Though many critics have commented that this new Terminator is basically a retelling of the second film, I would like to begin by saying that I was pleasantly surprised by this third installment of this very successful franchise. Though the film lacked the direction of James Cameron, who was largely responsible for the birth of the Terminator series, it was nonetheless a worthy successor to his earlier works.

The movie is sharp, with a very definitive, high-tech look and feel about it. Unlike its predecessors, T3 does not have a lot of character development in it, save for a somewhat disarrayed and poorly developed relationship between John Connor (played by Nich Stahl) and Kate Brewster (played by Claire Daines). The duo, thrown together in a moment of peril, at once loathe one another, only later to discover that they have feelings towards each other. According to the Terminator (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger), Brewster will eventually become Connor's wife, (presumably this will be seen in Terminator 4). The development of these characters are probably the one notable weakness in this film.

What makes this movie work are the intense action sequences, as well as the comedic timing of many of Schwarzenegger's lines and situations. In the opening sequence, the Terminator appears just outside a strip club hosting an all-male exotic dancer review. Schwarzenegger's character walks in naked, upon which women begin throwing themselve at him. Upon approaching a male stripper, whose physique is a match to his own, he commands that the stripper gives him his clothes, to which the stripper raises an outstretched palm and stammers "talk to the hand." It is probably one of the funniest moments of the film, and works well to give a moment of liteness to the overall darkness and theme of the story.

This movie is definitely a big-budget science fiction/action film with many high budget effects. The new Terminator (played dominently by Kristianna Loken)looks slick and sensual, clad in tight, red leather, combining the sexual appeal of a woman with the lethal force of a killing machine with a single purpose, to hunt down the future leader of a resistance that will rise against the machines and ultimately defeat them. Loken is completely convincing as the T-X, a prototype Terminator with the ability to change shape and create complex weapons.

The opening and closing sequences are probably the most haunting. Judgement day has arrived, and the movie closes with the first wave of the attack that will end society as it is presently known. The imagery is haunting, and leaves the viewer with a reminder of the potential threat we all face in the onset of new and better technologies. Not that this was the intent of the filmmaker, but to their credit, it works well in this film.

For anyone who is a fan of this series, T3: Rise of the Machines is a great film. For those that haven't seen the earlier two, there is enough exposition in this film to allow even an uninitiated Terminator fan to follow the course of events that unfold in this story. I hesitate to give this movie 5 stars, only because there are some minor weaknesses which, in some ways, makes this a slightly inferior movie to the earlier Terminator films. However, it is a great film and a worthy successor to Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

The DVD edition of this film contains many extras, from storyboards to the development of some of the films incredible special effects. It also features many interactive extras which are quite enjoyable.

Pixar has outdone themselves once again. "Finding Nemo" is the dramatic, sometimes sad & scary, sometimes drop-dead hilarious, tale (or should I say "tail"?) of a Father trying to find his lost son. In this case, the father (voice over by Albert Brooks), Marlin, is a clownfish living in a sea anemone. His son, Nemo, evokes images of Dicken's "Tiny Tim" character with his defective fin.

In light of todays news headlines where children are forcibly kidnapped from their own homes, the opening of the film may be too intense and overwhelming for some sensitive youngsters.

As with its other movies ("Toy Story," "Monsters, Inc.," etc.), the story is so well written, it can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

As someone who has a salt water aquarium at home with a pair of clownfish and a regal tang (the species of Dory, played by Ellen DeGeneres), I know first hand how these fish move through water and interact with other fish in the tank.

It's obvious that the artists involved in animating these characters studied their biology and behavior for hours on end. A few times, the fish are literally out of the water, and as the water on their skin begins to drip off, you can see the subtle highlights in their scales. Magnificent work.

Obviously, the fish are given human-like eyes... a truly necessary component to get you emotionally involved with these characters.

Even Bruce, the Great White shark, is an endearing fellow with an Australian accent. Despite the human-like characteristics, the adherence to physiological details on the rest of these species is incredible.

The lighting has such an effect that you feel like you are under water with the fish. The gentle swaying of the coral and anemones is surreal... just like the real Great Barrier Reef.

In reality, some of these fish would never encounter each other in the wild... and we all know that Starfish do not have eyes or smiley faces... but you do not care about those minor details while watching this film.

Dory is the beautiful blue & yellow regal tang fish who teams up with Marlin to find his son. Her tendency to forget almost everything she hears is a part of the charm of this character. Ellen DeGeneres' voice was perfect for this fish. The facial expressions on the characters, modeled after the actors that did their voices, are also priceless.

This movie is far more than eye-candy. The story and comedic timing are so good, it could be done with stick-figures and still be good.

This movie is an absolute delight. When it is released on DVD, it will immediately be added to my collection - this is a film I could see time and time again.

Master and Commander is not just for Patrick O'Brian fans. Anyone who enjoys action and drama will enjoy this film. It ranges from great battle scenes with the tang of salt spray to human drama. The primary plot involves a cat and mouse game, set in 1805 during the Napoleonic wars, between Captain Aubrey's (Russell Crowe's) ship Surprise and his enemy a French ship Acheron. The Acheron is by far the superior ship in speed, size, and firepower. Captain Aubrey has orders to take the Acheron, while the French seem all too aware of his orders. The chase passes around the tip of South America leaving the Atlantic and entering the Pacific Ocean where Acheron will raise money for Emperor Napoleon by raiding English whalers. The sailing is marvelously recreated.

Along for the ride we experience sailing, sea tactics, and life on board a ship of this era. The apprenticeship approach to schooling officers during the Napoleonic era placed children on board fighting vessels. We even see a brief glimpse of a lesson in navigation Captain Aubrey is giving the young midshipmen. Life in harm's way as the sea becomes a battlefield spares neither young nor old. The crowding, stale food, and mental toll that are a fact of life on vessels that are at sea for long periods of time are graphically portrayed. The mood is lightened by the exhilaration of the hunt and moments of courage, kindness, and Aubrey's penchant for terrible puns, which fans of O'Brian's books will recognize.

Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), the side kick of this famous duo, provides a counterpoint to Aubrey's sense of duty. Through him we see medicine of the period grope its way toward the future. As an amateur naturalist, Dr. Maturin visits the Galapagos Islands much as Darwin would have during his famous trip on HMS Beagle 30 years after the 1805 date of the movie. In fact, Dr. Maturin's desire to visit the Islands becomes a source of conflict between himself and the single minded Aubrey. The resolution to the conflict is a measure of the friendship between Dr. Maturin and "Lucky Jack" Aubrey.

As with all sequels to blockbuster movies, people allow themselves to get caught up in the hype, and go into the film with unrealistically high expectations. To all those who have given this movie a one star rating, I feel sorry for you.
I saw Revolutions on Sunday afternoon, after months of eager anticipation. I tried to go into it with as little expectations as possible, and knowing as little as possible. It paid off. I was thrilled by the conclusions that the movie delivered. It wrapped it up cleanly, while doing the typical Hollywood thing, and leaving open the possibility of another movie.
Quite possibly the only movie that will top this experience will be The Return of the King.
Anyhoo, as most will know, Revolutions picks up at the precise point where Reloaded finished. Neo is trapped in a sort of limbo between the real world and the Matrix, unable to escape. From there, we are taken on a roller coaster ride (admittedly less mind-blowing than Revolutions' two predecessors) through to the finale of the human's battle against the invading sentinels, and Neo's final confrontation with the numerous Agent Smiths.
Through it all, the film does a great job of proving that despite the revelation that Neo is really just another part of the program that is the Matrix, he is still human and capable of experiencing all the strengths and frailties that makes us human.
And, in the end, it is that which will save Zion from extermination, rather than simply being able to piece together the riddles that the Oracle gives.
Revolutions is the perfect finish to the Matrix trilogy. It is not absolutely conclusive. If anyone went into the movie expecting that, then they were idiots. It does leave the door ajar for future projects. But in the grand scheme of things, I believe the Wachowski brothers could not have done a better job of wrapping things up.

As another reader notes, this takes a rather tumultuous time and place in NYC -- the Lower East side circa 1985 -- and makes it boring. If you're at all interested in the topic, you should try to get a hold of the long out-of-print anthology, "Between C&D: New Writing from the Lower East Side" or "Love is Strange," both edited by Joel Rose and Catherine Texier. This was a cutting edge magazine, printed on a dot-matrix and distributed in a poly-bag, it published the early works of David Foster Wallace, Tama Jamowitz, Gary Indiana, Patrick McGrath, the late Kathy Acker, Dennis Cooper, Lynne Tillman, Barry Gifford, William Vollman, and many many more. Nersesian can't hold a match to this stuff. There's simply nothing inventive or compelling about his [weak] tale. A waste of money and time.

This DVD has the first eleven episodes with a bonus of interviews with the writer Sorkin and most of the cast.

West Wing is one of the better ensemble dramas ever screened on television. However it was only after seeing the interviews of Sorkin and the cast members that one realised how it was done. Sorkin is clearly highly intelligent and his scripts are powerful and the basis of the show. This becomes clear when you hear the cast members talk. They lack the presence of their on screen personalities and although they are talented actors one realises that it is the structure of the plot and their lines which creates the characters.

Sorkin also indicates how in reality the plots have a high level of sentimental resolutions. One doesn?t pick this up in watching it. Sorkin explains how he uses humour to break up the flow of the story and to prevent the material becoming mawkish. He also indicates that although the White House portrayed is a Democrat one, he interplays conservative and liberal story lines. On first viewing the show it appeared to be moderately liberal but on re-watching the episodes on the CD Sorkin is right. The second episode is highly nationalistic and the last scene is the character played by Martin Sheen regretting that Americans cannot walk the earth with the same protection that was afforded the ancient romans. In other episodes the character Donna argues strongly the Republican line on taxation.

Watching these eleven episodes after watching them on TV some years ago, one is still struck by the strength of the characters, the frantic pace of the action and the fact that the scenes are seldom static. Even though one begins to see that there is a sentimentality which initially slips by you, one can still be moved when Toby arranges the funeral and honour guard for the homeless war veteran. It is however the humour and intelligence which is the driving force of the series and what makes it so watchable.

French director Luc Besson ("The Messenger"; "The Fifth Element") made his U.S. film debut with this intelligent thriller of an Italian hitman who is untouchable. "Leon" stars Jean Reno ("The Big Blue") plays Leon, a professional hitman with ninja-like skills, who eliminates rivals for a mob boss (Danny Aiello).

After a corrupt cop (Gary Oldman) eliminates the family residing next door due to a drug transaction gone wrong, Leon finds himself the guardian of young Mathilda (Natalie Portman in her screen debut). Taking Mathilda under his helm, Leon teaches her the art of the "cleaner". However, danger lurks around every corner, and Leon must protect Mathilda from the same cops who killed her family.

Considered by many to be his masterpiece, "Leon" was originally released in the United States under the title "The Professional". However due to the feeling that American audiences might find some material unacceptable, over 24 minutes of the film was edited out. Finally, Columbia/Tri-Star has made an excellent decision in releasing the uncut, international version of this excellent film in the U.S.

While the film's central theme revolves around Leon and his job, the subplot where Mathilda develops an attraction for Leon is reminiscent of the novel/film "Lolita". The chemistry between both characters in a father/daughter relationship can be intense, especially as we notice that Mathilda is in her puberty-stage.

Jean Reno is excellent as always, and Gary Oldman gives a chilling performance as Stansfield, the wicked DEA officer who murdered Mathilda's family in cold blood. However, the real scene-stealer in this film has to be Natalie Portman. This beautiful young girl radiates beauty and professionalism throughout the film. Her porcelain-looking skin, and her big brown eyes are well utilized in this film, making her character more childish, yet mature to a certain extent. Portman proved to audiences in this film that she was no flash in the pan, and in her subsequent films, she continues to be a scene-stealer. She is truly Hollywood's most gifted young actress.

In this version, most of the 24 minutes that were left out in the film's 1994 release in the U.S. mainly involves both Leon and Mathilda going on "cleaning sweeps" where she gets first hand training in the art of assassination. The other half of these minutes focuses on Mathilda's attraction to Leon. Her persistent attempts to be intimate with Leon all fail, but we finally understand why Leon remains a loner when it comes to affairs if the heart. Some might be uncomfortable about the idea of Mathilda and Leon sharing a bed together, but Besson paints this scene as one involving platonic love and not sex.

In wrapping up, I recommend this film for anyone who enjoys a nonstop, high-impact thriller in the same tradition as the "Matrix," "Blade," or "Dead Calm". Luc Besson truly is one of the world's greatest action directors, and "Leon" captures his magic. An excellent, pulstaing film from beginning to end!

A couple of years ago I saw a commercial for this on cable. I very was interested, though I didn't get the CD. My father, however, gave me one of Enya's CDs and I really liked her music. I later got CDs by other New Age artists and I started to really love New Age. I finally got this CD and I must say, it is amazing. Each and every one of these songs are great. There are energetic songs by Enigma, Enya, and Sacred Spirit and there are also soothing tracks, such as "The Last Emperor", "The Promise", and "Tubular Bells". I also really loved "Oxegene IV" which is great for anyone who likes 70's New Age. My favorite song on this CD is "Adiemus". It's one of the greatest songs I've heard in a long time! This CD has really great music. It's a worthy buy.

I'm bleary-eyed but exhilarated after watching over 50 hours of the stupendous ALIEN QUADRILOGY (Fox). A steal at even the suggested retail price, this extraordinary 9 disc set is a crowning achievement in the art of DVD authoring, assembly and presentation.

Encountering Swiss artist Giger's "mechorganic" demon in dark, labyrinthine, quarters far, far from home or help can still jolt our deepest fears of the unknown.

All four titles in the series are presented in both theatrical and or extended versions. Besides commentaries, there's a huge treasure trove preproduction, production and postproduction extras.

Although the sequels don't have the freshness Ridley Scott's 1979 ALIEN that began the series, Weaver delivers increasingly nuanced and intense performances as the storyline evolves.

I especially enjoyed the much longer (over 40 minutes) restored work print of ALIEN 3. Space does not allow for even the most simplistic listing of all the extras. You'll be astounded, it's graduate level film school in a box. Highest recommendation.

During the first few listens, it was difficult for me to suppress the question, "This is what I waited three years for?" And indeed, Michael Cretu, the self-proclaimed perfectionist-genius, certainly took his time nursing this project along for the past few years.

However, it misses where some of his previous CD's scored big, particularly in the category of phonic revelation. For those well-versed in Enigma music, I won't need to explain where this CD excels (it's part of the Enigma formula). But here's why it's only worth my four stars.

"Voyageur" doesn't make any real acheivements towards Cretu's famed electronic porgression, but rather appears to enjoy some degree of complacency in the sound of 2000's "The Screen Behind the Mirror." Because of Enigma's previous milestones, "Voyageur" comes off as remarkably intelligent, yet unexpectedly anticlimactic. After reading some of Cretu's pre-release interviews, I was convinced this latest CD would be spilling over with foreign sounds and an intriguing, new direction. Not so.

The sound is strongly reminiscent of "The Screen..." with sparse, obscure hints of 1996's devastatingly genius "Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi." This is not to say that I was expecting a duplication of Cretu's past accomplishments. To be sure, there will never be another "The Child In Us." But I was hoping for more embellishment and expansion of that same vein which was expertly tapped on Enigma's previous two albums. Perhaps the only clear standout on "Voyageur" is the radio-ready "Following The Sun" with its creative marriage of Sandra's and Michael's vocals.

And speaking of vocals. By the end of this brief CD (an insatiable 47 minutes long), Michael's digitally-encoded vox had seemed to dominate many of the tracks, and the rare exclusivity they enjoyed on earlier records was waning. The instrumentation is another component that, to me, wasn't explored in typical Enigma fashion. For example, the programmed beats were disappointingly contemporary. Though this aspect was modified from prior recordings, it provided a surprisingly commercialized sound that I wasn't prepared for (and am still trying to accept while listening to the new CD).

This CD, for its few predictabilities, is still leaps and bounds ahead of at least 80 percent of the other leading brands of electronica out there today. Michael Cretu remains a musical player (if not an icon) to be reckoned with, and to a large extent he will always possess a certain midas touch when it comes to synthetic recordings.

Bottom line: This is still a landmark in musical evolution, and "Voyageur," though not entirely different from other Enigma CD's, should still be required listening for those interested in electronic composition.