Product: LG 26LG40

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I wanted a tv to mount on my bedroom wall and decided on this one.

The slim design is good. The picture is excelent. The picture from the dvd player is excelent. The one draw back is the sound is so “quiet” when watching a DVD movie. The sound does not seem to increase higher than the fifty percent level even though the volume is truned up to one hundred percent. The sound from the TV chanels is fine. It is a good thing that my hearing is ok.

I did not purchase this TV at Amazon. I have purchased a larger LCD from Amazon, and to their credit, that was a great experience. Now onto the LG 26LG40. I bought this TV/DVD Combo, for the sole reason of being able to hang it on the wall and not have anything except my antenna/satellite hooked up. It works beautifully for that. I was able to use a splitter backwards, combine my sat and ota antenna feeds and the TV worked great to tune it all in. The DVD WAS great for about 2 months, a little less actually. Then it stopped taking the discs into the player, making it very useless. I paid a premium for the DVD player being built in. This tv has specs that can be had for much less. However, I thought I was buying a quality product that would meet my needs. Now with the DVD needing repair, I have to ship it back to an LG repair shop, and I will be without a TV for 10-14 days while they fix it. Did I mention I have had it for 2 months. I would NOT buy this TV again. For that matter, I would not buy an LG Product.

Nice solution for a small bedroom. Good quality picture and sound. Would have preferred black instead of the red colour. Max sound is not suitable for a large room. I am a bit concerned (based on other reviews) about the longevity of the DVD player and will post an update only if dissatisfied.

Product: Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball Head

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It is made out of aluminum. Light enough to carry around the whole day yet serene very sturdy. The aluminum ball head actually performs well. Once you’ve got the desired angle and lock it in set, the camera will quit on that angle until you release the lock unlike my 20 usd tripod. Im using a d80 with 18-270mm lens attached. That’s about 1.2kg weight. The tripod is rated by the manufacturer to handle up to 13 lbs of equipment. Other features are a rapid release plate, 2 bubble levels ( one on the head and the other on the legs), user replaceable aluminum tripod head, a threaded weight hook and spiked feet. The tripod can also converted so you can assume macro shots. The legs can be locked in situation independent of one another. With all these features plus huge performance, this tripod is a catch!

One minor hiccup, the plastic on the leg clamps, while not cheap, isnt top of the line. But they gather the job done so it a no disclose for me

If you’re a professional photographer, go notice at Manfrotto or some of the other high ruin brands. If you’re an amateur photographer looking for a kindly tripod that won’t slash into your lens budget, then glance no further.

The ball head is nice, but is sometimes a bit unwieldy, and difficult to position. Sometimes you have to crank down the tightening nut a lot to salvage it to stop. The snaps that extend the legs are plastic feel cheap, but what can you put a question to from such an inexpensive tripod?

On the friendly side, you are getting a ball head tripod, with legs that can be extended past their typical angle. They also have nice padding on them which is large in the Northern climates when you have to work without gloves. The tips of the legs can be rotated to deny spikes for difficult terrain, and there’s two bubble levels: one on the legs of the tripod, and one on the right ball head. There’s also a compass, if you need that utility. Even with all that, you peaceful come by a glowing nice carrying case.

If you’re looking for a high quality, professional grade tripod, this probably isn’t the one for you. But if you’re an amateur on a budget, you probably won’t net a better tripod for under $150.

Product: Lowepro Rezo 110 AW Camera Bag

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Exactly the right fit for my Canon Powershot SX10 IS, there’s room for the camera and lens hood, a lens cleaning kit, mini tripod, SD cards and TWO SETS of extra batteries. All this in a well constructed bag that’s not too bulky and offers superior protection for my camera.

Only slight beef I’ve got is that the sewn-in microfiber cloth leaves so much lint on the camera lens it’s outright unusable. HOWEVER…

…haven’t done it with this model yet, but I’ve owned two other LowePro camera cases that washed nicely in a FRONT-LOADING machine. I used cold water, avoided fabric softener and hung them indoors to dry. I expect when I give this bag its first laundering, the lint on the sewn-in microfiber cloth will be a thing of the past, and what a handy little extra it will be.

I haven’t bought a camera bag for many years so I shopped around a bit and tried my SX10 for fit in both a Lowepro 110 and the 110 AW. They are actually rather different and the AW (all weather) seemed perfect for me. The SX10 fits nicely. If you stand the camera on end, batteries to the top, there is room for a battery charger or other small accessory. The adjustable divider separates the camera from the accessories. It has several little pockets for cards and batteries, a concealed covering that can be put over the top in case of rain and even a built in lens cleaning cloth. It has an attachment loop for your belt but it seems that it would be quite a load on your belt. The shoulder strap will probably get more use in my case.

This is a great little case, well made and well padded. Amazons price was excellent. I recommend it highly.

Product: Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (White)

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I previously owned the Flip MinoHD so this review is based on a comparison between the Flip MinoHD and the new Flip UltraHD.

After reading about the Flip UltraHD’s addition of an HDMI output, larger screen, and longer battery life I decided to sell my 4 month old Flip MinoHD and purchase the Flip UltraHD. Since the MinoHD is very sleek and diminutive in size, my first reaction to the UltraHD was that it was quite a bit larger and bulkier to hold, and has taken some time to get used to. However, unless you’ve used a MinoHD the larger size of the UlraHD will probably be less noticeable. I found the camera controls on the UltraHD to be slightly easier to operate vs. the touch sensitive buttons on the MinoHD. As far as video quality between the two, I compared two different videos and both are about the same, however, the colors appear to be slightly more vibrant with the UltraHD.

If you are trying to decide which one to purchase, if maximum portability is important to you than the MinoHD is the better choice. Otherwise, if you’re looking compact camcorder with more features (HDMI output, replaceable batteries, longer record time) then you can’t go wrong with the UltraHD.

My ultimate wish is for Pure Digital/Cisco to introduce a MinoHD with all of same functionality as the UltraHD. Until then, the UltraHD is the all-around better choice.

So when I was 17 (and convinced that I would someday be famous) I really wanted a video camcorder to try my hand at making movies, or to film myself to see whether I had what it took to be a TV reporter, but never could justifying spending $500+ on one. Over the years I moved onto other tech cravings and ambitions. Then last year a friend showed me the Flip Mino – and I had to have one. It was super easy to use and fun, and I started getting great videos of my own kids – and captured moments that otherwise would have been fleeting, including my youngest child’s first steps. I wish this had been around when I was a kid. Anyway, the Mino is great, but it’s tiny tiny tiny. That’s convenient when it comes to having a camcorder on you at all times, or when trying to get into events that prohibit cameras, and the screen is really small. So I just picked up this new Flip – the Ultra HD. The screen is wonderfully large. It comes with a rechargeable AA battery back, which works through the USB, but it looks like you can throw in regular AA batteries in a pinch. Sound quality is great, video seems even better than the Mino. Only drawback with both the Mino and Ultra is you have to keep your hand steady when filming – but I find that easier to do with the Ultra than the Mino. Also, it’s not ideal for filming kids’ concerts, because the zoom is only 2x. But for capturing otherwise fleeting moments in great quality, the Ultra HD is now my standby. The software that comes with it makes it easy to email videos to family and friends, or to upload a video to Flickr or wherever. Bottom line is I’ve been carrying this thing around nonstop since I got it. Hasn’t made me famous yet, but I love my Ultra.

Product: Canon PGI-220 Combo Pack – Triple Pack (Black)

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When my old, faithful Epson printer died, I did research and upgraded to the Canon Pixma MX 860. I needed a color printer, and wanted something better for my job (I teach part time at a community college, and hand out a fair volume of paper work.) The prints from this printer are fanastic, well beyond anything I’ve ever printed at home.

However, the printer consumes ink like oxygen. The puny cartridges that come with this printer are tiny and rather expensive. I ran out of black within 3 weeks-with very conservative printer use during those 3 weeks! I had difficulty finding the correct replacements-due to bad serial # marketing from Canon. Turns out Amazon has clones as well as the brand name, but I had to go to Canon’s website to find out that the same cartdrige size is used for the Pixma mx 980, mx 860, mp 620, and several other models. Amazon carries the clones, which are not a lot cheaper. Frys and Costco also carry the genuine brand.

I love the printer, but have purchashed a Brother HL-2140 monocolor laser printer to make test copies, black and white prints, and general documentation of bill-pay, etc. The quality of these prints is not anywhere near as nice, but the cost per copy is fantastic.

I keep the Canon printer, and ink-use, for more important print outs, or color. I would rate the ink cartridges higher if they made more copies, the copies they do make are great.

I have a Canon MP 620 printer which I think is a great device but it does tend to use a lot of ink (or maybe I just print a lot) so having the 3 pack makes it easy to be ready for when I need to.

What I’ve found works for me is to get the 3 pack of the PGI-220 and then the color ink (Canon 2946B004 CLI-221 4 Color Value Pack (Black/Cyan/Magenta/Yellow)) in the 4 pack and finally deal with any intermediate outages through an individual purchases.

This means I have replacements for all the ink as needed and never have to urgently get some.

Product: SanDisk SDSDM-2048-A10M 2 GB Mini SD Card (Retail Package)

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I just got my 2 gig card for my T-Mobile MDA phone. The card is great. Couldn’t ask for more, especially since 2 gigs is the most being offered right now in mini SD format.

This is amazing!

I often get disappointed when I order something online site unseen. I tend to end up having technical problems.

Amazon shipped it to me promptly, I plugged it into my Motorola Q mobile phone. I have suddenly removed the need for an IPOD. This 2Gb card is the best value for money. I have a lot of space for moview, videos and songs.

Download & Watch Robots at Amazon.com. Click Here Now to Download & Watch Robots Online Now!

but adults probably need to look elsewhere. There are some good lines, but overall the story comes across as trying too hard in spite of its creative vision of the future. Unless you’re enamored of the animation, I’d pass on this one. It gets a “meh” from me.

Great animation. I love fact that the robot’s tribulations as a child gives him the experience he needs to become a hero in the end.

Robots is really funny. Despite being an animation movie about robots, the characters really shine through & connect with you, making for a very entertaining movie.

Download & Watch The Wiz at Amazon.com. Click Here Now to Download & Watch The Wiz Online Now!

This, the 30th Anniversary release of THE WIZ, is a far improved print from the earlier DVD release. The colors of each scene are bright and crisp, and the graininess has been cleaned a great deal. Included with this edition is a soundtrack CD featuring SOME of the songs from the film. Those expecting the entire soundtrack may be disappointed to see that they only get a small percentage of the original songs.

I know I’ve already reviewed the old DVD, but I would like to have a good read for the Anniversary (even though I’m late for it).

If you’ve read my old review, you’ll notice that I like this movie, even though I agree there could have been some improvements.

“The Wiz” movie was released into cinemas on October 24 1978, so now the film IS over 30 years old.

This New DVD, with a great new cover AND SHINY Slipcase – better than the one I designed in a letter to Universal mentioned in the old review – is both a great gift, and a slight disappointment:

GREAT: As said before the Picture and Sound have been Restored, so that you can see the shots and hear soundtrack more clearly – until now I never even noticed Dorothy/Diana removing her ear-rings upon deciding to kill Evilene! – and the colours certainly do appear CLEANER. You’d be surprised at how much better this new picture is compared to before!

DISAPPOINTMENT: I was hoping to see a slightly wider and longer version of the picture, but close comparison and attention have shown that the image is slightly zoomed in – look at the edges (sides and top/bottom) in the wide shot of Dorothy in her Emerald City Motel room for example, and you’ll notice a bit missing. And when we see Dorothy and Toto being transported across the screen from New York to Oz, that is the one time it looks more-or-less the same as the old DVD (despite better detail and cleaner picture).

And as Diana finishes singing “I wish I was . . . ” in ‘Soon As I Get Home’, I noticed how her lips mouth ‘home’; Unfortunately, it seems she didn’t say ‘home’ and that moment remains unspoken even in restoration.

Again the Chapter List stays the same: 20 scenes for the opening title, each song and end credits – but here they are presented by 4 screenshots instead of 3 like before.

The Menus, though quiet and simple, do have a bit of animation and Much more Colour to them. MAIN reuses the front cover characters (but rearranged, words appearing in afterwards), while SPECIAL and SET-UP use the back cover movie moments. Again, great English specific subtitles, audio selections are English 5.1 in Dolby and dts, with French 2.0 and subtitles.

When “PLAY” activated, there is a (unavoidable to skip or speed-up) new classification screen and the Universal Logo. When you do see the movie’s (old) Universal opening with the Wiz music, you’ll be surprised at how well the restoration shows! Unlike last time, there is no ‘Universal on DVD’ video-promo, and the menu comes up before the movie allowing you to choose what to do first.

Special Features are once again the Trailer and Making-of “Wiz on Down the Road”, and unfortunately that’s it. Still, they are fun to watch and hear.

Another disk with MORE Special Features (Galleries, music videos, trivia-facts using the old DVD notes, interviews, LOTS of things on the Original Broadway, etc.) would definitely have been welcome and made this DVD a better winner, but . . .

The only other bonus is an 8-track ‘30th Anniversary Edition Music CD’ (inside DVD-case, unattached to anything with own slip-cover) with movie songs “He’s the Wiz” by Thelma Carpenter, “You Can’t Win” Michael Jackson, “Ease on Down the Road” Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, “Slide Some Oil to Me” Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross’ “Mean Ole Lion”, Emerald City, the Winkies’ “Brand New Day” and “Home” with Diana Ross – some of which are fun and great to listen to.

The front cover of the characters (except Diana, of course) are from/can be seen in “the Wiz Scrapbook”, and the Back cover of the DVD and slipcase are the same, except for the area with the barcode and an oval-like shape above the ‘Special Features’.

Picture and Sound have been Restored Superbly (despite slight zoom in), and although the Special Features are a downgraded repeat (and slight overstatement) these are still fun videos to watch.

Once again, a very enjoyable DVD for a could-have-been-better movie, a “bad” movie which is still FAR BETTER than that of the 1976 Australian horrified modern-day “OZ (A Rock ‘N’ Roll Road Movie)” version, terribly unsuitable for children and families!!

Checking out this 30th Anniversary DVD is worth it, for the quality picture and sound, and simply good menus.

Look and . . . See a . . . Brand New Film!

If you are a fan of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Disco Music and Broadway Musicals, then this is a must-see film.

Based on the 1975 Broadway show and filmed entirely on location in New York City back in 1977, the film was released in 1978 to mixed reviews. Even though it was not a box-office smash, this film has become somewhat of a cult-classic over the years to millions.

The Quincy Jones-produced score still sounds as fresh today as it did 30 years ago, and the visual effects were way ahead of their time when this film was made.

The film’s “Emerald City Sequence” musical number, which featured most of the main cast and hundreds of dancers, was shot in the plaza between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Like so many films that were shot over the years on or near the now “Ground Zero” site in Lower Manhattan, prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, this film may bring back memories of that fateful day. But at the same time it should also be a reminder of how much more at peace the world seemed to be all those years ago.

I have always enjoyed watching this film over the years, but like so many films that we have come to love, that were filmed on that site prior to 9/11, it is sad that even our culture in movies has been tarnished by the events of 9/11 as well.

Download & Watch Cool Hand Luke at Amazon.com. Click Here Now to Download & Watch Cool Hand Luke Online Now!

That’s the answer that Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) gives when asked why the heck he was wrenching off the tops of all those parking meters. The first shot of the movie, in fact, shows his handiwork — a whole row of decapitated meters sticking up out of the sidewalk.

He’s one odd boy, this Luke. He hardly even seems to care he’s in stir for having done this. To him a work farm just seems like another place for him to wait for something interesting to happen — and when it does (as it always does), there’s that big, lazy smile of his. Was he waiting for something? Probably not — by the time it’s all over, he hasn’t gotten a single thing he wanted (except for a hilarious out-of-town stint), but he’s given a lot of other people more than they could have ever asked.

What makes “Cool Hand Luke” such a wonderful movie is its tone and tenor — widely imitated but not surpassed by other movies of its stripe. The movie is not about prison or chain gangs, but about the weather of a man’s spirit, and how he deals (or chooses not to deal) with what he’s been handed. Luke himself says it: “Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand,” and he sums himself up in that sentence. Here is a fellow with no particular skills in life, no real direction, no ambition — in short, something we are ostensibly taught from the git-go to hate. His crime? Parking meters.

The film draws a simple case: Luke as a quietly selfish free spirit vs. the system. But instead of loading it down with symbolic baggage, the movie works by making its case with drama and often great humor. The egg-eating contest, for instance — it finds just the right balance between humor and drama to make its points, and ends with Luke passed out on the bed in a Christlike pose. (Whether or not that’s a deliberate shot is open to speculation; it certainly looks like it was composed, but it’s not held too long to force the issue on us.)

The best thing about the movie is the performances. Nobody hits a false note or an unconvincing turn. A big chunk of George Kennedy’s reputation comes from this film, and you can see why: he’s more or less the direct foil for Paul Newman throughout the movie, commenting on and playing off the man’s actions. But look how many others are also in here: Strother Martin (as Captain), Dennis Hopper, Harry Dean Stanton… a veritable roll-call of actors who’re all independently watchable and fascinating.

This movie is anything but cool. The characters are rough, foul, and awkward. The setting is realistic and harsh. It takes place in the scorching sun and humidity. There’s many a scene of sweat and overheating men. Luke, though, is cool. He’s the figure of composure; he’s classy, smart, proud, and witty, but he rarely talks, keeping aloof. Or he’s independent free man who won’t let anyone get him down.

There’s a scene when he bluffs his way to victory in a poker match, thus his nickname “cool hand Luke”. Another scene has him fighting with another inmate until he’s nearly unconscious, but he never surrenders. Yet another has him eating 50 eggs in an hour for a bet, and he doesn’t give up. And I think this is the metaphor for the rest of the film. You can either see him as a cocky stubborn man, or more appropriately, a man who won’t give up his freedom. He’s thrown in prison and chain gang labor for a case of petty vandalism during a drunken stupor, yet he never utters a word about it, even during the most humiliating or painful punishment, but his conviction and sentence are hardly a matter in this film. Here is a man who is troubled and dysfunctional (as the story slightly exposes), but is already in an advanced state of personal freedom. Though he’d like to be living a normal life, searches for it, and deserves as much, he doesn’t need it. He’s spiritually and mentally invincible, and eventually it leads to his ultimate fate.

Cool Hand Luke is a marvelous film. It’s one fourth romantic, three fourths gritty reality. Paul Newman and the gorgeous cinematography are the romance. Newman nearly carries the film. Here’s this movie star, a charismatic leading man who liberally uses his smile to get himself through scenes, but he immerses himself into his character. I think Luke is one of the greatest, most complex male characters to grace the screen, and Newman is really the only actor who could ever do him justice. But he isn’t playing Newman, he’s playing Luke, every inch of Luke. He IS Luke, he is this renegade rebel, this charming dapper Dan, and this tragic everyman. Newman’s supporting cast is superb, in one of the best acted films I’ve ever seen. George Kennedy is incredible as the only sizable supporting character, though the rest of the cast do their utmost to fit their roles, especially the various sinister and slimy wardens, and they do it beautifully. No actor wastes his time on screen. They create the atmosphere.

I just have to mention the dialogue. This is one of those films with incredible dialogue. Nothing is sappy or soupy. It embraces wit and logic, a lovely razor sharpness, and a down to earth realism. Every sentence is perfectly placed, there are no superfluous words, every character with they’re own style that still allow them to sound like real people. End of dialogue discussion.

This film is simple. It’s simply told, simply filmed, and on the outside it’s a simple story, but I think it delves a lot deeper than at first appearance. It’s unpretentious. Without us knowing it paints an environment, it paints a setting. It’s a movie with certain faintly stylized points and flourishes, with a bit of a Southern storytelling air and lilt to it, and a definite love for fun. But it’s intense, from the acting, to plot twists and character developements, to minor “action” sequences (a movie populated by inmates and movie stars has to have some excitement), it has incredible depth in it’s subtle symbolism and it’s layered messages and it’s performances with their emotional tapestries. Thus, it has an immense replayability quotient.

This is drama at it’s finest. It is a complex intriguing film that can get under your skin in it’s rawness, but can still entertain you, and send you into that dreamy mesmerized state of being in awe of a film and the characters portrayed in it.

And I really mean it. They used to show this film often on the Superstation. When I was twelve, I watched it; the next time it came on, I taped it, and watched it probably more than 50 times over the next few years (I didn’t know for a long time that the TV version has several scenes cut out for length, so getting it on video was a new revelation). What is it about “Cool Hand Luke” that is so moving? Well, it starts with Paul Newman’s performance. Lucas Jackson is one of the most psychologically complex characters in the history of cinema, and Newman, criminally denied the Oscar for this film, makes him seem larger-than-life without saying much. Everything that comes out of his mouth is a revelation. The Christ allusions, which are fittingly done, heighten the sense of injustice that Luke is being slowly crucified by the lawmen, simply because he won’t bend to their rules. On the surface, Luke seems self-destructive and ignorant, but in repeated watchings of the film, it becomes apparent that Luke is answering to a call that is bigger than the prison, bigger than the bosses, bigger than the law itself. I could go on and on about the myriad other ways in which this film is perfect, but why bother? I only get 1,000 words. Suffice it to say that this is the movie that makes George Kennedy, of all people, seem noble. YOU MUST SEE THIS FILM. The only flaw: I grew up in Georgia, and I can assure you that it is not filmed where it is set. Looks more like the Central Valley of California to me.

Download & Watch The Hunted at Amazon.com. Click Here Now to Download & Watch The Hunted Online Now!

“The Hunted” is a fantastically gritty, pulse-pounding chase film with refreshing realism, and is a fine return to form for the occasionally brilliant Friedkin, who has not been this on top of things since “To Live and Die in L.A.” I will not here attempt to offer a synopsis of the film, as that has been done to death in this forum, but will instead offer some commentary.

First, those complaining that this film does not really have much of a plot, or that the plot of this film is confusing and messy, have entirely missed the point. William Friedkin was not here trying to make a story-driven film, at all. As for the second complaint, Friedkin has stated that he purposefully wanted much of the film to remain ambiguous. The viewer, for instance IS NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW whether the del Toro character is crazy or not. Those complaining that they can’t figure out whether he’s right in his suspicions or not have entirely missed the point of the film. Friedkin here was trying to develop an intense, gritty, extended, mano-y-mano conflict between two men who are clearly more dangerous than anyone else in their environment. Jones’ character, fearing he’s found himself in a Dr. Frankensteinian scenario, having created a monster only he can stop, feels both responsible to bring in del Toro and guilty for hunting a man he essentially feels fatherly towards. Jones’ character could train del Toro’s to kill, but, after having done so, he is unable (or unwilling) to help him psychologically. This is insufficient training, an insufficient initiation into manhood, resulting in the playing out of the Abraham/Isaac mythos. Unsophisticated viewers insisting on a “good guy”/”bad guy” take on the film will likely not enjoy this movie. Jones’ character is not the “good guy” and del Toro’s is not the “bad guy”; they are just both tormented men. Some viewers have interpreted Jones’ character as the good guy, but just as many will see del Toro’s character as a good guy being hunted down by his own government which he has just finished serving. This ambiguity of not having a clear cut “good guy” and “bad guy” is exactly what Friedkin was going for. Life is not black and white. In fact such Hollywoodian portrayals are naive and absurd.

Those complaining that Jones’ character is unrealistic should watch the film with the commentary turned on, and learn about the real man that Jones’ character is based on. Was it unrealistic that the two characters quickly fashioned knives out of raw materials in the wilderness? …Not when the actors were trained to be able to do such themselves in real life.

What “The Hunted” has to offer the viewer is an absolutely enthralling action film harkening back to the grittier days of action movies (such as The French Connection or Bullitt). The main character is fascinating to watch. He’s full of nervous energy that he is constantly shaking out. He can’t stay still; he’s twitchy. Something is clearly bothering him. He knows how utterly dangerous his adversary is, and feels responsible for teaching him the destructive maneuvers he knows. The army trains men to be cold-blooded killers. This changes some men. It’s a door you can’t walk back through. The army does not train them to reenter society. That’s left to them, and not all of them can effectively pull it off. Benecio del Toro’s character thinks the government is stalking him, spying on him. We don’t know if this is true or if he’s merely snapped. What we do know is that he is an extraordinarily dangerous man who is out on the loose.

Martial arts fans should take special note: this movie has the absolute best and most realistic hand-to-hand fight scenes this critic has ever scene (I say this having studied many martial arts in real life). The art on display is Kali knife fighting. Both Tommy Lee Jones and Benecio del Toro trained in the art and did the fighting in the film. It shows. (Allegedly Jones broke del Toro’s wrist in one of their fights!) These are the most gritty and breathtaking fight scenes you’ll ever see (the first of which I would pick as the best fight scene in film history). They are utterly realistic, and look very much the way a real martial arts fight looks (i.e. brutal and short). No nonsense wires or high-flying kicks here, just deadly street fighting.

The tracking scenes in this film are wonderful, relishing the details. The cinematography is downright breathtaking, and the soundtrack is one of the greatest and most effective in years. Friedkin makes the viewer feel that even after the antagonist is brought into the city that he’s still in a wilderness…a wilderness of concrete blocks instead of trees and moss. Once the chase is on, it doesn’t stop until the end of this wonderfully fun movie. Ignore the negative reviews and check this one out!

I live right across the river from where this movie was shot and in that regard I enjoyed all the referrences to places I know and have been. But there are so many plot holes in this movie it was hard for me to recommend it highly. Both lead characters should have died long before the end of the movie. I suppose super soldiers have incredible endurance and twice as much blood as most people. Benicio Del Toro should have drowned when he jumped into the Columbia River. If the impact didn’t kill him the current would have pulled him down. I know this river personally and the current is incredibly strong. Tommy Lee Jones character said Benicio could “swim like a fish” but I doubt he could breath like one. Also, Benicio is being chased by agents and cops so what does he do, he builds a fire and fashions a blade. Good idea. Tommy gets stabbed in the leg by a long, sharp stick which apparently only made him angry because he didn’t bleed from that wound thereafter. Then he falls onto some rocks on his way down a large waterfall, then pulls himself out and shortly gets into a knife fight with Benicio. It is only near the end that the editing and plot take a back seat to reality. Am I supposed to believe that Benicio set an elaborate trap of two logs that come smashing together a la “Return of the Jedi”? I realize that he isn’t your normal human soldier but hiding might have been a smarter plan. He is able to blend with the shadows, yes? Then there is the scene where Tommy is just dripping with water, and only moments later he is completely dry. Anyway…it wasn’t a complete waste of time. In fact, the fight sequences were enjoyable, albeit bloody. And there were some other scenes that were fairly well done. It just didn’t make much sense. Blood-loss usually causes people to feint or go into shock. I’ve even heard that some people die from it. It’s true. I think I saw it on the Discovery Channel.

From the first frames of this interesting and somewhat offbeat movie, I found myself fascinated by the setting in the snow-graced forests of the Pacific northwest, where retired government martial-arts and assassin training expert Tommy Lee Jones walks with both grace and purpose through the winter splendor of the chilly landscape. However unlikely the action as depicted in the scenes, it was a marvelous set of opening scenes, providing a key insight into the lead character’s humanity and perspective. Little would I know that this was perhaps the most satisfying aspect of this taut suspense thriller. Lee is soon whisked away almost involuntarily to help solve a pair of horrific murders of seasoned and well-armed hunters in the area, only to discover the assailant was one of the expert assassins he helped train. From there the mystery begins to deepen, and Lee finds himself locked into a death struggle on a number of levels both with the assassin, played well by the charismatic Benico Del Toro.

Del Toro’s character is haunted by memories of atrocities he witnessed in Kosovo, and his former government handlers are trying to convince Lee that Del Toro has simply gone renegade. Yet there are signs that there may be some truth to Del Toro’s suspicions, as told to Lee indicating that he had been set up, that the hunters he executed in the forest were in fact government assassins come to terminate him. The viewer is taken on a whirlwind ride through forest, suburb, and through a variety of cityscapes, and a few of the chase scenes are entertaining, amusing, and quite ingenuous. The plot sometimes suffers from more bullet holes than any of Del Toro’s victims, but if you can suspend your critical faculties enough to enjoy the fireworks, you will likely enjoy this potboiler effort at government intrigue gone horribly wrong. Enjoy!