DVD Verdict reviews: THE NOTEBOOK, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, and more!

Today, DVD Verdict posted reviews of AWAKE: THE BEST OF LIVE (DELUXE
VERSION CD/DVD), THE GRUDGE, IVANHOE, THE KARATE KID COLLECTION, LEON:
THE PROFESSIONAL: DELUXE EDITION, THE LETTER, THE NOTEBOOK, PARIS,
TEXAS, RODNEY DANGERFIELD: NO RESPECT: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, and SKY
CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW:


AWAKE: THE BEST OF LIVE (DELUXE VERSION CD/DVD) (reviewed by Rob
Lineberger, overall score 93/100):
"I could have said 'Live's music is catchy' and left it at that. But it
is deeply stirring in the same way that Smashing Pumpkins, Led Zeppelin,
or any other self-aware rock artist can be. Live is from the heart, and
they pound out their rhythms with a sincerity born of personal truth."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/bestoflive.php

THE GRUDGE (reviewed by Patrick Naugle, overall score 70/100):
"At one point a female ghost crawls along the ceiling, her black hair
expanding in a swarm of evil, and all I could think was, 'gee, that
looks a lot like icky spaghetti.' I may not have a masters degree, but I
know enough to realize when you're watching a horror movie you don't
want to be reminded of last night's pasta dish."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/thegrudge.php

IVANHOE (reviewed by Erick Harper, overall score 79/100):
"Known as 'the man with the perfect profile,' Taylor certainly looks the
part, but plays the role with an overdose of dignity and solemnity. He
lacks the adventurousness of others known for similar roles, e.g. Errol
Flynn or Tyrone Power, appearing stuffy, staid, and stoic by comparison.
His Ivanhoe has no spark, no passion, no sense of the rightness or
justice of his quest; it would appear that Taylor simply has no relish
for the role. Even in what are supposed to be quiet, intimate scenes
opposite Fontaine's Rowena he proves unable to muster any more warmth or
tenderness than a man deciding whether to order the steak or the fish."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/ivanhoe.php

THE KARATE KID COLLECTION (reviewed by David Johnson, overall
score 85/100):
"According to The Karate Kid II, Miyagi has been in the United States
since the age of 18. Hey, the guy is lovable and all, but you would
think he'd be able to move away from referring to himself in the third
person after the first few years."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/karatekidcoll.php

LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL: DELUXE EDITION (reviewed by Joel Pearce, overall
score 87/100):
"The special features on this version of Leon: The Professional aren't
enough to make it a worthwhile upgrade from either of the previous
versions of the International Version. If you have yet to pick up the
film on DVD, though, this is the way to go."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/leondeluxe.php

THE LETTER (reviewed by Jesse Ataide, overall score 90/100):
"As she does in all her best films, Davis plays hardball with any man
who dares cross her path, and her intensity makes it clear that without
the influence of the Hollywood Production Code (which demanded that all
on-screen sinners receive their just rewards by the end of the film) she
could have easily managed to get away with anything she wanted to -- and
then some."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/theletter.php

THE NOTEBOOK (reviewed by Patrick Naugle, overall score 92/100):
"The Notebook is like a training film for those who want to make a
tearjerker; no cliche stone is left unturned -- the film is so syrupy it
could be melted down and used as high fructose corn syrup in bottles of
soda. And yet, and yet...the movie captured me."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/thenotebook.php

PARIS, TEXAS (reviewed by Paul Corupe, overall score 97/100):
"A true intersection of Shepard's story of human alienation with
Wenders's almost poetic vision of American physical and cultural
landscape, the film is a wonderfully bittersweet story of hope that
avoids the trappings of self-indulgent quirkiness and overwrought
Hollywood sentimentality. This is cinema stripped to its barest form --
just a simple, straightforward story, brought to the screen with
exceptional skill."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/paristexas.php

RODNEY DANGERFIELD: NO RESPECT: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION (reviewed by
Bill Gibron, overall score 84/100):
"He was the last of the traditional gag tellers, standing bug-eyed
before an audience, mixing pathos with pain to create a truly
captivating and hilarious caricature. When he was on, he was
magnificent. When he was off, he was still sensational."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/rodneydangerfield.php

SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW (reviewed by Patrick Naugle,
overall score 95/100):
"Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is like a lot of things you've
seen before, only done in a fresh new way that makes you think it's
something completely original."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/skycaptain.php

Mike Jackson
Editor & Webmaster, DVD Verdict
www.dvdverdict.com