If you're the average IMDB reader, you probably enjoy a good action movie every now and then, but you approach action films with a certain caution and skepticism (I can't blame you, even though I am an action junkie myself). If you're that kind of viewer, the score I would give (for you) for Hard-boiled is a 6.5. To you, this is a prototypical "good" action movie -- intense, perfectly executed, original action, shown to the tune of a forgettable and occasionally insulting story.

To action junkies, this movie is an easy 9, because the only thing that really matters is that the action is superb and the other elements, if not stellar, don't detract enough from the action to really make a difference.

Splitting the difference, we get an 8/10 -- an outstanding score.

Hard-boiled is the ultimate John Woo / Chow-Yun Fat collaboration. Chow plays an uncompromising Hong-Kong cop who "works" together with an undercover cop (an EXCELLENT Tony Leung) in the triad gun-running organization. Now, when I say "works," I mean "launches thousands of bullets, slugs, and explosive projectiles into HUNDREDS of mafioso baddies." This film has a RIDICULOUS amount of gunplay. Pretty much everyone you see on screen dies at some point. Those that don't die often come perilously close to dying, before getting up and moving on as if nothing had happened. The gunmen in this film have magical powers that enable them to fire about 100 rounds from a Beretta clip without having to reload. And the top good guys seem only vaguely concerned about the loss of innocent life -- at a teahouse, or a large hospital -- except for tiny baby life, of course -- as long as they get to kill the top triad guy. And the story... well... not incoherent, but completely implausible at many points.

Realistic? NO. Is the story good? NO. Is this relevant? Not particularly. You see, one watches a John Woo movie for two things: Strong lead characters; strong lead characters shooting their way to success in surreally choreographed gunplay scenes. "But what if I don't want to watch a movie just for that?" Well, this one forces you to! If you can stand action at all, you'll be glued to the screen the entire time. Chow is a good actor, and Tony Leung is probably even better here -- they make the obligatory story sequences compelling, and when they start firing their weapons, you can't take your eyes away. Slow-motion highlights bullets, explosions, and plaster and sparks flying every which way, even as the actors and stunt men acrobatically move through the air while evading enemy fire. It's a little hard to describe how great this really is, so you just have to take my word for it. Suffice it to say that no one does gunplay like Woo, although everyone and their mother tries. (James Cameron's technique with heavy weapons and muscular guys is the other way to do gunplay, and is great in its own, more limited right.) If you're a fan of Face/Off, an American John Woo movie that actually does not suck, you know what to expect -- but multiply that by 100.

The story and realism are not good, but this makes no difference. Suspend disbelief, and go with the flow, and you're treated to prime-quality action. There ARE however, elements of this film that drag it down quite a bit. Most of them, to me, concern Woo's depictions of violence. It's obvious the man revels in blood. Several times, you see blood spurt copiously and unnaturally -- onto a wall, a desk, even a man's or baby's face. While the action is generally frantic and quick, these shots are slow, deliberate, and in-your-face. Why? To cater to our basest instincts, like a cheap slasher film. With action scenes and character acting done so well, it's embarrassing to watch such gratuitous gore added into the mix. But that's not all! The script's "good" characters are not morally corrupt: You can see them actively trying to avoid other cops or innocent bystanders. This is superficial. The characters aren't corrupt; the final script is. At least 50 innocent people, including patients at a hospital, die violently. The film doesn't display this as a horrific event, but rather as part of the scenery, cannon fodder; the film even gets pretty despicable amusement from this, particularly in one scene involving a baby (don't worry! the baby is not hurt).

Technically speaking, the movie is perfect. Aesthetically speaking, the same is true, with the exception of the music, which is extremely cheesy at times (the sax that suddenly kicks in during "emotional" moments is unbearable -- is that some kind of HK movie thing, or what?).

Such negatives are distracting. Your ability to ignore such distractions will ultimately determine if you give this a 5 or a 9. Were it a little more humane, I'd give it a 9. As it stands, I give it: 8/10.


When someone mentions, "action movie", the first thing that gets in their minds is guns, fighting, blood, and so on. The people who they instantly think are the likes of Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Willis, even the hammy Seagal, Snipes and Van Damme! Not until recently, I found myself confused about which action movie is the greatest. For me, the ultimate action hero is Arnold Schwarzenegger, but I cannot seem to find a perfect action movie.

Until I began checking up films of John Woo, and stumbled upon this baby...

Only a handful of action movies can compare to this, but most fail to be better. This movie IS the epitome of an action movie, it has never-ending thrill-a-minute stylish action sequences that just make your jaw drop in amazement. It has a body count that can be compared to most epic movies, and it has an excellent atmosphere to further enhance the story. The action sequences are a combination of outrageous, unreal and cool at the same time.

The story is weak, but not very. It provides the basis for the action to unfold. And boy, when it does, you'll have a blast! I mean, they took the premise of a basic cops and robbers tale and highly jazzed it up somehow to deliver this truly authentic and unique piece of movie making. This is not just a movie which action fans alone should see, this movie deserves to be sought and recognized by other highly-ranked film critics.

The director, John Woo, ups the ante on this one. After glorifying the gangsters in his "Better Tomorrow" movies and "The Killer" (which almost is as good as Hard Boiled), he decides to glorify the cops, and he does that, but with bigger elements. He doesn't show realism and humanism in this film, because he wanted to emphasize and slightly exaggerate on how big the elements can go. The criminals would kill lots of innocent people to complete their nefarious deeds, and the violence is hyper-stylized to the point where it becomes necessary to subdue the criminals using that technique. He combines unique Chinese Opera dancing techniques and dramatic shootouts to create stylistically significant and exhilarating gunfights for the eyes and ears to behold. The pace is hyper kinetic as Woo relentlessly dishes out whatever tricks he has up his sleeve, much to our delight.

Chow Yun-Fat's status as an action hero is immortalized here in his performance as super cop Tequila, who dodges bullets and shoot crooks while cooing a baby to sleep and covering his eyes from the ensuing violence. This scene also signifies the violence in Hong Kong back in the days, but highly stylized to create a superb action experience. Tony Leung is also splendid as the disillusioned undercover cop, who seeks to regain his humanity and reputation. The rest of the cast gave good performances, with kudos to Anthony Wong as the sadistic villain who will do anything to get what he wants (fully exampled during the film's climax), and Cheng Jue-Luh as one of the most badassed villains ever, Mad Dog.

The atmosphere of the movie further improves its credibility. John Woo's interests are shown through Tequila's passion of jazz and the beautiful and dark cinematography of Hong Kong, which, when combined together, gives an effect that signifies two different worlds, that is, the life of a cop and the life of a criminal. Also, the music score by Michael Gibbs is great, with a perfect melodramatic jazz score during dramatic scenes, and to pumping synthesizers, gritty and haunting scores during the majority of the action sequences. All of these add up to the amazing elements of the movie to make it even better.

Overall, I cannot think of any other action movie than this. This is THE action movie for film-goers, critics, and action junkies alike. This perfectly shot ballet of blood and bullets is an example of how great and reliable Asian movies can be, when we are finally tired of cliché elements from Hollywood. Mr. Woo, Your Midas Touch has its full effect here. This movie is one of the greatest action movies ever made. And I will stand by that decision for as long as I live.

A must see.

9/10

Delton


So what if Chow Yun Fat fires a hundred rounds apiece from his pistols without reloading? Who cares whether shotgun rounds explode when they impact? Hard Boiled isn't about the reality, it's about the action--which is so over-the-top that reality takes a back seat. HB is like Tequila's toothpick: It's all about the Cool.


Director John Woo has a powerful and explosive style that will leave you breathless after watching this extremely violent action flick.The camera is everywhere flying from place to place.And there are people everywhere.All of them firing a gun or two.I have never seen such energy before.The violence in "Hardboiled" is very brutal and well directed.The last half hour of this film,which take place in the hospital is full of inventive action sequences.Chow Yun-Fat is really good as a tough policeman and it's also very nice to see Anthony Wong("Bunman:Human Meat Pies","Dr Lamb","Bullet in the Head")-what a great performance!I like Hong Kong-action films by John Woo.Anyway, if you're tired of Hollywood's action trash,then this one is a must-see.Recommended!


An action film at heart. The story of gun smuggling is just a backing just big enough to support the relentless action scenes.

Motorcycles exploding in mid-air, cars blowing up, shotguns, pistols, submachine guns, bombs...it's all here.

They all make for some of the best action sequences ever filmed. A good mix of the gritty and realistic with the improbable and totally fake. Though I think that the ending is bit too much. But what can you expect from Woo aside from a molotov cocktail of intense explosive action and violence?

Action and cult movie fans are advised to watch this film, however others might be turned off by it. 7/10

Rated R: intense strong violence


Master of Action John Woo delivers once again with his hard-hitting, action-packed thriller `Hard Boiled,' starring Chow Yun-Fat as a veteran cop known as `Tequila,' Hong Kong's answer to San Francisco's own `Dirty Harry.' In this one, an undercover officer infiltrates a gangland Triad dealing arms, and when a rival gang threatens to take over, Tequila joins in the melee, and once it begins the action never stops until the last of the credits have rolled off into the recesses of the darkened screen. Along the way there are tests of loyalty, mistaken identities and a staggering display of superbly choreographed violence. There's a couple of plot twists, but it's a rather straightforward story, and as usual, Woo melds it with the action with his trademark style and perfection. The action sequences are incredibly well staged and delivered, but so exceedingly violent that it passes beyond reality at times (especially during the climax) into a somewhat surreal state of being, only to be ultimately drawn back in again by the grounded core of the story. It's a fine line that Woo treads successfully time after time in an arena in which many other `action' directors have foundered. A consummate professional, Woo knows exactly what he wants and what works, and he doesn't quit until he gets it. Among the directors of the `action' genre, he is quite simply the best there has ever been. As the somewhat jaded and `hard Boiled' cop, the charismatic Chow Yun-Fat demonstrates that if Jackie Chan can team up with Chris Tucker, he most certainly could find a place at Eastwood or Gibson's side. He has the attitude and the look that make his character credible, which helps anchor Woo's art in reality, albeit a rather violent one. As with the `Dirty Harry' or `Lethal Weapon' movies, it gives the audience someone to whom they can relate and root for. And it's all buoyed with symbolism and metaphor and Woo's impeccable sense of timing and deft and sparing use of slow motion, which in his hands becomes an extremely effective tool. The supporting cast includes Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Alan),Teresa Mo (Teresa Chang), Philip Chan (Superintendent Pang), Hoi-Shan Kwan (Mr. Hui) and Philip Kwok (Mad Dog). The true brilliance of Woo's films lies in the fact that he never sacrifices story for action, but instead blends the two together to create a whole that is artistically rendered (his action sequences are something akin to visual poetry) and substantial, rather than having an action film that-- like so many others of the genre-- is hollow inside. Like his earlier film, `The Killer,' which also starred Yun-Fat, `Hard Boiled' pushes the envelope and will keep you on the edge, right along with the characters in the film, right until the very end. As with all of Woo's movies, this one is a satisfying foray into the intense, cutting edge `Action' world of one of Cinema's Master directors, and a must-see for any true film buff. I rate this one 9/10.


Hard Boiled was the first Hong-Kong-movie that I saw. The movie blew me away. I had never seen so much action, so much violence, so many cool characters and above all perfectly coreographed action. Excellent actor Chow Yun-Fat plays Tequila, a cop who is determined to crush the biggest syndicate in Hong-Kong, after his partner and friend was killed in a shoot-out at a teahouse. The action in this movie is so intense, that you will not believe it untill you`ve actually seen this classic movie. This movie is better and a lot more violent than anything Hollywood has ever made. I thought that this was the best actionmovie ever made, until I saw "The Killer"(also directed by John Woo and starring Yun-Fat). American actionmovies like Face/Off are kindergarten, when compared to the likes of Hard Boiled and The Killer.

10/10


If you like movies with guns and action, more guns and action, this is your movie. Hard Boiled is simply the Best Action movie of all time. Hard Boiled is given the name Most Violent Movie by many critics, when it first released. If you see this movie, you'll know exactly why. John Woo is in my opinion the Best Action Movie director. If you see this movie carefully, he does many Action Scenes in one camera take. One spectacular scene is the ending where the Hospital is hijacked and The Two Heroes are shooting there way out. Its like a computer game, a shoot em up that reminds you of Virtual Cop. The scene shows both actors Shooting a dozen guys each and moving one place to another on the same floor of the hospital. This is a 2 minutes scene that was recorded in one take. This is one example of his great directions. Chow Yun Fat is brilliant as the hard boiled cop. Tony Leung is superb as the undercover cop and Hit man. This is a roller coaster ride of Violence and Entertains to the max.


"The Killer" was one of the few films in American cinema history to receive an "X" rating for violence alone on its original release; this at a time when Director Woo was seriously considering moving to America.

This film is both a farewell to Hong Kong, and a bite-back at the critics of The Killer. It is about why Hong Kong is no longer a decent place to live (from Woo's point of view) and also a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the very violence that his critics so abhorred.

It is the best written of Woo's Hong Kong films, the best edited, the best acted, and, yes, the best directed. It is unabashedly 'take-no-prisoners' in its attitude to action - Chow Yun Fat's non-James-Bond performance as an unstoppable cop pretty much out-does every other action Hero in film, except, maybe, Sean Connery's Bond in "Doctor No". The film starts with an over-the-top gun battle in a Hong Kong eatery, and ends with a WAY-over-the-top all out war between cops and robbers in a hospital - all with smart attitude, smart looks, smart direction. Believe me, the bodies can't be counted, but you never have time to worry about it.

Yeah, there is the usual Woo sentimentalism, and Tony Leung's performance is a bit heavy-handed; but the positives are so positive - for gun-play action film fans, anyway - that the negatives are easily discounted and forgotten.

Put your brain on hold and get ready for a wild ride - Woo knows we want the real deal, and he delivers.


When people start thinking that the United States is the only country with the directors that can make the great action flicks, they can think again. John Woo is basically the James Cameron of China. And Woo's film-making skill is on the same level as Cameron's since he can make films that have great eye-candy action and a film that makes us identify and care about its characters.

After seeing "Hard Boiled", I was completely blown away by the awesome gun fight scenes that were among the best my eyes ever witnessed. And there's plenty of it. The opening scene with the shoot-out at the teahouse is remembered for when Tequila (Yun Fat Chow) does a bunch of insane stunts like firing while jumping in mid-air and when he slides down the staircase handle and shoots the bad guys without getting hit. The warehouse betrayal will be known for the bad guys on the motorcycles shooting at the other bad guys, and then, Tony, who is really an informant for the police, betrays his gun-runner boss. And then that's when Tequila shows up and kicks a ton of @$$! There's even some shots of him shooting at the motorcycle engines and exploding them, which is some of the coolest stuff I've ever seen. And last but not the least, the climatic action scene at the hospital that lasts for over a half-hour, and it displays a long continued shot that lasts for almost 3 minutes. And in that shot Tequila and Tony shoot every bad guy in sight and while talking some emotional lines, I've never seen such a masterful shot like that until "Children of Men". This movie has EVERYTHING, grenades, shotguns, machine pistols and an entire arsenal of weapons that is shown in the hospital part. And we also have some suspense and emotional to along with the action since the hospital scene is very tense with all the babies in danger when Tequila tries to save them all while narrowly dodging bullets.

And also, the American audience probably liked the action because the setting was very different. We didn't see an American background or an American city like L.A, but what we see is Hong Kong. And in the action sequences we see Chinese stuff getting blown up, like in the teahouse for instance. We saw a bunch of Chinese pasta and tea (of course) getting smashed to bits. And it also works cause it's very unique compared to the same old American films that we get here in America.

The acting also works, Yung-Fat Chow, who is basically the Chinese Schwarzenegger due to his position as an action superstar is absolutely terrific as Tequila. Tequila is basically a maverick cop whose partner is killed during the teahouse shootout and seeks revenge against the Triad gang. However his boss is constantly pushing him over the edge and he has to deal with while disobeying orders to get to the Triads. And his character also delivers one of the most recognizable quotes in film history ("You're full of $h!t, you know that? There's a toilet over there.") I bet that if it was an American film, every person in the United States would be saying that in everyday situations, next to "Hasta la Vista, baby" and "Yippie-ki-yay, motherf**ker".

And Tony Leung, another Hong Kong superstar, totally shines as the undercover cop who is infiltrating the gang of weapon smugglers. And his loyalty is tested on whether or not he'll be loyal to the Triads or to the cops. And also, I'll remember his character for his face-off with that bad guy with eye patch in the hospital (forgot his name), and then one scene, they realize there are a bunch of innocent patients and they BOTH choose to let them go so they could finish their fight. But unfortunately the gang leader shows up and decides to kill them all and the eye-patch guy basically dies while standing up for what he believes is right that only the violent people should die. Very touching moment.

If you're looking for a great foreign action film and if you're tired of watching too many Hollywood stuff, then "Hard Boiled" is the film for you. The action is so insane that you'll probably see this over a hundred times before you die.


Hard Boiled-a top notch action film from Hong Kong must be hailed as a true role model for all action films.It is one of the best action films of its kind where speedy action mixes freely with dramatic sequences.This is something which creates a feeling in the minds of viewers that they are not being taken for granted as everything that is being depicted is serving some kind of purpose.One of most amazing things about John Woo's film "Lat sau san taam" is that its actions scenes are truly unbelievable.They have been filmed with such an accurate precision that they would easily put to shame some of the most accomplished artists whose every stroke is the result of immense patience and concise concentration.Hard Boiled is also a film with a bizarre twist as we get to see some hardworking cops mixing freely with hardened criminals.Although gang violence is a core issue of the film John Woo has not deceived fans of melodrama by showing how difficult it is to lead a life of a cop.The best part of this film comes in the form of John Woo appearing every now and then à la Alfred Hitchcock.


Hard Boiled is not just a movie. It is an experience.

This 1992 Hong Kong action movie just might be the best action movie of the 90s.

The story is typical action movie fare. It is about a tough as nails cop and his partner taking down a group of mobsters. But what makes this movie are the action sequences. The action sequences in Hard Boiled are perhaps the most intense action scenes you will find in any movie. The highlight of the movie would have to be the teahouse shooting at the start of the film.

Every action movie fan, even a casual one, should own this movie. It is a masterpiece of action.


Prior to the extended hospital sequence, which plays like an unofficial 'Die Hard' sequel, John Woo creates a stunning eighty minutes of sensual, brutal, beautiful action combined with stunningly understated drama. Tony Leung's first meeting with arms dealer Johnny (Anthony Wong) is exceptionally well staged and scored (by Michael Gibbs), as is an earlier scene where Leung meets the older arms dealer who has become a surrogate father to him and his colleagues. These are incredibly moving sequences in which not a single shot is fired. This side of Woo's talent has never been seen in any of his disappointing American films. When Leung is forced to kill his surrogate father after Chow's spectacular warehouse ambush, we can only marvel at Leung's performance as he conveys his inner turmoil. The film makes a tonal adjustment once the action moves to the hospital and Woo serves up a number of brilliantly staged action set pieces. The sheer volume of gunfire does become wallpaper after a while, but fans of hardcore action will not be disappointed. If "Hard-Boiled" had continued along the same stylistic and thematic lines as its first eighty minutes, I'd probably like it as much as "Bullet in the Head", but, for mine, it sits just below "The Killer" and above the more obscure "Just Heroes". Fatt is his usual stalwart self, while Anthony Wong and Philip Kwok (who steals the show as Mad Dog) are sublime.


A maverick Hong Kong detective is on the trail of some gun-running Triads, and gets mixed up with a dangerously unstable undercover cop who has infiltrated the mobsters.

This is a love-it-or-loathe-it type of picture. Whilst the plot may be a little thin and the visuals occasionally veer wildly into pretension, this is undoubtedly the most stylish bullet-festival ever committed to celluloid. It has three stunning set-pieces; a shootout in a dim-sum restaurant, a shootout in a warehouse and an, er, shootout in a hospital. The hospital sequence, which lasts nearly an hour, is simply an amazing piece of action choreography, which tops anything done before or since. In one single two-and-a-half-minute tracking shot alone, Yun-Fat and Leung race down endless corridors, take a ride in an elevator, waste twenty-eight different bad guys along the way and act out a dramatic scene whilst doing it !! Stunning. Woo (who has an unbilled bit as a bartender) has an incredible eye for action, aided by top-notch stuntwork from Kwok, who also plays the aptly-named chief henchman, Mad Dog. Wang Wing-Heng's zippy, fluid camera-work and the groovy keyboard score by Michael Gibbs round off the perfect Cantonese gangster movie. Somehow, amid all the chaos, Yun-Fat and particularly Leung manage to lend some dramatic pathos to their roles. It's asking a lot of an actor, surrounded by villainous henchman in a burning hospital, to hold a shotgun in one hand and a baby in the other and sing it a rap lullaby, but Yun-Fat pulls it off !!


Definitely one of the true 'must see' films of the nineties, not only because it was the first to fully establish John Woo as the master of action movies and Chow Yun Fat as a superstar, but because it has had a massive influence on every action movie made since, and is easily one of, if not the best action movies ever. Slick, stylish, violent, funny, clever, with interesting characters, a superior plot which will keep you guessing, and filled with set pieces, explosions and chases, Hard-Boiled is a genuine classic, at least of its genre.

Chow Yun Fat stars as Tequilla, a cop with a love of Jazz, a man whose skills are never questioned, but whose methods are sometimes checked as it usually ends up in death and demolition. He also enjoys the odd bit of existential musing, and is always trying to win back his love, who happens to be a superior. The film opens with a fight between cops and arms dealers which ends in the death of Tequilla's partner. Tequilla kills all possible subjects so they are left with no evidence as to who the boss is. We meet Tony, played by Leung who is one the arms dealers lead men. He does his job flawlessly, and at all costs, but doesn't want to see his boss harmed. However, when a rival with greater ambition wants to recruit him, Tony double-crosses his old boss. Tequilla intervenes and many more are killed. Tony and Tequilla continue to come into contact with each other, and we learn that Tony isn't who he appeared to be. Soon Tequilla works out where the massive armoury is, and a massive gunfight ensues, taking up the last 40 minutes of the film. Will Tequilla get revenge, will any more twists enter into the story, who will make it out alive? The film is incredibly clever for an action film, with many twists, but this is all the more astounding when you witness the level of action which takes place. The set-pieces are almost overwhelming, with so much going on at one time they beg to be re-watched repeatedly. Each actor is convincing, and it seems Fat and Leung were born for these roles. Everyone else is good as well. The final hospital scene has some of the best, most exhilarating action ever filmed, and no-one is safe as patients, doctors, kids, cops, and bad guys are all slaughtered. Almost every window is smashed, all manner of guns are fired, and Woo is on top form. His slow motion style, balletic gun play have never been better, and the one steadicam shot which goes into a lift, between floors and features many deaths and explosions, plus dialogue, is awesome, and must have been a nightmare to film. Few action movies can suck the viewer in like this does, so that we care about the characters and are not just watching vacantly. Hard-boiled succeeds on all levels, and must be seen by all action fans. It is the benchmark of the genre.

10 out of 10


23rd April 1992, the first day of my long awaited holiday to Hong Kong. I'm alone, 1000's of miles from home, very tired after the long flight. What should I do, go to my nice huge hotel bed, heck no, Cinema here I come. Hard Boiled is the movie I choose to see, I enjoyed The Killer so why not. Two hours later I was wide awake! What a MAD film, I need more! The bed won the arguement this time, but I'm glad that this was the first movie I ever saw in a Hong Kong cinema, it was everything I expected and more. This is another MUST SEE movie.


John Woo is a true artist, and he lets it show in this movie. More than any other contemporary action director, he paid real attention to the style of gun battles. And that's what this movie is: lots and lots of gun battles. There is nothing else. Just bullets flying, people dying. So after you get over how massively influential and incredibly cool this movie was and is, you might feel a little hollow from the relentless nature of the violence. It wasn't quite as bad as Natural Born Killers in this respect, but I still felt slightly queasy after two hours. But maybe it's good that extreme violence can still shock me...


Hard Boiled's stark cinematography of the nicotine stained Hong Kong night scene portrays the toughness and rawness of probably the greatest computer unaided action film made. As well, the cinematography supports the toughness of our hard boiled hero.

Articulately directed, the care Woo shows is astounding. Every frame is some sort of slow mo, odd angle or intense bout of testosterone. Fueled by this pace the file contradicts a dream. Lasting hours but feeling like only seconds.

Being so enthralled in the action I did not pay too much attention to the acting other than that to say it wasn't bad enough for me to notice nor great enough for me to be in awe.

Scene by scene the action progresses hardly letting up during its long (about)30 minute end siege. "You can never get too much of good thing," would be an unfitting quote here. This constant, endless seeming, action sequence becomes redundant. As over and over people are getting shot or huge explosions are happening. Eventually it loses its adrenaline rushing touch.

My favorite part of the film was the fact that the grisly, one eyed, psycho did not fit the stereotype. He cared for the innocent people. I was blown away by this never seeing it coming. First time I ever seen a character as such not fit his blood hungry stereotype.

Too bad Woo ever came here. Hollywood has made him suck and looks like ruined what talent he had back during this film and the Killer's production. After watching Windtalkers im weary of anymore of his new films. In a nonracist way Woo should go back to China. 9/10


I love this movie. This is heaven for an action movie fan. From start to finish, bullets flying everywhere, bodies dropping everywhere, nobody ever reloads, and there is almost no plot.

Of course this wouldn't work except the action scenes that chew up the majority of the screen time are so brilliantly choreographed and filmed that you forget all about silly things like plot and realism. John Woo is a genius, and this film shows the true extent of that. Hollywood action directors think that someone walking into a room and shooting someone else is a throwaway scene that's barely worth the time to capture on film. They only give their attention to the big special effects scenes. John Woo sees the potential in EVERY scene and films to bring the maximum amount of excitement from everything.


This is the greatest action film ever made. I have been reading other people comments, and most agree, although some people don't seem to understand. They say it is bad because the dubbing is bad (that is the crappy American company that sold you the movies fault, not the movie) or the transfer was bad. Some say it is too violent. Some say the acting is bad. Some said there is not plot. Maybe you watched the wrong movie. No plot? An arms dealer housing his arsenal in a hospital. That is a plot. Maybe you should go back to school.

This isn't the greatest action movie ever simply because every action seen tops the other and they are so superbly choreographed. It is cinematically beautiful, Philip Kwok of Five Deadly Venoms fames choreography and role is superb. The Production Design is great, it blends so seemlessly with the lighting. And it features the greatest shot in action cinema history, hands down. The 3 minute shot to Chow and Tony traversing the halls, going up the elevator and killing numerous bad guys along the way is incredible. There has never been anything like it.

To all those non believers out there, if you like action movies, you will love this. IF you don't like it, they you are fooling yourself into thinking you are an action movie fan. Now, if only John Woo could make another movie like this instead of the godawful Windtalkers.


Though, I did not have the pleasure of watch this movie with the sound on because it was 3am, I was able to follow along with the subtitles.

I only watched about 3/4 of this movie but that was enough to blow me away!!!

Not only was the idea in this movie unique, but it had lots of great action. Not really that gory though. The best part was that it was pretty hilarious. There is pretty much swearing in this movie, but it's mostly not directed at people.

This is a great movie...You should really go see it!!!


Though, I did not have the pleasure of watch this movie with the sound on because it was 3am, I was able to follow along with the subtitles. I only watched about 3/4 of this movie but that was enough to blow me away!!! Not only was the idea in this movie unique, but it had lots of great action. Not really that gory though. The best part was that it was pretty hilarious. There is pretty much swearing in this movie, but it's mostly not directed at people. This is a great movie...You should really go see it!!!


A comment on the front cover of the DVD case for Hard Boiled says that it is 'more exciting than a dozen Die Hards'. A dozen may be an over statement but this exciting balletic action from genre maestro John Woo does its best to blow you away! This is easily Woo's best film along with The Killer and is a mile apart from any of his mediocre Hollywood efforts. He manages to take the classic elements of the cop movie, including plot devices, typical inciting incidents and characterisation and overload it with as much action you can fire a gun at, creating two hours of pure adrenaline rush. The superb action sequences are split up by good plot detail and a bit of humour thrown in for good measure, a lot of it completely incongruous to the often violent scenario (the sequence with Yun-Fat dodging bullets while holding a baby for example). In this sense it doesn't take itself too seriously and the respectable, if basic storyline helps to make this not jut another pointless action workout. If your not a fan of subtitles then watch it for the action sequences and any conosseuir of all things violent would lap this up. The amount of bullets fired is staggering and the gunplay and stuntwork is some of the best you will ever see! The last 40 minutes in particular is pretty jaw-dropping, with explosions and bullets gallore, amidst the frenetic camera-work and stylish visuals. Hard Boiled must be near to the record for having the highest on-screen body-count in a film and this is a statistic that hints at what to expect. Amazing.

8/10


Nothing.

This movie is an action masterpiece.

Watch this movie, The Killer, and Bullet in the Head, and then cry when all the mediocre action movies and pale imitations you've been subjected to throughout the years get ruthlessly bitch-slapped across the room and forced to beg for forgiveness.


THE most amazing action movie i've seen! The Matrix dims in comparison to this amazing, AMAZINGly done movie. The action is perfect (although i admit, the guns never run out of ammo), Chow Yun-Fat will be the greatest new action star in the WORLD! I hope. And hopefully John Woo's new movies will go back to these kind of roots.


Wow! Chow Yun Fat IS the man when it comes to action and the director, John Woo, when combined with Chow Yun Fat makes a perfect movie. Starting with a spectacular shoot-out at the beginning, Chow Yun Fat loses his best friend and partner and seeks revenge on the group responsible. His boss doesn't like him, his girlfriend gives the same impression but all he really needs is a gun...or ten!!! The shoot-outs are amazing and the camera angles are just dazzling. The car storage scene where cameras are placed in the cars and characters dive through cars as bullets shred the seats inches behind them is just simply amazing to watch. The final scene is filled with enough firepower to put Die Hard to shame!!! If you love action and don't want martial arts in it, try this film because it is the most stylish, gun crazy film around and I haven't seen a film which comes close to it yet.


The best action movie of all time made by the action master himself. Woo put on screen caracters who are (as usual for him) very deep and who can say intelligent lines. Yes, there's a lot of blood, but it is important. All the people who dies there without a name represent the people living in Hong Kong who suffers a certain anonymity of living in the most populous city of the world. Directing this movie, Woo plays God, killing all those people like in this famous line from the movie: "Give a guy a gun, he thinks he's Superman. Give him two, he thinks he's God."


Here is a list of my favourite things to do with films.

My favourite director is John Woo My favourite actor is Chow Yun-Fat. I like films with artfully choreographed gunplay. I like long action sequences. I like a slight bit of martial arts but not too much. Good photography. The sense that the director gave a damn about the film. The sense that the actors are just as hard as the characters. Exciting editing. but not too over the top.

To name but a few. The conclusion is HARD BOILED KICKS ASS!!!It features all of the above and more. Chow Yun-Fat matchstick gritted between teeth. 2 9mms and carving his way through hordes of badguys. who truly deserve to die. Is it just me or is he the coolest guy ever to walk the planet. It is tricky to go through all the things that make this film great, every second was mind blowing and it is near impossible to put into words how good this film is. Normally when I see a film I'm dissapointed. "Oh I would have done it like that" or "I would have missed that bit out" Often I'll go not expecting much and not get much. sometimes I'll go expecting alot and get nothing, Rarely I'll see a film expecting it to be awful and it's not that bad. But this, I had such high expectations from this film, I didn't think a film could be as good as what I expected. I was amazed that it was better. A masterpiece. go get it now. 10/10. Can't you see what I'm saying it's brilliant. However there was one minor flaw Chow Yun-Fat should have worn a big black trenchcoat.


This has to be one of the best movies that alot of people havent heard of. I love the 80s movies by far the best movies came out in the 80s and this is one of them. This movie is full of laughs,hot women and college kids doing what they do best drinking and having a good time.I seriously recomend if havent seen this movie u run out and rent it.Cant wait till it comes out on dvd.


How can a movie like this miss?

It has two veterans from "Animal House" (Matheson and Furst), Pee-Wee from "Porky's" (Monahan), the cop from "Hill Street Blues" (Sikking), a Playmate (Thomasino), a Mel Brooks regular (Helberg), and laughs aplenty. Oh, and did I mention the rapids?

"Up the Creek" just goes to show that the right elements in any movie, when they click, make the experience all the more pleasant. For instance, if you want to make a movie about a bunch of losers that compete for their college in a water rapids race against college twerps that are richer, meaner and, in one case, more militaristic, it helps if you have a cast like mentioned above.

It also helps if there's a dog on hand like Chuck the Dog. He's smart, he's helpful, he knows how to attack where it hurts the most and he plays a mean game of charades. If all dogs were this smart, humans would be in a lot of trouble.

And those rafting scenes: top notch. Not a lot of detail goes into most movies like this. But when they go to that extra trouble, it works. These guys actually did brave the rapids for this flick, the nuts.

This would make a solid rent alongside "Animal House", that is how good "Up the Creek" truly is. Besides, how many slob comedies do you know that try to visually quote the final scene in "Bridge on the River Kwai"?

Seven stars and a twenty-one canoe salute for "Up the Creek"; it serves up the comedy.


Sometimes the planets align and everything just comes together. Some likable but underused actors join up with a veteran (and really really old) director to film a script written by the author of some minor league films. This is the sort of recipe that more often than not ends up with a mediocre movie that is instantly forgettable but for whatever reasons They ended up producing one of the funniest teen comedies ever made.

A group of loser college students played by an all star collection of teen sex comedy stars including Tim Matheson and Stephen Furst from Animal House, Dan Monahan from Porky's and Sandy Helberg from History of the World Part 1 who,having their arms twisted by a corrupt Dean played by John Hillerman, agree to enter a dangerous raft race with the promise that victory will bring them un-earned degrees.

Excessive drinking, fart jokes and gratuitous nudity are just some of the pleasures that this movie provides for the viewer. It also features the smartest dog in the world (he does charades), a kick ass song by Cheap Trick and the gorgeous Jennifer Runyon (ghostbusters & Charles in charge, I don't know which credit is more impressive) along with some great race footage and hilarious dialog. This movie is simply much better than it has the right to be.

All the people who complain that it is stupid miss the point. Of course it is stupid. Its moronic. Its dumb as dirt. It is also hysterically funny from start to finish. This movie reminds me in many ways of Weekend at Bernies another incredibly goofy movie that if approached in the wrong mood is virtually unwatchable. To avoid injury try not to think. Just sit back and let this movie wash over you.


Up the Creek is right up there with my most liked movies. I'm crying for a DVD. What kind of sense of humor doesn't think "Take no prisoners" wasn't funny when the gals are "going after It." The bazooka shooting at the noisy crow was funny. There is funny rolling over funny in this movie but maybe some of it is too sophisticated. Tim gets invited to Jenifer's room and after hellos she, lying on the bed in a loose robe says, "Why don't you slip into something more comfortable?" Tim retorts, "I didn't brig anything more comfortable." She says pouting, "Well, how about me?" That is not only funny it might also be the hottest line I have ever seen in a movie. Sparks are popping all over the place like the gal cheerleader producing interest in the bored stands. I don't take this movie seriously except in the sense it is seriously entertaining.


This is college fun at it's best. Great bunch of guys and girls in a raft race. Full of drinking, sex and competitive humor. Love it. Classic. Tim M. and the fat guy from Animal House and Pee Wee from Porky's are in it. If you love 80's cheese, you will love this movie. It is entertaining all the way through and very hilarious!!


This movie was mostly shot in the "RoadRunner" cartoon style with the students from the Military Institute playing the part of "Wile E. Coyote". Most of the time when they tried to impede our (intrepid?) naive heroes, their traps back fire.

The counterparts of the military guys are the "preppy" guys whose gags always hit their marks(our heroes), but despite being bombed, kidnapped and beaten (literally) they dont seem to slow down our heroes.

The final revelation of our heroes that maybe others in the race are just as determined to win, or prevent them from winning, gives hilarious results from beginning to end.

Oh yeah, this is a great movie to "drink along with", while you laugh out loud.


Up the creek is just plain hilarious. The white water rafting is quite real and quite accurate. Note the life vests they all wore? They did for a good reason.

Sight gags abound. Every time they open the doors of their truck, a million beer cans fall out. The college our heroes represent is LePetomaine University. (For the non French speaking....LePetomaine translates to "The Farter". Mel Brook used this name in Blazing Saddles....The Governor's name, which he played, but that's another story about another fun and silly movie)

Sure, there is sex, but it's comedy sex, not brutal, not excessive, it just fits nicely into a film about the four absolute worst college students in the country promised degrees if they would win the race for dear old P.U......The college where the only act of distinction from any graduate was a pardon.

If you enjoy comedy, you will love this show. I've seen it over a dozen times. You know, I think I'll watch it tonight...haven't seen it in a while. It'll help me relax with laughter, pretty girls, and an improbable plot line.

By the way? Did you ever see anyone blow up a river? Watch "Up the Creek" and find out how.


This movie is silly and campy and total '80s, but it's very entertaining and the soundtrack is completely amazing, featuring artists like Cheap Trick, Beach Boys and Ian Hunter among others. Like most campy '80s movies, this plot is predictable and the outcome is typical, but it's fun to watch the adventures of Bob McGraw and the gang. Tim Matheson plays a similar role to his Eric Straton character from Animal House. Ironically (and completely on purpose) the movie Van Wilder, featuring Ryan Reynolds, casts Tim Matheson as Van's uptight father. The irony is that Van Wilder is very similar to Bob McGraw from 20 years earlier. In Van Wilder, however, Matheson plays the exact opposite character.


Save this one for a Saturday or Sunday, you have snacks and beverages and friends nearby.

One of the best 80s colleges/sport movies. You wont learn a lot, but you 'll have a lot of fun.

If you lived in the 80's this movie will take you back to that era. When the cold beer flowed freely, and pretty girls were all around. Sunshine, water, laughing, and all the college years.

Tim Matheson would make an excellent James Bond. He has all the charisma that the Bond role requires.

Go Lepetomane!


I HATED this movie, and in fact, I turned it off. I didn't watch the whole thing.

My mom and I had heard that the movie was really funny, so we wanted to see it when we saw it that it was on the on demand thing through her cable company. When the movie starts off, it looks like the Delta house in Animal House. Then as the movie goes on, you see Kent aka Flounder raiding the kitchen, and then you see Eric Stration! I was like can they get any more people from the movie Animal House. I am not sure if they did or not, because we got to the part where the "preppy" kids are talking to the guy in the woods and turned it off. It was just stupid, and we didn't find it funny at all!


First off, one must put aside the characters played by Matheson and Furst. Matheson reprises his role from Animal House as the "ladies man" who somehow always gets the girl, and always does so with a swagger, smoking, and drink in hand. He also gets beat up by the "preppy squad." It worked much better in Animal House, but he manages to pull it off for most of this movie. Furst, on the other hand, I have no idea what he's supposed to be as Gonzer. Copying Belushi's Bluto from Animal House? That's what comes to mind at first, and a few times throughout the movie, and truthfully, he just does not pull it off. No one can do it the same way, and each time I have seen it tried in various movies it has failed. So Gonzer is just some college guy coasting through life, though this time it's with food and his best friend (in this movie), Irwin. I got a sense from a scene from the movie It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World where we have the scene where Gonzer sniffs out his kidnapped friend and chants, Irwin, Irwin.... This movie is your basic college romp with the usual elements. Getting drunk; cheating, no matter what, in order to win; girls taking off their tops; and the usual round of bad guys, who as always never win, since we all want to see the underdog win. Speaking of dogs, if it were not for Chuck, and his voice (done perfectly by the very talented Frank Welker), I would have rated this movie a lot lower. Every scene with Chuck is absolutely hilarious. But overall, the movie was too formulaic, but that's okay, since sometimes movie-goers just want to watch something that does not require too many brain cells. Though this movie might end up killing some... Since there is so much going on, and 2 sets of perfectly good "bad guys" (the military group is a hoot to watch, especially the 4 cadets), and we have some good footage of actual white-water rafting, this movie turns out to be not that bad. Silly, yes. Entertaining, yes. Something to discuss afterward, no.


Salacious white water raft race. Actually, it's a watered-down toga party. (Pun intended) Tim Matherson's presence is highly suspect. Good Fun for the time being. Highlights: the charade sequence near the film's silly denouement. You gonna love the frisky dog. Most imaginative use of explosives in a sophomore movie and most unbelievable bad guy's foul up I have ever seen. Otherwise, keep your brain in a jar and enjoy it. Is anybody ready to start a signature campaign to get this nice doggy err... movie onto DVD? Count me in. Hope MGM ever makes up its mind onto this. Time is running out. Cybercaf'e clock running. gggg


The movie is not THAT good, but the manipulation of the average vote is ... not good.

Add the votes, divide them by voters, that's it.

The humor of this is not what I prefer at the age of 38, but back then ... It's 80s trash, it's fun.

It's not better than a 5, but voters liked it much more than the " weighted average" tries to make you believe.

I'd prefer to ban the "top 1000 voters" than anything else.

Description of the movie? No, watch yourself.

Recommendation? Not for old people. Not for young people. It's for the eighties' youth only.


Why would somebody make a comedy movie that's not funny? Maybe they changed directors mid-stream, or there was a death among the principal technicians and someone else had to edit or whatever. But, this movie is just not funny; even though the script keeps telling you how side-splitting it is, and how you're enjoying it more than you did "Animal House" or "Porky's". Even worldly sophisticates like George Plimpton or Wm F. Buckley like slapstick, sophomoric sex jokes and watching drunk frat-boys being jerks as much as the next guy. We keep looking for some in this poorly-done piece of crap and are more disappointed than the first audience that saw "Plan 9 From Outer Space." The worst scene of the film sticks with me, two beautiful girls enter a nightclub full of elligible dudes and no other women (yes, the story is supposed to be about a whitewater-rafting trip!); they looks about feigning sexual hunger and one of them says "Take NO prisoners". Like the rest of this awful film: is that supposed to be funny? Or sexy? You just feel sorry for the actors, technicians and investors while you're miffed at the directors and producers.


This is one of my favourite anti-impression comedy programmes. Written by and starring BAFTA and British Comedy Award nominated Leigh Francis as Avid Merrion and many famous masked faces. This is basically a gross impression programme with only a glint of realness to the people. As himself, Avid is a celebrity stalker who keeps Craig Phillips (from Big Brother 1) and his dead mother in his cupboards and always jumps to the opportunity to "meet" a celebrity. He also plays Craig David, The Bear, Mel B, Michael Jackson, Davina McCall, The Osbournes, Sir Elton John, Jonathan Ross (or "Woss"), Vernon Kay, Marilyn Manson, Will Young, Gareth Gates, Jordan or Jodie Marsh's tit, Harry Hill, Kat Slater and many more hilarious and gross celebrities. Guests have included: John Fashanu, EastEnders' Perry Fenwick, Jordan (Katie Price), Rod Stewart, Rachel Stevens, Kerry Katona (McFadden), the real Jonathan Ross, Drew Barrymore, Edith Bowman, Cameron Diaz, Beyoncé Knowles, Lucy Liu, the real Craig David, Neil Fox, the real Vernon Kay, Meat Loaf, the real Davina McCall, Dermot O'Leary, Emma Bunton, Kirsty Gallacher, Patsy Kensit, Peter Andre, Bob Mortimer, Melanie Brown (Mel B), Jamie Oliver, the real Osbournes (Ozzy, Jack, Kelly and Sharon) Mike Read, June Sarpong, Sean Pertwee, Jimmy Carr, Corrie's Samia Ghadie and Suranne Jones, Abi Titmuss, Jodie Marsh, Neil Ruddock and many, many more. It is sometimes disgusting, but still a hilarious entertainment sketch show. It was nominated the BAFTA for Comedy Programme or Series Award, and it was nominated the British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy. Many spin-offs and special have followed, including Ho Ho Ho Selecta! which was number 87 on The 100 Greatest Christmas Moments. Craig David on Tour was number 32 and Michael Jackson's Crib number 19 on The 50 Greatest Comedy Sketches, the programme was number 11 on The 100 Greatest Funny Moments, it has been on all 100 Greatest TV Treats programmes so far, and Avid Merrion was number 27 on The World's Greatest Comedy Characters. Outstanding!


I thought this movie was pretty good for the budget they had to work with. I live near where some of the movie was filmed. You know that scene in the beginning with the guy jumping over the fence? That was on my Uncle's property in Robertsdale. Some of the Cafe scenes were also filmed in Robertsdale at Mac and Jerry's. The filming people even left some of the props they brought in back of Mac and Jerry's. It's kind of weird living right down the road from where some of this movie was filmed. Hometown Legend is a decent, family friendly movie that deserves to be seen. All in all, I really enjoyed it, and am glad that I bought it.


Yes, we love our football way down in Alabama, and this movie does a decent job of showing that. It's about a high school football team in Alabama, and if you're actually from the South, you might enjoy it a little more than if you're not. It's kind of like being from New York might help you enjoy "Sex and the City" than if you're not.

There are tons of University of Alabama references, so if you just can't stand the mighty Crimson Tide, you might want to skip this one. The football coach quotes "Bear" Bryant, and the team wears crimson jerseys. Also, the winner of a big scholarship that the high school gives always uses it to attend Alabama.

"Legend" also has a strong Christian theme, but it's not overbearing. It's not like it's trying to convert you -- instead, it's just part of the movie, just like Christianity is a part of Southern towns.

Maybe my only minor nitpick is that the Southern accents don't ring true for every character in the movie. Some of the actors sound like they're trying hard to sound like they're from Alabama. Lacey Chabert's accent sounds true, but then again she's originally from Purvis, Miss. However, I'm from the South, so the accents stand out to me. If you're not Southern, you probably won't even notice or care about them.


I thought Hometown legend was a really great movie. Although it and the town were both fictional, it truly captures the feelings about football in Alabama. It is life. Every Friday night, the whole town supports their team at the high school football field, no matter how small that town is or how bad their team really is. It's a great thing.

I also thought the religion parts and especially Rachel's prayer in the beginning say it all. The two things in the South your mammas teach you to believe in are God and your high school football team. Everyone supports their team, and football is everything. The movie shows that wonderfully. It was a great movie, and really brings out the feeling of high school in a small town.

Yes, the accents were a little extreme and fake at some points,(maybe I just notice it because I grew up in Athens?) but for the most part I loved it. I think whether you are from the south, are never have been here, I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone.


This was a wonderful movie. Primarily due to Dorian Normand's wonderful performance as Snitch #2. My wife and I led an 8 week discussion group with some of our friends. There some heated battles resulting in several law suits and a divorce. However, everyone agreed on one thing: the plot followed the wrong hometown hero. Snitch #2's emotional growth receives almost no attention at all. He, of course, is instantly lovable, yet almost unknowable. Nonetheless, the year and a half I spent writing redrafts of the script in which Snitch #2 receives the recognition that he deserves was one of the best times of my life. No studios nor independent film makers were interested, but I felt like I had made a difference. I saw this movie in the afternoon. That evening I watched a performance of The Cherry Orchard with Peter O'Toole and Emma Thompson. I left at intermission.


This movie is one of my all time FAVORITE movies!!! It is great, the actors are very talented. And, you can watch it with anybody without worrying about being uncomfortable. It is a very wonderful plot, and I think you should watch it! It took me a few times to watch it and like it, but it was AMAZING!!! Jerry B. Jenkins really pulls you into this movie and makes it seem so real. The music matches it perfectly (Nickel Creek). It takes place in a small town and makes you feel happy to watch it. I give it a ten, but it deserves higher then that! Anyone who doesn't like this movie, well they have their opinions, but they will, eventually.


Since this film doesn't have huge studio promotion or A-list stars, you might be inclined to dismiss it. But this is a very entertaining film, with a surprisingly good look for a small-budget independent production. This football film has lots of solid action and avoids most of the usual cliches. It features solid performances by a mostly unknown cast. Nearly everything works -- the drama is dramatic, the comedy is funny. Do yourself a favor and give this film a chance.


Finally, we have people trying to make a difference in the entertainment industry!!! This movie was GREAT! I enjoyed not having to worry about what would be showing from scene to scene. Awesome plot, and the actors were great!!! This is the kind of film that I wouldn't mind seeing time and time, again!!! Thank you, Jenkins Entertainment, for producing a film that the whole family can see and enjoy!!!


Good Wholesome Family Fun-filled movie. I saw everyone from children to senior citizens in the theater. Laughing and applauding. Great music by the way. Great football scenes. Nice Chemistry between the coach and the assistant coach. some comments were that it started a little slow but after a third of the movie you got hooked and it only got better!


I was very impressed with the overall cleanliness of this film. Definitely something that the whole family can enjoy and nothing that a parent would have to cover anyone's eyes.

This is an example of good Christian film making that will show that Christians can make a quality film.

Their world view definitely comes out in this film. That view is hope!

Keep up the good work.

The film is up there in quality with Return of the Titans.

It's a story about redemption, faith, forgiveness, love and team!

Again, keep up the good work.

Executive produced by one of the authors of the Left Behind Series.


Received the DVD as a Christmas present, and only have one complaint (and it's not even the movie's fault) -- I wish the aspect ratio were widescreen. A movie as inspirational as this deserves that "big screen" look, especially for the numerous (and well shot) football sequences. Funny that the trailer appears to be widescreen. Hmmm.

Well acted, and believable, there were several touching moments in the various character's journeys. Lacey Chabert and Nick Cornish have a good on screen chemistry, while Terry O'Quinn is perfect as the perfectionist coach. I thought I could predict how everything would turn out. I was wrong -- and I love that in a movie!

Also nicely done: the background score. (Wish the audio was 5.1, but the Dolby Pro Logic was quite adequate). Dan Haseltine and Joe Hogue are to be congratulated on creating a nice "high school" feel during the many action sequences. The quiet scenes are are rendered nicely, reminding me of the excellent score from "Remember the Titans".

For it's sound focus on quality drama, moving moments, great sport shots and without trashy language, I highly recommend this film.


What great family fun, you must have crowded around the fire and watch this movie burn because that is the only thing this movie is good for. This movie was quite possibly the worst movie I have ever seen, hands down. They had almost every cliché in this movie that I have ever heard, the only time I laughed was when my friend told me it was a real movie and not a spoof. They really stole lines and themes from any teen movie over the past ten years worth mentioning. If you want examples I will be happy to give them, but not now because I really don't feel like it, there are too many to mention without being asked for it. But seriously how on Earth can you call this a good movie, and Michael Medved must be out of work by now because there is no way any decent movie reviewer would recommend this movie to anyone. The fact that this movie is even mentioned in the same breath as Hoosiers and Remember the Titans should be considered blasphemy and taken outside and beaten with the "bone" that apparently keeps rolling throughout the 108 minutes of pure hell. These actors and writers are total hacks and suck at life, I hope none of them work again in the movie business another day in their life. Did anyone else notice that they lost by 30 points in the state championship game? That wasn't heartwarming, it was pathetic, they got crushed. If you are still reading this I will be impressed. I can't believe that no one else has ripped into this movie the way it should have been ripped into. I am going to go take a dump and get more entertainment in that ten minutes then I got in 108 minutes from that train wreck of a movie. -Disgruntled Movie Goer

P.S. By the way the movie was 3 bucks at coconuts, the movie "Bronx Warriors: 2001" that was made in the 80's with a payroll the price of a bike costs 5 bucks. Think about that, and I hope you all get a bad rash.


It's wonderful to see family movies coming into the light recently. Jerry Jenkins has done an amazing job of producing a film that has all the elements that a big Hollywood film has. Hometown Legend will make you laugh, it will bring tears to your eyes, and you'll find yourself cheering! The actors were superb, especially the very talented Terry O'Quinn. Even though the storyline is not unique, Mr. Anderson has brought a fresh approach to the film. Hollywood has been forced to change their idea of entertainment recently, hopefully they will learn from Mr. Jenkins and produce more family oriented films.


I give this show 3 stars, because: 1 star.- It's the worst rating a show can get here.

2 stars.- It helped me to realize how intelligent, hardworking, respectful, thankful and proud I am.

3 stars.- Those girls, as stupid as they are, are SO FUNNY!! Those spoiled little brats get whatever they want just through crying, making they look miserable, crying, yelling swear words, crying, etc... I would say "poor parents", but it's their fault. No "poor parents" in this comment!

In some episode, this girl was SO UPSET because her mommy gave her as a gift, a FABULOUS car, three days before the girl's birthday. She got ridiculously mad, crazy and furious, calling her mom a stupid, "what's her f---ing problem?"- she said, I mean, "babbled".

Some random person Tina, I think her name was- posted that we, the ones that critic those kids, are jealous of 'em. Seriously, I don't feel jealous of kiddos with no respect for anything including them, no manners, no good-looks (do you think one of those children are at least decent-looking, SERIOUSLY???), no responsible parents, no true friends and the list goes on BUT they're SO FUNNY when they're all like "I'm the princess of whattheheckville" or "I'm the king of brainlessrichkidditown", like people REALLY gives a... care about 'em. Please. Their "friends" don't go to their parties to celebrate a sweet sixteen. They go because it's free, there's going to be delicious food and some hip hop star guy will perform there. I bet half of the guests don't know who the one turning sixteen is. I bet half of 'em doesn't know it IS a sweet sixteen party. Never mind. Even I would go to that party. And I would be one of the last mentioned.

Still, I watch the show because it's SO bratty that it keeps me entertained for some half hour. Does it make sense? Not for me, either. But it's true. I deal with it.

It's a funny show with funny kiddos and even funnier arguments -"I'm the perfect gal/guy, so my party has to be perfect". "I'm a princess/prince so my party has to be like royal". "I'm like, a cute hot kinda girl, like, my party like, has to be, LIKE like cute and hot".

When I was younger, I never thought that people like that spoiled red-haired girl from "The Power Puff Girls" were real. Boy, I was wrong.

Don't watch it if you are hard-working and humble, and don't like spoiled kiddies that think that everyone on Earth worships them. Watch it if you are hard-working and humble, and don't like spoiled kiddies that think that everyone on Earth worships them BUT you wouldn't mind laughing at the lack of brains on their brains.

Kisses and hugs.


This show is quite possibly the pits of hell for me. It follows spoilt, filthy rich, snobby and bratty 15 year old kids plan and execute their 'sweet 16' birthday party.

Im physically sickened by the way some of these kids treat their parents. They have no respect, no manners and are genuinely awful people, they symbolise everything that is wrong with the world. Clearly the parents need to beat the crap out of these kids to knock some sense into them, i would if they were mine.

It is awful programming, for the simple minded. People who enjoy this show must not have an education and they have to be the dumbest, thickest people on the planet. MTV today has brought some crap onto our screens like 'laguna beach,' 'the hills' and many others, but i think this is the icing on the cake...


if you want a review of modern American society, look no further than mtv. what they feature is utterly saddening (although i do have a weakness for, and do enjoy, jackass). but my super sweet sixteen is probably of one the worst. (ill get to the other mtv shows later.) to begin, we start at some rich girl's (or rarely, boy's) mansion and she's planning a massive sweet sixteen party where she gets anything she wants. a $50000 country club? check. a $500 dress? check. a $100000 audi? (and it better not be used) check. what's sad is, the parents have their hands tied. they don't seem to care that they could be well taking their estate into bankrupcy, just to please some stupid brat.

what is the lesson in all of this? first of all, mtv is full if hypocrites. i mean, how do they launch anti-drug and anti-smoking propaganda, when in their shows, they promote rudeness, debauchery, heavy drinking, lavish spending, materialism, etc? second, this program shows how parenting has changed over the last decade or so. gone are the days when parents were respected authority figures. now, especially with all these modern gadgets coming out, kids don't feel like they should earn anything and feel like they don't need to respect anything. and you can't even try to put some disciplined without being labeled old-fashioned, or even worse, be acussed of child abuse. and we complain why our beloved country is falling down in all senses of society. so sad.=-{ by the way, the 10 star rating, that's me just being sarcastic, before you all get all pissy at me.


What a frightening programme! This type of programme has got to signal the death throes of reality television (please, broadcasters, take the hint). One girl even gets her braces taken off her teeth for the occasion.

The phrase "more money than sense" leaps to mind - maybe it's more a case of "how the other half lives". Watching the TV over my sister's shoulder, I am seeing a teenage girl go into an "I'm going to look stupid in front of all my friends" mood just because the entertainment is cancelled. Because, in essence, this is what it's about - looking good in front of friends and outdoing them. I overhear one girl tell the camera "This is what Priscilla's party is going to be like. Mine will be better" - another is obsessed with making a good impression in front of her friends - why can't she just enjoy her birthday party? Gratitude to the parents for organisation and the funds for such overindulgence doesn't get a look in.

These silly kids, as someone else said, then throw tantrums at the slightest problem, so clearly they are not mature enough to handle such setbacks and probably haven't done enough in their lives to justify having such expense and attention being showered on them. This people truly must have more money than sense - when I was sixteen, my main occupation was keeping on top of my school work in preparation for my GCSEs, but these kids must be extremely lucky. School work doesn't even get a mention - obviously these people are wealthy enough that they don't have to care. (It wouldn't occur to them, for instance, that somewhere in the world, there are people living in the worst poverty imaginable, who would give anything for a fraction of the wealth spent on them. It wouldn't occur to them that there are 16 year olds waiting on tables or stacking supermarket shelves to make themselves a bit of spending money because their families are on the breadline. It wouldn't occur to them that there are people like me, trying to establish their own businesses, who go to local craft fairs selling home-made lavender bags and greetings cards who can come home with as little as £7.50 in earnings on a bad day. They live in another world entirely.) I don't know whether the parents of these girls are being walked all over in their children's quest to hire rappers and MCs and goodness knows what else as entertainment for what is basically a birthday party, whether they are knowingly overindulging their spoilt offspring or whether it is just that they are so rich that the expense of this kind of event is a drop in the ocean. Either way, it is scary beyond belief.


It used to be during the infancy of MTV that it meant a revolution for angry young teenagers. You sit back and watch Nirvana videos all day long. Now, I can trash talk this network until the cows come home.

For those of you who are not familiar with "My Super Sweet 16," count your blessings. Here's the premise of the show: Some rich spoiled brat, whose parents are probably investment bankers who don't pay taxes, gets a super expensive and extravagant 16th birthday party. In this show you get to see what a prima donna he or she is. The parents will buy them luxury cars, Rolex watches, and have big celebrates perform at this event, and the teenager will go insane at the slightest infraction. I don't watch this show, because I actually have a significant IQ, but I've heard about some of the episodes on my local radio station.

You see, these kids are the ones born with a silver spoon and eat fillet mignon and caviar whilst I'm stuck with leftover Pizza Hut. They were born spoiled and don't have to work, because their parents give them money and subject themselves to their demands. These kids will get a Lexus for the birthday and have a major temper tantrum if it's god forbid, the wrong color and what do the parents do? Return it to the dealer and buy the right color.

This show is extremely insulting to people like me who did not come from money and actually had to work bottom-feeder jobs in order to earn money to buy a car. I bet these kids never worked a day in their life. When I was 16, I was doing physical labor that was actually dangerous, and I didn't get paid a fair salary and my parents didn't give out money to me like M&Ms. I would really love to see these kids do the kind of labor I was doing at that age. It presents these spoiled rich kids in an almost loving matter making its audience believe that there are no poor kids. To add salt in my wounds, people actually gobble this stuff up, albeit usually preteen girls who have nothing better to do than watch this and blog about how great the last party was on their myspace pages. If you have any shred of decency in your character, do not watch this show, or let your teenagers watch it.


The best way to sum up My Super Sweet 16 is this. A bunch of spoiled rotten girls from rich families are given insanely huge and expensive birthday parties for their 16th birthday parties. 9 out of 10 times usually end with the girls whining or complaining about some minor detail and otherwise acting like total bitches.

This show is in a long line of shows from MTV and VH1 that truly shows just how horrible reality series are. Even if The Real World is a terrible series, at least it's more entertaining than this trash of slutty girls and their parties.

Do a favor to yourself and don't watch this series. If you do, go to a hypnotist to forget about it.


I have heard about this show for a while and one day, I decided to watch some episodes of My Super Sweet 16. It's a pretty interesting concept for a reality show. I am turning 16 in four weeks and it's intriguing what types of parties these rich girls/boys have. Speaking of gender, why are there episodes about a guy having have a Sweet 16 or whatever? Last time I've checked, none of my brothers had ever had a 'Sweet 16' or whatever the hell these boys have. They just had a family party and cake. I consider myself pretty lucky that my parents can afford to throw me a Sweet 16 party. I don't care if it doesn't have celebrities or if I don't get a car, as long as I have a decent party. The only thing that bugs me about this shows, is that these kids are so bratty and ungrateful for the things they've got. I cannot even believe that there are people out there who are like this. Okay, fine, I'm lazy as hell at home and I ask my parents for money and I don't have a job yet. However, I appreciate a lot of things my parents do for me and I happen to get good grades in school. My least favorite episode is with the two Indian girls. The younger one needed a huge slap on the face...taking away an invite for 'touching a divine human being? Please.

But otherwise, it's an pretty entertaining show and I can't wait to see Exiled.


What the hell is that show..This is basically what American teenagers looks like...This how MTV portrays them..wow... Laguna Beach does the same thing...All spoiled teenagers which the prize of the things they own is sometimes mistaken for their phone numbers!...They look like those women that freaks out on their wedding day!..You know the TV show..They don't know how fortunate they are and They dare to complain...i live in Canada and to me that is a culture shock If this how teen girls are......well...they would feel like living in a Survivor in Canada...we are not poor..not at all...But come on...this is ridiculous and even pitiful...poor parents...

Its probably the worst TV reality show ever!


Disputing the world title of chess, sit down in chairs opposite two soviets. However, none of the two is Russian: one of them, the champion, is Jewish. The other, the challenger, is a Lithuanian, political exile that is refugee in another country. This game will be a mirror of the Cold War: each movement is dangerous, each play is strategically important. Who is the best? The communist Jew, obedient to the Soviet state, or the Lithuanian traitor, enemy of the proletarian revolution? A beautiful end, where the game in itself has, for both, a larger importance than the world title and they consequences. A good film, with reasonable tension, great representative of the rare Swiss movies.


I saw this film when it came out in 1984, and since then, have been unable to forget it. I have been looking for it everywhere, from shops to the Internet without success. It seemed to have disappeared from the surface of the Earth. Finally, ARTE, a French/German TV channel, decided to broadcast it two months ago...and of course, I recorded it. It is based around a very simple storyline. A chess match. The two main players in the world. Both russians. Two generations fighting against each other, and also two visions of the world. The oldest generation who stayed and endured the last 50 years of Russian history. The younger one who left, but not unscathed. For them, only one thing matters : Chess, but for the outside world, and their entourage, many other things come into account: propaganda, money etc... From the actors to the plot, I cannot find any default with it. It is soberly and superbly played by Michel Piccoli (it is probably the only film where I really liked him) and the whole cast is a marvel. To be seen absolutely !!!


This cartoon is another "my old (fill in the blank) can beat your new (fill in the blank)" plot, in the vein of John Henry versus the mechanical drill. Because I want to discuss some of the details of this short, this is a spoiler warning:

This is an interesting little short, though there's very little that's all that special, save for Frank Tashlin using some tricks usually reserved for live-action film rather than cartoons. This is about a race, between Porky and a bully, with Porky using an old, broken-down old engine on its last wheels against a modern locomotive. As Porky is the hero in this picture, it's fairly apparent who will win in the end, but the gags make an obvious trip a fun and scenic journey.

Along the way, there are quite a few sight gags, including one which kept the short from being seen in its entirety for quite a while. A bull has a strong supporting role in a couple of scenes and has a hand (or rather, a couple of horns) in the final outcome of the race.

This short is available on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 4 and is well worth seeing. Recommended.


This is a very good cartoon that I intend to watch many times more in the future, but for now I will publish these modest comments based on my experience of having seen it only once. What strikes me as shocking about 'Porky's Railroad' is its absolutely -- even brutally, I should say -- honest depiction of the soul of man under capitalism -- to paraphrase the title of that famous book by Oscar Wilde -- which I unfortunately have not read yet. The first shot establishes the state-of-the-art in trains -- one that would look modern even by today's standards. Then, the film switches to Porky's obsolete -- and barely functional -- model. It is interesting then how the film establishes Porky's character as sentimentally attached to his old train, but not anti-technology at all: for him, machines have precedence over animals. The race that ensues is the necessary conflict that precedes the shocking -- and of an unbridled cynicism -- ending that carries to the last consequences the truism that sentimentality has no place in a technological capitalist society -- Porky wins the race but is not allowed to keep his train; instead he is promoted to machinist of the new one, and is soon bursting with joy. Obsolescence happens to trains as well as to people -- the old machinist goes to the 'garbage can' just as Porky's old train.


One of the many cartoons from the days when Porky Pig was the top Warner Bros. cartoon star - though Daffy Duck would soon overtake him - "Porky's Railroad" looks to me like a parable of many American's hopes during the Depression. We see how Porky is the simple little guy with his ordinary train going about things as he's always done, but he gets replaced by a big guy, much like how the banks foreclosed on many people's homes during those years. So, Porky's only hope is to race the big galoot: he's the underdog against seemingly improbable odds.

Of course, I just might be reading too far into this cartoon. I don't know what specifically director Frank Tashlin wanted to say here; he may have just intended it as a way to pass time. Whatever the gist is, it's still a pretty enjoyable cartoon. Not their best by any stretch, but worth seeing.


Frank Tashlin's 'Porky's Railroad' is one of the lesser black and white Porky Pig cartoons. Tashlin directed many of the finest of these early Porkys but sometimes the script would let him down. This is very much the case in the interminably dull 'Porky's Railroad', although Tashlin makes a few odd choices himself. The cartoon opens with a lot of on screen captions and Tashlin accompanies them with some weird use of slow-motion. There follows a string of crummy gags (broken up by a rather lovely aerial view sequence) before the main storyline kicks in, with Porky taking part in a race with a more powerful train. This feeble plot, despite a surprisingly sad ending, throws up few moments of interest and, despite some unusual camera angles and a gallant attempt to inject some pace, Tashlin never manages to make 'Porky's Railroad' come to life. The result is a pedestrian pig picture, one of several lacklustre cartoons with the generic title 'Porky's...fill in occupation'!


I enjoyed this movie! The Zenon series is very cute, with exciting events in each one. This Zenon Z3 was my favorite. The cast was very good, with Zenon pulling off another excellent performance. Margie and Cassie were good. It was fun for Raven to make a special appearance.

The new Proto Zoa was FABULOUS! He was entertaining and performed well. Cosmic Blush gave an excellent performance and had a great voice.

The new character, Dasha, was very cute. I thought she was energetic and made the movie entertaining. She brought youth back to the movie series for younger kids that enjoy DisneyChannel. She did a great job for her first performance!


Zenon is back, only this time with a new upcoming star, Alyson Morgan (Dasha). Being an average person that enjoys shows that are made for families, I must say the Zenon movies are very enjoyable to watch. One of the best parts of this movie was the intro to Dasha. Dasha being played as a 10 year old, really should have been closer to 12, played the part excellent. She had the "popping and bounce" as the Zenon in the first movie. So it went hand in hand. The movie as a whole had me dreaming of being young again. While watching the movie, you can tell the actors/actresses really enjoy their acting. This is a non-stop comedy and action packed movie that I highly recommend to any family. Just my 2 cents worth.


I am a big fan of the first movie - "Zenon girl of the 21-st century", and after watching the first sequel I thought to myself that they ruined the whole story and the illusion, I saw this movie because there was nothing else to see on TV, and I'm glad I did, because this movie brought back my admiration to this story. The character of Dasha is great, and really adds to the movie... The best thing of the 3 movies is the special futuristic language. My favorite line is "Vega Omega", as you can tell, and "Stellar". The producers of this movie are geniuses. They have managed to create a perfect futuristic world, very similar to our world nowadays, but still with the cool outfits and language. May there be more movies like this one...


The first Zenon was novel and cute, and had meaningful plot line with quirky characters and a happy, Disney ending. The second wasn't nearly as good, with a less original plot and more attention spent on special effects (the aliens) than plot details. After the second Zenon, I never planned on having to sit through another disappointing remake on an originally perky and fun theme.

Sequels CAN be good, as Toy Story 2 showed us. However, each movie in the Zenon series has gotten progressively worse. Z3 has yet another unimaginative plot, with insignificant details and more flashy outfits and scenes than characters. There are only seven characters of even remote significance, and the plot would have been no different if it were compressed to three. The only reason Aunt Judy, Commander Plank, or Proto Zoa, three crucial characters in Z1, were inserted was for the "remembrance factor." Zenon's parents, who were also critical to the plot of Z1, are not even mentioned. Even Nebula, Zenon's best friend, appears less times than can be counted on one hand. The changing of actors for the same character which was sad and very noticeable in Z2 has happened in Z3, with a new Proto Zoa.

The storyline of Z3 leaves much to be desired as well. The plot of Z3 is frighteningly similar to Z2, with some kind of weird force trying to contact Zenon. This time, though, there is no explanation as to why the force is calling her in particular, or even what the force really is and how it has the power to do what it does. In addition, the villain of this movie is not nearly as sinister as Wyndom, having no clear motive or even an immediate effect on Zenon herself-- yet Zenon willingly takes on trying to foil his scheme.

The issue of the character Bronley also completely defeats me. It's obvious from the beginning he's going to end up as someone's love interest. However, his real role in the movie is nonexistent. When we first really get a glimpse of the character, he turns out to be an enemy of Zenon, and you begin to think that maybe there's some kind of hidden alliance between him and the real villain. But don't get your hopes up.

I could continue, but it isn't even worth it for such a disappointment of a movie. Watch the original Zenon, but don't even bother with either of the sequels.


I never realized that tonight must have been the premiere of this. So how does this 3rd installment, 5 years after the original fares up.

To me, it has taken a downward spiral.. The original movie was fun in a witty way. This one degenerates quickly to a love teeny story with some rather weak made for the film music. The whole movie feels like an episode taken out of some series than a stand alone movie. The cast has been exaggerated badly and they are simply trying too hard. Camera wise, it also feel like a series. There is no depth, no angles.. just straight shifting of the views. The gadgets they use are annoying. Disney never really progressed the idea at all. However, unlike the 2nd one, this is a wild shot and i hope the last of Zenon.

3/10

Because they really failed with this one. Watch a rerun of the original (which you notice they never air so you cannot compare how bad the other 2 really are!).


Believe it or not, as of 1911, this was probably the most in-depth and longest Shakespeare movie made! However, this STILL is way too short for any of his plays (even the really bad ones--take that Shakepeare snobs!) and there is no way this film COULD have done the Bard justice even if it had better production values--22 minutes is like trying to sum up the Bible in a half an hour! For 1911, the sets are pretty good and the length of the film would have made it a full-length film--as most movies were significantly shorter. Plus, if you had a general idea what the play was about, you could follow along well enough. However, if you are NOT familiar with the play or history (which, by the way, is a lot different than the way Shakespeare portrayed it), then watch this AFTER you read the Cliff Notes--or better yet, see the TV series BLACK ADDER I! Otherwise, you'll probably get lost and have no idea what's happening.


This movie captures the raw Gleason to the point of dislike; however, movie reflects that he was a driven man who knew what the audience wanted...frankly, by their reactions to prior performances. Brad Garrett captures this well and Michael Chieffo is an excellent Art Carney (who should play Carney in his own movie as the man is that convincing.)

When viewing this film pay close attention to the earlier years when Gleason is a boy and the expressions used by his father around the house and in treating his mother. Gleason eventually turns what would be deemed as closet skeletons into humor. Nicely done!


Garrett did a fine job recreating Gleason, including his voice -- although his one attempt at singing as Gleason missed the mark. As biopics go, this one was well shot, but loses points for it's chaotic structure (with far too many jarring flashbacks), key storyline omissions and factual errors. Among the omissions: Gleason's film work (all the way back to the '40s and on to the year before his death), his first TV sitcom ("The Life Of Riley" was a 1949-50 Emmy winner!) and what happened to him between 1956 (when the last non-interview scene supposedly takes place) and his death 30 years later (!). Among the goofs: the wrong cue music (his most-used TV theme was also a hit single for him in 1953, "Melancholy Serenade"; after introducing his variety shows, Jackie'd leave the stage to the strains of "That's A-Plenty", etc.) I was surprised to discover halfway through the film that he was still working the more-or-less small-time; too much screen time was devoted to his early years, which could have been greatly condensed. I also agree with another reviewer that the comedy monologues were uniformly terrible; one wonders why ANY of the audiences shown were laughing at all (except during the "Honeymooners" sequences). It's unfortunate that the producers chose to present Gleason in such a relentlessly negative light. Maybe their view was, "Hey, he's dead. He can't answer back and defend himself. He's from another era than we are so who cares? Let's just trash him." Gleason wouldn't have had the career he did is he was really so hopelessly bad and untalented. If he did have any redeeming qualities, the writers of this film chose to leave them out.


Brad Garrett was outstanding in portraying Gleason, and the director did an expert job in avoiding distractions which would have occurred if his 6'8"+ height had been shown in its true proportion to other cast members.

Jack Benny was noted as perhaps Hollywood's biggest tipper. Vincent Price and Edward G. Robinson were noted art collectors and connoisseurs, not just among entertainment persons, but the entire nation.

There seems often to be a tendency for famous entertainers to possess different personas in real life, and in instances like the above, even to emphasize them when in contrast to either more negative, or less attractive, characterizations in their roles.

Many comedians have also been reputed or shown to be somewhat different in "real life." Certainly one can understand their not wanting to be funny or "on" all the time in their personal lives, and undoubtedly they tire of people often expecting them to be.

But many are simply different from the humorous presences in their performances. Arthur Godfrey, and even Will Rogers, were far from the warm figures they portrayed on-air, on-screen or other professional venues. Jerry Lewis, Johnny Carson and many others have had a sharper edge in private/offstage.

This storyline believably portrayed Jackie Gleason's dominating, egocentric, hard-edged sides, as well as the insecurities he always carried from a childhood far from affluent or very happy.

One might wish the film had included a bit more regarding his movie work, but that aside, it captured not only the Gleason character, but also the flavor of the periods in the past as his success grew to its mammoth proportion..

Since these films don't possess the budgets of Hollywood big-screen offerings, even where well-presented, they can fall short in authenticity and details, like conveying scenes occurring in past times, foreign locales, and the like. But this flick captures the feel of the era portrayed excellently.

Along with Garrett's, all the supporting characters were well-cast, with superior performances


WARNING: My brief comment on this film may contain a spoiler, so please don't read if you don't want your curiosity to be ruined.

This made-for-TV movie about The Great One was brilliantly done, but I felt that whoever cast Brad Garrett (of "Everybody Loves Raymond" fame) in the role of Jackie Gleason made a poor choice. In my opinion, John Goodman should've been picked for this particular role because he definitely had Gleason's build and look. Don't get me wrong--Garrett did a good job, but Goodman would've carried that role VERY far.

This movie covered Gleason's childhood years in a broken home, his stand-up comedy career, his marriage and his various infidelities, as well as his early days in television up until the time of "The Honeymooners"; but what the film didn't cover (but should have) was his later life beyond "The Honeymooners" and his major Hollywood works, from the tearjerker "Gigot" (one of my all-time favorite films) to the hilarious "Smokey and the Bandit" movies.

This film would have merited a rating a ten from me, but I gave it a seven because of the casting choice of Brad Garrett and the film's failure to show us the complete career of Jackie Gleason, who will always be The Great One in the hearts of his many fans.


One chapter of the conquista - the subjugation of the Native American peoples by Europeans. We follow Alvaro Nunez Cabeza de Vaca's adventures and misadventures in the New World from a crash landing of his ship through his saving and capture by the Indians, his forced immersion into the Indian culture, his almost mystical pilgrimage from Florida through the American Southwest to California (or was it Mexico?), up to the bitter end at the hands of his European compatriots. Spectacular visuals lend the film the power of myth, but this is still more realistic depiction of the tragic clash of the cultures in the 16th century America than all the Hollywood productions, including Roland Joffe's "The Mission (1986)" (which, by the way, I do like). The only feature film with this topic that I consider equal, or perhaps even superior, is "Jerico (1988)" made by a Venezuelan ethnography professor Luis Alberto Lamata.


Utterly fascinating movie that doesn't go for the Hollywood ending (ala "Dances with Wolves"). Purportedly from the diaries of Cabeza de Vaca, a treasurer for Charles the Fifth of Spain, the film goes from the brutal realism of war to a mystical tour of Indian life to the sad reality of Spanish conquest. This film is a must-see.