Customer Reviews

Ulysses [Import]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a child I thought "Ulysses" was a great movie. So was my opinion of the original Godzilla, and Rodan, etc. Sadly, after ordering the DVD, I quickly realized that a child sees things through different eyes than does an adult. The cyclops scene was the only excitement worth noting (despite a terrible makeup job on the cyclops). The film is basicaly a big letdown. The sound and picture quality are very poor; a lot of static in the sound and a picture that sorely needs to be remastered and cleaned up. The film offers 3 language choices (English, Italian, and French) but there are no subtitle options or extras. For the selling price "Ulysses" might not be a terrible film, but it isn't the classic that I remember it being either. Buy it if you must, but you were forewarned.

I read Maltin's review. I think he forgot that this sword and sandal epic was made in 1955, a time when Americans had attention spans beyond the 30 seconds common in the 1990's. I first saw this film when I was 8 years old in the company of my father. It made an impression that has never faded. I've read the Oddyssey many times and Kirk Douglas fits the mold of the long-wandering, long-suffering warrior surviving unknown dangers on a wine-dark sea. Sure, you have to suspend the disbelief a bit. The scene where the Greeks get Polyphemus crocked on freshly stomped grape wine is a bit much for oenologists hep on the ways of vino making, but what the hey, maybe the grapes had fermented and Polyphemus was a cheap drunk! At any rate, the loss of his one eye is horrific and still sends shudders.....Asante was bored as Odysseus, Douglas was on fire. See it.

(There are also subtitles availiable, extras fall short.) I personally liked the movie, it doesnt follow the details of the epic but delivers a nice and handy short version. Kirk shines bright!

Not many people know that ULYSSES was shot in 3-D, but it only released in flat 2-D form as the craze was over by the time the film was completed. I wish someone would try to locate the original 3-D elements so we could see this film as intended!

What can I say. This was made by the same film company that made all those low budget Hercules movies. Kirk Douglas is somewhat amusing in the part but the cheesy effects and art direction will make you turn the movie off in five minutes.

...it looks better in your childhood memories! Keep it wonderful there!

In brief,
Excellent sealing, carton box in great condition, top-class
audio/bright colors and clear sound.

I saw Ulysses with Kirk Douglass in the movies in 1954/55!!!
I was a mere kid growing up in post-war Europe.
The film made a great impression on me...the Cyclops...the ships...Kirk Douglass was unforgettable...Penelope...the archery...the entire story! It stayed with me forever. I have never seen it aired on TV here in the US and I have been looking for it in video stores forever. Finally!...Amazon.com has it! You might imagine how happy I was to know it was available and ordered it immediately. I can hardly wait to watch it again with my young son. Thank you Kirk Douglass.....and Amazon.com.

...and that's putting it mildly! Here Kirk is playing the Greek general Ulysses who spends twenty years away from the bosom of his family, ten at the Trojan War and ten on an ill-fated voyage back to Ithaca.

Now, when I first came across my brothers watching this video, I couldn't believe my eyes that Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn were in such a cheap-looking movie! Nobody else is an actor or actress of any standing, and the production values are not up to Hollywood standards. Most distressing of all, everyone's dubbed in, including Kirk!

Once I had gotten over all these obstacles, though, I was able to enjoy the movie. Ulysses' adventures are recounted as a flashback as he recuperates from amnesia in a strange kingdom. We see him outwit the Cyclops, go mad from the siren's song, and lose all track of time while being enchanted by Circe. Intersperced with Ulysses' strivings are scenes back at Ithaca, where Penelope has all she can do to hold onto her absent husband's throne from would-be usurpers vying for her hand. A new suitor emerges from the pack, played by Anthony Quinn, and he, like Kirk, plays his role straight despite the film's other limitations. The VERY end, AFTER all the bloodshed in the banquet hall, seems to end abruptly with Kirk and Penelope talking very fast off screen about how they have to make up for lost time. That looks a little, "We have to give the cameras back, so let's end it now."

Still in all, "Ulysses" will entertain you if you let it; it did wonders for me, my brothers, and a two-year-old who wandered into the room and found the Cyclops really exciting.

This movie is the best movie yet! One of the funny parts is when Ulysses gets trapped in the cave with the Cyclops and has to make wine for the Cyclops and all he does is steps on the grapes and tada - wine. And finally it is good for dogs beacause it teaches the dogs how to make wine and also to have faith in their masters homecoming. Watch the movie to see what I mean.