, driving Adams to push the cause of independence in a legitimate effort to get on with a revolutionary war under the command of George Washington. But the process isn't easy: not every one of the 13 colonies-turned-states is ready to incur the wrath of England, and behind-the-scenes negotiations prove as much a part of 18th century congressional sessions as they do today.
Besides this peek into a less-romanticized version of the past, "John Adams" is also a story of the man himself. Adams' frustration at being forgotten or overlooked at critical junctures of America's early development--sent abroad for years instead of helping to draft the U.S. constitution--is detailed. So is his dismay that the truth of what actually transpired leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence has been slowly forgotten and replaced by a rosier myth. But above all, "John Adams" is the story of two key ties: Adams' 54-year marriage to Abigail Adams (Laura Linney), every bit her husband's intellectual equal and anchor, and his difficult, almost symbiotic relationship with Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane) over decades. Giamatti, of course, has to carry much of the drama, and if he doesn't always seem quite believable in the series' first half, he becomes increasingly excellent at the point where an aging Adams becomes bitter over his place in history. Linney is marvelous, as is Dillane, Sarah Polley as daughter Nabby, Danny Huston as cousin Samuel Adams, and above all Tom Wilkinson as a complex but indispensable Ben Franklin. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical:

Studio: Buena Vista

Genre:

Duration: 132

Summary: Disney's megabudget foray into a new CGI franchise of epic sci-fi mythology arrives with a massive marketing push and an interesting pulp pedigree that will probably inspire as many fans as it will naysayers. This impressively crafted piece of escapist fantasy is based on a character and series of books by Edgar Rice Burroughs that is runner-up to his primary creation, Tarzan, and the 20-plus volumes he wrote about that iconic ape-raised jungle adventurer. Burroughs churned out books in both series concurrently for roughly his entire adult life in the first half of the 20th century. John Carter is a former Confederate Civil War captain and fortune-hunting ne'er-do-well who through a weird incident of astral projection is plopped down on the red planet, where he becomes a passionate warrior against beasts and humanoids for the security of a home world known to its inhabitants as Barsoom. John Carter presents this origin setup in a clever prologue that finds the cranky Carter on the run from frontier military authorities as well as a band of marauding Indians. Carter is played by Friday Night Lights star Taylor Kitsch with great bravado. His character undergoes radical change when confronted with something he can finally care about. It doesn't hurt that an exotic princess of Mars is part of the prize package that comes from his battle against evil and ultimately doing the right thing. John Carter is a visual feast (especially in well-conceived 3-D) with an array of digital and motion-capture techniques that create an eye-popping world of strange creatures, astounding architectural vistas, aerial panoramas, and luminous landscapes. All the extraordinary detail is not surprising considering that Pixar superstar Andrew Stanton is at the helm (he also directed Finding Nemo and WALL-E). There's a lot going on in the script, and it sometimes feels as though too much work was done in the editing suite to streamline a story that is often overly complicated. Barsoom is ruled by three species, all with their own political and social agendas. There are the humans whose city-state cultures are threatened by civil war and the aggression of Tharks, a race of giant green-skinned, four-armed warriors with horrific tusks and a deeply bellicose intellect. Separate from both are the mythic Therns, a cultlike sect of über-beings who seek to manipulate all of Barsoom into their own submission. Added to the mix are a variety of outrageous animal creatures both vicious and sublime that make for an extremely motley ensemble of beasties. The huge cast of characters, species, and names becomes a bit confusing to keep straight in all the rapid-fire exposition. Fortunately the movie doesn't ever stop long enough to allow much time for thinking; there's something new and exciting to look at in virtually every scene. Because of some fantastical leaps of physics and gravity, Carter's Martian body possesses super strength and the ability to make single bounds over huge distances. His powers not only make him a godlike presence to the natives of Barsoom, they also provide for some dizzying feats of movie magic. The most bravura element of the conceptual design is a fleet of massive solar-powered flying machines that recall something out of H.G. Wells or a steampunk fantasy. These colorful, insectlike machines soar and float in the gold-hued Martian atmosphere with thrilling precision. Even though the multitude of beings, names, and alliances may sometimes elicit a glassy-eyed response, there's plenty of attention-grabbing exactitude to behold in John Carter. There's also a good chance that the fans will make it worth Disney's while to shell out another hundred million to keep the saga going. --Ted Fry

Related Products
Amazon's Disney Store

More John Carter

More Blu-ray 3D Movies

Versions of John Carter on Blu-ray and DVD


John Carter


John Carter (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)


John Carter (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD + Digital Copy)
Release Date June 5, 2012
June 5, 2012
June 5, 2012
Format/Disc # DVD Blu-ray, DVD
Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD + Digital Copy
Blu-ray No Yes Yes DVD Yes Yes Yes Digital Copy No No Yes Bonus Features None
· Blu-ray Feature Film + Bonus
· DVD Feature Film+ Bonus
· Disney Second Screen
· 360 Degrees of John Carter
· Deleted Scene with Option Commentary by Director Andrew Stanton
· Barsoom Bloopers
· 100 Years in the Making
· Audio Commentary with Film Makers
· Blu-ray 3D (TM) Feature Film
· Blu-ray Feature Film + Bonus
· DVD Feature Film+ Bonus
· Digital Copy of Feature Film
· Disney Second Screen
· 360 Degrees of John Carter
· Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Director Andrew Stanton
· Barsoom Bloopers
· 100 Years of in the Making
· Audio Commentary with Film Makers

Theatrical:

Studio: Lionsgate

Genre:

Duration: 101

Summary:

Theatrical:

Studio: Lionsgate/Summit

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 223

Summary: John Wick (Keanu Reeves), the world's deadliest hit man, unleashes his fury on the mobsters who have wronged him and the army of international assassins who want him dead. This special collection includes the hitman vs gangster, action thriller John Wick, and its sequel John Wick: Chapter 2. Starring Keanu Reeves, Alfie Allen and Willem Dafoe and directed by Derek Kolstad.

Theatrical: 2019

Studio: Lionsgate

Genre: Action

Duration: 131

Summary: Super assassin John Wick is on the run after killing a member of the international assassin's guild, and with a $14 million price tag on his head he is the target of hit men and women everywhere.

Theatrical: 2023

Studio: Thunder Road, 87Eleven, Summit Entertainment, Studio Babelsberg

Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime

Duration: 170

Summary: With the price on his head ever increasing, John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.

Theatrical: 1984

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 90

Summary: This dispensable 1984 comedy is a mostly humorless parody of '30s gangster movies, the kind of thing that might work reasonably well in a five-minute sketch on "Saturday Night Live" but which nearly beats a viewer to death over the course of a feature. Michael Keaton and Joe Piscopo play rival Mafia bosses, but once the novelty of that is introduced, it's already old. There's plenty of sustained effort from the rest of the cast (Marilu Henner, Danny DeVito, Maureen Stapleton), with Griffin Dunne getting special points. Amy Heckerling ("Fast Times at Ridgemont High") directs as if this were indeed on television. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 87

Summary: Mr. Bean meets Mr. Bond in "Johnny English", a spy spoof that skewers the genre with Rowan Atkinson's trademark brand of "veddy"-British slapstick. It's a bit half-baked as a wannabe franchise, but Atkinson's creation of a new screen persona is just promising enough to warrant a sequel, despite critics' complaints that "Austin Powers" had already exhausted the spy-spoof's potential. Poppycock! Atkinson's gift for physical and, in this case, even verbal humor will surely please his devoted fans, even when a rather tepidly comedic screenplay prevents the British funnyman from reaching new heights of absurdity. As bumbling superspy Johnny English, who gains top-level MI-7 clearance after inadvertently causing a colleague's demise, Atkinson breathes life into gags that are too familiar to earn such an amusing revival. With John Malkovich as a smarmy Frenchman determined to overthrow the British monarchy, and Natalie Imbruglia as Johnny's comely comrade-in-arms, this slight but enjoyable comedy gives Atkinson plenty of opportunity to mug it up as only he can. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 96

Summary: You might be tempted to call it "Johnny Moronic" after you've seen this illogical and derivative adaptation of William Gibson's cyberpunk short story (available in his book "Burning Chrome"), which is all the more depressing since Gibson himself wrote the screenplay. First you have to ask yourself why valuable top-secret electronic data would be stored in the "wet-wired" brain of a human courier (played by Keanu Reeves), who then transports the data from China to New Jersey as part of his last, most dangerous assignment. Surely there are better ways to transmit sensitive information, but since this is really just a conventional thriller with near-future design and spiffy special effects, Gibson and New York artist Robert Longo (making his directorial debut) are more interested in surface gloss and cyberpunk atmosphere. On that level the movie's fairly engaging, and Japanese film star Takeshi Kitano makes a pretty good villain, tracking Reeves down for the information in his data-packed brain. The movie also boasts an eclectic gallery of supporting players including rapper Ice-T, performance artist and rocker Henry Rollins, beefcake actor Dolph Lundgren, and transcontinental oddball Udo Kier. They can't stop this trip through virtual reality from being botched up, but sci-fi fans will certainly enjoy the echo of Gibson's fiction that remains on the screen. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 96

Summary: Cedric the Entertainer ("Barbershop", "Intolerable Cruelty") lends his stubborn, skeptical charm to "Johnson Family Vacation". Though separated from his wife (Vanessa Williams, "Soul Food", "Shaft"), Nate Johnson (Cedric) pulls his family together so that they can compete for an award at the Johnson family reunion. Of course, the road trip from California to Missouri--featuring a sexy but crazy hitchhiker, motel high jinks, and an afternoon in jail--threatens to split up the family permanently. The humor of "Johnson Family Vacation" is rambling and ridiculous--for example, Williams fools Cedric into taking his swim trunks off in a motel hot tub, then leaves him to tiptoe through the motel naked. But Cedric and Williams both have undeniable charisma; together, they carry this shaggy dog of a movie through its more lackadaisacal moments. Also featuring Bow Wow, Solange Knowles, Shannon Elizabeth ("American Pie"), and Steve Harvey ("Love Don't Cost a Thing"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 93

Summary: When a seismic geologist (Brendan Fraser) discovers his lost brother's notes in a copy of the titular Jules Verne novel, he and his nephew (Josh Hutcherson, "Bridge to Terabithia", "Zathura") head to Iceland. There, joined by a fetching mountain guide (played by Icelandic actress Anita Briem), they get trapped in a cavern and go down, down, down, finally arriving in a primeval underworld full of prehistoric beasts and carnivorous plants. It would be pointless to complain about the empty-headedness of it all; "Journey to the Center of the Earth" aspires to be a kinesthetic experience. It wants to engage your adrenal glands, not your brain or your heart (the dialogue and characters are so generic, the script may have been cut-and-pasted from previous versions of Verne's book). Fraser, with his goofy handsomeness and accessible presence, provides a reasonably human axis around which all the frantic flying and swooping CGI effects revolve. The movie is as hollow as the world it depicts, but as mindless action movies go, you could do a lot worse. (Note: "Journey to the Center of the Earth" was released in theaters in 3-D, full of whizz-bang demonstrations of how far 3-D technology had come--trilobite antennae quivering towards the audience, a T-rex lunging out of the frame, even affable star Brendan Fraser spitting on us--as well as a half-dozen action sequences clearly destined to become video games or theme park rides.) "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical:

Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Genre:

Duration: 1 hour and 42 minutes

Summary: The HD upgrade is just fantastic, the detail of the special effects models is really exceptional. The Anderson's create a very credible space industrial complex, within a believable story context. Populating it with talented and motivated actors. A very interesting film, with a rough Twilight Zone twist ending. Certainly a worthwhile film to see.

It is a classic SF movie, and I think would be more popular, if the ending was just a bit more optimistic!

Theatrical:

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre:

Duration: 141

Summary: The Judge (Blu-ray+DVD+DIGITAL HD UltraViolet Combo Pack)

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 96

Summary: "Judge Dredd" is one of those movies that doesn't have a brain of its own, so it can only rip off a lot of ingredients from other, better movies. It's a mishmash of "Blade Runner", "Total Recall", and "The Road Warrior", with a dash of "Star Wars" tossed in for good measure. As if that weren't enough, it's got Sylvester Stallone, who seems to be the only one in the movie who's in on the game and knows it's all a sci-fi scam. Like "The Fifth Element" a few years later, "Judge Dredd" depicts a futuristic megalopolis packed with crowded vertical overgrowth and rampant commerce, where anarchy reigns supreme. Violent "block wars" are fought by lawless citizens with machine guns, and Judge Dredd (Stallone) is one of the city's heavily armed policemen, given free rein to judge and execute the perpetrators of violence. But Dredd himself is subjected to judgment and swift justice when his own gun is identified in the murder of a prominent TV reporter, forcing him to do whatever he can to clear his name. Diane Lane plays his partner in crime-fighting and romance, and Rob Schneider provides juvenile comic relief as Dredd's streetwise sidekick. Impressive special effects are on vivid display, and the movie's fun for what it's worth. Lower your expectations and you just might enjoy it. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 104

Summary: Based on the children's book by Chris Van Allsburg, "Jumanji" stars Robin Williams as a man who escapes his confinement within a devilish board game, only to be followed by all kinds of exotic problems: elephants, lions, zebras, monkeys, floods, giant insects, killer plants, and a big-game hunter. The computer-generated effects all wreak havoc through quiet streets, and while most of this is pretty fun, relationship conflicts and character development are weak and forgettable. The high point, in comic terms, is probably David Alan Grier's hilarious performance as a cop catching the worst of these various plagues--one at a time. The DVD release has a widescreen presentation, Dolby sound, optional French and Spanish soundtracks, optional Spanish and Korean subtitles."--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2018

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 119

Summary: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Limited Edition 4K Steelbook

Theatrical:

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Genre:

Duration: 2 hours and 3 minutes

Summary: Good movie

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 88

Summary: As preposterous action movies go, "Jumper" is pleasantly unpretentious and breezily entertaining. A young man named David (Hayden Christensen) discovers he has the power to teleport (or "jump") anywhere he can visualize. After using this power to steal and make a comfortable life for himself, he pursues the girl he longed for in school (Rachel Bilson, "The O. C."). But as he does so, another jumper (Jamie Bell, "Billy Elliot") and a pack of fanatical jumper-hunters called paladins (led by a white-haired Samuel L. Jackson) crashes into David's freewheeling life. "Jumper" wastes no time trying to explain how jumping works or delving into the hows and whys of the paladins; this is an alluring fantasy of power directed at a pell-mell pace by Doug Liman ("The Bourne Identity", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", "Go"). There's a brief moment when it feels like the movie will bog down in romance and vague gestures towards character development--happily, that's the moment when Bell appears and the whole movie shifts into overdrive. You might wish that Bell and Christensen had swapped roles; Bell has a far more engaging personality, and Christensen's bland good looks might better suit a more aggressive character. Nonetheless, "Jumper" has oodles of dynamism and nifty visual effects to propel its comic-book storyline forward. A variety of recognizable actors in bit parts (such as Diane Lane and Kristen Stewart, "Panic Room") suggest that the filmmakers are laying the groundwork for sequels. Based on a critically-acclaimed science-fiction novel by Steven Gould. --"Bret Fetzer"

Beyond "Jumper"
More from Steven Gould
The "Jumper" Soundtrack
More from Fox


Stills from "Jumper"

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 100

Summary: Whoopi Goldberg ("The Color Purple") gives one of her earliest and finest film performances as Terry Doolittle, a computer programmer who unwittingly becomes embroiled in an international espionage scheme, forced to outmaneuver the CIA and KGB in this riotous 1986 Cold War comedy. Doolittle, the outspoken and irreverent employee of an international bank, is working overtime one evening when her terminal receives an encrypted message pleading for help from Jumpin’ Jack Flash, code name for a British spy (Jonathan Pryce) trapped in Eastern Europe. At first reluctantly and then audaciously, Doolittle becomes privy to his predicament and essential to his escape while delivering a steady stream of ribald one-liners and witty slapstick—whether it’s her Mick Jagger impersonation, police station meltdown, or infamous dress-caught-in-the-paper-shredder escapade at the British Consulate ball. A host of supporting talent includes Annie Potts, Jon Lovitz, Jim Belushi, the late Phil Hartman, and Stephen Collins (who shines as Marty, the mole), yet the film belongs to Whoopi. Though the plot is far-fetched and often flimsy, Penny Marshall (in her directorial debut) gives Goldberg enough latitude to showcase her immense talent in a role she obviously relishes—and audiences will too. Rated R for extreme profanity and mature themes. "--Lynn Gibson"

Theatrical:

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre:

Duration: 127

Summary: ]]>

Theatrical:

Studio: Studio Distribution Services

Genre:

Duration: 127 minutes

Summary: This is a great movie. If you're a Sci-Fi Adventure fan, you should watch this movie. Despite all of the negative press and the fact that it bombed at the box office, this movie is awesome!

Two reviews: the product and the movie

The product:
This is packaged in a typical Blu-Ray container. There are three disks. Blu-Ray, Blue Ray 3D, and DVD. The sound and picture are Blu-Ray quality - no issues.

The movie:
This $175,000,000 sci-fi adventure is has everything a sci-fi fan would want. Being a 52 year-old sci-fi fanatic, I have seen more than most and believe I am more than qualified to give thorough, fair review. The movie bombed at the box office because of some poor business decisions - most of which were unrelated to the movie itself. More on that later. But the movie itself, is definitely worth your time.

**WARNING - SPOILER ALERT****
Jupiter Ascending is a huge production. It is an epic tale that challenges the imagination. The special effects are first-class and rival anything Michael Bay or J. J. Abrams could create. To start with, this is a complex movie involving many different worlds, space travel, aliens, destiny, conquest, greed, etc. Like they did in the matrix, directors/writers/producers Andy and Lana Wachowski start with our normal present-day world and quickly take us to the boundaries of reality and beyond.

The story is brilliant and engaging. It is in some ways similar to Frank Herbert's' Dune, where the story is about "spice," the most precious commodity in the universe. In Jupiter Ascending there is a precious commodity also, but it's complicated to understand (it's life, or rather extending life). And like the Matrix, there is a big reveal. Remember the seen in the Matrix where the character Neo wakes up in his cocoon and both Neo and the audience have their "Holy S***" moment when they realize the entire human race is asleep and dreaming of a world that was. There is a similar reveal in Jupiter Ascending, only it's done slowly and it's not fully explained until you're three quarters of the way through the movie. My wife didn't understand it and left before it was explained, so she missed it and thinks the movie makes no sense. It really does make sense, and it's incredible.

The following is an explanation for those that want to know what the movie is really about and also for those that saw it and still don't get it:

We are always told that all humans are unique. That of all the billions of people alive today and all the tens of billions that have live before and will live after us, no two are the same. Makes sense, considering the virtually unlimited possible random combinations of genes from your parents. The chance that there is, or will be another person exactly like us, although not impossible, is entirely improbably. Now suppose the human race is a lot larger than you know. Suppose there are thousands, even millions of inhabited planets with trillions of humans reproducing for millions of years. Now, the chance of a random combination producing the same result, although still improbably, is a bit more possible. Now, imagine that the entire earth was "seeded" with people hundreds of thousands of years ago so that the human race would evolve and propagate for the sole purpose of the "owner" of the planet coming back in the distant future to harvest his plantings (us). Suppose that the sole suppose of our existence was to be harvested like cattle (and of course killed) so that our vital fluids could be extracted and used to create the most precious commodity in the universe: Immorality to those who can afford it. And there you have the basis for the story line.

The main character, Jupiter Jones (played by Mila Kunis) is actually the exact recreation (recurrence) of a powerful queen long since dead that ruled the most powerful empire in the universe. The queen, before she died willed her empire to the future recurrence of herself should she ever reoccur. Jupiter Jones is found and made aware of who she is. But, before she can claim her inheritance, the queens three children, all rulers of rival empires, want Juniper for their own purposes - mostly to kill her because she owns the earth and they want to harvest it. The story is amazing. Again, like the Matrix, but on a much bigger scale. The acting, direction, costumes, makeup, special effects, everything is great. So why did it fail?

Jupiter Ascending failed at the box office for three reasons.
First, they did a preview at the Sundance Film Festival. Stupid! The festival is for low-budget independent films. It's like wanting to watch a story about someone dying on their deathbed and bonding with a long lost child but instead getting Transformers. Huge Blockbuster sci-fi adventures are not for show at Sundance. Of course all the critics there panned it. Once it started getting negative reviews, everyone jumped on the lets-bash-Jupiter bandwagon and no one goes to see it.

Second, they delayed the release. We all saw the amazing previews and wanted to see it. But it never came. Finally, when it was released, a year late, all the hype and advertising was gone. It was released with little fanfare. So again, no one goes to see it.

Third, the dog joke. As brilliant as the Wachowskis are, they do not do humor very well. The movie is interspersed with a number of silly one-liners that the main characters make. Although the script itself is great and the dialog flows naturally, the jokes just don't work. The most famous failure and the one that the media pounced on was when Jupiter discovers she is attracted to the Character Caine Wise played by Channing Tatum. She has just claimed her inheritance and become a royal (entitled). He tells her that he is a "splice" (genetically made hybrid of a human and a wolf) and that he has more in common with a dog than her. She responds, "But I love dogs."

Despite a few shaky lines and a hard to follow beginning, Jupiter Ascending is one of my favorite movies. If you like sci-fi adventure movies, this is the best one of the year so far.

Theatrical:

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre:

Duration: 381

Summary: Experience one of the biggest films in motion picture history with director Steven Spielberg’s ultimate thrill ride, Jurassic Park, now in 3D! Featuring Academy Award winning visual effects and groundbreaking filmmaking that has been hailed as “a triumph of special effects artistry” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times), this epic film is sheer movie-making magic that was 65 million years in the making. Jurassic Park takes you to an amazing theme park on a remote island where dinosaurs once again roam the Earth and five people must battle to survive among the prehistoric predators. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough, discover the breathtaking adventure you will want to experience again and again.

Theatrical: 1993

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 127

Summary: Steven Spielberg's 1993 mega-hit rivals "Jaws" as the most intense and frightening film he'd ever made prior to "Schindler's List", but it was also among his weakest stories. Based on Michael Crichton's novel about an island amusement park populated by cloned dinosaurs, the film works best as a thrill ride with none of the interesting human dynamics of Spielberg's "Jaws". That lapse proves unfortunate, but there's no shortage of raw terror as a rampaging T-rex and nasty raptors try to make fast food out of the cast. The effects are still astonishing (despite the fact that the computer-generated technology has since been improved upon) and at times primeval, such as the sight of a herd of whatever-they-are scampering through a valley. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 92

Summary: Surpassing expectations to qualify as an above-average sequel, "Jurassic Park III" is nothing more or less than a satisfying popcorn adventure. A little cheesier than the first two "Jurassic" blockbusters, it's a big B movie with big B-list stars (including Laura Dern, briefly reprising her "Jurassic Park" role), and eight years of advancing computer-generated-image technology give it a sharp edge over its predecessors. While adopting the jungle spirit of "King Kong", the movie refines Michael Crichton's original premise, and its dinosaurs are even more realistic, their behavior more detailed, and their variety--including flying pteranodons and a new villain, the spinosaurus--more dazzling and threatening than ever. These advancements justify the sequel, and its contrived plot is just clever enough to span 90 minutes without wearing out its welcome.
Posing as wealthy tourists, an adventurous couple (William H. Macy, Téa Leoni) convince paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and his protégé (Allesandro Nivola) to act as tour guides on a flyover trip to Isla Sorna, the ill-fated "Site B" where all hell broke loose in "The Lost World: Jurassic Park". In truth, they're on a search-and-rescue mission to find their missing son (Trevor Morgan), and their plane crash is just the first of several enjoyably suspenseful sequences. Director Joe Johnston ("October Sky") embraces the formulaic plot as a series of atmospheric set pieces, placing new and familiar dinosaurs in misty rainforests, fiery lakes, and mysterious valleys, turning "JP3" into a thrill ride with impressive highlights (including a "T. rex" versus spinosaurus smack-down), adequate doses of wry humor (from the cowriters of "Election"), and an upbeat ending that's corny but appropriate, proving that the symptoms of sequelitis needn't be fatal. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical:

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre:

Duration: 375

Summary: The Jurassic World theme park lets guests experience the thrill of witnessing actual dinosaurs, but something ferocious lurks behind the park's attractions – a genetically modified dinosaur with savage capabilities.  When the massive creature escapes, chaos erupts across the island.  Now it's up to Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) to save the park’s tourists from an all-out prehistoric assault.

Theatrical: 2022

Studio: Amblin Entertainment, Universal Pictures

Genre: Adventure, Action, Science Fiction

Duration: 147

Summary: Four years after Isla Nublar was destroyed, dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators ona planet they now share with history's most fearsome creatures.

Theatrical:

Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 129

Summary: It's been three years since theme park and luxury resort, Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment. Isla Nublar now sits abandoned by humans while the surviving dinosaurs fend for themselves in the jungles. When the island's dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 102

Summary: "Just Cause" is a film that relies on phony plot twists and steals openly from any other thriller that it can remember. If there was a drinking game requiring players to drink during every cinematic "homage," you'd be tanked after "Just Cause"'s first 45 minutes. Take one case of racial injustice, place it in an exotic, exquisitely photographed location (the Florida Everglades), and bring in an outsider, played by a bankable star, to save the day. Make sure nothing appears as it seems. Add a couple of plot twists, some over-the-top character actors (Ed Harris, shamelessly riffing on Hannibal Lecter), stir, and serve. The big name in this case is Sean Connery, who plays a Harvard law professor summoned to the swamps by an apparently innocent death row inmate (Blair Underwood), who swears he didn't rape and kill that 11-year-old girl. He says he confessed because maverick psycho-cop Tanny Brown (Laurence Fishburne) made him play a solo game of Russian roulette. He says his Serial-killer neighbor on death row (Harris) committed the crime. Connery buys it, the audience buys it, and how could they not? Director Arne Glimcher (who made the lackluster "Mambo Kings") coerces everyone with simplistic plot manipulations. Characters are given no depth, and the actors are pawns moved about like pieces on a Clue gameboard. "--Dave McCoy"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 96

Summary: Manic energy and an agreeable level of comic insanity turn "Just Friends" into the kind of brainless comedy you can enjoy as a modest guilty pleasure. If you liked director Roger Kumble's previous comedy "The Sweetest Thing" (and let's face it, that movie had some "really" funny moments), chances are you'll get at least a few solid belly-laughs from this not-so-high-concept premise, in which a formerly fat high-schooler named Chris (Ryan Reynolds) is transformed, ten years later, into a womanizing music executive with a high-profile client (Anna Faris) in the Britney Spears/Christina Aguilera mold. As it zips along with some broad-stroked slapstick and snappy one-liners, the screenplay by Adam Tex Davis contrives to reunite Chris with Jamie (Amy Smart), the former cheerleader who was the great, unrequited love of Chris' miserable high-school life. By his narcissistic logic, he'll seduce her by treating her badly (i.e. she'll want what she thinks she can't have), but he gets unexpected competition in the form of a "Mr. Sensitive" type (Chris Klein, from "American Pie"), and it's pretty much Hollywood formula from there on, as "Just Friends" loses momentum without losing its basic appeal. And while Reynolds invests his character with an unexpected degree of emotional nuance, Faris ("Scary Movie 3") pulls out all the stops, going deliriously over-the-top to maintain her reputation as a rising comedy starlet with a (hopefully) promising future. We're not talking rocket science here, folks... just sit back, take off your thinking cap, and have some fun. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2011

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 117

Summary: It all comes down to chemistry. And the two main stars of "Just Go with It", Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, thankfully, have chemistry to spare. Both actors have plenty of sheer likability and honest ease, as well as sparks in just the right places, which helps propel "Just Go with It" to its satisfying (if a bit predictable) conclusion. (Hollywood execs: Consider an update of "Moonlighting" starring these two.) If the premise, loosely based on the Goldie Hawn film "Cactus Flower", stretches reality, the capability of the whole cast makes "Just Go with It" an enjoyable ride. Sandler plays Danny, a surgeon who falls for a much-younger bombshell, Palmer (swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker, a surprisingly natural actress). But when Palmer finds the fake wedding band that commitment-phobe Danny has used for his no-strings-attached previous relationships, the web of fibs begins. Danny asks his assistant, Katherine (Aniston), to pretend to be his soon-to-be-ex-wife, and Aniston plays it to the hilt. But soon Danny's wobbly house of cards includes Katherine's children--and, in the ultimate romantic-comedy trope, a group trip to Hawaii to work things out. The cast really is stellar, including very small supporting roles by Nicole Kidman and singer Dave Matthews, as an insufferable couple disliked intensely by Katherine. (Of course they end up in Hawaii with the gang, too.) Minka Kelly, Kevin Nealon, and Rachel Dratch also make memorable cameos. But it's Sandler and Aniston, along with the snappy direction by Dennis Dugan ("Happy Gilmore", "Big Daddy"), who make "Just Go with It" one of the more romantic--and funny--romantic comedies in recent memory. Our advice: Sit back, and just go with it. --"A.T. Hurley"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 95

Summary: Bad romantic comedies make you scoff at their absurdity; good ones make you wish your life was that absurd. "Just Like Heaven" is just smart and likable enough to trigger that wishing. David (Mark Ruffalo, "Collateral", "You Can Count On Me") finds an amazing apartment in San Francisco--only to discover it's haunted by the spirit of the previous tenant, an overachieving doctor named Elizabeth (Reese Witherspoon, "Legally Blonde", "Election"). There's something not quite right about Elizabeth's afterlife; against his better judgement, David agrees to help her investigate her life...but finds himself digging into his own as well. The plot takes a twist that some viewers will see coming, but "Just Like Heaven" doesn't rely on the surprise alone; the revelation takes the story in a new and just as entertaining direction. Witherspoon and Ruffalo are two of the best romantic leads around, but the surprise is how well their contrasting flavors (perky and moody, respectively) mesh, creating a sparky, engaging chemistry. Also featuring Dina Waters ("Freaky Friday"), Donal Logue ("The Tao of Steve"), Ben Shenkman ("Angels in America"), and Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite"). Crisply directed by Mark Waters ("Mean Girls"), who carefully keeps the supernatural from getting silly and the romance from getting gooey. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 90

Summary: Though marketed as a raunchy teen sex comedy à la "Porky's", "Just One of the Guys" is an amusing and well-acted comic riff on gender roles. Believing that she's lost a journalism contest because she's a woman, high school student Joyce Hyser disguises herself as a boy in order to see how the other half lives. Her investigation leads her to discover some interesting truths about how men and women treat each other in social and romantic situations. The screenplay by coproducers Jeff Franklin (a veteran TV scribe) and Dennis Feldman nicely balances the sex-driven gags with more character-driven material, which is well delivered by Hyser, Clayton Rohner as her eccentric pal, and especially Billy Jacoby as her perpetually aroused brother; the capable cast also includes Sherilyn Fenn and Arye Gross. Eighties music fans should also appreciate the soundtrack, which features tracks by Berlin, Lindsay Buckingham, and the Stooges. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical:

Studio: WarnerBrothers

Genre:

Summary: What's there to say it's the justice league, come on