Megamind (Two-Disc Blu-ray 3D/DVD Combo)

What happens when the supervillain unexpectedly wins?
Megamind is something of a mix, but a good one. On the one hand, it takes the existing traditional tropes of comic-book superhero and supervillain and works within them, but at the same time it ventures into territory that one rarely sees, going one step beyond the traditional to answer two questions: (1) What really makes a supervillain truly 'bad'? and (2) What happens when the supervillain unexpectedly wins?

The film starts off with a traditional hook - Megamind apparently falling to his doom - and then flashes back to the beginning, with the origins of the two classic protagonists, superhero Metro Man and supervillain Megamind, each sent out as an infant in a spacepod from their respective doomed homeworlds. From there, however, things begin to take a twist. Megamind is the supervillain, but more from bad luck than anything else (Metro Man's pod lands in a mansion where he is adopted by rich parents who give him everything, Megamind's pod on the other hand lands in a...

3D Review by a 3D Connoisseur
My ratings are based mainly on the QUALITY OF THE 3D, not the video content.

There are about 173 out of screen effects that extend about 10% of the way, from the screen to the viewer. 22 made it to 15%, 19 out to 20%, 36 more at 25% and 2, 30-35%. That's a lot of OOS effects. In addition there are quite a few quick 25-40% effects piled near the title scenes but the 3D in them is a somewhat flawed. However, very few 3D flaws elsewhere in this film. I would have to say my favorite effect is the baby juggling / drooling sequence around 30% approximately 10 minutes into the film.

This movie earned a 4 way tie for the # 2 position on my shelf. For 3D quality and humor, it ranks right up there with the 3 other animated greats, Open Season, Rio and Ice Age.

*** Another Must see ***
*** Add it to your list ***

MY 3D RATING = EXCELLENT (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent)

Note: As far as the percentages go, everyone's eyes...

A complex plot with an exciting ending...
"Megamind" is the story of good vs. evil - or is it? The movie starts out with a very cute blue baby being sent to earth in a rocket by his parents to save the infant from the destruction of the planet. As the little blue child is rocketing toward earth, a another child (who is very handsome) is also heading toward earth in a similar rocket. Both children crash land on earth, but to different fates. The beautiful child crash lands on a big estate where he is adopted by a rich family and given everything. While the little blue child crash lands in a prison and is adopted by the prisoners who teach him the ways of evil. Both children are highly intelligent, but due to their circumstances, one grows up to be a superhero -Metroman (voiced by Brad Pitt) and the other a supervillain - Megamind (voiced by Will Ferrell).

Metroman and Megamind spend their lives locked in the classic battle of good vs. evil with Megamind always losing and ending up in jail. Until one day, Megamind's...

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The Good Wife: The Second Season

No sophomore slump here--a fantastic Season 2 for a top-notch legal drama!
WARNING: This review contains spoilers for Season 1. If you have not watched it, please don't read this review.

This DVD set is for Season 2 of the award-winning legal drama, The Good Wife, starring Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick, the "good wife" of the title of the series. I'll try not to repeat myself too much from the review I previously posted on Amazon for Season 1 which is located here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RBHXRDL3D0W5C/ref=cm_cr_dp_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B003FSTN52&nodeID=130&tag=&linkCode=#wasThisHelpful.

A summary of the main events of Season 1 are as follows: Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) is publicly humiliated as the "good wife" of a cheating politician, Peter Florrick (Chris Noth). What makes it even worse for Alicia's situation is the fact that for years she sacrificed her own legal career on behalf of her disloyal husband. Soon after Peter's relationship with a hooker is exposed to the world and he resigns in disgrace, he is thrown...

If this tv show was a novel..... it would be a real page turner
The exquisitely written and stunningly executed CBS drama "The Good Wife" (created by Michelle King and Robert King) airs here in Australia on Network TEN, and I love it!!!! Season One certainly set the tone for what was to come in Season Two with just the right texture of family and legal drama. But it is the intrigue of intra-office politics taking center stage in Season Two which takes the viewer captive, and leaves you with a thirst for what is to come in the next episode. If this tv show was a novel..... it would be a real page turner. I highly, highly, highly recommend it. And I look forward to the DVD!!!!

Even Better Than First Season
This has become one of my top ten shows on tv. I look forward to it every week. The drama has been greatly enhanced by several developments in the plot and characterization.

First, Michael J. Fox has been added to the cast. He doesn't have a big role but when he is on, he is great. He is a lawyer who will do anything to win his case, including using his significant physical disabilities in order to win the jury's sympathy and understanding. He tries to lure Alicia into his firm and I can see that becoming a real viability for season three. One thing he can do is an incredible job at winning his case during the day and then putting it away at night when he turns to his long term marriage and family. This no other character on the show can manage to achieve, especially Alicia.

Alicia's husband has been kind of the bad guy throughout whereas her old boyfriend, now law boss, has been seen as the good guy. These lines have been considerably blurred this season...

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Paganini's Daemon: Most Enduring Legend

A Dandy Daemon
Paganini's Daemon - Allegro Films

In a very well written and carefully researched documentary/bio, Christopher Nupen explores the legendary life of Niccolo Paganini, arguably the first international musical superstar. Included with the gossip and commentary of his contemporaries are reviews (good and bad) from a variety of sources and a generous sampling of Paganini's music, ably performed by Gidon Kremer, John Williams and a Swiss/Italian orchestra and chorus.
Alternately dishy and academic, this program was part of a series of composer documentaries (others include Schubert and Tchaikovsky) undertaken by Mr. Nupen; if the others are anywhere nearly as well done as "Paganini's Daemon", then they likewise belong on a `must see' list. While we're at it, someone might send a copy to the people at the Biography Channel, just to give them an idea of how it should be done.

Oscar O. Veterano

Very Informative. But could be more interesting.
Generally it is a good DVD with extensive materials.
However, the way to organize those materials is not interesting enough--most of the materials are quatations by prominent people, drawings, paintings, plus the narration. Though there are scenes of violin playing (almost only by Kremer, and only the violin or part of the violin is shown), the scenes are not exciting and celebrating. As a result, watching this DVD is like reading a book.
I think the author might have used more intersting ways to present the history, such as scenes of actors' imitating the historical activities, scenes of violin playing by more different violinists, as used in some successful documentary DVDs,

Daemon
Outstanding documentary. Very rare to find it on a DVD. Buy it at any price. Even though it is on Region 1.

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How to Make It in America: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]

"The secret is not to get rich quick -- the secret is to get rich slow."
Starting your own business is risky, painful and full of stumbles. And that's what How To Make It In America is all about -- a clever little dramedy about three different businesses that are trying to get off the ground, and the highs and lows they encounter along the way. It's a little quirky, gritty, and riddled with romantic problems.

Mild-mannered Ben Epstein (Bryan Greenberg) and his street-smart buddy Cam Calderon (Victor Rasuk) decide to start a denim clothing line called Crisp, but run into a bunch of problems -- they have little money, one investor, no business plan and a disastrous sample. Even as their dreams seem to crash and burn, they discover a new business road has just opened up -- if they can keep their hands on the merchandise.

In the meantime, Ben's ex-girlfriend Rachel (Lake Bell) has a wealthy new boyfriend named Darren, which might be good for her designing agency --...

Amazing
I didn't even know this show existed until HBO re-ran the entire series a few months ago.

All I can say is 'Wow'. I was a big fan of 'The Sopranos' until it ended. But "How to make it in america" has gotten me hooked more than the Sopranos ever did.

The cool thing about this show - for me - is that I can relate to it. The desperate search for *some* way to make it big, the tumbles the characters take, the questionable paths they take...

I'm told this show comes from the director of "Entourage". However, Entourage never appealed much to me - for the simple reason that it is all about Hollywood. But I live in the real world.

You can see similarities shared between the two shows. They both follow a small group of young guys, as they try to make it big. In Entourage, they make it in Hollywood; in "How to make it in America", they make it in the gritty neighborhoods of NYC.

This show is a must-see if (i) you've struggled for any length...

MASTERPIECE
MASTERPIECE (AS MOST HBO SERIES ARE). The series as well as the product itself are awesome. 5 Stars!!! You should buy this product and enjoy this great series.

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Inspector Morse Set Two: Last Seen Wearing

Excellent plot line and fine acting....
LAST SEEN WEARING was one of the first dramatizations of the BBC/PBS series of 33 episodes based on the character of Endeavor Morse, Detective Chief Inspector of the Thames Valley Police Department--serving the city of Oxford in England. LSW is actually based on one of the 13 books Dexter wrote, and contains a clever and complex plot. I think I'm fairly intelligent, and I read many mysteries, but I will say, I was baffled by this story. I read the book first, and recommend you do too.

The storyline is this--a young girl who is a day student at a private girl's school fails to come home one day. The police are called in to find the girl. Six months later, the girl is still missing and Morse is put on the case. He tells Sargeant Lewis, "She's dead." "Why do you say that Sir?" says Lewis. Morse replies, "Because I'm the three-file man. They bring me in when there are three files, and when there are three files, someone's gone missing too long." So the...

Episode Synopsis of Fantastic Mystery Series from across the pond!
This is Set Two of eleven "Inspector Morse" Sets. Each Set has three episodes/discs. Don't confuse these eleven "Sets" with the previously issued (but still available) "Collection Sets". Each of the six "Collection Sets" cost more, as each has more episodes/discs than these Sets.

This Set has three episodes, all from Series 2 (what we call seasons in the U.S.). They originally aired December 1987 and March 1988 in this same order. The British Series 2 series included one more episode, "Last Bus to Woodstock", which has been moved to the next Set Three of these Inspector Morse DVD sets.

In "The Story of Morse" a 50 minute documentary about Inspector Morse, Colin Dexter says this: "If you're going to write right about forensics and pathology and ballistics and so on, obviously you've got to know your onion. But I know nothing. Absolutely nothing about that. And if you write who-done-its, in other words, the central idea of the author is to dangle half a dozen...

The Usual Suspects, Or Not
The 1980s don't look too awful in Oxford, England, just grainy, something that seems to be an issue with several early Morse episodes. At least polyester and big hair made few inroads, low-tides of fashion simply didn't wash up on Oxford's rarified shoreline. This collection features three mysteries that don't rate the usual 5 stars, because they don't represent the overall Morse oeuvre well, and the filming is utterly dreadful. The experimental shots are claustrophobic, with pretentious mirror images and narrow, sloping filming that make it feel like you're viewing the story through a drunk shoebox. Thankfully, by Set Three, everything is level and excellent again, allowing Morse to stew in his own juices, not those of a pickled lens. When you sail to the far shore, after viewing Set 1 - 11, I strongly recommend continuing your journey with the erudite and clever Complete Inspector Lewis. The dynamics between...

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