Captain Blood

Captain Blood (1935) starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Lionel Atwill, Basil Rathbone. Flynn's first Hollywood film made him an instant star, and he was cast as a swashbuckler for many movies after this one. In Captain Blood, Flynn plays an English doctor named Peter Blood who is imprisoned for giving medical treatment to a rebel in 1685, and later sentenced to go to Jamaica as a slave. Needless to say, he doesn't stay a slave long, and after a time he escapes and takes over a Spanish ship, which he turns into a pirate vessel. Captain Blood soon becomes a famous and dreaded pirate, and his adventures continue from there. De Havilland is lovely as his young romantic interest, and Atwill and Rathbone are effective as villains and rogues. It is an entertaining movie to watch, even though it dates back to 1935 and is in black and white. (Subtitles in English are available for the hearing-impaired.) Grade: B+ 

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom. The Hobbit Bilbo Baggins and his company of dwarves journey through Middle Earth, through Mirkwood and through wood-elves territory, to the dwarves ancestral mountain -- under which dwells the dragon Smaug. It is there that Bilbo -- the "burglar" of the company -- is designated to steal the Arkenstone, which will enable the dwarves to re-establish their kingdom under the mountain. The movie is the second in a planned trilogy, and thus all the stories are left in suspension at the end. In that way it is unsatisfying to watch, but in every other way it is superb. The film was shot in New Zealand, and the unspoiled landscapes make a beautiful backdrop for the story as dwarves and hobbit are pursued by a relentless (but not too bright) band of filthy Orcs on their journey to the Lonely Mountain. It's a propulsive tale with scarcely a quiet moment. Although it is two hours and 40 minutes long, it does not seem overlong, and it is difficult to find a flaw in this story based on the J.R.R. Tolkien book. (English subtitles for the hearing-impaired are available on the disc.) Grade: A- 

The Adventures of Robin Hood

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Claude Rains, Basil Rathbone. The classic movie has all the Robin Hood stories you'll remember, unless you're a Robin Hood scholar. Flynn is the definitive Robin of Locksley, and de Havilland is lovely as Maid Marian. Rains and Rathbone are fine as the villains, Prince John and Sir Guy, who try to take over England and raise taxes while Richard the Lion Heart is gone to the Crusades. Filmed in glorious Technicolor, the movie is a little too colorful. But it certainly provides a fine evening's entertainment, with lots of '38 Extras. (Subtitles are available in English, as well as closed captions.) Grade: A- 

The Abyss

The Abyss (1989) starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn. In an underwater sci-fi adventure, a crew of divers on an oil rig goes down to investigate a nuclear submarine which has been sunk. While investigating, one of the crew (Mastrantonio) sees an underwater UFO. Meanwhile, a Navy SEAL team which has been sent to check out the status of the nuclear sub begins to interfere with the crew of the oil rig. Biehn gets to pull his favorite assignment as an actor by playing a member of the SEAL diving team who gets "pressure psychosis." I watched the "extended" video version of the movie, which, at two hours and forty-five minutes, is a bit too long. Also, the film kind of goes overboard in depicting the underwater aliens and their concern for mankind. It would have been fine just to know they're there and that they are aware of us. Still, a rather enjoyable viewing experience. (Subtitles in English are available, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B        

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick. A "good" terminator (Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time to protect John Connor (Furlong) against the bad terminator (Patrick) that Skynet has sent back to kill him. The action is practically non-stop, and the movie almost lives up to the original "Terminator" film. What it lacks in freshness it makes up for with special effects, especially the liquid-metal terminator effects of Patrick. (Subtitles in English are available for the hearing-impaired, but not closed captions.) Grade: A- 

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm. Frodo Baggins (Wood), a hobbit, sets off on a quest to destroy the evil One Ring. He is joined by Gandalf, the wizard (McKellen); Aragorn, son of Arathorn (Mortensen); a dwarf, an elf, a man, and three other hobbits. They journey through dangerous lands to find shelter in elf lands, then through the mines of Moria, where Gandalf battles with a balrog. It's all executed with the greatest of the cinematic arts, and the movie's only flaw is that it is so long, at three and a half hours. Yet even at that length, I never grew bored.  Grade: A

Django Unchained

Django Unchained (2012) starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Johnson. Directed by Quentin Tarantino. In 1858, two years before the Civil War, a slave named Django (Foxx) is bought and later freed by a bounty hunter named Schultz (Waltz). Django learns how to handle a six-shooter, and they go into business together as bounty hunters. But Django's one overriding concern is to get his wife, Broomhilda (Washington), out of the hands of an evil slaver named Calvin Candie (DiCaprio). Schultz and Django concoct an elaborate scheme to buy Broomhilda from Candie, but in the end they have to resort to violence to free her. The violence in this film is trademark Tarantino -- when somebody gets shot, blood spurts or sprays out of him. And a lot of people get shot, mostly by Django. It's an extremely violent movie, but Django and Broomhilda have been badly mistreated and the shooting seems justified. Basically, it's a revenge flick and can be enjoyed on that level. (Subtitles are available for the hard of hearing, but not closed captions. There are several songs in the movie that could have profited by being subtitled, but they are not.) Grade: B+

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) starring Martin Freeman, Ian Mckellan, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis, Ian Holm, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Elijah Wood. Directed by Peter Jackson. The decision was made by Jackson to turn The Hobbit, a fairly long novel, into a three-movie extravaganza. This first installment proves to be a slight disappointment, since we've seen many of the tricks in previous Lord of the Rings films. Jackson does manage to get to the crucial encounter between Bilbo Baggins (Freeman) and Gollum (Serkis), in which Bilbo acquires the One Ring around which the entire set of books revolves. There are also some good action scenes, mostly battles with Orcs, but for my taste the fight scenes were a bit too "busy." They might have looked better in a movie theater, rather than on my 22-inch TV screen, so I can't really hold that against him. All in all, I love the Hobbit and all things Middle Earth, so this movie succeeded in pleasing me despite its shortcomings. (English subtitles for the hearing-impaired are available on the disc; closed captions are not.) Grade: B+   

Where Eagles Dare

Where Eagles Dare (1968) starring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure. As World War II rages, a British commando unit, led by Burton, with Eastwood as the only American member of the team, parachutes into the Bavarian Alps to rescue a captured American general from a German fortress. Things start going wrong right from the start, and it soon becomes evident that this mission is not all it's cracked up to be. The movie is full of slam-bang action from start to finish, with scarcely ever a dull moment. It suffers only from the improbability factor -- the success of the mission is dependent on split-second timing and luck, and there's so much of it that it's just not believable. But that needn't stop you from enjoying this movie. Burton and Eastwood are real stars, and the film features top-notch  production values. (Subtitles in English are available, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B+

Wanted

Wanted (2008) starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann. Nebbishy office drone Wesley (McAvoy) learns that his father was a member of a secret, 1,000-year-old guild of assassins called the Fraternity. The assassin skills are genetic, so Wesley is the next recruit of the Fraternity, trained by the leader Sloan (Freeman) and the lithe Fox (Jolie). The movie is based on a series of comic books, so you can guess at the level of sophistication that is brought to to the plot. That said, it's a slick production, and with some tweaking could have been a really inspiring motion picture. But when all is said and done, it's about assassins, fer chrissakes. How can an assassin be a hero? Only if he truly believes in what he is doing and his cause is just, criteria that I don't think this film fulfills. (Subtitles for the hearing-impaired are available, but not closed captions.) Grade: B

The Amazing Spider-Man

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) starring Andrew Garfield, Rhys Ifans, Emma Stone, Denis Leary, Sally Field, Martin Sheen. Bitten by a genetically modified spider, Peter Parker (Garfield) suddenly finds that he has amazing strength and the ability to climb things. He starts by battling petty crime, but soon finds himself clashing with the archvillain The Lizard (Ifans). Meanwhile, he falls in love with a girl from school (Stone) and reveals to her that he is Spider-Man. As superhero movies go, this one is not bad. Many elements are familiar from earlier Spider-Man films, but it brings enough fresh ideas to the mix to make it work. It will help if you like this type of movie. (The furnished subtitles are very good, although closed captions are not offered.) Grade: B+ 

The Sea Hawk

The Sea Hawk (1940) starring Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains, Donald Crisp. It's 1585, and Spain is on the move, hoping to conquer the known world; only England stands in her way. It's up to English pirates ("sea hawks") like Captain Thorpe (Flynn) to hector the Spanish ships wherever they can be found. Queen Elizabeth, of course, is officially opposed to the actions of the sea hawks -- but Spain is building a great Armada, and England needs Spanish loot to build a fleet and be prepared. This is a standard English swashbuckler, with plenty of stirring action and court intrigue. Flynn is in his prime here (31 when the film was made) and acquits himself well. Marshall plays his love interest, and Rains stars as the Spanish ambassador to England. It's interesting to note that the movie was made in 1940 -- a time when England was facing off, not with Spain, but with Germany. The film's a bit dated, but Errol Flynn entertains. Good subtitles and closed captions. Grade: B

Scaramouche

Scaramouche (1952) starring Stewart Granger, Eleanor Parker, Janet Leigh, Mel Ferrer. On the eve of the French Revolution, the bastard Andre Moreau (Granger) swears vengeance on the aristrocrat who killed his best friend. While training for the sword fight, Moreau disguises himself as Scaramouche, a clown in a traveling show. The movie is full of devilry, sometimes for comic effect, and lots of scenes of sword-fighting. There are also some interesting turns of plot in which Moreau thinks one character is his sibling, but it turns out to be someone else -- the most unexpected of all. Although this is an old film with even older themes, it doesn't fail to entertain. The main flaw is the ending, which feels a bit rushed. The movie also has English subtitles for the hearing-impaired, as well as closed captions. Grade: A-

The Road Warrior (DVD)

The Road Warrior (1981) starring Mel Gibson. Australian sequel to "Mad Max" finds Max (Gibson) driving through a post-Apocalyptic wasteland where the most valuable commodity is gasoline. When he comes upon a self-sufficient refinery in the middle of the wasteland, he tries to bargain for gasoline, but is taken captive instead. Soon, however, he strikes a bargain with the refinery people: He will bring them a tractor to pull their trailer full of gasoline, and they will give him back his car and all the fuel he can carry. The road crazies in this film are surprisingly contemporary looking: Spiked hair, hair in different colors, outrageous outfits -- they have it all. Looks like something out of a Lady Gaga video. The villains are especially heinous (as they should be), and the tribulations of "normal" people are tough. The action scenes, especially the final chase scene, are exciting and well-staged. The script has substance to it. It's a B picture, but a good one. The DVD offers subtitles as well as closed captions. Grade: B

Raiders of the Lost Ark (DVD)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) starring Harrison Ford, Karen Allen. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Ford makes his first outing as intrepid archeologist Indiana Jones in this adventure flick, set in 1936, which sends him up against the Nazis in trying to obtain the lost Ark of the Covenant. This movie has a little bit of everything, although it's well toned down to earn a PG rating (and to allow kids to see it). All told, it's a very entertaining film with scarcely a single slow moment. The subtitles are very good. Grade: A-

Valhalla Rising (DVD)

Valhalla Rising (2009) starring Mads Mikkelsen. Invincible Viking warrior known only as One-Eye (Mikkelson) escapes from slavery, takes up with a band of Christians going on a crusade. They're headed for the Holy Land, but their ship gets lost in a mist, and when they find land they don't know where they are. They only know that members of their crew keep dying violently or going missing. Eventually the mystery is solved -- sort of. This film has too much bone-crunching, blood-spattering violence and too little plot for my taste. Really, don't see this movie. The subtitles are good. Grade: D

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (DVD)

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) starring Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent, Karen Allen, John Hurt. Ford is showing his age as the famed archaeologist Indiana Jones, this time searching for a crystal skull and a lost city in South America. LaBeouf plays his young sidekick, and Blanchett is an evil Soviet agent in this adventure set in 1957. It mostly seems comprised of little bits here and there snipped from old Indiana Jones movies. Grade: B

Rescue Dawn (DVD)

Rescue Dawn (2006) starring Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies. Directed by Werner Herzog. Fighter pilot Dieter Dengler (Bale) is shot down in 1965 over Laos. Captured by the Viet Cong, he is imprisoned in a Laotian torture camp near the Ho Chi Minh Trail. From his first day as a prisoner, Dengler thinks of nothing but escape and, amazingly, his escape plan succeeds. But once outside the prison camp, he still must survive the monsoon, the jungle and the Viet Cong. Against all odds, he is rescued by an American helicopter, and it's an inspiring, uplifting event. Never boring, this movie is a great piece of story-telling. Grade: B+

Apocalypto (DVD)

Apocalypto (2006) directed by Mel Gibson. In a time long ago, primitive natives live and hunt in the jungle, only to have their existence disrupted when a gang of slave-hunters from the great Mayan civilization which dominated Mexico sneaks up on their village and takes most of them captive, killing the rest. It's a fascinating and disturbing portrait of what life might have been like in the Mayan Empire before Europeans came on the scene. There's a lot of violence and bloodshed, but it's done as tastefully as can be expected. There's also a powerful twist at the end of the movie which, if you become as absorbed in the story as I did, you may not see coming. Also available on the DVD are a short on how the convincing look of Mayan civilization was created, and a commentary track by Mel Gibson and his co-producer. Grade: B+